Dire

“Yes. I thought we had a deal, Mary Anne?”

I tried to stay calm. Maybe I’d imagined the wolf part. But then why was he buck naked? “We were just going for a walk. I was having trouble sleeping.” I had to try.

“I’m sure that’s what you were doing.” Hunter shook his head. “If I were you I wouldn’t try this again. I don’t take well to losing something of mine.” In one swift motion he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

I fought against him. “Put me down!”

“Put her the fuck down, asshole!” Now back on his feet, Gage yelled.

I looked in time to watch him fall flat onto the snow. Someone must have punched him. As I glanced around I realized that Hunter wasn’t the only one naked.

“What do you want with us?” I pounded against Hunter’s bare back.

“It’s you I want, but now Gage has seen too much. I’m guessing you’d rather we kept him around?”

“Don’t hurt him.” The tears started as Hunter carried me back to the house. “Please bring him inside. I promise I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Be careful the kind of promises you make.” Hunter’s voice was hoarse. “You’re lucky I don’t plan to hold you to it.”

“You said it’s me you want. What do you want with me?” My gut told me it was more than the obvious—sex. He could have had that already.

He patted my ass. “You’re about to find out.”

Chapter Thirteen

Gage

We were dead. When the car careened off the road we had died. There was no other explanation for the naked wolf-men. I remained sprawled in the snow where they left me. Based on the sex with Mary Anne, I’d have thought we were in heaven, but considering the wolves we had to be in Hell. Maybe the car sex was more like a test. A purgatory of some sort. Something irresistible had been dangled in front of me, something I wasn’t supposed to have, and I hadn’t resisted. I hadn’t resisted at all.

“Are you listening?” A female yelled.

“No.” If this was Hell she probably knew what I was thinking.

I was thanked for my honesty by a slap across my face. Marni. Of course she was the only one of them who hadn’t been standing buck naked in front of us. Just my luck. Not that I was looking forward to seeing anyone but Mary Anne naked, but I was already in Hell, might as well make the most of it.

“I’d suggest you listen.” She nodded toward where Hunter had Mary Anne slung over his back. I assumed the other wolves had returned to the house already because I didn’t see them anywhere. I got up with a start. Dead or not, I wasn’t leaving her with him.

I jogged back through the snow to the house. I kept expecting someone to grab for me, but no one did. I guess they were confident I wouldn’t get far. I was fast, but I couldn’t outrun a wolf. I also wouldn’t leave Mary Anne behind. That was probably what they were banking on.

Inside Hunter had put on a pair of pants and had Mary Anne pressed tightly against his chest. She looked anything but comfortable. At least he was standing near the fire. If she had to be near the monster, she might as well be warm.

I’d taken two steps toward her when my arms were grabbed from behind. I guess the trust exercise was over. “What the hell are you people?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chet smirked. He was enjoying the situation entirely too much.

“Werewolves?” Mary Anne’s voice wavered. “You’re werewolves?”

“We don’t use that name.” Hunter adjusted his hand around her waist. I wanted to smack his arms away. This monster was touching her.

Mary Anne shifted uncomfortably. “But I wasn’t imagining things. You were wolves.”

“Yes,” Hunter whispered in her ear, but his voice remained loud enough for me to hear. “What do you think about that?”

She sighed. “I think I’ve lost my mind.”

“I think we’re dead, but I can’t imagine how Mary Anne ended up in Hell. She’s too sweet for that.” I watched her wistfully.

“You’re not dead,” Hunter snapped. “I assure you, you are completely alive.”

“But you’re wolf-men.” Mary Anne’s face was completely drained of color. She was going into shock.

Hunter tightened his hold. “You can call us Weres for now.”

“For now?” she asked shakily.

“I’m not going into more details until I know I can trust you.”

I laughed dryly. “If we’re not dead, and you’re actually Weres,” I accentuated the word to show I was trying to play along. “What do you want with us?”

“Mary Anne already asked that question.”

“And your answer?” she asked, her voice slightly stronger.

“We’re keeping you safe.”

This time it was Mary Anne who laughed. “Keeping me safe? I’ve been kidnapped by a bunch of wolves, and you’re telling me it’s for my safety?”

“You have no idea what’s out there.”

“What’s out there?” I chortled. “You’re going to pretend there is something worse than you guys?”

“If we wanted to hurt you, we would have.” Hunter’s eyes set on mine.

“No, you just want to keep us against our will and keep my girlfriend in your bed.” I felt my anger about to blow. “I wouldn’t exactly call that friendly.”

“This is friendly. You don’t want to see what we get like when we’re not friendly.” Falcon scowled.

“Please, just let us leave.” Mary Anne started shaking. I needed to get to her. I struggled against Semi.

“It’s okay.” Hunter turned her in his arms. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Cut the crap.” I wasn’t just going to stand there and listen to him talk to her like he was a freaking hero. “She knows exactly what you are. She doesn’t want a wolf.”

“And she wants you then?” He watched me over her head.

“Yes.” Mary Anne answered.

He ignored her. “You think she wants a man who’s using her?”

“Oh, and you’re going to treat her like a fucking princess then? You want to live out a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ fantasy? Is that it? Well, she might be a beauty, but she’s not yours.”

“None of this is real.” Mary Anne spoke softly. “There are no men who can turn into wolves. Maybe you’re right, Gage. We’re dead. Or maybe I’m in a coma, or I’m doped up on pain meds. The accident was worse than we thought.”