Haulcon's Revenge (8 page)

Now, she tried to look with new eyes. See what Haulcon claimed he saw. There did seem to be something different about her, a brighter luster to her brown skin. She checked the side of her neck where he’d bitten her twice but just like her fingers had felt, there was nothing there, no marks whatsoever.

“
How’s that even possible.” If she hadn’t known he’d bitten her for real, felt the prick of his fangs, she would have assumed it had all been a dream.

But, the soreness still causing her sex to throb from the girth of his cock let her know it had been no dream. Nothing was different about her that she could spot. Not a single telltale sign of her experience with the valf Alpha. She sighed and turned toward the shower, not wanting to waste any more water.

That’s when something caught her attention in the mirror. She froze and turned to look at her reflection. There was the evidence—dark fingerprint like bruises marred the flesh of her ass. The deep purple coloring on her mahogany skin caused memories to flood her mind, how tight Haulcon had squeezed her ass and held her contracting pussy against his cock as she’d climaxed.

She shifted so that her entire back was revealed in the mirror. Her other cheek showcased the same markings directly below her birthmark. Reaching behind her, she lightly caressed and felt the tender skin. A pleasant warmth spread through her body. When she glanced up at her face she saw a whisper of a smile on her mouth and the bright glow in her eyes.

“
Haulcon.”

For a moment she swore she could hear him calling her name in return.

Exhaling she shook that thought away. Pulling her hair into a ponytail and putting on a shower cap, she crossed to the tub. Getting into the shower she bathed her body, scrubbing off all of the sweat and dirt from her adventures.

Ten minutes later, she was freshened, shaved and back into her room. After quickly drying off she put on panties and a maxi dress for comfort. She would work from home. Grabbing the laundry, she carried it out of the room.

Once the washing machine was running, she put a bagel in the toaster and went back to the room to get her phone. It had been over two months since she’d spoken to her dad and she had a need to call him.

He lived in the city, but rarely was home.

She didn’t even bother to call his house, doubting she’d find him there. Instead she dialed his office. The phone rang four times before the voicemail picked up.

Her bagel popped up and she pulled it out and put the halves on a plate. “Hi, dad, it’s me. I’m just calling to check on you. See if maybe you want to have dinner with me this week. Well, I know you’re probably busy in your lab. I love you. Call me.”

Disconnecting the line, she set the phone on the counter and went to the refrigerator to grab the strawberry preserve.

She tried not to allow the sadness to settle on her mind. This distance with her father was nothing new to her. They’d been like this since she was seven when her father had stumbled upon a possible cure for cancer, the disease that had taken her mother’s life shortly after Adair was born. Her grandparents told her that her father hadn’t truly been right when his wife passed, but the hope of discovering a cure had sent him clean over the edge. Something in her father had snapped or ceased living. He’d buried himself into his work hunting for answers and had ignored her.

Thank God for grandparents. It was what she always said when she thought about her father.

Their distance was more immense since her grandparents had passed. There were so many things after the last day she would have loved to talk to Pap-paw and grandmother.

Once she got her prints developed, maybe she would call a friend for dinner and a movie. She didn’t want to sit around her house waiting for her father to return her call or think about Haulcon.

He was out of her life now. The best thing she could do was pray he was able to get his clan back.

As for her, she’d go on living her life as she’d done before she ever met and rescued him.

Chapter Five

“
Nyca.” Haulcon stepped around the tree as his ex-lover came to a halt as she chased a rabbit.

“
Haulcon?” Shifting, she stood staring at him as if she wasn’t sure if he was really there. Bare as he was, he took a moment to study her form. She was just as tall as Adair, with skin more pale, closer to his genetics. However, just like the human woman, Nyca’s curves were thick, just more toned from her wolf nature.

In the back of his mind he realized that seeing Nyca this way did nothing for his desire. Didn’t even cause it to spark, when before, even though they hadn’t been lovers since she was claimed by another, he’d still ache a little for what they’d had.

He frowned. “Yes, it’s me. I need your help.”

Reaching out, she touched his face, still needing to verify that it was him. The urge to move away from her touch shocked him. This was Nyca. True their occasional love affair had been off and on, brief for the most part, but he should not feel like he was sickened by her caress.

Gritting his teeth he bore her touch.

“
How is this possible? We were informed you were dead.”

He was sure, Jacin expected him to be. “We can’t speak here. I have a place. Come with me.”

With a sharp nod, she said, “Lead the way, Alpha.”

Hearing that struck him in his heart. Everyone in his clan knew that Ridok had announced him as his successor; however, he’d never been confirmed before the clan of the old Alpha’s death. Haulcon had never gotten a chance to hear his new title from his people.

They both shifted and raced through the woods, Nyca hot on his heels as he headed back to the cave behind the falls. Once they were inside, shifted and dry he began to fill her in.

“
Soon after, Ridok’s death. Jacin had a messenger, a young valf deliver a note to me telling me to meet him at the back gate. The short letter stated a body had been found and he didn’t want to alarm the clan until they were sure what had killed him. I went to the place and the gate was open and unguarded. I continued out, expecting to find men gathered around a corpse on the other side. Instead I was set upon by several men. Dragged deep into the woods, beaten and attacked with all manner of objects. I injured a few of them in my struggle to defend myself, but I was outnumbered. Once I was down, Jacin came from his hiding place laughing.”

“
The weak, evil, deceptive bastard.” Nyca snarled as if she had a mouthful of acid she wanted to spit out, or at Jacin more like it.

“
Yes, he is. They carried my weakened body far away from our territory. Jacin instructed them to bind me to a tree, stretched out in all four directions. Then he approached me and buried a knife, tip dipped in silver, deep in my side. ‘Enjoy the sunrise,’ he whispered to me as he signaled the men away.”

“
A silver-tipped blade.” She shivered. “Haulcon, I have no reason to doubt your words on Jacin’s action, but how did he believe he could get away with it?” Nyca ran a hand in frustration over her thick ebony hair.

“
He already has, Nyca. You said so yourself that you all took in the story that I was dead.”

“
Yes, some did. But when you came upon me, it was my second day out looking for you. Even now, Marco is traveling the Northside looking for a trail.”

He wasn’t stunned that Nyca’s mate had stood beside her and searched. Marco was an honorable valf. That’s why Haulcon hadn’t been bothered when Nyca accepted him as a mate. They made a good pair. Since he hadn’t felt deep emotions for Nyca the way a mate should, it was best to allow her to be happy.

Like you feel for Adair.

Haulcon ignored his wolf. “What are the others saying?”

“
There is so much division in the compound. A few have left because they have refused to follow Jacin’s leading. Some have asked for an Alpha challenge of those strongest men. However, Jacin refuses them over and over again. Claiming that since the old Alpha’s choice had died before he was declared publicly that automatically as the first born and heir of Ridok the leadership fell to him.”

“
Fuck. Damn Jacin.”

“
Well once you walk back in with me Jacin will have to step down.” Her mouth was stretched wide with a victorious smile that lit up her pale, morning sky blue eyes. Just like all valfs her eyes could become black with passion.

He’d seen hers change too many times to count. However, he much preferred staring into dark brown eyes—Adair’s.

Frustration consumed him on so many levels. In order to keep his mind on his goal, he needed to stop thinking about the human woman.

“
I don’t plan to have words with Jacin, Nyca. I’m going to kill him. I need to do it just right. Because of the valfs in our clan that follow him, I need to be sure of their numbers.”

“
I understand. Some things can only be contained by being eradicated, Jacin is one of those.”

“
Yes.”

“
He makes plans to go into the city. He thinks we should feed from humans not animals. Enslave the humans beneath our thumb.”

“
There is no peace in that. We will become the hunters and the hunted. The world is better when we each have our place, as it has been since the beginning of time.” Haulcon growled in frustration. Jacin would fuck up the balance of the world if he was allowed. Over the last few months there had already been attacks on humans that they had no evidence it was Jacin, but Haulcon had not been fooled. If it continued, soon human’s fear and wonder about them would become anger and hatred and they would come searching for them with weapons and a war would ensue that would give neither side a victory.

“
I agree.” Nyca reached out and covered his hand with her own.

“
Do not spread the word of my living to everyone. I don’t want Jacin to have time to plan. I’m sure if he was wise he has sent a scout by now to dispose of my carcass.”

“
None have gone out that I am aware of. Jacin keeps those loyal to him close and a few on watch at the gates.”

He added that bit of information to his planning. “You may tell Marc and Friedol and a few others you all trust and have them meet me here just before sunrise.”

“
Will do. I must be off so that Marco does not worry when I am not returned when he is.”

“
Travel safe my friend.” Haulcon bid her farewell.

She moved toward the mouth of the cave then paused to look back at him. “There is something different about you, Haulcon.”

“
Maybe I seem different because revenge burns through my blood.”

Shaking her head, she stepped back to him. “Maybe that is the cause of your change of scent. It is unique, strange. I can’t pinpoint its origins.”

He pressed his heels into the moist stone, keeping himself from stepping back from Nyca’s perception. If she remained any longer, he was worried she would figure it out. Know he had lain with a human female.

What would Nyca think? Would she still want to follow his leadership? Would his people still follow him with such a sign of weakness? However, that was not an issue any more. One encounter with a human female would not change who he was.

“
There will be plenty of time to discuss my scent after we have rid the clan of Jacin.”

“
Absolutely.” Quickly she moved in and kissed him on the cheek. “Keep yourself safe Alpha.” Then she was gone.

By this time tomorrow he would be in his rightful place. Shifting to his wolf, he left and went out to feed. He would need all of his strength. He would have loved one more taste of Adair. However, he would have to settle for rabbits and the blood of a deer. He would keep close to the river, not wanting to be discovered before he could exact his revenge.

His wolf raced through the trees in the opposite direction of the clan compound, searching for a large buck. He wouldn’t kill it. That would be wasteful. He could not consume an entire deer alone. No, he wanted to wrestle with it, bring it down after a fierce battle and drink from it. His was aching for a fight and needed to expend the restless energy. If he didn’t he would do exactly what Nyca had suggested he do, go into the compound unprepared and tear apart whoever got in his way until he reached Jacin.