Tell Me Your Secrets

Chapter One




A low growl rumbled through the still night air. Jesenia North felt its vibration as it cascaded over her skin, rattling her bones. She stood frozen, not even daring to breathe as she stared at sharp white teeth that glistened in the low light of the moon. Saliva dripped from one pointy canine. Blue eyes stared back at her. She shivered as a staggering breath entered her lungs.

The beast prowled forward across the rocky ground, a snarl tearing from its lips. Somehow she found the strength to run. Blood pumped hard through her veins, fueling her muscles as she beat feet back toward Castle Tullamore. She’d checked into the castle-turned-hotel hoping to find her muse. Now she just wanted to avoid being the beast’s dinner.

“Oh please, God, don’t let it eat me!” she prayed as she heard the sickening slide of claws against stone behind her. He followed. She picked up the pace, but already her body screamed. As an author, she sat in a chair most of the day, always telling herself to get up and work out, but somehow it didn’t happen as often as it should. But now she sent up promises in silent offering. She’d exercise every day if she made it to the safety of the castle.

Damn. What had she been thinking? It was sunset when she’d headed out toward the craggy cliffs that over looked the shore. The waves had beat against the unyielding sides, sending up sprays of white foam and mist, while farther down they rolled across the pebbled sand of the beach. But her muse hadn’t been there. The elusive bitch still ran from her as she now ran for her life.

Labored breaths filled her ears. Had the wolf closed the gap or was it her own gulps of air making a deafening noise? As if to answer her silent question she felt the nip of teeth at the sole of her left foot. She yelped then whimpered as she pulled her foot free of her tennis shoe, stumbling but remaining on her feet. Maybe the blasted mutt would accept the new chew toy and leave her alone.

She didn’t spare a glance backward to see. Her gait became odd as she continued to run without one shoe. Each razor-sharp rock that pressed with cruelty into the bottom of her foot threatened to slow her. The soft lights of the castle grew closer. Hope soared as she stretched her legs, ignoring the burn of her thighs and the stitch in her side. Only a hundred more yards and she would be in the courtyard.

Dense foliage and rough ground gave over to manicured lawn as she burst through the last bit of brush that lined the edge of the estate. The erratic beat of her heart boomed inside her ears as sweat slicked her body. A large wooden door stood ahead. She wasn’t sure which part of the castle it would lead to. She only hoped that it wasn’t locked.

A mere breath away she reached out to grab the brass knob, but the door swung open and she collided with the solid wall of a man. Strong hands gripped her upper arms as she wrapped her own fingers around large, firm biceps. Her breaths sawed in and out of her lungs as she clung to the stranger, her legs like Jell-O wobbling beneath her.

“What’s frightened you, lass?”

The low baritone voice washed over her and she pulled another harsh breath in and answered on a whoosh of air. “Wuufff.” The muscles beneath her palms tightened and then relaxed.

“Say again?”

Jesenia pushed back to look up at the stranger’s face. Dark hair fell across his forehead, short and neat in style. Green eyes, so pale and stunning, stared down at her with concern. She tried to speak again as she sucked in air. “A wolf.” She inhaled another breath. “A wolf…chased me…from cliffs.”

The tanned skin on his cheekbones shifted as his full lips tipped up in an amused smile. Laughter floated through the room behind him. It wasn’t funny. She’d nearly met a horrid fate. Confused, she peered around his broad shoulder to see a couple more men in the room. One man sat at a high-top table with a drink in his hand. Red hair stood up in spikes from his head. The other was an older man, wrinkles crinkling around his eyes and mouth as he laughed. Her gaze shifted back to the man who held her. “I’m serious.”

“Lass, there aren’t any wolves in Ireland.”

She twisted her body, pulling out of his embrace as she looked out into the moonlit night. Nothing was there. Nothing moved, not even a tree stirred by the wind. She turned quickly to look at the man who had caught her. “No. I’m sure of it. He was huge and black and had big teeth. He even stole my shoe.”

One dark brow arched in question before he transferred his gaze to her feet. Blood had already begun seeping through her white sock.

“Where did you leave your shoe?”

Jesenia glared at the man as she gripped her side, getting her breathing under control. “The damn wolf took it. He was nipping at my heels. Literally.” Was she not making herself clear? She yelped as the man leaned forward and scooped her up into his arms. “What are you doing?”