Wynter's Captive (2 page)

She removed her seatbelt and rushed out of the car, leaving her door open. Cold air surrounded her the moment she left the comfort of the vehicle. Goose bumps broke over her skin, and she shivered. The man lay about ten yards from her car, flat on his back with his eyes closed. She looked at her bumper but didn’t see any dents or blood. Lili frowned, looking at the man’s body.

“Sir? Are you OK?” Fear made her voice tremble. Nothing. The man didn’t move, twitch, or blink. Shit, as far as she could see, he didn’t even look like he was breathing.

It took her a moment of intense staring to realize the man’s limbs were starting to twitch. Popping and cracking noises sounded, as if his bones were breaking. Lili’s eyes widened. She stared, mouth agape, while the man contorted and sprouted fur. Holy shit! What the—? Yeah, it was official; she’d watched way too many horror movies. Because there was no way this man was changing before her eyes. His face elongated. Disbelief held her in place, staring at the man in complete shock. Maybe she’d dropped acid and forgot? His jaw and nose took the shape of a muzzle, and his mouth opened to show canines the size of Jay’s teacup Yorkie.

No longer caring if the man was injured, she whirled around to rush back to her car. A loud, piercing growl made her jerk to a stop. She glanced at the inside of the vehicle. Another of the big, furry creatures, which looked a lot like wolves on steroids, was inside her car. How the hell did that thing get in there? She gaped back at the changing beast on the ground. Time slowed. She gulped and watched the animal stretch.

Common sense yelled “Run!” Grabbing the long skirt of her dress and cursing herself for wearing flip-flops instead of her usual trainers while driving, she ran into the cold, thick forest. Two loud howls pierced the dead silence behind her. The hairs on her arms stood on end, urging her to move faster.

Lili hated the fact she wore a dress and no shorts under it. Heat spread with each rub of her thighs and made it uncomfortable for her to run. Pretty soon they’d be chafing. Dammit! She should’ve worked out. She should’ve lost some weight. Fuck it; she should’ve taken the damn flight Jaylin offered to buy her. If she had, she wouldn’t be running in the damn forest, from some kind of werewolves, in an ugly-ass white dress and flip-flops. Hysterical laughter bubbled up inside her. Saying she was in trouble was the understatement of the century. Breaths rushed out of her, and moments later she got cramps in her side. Clearly, she would be getting mauled to death because she was out of shape.

With every step she took, she made promises to every god she’d ever heard of. She vowed that if she got out alive she’d live better, exercise, eat healthy, and quit eating chocolate. Two loud growls sounded from either side of her. Lili stopped dead in her tracks.

It was useless to continue. Her lungs wanted to burst in her chest. She looked around at the surrounding trees, taking in the dark bushes, big trunks, and thick leaves. Where the hell was she? Dim light filtered through the small openings between branches. The lack of bright sunlight made the hour resemble evening instead of afternoon. Adrenaline kept her body’s temperature high and stopped her from feeling much of the cold in the thin strapless dress.

Leaves crunched to her left, and she jerked her head toward the noise. One of the big wolf beasts appeared from behind a tree. He was so big she couldn’t stop staring. Branches snapped to her right. The sound made her turn to see the other animal standing there. Like a spectator at a ping-pong match, her head snapped back and forth between the two creatures.

“Uh, nice doggies?” Blood thundered in her ears. Dread spread through her, making it difficult to think clearly. Her temperature shot down to the South Pole and cold seeped into her pores, shaking her to the core.

Lili took a small step. Both animals closed in on her. Her chest rose and fell with each hiss of air out of her lungs.

Bones popped, first on one, and then the other wolf. A few moments later there were two tall, good-looking, and very naked men standing before her. She gazed down at each of their crotches. Hot damn!

“Look…uh, you two stay back. I warn you. I know…uh…I know karate and other self-defense stuff.” Her gaze wandered from one guy’s package to the other. It was definite; she was going to hell.

“You need to come with us,” one of the well-endowed, hot guys said with a serious frown.

“Are you kidding me? I’ve seen every horror movie known to man. Sure you guys don’t look like the usual misshapen, incestuous cannibals, but hell no. Everybody always dies in those movies, and I’m not going to be the first in real life. No frickin’ way.” She folded her arms over her chest and took on a stubborn stance.

The other blue-eyed hottie gave her a smile that showed a dimple. Good god the man had dimples? The nerve. Weren’t incestuous children supposed to be all ugly and stuff?

“Cade wants to see you.” Dimples smiled. “My name is Korbin, and this is my brother Kevin. Don’t worry, we won’t harm you.” He winked at her.

“Oh, well that makes me feel so much better.” She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You won’t harm me? The bad guy always says that.” Didn’t they watch horror flicks? Lili had watched enough to know not to go with the bad guy.

“Come on, just meet Cade, and you can tell him how you think we’re part of a forest cult that’s going to eat you for dinner.” Sarcasm dripped from Kevin’s voice.

Lili lifted her chin and glared at him. If they were going to kill her anyway, why be scared? Whoever this Cade guy was would get an earful from her. Well, if they didn’t plan on killing her, then she was going to need a new dress, a shower, and some goddamned chocolate like pronto.

When they motioned with their hands to walk, she swallowed her complaint against more exercise and started strolling over dead leaves and twigs with a man on either side of her.

“Fine, let’s go meet the rest of the cannibal wolf tribe,” she grumbled.

Kevin, who had the same beefy body as his brother, including the nice tan and sandy blond hair, rolled his eyes. “You’re quite the drama queen, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I resent that. I’m not the one walking around all naked as the day I was born, Mister. You could put some clothes on. Where are your clothes, anyway? It’s super cold out here, and you’re stark naked. Besides, I’ve watched enough movies to know this won’t end well.” Unease settled in her stomach. She was definitely going to be more than a little late to Jaylin’s wedding.

Korbin, or Dimples, grinned at her. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to you. We’re just kidnapping you.”

What? She tripped on a branch and would’ve fallen if Kevin hadn’t grabbed her arm. “What do you mean you’re kidnapping me? I have a wedding to go to!”

Korbin laughed. “We know. That’s why we’re keeping you. You’re not going to the wedding because—”

“Korb!” Kevin glared at his brother. “Zip it. Let Cade tell her the details.”

Things were getting worse by the second. Lili bit her lip and shook her head. “Nope, I really have to make that wedding.” She sighed. “OK, let’s talk business guys. How much are you asking for? I’ll double it. Personally I don’t have shit money, but I have a trust fund. I don’t touch it because I hate feeling like I’m living off daddy’s money, but if you tell me what you want, we can make a deal. So, what do you say?” She looked up at Kevin.

She had become so involved in her offer to the men and staring up at Kevin’s frowning face, she didn’t realize they’d reached a clearing until she bumped into someone else.

Her face plastered against a hard chest. Two big hands, clearly belonging to a large man, grabbed her arms and helped her balance, lifting her off the ground in the process. A pair of mist-gray eyes met her gaze, and her entire body shuddered. Wow. Before she had a chance to get her bearings, the gray-eyed man holding her kissed her.

Lili was caught off guard by the immediate heat that spread through her limbs. He caressed her expertly with his lips and drank in her shocked gasp. Using that moment to delve into her mouth, the man’s velvety tongue stroked hers in a sensuous calling. Her body softened, her lips and tongue became active, engaging in the barely-controlled mating of their mouths.

What the hell was she doing? Some strange guy was kissing her—damn well—and she wasn’t stopping him. Passion sizzled through her, arousal growing and clamoring for release. Whisper soft, he licked her bottom lip and nibbled on the corner of her mouth. He pulled away and looked down at her, his eyes flashing a molten gray.

“I’m keeping you, and there will be no deal,” he said with a husky growl.

Chapter Two

Lili jerked in his hold, trying to get loose. Carefully, he lowered her back onto her feet. Her legs shook with the weight of her body. Wobbling on her feet, she lifted her head until she was craning her neck. That’s when she realized she was in bigger trouble than she thought. At first sight she’d thought him handsome, but now that she really looked at him, she had to revise that opinion. If the two Goldilocks were cute in their own way, this was the Big, Bad, Wolf of the story, and boy did she want to pet him.

Licking at her dry lips and wishing he’d kiss her again, Lili did a quick scan of the new man. He was freakishly tall, and she wasn’t just saying that because she was damn short at five three. This guy was well over six feet. And he had enough muscle to make a bodybuilder jealous. What made her want to pant was the golden tan he had all over. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, making it easier for her to mentally lick his body. Dark denim hung low on his hips and encased what looked to be powerful, thick legs.

Jet-black, chin-length hair covered his head. His square jaw, powerful features, and serious scowl made her breath hitch. It was crazy, but the guy had an intimidating scar on the side of his face, running from the corner of his left eye down to his neck, and all she could do was picture running her tongue down the jagged line. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, her blood thickened, and her pussy throbbed. That’s what happened when you abstained to the point of desperation.

He sniffed and frowned, his gray eyes brightening, and she wondered what the hell he smelled. So she’d run a little, but she didn’t stink. Did she? Trying to act nonchalant, she lifted her arms in a stretch and sniffed both pits. Nope, she didn’t stink.

Cade watched the curvy, dark-haired, Latin beauty sniff her armpits. He bit back a grin, wondering at her strange action. Word had gotten to him that Brandon’s fiancée was pretty, but this woman was captivating. Long brown curls framed a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and honey-toned skin. Dark brows arched over amber colored eyes. Her full lips, currently being licked by a sexy pink tongue, made his cock harden in his jeans. She wore a hideous white strapless dress that clung to her generous curves, showed off her nipped waist, and flared into a loose skirt. His gaze strayed to the top of her dress, which seemed to be holding her breasts in a choke hold.

Some primal urge pushed him to kiss her when she’d bumped into him. The soft feel of her body had played havoc with his self-control. Her scent had immediately called to his animal. He hadn’t expected the hunger inside him to take control, to push him to mate with her. Shocking him even more, his own wolf was still urging him to do it. In all his years, Cade had never lost control over a woman’s scent. His animal growled, wanting at what he perceived to be his. His mate. Cade took deep breaths, reigned in the beast, and looked at the woman.

The one that was now his. Her breathing quickened, and he could smell her arousal from the moment she’d seen him. The longer he stared at her, the thicker and headier it grew. It was sexy as hell. How ironic. Brandon had taken his fiancée five years before, and now Cade would take Brandon’s.

She frowned, clearly confused. Then she glared. “Hey, hotshot, you done ogling?”

Interest had his own brows rising. “Are you?”

A lovely shade of pink covered her cheeks, and if possible she looked even sexier with the guilty look. “I wasn’t ogling.” She cleared her throat. “I’m merely noticing that nobody seems to wear any clothing in this place.” She glanced away from him, but not before giving his body another full once-over. She rubbed her arms with her hands and shivered. “It’s too damn cold to be walking around like you’re at the beach. Don’t you people get cold?”

The pack’s cabins were not far behind him. She peered around, curiosity filling her gaze.

The animal inside him pushed at his skin again. He clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. The wolf liked her scent and wanted her. Cade was in total agreement. A few hours ago, the plan had been simple: to keep Brandon’s woman past the wedding date in seclusion just to torture the man. Cade didn’t really want a mate, only for Brandon to suffer a bit. But now that he’d seen and tasted the petite brunette, the plan changed. He wanted her for himself.

“Are you Cade?” Her husky voice pushed at the arousal in his jeans. “I’m Liliana Rojas, Lili for short. Anyway, I’m late for a wedding—”

“I know who you are.” Her reminder of the wedding that would not take place made him bark the words out. “The answer is no. I am not going to let you go.”

Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “What do you mean you’re not letting me go?” Her voice rose higher with each word. “I already told your guys I’ll pay you whatever it is you want. I really have to make this wedding!”

“No!” His voice thundered over the trees, making birds chirp and skitter away. Even Korbin and Kevin had quickly walked off seconds before when they’d heard his voice deepen to a near growl. His pack was scattered throughout the grounds; men and women surrounded the area, but she wouldn’t see them. When he glanced down at her, he expected her to cower and turn away frightened.

She slapped her hands on her hips. “You’re kidnapping me right? That means you’re going to need a ransom. Don’t you know how this works? You ask for money, I get it for you, and then you let me go.” She spit the words out through gritted teeth, as though he wasn’t following the plan accordingly.