his voice a growl at the outside threat. All of them were suddenly caught between wanting to shift and waiting to assess what was happening.
“Nothing can see this house but us,” Stray said.
“Greenland pack?” Killian offered, standing close to his brother as he spoke.
“They’ve come here for me?” Gillian asked.
Jinx’s Brother Wolf listened to the growls that seemed to shake the walls with his heart in his throat. Because he’d heard those sounds before and they were most definitely not wolves. “Don’t go out there,” he said. But he had no clue if they’d follow him inside if they thought it necessary.
Like Gillian, they were attempting to protect him.
“Do you know who’s there, Jinx?” Rifter asked, his rage barely concealed, and yeah, Jinx couldn’t blame him.
Jinx glanced at Rogue, who was standing in the corner, pale as anything. The markings on his skull looked brighter and Jinx said, “Ghosts,” and headed toward the living room. Only Rogue knew it was a partial lie. There were always ghosts. What waited for him outside was far worse.
Everyone followed, including Gillian, who said, “Jinx, no,” and grabbed him. He shook her off as gently as he could and jumped out the window, shifting as he went. He hoped these monsters could recognize the wolf form, because otherwise, he might just end up puppy chow.
Jez was there, trying to calm the dogs down. Since they’d been told not to eat him, they hadn’t, but they weren’t paying him much attention either. His fangs were out and he didn’t look happy.
“I followed them here,” Jez told him.
The incessant growling quelled when Brother walked around them. Jinx shifted so he could talk to them, telling them in a low voice that, “I’m fine. Leave this place and do no harm to it or any wolves within.”
The hellhounds bowed their heads. Some whined. Obviously, they didn’t like being told not to kill things, since that was part of their job description. He didn’t see the black smoke, so he added, “Keep the smoke away from this house. From everyone—now.”
Reluctantly, they went, but one of them turned to look at Jinx with a gaze he found chilling.
“Gillian’s coming,” Jez told him. “She’s getting good at escaping.”
“Don’t go far, Jez. I’m going to let her run a bit.”
“Do you think that’s wise?”
“Nothing I’ve done tonight can be considered wise at all. I’m fucked. But she shouldn’t suffer because I don’t know which way to turn,” he said honestly. Jez looked pained but he disappeared into the trees as Gillian came up on him. “How did you get away this time?”
“They were busy looking out the window you jumped from. I went into another room and went out the door.” She looked pleased with herself and he couldn’t help but smile. Obviously, she hadn’t seen the hellhounds but she looked around now, rubbing her arms against the evil, like the last time.
“It smells funny out here,” she said.
It was the sulfur. The hounds carried it with them. “Everything’s clear now.”
She looked like she wanted to say something else about that, but asked instead, “What was all that about back at the house with Rifter?”
“You already know enough to make your head spin.” He looked around for the hounds, covered a few footprints as he walked along. Hopefully, once they saw him safe, they’d back off.
“I’m not spinning. I’m confused. Rifter looked like he was going to hurt you.”
“He was.” And Jinx would’ve hurt him right back and things would’ve escalated, gotten uglier than they already were. He knew Rogue would try to smooth things over, but ultimately he’d be forced to choose—admit what he knew or else leave the Dire house.
“Jinx, you know all my secrets,” she persisted.
“Can’t we just enjoy being out here?” Because as long as they were alone—guarded by the hellhounds, they might as well take advantage of it. “You’ve been begging to go outside and now we’re here.”
“And here I thought I was the expert in avoidance,” she murmured, although she began to strip.
He stopped her. “As much as I want to see you naked . . .”
“It’s safer if I’m clothed, right?”
“You’re more camouflaged this way.” He indicated the head-to-toe black she wore.
“I’ve spent days in the woods naked and avoiding people. You’ll just have to trust me on this.”
He had no choice, unless he wanted to try to forcibly keep her clothes on. And once he saw her bare breasts, he was decidedly on team naked. Camouflage was overrated. He had hellhounds.
He stood there for a long moment to admire her. She was stunning—he wanted to take her, claim her, but the mating rule of three times rang in his head. Three times and he’d be laying claim to her for life. He’d have to explain that and he was tired of explaining. Just wanted action and plenty of it.
“Go run,” he told her.
“Are you going to try to catch me?” she called over her shoulder, laughing.
“I’ll do better than that,” he murmured, stripping and shifting, Brother Wolf passing her in a blur.
Chapter 17
The thrill of being in her element made her tingle. The cool air hit her skin, and she went up on the balls of her feet for a long second, then propelled forward with a small grunt as she ran along the small, twisted footpath before veering off it into the woods.
She’d never gotten lost before, never really thought about why but obviously being wolf gave her some kind of internal GPS system that kept her on track.
The air washed over her skin, her face stretched in a smile and she might’ve been laughing out loud with the joy of it all. Her feet stung a little from the rough branches and brambles she ran over, but it didn’t matter. That would heal.
She heard Jinx behind her, felt his breath on her back . . . and that’s when she realized it was Jinx’s wolf following her and she knew it before she turned around. Did so slowly and saw the extra-large, gorgeous wolf waiting patiently, head cocked as if to say, “Problem?”
She swallowed, girding herself before stepping forward and reaching out to touch him, sinking her hands in the fur around his neck, pressing her cheek to the top of his head. A soft whimper greeted her. The wolf was so warm with wise eyes and huge paws. Strong, sleek.
“This is what I’ll be,” she whispered and the wolf nodded, because he understood. “Can I run with you?”
He opened his mouth, threw back his head and he howled, a sound that sent shivers down her spine, made her hot and wet with need. And then, with what she swore was a smile, he ran, leaving her to catch up.
She held pace with him, her thigh muscles burning, her body screaming as she wove through the trees, ducking so the low branches wouldn’t touch her.
She didn’t know how long they ran, but when Jinx stopped by a lake, he bent down to drink. She waded in past him, went in waist deep and then dove under, coming up to stare at the sliver of moon that hung in the sky.
There was no beating the real thing, she thought as she floated on her back.
She heard the splash, assumed the wolf was joining her. But Jinx’s face popped up in front of her and she realized she’d missed the shift. She’d ask him to do it later, but for now, she wanted something more.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Very. Thank you,” she told him, grabbed for him, surprised at her own strength. “I want to kiss you.”
His mouth parted. “Go ahead. I won’t bite. Much.”
“I might,” she told him before she did so, bit his lower lip in a light nip that made him growl with a pleasure
