Lycan Lust

Chapter Two

Rindy stared up at the man who pinned her to the dirty floor of the apartment she’d recently rented. She knew from the moment she’d set eyes on him that he was one of the bastards that had been chasing her for years.

She’d never believed in monsters, had a wonderful, carefree, loving childhood, until the day they came . . . werewolves. She would have never believed they existed had she not seen them with her own eyes.

They’d come after her when she was just seventeen years old. They’d told her they were going to protect her and that she had an important role to play in their pack. But the words had barely left their mouths when they had attacked her family. They’d killed her mother and sister. She’d tried so hard to fight, to save them, but she’d been powerless against them. They’d been so strong, and her against three monsters had been no match. It had been hopeless.

Rindy remembered every detail of that night. The way her sister had begged for her life, the way her mother had pleaded for them to take her and spare her girls. And the way her mother had caught one of the bastards off guard and stabbed him with a kitchen knife. He’d smiled a smile that had sent chills down her back and had pulled the knife from his shoulder, sending it clattering to the tiled floor, right before his features contorted and hair had burst through every pore in his skin.

Rindy had stared in horror at the big wolf who’d been a man moments before, wondering if she had been dreaming. The beast had swung its head toward her slowly, settling his eerie blue eyes on her seconds before he’d taken her mother’s neck between his jaws and bitten down. She’d never forget the sickening sound of bones breaking as she fled the house.

She’d run so fast, so hard. Still, she’d never thought she’d get away.

Fortunately for her, there had been a bus stop half a mile from her house.

And God had obviously not intended for her to die that day as there had been a bus at the stop, just readying to pull away. She’d made it without a second to spare and had seen the men running after the bus as it picked up speed and finally left them behind.

Since that day ten years ago, she’d been running. She had never stayed in one place for more than a few months. She’d felt them following her. She’d never allow them to catch her again. That was the one thing she owed her mother and sister. Their deaths had been her survival, and she wouldn’t ever throw away the precious gift they’d given her. Yet, again, she was imprisoned by her worst nightmare.

“What do you bastards want with me? Haven’t you done enough already?”

He was an extremely good-looking man, not that that mattered. Most of them had been. Such thick, brown hair, dark chocolate eyes, and golden skin seemed such a waste on a monster. Would he kill her? Would he rape her?

She swallowed hard. She had to find a way to escape. She fought the panic threatening to overtake her.

“I don’t understand. I haven’t done anything.” His brows furrowed, and he frowned.

She snorted. “You’ve been following me for years. I’ve been on the run since I was seventeen years old because of you bastards, and you say you haven’t done anything.”

He frowned harder.

She laughed. “Yeah, I know exactly what you are. You’re a werewolf, and you’re a monster and a killer.”

“How do you know what I am?” His eyes turned darker, and his cheeks burned red.

She figured the blush was from anger because she couldn’t imagine his kind ever being embarrassed. But what was he angry about? She was the one being held down like an animal.

She raised her chin. “Because your kind killed my mother and sister, most likely would have done the same to me, had I not escaped.”

“Your mother and sister were killed by werewolves?”

She nodded and pushed her face toward him in defiance. “I hate you.

Now get off me!”

She tried to buck him off but grunted in frustration when she realized he was just too damn heavy. Why couldn’t she have been tall with some meat on her bones? Instead, she had to be barely five foot and a hundred pounds.

And though she’d taken extensive self-defense classes and karate, she wasn’t a fool to believe she’d be a true match for a man of his size and strength.

She’d only hoped her training would provide her enough of an edge to get away if she had to. Even that wasn’t looking promising at the moment. She took a deep breath and blew it out in agitation.

“I did not hurt your family. And I’m sorry it happened. But I assure you it had nothing to do with me.” He ran a finger down her cheek.

She shivered as his warm skin made contact. It was nice to be touched in a comforting manner. It had been so long since she’d had a hug or any kind of affection she’d nearly forgotten how nice it could be. Are you insane? How could she possibly enjoy anything from this man?

She looked deep into his eyes and found herself wanting to believe him, yet that small part of her that had been terrified for years, cautious about everyone and everything, wouldn’t allow it. “Get off me, and get out!”

He sighed. “I told you already, I cannot leave. Not without you.”

“I’m not going with you anywhere.”

“What is your name?”

“Wh-what? You are asking me my name?”

He nodded and gave a lopsided grin that showed straight, white teeth.

“Yes. Please tell me.”

She thought about spitting in his face, or telling him to go to hell, or both, but instead, her lips spoke before she had time to stop the words from tumbling out. “Rindy Trenton.”

Why had she told him that? What the hell was wrong with her? He’d followed her, broken into her apartment, and was holding her prisoner on the floor. And she’d told him her name. Smart, Rindy, smart.

“Rindy. I like it. It suits you.” He sat up, his thighs pressing against her sides snugly, still holding her firmly to the floor. “Now, if I let you up, do you promise to be good?” He rubbed at his nose.

Good. She wished she’d broken it but knew she hadn’t as it wasn’t swollen or even bleeding. She’d have to work more on her technique. “I will never promise to be good.”

He laughed. “That’s my girl.”

He got up and held a hand out to help her. She glared at him and got to her feet on her own. “And I’m not your girl, nor will I ever be.”

He scowled, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that had been hurt she’d seen for a fleeting moment in his murky eyes. Why would her never being his girl have any impact on him emotionally? They were strangers, and that’s what they would stay. She didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

Werewolves were supposed to be made-up, not something from a nightmare that came true.

She’d known immediately he was one. She didn’t know how exactly, but ever since her first encounter with the beasts, she’d been able to tell when one was near. She’d chalked it up to her God-given instincts. And hers had never failed to warn her of danger. The caution bells had practically been cracking they’d been going off so hard when Brent had grabbed her. Yet she did have to admit that while the mere thought of being within one hundred feet of a werewolf again was enough to send her into panic, his presence was more annoying than anything.

He’d frightened her when he’d yanked her in from the window, but he hadn’t tried to hurt her, even when she’d busted his nose. It seemed out of character from her experiences with his kind. She’d come across a few since the initial attack, and all of them had been quite aggressive. She’d done a decent job of evading them . . . until now. Why had they been following her her entire life? Now’s the perfect time to find out, Rindy.

“Why have you been chasing after me for the past ten years?” She leaned against the wall and watched him warily.

“I haven’t been chasing you for the past ten years. I’ve been trying to find you for the past several weeks.” He took a breath “Or my entire life.”

She didn’t catch the last sentence as he mumbled the words. “Why? I don’t understand. I never stay in one place for long, and the minute I get the feeling someone is watching me—which is quite often—I jump on a bus, train, or plane and get as far away as I can as fast as I can. Start over in a new town, but I always end up being followed no matter where I go. And how do you keep finding me?”

“Your scent.”

“My scent?”

He slowly came toward her, and she stood up straight. “I won’t hurt you.

I swear it.” He stopped inches from her and slowly trailed his eyes from her face to her toes and back. “You have a scent that calls to my kind.”

“You mean I’ve been followed because of the way I smell?”

He nodded. “Yes. But it’s not as simple as that.” He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before wincing. It was obviously still tender. “The ones who have had contact with you were supposed to protect you, not hurt you or your family. But I’m sorry to say that there are those of us who don’t always follow the rules.”

“Why would I need protected? The way I see it, the only thing I need protection from is you.” She glared at him.

“No. You will never need protection from me. And, I guarantee you, I am not like the others you’ve encountered.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say. I would really like you to leave now.”

“I’m sorry. I will not hurt you, you have my word, but I will not ever let you go again. I cannot. I hope one day you will come to care for me.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you insane? What do you mean you will never let me go? You are frightening me.”