Deadly Seduction (Feral Protectors 3) (6 page)

On the floor, Gwen writhed and clawed at the air. “Get off, get away. Help me!”

He forgot his own pain as he rushed to her side. “Gwen, wake up.”

He shook her gently but she only howled as if in agony. “Don’t kill me, please.”

Lucian rushed into the room. “What’s going on?”

“Nightmare.”

“Damn.”

Nosh grabbed her flailing wrists. “Gwen, it’s me. Wake up.”

Her eyes flew open and she fought wildly, kicking and screaming. “Don’t! Don’t!”

“Sweetie, wake up.”

The glassy look in her eyes retreated only to be replaced by confusion. “What… Where am I?”

He released her hands. “You’re at the Dark Moon pack’s den. Do you remember?”

She wiped a shaky hand across her brow.

Two more wolves bounded into the room.

Nosh held up a hand. “We’re fine.”

Lucian ushered them out of the room.

Nosh said, “I got this. Can you let everyone else know we’re okay?”

“Yes. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.”

As soon as the curtain closed, he wrapped his arms around her. “Shh…”

He stroked her hair and rocked her until her body stopped quaking.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It’s okay. I got you.”

“I should have warned you this might happen.”

“It happens a lot?”

“All the time.”

Her admission was like being slapped in the face. To know that she still had nightmares crushed his heart. It had been months since she’d been attacked. Had she endured sleepless nights the whole time? No wonder she was on edge all the time.

He cradled her in one arm while he reached for water. “Here, sip this.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake up the whole den.”

“You couldn’t help it. It’s okay.”

She was quiet for a few seconds before a sob escaped.

“Don’t hold back. Let it out,” he whispered.

She clutched his arm and cried until she started to hiccup. As she took a sip of water, she pulled away from his embrace.

When she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he brushed a lock of hair from her face. “I wish I could do something to take away your pain.”

“Just hold me.”

He scooped her up and carried her to the dais. As he set her down, the trembling in her body restarted.

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he said.

“I can’t take your bed, you’re the injured one.”

Maybe physically, but he had no doubt that she was far more wounded than him. “I want you to take the bed for tonight. I’ll be right here in case you have another nightmare.”

She scooted back toward the wall. “At least come up here with me.”

He hesitated. “Are you sure?”

She wrapped her arms around her torso and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know why, I don’t understand it…” she turned to look at him, “…but I trust you. I feel…
safe
… with you.”

“I swear I’ll never hurt you.” He slowly climbed onto the dais and lay next to her. He waited, unmoving, until she inched closer.

She reached toward him. “Will you hold me again?”

“Of course.”

As he held her slight body in his arms, rage simmered in his chest. To know that she still suffered from the aftermath of the attack fueled his anger. Any man who hurt a woman like this deserved to die a horrible death. If Zane wasn’t already dead, Nosh would have hunted him down and ripped him to pieces.

Frustration coiled in his belly as flashes of pain ricocheted through his muscles. His leg throbbed and his arm ached but they were healing. He wouldn’t have more than a few lasting scars and they were only on the surface. Gwen’s scars ran deep into her soul. He didn’t need to know details to recognize that she’d been forever changed by the attack. What would it take to heal her? And would she let him help?

Chapter 6

Gwen snuggled closer to Nosh. She couldn’t stop shivering no matter how close she pressed against his rock-hard chest. She sighed. In another life, she’d probably be ecstatic to be cuddled by a strong, sexy alpha, but right now all she wanted to do was hide her tear-streaked face.

Over the last few months, she’d spent far too much time trying to pretend that everything was okay. With every forced smile, another lead weight attached itself to her increasingly heavy heart. Some days she could hardly get out of bed.

She rolled onto her side to face the wall. In their haste to leave the den, she’d forgotten to grab the small stash of belladonna she kept hidden in her pillow. Akila had told her not to rely on sleep-aids, least she become addicted, but at some point Gwen needed to get a full night’s sleep. Now she used it almost every evening in her tea.

As she twisted onto her back, she studied the dancing shadows on the ceiling. Although the crackling fire helped her relax, she still couldn’t fall asleep. And maybe it was better that she didn’t. Zane’s lifeless eyes haunted her in almost every dream. She woke up screaming more nights than not.

She’d hoped that she could make it through a few days without having another nightmare, but she hadn’t. Nosh probably thought she was crazy. Why else would she still be ensnared by something that should be in her past?

Hours passed. When the fire dwindled to a few glowing embers, she carefully crawled to the end of the bed and slid off. She didn’t want to wake him. The more sleep he got, the faster he’d heal, and the sooner she’d be able to get back to her den.

As she bent to add logs to the fire, Nosh moaned and rolled onto his side. She looked over her shoulder to find him quietly watching.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked.

“No.”

“Thanks for keeping the fire going.”

“It’s the least I can do. How are you feeling?”

“Like I fell off a cliff.”

She cringed. “I’m sorry you had to jump out of bed to wake me up. It probably set you back a few days.”

He flashed a sexy smile. “It’s all part of my plan to keep you here forever.”

She froze. “What?”

“You’re taking care of me so well that I might not be able to let you go.”

If she hadn’t heard the joking tone in his voice, she would have panicked. But the underlying humor made her relax. “At this point, I’m not really sure who’s taking care of who.”

“Come sit with me.”

After setting another log into the flames, she returned to his side. She sat down, but he gently pulled her down to lay beside him. When he held out his arms, she snuggled into them. She couldn’t understand why she felt so safe with him. She hadn’t been this close to a man since the attack, but it felt right.

He said, “When I was a pup, I used to stare at the ceiling and see all kinds of monsters in the patterns the flames made. Scared the crap out of me.”

“I used to think monsters weren’t real.”

A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke. “I can’t understand how humans can be so cruel to each other.”

“It’s not just humans, wolves can be jerks too.”

She flashed back to when Mazus snuck up on her in the woods. She knew he’d done it on purpose, but she couldn’t fathom his intent.

Nosh said, “Who?”

“Who what?”

“Have any of the others been giving you any trouble?”

She considered telling him about the bizarre encounter with Mazus, but what exactly could she say? That he’d followed her into the woods to help her and she’d freaked out? Her discomfort had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her fear of being alone with a man.

She turned to look at Nosh. “No one in particular. I just get jumpy around people I don’t know very well.”

“Always trust your instincts.”

She laughed bitterly. “I wish I’d known that a year ago.”

“Hey, you can’t blame yourself for what happened with Zane.”

“But I do. I should have seen him coming. I should have been more alert. I knew the second he stepped out from behind that tree that something was really wrong with him. I’d never seen such lifeless eyes.”

Nosh tentatively touched her hand. When she didn’t pull away, he wrapped his hand around hers and held it close to his heart. “We all blame ourselves for something we should have done differently.”

“Is there something that you would have done differently?”

He reached out to stroke her cheek. “I would have been there to protect you.”

“That’s ridiculous. You didn’t even really know me at the time. You hardly know me now.”

“I know that you’re brave for staying here with me.”

“I couldn’t let you die.”

“But you had a choice. You could have left, but you didn’t. That takes courage.”

As she absorbed his words, she realized he was right. She’d overcome several hurdles in the last few days. She’d finally spent a night away from her den, and with a hot alpha no less. And, she’d let a man get close to her, not just physically but emotionally too. She never talked about the attack with anyone but Akila and Diana. Being around a man like Nosh was helping her in subtle ways and she liked the change.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“For saying that I have courage. For the longest time I could hardly look at my own shadow without having a panic attack.”

“Maybe you’re stronger than you think.”

“Maybe.”

She yawned. As the warmth from the fire filled the room, her eyelids grew heavy.

“You should get some sleep,” he said.

She rested her head against his chest. As the steady beat of his heart lulled her to sleep, she couldn’t help but wish she’d met him before the attack. But instead of wallowing in the sadness, she decided to just enjoy the time she had with him now. Maybe someday she’d be healed enough and bold enough to pursue a relationship with him. Until then, she was content to lean against the sweetest, hottest man she’d ever met.

***

Nosh hobbled around the edge of the room until sweat trickled down the back of his neck. When Gwen smiled, it was all the encouragement he needed to make it another lap. His leg still throbbed, but he was an alpha dammit, and he needed to get back to his duty of running the pack.

Gwen said, “I think that’s enough for today. We don’t want to overdo it.”

Her sweet voice warmed more than just his heart. He turned away and forced himself to think of anything but her petal-soft lips. So far he’d been able to keep his attraction to her under control, but the stronger he got, the more he wanted her.

“I want to do another lap.”

“Not right now. You need to rest.”

“I’ve been cooped up for days. I need some fresh air and sunshine.”

She frowned. “If you push yourself too fast, you’re going to have a relapse.”

“Come on, just for a few minutes?” He flashed a smile.

“Oh, okay. But only for a few.”

He hurried toward the door. “I want to go down to the river.”

“Absolutely not. It’s too far and I can’t carry you back up the mountain.”

“How about the stream?”

She pressed her lips together.

“Please?”

She sighed. “All right, but only for a few minutes.”

As he shuffled along the hall, wolves poked their heads out of their rooms. Some were in their wolf form, but others had shifted into their human form. He stopped to talk to the members of his pack. They’d kept their distance which was good. He didn’t want them to know how close he’d come to death.

As they passed the great room, wolves howled in greeting. Many of them openly regarded Gwen. Nosh grinned as if to say,
that’s right boys. She’s all mine
. Not that he could lay claim to her. Not yet at least. After he healed completely, he’d be free to pursue the beautiful wolf.

Hopefully he wouldn’t be laid up for much longer. He missed seeing his pack-mates and was sick of being cooped up in the room.

When they reached the front of the den, he paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight. He’d spent so much time in low light that he had to squint when they stepped outside.

“Wow, it’s bright out here,” he said.

“If it’s too much, we can go back to your room.”

“No, not yet. We just got outside.”

“The second you feel like you need to go back, let me know. I don’t want to get too far away from the den.”

“We won’t. Just up to the stream and back.”

As the gate swung open to allow them to pass, Fadian hollered from the guard tower, “Good to see you back on your feet.”

“I have a good nurse,” Nosh said.

“Thanks for putting him back together,” Fadian said to Gwen.

She blushed. “My pleasure.”

Nosh took her hand in his. “I told her I might have to keep her around.”

“You do need a mate.”

Gwen tensed beside him. Oh no, he’d gone too far again.

“She’s probably going to want to get home to her own bed soon,” Nosh said.

“Too bad. Have a good walk.”

“Will do.”

When they were out of earshot, Gwen said, “I think you’ll be back to normal in a few more days.”

“I hope so. I hate feeling like an invalid.”

“You’re getting stronger every day. You’re already up and walking. Soon you’ll have enough strength to be able to shift and then my work will be done.”

Work? Was that all he was to her? He’d hoped there was more to their relationship. Maybe it was wishful thinking on his part, but a man could dream.

He said, “I know I don’t say it enough, but thanks again for staying.”

She tilted her head up to look at him. “I’m glad I did.”

As they strolled hand in hand through the woods, he listened to the sounds of the forest. Birds sang, wind whistled through the trees and the distant gurgle of the stream blended into a symphony. He loved being outside more than anything.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Gwen. Her smile fell with each step and her grip on his hand tightened. By the time they reached the stream, she was quivering.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… it’s nothing.”

He grabbed her other hand and turned her toward him. “Come on, you can tell me.”

Off to the left, the bushes rustled. She jerked toward the sound. As she jumped back, she slammed into his chest. He stumbled. Damn leg still couldn’t take more than a little pressure without trying to buckle.

Terror infused her voice. “Did you hear that?”

“It’s probably just another animal.”

“No. Someone’s out there. Someone’s following us. I can feel it.”

He peered into the forest. Sunlight streamed through the trees but a few areas were dark with shadows. He studied them for movement but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“I don’t see anyone.”

She gulped a breath and rubbed her forearms. “I swear I heard something.”

He touched her shoulder. “We can go back if you want.”

Her brows knitted together. “I don’t want to ruin your first trip out of the den. You’re probably right. I still get jumpy when I’m in the forest.”

“It’s understandable. But you’re safe with me. I’ll protect you.”

She arched a brow. “Really?”

“What?”

“You can hardly walk.”

“Trust me, if someone tries to hurt you, I’ll rip their heart out before they have a chance to touch you.”

“Why?” she asked.

“What do you mean why?”

She looked away. “You’re being so nice. I guess I just don’t understand why.”

He gently pulled her into an embrace. “I protect the people I care about. Even though you’re not an official member of the pack, I’d still fight to the death for you.”

She raised her head until her lips were just inches from his. “I hope you never have to.”

He cradled her cheeks between his palms. “You deserve to feel safe.”

As her eyes searched his face, the need to protect her awakened every inch of his body. He closed the distance between them and captured her lips with his. He’d intended to kiss her slowly, softly, but a fierceness rose up from the depths of his soul to consume him.

He tried to hold back, but when she moaned and parted her lips, he took it as an invitation. His tongue slid into her mouth and molded against hers. The contours of her mouth ignited a fire in his belly.

As he pulled her against his rock-hard body, his hands slid down her back. She was so little, so delicate. He was drowning in the softness of her skin. He wanted to pull her down to the grassy patch next to the stream and kiss every inch of her. But he didn’t want to go to fast. He didn’t want to scare her, so he gently pulled away.