Lycan Vengeance

Chapter Eight

Rose paced in the bedroom. What the hell had she done? She’d almost slept with a lycan, and had enjoyed every minute of his caresses and kisses. Her body still burned from the orgasm he’d given her. She’d been ready to throw caution to the wind before he’d said he was sorry. She’d practically thrown herself at him, and he was sorry? The bastard. She wasn’t sure if she was more angry or hurt at his rejection.

And why had she told him so much about the night Tammy died? She’d planned to tell him as little as possible, just enough to earn his trust. But once she’d started talking to him, everything, every single detail from that night had flowed from her as if she were confessing her deepest secret to someone she’d known forever, someone she felt comfortable with, someone she . . . trusted?

No! She had to get away from him before she made a mistake she’d regret for the rest of her life. She couldn’t sleep with him. But you know you want to. Yes. She did want to. She wanted him in every way. She wanted his mouth on her while he slid that wondrous cock of his deep inside her. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist as he rode her until the force of their release crashed through them. She wanted to lie in his arms afterward while he spooned her, and drift asleep as he held her.

Ridiculous. She’d never wanted that from any man. Knox isn’t just any man. No, he’s a fucking lycan. Why was she having such a hard time remembering that about him? She grabbed her bag and decided now was as good a time as any to put her plan into action. She had to go, now, tonight, before it was too late for her heart, although she had a sinking feeling it might well already be too late.

So much had changed in such a short time, and she had some serious thinking to do. She now realized hunting the lycans hadn’t been something she’d been doing for the good of humankind, but something she’d been using as an excuse to run from her own problems. Hunting them had been an enabler, an enabler that spurred her on and fed her lust for revenge. She had to sort those problems out, get her head on straight, and decide what she was going to do with her life. She couldn’t soul-search around Knox and his judgment-

clouding gorgeous body and smoldering eyes.

The passion to help others would always be a part of her, but she didn’t think she was cut out to continue killing lycans. Killing wasn’t who she was, and while she’d be able to do it without guilt if faced with no other choice, doing it out of vengeance was taking a toll on her. It was destroying her bit by bit. She had to find a new purpose for her life, one that would bring her satisfaction and less blood on her hands.

She took off her clothes, put on some sweats and an old shirt—her choice of sleeping attire—and placed the clothes she’d been wearing on top of the duffel bag for easy access. While she was upset by the fact that

Knox had taken her weapons, she hoped he hadn’t found the ones she had hidden in the truck, or the spare key. The key was hidden well, but she knew better than to underestimate Knox. He’d proven more than difficult to pull one over on. This would work. It had to. She yanked the thin gold band from her right ring finger and slid it into the side pocket of the duffel.

Okay, time to put on the act of your life, Rose. She rubbed at her eyes until she was sure they were red and swollen, then thought about Tammy and the lycans who’d attacked them, and all the other times she’d been scared or alone or tired. Surprisingly, the tears came easily. Three times in one day—she was turning into a sissy.

She curled up on the bed and sobbed louder and louder. Finally, just when she was about to give up, she heard a soft knock on the door. She didn’t answer, certain he’d come to her rescue anyway. It was in his character, and he wouldn’t change now—especially when she was counting on that characteristic so heavily.

And the bad thing was, she felt guilty for using such an honorable trait against him.

“Rose?”

She continued crying, and soon the mattress dipped behind her. Knox’s warm hand rested on her shoulder, and for a second she wanted to forget the whole plan, curl into him, and soak up the comfort he offered.

“Tell me.” He rubbed her back in a soft circular motion.

“Go away, Knox.”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”

Guilt ripped through her, but why should she feel guilty about deceiving him? He’d kidnapped her. Yeah, but you tried to kil him. No. She had to follow this through, needed to get away from him before he wiggled any further into her head and heart.

“I lost my mother’s ring.” She held her hand up so he could see the indention of where the ring used to reside on her finger. “She gave it to me right after Tammy was killed. I’ve never taken it off, and now it’s gone.”

“Do you remember the last time you had it?” he asked her softly.

“I think I lost it in the woods after the rogue attacked me. I was s-so cold. It must have just slipped off when I was running.”

He pulled her toward him, and she buried her face in his chest, hoping he wouldn’t see through her ruse.

She breathed him in deep, and almost sighed out loud, when the familiar woodsy, wild scent flowed into her.

“I’ll find it for you. Don’t worry. If it’s in the woods, I’ll find it.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?”

He tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. Her breath stilled for a moment at the sheer masculine beauty of him.

“I would do anything for you.” His lips brushed hers lightly before he stood.

“I’m so tired. I’m going to try to sleep for a bit.” She curled back on her side, and sighed when he tenderly pushed her hair from her forehead.

Why would he do anything for her? Why was he so concerned over her? It was so out of character from everything she’d learned about lycans, but Knox was a man as well. And from everything she’d witnessed, he was a kind man, but the wolf that lived inside him was a dangerous predator.

“That’s a good idea. It’ll be dawn soon. I’m going to find your ring, and it’ll be here when you wake up.”

He bent and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

He left the room and quietly closed the door. She lay still and listened while he moved around the house for a few moments, and then heard the unmistakable opening and closing of the front door. It had worked.

She’d wait ten minutes, then haul ass. That should give him enough time to get deep enough into the woods where he wouldn’t be able to catch her, even with his speed, once she was in the truck and heading out.

She got up, quickly stripped, grabbed the clothes she’d placed on top of the duffel earlier, and hastily dressed before shoving the sweats and shirt back inside. She pulled Knox’s T-shirt—the one she’d worn—

from the bag and spread it over a pillow she’d tucked under the blanket so her scent would remain strong in the room if he looked in on her. Hopefully, the dark and the scent would buy her more time, but she wasn’t counting on it. She wouldn’t be surprised if he was after her as soon as she started down the drive, which meant she had to move fast and precisely, without making a mistake.

She lifted the duffel over her shoulder, tiptoed out into the hall and to the front door. She stepped out onto the porch, looked around, and cocked her head to the side to listen. When she heard nothing but silence, she sprinted to the truck, threw the duffel in, and jumped up into the driver’s seat. She softly pulled the door closed so it only made a quiet click, reached under the seat, and felt for the small tear in the fabric, praying the hiding place had been good enough. She worked her finger under the tear and pulled out the spare key. A big grin crossed her face. Ha! Got one over on you.

She put the key in the ignition and popped the truck into gear, letting it roll forward—thanking Knox all the way for turning the pickup around and facing it toward the road. Fortunately, luck was on her side, and the driveway was on a small downgrade, which allowed her to roll further than she’d hoped before starting it up.

The engine was quiet, and she hoped if Knox heard it—and he would—he’d think it a vehicle passing in the distance on the main road.

She fought the urge to slam her foot down on the gas, and let the truck glide slowly to the main road. If she goosed it, he’d immediately know something was up. Once she turned onto the road, she stopped fighting the urge and put her foot to the floor. Her heart raced and her breathing came in shallow pants as she watched the mirrors, fully expecting to see Knox chasing her, but after twenty miles, she knew she’d gotten away.

After an hour of searching along the trail Rose had used when she’d fled into the woods after the rogue attacked her, Knox still hadn’t found her ring. She had been so upset over losing it, and he was sure he’d be able to find it. In fact, he knew he could find it, which made him wonder if maybe it hadn’t been lost during the actual attack. The logical thing would have been to search under the bed and dresser and around the bedroom first, but her tears had rattled him. He hoped it was there because he didn’t want to tell her he’d failed in getting it back for her.

He decided to head back to the house, not wanting to be away from Rose any longer. He’d heard a car pass in the distance a few moments ago, which was a rare but not unlikely occurrence. While it hadn’t sounded close, he still wanted to make sure all was well. His need to keep his mate safe was one he couldn’t ignore, nor one he wanted to refuse. He started back, and a feeling of unease started nagging him. As he got closer to the house, the feeling intensified, and when he saw Rose’s truck was gone, he was terrified that she had been taken from him. Suddenly, he knew why the sound of the engine he’d heard earlier had sounded vaguely familiar.

He ran inside to the bedroom and was relieved to see she was still sleeping. The relief was short-lived, however, when he found not Rose under the blankets, but a pillow rearranged to make it look as if she were still there. His shirt—the one she’d worn—was draped over the pillow and told it all. She’d tried to deceive him not only with the pillow trick, but by using the shirt—the one covered in her scent—as an illusion to make him believe she was still there. She’d left him.

She was smart, he’d give her that, but he was going to wring her neck when he found her. The area—

northern Michigan—was known to be rampant with rogues. Didn’t she understand how much danger she was in?

“Son of a bitch.” He wondered if he looked in the mirror if a big S would be scorched on his forehead for

“sucker.” She’d suckered him good, and he’d fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

She thought she’d gotten away, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve, one in particular that would lead him right to her. When he did find her—and he would—he’d lock her up if he had to, but she was going to quit taking risks with her life. He couldn’t bear it if something happened to her.

Her tears, the whole sob story about the ring, everything had been fake. He thought about it for a moment. No. It hadn’t all been a lie. She’d responded to his touch. No one could fake that. Well, maybe someone, somewhere could, but not Rose and not with him. She’d responded to his kisses as well. She might not like the fact that she had responded to him, but it didn’t make it any less true.

That gave him hope. Her brain may not like what was happening between them, but her body recognized the chemistry, and physical attraction was a hard thing to resist, especially one as strong as the two of them had.

Then he cursed himself. He’d pushed her too hard, too fast, and she’d responded by running away. He should have taken things slower, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. She was soft, inviting, his, and he’d wanted—

no, needed—to touch her. And his inability to control his hormones was what ultimately drove her away.

He’d been tracking and hunting for more years than she’d been alive, and he was positive that if she’d been hunting him for over a month, she had a place somewhere within a couple hundred miles at the most.

And the next time she fell asleep, she’d tell him everything he needed to know, and he’d have her once again.