Wyatt watched as Gavin punched yet another tree in frustration. For days now, they'd searched for signs of the rogues, but since the abduction of the girl, they'd disappeared. This lack of clue, or even faint trail to them, was driving Gavin slowly insane. And over a human chit. Admittedly, Bailey appeared cute with her rounded frame and shy smile. However, Wyatt didn't obsess over the fact she'd gotten taken. Okay, not true, it bugged the hell out of him, but he hadn't taken it as personally as Gavin. "Where the hell did they take her?" Gavin growled for the umpteenth time. "The rogues ain't around here, if you ask me," Jaxon said. "We'd have caught a trace of them by now." "I think it's time we widened our search circle," Parker interjected in his deep rumble. "Easier said than done," Wyatt replied. "Which direction do you think we should choose? They could be anywhere. All the abductions occurred in this area and were all recovered here as well."
Blinking her eyes at the white ceiling, Bailey took a moment to enjoy the fact that her body no longer hurt. The screaming pain, the throbbing of her joints, the ache of her muscles all appeared gone. I've died. On the heels of that thought, she frowned. What on earth made her think any of those things? Not recalling any injury done to her person, it seemed foolish to wake up feeling relief she no longer hurt. Did I have a bad dream? It seemed the only likely explanation. However . . . that didn't explain the unfamiliar expanse over her head. How had she arrived here? Where was here? Bailey closed her eyes as she cast her recollection backward. A shiver of unease shook her body as, for a moment, in her mind's eye, she glimpsed glowing eyes, a fanciful imagery probably left over from whatever dream she'd experienced that left her thinking she'd gotten injured. A murky haze seemed to hover over her recollections, the sense of time passed, and yet, the
Catching her swooning frame, Gavin thanked every god that might exist for leading him to this particular forest at the right moment, in time to act the knight who rescued his damsel in distress. They'd only decided on this particular set of woods after tossing a coin. Location decided for the evening's hunt, Gavin and his brothers had driven up in their two SUVS and parked on the country road, a mile or so past the dirt track turnoff leading to where they believed the rogues might have holed up. There, in the darkness, not even lit by streetlights, they stripped out of their clothing as they prepared to shift to their animal selves, their keener senses as their beasts better suited for a task such as this. As they prepared themselves, they needed no words to communicate. No ribald jokes even peppered the air. They already knew their task in the hunt, and besides, while a car engine would go unnoticed as normal on this lonely stretch of road, conversation, especially at this
"She's escaped!" His minion, one of his very own creations-after numerous failures-part Lycan, part vampire, burst into his room, eyes blazing and his teeth fully extended. Such a gauche display, Roderick thought with disdain. "I know." "Shall I call the dogs together to chase after her?" Funny how his special minions looked down upon the brethren they'd once belonged to. "Yes. Let the mangy curs out for a run. But tell them if they hurt the girl, I will hurt them ten times worse." Roderick already knew they wouldn't catch her. After all, he was the one who had orchestrated her escape, planted the seed and compulsion, without her knowledge, of course. He'd wanted his experiment to flee and think she'd slipped his clutches. Like any good Frankenstein daughter, she'd obeyed and run right into the arms of destiny, several pairs of them, he'd bet. Just call me the puppet master. Once a wolf, an alpha in charge of a prosperous pack, Roderick despised the
Awareness returned, and she stirred, the sheets she laid upon rustling. Bailey froze. Where am I? Please don't tell me I'm back in that house. A callused finger stroked down her cheek, and she fought back a whimper. Fear made her keep her eyes clamped shut as she thought furiously. The last thing she recalled, she ran through the woods, pursuit at her heels, and . . . wolves. She remembered the wolf that pounced on her, only to find itself jumped on in return. Then, she recalled running again until she hit a wall. It wasn't a wall, though, but a chest, a naked chest belonging to- Wrenching open her eyelids, she came face-to-face with Gavin's clear blue gaze. She couldn't help it. A piercing shriek escaped her. Rolling sideways, she scrambled off the bed, her feet hitting a carpeted floor. Peering about wildly, she searched for escape or, even better, a weapon. Nothing came immediately to view. "Calm down." His deep voice washed over her. Bailey
Parker caught the little lady before she hit the ground while ignoring Gavin's glare. It wasn't hard, not with the plush form of the most delectable-smelling female he'd ever met. No wonder her disappearance had driven Gavin nuts. This close to her, Parker couldn't deny her appeal-or his immediate attraction to her, a pull also felt by his inner wolf, which paced in agitation. "What did you go and tell her that for?" Gavin's irritation-and jealousy-came through loud and clear. Parker managed to flip him a bird while carrying the limp Bailey to the bed. "I didn't realize it was a big deal." "Neither did I," Gavin replied, his shoulders slumping. "I realized as soon as she woke up and started talking that she'd lost track of time." Eyeing her frame, his gaze taking its time perusing her up and down, especially her plump thighs peeking from the edge of the T-shirt, an urge to cover her body with his made his cock swell. What is it about her that intrigues me? Inhal
The next time she woke, Bailey feigned sleep and listened to . . . nothing. She let out her pent-up breath. It embarrassed her to know she'd fainted, but the shock over discovering she'd gone missing for five days still made her tremble. What happened to me? That question kept repeating itself over and over in her mind. A blank slate met her mental queries. Could Gavin and his friend have lied? Possibly, after all, what did she know of her blond cowboy and his friends? Up to this point, she'd assumed he told her the truth, but what if he deceived her? Perhaps he belonged to the plot to kidnap her and had simply lulled her into thinking he was her savior. If that were the case, then she was in big freaking trouble. Yet, her inner radar for danger remained silent. Should she trust her gut or her mental musings? Frustration made her grunt and roll over, forgetting for a moment her situation. Eyes still clamped tight, she froze, feigning sleep just in case she wasn'
Blood to blood. Soul to soul. Gavin felt the connection forge between them, an almost tangible link that would join him to Bailey until death parted them. Even given the circumstances, the power behind it awed him. Most matings occurred during sex, and Gavin could easily see why, given the rigidness of his cock. The urge to bury himself inside of her, claiming her with his body, and not just his soul, rode him hard. As he licked the spot he'd bitten, he couldn't help rubbing himself against her backside. Shock swept through him when she gyrated back against him with a moan. Despite her reluctance to trust, she obviously felt the same pull. Of course she does. She's my mate. His mate. And he'd yet to even kiss her. Not for long. He let his hand slide from her mouth, ready to return it if she screamed, but instead, she sighed as he turned her in his arms. She came willingly, her eyes glazed with wonder, and when he fitted his mouth to hers, the world around them d