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Marcus agreed, but this woman was an original. She was beautiful with her unusual three-tone hair and her body—he’d tried not to stare when he’d undressed her, but so help him, he was a red-blooded male, and this was his mate, but she was dangerously diverse. That was a concern.
5
Riaboltedupright,herheart banging against her breastbone and every iota of self-protection screaming danger. Her nose twitched as she attempted to catalog scents.
Wrong scents.
Not her home.
Information pelted her, yet not a bit made sense. Her ears pricked, and sounds assaulted her. Intelligible sounds instead of the usual muted ones. She lifted her chin, eyes scanning, scanning, scanning, and trying to gather facts. The hair raised at her nape, and her tail twitched, betraying her agitation. She swallowed hard, freezing in indecision.
Danger. Danger.Danger!
She sprang upward and whirled, bumping into a piece of furniture. Something crashed to the ground, and rapid footsteps headed her way. The door flew open, and a huge, dark form stood in the doorway.
No! No, she couldn’t suffer that again. She’d sooner die than face a life of imprisonment. Experimentation.
She growled, the sound not as threatening as she wanted.
“It’s all right,” a masculine voice said. “I don’t wish to hurt you.”
She blinked rapidly, and her tail thudded the hard surface she currently cowered against. Her hands prickled, and her claws descended, protruding beneath her fingernails.
“You hit your head.”
She frowned, not recalling that, but she remembered the fierce storm—the thunder and lightning and how her house had rattled under the force of nature. Warily, she watched the large man. Her nostrils flared as she dragged in a breath.
Wolf.
She swallowed. “Where am I?” This place wasn’t a lab. This man… This wolf… A quick shake of her head didn’t clear her fuzziness, and a jolt of pain stabbed at her skull. Her balance wavered, and suddenly the man was closer. Something about his scent struck her as familiar. It was pleasant, with a fresh green, piney tang.
He observed her closely, just like the scientists. She couldn’t decipher his expression, and he’d arranged his features in a severe mien that she didn’t, couldn’t trust. She backed away, ruing the hardwood at her spine. He’d trapped her in a corner, and she hated how vulnerable this made her feel.
“Please, I don’t want to hurt you. You’re at my house. I didn’t know where else to take you because the water has swept away the bridge over the stream. Your house—” He broke off and moved closer still.
“Stay away.” She hated the apprehensive note in her voice. The clear tremor that broadcasted her fear when she needed to show strength.
He raised his hands in the air, and they were empty. No weapons. The thought allowed her to relax, but he was bigger than her. He could overpower her. No! No, she refused to let that happen. Never going back. Die first. She wobbled and slapped a hand on the nearest surface to maintain her upright stance.
“You’re hurt,” he said in his husky voice. “Please sit down. I promise I have no desire to hurt you.”
Somewhere in the distance, a phone rang.
“Oh, good. The phone is working again.”
He retreated, and panic roared through her. No! She couldn’t let him answer that call. They were alone, which meant she had a chance to escape. If other people came, that would be the end for her. They’d lock her up and never release her. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to let her escape twice. She’d die in that place, and no one would care. Certainly not her traitorous brother, her one remaining family member.
These thoughts, aided by memories, flashed through her mind in fleeting seconds. The man turned his back on her, and she sprang. She struck him cleanly and took him to the ground. Her claws dug into his muscular arms when he tried to move.
“Hey!” he complained. “If you want me that badly, just ask.”
Confusion pounded her foggy mind before clarity came. Oh!
Somewhere in another room, the ringing started again.
“Let me answer the phone. That’s probably Saber wanting to know if I caught up with old Mrs. Hunter. He wanted to make sure she was safe from the storm.” He struggled to escape her, and she let him wriggle free this time. The wolf scrambled to his feet and scowled at her, eyes golden orbs of irritation. He disappeared, and the ringing ceased.
“Damn and blast,” he shouted.
