Desire Unchained

Her lungs burned with the need for oxygen, but she kept going, until the stitch in her side became crippling and her legs were ready to give out. At the edge of the park, she dived into the ditch running alongside, and the moment she hit it, she concentrated, bringing out the wolfy side of her.

The snap of bone and tear of skin brought with it the ecstasy of power, and in moments, she was crouched in the grass behind a shrub, her enhanced hearing picking up the crunch of tree leaves and twigs as Roag ran toward her.

He burst out of the trees, only this time, he’d taken the one form that frightened her more than Roag’s burned-out shell.

Shade.

“Runa? It’s me. You’re safe now.”

Not only was she not that stupid, but if Roag thought that she’d run to Shade like a well-trained dog, he was not just insane, he was delusional. She remained where she was, waiting for him to come closer.

Roag’s gaze swept the area, and then his eyes zeroed in on her hiding place. “I know you’re there.”

She launched herself. Over the shrub and into his big chest. They went down in a tangle.

“Fuck,” he grunted, and wow, Roag definitely had Shade’s mannerisms down pat.

He swept his arm in an arc, throwing her against a tree trunk. She slammed into it but came immediately to her feet. In this body, she was bigger than Shade, her strong, furred legs holding her upright as she looked down on him.

“Runa, listen to me. ” His voice was soft and comforting, and, she realized, it was his paramedic voice. Roag really knew his stuff, because it damned near worked on her. “I don’t want to hurt you. Change back to yourself, and we’ll talk about this.”

She lunged. This time, her jaws closed around his throat as her claws sank into his shoulders. Warm blood coated her tongue, spurring her on. She clamped down … only to get a mouthful of fur.

Suddenly, the demon beneath her was a warg, the huge black beast Shade had turned into the nights of the full moon. His snarl vibrated both his body and hers. They rolled, a knot of claws and teeth, slashing at each other until fur flew in tufts through the air.

She held her own until Roag hooked a leg around her and flipped her, face-first, into the grass. His low growl hung in the night air as he held her down, his jaws clamped down on the back of her neck, his sharp claws digging into her ribs. He outweighed her by half, his weight keeping her pressed into the ground … and oh, God, his erection pressed into her hip.

Tears of rage and helplessness stung her eyes. Roag was going to kill her. She knew that. But not before he tortured and raped her. In her head, she screamed, hoped Shade could sense her terror. Then again, maybe he’d ignore it, hoping someone else would take care of her for him.

She should have stayed at the hospital. Shade wanted to kill her, but at least he’d have made it quick.





Runa’s body was stiff beneath Shade’s, her muscles tensing for another struggle. He wrapped himself tighter around her. They were both bleeding, though he’d definitely borne the worst of the damage. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her, and he’d paid the price for holding back.

None of this had gone as planned. Shade had reached the hospital’s Harrowgate as it closed, catching a glimpse of Runa inside. When he saw Frank, his blood had congealed. Frank couldn’t use the Harrowgate.

Shade had nearly gone insane while he waited for the gate to reopen. Only Eidolon’s calming presence had kept him level, and the moment the gate flashed with the ready signal, he and his brothers shot inside. He had no illusions that they’d come along to help him find Runa. They wanted Roag.

Shade’s link to Runa had vibrated with her terror, leading him right to her. Eidolon and Wraith had gone after Roag—Shade guessed that the creature he’d seen take flight from the trees had been their brother.

He hoped they caught him, but right now what mattered was the werewolf pinned beneath him.

She was panting from exertion, trembling with rage that veered sharply to fear, effectively shutting down his libido, which had spun up during their battle. Did she think he was Roag?

Then again, she’d have every reason to be more terrified of him.

The thought tore at him. He wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t.

So why did that feel like such a lie?

“Runa …”

Her name came out as a harsh growl, and he realized he was still in the warg form he’d taken to defend himself against her attack. Slowly, carefully, he disengaged his teeth from the back of her neck but kept his weight on her. Beneath him, she tensed even more.

He concentrated, brought himself back to his Seminus form. God, she was huge, and he realized he was taking a risk.

“Runa. It’s me.”

Her answer was a nasty snarl. Not encouraging.

“I can prove it. Roag wouldn’t know how we met, right?” He rubbed his face in her silky fur as he spoke into her ear, which twitched, tickling his lips. “He wouldn’t know I took you outside your coffee shop and that you were so hot, so tight, I nearly came before I was fully inside you.”