Taken By Surprise (4 page)

No!

She pivoted and ran, hearing Greyson’s voice calling after her as she sprinted through the broken French doors and onto the terrace.

“You can’t run from this, Zori!”
Like hell she couldn’t.

Without a second thought, she vaulted onto the balcony’s edge and jumped off. Her heart thumped in her chest and the wind whistled in her ears as she plummeted towards the ground. “
Wings to fly, feathers and claws, I am a harpy once more.
”

Zori embraced the familiar burn between her shoulder blades as her wings opened. Her bare feet were once again razor sharp talons as she soared higher and higher, leaving her home and Greyson far, far behind.

* * * *

“So, tell me again why you’re here at the crack of dawn dressed in only your robe.”

Zori sighed as she avoided her sister, Elena’s, eyes. “Can you just pour me some coffee?”

Elena laughed as she grabbed a mug, her wavy brown hair swinging around her waist as she turned towards the coffee pot. “Just wait until I tell Tamera about you flying around half-naked.”

“Hey, that’s the way we used to do it back in the day anyway.”

“True.”

Zori reached for the mug from her sister and took a big sip even though she knew the steaming brew would burn her tongue. She swallowed the coffee, grimacing at the fiery trail it made down her throat. The hot cup of Joe couldn’t stop Greyson’s sexy smile from flashing in her mind. She was sure he had to be long gone by now. Had she really just run from a man?

“Seriously, are you all right?”

Sure, I just got caught up with a werewolf who claims I’m his.

Zori choked on her coffee, slammed the cup on the countertop as her sister stared at her. She held up a hand as she caught her breath. “I’m fine.” There was no way she could tell her the truth…Tamera maybe, but Elena would never understand. She thought men were good for one thing only and she didn’t even think that was reason enough to get naked and, god forbid…sweaty.

“Something’s going on, Zo.”

“I just had a late night. The guy I chose to spend the evening with was full of surprises.” Zori exhaled. “Things ended kinda messy.”

Elena’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t tell me…”

“No, no…he’s still alive.”

Elena visibly relaxed. “Good. You’re finally learning how to rein in that appetite of yours. I knew my baby sister could do it!”

Zori rolled her eyes, grateful no further questions were asked. She watched Elena prepare batter for waffles, absently interjecting the appropriate responses in their conversation. It was hard to concentrate with the dull throb between her legs serving as a constant reminder of Greyson’s wild lovemaking and how much she enjoyed it. She could still hear the fury in his voice ringing in her ears as she fled and the possessive tone in which he calmly stated:
“You’re mine, Zori.”

“Are you even listening to me, Zori?”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think so. There’s more to the story about last night, isn’t there?” Elena placed a huge waffle in front of her and a bottle of pure maple syrup.

“Nothing more I want to talk about.” Zori concentrated on cutting her waffle into bite-sized pieces before stuffing a forkful of them into her mouth. She devoured the rest in silence as Elena frowned at her. “More please.”

“Why don’t you crash here for a few days?”

Zori lifted an eyebrow as her sister brought her another waffle. “Really?” The offer was surprising. Their kind prided themselves on being fiercely independent. It wasn’t unusual for the sisters to go months without getting together.

“Yeah, I hardly see you and, besides, I’m worried about you.” Concern shone in the amethyst depths of her sister’s eyes.

“I’ll stay, but only because you can cook
way
better than me.”

And because there could be a very angry werewolf waiting for me back home.

Elena grinned. “Yay! I’ll call Tamera and we’ll have a party!”

* * * *

After two weeks of hanging out with her sisters, Zori was beyond restless. She flipped on her back and pushed the sheet covering her below her tank top. All her efforts to focus on having fun and not the amazing unbridled sex she’d had with a certain werewolf failed. Instead of enjoying the rare treat of spending time with her sisters, she was distracted. If she had her way, she would have spent all of her time on the beautiful white sand beach that was practically in Elena’s backyard, but her sisters insisted she accompany them to exotic locales to shop, eat and party. She was relieved when they finally returned to Elena’s beachfront bungalow in the dark cover of night. It was exhausting trying to pretend she was having a good time when she couldn’t relax, couldn’t get Greyson out of her head.

It was as if he had branded her or something.

Zori unconsciously stroked the side of her neck where he’d nipped her. She closed her eyes, remembering the heat of his tongue and the slight sensation of pain when his teeth grazed her skin in a playful bite. The skin beneath her fingertips felt warmer than the rest of her body and she was certain it tingled whenever she thought of Greyson.

Crazy girl.

Except, she knew she wasn’t crazy. Something was happening to her…something she was having more and more trouble denying to herself. Her body longed for Greyson’s touch and her mind replayed every moment of their short time together.

Very short,
she kept reminding herself, but the amount of time—or lack thereof—couldn’t discount the fact that her entire world seemed to be turned upside down. She imagined he was watching her, calling for her to come to him
inside her head
. The more she tried to fight what she was feeling, the more the unsettling emotions intensified.

Even on a beach halfway around the world she sensed he was close by. The sensation persisted when she was with her sisters and when they weren’t looking, she surreptitiously searched for him, but she never saw him. Her sisters served as the perfect distraction during the day, but once she was alone in bed nothing stopped images and memories of Greyson from tormenting her until she finally fell asleep. Then he came to her in dreams so real, she woke up half expecting him to be lying next to her.

“Damn!”

Zori groaned in the dark. She should be exhausted after a full day of shoe shopping with her sisters, several bottles of wine and pizza, but she wasn’t. The private bungalow was quiet and her sisters were sleeping peacefully in their beds while she stared at the walls.

Zori twisted in the soft sheets, hot and bothered more from her inner body temperature than the warm sea air coming in off the ocean through the open balcony doors. She kicked the sheet off her with a frustrated moan. Her hand slipped over her bikini briefs and the urge to touch her needy flesh rose so sharply she jumped out of bed. She refused to give into what she knew would be only empty satisfaction that left her in a worse state of arousal.

The sound of the waves crashing into shore propelled her towards the window. Her vision blurred as she stared at the moonlight rippling over the dark surface of the ocean. She couldn’t take much more of this.

Whatever this is.

Zori turned from the window for her robe, then tossed it back on the bed. No one would see her on the private beach at this time of night. She unlatched the screen door and stepped onto the balcony. The smell of the ocean and the sight of the stars twinkling in the clear night sky soothed her. She walked to the edge of the stairs leading down to the beach, listening to the sound of the water lapping on the sand. Without thinking, she descended the stairs and walked towards the ocean. It was dark, but she could see clearly in the moonlight. She didn’t see or hear anyone nearby as the cool water tickled her toes. A warm breeze washed over her as she took a few more steps into water reaching her ankles. Harpies typically avoided water, but Zori couldn’t resist moving forward as the cool water gently swayed around her thighs.

Just a little bit further.

The ocean was up to her waist, pushing her off her toes as it swirled around her. Zori waved her hands in it, loving the weightless feeling as it jostled her body back and forth. The rhythmic motion pulled her further out until she was submerged up to her chest. Her nipples tightened as the water surged between her breasts and Zori sucked in a breath. She hadn’t been swimming in a long time, but she was confident of her abilities and now she wanted nothing more than to dive into the dark waves.

It’ll clear my head.

With a little cry, she dived into the water, rising above the surface seconds later. For a few minutes, she thought of nothing else, becoming one with the ocean as she swam. Winded, she stopped swimming to tread the water, feeling a little disorientated as the salt water dripped into her face and stung her eyes. A huge wave crested over her and she swallowed some water as she started to swim closer to shore which seemed further away than she remembered.

What were you thinking taking a night time dip in the ocean?

Zori swam faster, but the tide was working just as hard against her. Another wave pushed water into her nose and she coughed as she treaded water. Her teeth chattered between her ragged breaths. She wished she were back on shore as she started to breaststroke. A cramp seized her leg and she cursed, wishing she could shape-shift but wet wings would not help her now. Panic rose in her throat—being an immortal, she wouldn’t die, but she didn’t relish the thought of drifting alone in the dark water until morning when her sisters awoke.

How long would it take before they even questioned her disappearance? It wasn’t unusual for any of them to take off for days at a time before getting in touch.

She tried to tread water, but the sore muscles in her leg made it nearly impossible. Another wave rocked her and Zori stopped trying to move and simply floated. She let the ocean rock her as she stared up at the moon. A strangled laugh escaped from her lips as the overwhelming sensation Greyson was near enveloped her. Nearly drowning apparently hadn’t cleared her head either.

A loud splash somewhere towards the shore startled her. She hadn’t had time to think about anything else being in the water with her. Something brushed against her foot and Zori stifled a scream as she floundered upright in the water to see Greyson treading water inches away from her. She splashed ungracefully in front of him, too shocked to speak.

“Would you like a little help?”

Just hearing his voice brought on a sense of relief as her eyes ran over the hard lines of his handsome face.

“I don’t need your help.” She winced as another wicked cramp prevented her from swimming naturally. Her head dipped beneath the water for a second and she surfaced coughing as she worked to stay afloat.

“C’mon, Zori, lay back and float. Let me work out the cramp.”

She complied, shivering as his warm hand wrapped around her calf muscle. She could feel his gaze on her body as he massaged the sore muscle with his fingers. Her mind was racing as fast as the blood in her veins as she looked up at him.

“Better?”

His bare chest brushed against her thigh as he rubbed her leg and a jolt of awareness made her heart pump faster.

“Yes.” She could see his lips curve in a satisfied smile and remembered how they felt pressed all over her body.

“Good…test the leg.”

He released his hold on her and Zori shifted her position, gingerly moving her legs in the water. The muscle still ached, but it no longer made her want to scream. She sensed Greyson’s intense gaze on her face and found it hard to meet his eyes as she started to tread water again.

“Can you swim to shore?”

“Of course.” Zori glared at him in the dark as the water pulled at them. She hated him seeing her in a weakened state.

Greyson’s mouth curved slightly as if he could read her thoughts.

“Let’s go.”

He didn’t wait for her response, cutting through the waves in a powerful breast stroke. With a soft curse, Zori started swimming after him and soon they were side by side. Every muscle in her body ached, but she refused to slow down as sheer exhaustion threatened to consume her. When she could finally touch the sandy bottom of the ocean floor, she sent up a prayer of thanks.

Greyson stood up out of the water and turned to her. He held out his hand and she took it, stumbling onto the beach, breathless and spent. She collapsed on the sand, happy to be on solid ground as he sat beside her.

A few minutes went by as Zori panted. Greyson seemed unaffected from his physical exertions and his casual posture annoyed her as she wrung water out of her long tresses. Her gaze ran over him as he lay back on his forearms and stared up at the stars.

“Are you all right?” He turned his head in her direction.

I’m freezing and I’ve never been so tired.

“I’m fine.” It took all of her resolve to say the lie without her teeth chattering. She couldn’t control the shivers racking her body as she tried to catch her breath.

“What the hell were you doing out there?”

His deep voice had taken on a rough edge that instantly sent her on the defensive. “What are
you
even doing here? Have you been following me?”

Greyson stared at her for a moment. “I’ll always know where you are, Zori.”

“What does that mean?” She angrily rubbed the goose bumps popping up on her arms. She was so done with water.

“I told you, you couldn’t run from this.”

He touched her shoulder and Zori shuddered.

“So you’re a werewolf stalker, is that it?” She stood on wobbling legs and watched Greyson come to his feet in less than a second.

His powerful body looked amazing, glistening in the moonlight. He was wearing the briefest pair of swim trunks Zori had ever seen and the sodden material clung to the thick curve of his cock.

“I don’t have to stalk you, Zori. We’re connected…bonded, and nothing but death can change that.”

Chapter Four