Lycan It

Chapter Seven

Raze watched as the table was set up in front of the fire for dinner. Once all the plates were of food were set out, and the pack started gathering, Raze called out to Ricky.

The pup came over to him. “What’s up, Raze?”

Raze nodded toward Janine who sat in the cave holding her stomach.

“She’s feeling a bit better and wants a bath now. You mind if I take her down to the lake?”

Ricky glanced over at the meal and licked his lips. “Can’t it wait until after?”

“I’d rather get her down there while she can walk on her own. Why don’t you go ahead and eat, and we’ll be back before you know it.” Raze nodded toward the table. “Sure looks like some good food tonight.”

“I don’t know.” Ricky glanced across the fire at Damon who had his back to them.

“He had me unchained. Obviously he trusts that I won’t run again. I’ll be back before anyone even realizes we’re gone.”

Ricky nodded. “Okay, but hurry up. You don’t want to miss out on the food.”

“I will. I’m starving.” Raze waited for Ricky to head to the table before going back to Janine. “Time to go.”

She looked up at him with wide eyes. “Okay.”

He helped her get to her feet. “It’ll be all right.” Or he sure as hell hoped so.

He exited to the right side of the cave, and kept her close beside him, trying to draw as little attention as possible. Fortunately, the one thing that rivaled the pack’s appetite for sex was their appetite for food, and barely a glance was tossed their way as they made their way toward the lake.

“Take off your clothes like normal. If someone is watching, we want to appear to be doing the same routine.”

She nodded, stripped off her shirt and jeans, and waded into the lake. She shivered, and Raze stepped up behind her. “The freaking water is even colder now.”

“Yeah. It cools off more at night. It’ll be completely dark in a few minutes. Just follow my lead, okay?” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

She nodded and he was proud of how brave she was being. Ten minutes later, he led her by the hand out of the lake and instructed her to put her clothes on. He was thankful Ricky had brought him a change of clothes.

Running through the forest without a shirt wasn’t a good idea. If he was in wolf form, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but bare skin, sticks and thorns didn’t mix well. If he changed, he wouldn’t be able to carry Janine, and there was that small fact that Janine didn’t have a clue what he was.

He took her hand in his again and strolled a little further away from the pack along the lake’s edge. When Raze was confident no one was paying attention to them, he slipped into the dark woods and started in the direction of the rest stop. They moved along at a good clip, and he was proud of her for keeping up with him.

“You doing okay?” He glanced over his shoulder and noticed she was a little frazzled and sweaty.

“Yeah.” She huffed out. “I’m just not used to trotting through the woods in the dark.”

“You’re doing good. Another fifteen minutes and we should be there.”

He would like to be moving faster, but he didn’t want to alarm her.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll make it. I just wish I could run. We’d probably be there already.”

He squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Don’t put yourself down for something you can’t help.”

He hadn’t allowed himself to think about any kind of future with her up to this point, but now that it looked as if they might actually escape, he thought of how, when he changed her, her leg would be healed after she shifted for the first time. A shot of fear slithered through him. What if she wouldn’t let him change her? What if she didn’t fall in love with him? What if she didn’t want a relationship with him at all?

She’d wanted him as badly as he had her. Her passion for him, he had been in no doubt of. But things had been complicated, and he had to at least entertain the idea that a part of her attraction to him might have been because she’d needed comfort. Suddenly, a howl broke through his thoughts and pierced the still, night air. Their escape had been noticed.

Janine froze. “What was that?”

“That is our cue to run.”

She squeaked when he scooped her up and took off at a dead run with her in his arms. She clung to him, and he was aware that his jarring movements must be making her uncomfortable, but there was no helping that now. The howls grew louder and he could hear rustling and sticks broken under trampling paws in pursuit behind them.

Just when he thought they’d never make it, he shot through the clearing and spotted a black Jeep. It had to be Janine’s because it was the only vehicle in the lot.

“Black Jeep right?”

“Ye-e-ess,” She said through being bounced.

They made it to the car, and he sat her down by the passenger side and opened the door. She let out a shrill scream that made him spin around.

Three wolves broke through the trees and ran at them full out.

“Get in! Now!” He pushed at her.

He slammed the door after she scrambled in the car, and raced around to the driver’s side. He jumped in, turned the ignition, and engaged the locks.

He’d just put the car in drive after backing out when one of the lycans hit the side and rocked the Jeep. Janine cried out again, and Raze gnashed his teeth together. He stomped on the gas, and headed for the highway. Another wolf stood in the road, staring at them, and he didn’t let up on the pedal for a second. The familiar gray coat shined in the headlights. Damon.

“You want to die you son-of-a-bitch, then so be it.” Raze raced toward the wolf, and right before impact Damon shifted and rolled out of the way.

“What the hell just happened?” Janine craned her neck to look out the window at Damon’s retreating figure.

This was so not the way Raze wanted her to find out about him. They made it to the highway, and had put several miles between them and the rest stop before Janine spoke again.

“I said what the hell happened back there? Am I crazy or did that wolf turn into a man?” She shook her head. “I’m not crazy. I know what I saw. It was Damon wasn’t it?”

He nodded. “Yes. He’s a lycan, and so am I.”

“A lycan? Do you mean a freaking werewolf?”

He nodded again.

She laughed. “Are you kidding me?”

“I was going to tell you later, after we were safe. If I had told you before we escaped, it would have scared the hell out of you, and you were already dealing with enough. If I had told you, you would have been so crazy with fear and confusion, you wouldn’t have listened to anything I said. It would have been so much worse for you. I was trying to protect you.”

“You think? And you don’t think I’m confused and scared now? I saw him change in front of me, and I still don’t believe it.”

“It’s true, Janine.”

“If it is, why would they grab someone like me, and why weren’t there any other women there besides me? I mean, don’t get me wrong, but werewolves, or lycans, or whatever you all are—I didn’t see a bad-looking man amongst you. I can’t imagine that it would be hard to find some better looking women who wouldn’t need kidnapping. Oh, wait. That’s why you referred to them as a pack.” She stared at him.

“Stop belittling yourself. I told you that you are beautiful and sexy.

You’re right. They don’t have problems luring women to them. It’s keeping them that’s the problem. The pack is rogue and believe that women are only good for one thing.”

“And you don’t, hence your punishment for escaping was using me in front of them all.”

He nodded. “They only pick specific women. Only women who have the main scent are allowed to be brought to the pack.”

“The main scent? What is that?” Her eyes were wide as she waited for his answer.

“Potential mates have two scents. A main scent, which all lycans can smell, and the mated scent, which only the destined mate can smell.”

She was quiet for several minutes before she whispered. “Are you trying to tell me that I am a mate to one of those animals? You have got to be kidding me. No way will that ever happen.”

A little ache pinged through his chest at her comment. “We’re not all like them. There are many lycans, many packs, and not all of them are rogue.

Potential mates are supposed to be protected, taken care of. They are essential to our survival, and to the destined mate’s happiness. Don’t forget, I’m one of those animals too.”

“This is too much for me to contemplate at the moment. How long until we get to wherever it is we’re going?” She rubbed at her temple.

“About nine hours. We should be there by morning.”

“Wait. Are these friends of yours werewolves too?”

He gritted his teeth. “Yes.”

She stared at him. “You are taking me into another pack of those crazy ass things? No. Let me out. I’ll take my chances on my own.”

“They are nothing like the pack you’ve been exposed to. They will protect you.” He sighed in frustration. He didn’t blame her for being scared.

“Nothing like that except they turn into big, hairy wolves?” Her voice sounded high and panicked.

“Please, trust me. You’ve done so this far. Can’t you do it a while longer?” He couldn’t leave her on her own. Damon would find her in a matter of hours if he did so.

“I don’t want to go through that again. What if they take me and do the same thing to me there. I’m willing to bet the next one they give me to won’t be as chivalrous as you were.”

He braked hard, pulled to the gravelly shoulder and stopped. He slammed the car in park and turned to Janine. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. You have nowhere else to go. You said yourself that you didn’t want to lead them to your sister. What I didn’t tell you earlier is that, even though Damon has no idea who you are, he knows your scent, and he will find you. If you go home, he will follow you there. The only choice we have is to hide out, and wait for him to come for us on our terms so we can take him out.”

“But—”

“I’m not feeding you any more bull. We are in some major shit, and we need some back up. The only way I can protect you is with help. I’m absolutely positive Damon is back there right at this moment gathering the pack to come after us. The place I’m taking you is a sanctuary. I swear to you neither of us will be harmed there.” Her pale face and wide eyes made his gut clench. She was so afraid, yet she’d been so brave.

Tears swam in her eyes and he ached to hold her, but there was simply no time. He put the car in drive and pulled back onto the highway. Janine remained quiet.

“The couple who run the sanctuary, Brent and Rindy Falls, are good people. Rindy is Brent’s mate, and she had been chased her entire life by rogue lycans. Her family was even murdered by them when she was young.

Brent is an ancient, and from what I hear, the sanctuary boarders the land of another lycan couple, Anthony and Karen Wolfson. Anthony is also an ancient, which means not much can get through them.”

“Are Karen and Rindy human like me then?” she whispered.

“They were. Now they are lycans.”

“How did they become lycans?” Janine’s voice became a little high pitched again.

“Rindy was turned by Brent, with her permission. Karen, unfortunately, was bitten on purpose by a rogue, a rogue that Anthony killed. It is a great offense to turn another’s mate, and it causes great pain during the first change when someone is turned by anyone other than their mate.”

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Are you telling me there is some maniac out there I am supposed to be mated to that is going to try to turn me into a werewolf?” Janine visibly shivered.

“Settle down Nothing will happen to you that you don’t agree to.” He wondered if he would ever be able to convince her that not all of his kind were bad.

“But you just said Karen was turned without her permission. What if I’m bitten?” She began hyperventilating.

“Janine.” When she didn’t look at him, he said her name louder.

“Janine!” Her head snapped around and her eyes rested on him. “Calm down. I will not let that happen to you. I swear. No one will do anything to you that you don’t agree to.”

After a few moments, she leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. “I can’t take anymore. I need to rest.”