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That’s what she wanted more than anything right now. She wished Oliver would show up and save her. As she looked around, terrified, she realized how far she had walked from the mansion.
There was no one around. She was completely alone, stuck near the woods with a crazy, psychotic art collector who had every intention of trying to sleep with her.
“Uziel, I’m flattered,” she said cautiously. “But I’m really not here looking for a hookup. I came with my friends. It’s Alexis’s birthday, and she wanted to come. I’m just not in the market …”
“Nonsense,” he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward him. “You and me, right here, right now.” He leaned close and sniffed her neck. “I can make you come the way no one else has.”
“Uziel, please?” She pushed against him, trying to free herself, but his grip was strong.
There was never a time in her life when she had been so scared. How had her night gone from the bliss she had experienced in Oliver’s arms to this? As his mouth swooped down in an attempt at a kiss, she brought her knee up between his legs. He grunted in pain and released her.
She tried to run in the direction of the mansion, but he tangled his fingers in her hair and jerked her back. She screamed for help.
There was no way to get out of this. She screamed again when his grip tightened on her arms as he forced her to the ground. Her screams turned to a muffled sob when he covered her mouth with a hand.
“Quiet, Lily. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re going to enjoy every second.”
She tried to shake her head, but even that movement was restricted. With a silent prayer on her lips, she struggled against him with no hope of breaking free.
SIX
OLIVER
Once Oliver was deep enough in the woods, he stripped off his clothes and folded them into a neat pile underneath a large maple tree. As soon as he stood, he hunched over and shifted. A large, dark brown bear now stood where the human once was.
With a growl, the bear dropped to all fours and began running through the woods. He charged through bushes and over logs, past broken stumps with mushrooms that sprouted from the base. The dense forest made certain areas difficult to maneuver, but Oliver plowed through these sections.
The thickness of his shaggy fur protected him from thorns and broken branches. In an attempt to alleviate some of his frustrations, he raked his giant claws down a large section of a nearby tree.
Bark flew in every direction. The smell of decaying leaves and wood filled his senses. Oliver loved the smell of the forest. That earthy, woodsy smell couldn’t be duplicated. As he trudged along, he made sure to take deep breaths so that he could appreciate the smells of pine, sap, and damp earth.
He still felt on edge despite the incredible release he had just experienced in Lily’s arms. He pushed himself harder, wanting to exert as much energy as possible. A downed tree got in his way, and he ceased running, deciding to clamber over it slowly on all fours.
For such a thick, massive creature, his bear was surprisingly stealthy, but his thoughts began to consume him, and because of that, he slowed.
We should return to our mate.
Still, Oliver fought the prospect of Lily being his mate. They both wore hunter’s block. He had even seen her reapply it.
There’s no way she’s our mate, he said hotly. I think the moon has addled your brain.
His bear snarled furiously at his comment.
You’re stubborn. Anyone with half a brain could pick up on our connection. Why do you fight it? She’s perfect for us. I want to turn back and find her. We have much to talk about.
Oliver sighed. Even if she is our mate, there is no way we can drop that kind of bomb on her. She clearly didn’t feel the connection. How do you explain that? Why are you the only one who feels it?
His bear grunted. Satisfied, Oliver figured the conversation was over so when his bear responded, it left him with more questions.
I don’t know why she doesn’t feel the connection. I understand that with the block, there shouldn’t be any type of mate sense activated. But it’s activated, Oliver. She’s for us. And I know you know this. Why you fight it so hard is unclear to me. I know you hurt, but don’t ruin what could be the best experience of our lives because of an accident almost nine years ago.
Having nothing else to say on the matter, Oliver refused to respond. He couldn’t figure out what his obsession with the woman was. There was something there that even he couldn’t explain.
While he seriously doubted it had anything to do with a mate bond, he couldn’t deny his desire to return to her and make sure she was safe. Safe and alone. Oliver figured after all that sex that did absolutely nothing to get Lily off his mind, maybe shifting and running would help.
So far, it did nothing to help. His mind was consumed with thoughts of the red-headed woman he shared the night with. She was everything he had ever looked for in a partner.
Mate.
