Her pale blonde hair danced about her shoulders with each graceful bounce, and he ached to hold her close, just to feel the warmth of her body pressed against his. He held his hands up in a surrender pose. “Easy. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Yeah, sure.” She spat the words at him. “That’s what they’ve all said.”
Had someone tried to hurt her? Who were they all? He eased back, and she watched his every move, until his calves bumped against the front of a chair that was probably the twin to the one she’d used for her attempted escape. He sat down slowly and rested his elbows on his thighs, palms up.
“I swear, I’m not here to hurt you.” Her body language told him with certainty that she didn’t believe him.
“Get out,” she said through gritted teeth.
He shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can. Go. Now!”
He shook his head again. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”
She visibly tensed again. He knew she was going to run for it, but he couldn’t let her go. Not now, not ever again. She spun away from him with a stealthy grace that impressed him, but he was faster. As she dove for the window, he launched from the chair, tackled her at the waist, and tucked his body around her as they rolled to the floor, protecting her from the brunt of the fall. She cried out, and she fought with a tenacity that was admirable.
He flipped her under him and pinned her to the floor with his bigger frame. She struggled until exhaustion finally took some of the fight from her.
Her eyes were wide, clear, and intelligent. She was afraid of him, and he hated that, but he’d make it right.
“Hey. I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Brent Falls. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time. And I promise you, I will not harm you.”
He barely held back a groan at the feel of her underneath him. He was hot, hard, and very ready to claim her. He fought for control and kept the turmoil boiling inside him from hardening his features. He didn’t want to do anything that would appear threatening to her.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
Chapter Two
Rindy stared up at the man who pinned her to the dirty floor of the apartment she’d recently rented. She knew from the moment she’d set eyes on him that he was one of the bastards that had been chasing her for years.
She’d never believed in monsters, had a wonderful, carefree, loving childhood, until the day they came . . . werewolves. She would have never believed they existed had she not seen them with her own eyes.
They’d come after her when she was just seventeen years old. They’d told her they were going to protect her and that she had an important role to play in their pack. But the words had barely left their mouths when they had attacked her family. They’d killed her mother and sister. She’d tried so hard to fight, to save them, but she’d been powerless against them. They’d been so strong, and her against three monsters had been no match. It had been hopeless.
Rindy remembered every detail of that night. The way her sister had begged for her life, the way her mother had pleaded for them to take her and spare her girls. And the way her mother had caught one of the bastards off guard and stabbed him with a kitchen knife. He’d smiled a smile that had sent chills down her back and had pulled the knife from his shoulder, sending it clattering to the tiled floor, right before his features contorted and hair had burst through every pore in his skin.
Rindy had stared in horror at the big wolf who’d been a man moments before, wondering if she had been dreaming. The beast had swung its head toward her slowly, settling his eerie blue eyes on her seconds before he’d taken her mother’s neck between his jaws and bitten down. She’d never forget the sickening sound of bones breaking as she fled the house.
She’d run so fast, so hard. Still, she’d never thought she’d get away.
Fortunately for her, there had been a bus stop half a mile from her house.
And God had obviously not intended for her to die that day as there had been a bus at the stop, just readying to pull away. She’d made it without a second to spare and had seen the men running after the bus as it picked up speed and finally left them behind.
Since that day ten years ago, she’d been running. She had never stayed in one place for more than a few months. She’d felt them following her. She’d never allow them to catch her again. That was the one thing she owed her mother and sister. Their deaths had been her survival, and she wouldn’t ever throw away the precious gift they’d given her. Yet, again, she was imprisoned by her worst nightmare.
“What do you bastards want with me? Haven’t you done enough already?”
He was an extremely good-looking man, not that that mattered. Most of them had been. Such thick, brown hair, dark chocolate eyes, and golden skin seemed such a waste on a monster. Would he kill her? Would he rape her?
She swallowed hard. She had to find a way to escape. She fought the panic threatening to overtake her.
“I don’t understand. I haven’t done anything.” His brows furrowed, and he frowned.
She snorted. “You’ve been following me for years. I’ve been on the run since I was seventeen years old because of you bastards, and you say you haven’t done anything.”
He frowned harder.
She laughed. “Yeah, I know exactly what you are. You’re a werewolf, and you’re a monster and a killer.”
“How do you know what I am?” His eyes turned darker, and his cheeks burned red.
She figured the blush was from anger because she couldn’t imagine his kind ever being embarrassed. But what was he angry about? She was the one being held down like an animal.
She raised her chin. “Because your kind killed my mother and sister, most likely would have done the same to me, had I not escaped.”
“Your mother and sister were killed by werewolves?”
She nodded and pushed her face toward him in defiance. “I hate you.
Now get off me!”
She tried to buck him off but grunted in frustration when she realized he was just too damn heavy. Why couldn’t she have been tall with some meat on her bones? Instead, she had to be barely five foot and a hundred pounds.
And though she’d taken extensive self-defense classes and karate, she wasn’t a fool to believe she’d be a true match for a man of his size and strength.
She’d only hoped her training would provide her enough of an edge to get away if she had to. Even that wasn’t looking promising at the moment. She took a deep breath and blew it out in agitation.
“I did not hurt your family. And I’m sorry it happened. But I assure you it had nothing to do with me.” He ran a finger down her cheek.
She shivered as his warm skin made contact. It was nice to be touched in a comforting manner. It had been so long since she’d had a hug or any kind of affection she’d nearly forgotten how nice it could be. Are you insane? How could she possibly enjoy anything from this man?
She looked deep into his eyes and found herself wanting to believe him, yet that small part of her that had been terrified for years, cautious about everyone and everything, wouldn’t allow it. “Get off me, and get out!”
He sighed. “I told you already, I cannot leave. Not without you.”
“I’m not going with you anywhere.”
“What is your name?”
“Wh-what? You are asking me my name?”
He nodded and gave a lopsided grin that showed straight, white teeth.
“Yes. Please tell me.”
She thought about spitting in his face, or telling him to go to hell, or both, but instead, her lips spoke before she had time to stop the words from tumbling out. “Rindy Trenton.”