Bound in Darkness (Bound #2)(8)
Author: Cynthia Eden

A quick glance showed her that Cade’s claws were coming out.

“What?” Griggs demanded. “Did you decide to spend some time screwing the target? I mean, she’s hot, but not worth the—”

Cade lunged forward, and when he moved, in that instant, Allison saw the flash of metal. A gun. The jerkoff sidling up behind Griggs had a gun that he was aiming at Cade.

Had Cade even seen the weapon?

She screamed a warning and leapt toward Cade. Leapt—and moved faster than she’d ever moved in her life. Faster than a human could ever move. Her body slammed into his, and she knocked Cade out of the way even as she felt a fierce burn lance her skin.

She hit the ground, stunned, and realized that her side was still burning. Allison glanced down and in the growing dawn light, she saw the blood seeping through her shirt.

“Fucking wrong move,” Cade snarled.

Her head lifted, and she saw him charge for the gunman. One twist, and he’d broken the man’s wrist. Cade grabbed the gun, and fired two quick shots at the two men coming from the second truck. They fell, screaming.

I know the feeling, ass**les. Allison pushed her hand against the wound as she tried to stop the flow of blood.

Griggs just kept standing there with the stake clutched in his fist.

“You’re a fool,” Cade snarled the words at Griggs. He tossed the shooter against a tree. The guy moaned and fell to the ground. “You come out here, and you think a bullet’s gonna stop me?”

Griggs backed up a few steps.

Cade stalked after him. “Because you know about the supernaturals, you think that makes you some kind of bad ass slaying machine?”

Allison managed to get to her feet. She only swayed a little, and the blood was slowing, wasn’t it?

She blinked, and Cade had Griggs pinned against the truck. All of the men Griggs had brought with him were on the ground, moaning in pain.

Cade’s fingers, no, his claws, were at Griggs’s throat. “Come after me again,” Cade warned, “you’re dead. So much as look at Allison wrong…and you’re dead.”

Oh. Allison swallowed. He was protecting her again. If he didn’t watch it, she’d definitely start to think he had a soft spot hidden beneath those claws and fur.

“I’ll rip you open,” Cade continued, voice grim, “and cut your heart right out of your chest while you scream and beg for me to stop.”

Maybe not such a soft spot.

“Not get the f**k out of here,” he ordered. “And make sure every hunter in the area knows…stay away from what’s mine.”

Wait—hold up—did she qualify as his?

Cade stepped back from Griggs. Griggs hauled ass for his truck and his men, wounded, bleeding—their blood smelled sweet—limped after him.

The trucks roared away, fish-tailing it through the woods.

Slowly, Cade turned to face her. “Why?”

She lifted her hand and saw the blood on her fingertips. “Because you couldn’t die for me.”

He stalked toward her. “I wouldn’t have.”

Well, that seemed harsh. She’d saved his butt. Didn’t that count for anything in his mind?

His nostrils flared. “Wolves like the scent of blood.”

So did vampires.

He was almost upon her now, and she could see the sharp edge of his canines. “It usually makes us want to attack,” he said in that lethal voice of his.

Allison barely managed to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked up at him. Don’t attack. Down, wolf. Down.

He’d said his control wasn’t that good. She sure didn’t want him losing control right then.

His hands flew out and grabbed the edge of her t-shirt. He yanked the bloody fabric, ripping it. His breath hissed out. Or was that hers?

“The bullet’s still in you.”

Her knees almost buckled at that.

“It’s still in you…” His green gaze measured her, and he said, “and you’re on your feet.”

So she was. “I wanted to…help you.”

He just stared at her for a moment. His gaze searched hers. For what, she didn’t know. Then he shook his head. “Let me help you now.” And he picked her up, lifting her easily into his arms.

Maybe it was stupid, but she felt…safe…in those strong arms.

“This is gonna hurt,” he warned her as he carried her back inside the cabin. “But you can’t heal until that bullet comes out.”

Her head rested against his shoulder. It seemed natural to put her head against him. To let her body soften against the hard strength of his chest.

She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pain lancing up her side. “You said…blood usually makes you want to attack.” Please, no attacks for the next, oh, hour or so. Not until she was back to better fighting form.

He slammed the door behind them and headed for the bedroom.

She wasn’t letting this one go. “Wh-what does my blood make you want to do?”

Cade lowered her onto the bed. He ripped away the rest of her shirt, leaving her clad in her black bra. His fingers slid up her side, a gentle touch that she hadn’t expected. A caress? That soft touch was almost enough to make Allison forget her question. Almost.

But having a werewolf so close to her when she was weak and bleeding…Focus. “Cade?” Allison breathed his name. What if the scent was too strong? What if his beast took control?

He looked up at her, and his green eyes were glowing with the power of the wolf.

Chill bumps rose on her arms.

“Your blood…the scent…” His jaw clenched, and he gritted, “It makes me want to kill.”

Not good.

“It makes me want to tear apart those bastards—to make damn sure that they can’t ever hurt you again.”

Her lips parted but Allison realized she didn’t know what to say.

“Now scream if you have to,” and his sharpened claws hovered over her wound, “because this is gonna hurt like a bitch.”

Chapter Four

She screamed.

The sound pierced right through him. The wolf howled inside of Cade, but his fingers were rock steady as he drove his claws into her wound.

His left hand pressed against her stomach, holding her in place on the bed, while his right hand dug into the torn flesh.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, but after that first scream, she didn’t make a sound. He glanced at her, only for a moment, and saw that Allison was biting her bottom lip to hold back her cries.