Wolf's Capture (21 page)

What. The. Fuck.

Brody had seen some freaky shit in his life, especially when he served overseas and spent those months in that prisoner camp. However the sight of a man, creature, or whatever still wearing its robe and waving arms while sitting atop a large, coiled serpentine body with a nasty rattle on the end, yeah, that wasn’t good news.

He whispered one word. A word that conjured dread—and awakened old fears. “Naga.” One of the rarest shapeshifters. Never seen, or at least recorded as being on the North American continent.

So rare actually that Brody knew of only one in existence, and he’d killed it years ago in his escape from the prison. He’d chopped off its head himself before setting fire to the fucker’s tent.

I killed you.
Killed him but still sometimes heard the sibilant whispers of his dead captor in his dreams.

Just knowing he faced another sent a chill through him. Of all the shifters, the naga was one of the deadliest.

Forget confronting it with just a puny gun. He needed a sword, an army, even better a grenade or a nuke. The bastards were hard to kill and fucking dangerous, especially if it removed its head covering and voice modulator. Nagas didn’t just possess uncanny almost bulletproof scales and a poisonous bite. When they spoke, they had the power to hypnotize and compel. Not good.

Time to leave.

It took Brody only a few steps to reach Layla and scoop her. A few more to get to the door.

And only a second to realize the ground was at least eight feet below him and receding.

He held Layla cradled in his arms, and hesitated. He couldn’t toss her out. She’d break on impact. If he jumped with her, could he cradle her fall?

“Drop the girl.” The sibilant command was rusty and broken, not at all smooth like the last naga he’d encountered, but it still made his arms tremble as he fought to not obey.

“I said drop the girl.”

Strain as he might, Brody couldn’t fight the order. Even without looking at the naga, it vibrated through him, demanded he obey. So he did. He let go, the disbelief in her eyes as she plummeted piercing him.

Trust me.

Though he didn’t speak the words aloud, he hoped she knew enough to read the message in his gaze. Without her to worry about, he could better fight.

He whirled before seeing her land and faced the monster. It still wore a hood and most of its cloak, but the voice modulator hung from ripped wires around its neck. Oh, and while not as big as the last snake shifter he’d encountered, the psycho still possessed enough tail to coil under its upper body. A distorted rattle crowned the tip of its tail and shook with a sound he’d hoped to never hear again.

“Idiot shifter,” it hissed. “I wanted the girl.”

“And I told you, she’s mine. You aren’t getting her back.”

“Oh, I shall, and I’ll keep you. A pair of pets for my new menagerie.”

“Like fuck. Burn in hell, asshole.” Before his brain could dissuade him from his crazy plan, Brody let himself fall through the open door. As he did, he brought the gun he’d grabbed to bear in front of him. He fired at an engine.

And missed.

“No!” he yelled.

Thankfully, Boris, with two feet firmly planted on the ground, didn’t miss.

Boom
!

Flames licked from the engine, and it sputtered. Coughed. Whined. But the plane didn’t spiral to the ground, even if it didn’t sound all too happy.

Speaking of happy, Brody closed his eyes as he prepared to meet the ground.

Instead something soft and squishy broke his fall.

Seeing Brody plummeting to the ground almost stopped her racing heart. As soon as he hit, miraculously without crushing every bone in his body due to his soft landing, Layla rushed over.

“Are you all right?” she asked, bending over.

Peeking at her with one eye, Brody groaned in reply. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” she replied. “I meant the poor bear under you that broke your fall.”

As she’d plunged to the ground, too shocked to scream when Brody dropped her, she’d thought for sure she’d crack her head open like an egg. Instead, a giant teddy of a bear caught her. That same bear also broke Brody’s fall.

As he rolled off the poor bear, Brody grimaced. “Thanks for your sympathy.”

The furry mound under him stirred and got to its four feet. Relieved her shaggy savior seemed intact, she managed a laugh at Brody’s sarcasm. “Anyone who jumps out of a plane isn’t looking for sympathy.”

“How about thanks?”

“For what? Tossing me out of a plane?”

“But I saved you.”

“Yes and so did the poor guy you squashed.”

A snort shook Brody. “Poor guy? Bah. That’s just Travis.”

Just Travis groaned as he shifted from grizzly cushion to man. “Thanks, dude. Next time I won’t break your fall. You weigh a ton.”

“Do not. But Boris does.”

“Boris what?” asked the only dressed male left alive on the field. Toting a gun, he arrived by their side and frowned down at Travis. “Why are you lying on the ground?”

“Because Brody tried to flatten me like a bug.”

“Not his fault you couldn’t catch him like you caught the girl.”

“Yeah,” Brody agreed.

The younger male shot them both a dirty look. “Next time, maybe I’ll let Boris catch you with his antlers.”

“Maybe next time you should,” Brody agreed.

“I can guarantee I wouldn’t moan about it,” Boris added. “My rack is more than up to the challenge of catching a puny wolf.”

“Hey!”

Before Brody could protest further Travis interrupted. “I wasn’t moaning. I was bitching. There’s a difference.”

“Neither of which is manly. How am I supposed to toughen you up, boy, if you don’t listen?”

“I was listening. Didn’t you see me tear off that one guy’s arm and use it to smack his buddy?”

“Okay, that wasn’t bad, but what about the one who crawled away?”

Their voices trailed off as they strode away from them, the dressed one nudging corpses with his boots while the younger naked one limped alongside gesticulating.

“Friends of yours?” Layla asked.

“Unfortunately,” Brody said with a sigh. “You’ll have to get used to them. No matter where I go, they seem to follow.”

“And why would I get used to them?”

“Well, for one thing, you’re free.”

“What makes you so sure? Master got—”

A rumble shook the ground as a loud boom echoed over the land. In the distance, black smoke billowed.

A grin crossed Brody’s face. “Take that, you fucking snake. As I was saying, you’re free of that bastard, which means we can go home to Kodiak Point.”

“Who says I’m going there? I mean if I’m free, can’t I go anywhere I like? ”

He frowned. “No.”

“What do you mean no? Do you still not trust me?”

“Oh, I trust you. I mean no as in you’re not going anywhere without me.”

“And why is that? Am I your prisoner?” She wanted to hear him say it. To say he wanted her with him.

He didn’t let her down.

“More like I’m yours. You did more than capture me that night by the rock. You stole my heart, Bait.”

“You know I hate that name.” She tried not to let the flutter of excitement at his words make her do something silly, like declare undying love, the knowledge she loved him still too new and frightening.

“I know you hate it,
Bait
, but if you’re going to make me pay for it, I guess you’ll have to stick around.”

“To punish you of course.”

“But of course. Naked, too, you know, so we don’t ruin perfectly good clothes. Maybe with some handcuffs for good measure.”

A smile curled her lip. “Sounds like torture.”

“Definitely. But of the most decadent kind.”

Pleasurable, too.

They moved closer to one another until they were but a hairsbreadth apart, close enough that she had to tilt her head to watch his face.

“I guess since you’re in such need of correction, I could visit your town for a while.”

“A long while. I have a feeling I’m going to need lots of punishment.
Bait
.” His eyes twinkled with mischief, and she couldn’t help but grin wider in response.

And just like that, they were suddenly in each other’s arms, kissing and hugging, fanning the flames that never seemed to extinguish when they were together.

In between nibbles, she murmured, “I can’t believe you came for me.”

“I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t.”

“And I can’t believe you guys are making out in the open like that. Get a fucking room!” shouted Boris.

That unfortunately took longer than expected because the rest of the cavalry arrived in time to admire their handiwork.

Tucked against Brody’s side, Layla was treated to a parade of new faces, most of them regarding her with curiosity but none with hostility. They seemed more amused by Brody’s reluctance to leave her side and his growl of warning if someone wandered too close or stared too long.

Once it was ascertained the area was clear of the enemy, Layla was properly introduced to Reid, alpha of Kodiak Point.

Dark eyes in an uncompromising face assessed her. “So you’re the girl who can talk to the animals.”

“Like Dr. Dolittle?” Travis exclaimed.

“Who?” Layla asked.

“Ignore my idiot cousin,” Reid replied. “I ran out of duct tape, but if he continues to drive me insane, I’m sure we can find some super glue somewhere.”

Travis clamped his lips and managed to look offended.

“Brody says you were a prisoner of the dude who has been fucking with us.”

She nodded. “I’ve been captive in one shape or another since I was fourteen.”

The winces all around were hard to miss, as was the hollered, “Hey, Gene, you no longer hold the record for longest prisoner of a sadist.”

“I didn’t realize it was a competition,” replied a guy with shocking white hair, brilliant blue eyes, and a scar that bisected his face.

“I’d gladly give you the title,” she added with a grimace.

“How about instead we rid you of the reminder of your incarceration?” Reid offered. “Someone grab some bolt cutters, and let’s get this collar off her.”

The snap as the ring cracked off was a welcome sound, but not as welcome as the lightness once the physical symbol of her life as a prisoner was removed.

She touched her fingertips to her neck. “Is it truly over?”

“You’re free now, sweetheart.” Brody’s husky murmur went well with the one-armed hug he gave her.

Free? How she liked the sound of that.

“Yes, you are free,” Reid confirmed. “But I do hope you’ll consider sticking around for a while. Even if the dude behind the attacks on our clan is gone, we have questions. We’ve got more than enough room for you in our town, and a support system to help get you on your feet.”

It sounded like more than she deserved, but she couldn’t help a spurt of guilt. “It’s a nice offer, but will your town accept me after everything I’ve done?”

“They forgave me, even though I was a real prick,” the one called Gene said.

“Still is a big prick,” Brody confided in a low whisper.

“I heard that, wolf.”

“Good to know that mating hasn’t completely ruined you,” Travis snickered. Then ducked as Gene shot out a fist, which only barely missed the younger man.

“Ignore them,” Reid said with a forbearing expression. “I do. But the offer is genuine. Come to Kodiak Point. See if you like it. We could always use someone with your talent on our side.”

Antics aside, the offer of acceptance blew her away. They were offering a chance to atone, to belong. A chance for a true home and maybe more.

If I’m not imagining things, I do believe Brody is hinting at something permanent.
She peeked at Brody and found reassurance in his warm gaze.

“I think I’d like that.”

“Then it’s settled. Travis, why don’t you drive them back to Kodiak Point? I think they’ve had enough excitement for the moment. We can always talk when I get back. The rest of us will examine the house and surrounding area. I am hoping we’ll find some clues about the prick who was in charge.”

“You sure?” Brody asked.

“Yeah, but if you’d like to argue about it, I might just find reasons to keep my beta here.”

“I wasn’t asking if you were sure about me leaving but more about putting me in a vehicle with your dumbass cousin for several hours. What if I’m tempted to kill him?”

Reid snorted. “As if you’d piss off his mother. She might stop making you those ridiculous Shaggy and Scooby Doo-sized sandwiches if you do.”

“And pie. I mustn’t do anything to ruin my chances for pie,” Brody added. “Come on, Bait. Let’s blow this joint before they find jobs for us.”

The ride to Kodiak Point was more than a few hours, but luckily they stopped just three hours in at a small hamlet that sat alongside a gorgeous lake. There was a hunting lodge on the edge with empty rooms, which they rented for the night.

Brody ensured they got an end unit, far from everyone, especially Travis, who never shut up. But Layla enjoyed his rascally chatter as his non-stop stream painted a picture of not only Brody but the town he was taking her to.

As Brody ushered her to their room, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is it true you single-handedly saved most of the men I just met?”

“They would have done the same for me. You’re not the only one who spent time behind bars, prisoner of a sadist.”

Just one more thing she had in common with him and those who seemed so ready to accept her in their fold. “I still can’t believe I’m free.”

“Believe it. And enjoy it. We should celebrate.”

“Really? How?”

He waggled his brows.

She giggled. “That isn’t sexy you know.”

“Oh, yes it is.”

“Says who?”

“Me. Because, despite your claim, you’re about to get naked for me and we’re going to indulge in wild, passionate sex.”

“Is that an order?”

“No, it’s a promise.”

That wasn’t the only promise they exchanged that night.

After a steamy shower, and not just because of the hot water, they tumbled into a bed, a real big one with clean sheets and a fluffy comforter.