Lycan It

Chapter Twelve

Raze awoke with a start from the light doze he’d drifted into. Janine was still snuggled tightly against him. Her soft breaths fanned over his arm. The back of his neck tingled and he sniffed the air. Warning bells clanged loud in his head and he shook Janine.

“Wake up, Janine.” She moaned softly. “Wake up. Now!”

She sat up abruptly. “Wha-what’s wrong?” she mumbled.

“Get your clothes on.” He scrambled off the bed and hastily dressed.

She must have noticed the urgency in his movements for the last vestiges of sleep left her and she scrambled off the bed and started pulling her clothes on. Once she was dressed, he grabbed her hand, and towed her along behind him to the door, out the door, and toward Brent’s cabin.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice was high-pitched and tinged with fear.

He didn’t answer, and just as he made it to the cabin, Brent and Anthony stepped out from the woods onto the path.

“He’s close,” Raze said to the two men.

“We know,” Brent answered. “Get Janine inside. Karen and Rindy are waiting for her.”

“What is going on?” Janine struggled against Raze as he practically dragged her up the stairs.

“Damon is here, and you are in danger.” He stopped and fixed her with a determined stare. “You have to go inside. The cabin’s security system and Karen and Rindy will keep you safe.”

“While what? You go out and risk your life for me? No. I’m staying with you.” She gripped his hand tightly.

He cupped her face. “We don’t have time for this. You don’t stand a chance against any of the lycans. They’ll tear you apart or take you again, and if they take you again, they won’t give me a chance to rescue you. They’ll kill you before they let me get my hands on you. They know you are important to me, or I would have never taken you with me when I left.”

“I don’t care. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She glanced over at Brent and Anthony. “Or them for that matter.”

“Get inside, Janine. Now.” Raze growled.

“I’d listen to him if I were you, Janine. ” Damon stepped out of the woods, and ten of the pack filtered in behind him.

“Get off our land. This is a sanctuary, and you are trespassing.” Brent took a step toward Damon and stood straight, showing no fear.

“You have something of mine. I’ve come to collect it. Just hand over Raze and the woman and I’ll be gone.” Damon nodded toward Raze.

Anthony stepped up beside Brent. “Lycans and humans are not possessions. You do not own them, and our kind are permitted by our laws to leave a pack if they so desire, unharmed.”

“I do not recognize your law. We have our own laws now, and your laws are old, outdated, and quite frankly, ridiculous.” Damon smiled. “Surely you can see that.”

“The only thing I can see is a bunch of idiot, rogue pups who think their britches are bigger than they are. Same old story, different day.” When Brent spoke, the smile vanished from Damon’s face.

“I don’t want to have to fight you,” Damon sneered.

“No. Believe me, you don’t.” Anthony nodded toward the lycans behind Damon. “Because I guarantee you, you will lose.”

Damon snorted. “I think you are out numbered.”

“And I think you are out aged,” Brent replied.

By the way the smugness drained from Damon’s face, Raze was sure he’d had no idea that Brent and Anthony were ancient lycans. The older the lycan, the more deadly, and by lycan standards, Damon and the rogues he’d brought were young. Raze was even a few years older than Damon. The few ancients that had once been a part of the pack had long vacated the pups, not wanting anything to do with their nefarious ways. Damon’s hunger for greed had driven the strongest away.

Damon snarled. “Get them!”

Raze shoved Janine at the open door behind him and jumped over the railing of the deck, shifting in mid air. Brent and Anthony partially shifted.

Claws sprang from their fingers and fangs burst through their gums. Only ancients had the ability to partially shift. Raze hadn’t mastered that ability quite yet, and landed on the dirt path on all four paws.

Janine landed on her butt in the open doorway of the cabin after Raze had shoved her, and watched in horror as he leapt from the deck and turned into a huge, golden blond wolf. Damon and the rest of the pack shifted into wolves as well. Brent and Anthony, however, looked like monsters straight out of a Hollywood horror movie.

She gasped when someone started pulling her inside the cabin, and struggled. When she was released, she turned to see two women staring down at her.

“I’m Karen.” The tall redhead with blue eyes spoke. “This is Rindy.” She motioned toward the smaller woman with blonde hair nearly the same color as Janine’s. “You need to get inside.”

Janine looked back at the wolves now tearing each other apart. Growls, howls, snapping teeth, and yelps ripped through the still night air. “Will they be okay?”

“They’ll be fine. Come on. It’s dangerous out here.” Rindy tried to coax Janine inside once again by tugging at her arm.

A particularly loud yelp made her decide that maybe she should wait inside. She stood, but just as she turned to go, a large wolf landed behind her and quickly shifted. Fingers wrapped in her hair and jerked her backwards.

She landed with a thud against a hard chest. Tears sprang to her eyes as some of her hair ripped from her scalp, and another hand wrapped around her throat.

“You should have gone inside when your boyfriend told you to, you stupid bitch.”

Janine shivered. She knew that voice well. It was Damon. Rindy and Karen stepped out, but Damon tsk ed at them.

“One more step and I’ll break her neck.” To prove his point, Damon applied enough pressure to make Janine cry out.

When Rindy and Karen stopped, Damon sniffed at Janine’s neck. Shivers of dread raced down her spine. Why hadn’t she done what Raze had told her to do? She’d be safe inside now. She’d been so worried over his safety, she hadn’t cared about her own.

Worse than that, she was putting Raze, Brent and Anthony in more danger. She’d given Damon the upper hand now. She would become a bargaining chip, one that Damon hadn’t had until she’d insisted on not doing what she’d been told. If something happened to any of them because of her, she’d never forgive herself.

It’ll be okay, Janine.

Raze?

He didn’t answer her, but she was sure it had been his voice in her head.

Or maybe she was grasping at straws—thin, red, coffee stirring straws of hope that they’d all have a tiny chance in hell of getting out of this unscathed.

Damon dragged her backward, her toes barely touched the ground. His hand squeezed on her throat, nearly cutting all her air off, and black dots danced before her eyes.

She must have blacked out because, when she came to, she was lying on the ground. The moon lit up the tops of the trees and shimmered to the dirt in various places through the thick leaves.

“I see you are finally awake.”

Janine jerked up and tried to scramble to her feet, but she was suddenly pinned flat on her back. “Get off me, Damon.”

He laughed, and in the distance, the sounds of fighting could still be heard. “I don’t think I’ll be getting off you until I get off.”

Her stomach clenched, and she felt bile burn up the back of her throat.

“Raze will kill you.” Her fear kicked up even higher when she realized Damon was completely naked.

Damon snarled and grabbed her neck with his big hand again. “You’re his mate, aren’t you?”

She wasn’t going to tell him anything. “If you let me go now, and promise to never come back, I’ll make sure they leave you alone.”

“Yeah, guess it must be hard to accept when your mate rapes you. He’s just as predatory as we are. He enjoyed every minute of it,” he spat.

“That goes to show what you know. He never touched me like that. He’s smarter than you. We both are. We only made you believe he did as you instructed.” When the scowl marred Damon’s features, quickly followed by a new burst of anger, Janine was sorry she’d run off at the mouth.

“What, you think I’m stupid?” Damon yelled the words.

“No. Just really full of yourself.” She cried out when he backhanded her on the cheek.

“I’m done with the chit chat, bitch. If Raze can’t do as instructed, I’ll make sure the job gets done myself.” His eyes glowed.

She screamed and struggled when he ripped her shirt from her, but he held her down easily. Suddenly, Raze burst through the trees and stood not ten feet from them with Anthony and Brent close behind. At any other time, she might be a bit embarrassed standing in the midst of so many naked men, but under the circumstances, she barely noticed. She guessed that they were probably comfortable with their nudity, was used to it, since they lost their clothes each time they shifted.

Damon sprang up and yanked Janine against him, his arm wrapped around her throat. “One step closer and she dies.”

“Don’t listen to him, Raze. Just kill the bastard.” The words lacked the anger she felt because her oxygen was severely depleted.

Raze raised his hand. “What do you want, Damon?”

“Since you so obviously snuffed my punishment to begin with according to your little bitch here, I can only assume that you care for her, and I believe she is your mate.”

Raze’s eyes snapped to Janine’s and she mouthed, “sorry.”

“Take me. Just let her go, and I’ll go back with you willingly.” Raze never took his eyes from Janine.

“No!” Janine cried out before Damon tightened his hold.

“I think your bitch here might be right. I have a better idea. Since she means so much to you, you should make her one of us. Don’t you think that would be romantic, Janine?” Damon snarled.

“Please, Damon. I’ll do anything but that. Name anything else.” Raze put his hands out, palms up in a gesture of surrender.

Janine was certain deep down that Damon wasn’t going to compromise on his command, and the way Raze was offering himself up on the proverbial silver platter made her want to cry, and then kick Damon right in the jewels. Raze was willing to die for her, and her life wasn’t at stake . . . just her humanity.

“This time, when I tell you to do something, you’ll do it, or I will. Your choice, but time’s running out.” Damon’s words came in a clipped, angry manner.

Raze’s fists clenched and unclenched, and his eyes glowed. Janine knew if he got his hands on Damon, he was a dead man, and as horrible as it might make her, she was looking forward to him ripping Damon to shreds.

“Don’t do this, Damon. Mates are sacred. They aren’t meant to be abused.” Raze’s words sounded forced through his clenched jaw.

“Tick, tock, tick tock.” Damon sniffed at Janine’s hair, and she closed her eyes.

“Damon, if you do it, I’ll kill you. I swear it.” Raze’s voice was low, and the underlying tone gave credence to his promise.

“Time’s up.” Damon laughed a wicked sound that sent shivers down Janine’s spine.

Damon yanked her head to the side and bared his teeth. She screamed out and waited for the pain.

“Wait!” Raze shouted.