Bound in Sin (Bound #3)(15)
Author: Cynthia Eden

The wolf was addicted, and Gabe had no doubt that, if necessary, Drake would trade his life for Paige.

Snow crunched to the left of him. The vamps around him swore and leapt forward.

Gabe shoved them out of the way. He wanted to see this visitor.

Curiosity had always been his weakness.

The white wolf edged from the darkness with his eyes glowing. The beast didn’t attack. He just stared at Gabe with that intense gaze.

Gabe smiled at him. “All alone are you?” Because there were no other sounds at that lake. This wasn’t a wolf out leading an attack party.

This was something altogether different.

Gabe crossed his arms over his chest. “If you’re here to deal…” So many deals, so many years. He knew just how the devil felt. When will it end? “Then you’re gonna have to shift and talk to me because I don’t f**king speak animal.”

The white wolf crept forward. His wary gaze darted to each of the vampires.

“Shift,” Gabe snapped, losing patience, “or I can just go ahead and kill you now.”

The wolf began to shift. Disgusting. Gabe hated the sight of the shifting wolves.

Even though he did enjoy the sounds of those popping bones.

But soon enough, a man stood before him. Fury tightened the man’s face and hands. “I know where they are.”

Fatal mistake. The wolf was just throwing all of his cards out for them to see. Now, they just had to torture the shifter to get that important information.

No deal. Just pain.

Death.

Some blood.

Snow stained red…It could be so lovely.

“I’ll take you there,” the werewolf said, “ and get you past the security.”

Security. So perhaps he would be useful after all. The pain could wait a bit. Gabe lifted a brow but didn’t move forward. “And you’ll do this because…?”

“Because I want to be alpha.”

Right. Everyone wanted power. But this wolf, with his bitter eyes and snarling arrogance, he wasn’t going to control this land.

Gabe wasn’t going to sit back and let any animal take control. Not anymore. Those days were over. There’d be no more truces. No more deals.

Only death.

But he smiled because he knew how to play the game. He’d made the damn game. “You want me to kill Drake Wyler.”

A quick nod. “That’s what you’re planning anyway, right? Kill him…and we–we can have the same arrangement that you had with Jeremiah.” The wolf glanced over his shoulder. What? Was he afraid the rest of his pack would find out that he was a traitor?

You should be afraid.

“The same arrangement I had with Jeremiah.” How the hell did the wolf know about that deal? Gabe cocked his head to the side and studied the wolf with faint interest. “So you want to kill the humans, too? Want to slice them up and hear them scream until their voices break?”

Ah, now that was surprise on the shifter’s face. Gabe almost smiled.

“He–he did–” A quick swallow and the shifter shook his head. “No, no, I just want control of the pack. The shifters will leave your men alone, I’ll make them stay away. You can hunt, you can kill…and I won’t do a damn thing to stop you.”

The whelp was annoying. “Cause you’ll control the wolves…”

“Damn right.” The shifter threw back his shoulders and stalked forward. Did he realize how close he was to death? The arrogant ones never seemed to understand, not until it was too late. “I’ll keep ‘em away. I’ll be alpha–I’ll be able to do anything and everything that I want.”

Provided Drake was dead.

“Do we have a deal?” The werewolf demanded.

Gabe stared back at him. “What’s your name?”

“Michael. Michael Flint.”

The name meant nothing and that very fact said he was staring at a werewolf no one gave a shit about. “Michael, you’re turning on your alpha so quickly.”

“Because I’m stronger. I’m smarter, I can–”

Gabe barely stifled a yawn. He’d heard this spiel a dozen times. “Take me to him.” Then he’d kill Drake, eliminate this werewolf dumbass, and he’d take all the territory in Alaska.

Wolves were always weakest without a leader. Without Drake–they’d be easy pickings for his vamps.

Michael smiled. No, some arrogant fools never saw death coming.

Not until the moment death reached up and yanked their beating hearts right out of their chests.

Chapter Seven

He’d taken her blood. Euphoria filled Paige’s body. She’d been so afraid she wouldn’t be able to get Drake to take her blood.

But he had. Her wolf hadn’t even hesitated.

He’ll be safe now.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding tight. They’d just climaxed again, and the pleasure still hummed through her body.

Then an alarm began to beep, a shrill, deep cry that came from the far right of the room. Paige tensed in Drake’s arms because she knew what that sound meant.

They’re coming.

Gabe and his vampires had managed to track them through the snow.

You didn’t find us soon enough, ass**le.

Drake pulled away from her and stalked, naked, to the line of monitors. She followed him, but paused long enough to yank on her clothes as fast as she could.

She didn’t see anyone on the monitors, not yet.

“Motion sensor,” he said, not looking away from that screen. “Could be anything…”

But the clench in her gut told her that not just anything had triggered that alarm.

Then she saw the movement of a shadow. No, not a shadow.

A wolf. A white wolf, running toward the cabin. Paige tensed. “Are we…are we supposed to be having company?” She didn’t see anyone else, just that wolf.

“Michael.”

While she watched, the wolf began to shift. As the white fur vanished, it almost looked like snow was dripping away to reveal the man’s flesh. Then he stood, staring up at the camera. Up at them. In that moment, with him back in human form, she recognized the werewolf.

Paige’s hand went to her throat. The faint scratches were long gone by now, but she never forgot anyone who gave her pain, no matter how slight the wound was.

Not until she’d given payback for her injuries.

The old Paige, the girl she’d been, had never thought of vengeance and punishment.

The vampire knew there had to be a rough justice in the paranormal world. Only the strong survived.