Forever Bound Series 1-4 Part 31

"Come with me," he said again, and he still waited for her to take his hand. There would be no forcing on this. She had to choose to come with him.

To be with him.

Her gaze swept around the lake. The woods. She inched toward him. The snow crunched beneath her boots. "I-I didn't...you shouldn't have followed me." Her words rushed out. "I just needed a little time..."

"There's a vamp hunting you," he told her. h.e.l.l, it was probably a whole gang of vamps now. "You really think I'd just leave you on your own?"

No. Her hand lifted and slowly, so slowly, her gaze met his. Her fingers touched his hand. Tentative. Soft. "I lied," she whispered.

His fingers closed around hers. "What?" But he already knew and if she wanted to confess to him, he'd d.a.m.n well listen.

He should have met her here, at Lost Lake. He should have told Jeremiah to screw off, that he was still heading out to meet Paige and that he'd just wait for her to show.

If he'd gone then, they would have been married by now. Had children. Had a f.u.c.king perfect life.

It was all his fault.

But then he heard the growl of an engine. No, not just one engine. Two. Three.

Coming close.

Too fast.

Far too fast.

Her eyes still held his. "I lied," she said again, then she jerked her hand free from his grip and shoved against his chest. "Run!"

The vampires were coming.

"s.h.i.+ft! Turn back into a wolf!" Paige yelled at him. "You can outrun them, you can get away!"

"Not without you." His claws tore through his flesh. He'd be d.a.m.ned if he left her behind.

She shook her head and shoved harder against him. "It's not about me. They don't want me."

Butbut she'd told himthe vampire she'd called Gabe "They want you," she said, voice stark and sad. Her eyes had never looked bigger. Or sadder. "And Gabe always planned to use me...in order to get you."

He could see the light from the snowmobiles cutting through the darkness. The vamps were closing in on them.

The vamps wouldn't get them, though. Dumba.s.ses. Drake knew this land so well.

Better than any vampire ever could. His beast ran free often. Knew every fallen tree. Every secret bend. Every dark cave.

Every hiding spot.

"Run with me," he told her. Because right then, it wasn't about fighting, even though the beast within was roaring for blood. That moment was about protecting Paige. Getting her to safety.

Then coming back to cut down all the vampires after him.

She nodded, and they took off, racing not around the lake, but right across it. It was icy and slick beneath their feet, frozen solid, and by going straight across that cold surface, they saved valuable time.

The ice wouldn't break. Not for months.

They cleared the lake. Entered the edge of the forest, where the heavy weight of the snow had bent the trees. Because they'd gone right across the lake then leapt into the woods, they didn't leave any footprints behind.

Well, no footprints that would be seen immediately. The vamps would have to search first, scanning every edge of the woods, then if they got lucky, they might see the tracks just past the trees but But it was starting to snow again.

h.e.l.l, yes. The snow came down, brus.h.i.+ng against his skin as they ran. The fresh snow would cover any tracks they left behind.

A wolf would have been able to track them through the snow. Vamps were no match for wolves when it came to stalking prey.

No match.

Paige stumbled and would have fallen, but he just grabbed her and hoisted her into his arms. Her weight didn't slow him. He pushed faster. Held her tighter.

He leapt easily over the dead trees, the rough rocks. Faster...

Drake turned abruptly, heading toward the cabin that he knew would be waiting. Small, non-descript, the snow almost hid it completely from view. But he knew the cabin was there, waiting.

The vamps wouldn't be so lucky. Unless they knew the specific location of this safe house, they'd never find it in the darkness.

He punched in the security code, then shouldered open the door. Still holding her tightly, Drake carried Paige inside. The interior was pitch black, and their ragged breathing seemed to echo in the tight s.p.a.ce.

"We can't stay here," Paige said, voice desperate. Her nails sank into his shoulder. "We need to get back to the compound. They'll find you here! You can't face all of them on your own!"

He put her down beside him. The cabin was spa.r.s.ely furnished in this areacontaining just a bed and an old table. But looks could be deceiving. Drake bent down and yanked back an old rug, a rug that had covered a trapdoor on the floor. When he'd had the cabin built, Drake had made sure that the trapdoor blended seamlessly with the floor. He pressed against the wood, in just the right spot. With a creak, the trapdoor opened, revealing the gaping entrance that led below.

He'd created this safe house for any wolf s.h.i.+fters who got caught outside the compound during the winter storms. The place was supposed to be a safe harbor for them.

One with all the benefits and security that a wolf needed.

Paige crept down the stairs. He shut the door behind her. Bolted it. Then punched in a series of codes on the alarm pad.

There was a faint hum, then a steel door slid closed above him, covering the wood. Lights flickered on, one after the other, revealing an area twice as big as the cabin above them.

One wall was composed of monitors. A security station that showed all the area around the cabin, just in case any unwanted guests came calling.

There was a bed. A desk. A cabinet full of food.

All the comforts of home and all the security of a mini-fortress.

Just what he'd wanted.

Drake headed toward the nearby desk. He lifted up the radioone that was wired to the compound. "Alpha One."

Paige made no sound behind him.

Static crackled. "Reading you sir, over."

Drake glanced back at Paige. So still. So beautiful. "Send hunters to Lost Lake. The vamps are out there."

He'd be taking care of this threat. Eliminating the vampires permanently, right after...

After he settled a few things between him and Paige.

"Yes, sir." It was Michael's voice. Drake caught the eagerness in the guy's quick reply. Who didn't enjoy a good hunt?

No wolf he knew.

Drake pushed away from the desk. Stalked toward Paige. She was still s.h.i.+vering but she stood straight and tall. She stared at him like she thought he would attack her.

He did want to pounce.

He lifted his hand and let it skim down her cold cheek. "Tell me about your lies, sweet."

She turned her face into his touch. "You should...find some clothes."

"Why?" Wolves had never been concerned with modesty. "I'm about to f.u.c.k you."

Her eyes widened.

Now he was the one lying. With her, it wasn't just f.u.c.king. Not just s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g in the darkor the light. It was more.

Mating.

He took a breath and could almost taste her. "Tell me the secrets you've been keeping...tell me...and I'll tell you mine."

She shook her head. "You know"

"The vampires were watching the compound. They saw you leave." Obvious. He wasn't a d.a.m.n idiot. Desperate for her, yeah, but not stupid. "Then they saw me." The vamps had given chase, but they would have been watching from a distance, probably using scopes or binoculars, so it had taken them a while to close in. "And they came out to kill me."

He stepped closer. Pressed his lips against her throat and inhaled her scent. s.e.x and woman. His. "You were sweet bait." He didn't care. The vampires had hurt her. Tortured her. Used her against him. She'd been sent to lure him out in the open.

So the f.u.c.k what?

He still wanted her. Always would.

"No." Her word was a sigh as her hands lifted to curl around his shoulders. "You don't understand."

He licked her neck. Her s.h.i.+ver wasn't from the cold that time. "Make me understand." Because he could see a pretty clear picture. She didn't have a choice. The man understood that, and he was furious at the vamps who'd done this to her. "You should have just told me, from the start. I could have protected you"

Her nails dug into his skin. "No."

Surprised by the fury in that one word, Drake lifted his head and stared down at her.

Her breath whispered out as she stared at him. Her eyes were chips of green ice. "This time," she told him, "I'm protecting you."

What?

Then she wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him toward her. Her lips were open, slightly cool, and her mouthperfect.

His c.o.c.k was already hard. Like the cold had put a damper on that. He ached for her, and that bed was just waiting for them.

One step.

Two.

Three.

They fell onto the bed. His hands fought to remove her clothes even as she kicked away her boots. He wanted in her. The truth, the liesall that could wait. Right then, he just needed her.

The lake...

Waiting...

He wasn't gonna wait anymore. They stripped in a tangle of hands. Fabric ripped. Boots and shoes. .h.i.t the floor.

He tore her panties and tossed them aside. He pushed open her legs. Found her hot, soft. He pushed her legs farther apart and stared down at her pink flesh. So d.a.m.n pretty.

Because he couldn't resist, Drake bent his head and put his lips against her s.e.x. Her hips rocked up against him.

"Drake!"

He loved it when she screamed his name. The room had been sound-proofed. No one outside would hear her. Only him.

He licked her c.l.i.t. Tasted her. So delicious. So good.

So his.

Her hands were in his hair. Not urging him away, no, his vampiress was asking for more.

He'd give her more.

He licked. He tasted.

She came against his tongue. "Drake." A whisper now.

Slowly, he rose above her. Her eyes were wide, s.h.i.+ning, and her fangs flashed faintly from behind her red lips.

"You're not a monster." It p.i.s.sed him off that she'd said those words before. No f.u.c.king way. Not her. Not ever. "You're beautiful."

She blinked up at him, and her lips curled in a faint smile. The sight nearly broke his heart.

What was left of the d.a.m.n thing.

He thrust into her, driving deep, joining them. His hands locked with hers, their fingers threading together. The bed squeaked beneath him. In and out, he thrust. Again and again. Their eyes held.

Their breath heaved out.