“See what I mean. An animal. Especially on the full moon. It must be the cloud cover that’s keeping him from turning. But no matter. Dead is dead.” A brush of leaves behind Zan followed by an earthy scent. Wolf. Jackie didn’t know if it was Joe, Scott, or Russell, but one thing she was sure of; Shider thought it was someone else.
“Stupid beasts only understand fucking and feeding. He won’t know what hit him.”
Once again she wished for claws, if only to rake them across Shider’s face for insulting Zan, and the whole wolf species in general. But she’d make due with what she knew. The male side of her family made sure she could.
“Neither will you,” she whispered under her breath just as she went limp in his arms, her weight exaggerated by the vest she wore. Either Shider hadn’t realized what she had on, or hadn’t cared. Either way, her move threw him off balance. With all her enhanced strength, thank you shifter DNA, she shot her elbow into the soft tissue of his liver, pushing his hand and ducking under the knife at the same time.
Once she was free and clear, Zan let out a roar of fury so loud her ears rang long after the sound subsided. She stepped hastily to the side and stumbled over the discarded backpack, landing hard on her butt. Two wolves shot from the trees to circle her, protecting her as Zan made short work of Shider. One powerful and lethal swipe of his hand and Shider flew back several feet, falling lifeless to the ground. Zan prowled to the still form and sniffed. Then his face shot to hers.
“I suggest you move calmly and slowly to the house.” Russell’s voice came from her right. She didn’t even look his way, pinned in place as she was by Zan’s fierce stare. She understood Russell’s comment. No sudden movements and definitely no running. Otherwise she might find herself pinned by Zan, not just by his look, but by his body as he claimed her in front of God, beasts and human alike. While the thought sent a dark thrill through her—perverse creature that she was—she had no intention of being taken among dead bodies.
Under his unwavering stare, Jackie stood cautiously and, as if only taking a midnight stroll, sidled up to Zan. She laid a hand on his hard chest, instinctively knowing he needed her touch. “I’m fine, Zan. I’m going back to the house while you finish what you need to here.” Her calm demeanor seemed to ease the tenseness of his muscles. Reaching up with his own hand, careful of his claws, he moved hers to the side of his face, breathing in and then nuzzling her palm.
With each heartbeat she relaxed a fraction, her ease triggering an answering one in Zan. The mating bond in full force.
Zan drew in a heavy sigh and dropped his hands, stepping away from her at the same time. His eyes were nearly back to normal. “Go back to the house. I have work to finish here and then I’ll be in.” He turned her words into a demand, and a promise. She knew what would happen once he returned to the house. And though the woman part of her wanted to snap a response at his attitude, her wolf knew now was not the time. So she kept her mouth shut and picked her way through the trees, and into the house.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hours later, Jackie lay in the middle of her bed, fretting about Zan, and wondering just where the hell he was. He should have been in her room by now. They would have had sex, argued—she already knew what she was going to say—and she would have kicked him out, stalked to the internet, and booked passage on the next plane to Denver.
Only he wasn’t there, hadn’t followed the script in her head. Which threw her off kilter. Granted, she could still get up and book a ticket on the next plane out, but she didn’t. Couldn’t. Not yet. Once she did that, then it really would be over. And she just wasn’t ready to say good-bye to the man she loved.
The storm had passed and she now stared out the window, the drawn curtain revealing the full moon. Though seemingly not as intense as from home, the glow brightened the bedroom, throwing shadows to the far corners.
A familiar scent, the unmistakable sound of footsteps. As Zan could move as stealthy as the beast he carried, this was on purpose. He wanted Jackie to hear him coming for her. Anticipation flared from the determined sound.
When the door opened on silent hinges she caught a glimpse of bare feet, low-slung jeans, and a bare chest before raising her gaze higher. One look at his face and that anticipation turned to alarm. She hopped out on the far side of the bed, holding out her hands in defense. “Now wait a minute.”
“I’ve been waiting, Jackie.” He closed the door and the soft snick of the lock engaged. “I’ve forced myself to stay away from you. Try to calm down. But I’m not getting any calmer.” His voice rose loud and she winced. And went on the attack.