Chapter 4

Disgusting warm beads of sweat trickled between Tayla's breasts, soaking into the band of her sports bra as she toweled off her arms. Ewww!

For the past hour, her body had oozed perspiration while her muscles stretched this way and that until they'd became loose and relaxed. Her first hot yoga class and already she was an addict.

Total. Bliss.

Her legs were jelly as she crouched down and rolled up the yoga mat before collecting her belongings from the cubed shelves at the rear of the room. Waving goodbye to the instructor—who hadn't even broken a sweat—Tayla exited through the sliding glass door out to the foyer. She slipped on her flip-flops and wiped her sweaty palm on a towel draped over her shoulder before grabbing a pen to sign up for the same class next week.

Ellen had been right, this was exactly what she needed; complete serenity for her mind and soul.

Tayla trotted down the single flight of stairs and pushed open the main door to outside. Her breath caught as she lifted her head. Her heart sank. Not only had night unexpectedly fallen, but the only light visible came from the dimly lit closed shop fronts and scattered street lamps along the road.

Crap.

Tayla stood on the pavement in a tiny pool of light and zipped her hoodie all the way up.

Her stomach growled, nauseated with hunger.

She'd parked her car about two blocks away outside the local store. Easier to grab her wine and groceries after class. Plus, the stroll would wind down her achy muscles. But walking in the dark, the time of day that haunted her most, and alone…

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Nestling her yoga bag closer to her chest like it would somehow keep her safe from the Big Bad Wolf, she swallowed the lump in her throat and…

Slam!

Tayla jumped, heart leaping from her chest as another classmate exited the studio, the door closing hard behind him.

Calm down, Tayla.

Maybe she could ask him for a lift around the corner? Now she was being silly, plus, she didn't know him. Just because he did yoga didn't mean he wasn’t a serial killer. Surely serial killers had to keep fit so they could lug all those dead bodies in and out of the trunks of their cars. Maybe yoga was the place they selected their innocent victims.

Oh my god, I'm losing it.

Her heart hammered inside her chest so fast it would surely vault out of her ribcage. Her pulse pounded in her ears, her palms sweaty again.

This was how people ended up on crime shows. Exactly the situations the self-defense instructor told her to avoid. Not to mention the expensive lectures from the therapist.

No, she could do this. She was a strong and independent woman, who demonstrated she could kick ass when needed; even if it was in the controlled environment of a self-defense class. With a colleague. Who may have been smaller than her. So not the point right now.

She inhaled a deep, steady breath. Inhale and exhale…

The second her thumping heart slowed a notch, Tayla stepped off the edge. Which felt like she just leaped off the edge of the world rather than the pavement.

She dashed in an I’m-not-freaked-out-at-all manner along the concrete sidewalk toward her car and the local store.

About halfway up the street, a prickly sensation fluttered down her spine, that awful sense of someone following her or more precisely, someone watching. She turned her head in both directions. All she spotted was darkness and creepy shadows from the street lamps. Her ears became hypersensitive, compensating for her limited sight. Either the person watching was super quiet or she was being paranoid. Again.

The stupid technique of positive self-talk—you're okay…there's no one behind you—did nothing to shake the uneasy feeling.

She picked up the pace, practically running along the pavement until she reached the street light at a deserted intersection.

She spotted her car in the distance, across the road to the far end of the now empty parking lot.

Almost there.

Another quick glance over her shoulder.

Nope, still no one following.

She dashed across the road and bolted down a stretch of closed boutiques. Her ribcage caved in on her lungs, squeezing out any oxygen she managed to suck in. The pulse pounding in her ears disorientated her other senses.

She raced around the corner of the final deserted store, swung a left and…

Her heart sank. Oh no.

The entrance to the local grocery store glared back at her.

Lights off.

Dark and empty on the inside.

No! Hastily, she ran to the sliding glass doors that refused to open and double checked the closing time on a white rectangular sign. Crap! It closed an hour early on weekends.

Stupid. Stupid.

The ten-minute dash had fried her nerves. She gripped the safety of the straps on the yoga bag in her shaky hands.

Turning around, she braved a peek at the empty parking lot.

Everything looked so creepy at night. If only she was one of those sensible people safely tucked away in the comfort of their homes. Why the heck had she agreed to a late afternoon yoga class?

She just had to make it to her car. Then she could lock the doors and sit there for however long it took to calm down enough to drive. She didn’t want to freak out while trying to drive home through that forest in the pitch black.

Tayla lifted her chin and took another deep breath before scurrying toward her car.

About four empty spots away, she shot a final glance over her shoulder…

Her step faltered. Behind her a huge guy dressed all in black stared at her.

Unconsciously, she spun to face him, gripping the straps on her yoga mat so tight her knuckles turned white.

She tried to retreat a step, to turn and run, anything, but her legs froze.

Her heart sank. No. No, no, no.

The man took a step toward her and tilted his head slightly to one side. “Well, hello, love,” he said, in a surprisingly curious tone.

Her mind went to mush. Blank. Useless. All that self-defense training gone poof the minute she needed it.

Her stupid legs wouldn't move, cementing her feet to the road.

The man took another step toward her. His broad shoulders straight, chin slightly tilted up.

Lifting her gaze, she memorized his features for the police report. No way she’d mess that up a second time. If you make it out alive to file one…

Arrogance and pure power rolled off him in waves, his strong, solid frame towering over her. A striking jawline with dark stubble, a pointy nose and his worn leather jacket and unlaced black combat boots completed his serial killer look.

But the burning gaze of his smoky black eyes made her shift uncomfortably as though they stared straight into her soul.

He smirked. “Well, this is new. Never in my whole existence, have I gotten this…” He circled her face with his finger. “Freaked out reaction from a female before. You all right there, love? I’m not that scary, am I?”

No.

Wait, what?

He took a final stride toward her; now close enough he could reach out and grab her. A smoky coal scent filled her nostrils, like the smell of an extinguished bushfire lingering in the air. It reminded her of the night…

Her mind went blank as the memory took over. The horrific night in the university courtyard she’d forced herself to forget.

The menacing figure stalked toward her, blood red eyes glowing in the darkness, his wicked snarl sent a chill down her spine.

It’s happening again…

No. She had to focus if she wanted to make it out alive.

Tayla shifted her yoga bag around to cover her front, not that it was much use as a weapon.

She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, praying her fake confidence would be a deterrent. “Um, yes.” She shook her head. “I mean no. Ugh! What do you want?”

It failed miserably. Now she couldn’t even speak properly.

His lips turned into a mischievous grin.

And that was the moment she realized she was doomed.

****

A sharp sting stabbed at the back of Raven’s neck. His knees buckled under the intensity. His hand shot out to grip the banister to prevent himself from tumbling down the stairs.

“Fuck!”

His heart hammered inside his chest. No, wait. That wasn’t his heartbeat, it was…

He sucked in a breath. “Tayla.”

He bolted up the remaining stairs, two at a time, and threw open his door. He crossed the room in a second flat, unfurled his wings when he reached the balcony and shot to the sky.

Tayla’s adrenaline spiked in his veins; terror, panic, dread, all collided together in one gigantic blender of emotions washing over him.

The sharp sting stabbed at the base of his neck and he pushed his wings harder to soar higher and increase his speed. Faster!

Something was seriously wrong.

The sensation, the feeling…was entirely different than the connection he’d shared with countless Chosen before.

A whole other level.

And now he was in a race against time to reach her.

He flapped his wings again, spurring them on like a jockey on a racehorse. Higher and higher he flew. The frigid wind slapped his face, stung his cheeks and burned his lungs as he drew rapid breaths.

If only he hadn't been moping around at the house, feeling sorry for himself, he could have already been there.

Would have already been there.

Raven shot through the dark sky as fast as his wings would take him, and then pushed them harder. Every muscle and tendon burned, cramped and knotted together, but he ignored the pain. He would use his wings until they fell off, if that was what it took. And after that, he’d pump his legs faster than ever before until he reached her.

Raven spotted lights in the distance, the small town of Summit Creek illuminated the darkness. He flapped his wings harder. Not far now.

He’d gained so much altitude to increase his speed that his body tightened from the coldness and the drop in oxygen created ice crystals on the tips of his black feathers.

Stabbing pain exploded down his spine.

“Fuck,” he roared.

Faster!

He'd made it to the perimeter of town, soaring above the sleepy houses and puffs of smoke drifting from the chimneys.

Now to find her.

He descended rapidly and scanned the deserted streets below, focusing his attention on his spiritual connection to Tayla; trusting it to guide him. But he couldn't focus enough to grasp it. His frantic mind couldn't distinguish between her panic and his own. Thank Christ it was a small town, it shouldn't take him long.

Where the hell is she?

Raven circled the center of town for a second time before hovering midair over a playing field, searching for the bloody yoga studio.

A moment before he mentally called his brothers for backup, he caught sight of Tayla out of the corner of his eye, over to his left. Standing frozen, alone, in an empty parking lot. Why was she…

Wait a minute.

Raven frowned and leaned slightly forward to zero in on a dark shadow directly in front of her.

What. The. Hell?

His vision blurred, and he blinked.

Tayla retreated a step. The male tilted his head toward the sky. Recognition slapped him in the face and sent his blood boiling.

No way would that sonofabitch lay a finger of Tayla.

He tucked his wings tight like a rocket as he plunged toward the parking lot.