Shift of Fate: A Wolfguard Protectors Novel Page 7

  Dead branches cracked under my feet as I found the thickest brush. Bounding over fallen logs and brambles, I followed the scent of a hidden stream, deep underground. Rabbits and smaller prey dove for cover, clearing the way for me. But, I wasn’t here to hunt. Not tonight. For now, I just needed wild freedom.

  I came to a clearing. An owl hooted high in one of the poplar trees. I closed my eyes and let my ears prick. My nostrils flared as I inhaled the deep, piney aroma. There were other creatures out here, but none as powerful as me.

  I pulled off my jacket and tie, my pants. Stepped out of my shoes and left everything in a neat pile atop a flat stone. Then, I threw my head back and let out the howl I’d been holding in for hours.

  My wolf ripped out of me. Muscles and bone reknit. My paws dug into the soft earth. Then, I was on the run. Heated blood coursed through me.

  I was nowhere. I was everywhere. I ran through the thicket, dodging rotted branches, sniffing the stream deep below.

  I felt alive. Whole. Free.

  My paws left the ground. I ran so fast I flew. I hadn’t meant to hunt. I hungered for something far different. But, I picked up the trail of a powerful stag. Had he just stayed frozen, I would have passed him. But, he ran and my primal nature took hold.

  Deeper and deeper I darted through the woods. He was quick. I was quicker. He leaped across a small dip in the earth, nearly faltering. He recovered quickly, but not quickly enough.

  I was on him. It was a clean, noble death. He gave his life and blood to me, feeding the wildest parts of me. The kill sated one of my deepest needs. When it was over, I came back into myself. My heart slowed as I came to another clearing.

  I got my bearings again. I had nearly chased the stag out of the woods and into the main yard. Lights twinkled through the windows of Soren’s mansion.

  I hadn’t meant to come here, to this very spot. But, instinct drew me just like it had the deer.

  Willow.

  I stayed in the shadows. My dark fur blended into the night. I stood rooted to the spot as Willow appeared in the window on the third floor at the corner of the house.

  She paused, looking out at the woods. She looked in my direction, almost as if she could sense me. I took a slow step backward and pawed the ground.

  She was stunning. She must have just stepped out of the shower. Her hair was wet and she brushed it out.

  A bright moon illuminated her. Shadows danced across her cheeks. She turned. I saw her in silhouette. She wore a thin, sheer nightgown and I could clearly see the outline of her shape. She stirred me. She had high, round breasts. Her nipples peaked. She put a hand on her flat-as-a-board stomach. Her ass was perfect, just a little plump, something to grab on to.

  When she turned and faced the yard, she took my breath away. With my heightened vision, I could make out the tantalizing vee between her legs.

  She froze, holding her hairbrush mid-stroke. Then, she looked straight at me.

  No. She couldn’t see me. That would be impossible. I was camouflaged in the shadows. My dark fur blending into the earth. Still, her lips parted. Blood rushed through her. Her pulse quickened and her breath hitched, making her perfect breasts quiver.

  It was too much. As much as I wanted to be in my wolf, the man inside me fought to get out. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to make her mine.

  I receded into the woods and headed for the trail along the underground stream.

  I slept in the woods that night, too keyed up for a normal bed. If I was right and Willow sensed me, it was better if I kept my distance until morning.

  When it finally came, I collected myself. I dressed and went back across the yard. The service door was open, just like Ramsey said it would be.

  The kitchen brimmed with activity, but once again, none of the staff would meet my eyes as I went by.

  I followed the voices deeper in the house, though it wasn’t even necessary. I could home in on Willow no matter where she was. Her scent was imprinted on me.

  She sat in the dining room, sipping orange juice. She licked her lips then took a bite of a danish. A shudder went through me. Such a simple gesture, but again my lust stirred.

  “Val!” she said, breathless. She wore a black, v-neck t-shirt that plunged low, showing the swell of her breasts. I clenched my fists at my sides. The urge to kiss her burned through me.

  “I thought you were gone,” she said.

  I shook my head. “I told you I wouldn’t leave until…”

  “Ah, you’re here.” Ramsey entered the dining room. He looked Willow up and down, his eyes settling on her breasts. I wanted to rip them from his head. Ramsey pursed his lips with disapproval. Did he expect her to wear a ball gown to breakfast?

  “Mr. Soren’s just gotten back,” he said. “He’s asked that you meet with him in the study.”

  “She hasn’t finished her breakfast,” I said. “Mr. Soren can wait.”

  A smile played at the corner of Willow’s mouth. “Uh...it’s okay. I’m actually finished now. Come on. I mean...unless you’re hungry…”

  “I’m fine,” I said. I went to Willow’s side.

  “Mr. Kalenkov,” Ramsey said. “You can wait here. Have a cup of coffee. Mr. Soren will check in with you before he leaves for the day.”

  I ignored him. I wasn’t about to leave Willow. My sense of danger overrode every other sense I had. There was something here. Something dark and dangerous. I knew in my heart that Willow wasn’t safe.

  Except, none of that should have made sense. Willow’s eyes widened. I was getting careless. My vision tunneled and I knew she could see my blue wolf eyes glint.

  “It’s all right, Ramsey,” A deep voice, thick with menace, drew my attention. I couldn’t help myself from taking a step, putting Willow behind me.

  She put a light hand on my shoulder.

  “Val,” she said. “This is Jason. Jason, this his Val. He’s been...watching out for me.”

  She moved around me. I tried to steady my breathing. I was damn close to losing it and shifting right there at the table.

  I tore my eyes from Willow. She tossed her napkin on the table and went around it.

  He stood there. Jason Soren. He was tall, broad-shouldered. Clean-shaven with deep-set, brown eyes. Handsome, I supposed.

  She went to him and red rage filled my heart.

  Willow stood between us. She reached for Soren’s hand. He was deeply tanned and his gold Rolex flashed beneath his cuff as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Then, he looked at me. A curious smile curled the corners of his mouth.

  My heart nearly ripped from my chest as his eyes flashed gold. It was just an instant. But, I saw his wolf struggling to rise to the surface just as mine did. Then he put an arm around Willow and drew her to his side. I caught a flash of his fangs, his message clear.

  I stood in the presence of another dangerous Alpha wolf, and he had just made his claim on Willow clear.

  Chapter Ten

  Willow

  The hairs rose on the back of my neck. My skin tingled, as if it were charged with electricity. Something was different about Jason. He stood with his fists curled at his sides. So did Val. I stood in the middle of them. I could feel their coiled rage. I heard movement throughout the house. Jason had other guards, other men working for him. Instinct told me this wouldn’t end well for Val if he lost his temper.

  “Jason,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’m so sorry we were late yesterday. It’s my fault.”

  A muscle jumped in his jaw. He had been clenching his teeth right along with his fists. He came to me, putting a hand on my elbow. Jason brushed my cheek with his lips and Val made a low noise. It reminded me of a growl.

  “I only care that you’re here and you’re safe,” he said, though his tone was odd. He was trying to be polite. He just came off as wooden.

  It hit me again how little I knew him. We’d been texting for years. He had been a sounding board for me. Always encouraging. But, so much had happened. I’d grown up. I ha
dn’t actually been in a room with him in almost two years. It might have been a thousand. Still, Jason Soren had always been kind to me. A friend. Val was absolutely right about one thing. I owed Jason the truth. He deserved to know my mind.

  But, Lisette’s phone call drove a knife straight through my heart. As much as I hated it, I believed her. My father’s past and business had finally caught up with him. Ever since I was a little girl but old enough to understand what he did, I knew this day might come. It wasn’t fair of him or Lisette to put his safety on me. If it weren’t for what Lisette said about my mother’s situation, I would have hung up on her.

  My heart sank, thinking about the last time I saw her. She was always happy in my company, as if in some dusty corner of her mind, she knew I was someone she was supposed to love. But, the memories were gone. She was a shell of herself. Only, I knew how bad it would be for her to have to leave the nursing care facility she was in.

  God. In that moment, I could almost hate my father.

  “Thank you again,” Jason said to Val. “I’m sorry Willow gave you such trouble.”

  What?

  Val still hadn’t said anything. It was as if he had turned to stone.

  “I’m sure you need to be on your way,” Jason said. “I’ll be certain to tell Payne Fallon how much I appreciate you going over and above for Willow. Her wellbeing means more to me than I can express.”

  “I’m right here,” I said, trying to take on a joking tone. “You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here.”

  Jason’s eyes flickered, but he kept that stony expression in place.

  “You can show yourself out?” Jason asked.

  “I don’t mind staying,” Val finally said, his accent thicker than usual.

  “There’s no need,” Jason said. “You’ve done what you were paid for.”

  “Jason,” I said. “Is there someplace we can talk in private?” It felt important to get the two of them away from each other. I didn’t want Val to leave just yet. I couldn’t explain it, but there was something very off about Jason. On the other hand, it really had been so long since I’d seen him face to face.

  “Of course,” he said. He extended a hand to shake Val’s again. “I really do appreciate all you’ve done. I’ll be happy to leave you a glowing recommendation.”

  They shook hands and I heard bones crunch. Tiny beads of sweat broke out on Val’s forehead. What in the actual hell was wrong with these two?

  “Willow,” Jason said. “Let’s take a walk through the garden. It’s a beautiful morning.”

  I turned my back to him, still standing between him and Val. I leaned in, taking Val’s hand I moved in for a quick hug. It was over-familiar, but felt necessary.

  He spoke low and quickly, so only I could hear.

  “Meet me out by the stables tonight.”

  My pulse quickened. A rush of unbidden desire went through me, making my knees knock together.

  Smiling, I gave him a quick, secret, nod. At that moment, I only knew how important it was for me to see him again. And I also knew how dangerous this was.

  Val let me go. He gave Jason a curt nod, then brushed past him heading for the front of the house.

  Jason was all smiles. He really was good-looking, but in an entirely different way than Val. Val was rugged, rakish with dark features and an intense stare that heated my blood. But, Jason was just as intense in his own way. Clean-shaven, immaculate with his designer suits and lean, long muscles.

  “This way,” he said. He put a hand at the small of my back and led me out the French doors to the rose garden.

  We walked along a cobblestone path toward a high-trellised arch. Beyond it was a little gazebo overlooking the most vibrant patch of red and yellow blossoms.

  Jason gestured toward the bench. I sat, thinking he would take the space beside me. He didn’t though. Instead, he stood, leaning against wooden beam supporting the roof.

  “So, where was it you wanted to run off to?”

  Of all the things he could have said, I hadn’t expected that.

  “Jason…”

  He put a hand up. His pleasant facade melted. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  “Jason...we need to talk.”

  “No,” he said. “You need to listen.”

  His body language was all off. He towered over me, moving in close. He hooked a finger beneath my chin and lifted. He had soft, amber eyes, but today, they seemed to have gone pure black.

  My heart fluttered. I felt trapped. I couldn’t breathe. Years ago and through most of my teens, I harbored a girlish crush for this man. Handsome, confident, refined. I watched him go toe to toe with my father and his associates. He was smarter than they were. I knew it even at fifteen. He gave me my first, real, stolen kiss on my eighteenth birthday, the day he asked me to marry him. For the past five years, I had thought of him as my way out. But here, at that moment, it was as if I could hear the slamming of prison bars as Jason Soren held my eyes.

  “Jason…”

  “I need to make myself perfectly clear, Willow. As my wife...as my fiancée...I expect you to act a certain way. I’ve been patient. I’ve looked the other way while you’ve acted on your worst impulses. You father never bothered to check them. I will.”

  This was nuts. I bolted to my feet. “What are you even talking about?”

  This wasn’t the same Jason who had texted me words of encouragement late at night as I geared up for my first gallery showing. Over the years, I’d told him things about my father I’d been too afraid to share with anyone else. He listened. He understood. He was a friend. For so long, I mistook that friendship for something else. I turned it into a fantasy in my head. Jason Soren, my knight in shining armor.

  But, it wasn’t real. It had never been real. I’d known it for a very long time now. And I had let this go way too far.

  “I’m not a child,” I said.

  “Then stop acting like one. You embarrassed me. Acting like some runaway bride.”

  “We’re not married!”

  “Yet,” he said. “But, that makes this the perfect time for you to understand what’s expected of you.”

  Blood roared in my ears. I didn’t like the way Jason was looking at me. He licked his lip. There was naked lust in his eyes. I’d never been afraid of him like I was now. But, there was something else stirring deep inside of me. I couldn’t name it. Couldn’t explain it. Electricity skimmed up my spine. The air grew thicker and thicker. There was something odd happening to my vision. It was as if the clouds had darkened the sky. But, when I looked up, there was nothing but clear blue and sunshine.

  “I love you, Willow,” he said, changing tactics. “I’ve waited long enough for you. I’m going to give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of. And, I’m the only man who can.”

  “What makes you think I need a man to give me anything, Jason? I don’t know what’s going on here. I don’t know if my father’s been talking to you or if you’ve just had one too many mimosas with breakfast. You’re acting like I’m some prized pig at the fair. And I don’t know what marital rules you’re talking about, but you can just stop.”

  He moved so quickly, I didn’t see it. One second, Jason was standing with one leg up on the bench. The next, he had his hands on my upper arms, pushing me against the post.

  “You’re mine,” he said. “Bought and paid for. You’ll act like it.”

  “What the actual hell?” I tried to jerk out of his grip, but Jason held me tight. I could no longer see the whites of his eyes. They had gone black as coal. Real fear gripped my heart. He was on something. He had to be.

  “You father...your mother...what do you think will happen to them if you cross me, Willow?”

  “That’s not on me,” I said. “My father has made his own choices. I’m going to make mine.”

  “Do you have any idea what he’s facing?” Jason asked. “Your father has never been as smart as he thinks he is. He overestimates his own influence.”

&nb
sp; Jason finally let me go. He pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and swiped the screen. He turned it so I could see.

  It took a moment for my brain to register what my eyes were seeing. There was a man, lying in the street in a pool of his own blood. His throat was slit. His sightless eyes stared up at the sky.

  I knew him.

  “Tony Davis,” Jason said, confirming my recognition. Davis was one of my father’s business partners.

  “What is this?”

  “This is what happens when your father can’t live up to his promises,” he said.

  “Did you do this? Did you have Tony killed?”

  “No,” he said. “Your father is responsible for that. Oh, he didn’t order it. But, your father didn’t fulfill an obligation to the people he works for. They sent a message through Tony Davis. Next time, they won’t be so lenient. And your father knows my family is the only thing standing between him and this same fate.”

  “So what, if I don’t marry you, you’ll kill my dad?”

  Jason put the phone away. “As my wife, you’ll be part of my family, Willow. That means something. It means everything. And it won’t just be your father. You mother. Your step-mother. Maybe even you. He’s in that deep, Willow. I can keep you safe. But, not if you walk away.”

  So there it was. A pure threat. If I married Jason, he’d handle my father’s enemies. It was just as Lisette had said. Only, I didn’t understand.

  “I’m in love with you, Willow,” he said.

  “This doesn’t feel like love,” I said. “It feels like possession.”

  He licked his lips again. Before I could stop him, he held me in a crushing, demanding kiss. He was all heat, all lust. It felt like a claiming. My body rebelled. I wanted to run. At the same time, I felt that spark of electricity deep in my core. It wasn’t desire. But, I had the strangest sense that something inside of me came awake for the very first time.