Davis, Liz - Under His Spell (Siren Publishing Classic) (23 page)

As his eyes fell upon the shooter, he realized that it was David, and he immediately crouched into an attack position. David aimed the shotgun toward him, but Lynn jerked on his arm so that his aim was thrown off.

“David, no!” she fearfully shouted.

David threw her a look of puzzlement and aimed his gun again, but the onset of Takoda’s shift halted him from taking a shot. The expression on David’s face was nothing short of awe, watching as Takoda’s wolf transformed in the body of a man. As fur dissolved into skin and his limbs elongated into those of a human, David stood openmouthed at the sight in front of him. Once his shift was complete, Lynn ran over to Takoda and they tightly embraced. Their lips met in a long, passionate kiss, and once they finally parted, Takoda stared deeply into her eyes. Not wanting to let go of her, Takoda continued to hold her in his arms, so grateful have the feeling of her body up against his. As the sound of David’s voice filled the air, Takoda was suddenly reminded of his presence.

“What the fuck is this?” David asked in amazement.

Turning his eyes towards David, Takoda saw that his face was pale and his jaw was slack. His brows were also furrowed, and the hand which possessed the gun hung limply at his side. It seemed that Takoda’s display left David nothing short of stunned.

“Well I guess the secret’s out now. I’m a shape-shifter.” Takoda’s lips turned up into a little smile.

“A what?” asked David in disbelief.

“It’s pretty self-explanatory, David. I can shift shapes. If you’re still unsure about it, I can always do it again.” His mouth widened into a grin.

David’s eyes roved towards Lynn’s face, and then he asked, “So you knew about this? You know what he is and you accept this
thing
?”

“That’s right,” answered Lynn in a firm tone of voice.

Shaking his head in disbelief, David said, “He’s not even human, Lynn. He’s just some
freak.
”

“The only freak I know is you,” Lynn snapped in response.

“Bitch,” snarled David, and he pulled the gun upwards.

“Hey!” Takoda’s voice boomed, and the birds in the trees above them were startled into flight. Stepping in front of Lynn so that she would be protected, he said, “That’s my woman you’re talking about. You’d better show some respect!”

Takoda bristled with anger, clenching his fists as he readied himself for a fight.

A look of fear crossed David’s face, but the gun in his hand remained firmly pointed at Takoda.

“Apologize,” Takoda demanded. His lips were set in a serious line, and the muscles of his jaw began to flex.

“What for? I meant it. She’s just a useless tramp anyway.”

As Takoda’s fist connected with David’s jaw, the force of it sent David sprawling backwards. As David hit the ground, the gun fell from his hands, and he expelled a cry of pain.

Sneering down at David with eyes full of fury, Takoda said, “I should have hunted you down when I had the chance. I would have enjoyed tearing you apart and listening to your cowardly little screams.”

Swallowing thickly, David said, “You can threaten me all you like, but remember, I’m the one who has the gun.” Grabbing hold of the gun, he pointed the barrel of it at Takoda’s head.

The gun could have been a toy to Takoda. David had insulted the woman he loved, and there was no way he was going to let that go.

“Why don’t you get rid of the gun and fight like a man? Or are you not able to?”

Emboldened by the feel of steel in his hand, David’s only response was to cock the gun.

At the sound of the chamber clicking, Lynn rushed up behind Takoda and grabbed hold of his arm, desperately tugging on it. “Baby, let’s go. He’s not worth it.”

Takoda’s steely gaze remained planted upon David.

“Sweetie,
please.
” Lynn tugged harder at the sleeve of his shirt, urging him to respond.

“You spineless fool.” After speaking those parting words, Takoda took hold of Lynn’s hand, and they turned and walked away.

“Get lost, David,” Lynn said over her shoulder.

Something inside of Takoda urged him to look back, so he did, and as soon as he turned his head around, the sound of a gunshot rang through the air. White-hot pain ripped through Takoda’s torso, causing him to stagger backward and fall. As his body hit the ground, Lynn gave a loud scream and got down on her knees, leaning over his body as she released grief-stricken sobs. He felt the warmth of her hand as she softly stroked his cheek, and he wished he could tell her that everything would be all right, but then realized that it would be a lie.

Takoda heard David expel a panicked curse, and as he tossed the gun aside, it fell to the ground, landing a few inches away from Takoda’s face. There was the sound of David’s retreating footsteps as he fled the scene.

With his cheek planted against the ground, Takoda was given a direct view straight into the barrel, and as his eyelids grew heavier, that was the last thing that he saw.

* * * *

One week later

Lynn couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen the stars shine so brightly. She’d always been in awe by the beauty of them, but tonight they seemed especially amazing. The rooftop she sat on provided her with quite a spectacular view, and due to the way the house was built, there was more than enough room for her to sit comfortably upon it without any worries of falling off.

Although the view was beautiful, sitting out here alone made her feel terribly lonely. Releasing a heavy sigh, she looked up into the sky and thought of Takoda, recalling the beauty of his eyes and his wonderful smile. As she continued to stargaze, she released all of her uncertainties about the future, and imagined them being carried away by the light breeze which swept through the air.

As a sound came from behind her, she opened her eyes and turned around.

“Hey, beautiful, mind if I join you?” Takoda asked from the window.

“Of course not, come on out.” Her lips curled into a smile as she watched him climb through the window and walk out onto the roof.

“You left me all alone in bed. Is everything okay?”

As he wrapped an arm around her waist, she lay her head against his chest and breathed in his scent. Takoda smelled of soap and pine and something else she couldn’t determine. It was a fragrance which was all his own, and she loved it. As she snuggled up against him, Lynn was careful not to bump against the bandage on his torso. It was still sore from the bullet wound, but his injury was healing up well, so she was happy about that.

As he took her hand in his, she felt him give it a light squeeze. Blissfully happy with the presence of him here next to her, Lynn once again found herself feeling grateful that the bullet hadn’t done more damage.

The sound of Takoda’s voice broke the stillness of the night. “You don’t have to be worried, you know. I’m right here with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know,” she softly responded.

Pressing his lips to her neck, he gave her a sweet, tender kiss.

Lynn was thankful that David had been a lousy shot, because she never would have been able to go on without Takoda. The connection they shared was beyond special, and if she ever lost him, she wouldn’t be able to go on. She loved him so damn much that sometimes it scared her. Lynn’s heart beat rapidly in response to the sudden flood of emotions within her. Placing a finger beneath her chin, Takoda tilted her face upward so that her gaze rose up to meet his.

“Stop torturing yourself with bad thoughts. We’re together, and nothing’s going to change that.” His gaze was tender and full of love.

Bringing his lips to her mouth, he engaged her in a soft, sweet kiss. As he released her lips, she was left in a sort of lovesick daze. It seemed that every time their lips met, they were experiencing their first kiss all over again.

Neither of them had seen or heard from David since the confrontation a week ago, and the rumor around Lynn’s workplace was that he’d resigned. She’d been filled with a huge sense of relief upon hearing that, and was happy to know that David would no longer be an intrusion upon their lives.

Sometimes she still had terrible dreams about Dex and David, but Takoda was always there to hold her and rock her back to sleep. Both she and Takoda worried about one another whenever they were apart, but they were both well-aware that living in fear was not what they wanted. It would be easy to let thoughts of worry dominate their minds, but they knew that would only ruin the beautiful relationship that they shared. Their connection was strong and completely unbreakable, so nothing could penetrate the love they felt for one another. They both knew deep down inside that everything would be okay. They shared a passionate love for one another, and that was all that mattered to them.

The tips of Takoda’s fingers began to sliding across her neck, and as they ventured further down, she felt the little hairs on her skin stand to attention. She’d felt the touch of his skin upon hers a thousand times, but somehow it still managed to electrify her.

His fingers continued to travel along the path of her skin until they reached their destination.

As his fingers stroked the mating mark on her chest, Lynn felt her body instantly react. Her body grew warmer and the space between her legs heated up, prompting her to give a small moan. Takoda stroked the special spot tenderly, locking his eyes into hers as he did it.

Cupping her chin in his hand, he moved his face downward to kiss her. Just before his lips reached her own, he paused, fixing her with one of his hypnotizing gazes. She thought he was going to say something to her, but then she realized that nothing needed to be said at all. Their eyes did all the talking, silently expressing passionate thoughts and feelings that words never could.

As their lips came together, she felt the spot on her shoulder instantly grow warmer. It was a silent communication of the deep love that they shared, and Lynn knew that no matter what happened, this mark would be a part of her forever. It was a permanent tattoo of a never-ending love.

THE END

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