Twisted

Chapter Two

Maggie ran.

Pure and simple, she turned tail and dodged through the house and out the back door. The smell of huckleberries hit her first, the glide of a waning sun next. She cleared a rough stone fence with one hurdle, running into the cool forest.

Thank goodness the guest mansion was near the trees.

Even in human form, Maggie’s wolf genes allowed her to see the world flashing by vividly. Bright colors, muted tones, life.

Her toe caught on a rock, and she barely kept from falling.

Windmilling her arms, she regained her balance. She ran until her breath panted, her knees ached, and her mind cleared.

Mate?

No way. The idea alternatively intrigued and terrified her.

Mated to Terrent Vilks?

No. Not possible. She knew her body, and there was no marking on her skin. No bite marks to show she had a mate . . .

that she belonged to somebody.

She didn’t belong to anybody.

And damn if that didn’t hurt.

Maggie halted and allowed the sun to bathe her. Several deep breaths sharpened her focus. A lumbering rippled through the woods behind her.

So she did what any self-respecting animal would do. She scrambled up a tree.

Bark cut into her hands, and pine needles jabbed into her hair, but she made the climb toward the top. From her vantage point, she could track the man jogging her way. He’d ditched his shoes. Interesting.

Terrent loped to a stop, his head upturned, his nostrils flaring. Slowly, he angled to the side of her tree and peered up. “You’ve been living with cats too long.”

“I live with vampires.” Sure, her best friend was a feline shifter, and they had lived together for some time in NOLA, but now she lived with the fanged.

He shook his shaggy head. “Wolves don’t climb trees.”

“I just did.” She wiped her stinging palms on her shredded jeans.

He kicked loose bark away from his bare, very masculine feet. “You made a mess. A feline wouldn’t have left evidence.”

What the heck did evidence matter? “You can smell me, wolf. Tree bark and trails don’t matter.”

“You can mask your scent.” He eyed the lower branches.

“Just like the three wolves back at the house.”

She stilled and then grabbed the nearest branch for balance. Leaning out, she surveyed him. “What?”

“Come down and I’ll tell you.” Low, deep, his voice wandered under her skin to her sex, settling right in.

She swallowed twice. Her nipples hardened and threatened her pretty pink bra. The man was dangerous on too many levels. She never should’ve agreed to this mission. Not even for the king. “No.”

“Don’t make me come up and get you.” The order held bite.

“You’re not my mate.” The branch below her cracked.

A deep growl rumbled from Terrent. He yanked a picture from his back pocket.

Even from a distance, Maggie could make out the photo-graph of her and Terrent smiling into the camera, their arms around each other. Her hair was a lot longer then. She swallowed. They looked close. “So we knew each other.”

“Yes.” He reached for a branch, only to drop it and grab a different one. His mouth twisted in a pained grimace. “Come down. Now.”

Wait a minute. She bit her lip. Was the big, bad wolf afraid of heights? “I think you should come up and get me.”

He stilled, his gaze piercing through the night. “If I have to come up and get you, little wolf, you’ll regret it.”

She levered out to sit on a thick branch, swinging her feet back and forth. “I’m waiting.” Her singsong voice filled the forest.

“Get back closer to the tree,” he snapped. Red swept across his cheekbones.

“Make me.” She scooted farther away from the trunk, her legs dangling, her hands on a branch above her head. This was the most fun she’d had in too long.

“Damn it, Maggie.”

“Tell me the truth, or I’ll start swinging from branches.”

To prove her point, she bent her knee and ran her foot along the branch.

“I should let you fall on your damn stubborn head.” He tugged on a lower branch, testing his weight. The thing snapped in two.

Maggie laughed and guided her other foot into place so she could stand. “Why did you lie?”

“I didn’t lie.” He reached for a higher branch and growled as it ripped from the tree. “You agreed to be my mate.”

“Were we in love?”

“Absolutely.”

Not likely. “I may not know a lot of wolves, but something tells me we don’t contract to mate. If we were truly together, which I’m not sure about, then any mating would’ve occurred quickly.”

“You calling me a liar, darlin’?” His voice lowered to a softness that slid danger into deadly.

The hair pricked up on the back of her neck. “I haven’t decided.”

“Let me know when you do.”

Her branch shuddered and then splintered apart. With a soft cry, she jumped and landed on a branch several feet down. Pine needles flew, and bark crumbled, but the damn thing held her.

He smiled. “Close enough.” Bunching his legs, he leaped.

The wolf hit her mid-center and tucked her into his hard body. She screamed as they sailed through the boughs. He rolled them several times in midair, wrapping long legs and arms around her.

Gravity yanked them down like the powerful force it was.

She landed on top of him and lost every bit of oxygen from her lungs. Maybe her muscles. Hell, maybe her brain.

Her chin thunked against his chest. Taking several deep breaths, she went boneless on him as she took inventory.

Nothing really hurt.

“Are you all right?” he rumbled, both hands flattening against her lower back.

Her entire lower back.

She lifted her head. “Fine. You?”

He grimaced and shifted his weight beneath her. “I’m good, though pine needles may have pierced my spine.”

All of that incredible muscle rolling into place against her body flared nerves to life. All sorts of nerves . . . in all sorts of places. She pushed against his chest to get off.

She didn’t move.

He exhaled. “We need to talk.”

“Then get your hand off my ass.” Yeah. He’d copped a feel.

His grin flashed strong white teeth. “Sorry. I’ve missed this ass.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Apparently not. It’s not like you tried to help me remember.”

He pursed his lips in what could only be termed a wounded male expression. “I figured the memories were so good, you’d remember on your own.”

Her eye roll made her dizzy. “Whatever.”

“Plus, I’ve been a bit busy fighting werewolves, demons, and Kurjans the last decade.” His jaw firmed. “As you know, the werewolf population exploded, and I needed to fight. The king promised to keep you safe. I hoped you’d remember while you healed. You’re damn stubborn, sweetheart.”

“You think you know me?”

“Yes. In fact—” he ran his fingers along the bottom of her buttock, where ass met leg—“I believe there’s a very nice, properly small, fang mark right . . . here.”

Fire blasted through her. She swallowed. Twice. “I thought that was just a scar.”

“It is.” His fangs dropped low. “See?”

Yeah. She saw. “Put those away.”

The sharp points retracted. He settled into the rustling leaves, both hands again pressing against her back. “Your name is Maggie Malone, you’re a wolf-shifter from Vaile Island, you’re being hunted by demons, and you make the sweetest sound of need right before you come.”

Now was not the time to flirt. “Malone?” she snorted.

“My name is actually cutesy Maggie Malone?”

“Yes.”

Her heart glitched in hope. “I’m from an island?”

“Yes. Vaile Island off of Scotland.”

Slowly, cautiously, she opened her mouth. “Do I, uh, have family?”

His eyes darkened, and he patted her back. Well, that massive hand smacked her back. But he tried. “No. No family, sweetheart.”

Surprising that hearing the truth she’d already known hurt. “Oh.”

“Except me.” He smacked her again.

God keep her from enormous wolves trying to comfort her. “I don’t know you.”

“Do you need to see the fangs again?”

She barked out a laugh—she couldn’t help it. For being a killer, the guy was kind of charming. And sweet. “No. I’m good.” She settled her chin on her hands, keeping his gaze.

“Why haven’t you told me any of this before?” She wanted to like him . . . but she might end up trying to kill him.

He sighed. “The wolves on Vaile Island are, ah, special.

They can mask their scents—and the world is unaware of the ability. Not even the vampires know the truth.”

“So they hide from people?” Her people were cowards?

“Ah, no. They’re contract assassins and soldiers.” His gaze wandered to her face. “So if I would’ve told you, or the vampires, then you would’ve been returned to the Vaile pack. Believe me, you didn’t want to be returned. So I figured I’d let your memories come back on their own, especially since I couldn’t be there for you while the war was exploding and I needed to fight.”

Her head started to ache. “So why tell me now?”

“Our contacts have informed us that the Vailes have discovered you’re alive, so I wanted you to know the whole truth.”

About damn time. “Why wouldn’t I have wanted to go home?” she whispered.

He sighed. “You were raised by your grandpa, and when he died, you had a falling-out with the new Alpha wolf, so you headed out on your own.”

“Falling-out?”

“Yes. Felix McClure is an insane son of a bitch, and when you refused to mate him, he went crazy. You fled.”

Good thing she’d trained with shifters and vampires the last decade. “I’d like to meet up with him.”

“He probably sent the wolves to get you now that everyone knows you’re alive.”

So they weren’t in town to kill her—only fetch her. “McClure’s crazy enough to want me back after all this time?”

“Yep. You’re from the strongest line of wolves who can mask, and you’re in demand, sweetheart.”

His eyes had veiled enough for her to wonder. What was he not telling her? “Why were you hunting me?” More important, why had she agreed to mate him?

He brushed hair away from her face. “Your grandpa saved my life in the last war and I owed him. He called me right before he died, and I agreed to find you and help you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “So you caught up to me. What happened?”

“We fell in love and decided to mate.” Terrent’s jaw firmed. “It’s the best course of action to keep you safe.”

Emotional and logical? Doubtful. She frowned.

“Okay. It took persuasion, but you did agree.” He sighed.

“As for my part, I owe your grandpa, I like you, and I’m ready to have a family.”

That was kind of sweet. And the erection digging into her belly showed he did like her. A lot. “So what happened?”

“You changed your mind and took off . . . the Kurjans somehow found you . . . and you know the rest.” Anger blazed through Terrent’s dark eyes.

Well, that did sound like her. Kind of. “Why did I change my mind?”

He shrugged. “We couldn’t agree about what to do after we mated. I needed to continue hunting on the Bane’s Council, and I wanted you somewhere safe.”

“I didn’t want safety?” That didn’t sound like her. She loved safety.

He sighed. “No. You wanted to train to fight.”

“I can fight.” She’d trained for years while waiting for her memories to return. They had to return so she could move on, so she could start living again.

“Do you like fighting?” Wisdom filled his eyes along with challenge.

“Nobody likes fighting.” She hated hitting people, in fact.

No way did the wolf know her so well.

“You hate fighting.” His hands flexed. “You’re a genius at strategy, and you love people. But you thought you should fight because of your lineage.”

“So I didn’t fit in, even with my own people.” The assassins who were her people, that is. Damn. Maybe she was born to be a misfit.

“Not really.” Terrent’s palms heated her skin. “You fit with me, though.”

Sweet. Very sweet. “I left you.”

“We had a silly fight, you went to cool off, the Kurjans kidnapped you.” His voice lowered to guttural.

“I don’t even remember being taken by the Kurjans,” she said. “We’ve never found records of what exactly they infected me with during that time.” Her mind was an empty, black hole. But, after two inoculations, she was feeling damn good—almost a hundred percent. Her damn memories just had to return.

“I’ve been trying for ten years—trying to get information. To discover why not only the Kurjans but also the demons want you.” He shook his head.

Yeah, the demons were at war with the Realm, and they had a hit out on Maggie, but it had never made any sense. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a demon,” she said.

“You don’t want to.”

Considering they’d hurt her friend, Jase, she wished they’d disappear.

A bird twittered high above. Maggie swallowed. She should probably get off the wolf. Getting all cozy with him seemed wrong, considering she was actually in town to investigate him, and any other wolf who might be tampering with the inoculations for shifters. The inoculations that kept them safe from the Kurjan virus. He wouldn’t mess with the vials, would he?

A breeze whispered through the forest. Life hummed around them with the scents of pine and jasmine.

She couldn’t look away from his hard face.

The anger morphed to something darker in his eyes. Tension wound through the peaceful afternoon. He studied her much like a hawk spotting prey. Tingles sprang to life down her back, and warmth spiraled through her abdomen.

His heated palms pressed down just enough to rub her against his cock.

Her mind blanked.

A low growl rumbled up from his gut, rolling along her breasts. Her nipples sprang to attention. Fire rushed through her so quickly her lungs compressed. She opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out.

He slowly lifted his head, determination and dare flaring across his rugged cheekbones. Then his mouth captured hers.

Kissing.

Heating.

Taking.

She closed her eyes on a whimper. White-hot mini-explosions rocketed through her brain. Her fingers clutched his thick hair, and her knees dropped to either side of his hips. Her tongue shot into his mouth, and his hands tightened on her waist. For two seconds she controlled the kiss.

Maybe.

The world spun. Her butt landed on the soft pine needles, and a wolf in human form stretched out on top of her. The kiss shot from intriguing to territorial. His elbows bracketed her, his chest flattened hers, and his hard—oh-so-hard—dick pulsed with a demand she could feel through her jeans. Her clit pounded in perfect time with it.

He released her mouth, sliding his lips along her jaw to nip her earlobe. She arched into him. With a chuckle, he wandered down her neck, licking her collarbone, and took one breast in his mouth.

Electricity ripped straight to her sex.

“Shirt—in—way,” he mumbled against the cotton.

A second later, her shirt flew through the forest. Claws shredded her bra.

“Hey! I love that br—”

Moist heat engulfed her nipple. Her protest deepened into a desperate moan.

Oh God.

Levering himself up, he reached for the button on her jeans. And stilled.

His head lifted.

No. No. No. “Don’t stop,” she breathed.

He frowned and lifted his nose to the air. “Damn.” Ripping off his shirt, he yanked it over her head and pulled her to stand. Then he shoved her behind him. The bare, very cut muscles in his back vibrated.

A pissed-off wolf was never a good thing. Never.

Maggie smelled the air. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Terrent growled.

Jase Kayrs strode down the trail, the forest shadows at home on his face.“You two all right?”

“Damn babysitter,” Terrent muttered. “Yes. Go away.”

Jase stopped. A slight grin lifted his lips. “Ah. Okay. See you back at the house.” Whistling a smart-ass tune, he whirled and sauntered out of sight.

Maggie stepped away from Terrent. He turned around, desire on his face, lust in his eyes.

She gulped air. The warm shirt covered her to her knees and smelled like male and power. Her body ached, but her brain had finally stuttered awake. She couldn’t do something like this without remembering who she was. How could she even think of going forward with her mind an empty darkness? “We should, ah, get back.”

His nostrils flared, while his lip quirked in satisfaction.

“Okay. Though you need to know. We had an agreement to mate. Remember it or not . . . you’re fulfilling that promise.”