The water sluicing off Xander’s body captivated Gwen. She turned slightly on the counter to get a better view. Watching him—a stranger—shower was wrong. Fighting the urge to slip into the tiny stall with him was worse. She wanted to explore his body, then take him inside hers. The desire to submit to him, letting him have his way with her, left her half-crazed with need and utterly confused. She didn’t understand why he captivated her so or why his mere presence turned her into a lustful woman.
Yes, he was gorgeous. Most shifters were attractive, however. The draw to him went beyond looks. She felt safe in his presence. He would respect and treasure her body even as he took his pleasure from her. The knowledge felt instinctual. Maybe it was. Xander exhibited a primal allure that no doubt came from his role as alpha. Considering their situation, however, her reaction to him was not normal. Nowhere close to normal.
The man had won the right to take her virginity. He planned on claiming her too. He’d told her that. Even if he hadn’t, the way he looked at her told her everything she needed to know. He would ravish her until he was sated and spent.
Yet, he hadn’t acted on it.
Likely because he was trying to save her, but the part of her that still believed in fairy tales, true love, and happily ever afters wanted to romanticize his actions. She didn’t have the luxury to do so. Her obligation to Killer prevented her from looking for some hidden meaning behind Xander’s actions. Killer was depending on her, and she’d do everything in her power to keep her promise to him. Even trick the alpha of the Winchester pack into giving his word. She had a feeling he wouldn’t break it, no matter the circumstances under which he made his promise.
She was okay with deceiving him too. In the end, it didn’t matter what Xander or Vader thought of her. Nobody would ever again look at her and assume she wasn’t strong enough to make a difference. Of course, it was entirely possible they were right. She’d already failed once.
What she needed was a plan.
She turned her attention to Xander. His thick erection stretched to his belly button. He didn’t touch it, though. He hung his head so the wet strands of his black hair hid his face while the spray of water pummeled his back.
Her lower belly quivered, and an ache built, deep in her womb. The intense surge of lust left her unsteady, exactly as she’d often been in Vader’s presence.
Xander tossed his hair, the wet locks smacking against his back, and reached for the soap. He rubbed the bar between his hands, creating a thick lather, then dragged his open palm down his chest to the root of his erection. It jerked with the slight contact. He curled his long fingers around the base, and she looked away.
She couldn’t watch him any longer. Being a virgin didn’t mean she was sexually ignorant. She’d watched enough movies, read enough books, and witnessed enough encounters while in the camp with the cage fighters to know about sex. Not everything, of course, but she felt confident in her ability to bring a man to release.
Xander’s low groan drew her attention back to him. Soapy bubbles clung to his veined length. He ran his hand over his balls, lifting and massaging them.
She closed her mouth and averted her eyes. A deep inhale steadied her. What she was doing was wrong. She needed breathing room.
She hopped from the sink and turned toward the bedroom.
“Where are you going?”
She glanced over her shoulder. Xander’s intense brown eyes stripped her raw. In that moment, she got the impression he could see into her soul. Part of her wanted to ask him what he saw. She didn’t dare voice the question. If he told her she looked like a timid, weak human, she’d fail. Her fragile self-esteem couldn’t handle the blow. Pathetic but true.
“I wanted to see if Reno brought food up yet. I’m hungry.” And she needed to plan how she’d coerce a promise out of Xander before he pulled her into his arms. Once he got his mouth on her, she’d lose rational thought.
He dragged his heated gaze down her body, focusing on her lower belly. His nostrils flared. “Don’t leave the room. I don’t want Reno to see you like this. He’s not as honorable as I am, and it’ll only take seconds to steal what rightfully belongs to me.”
Her virginity. That was what Xander referred to. He didn’t want Reno to claim what Xander had won. Although primitive, his response gave her the answer to her problem.
She gave a sharp nod and hurried into the bedroom before the guilt twisting her up changed her scent. Xander didn’t need to know how she was about to turn his honor against him.
A roaring blaze filled the hearth. Two glasses of wine and a platter of food sat on the table near the fireplace. And the covers on the bed had been turned down. Xander swept his gaze over the room. Compared to his new home in West Virginia, it was dingy, but the dimness and warmth of the fire stirred memories of a time he wished he could forget as much as he’d cherished experiencing.
For over a decade, Elizabeth had shared his bed and his life. They’d loved together, laughed together, slept together, yet she hadn’t known his secret. He’d been careful not to allow any signs of his primal nature to slip free. The day he had, she’d died.
The regret stained his soul. He should’ve walked away from her. Allowed her to love a human. Live the life she never would’ve found in the pack. He hadn’t. He’d moved her into a home, far from her family and his, and married her.
The vow he’d taken—to love, cherish, and honor her—had been a lie. She’d called him on it too. She’d been right.
He hadn’t done any better with Tabitha. The single night they’d shared had been enough to damn her. Vlad had interrupted them, exposing Xander’s secret. She’d fled his bed and run straight into the arms of danger. The human gang who’d kidnapped her had then gone on to sell her into slavery. She’d ended up in a medical center that experimented on shifters.
Vlad and the human Shifter Affairs agents he’d teamed with had tracked her to that facility, but she died during the raid. While Vlad watched. He’d been too far away to save her.
Xander had learned of the story secondhand. His childhood friend, the male with whom Xander had shared women, booze, and laughter for centuries, had walked away from the pack after Tabitha’s death. Too choked with guilt, Xander hadn’t demanded his return. Yet every day, Xander had hoped to see him again.
He rolled his shoulders and strode to the window. Thoughts of the past distracted him from the danger of the present. Unacceptable. Gwen needed him.
And he needed her.
He’d grown darker in the years since Tabitha’s death, and his tolerance of others—humans and shifters, alike—had lessened. It had gotten to the point where he existed in a constant state of leashed aggression.
Only around Gwen had his wolves’ growls and snarls shut off completely. Her scent, the softness of her skin, and her musical voice tamed his wildness, exactly as a true mate should. He didn’t want to give that up. Didn’t want to guide his pack into this new era where humans were always underfoot and the danger of discovery was real. Or wake up each morning to the sounds of fighting echoing in his head as his wolves’ aggression morphed into violence, a battle that took place inside his body.
No, not anymore. He refused to accept the constant anger. Not after breathing in Gwen’s intoxicating scent and feeling the mental sigh of relief from his wolves. With Gwen by his side, he could finally live.
Was that selfish?
Hours ago, he would’ve said yes. Now, he wasn’t so sure. That episode with Reno changed things. She’d looked the depraved shifter—her captor—in the eye and demanded he answer her questions. And he had. Immediately. As if she were an alpha and Reno had no choice but to instinctually submit.
Xander couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t been partially responsible for Gwen’s show of assertiveness. In his arms, her fear had diminished. He’d scented the change in her. The stench of terror had morphed to anger, allowing her to confront the male who’d conspired to sell her virginity.
He wanted to believe she’d instinctually known he’d have her back.
That was how it was supposed to be between true mates. They were meant to fit each other, emotionally and physically. Bringing out each other’s best.
Yet, he hadn’t tried to complement either Elizabeth or Tabitha. He also hadn’t strived to uncover their hidden strengths. He’d used both incarnations of his true mate. The knowledge shamed him.
With Gwen, things would be different. They’d be different. Love and respect would bind them, not selfishness.
His goal strengthened him, lifting a weight off his shoulders. He stood taller. His goddess had given him another chance with his true mate to complement and support her as he was meant to do. He would not screw this up. First, though, he had to get her home safely.
He surveyed the woods around the house. Nothing moved. Calmness had descended with the coming storm. Animals sensed the change in air pressure and scented the snow in the air. Both triggers prepared them for the coming harsh weather. Xander’s wolves felt the approaching storm too. It left them anxious, not for themselves, but for Gwen. As a human, she wasn’t equipped to deal with the extremities of nature.
Xander shared their concern. There wasn’t much he could do about it. Reno had flown them deeper into the wilderness, dozens of miles from the nearest town. Xander couldn’t risk running with Gwen alone. Here, they were sheltered from the snowstorm. Out there, they’d be at the whim of nature.
It’d be impossible to both protect Gwen and hold her close so he could warm her with his body. His shifter nature allowed him to increase his core temperature. He’d use that ability to benefit Gwen. Vlad and Dante would have to act as protectors.
The knowledge irked him. Xander’s primitive nature demanded he be the only one to save Gwen. It had been the reason he’d entered the hunt without Vlad’s knowledge. Dante was supposed to have been Xander’s backup. Something must’ve delayed him, forcing him to alert Vlad to Xander’s participation in the hunt. That was the only way Vlad could’ve known Xander would be in those woods.
The bathroom door opened, pulling him out of his thoughts. A rush of steam carrying Gwen’s scent swept into the bedroom. He inhaled, drawing the unique smell of his true mate into his lungs. A sense of coming home wrapped around him, soothing him, bringing him peace.
Gods, he missed this feeling. Never again would he lose it or the female who allowed him to experience it.
“Are we being monitored?”
Gwen’s question drew his attention to her. She stood in the opening to the bathroom. The light from behind her cast a glow around her, giving her an angelic appearance. The sight of her nipples pushing against the thin cotton T-shirt ruined the image. So did the outline of her curves.
The clothes he’d selected clung to her, enhancing her figure. Her lush, soft body was the kind males craved, the kind he hungered for. It didn’t take much to imagine her pressed against his hardness, cushioning his rough thrusts.
His shaft stirred. He yanked his gaze to her face. “Not anymore. I destroyed the camera they’d hidden above the bed. We’re alone.”
“Are you sure that was the only one?”
“I’m sure.”
Gwen stepped into the room, turning off the bathroom light and closing the door behind her. She scanned the space, her gaze skipping over the few pieces of furniture and settling on the platter of crackers and cheese. “Reno finally brought food? Is it safe?”
“Yes.” He’d tasted it while waiting for her.
She nodded and made her way to the table. Without looking at him, she picked up a glass of wine and drained the contents. She reached for the second wineglass.
He grasped her wrist. “Careful. You don’t want to get drunk.”
“Don’t I?”
“No.” He cut a piece of cheese, placed it between two crackers, and brought the bite to her lips. “You need strength, not liquid courage.”
She turned her head, ignoring his offering, and made a similar sandwich. The refusal of his gesture annoyed him until she held the one she’d made to his mouth. “No. I need you.”
The look of desire slipping into her brown eyes and the huskiness of her words suggested how—sexually.
Xander stared at Gwen for a long moment. Hadn’t he made it clear they wouldn’t be having sex? He’d thought so. It’d been clear to him, anyway.
He shook his head. “Gwen, I—”
She slipped the bite into his mouth, stopping his words. He ate the snack, swallowing the stale cracker and dried cheese. He couldn’t refuse her.
Before he could speak, she stood on her tiptoes and hesitantly licked his lower lip. Shyness radiated from her, yet the simple stroke of her tongue tensed his body, leaving him eager for more. He wanted to be the one Gwen explored passion with. Never wanted anything more.
Too bad he couldn’t.
He stepped back. “If you’re trying to seduce me, stop. Sleeping with you is not the reason I’m here.” Even if the prospect of doing so left him half-crazed with need.
Gwen set the crackers and cheese on the plate, grabbed the full glass of wine, and walked toward the window. “Be straight with me, then. Why are you here? Because I can’t figure it out. You’re giving me mixed signals, and I just want to survive the night. If that takes having sex with you, I’ll do so.”
Another demand. Her attitude pleased him. So did her courage. He didn’t want her to fear speaking her mind in his presence. At least in private. Among the pack, the rules changed. “I’m here to rescue you.”
“And Vader’s helping.”
That name was a slap in the face to every member of the Winchester pack, but most of all to Xander. Vlad knew how it irritated him. He also knew Xander wouldn’t demand Vlad acknowledge his pack name. Doing so might’ve brought their strained friendship to an end. Xander hadn’t wanted to risk that. Winchesters never gave up on each other, no matter their differences.
By tolerating Vlad’s new name and his distance from the pack, Xander had, however. Doing so had been a mistake, one that had to be corrected.
“Yes. He’ll be here in a few hours, but you must know his name is Vlad, not Vader. That nickname your stepfather gave him means nothing to me or our pack. He is Vlad. Has always been Vlad. Will always be Vlad. Nothing else.” His voice hardened. In this moment, he hated himself for the willful ignorance. It had been a coward’s way out.
She studied him. Her expression grew contemplative. Then she turned away and leaned against the window frame, resting her head against the wood. She took another sip of her drink. “That scene was an act? You’re actually friends?”
“I’m his alpha.” Their friendship had been strained since the day Xander had stolen Elizabeth from Vlad.
“Maybe to Vlad, but Vader’s a lone wolf. He doesn’t belong to a pack any longer.” She glanced over her shoulder, meeting his gaze and daring him to call her a liar.
In this case, he had to. “Did he tell you that?”
“Not to me exactly, but I was in the room when he said so.”
Xander closed the distance between them and took the glass from her hand, setting it on the windowsill. “Vlad will always be a member of the Winchester pack. We don’t give up on our pack mates. Ever. Vlad’s distance from the pack is an allowance I made for his mental well-being.” Not to mention Xander’s own well-being.
“He never talked about you or his pack.” Gwen studied him as keenly as she had moments ago. “Why?”
“We had a falling-out.”
“Over?”
There it was again—the demand he answer her. Xander grinned. “A woman.”
A small smile graced her lips, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Why am I not surprised? Vader…I mean…Vlad can’t get enough of women.”
“As do I, but shifters will only fight over females they love. All others can be shared, as Vlad and I had done many times.”
Her expression closed off. She snatched the wine from where he’d set it on the windowsill and crossed the room to the fireplace. With her back to him, she took a sip from the glass. “Love isn’t the only thing that’ll trigger a shifter’s instincts. Ownership and obligation will do the same.”
“True.” He closed the distance between them a second time but didn’t take the wine from her again. She was talking. He didn’t want to lose the insight her words gave. “Possessiveness is a dangerous and powerful emotion for shifters.”
“And it’s why he’s here.” She glanced at the floor. “I’m his beloved human.”
“That’s not his only driver.” Twice before, Vlad had claimed to share the same true mate as Xander—first Elizabeth, then Tabitha. In those lifetimes, he and Vlad had fought, thinking it impossible. Shifters couldn’t share their mates. At least Xander had thought they couldn’t, until the single shifter alpha of the Jager pack, their neighbors in West Virginia, claimed two mates.
Now, Xander couldn’t help wondering if he and Vlad had shared the same true mate all along. Two things stopped him from accepting that as truth, however. Xander didn’t desire Vlad, and Vlad didn’t desire Gwen. If Vlad had, he would’ve slept with her years ago. He’d had plenty of opportunities. Instead, he’d contemplated mating Lena, Gwen’s older sister.
“Care to explain that?” Gwen asked.
Not until Xander figured out what connection—if any—the three of them shared. “Vlad also feels guilty. So do I. We chased after you and Molly, but neither of us expected to find you alive.” He settled his hands on her hips and drew her closer, needing the reminder she was safe. “We gave up on you before knowing the facts.”
“You were right to give up on me. I failed Molly. She shifted. I told her to.” Gwen turned her head, hiding the tears choking her voice, and set her glass on the table. “Doing so destroyed her. Ripped her soul to shreds. She wasn’t supposed to shift. That’s what the bear shifters said, but I didn’t know. Nobody told me. They withheld the truth from me. Vlad, Lena, my stepdad… All of them kept me in the dark.”
“Gwen.” He tipped up her chin. Tears left a sheen of moisture in her brown eyes, but none fell. “You didn’t fail her. You saved her life.”
“How? I was told she’d have to be put down, like an animal. If she even lived that long.”
The anguish in her voice choked him. For months, she’d lived with this pain, with the mistaken belief that she’d hurt her adopted sister by urging Molly to shift. He wrapped his arms around Gwen, holding her flush to his chest, and pressed his lips to her ear. “You put the Leon spirit in a position where it had to make a choice. It picked Molly and merged completely with her.”
Gwen gasped. “Does that mean…?”
“Yes. Molly is the leader of the Leon pride.”
Gwen squeezed him tight. Happiness radiated from her. “A pride of one.”
“Not for long. Once she matures and word gets out, she’ll be…” Harassed by single shifter males who want to father her children, or pressured by the Shifter Council to pass the spirit to a male shifter. Although possible, the willing transfer rarely happened, except in cases where a father conceded the position to his son.
“She’ll be popular.” Gwen sighed, obviously picking up on his unspoken conclusion.
“Yes, but Lena and the Alexander pride won’t stand for it. Molly will be protected.” Molly also had Josh, the human alpha of his own unusual pride and the guardian of Megan, Molly’s twin. Of course, the Winchester pack would protect Molly too. They’d grown attached to the child.
“Thank you for telling me this, Xander.”
“I’ll do more than that. I’ll take you to her.” It’d be easier to explain Molly’s predicament in person. There was no sense upsetting Gwen with the knowledge that even though Molly was physically safe, her mental health was a different story. Every day she remained in her lioness form threatened to unravel it and turn the little girl feral.
“What if I don’t want to go?”
The question sparked his unease. He turned his head, meeting her gaze. A careful mask hid her emotions. She watched him impassively, as if waiting to judge him or for him to judge her. “Why wouldn’t you want to go?”
“I have my reasons.”
“And those would—”
Gwen slid her hand past the waistband of his sweats and rested her fingers over his bare backside, stopping his words.
She leaned closer, her warm breath on his chest and the damp strands of her hair teasing his skin. “Will you force me to go?”
His earlier thought came back to him—something wasn’t quite right about his virgin mate’s motives. He studied her but couldn’t decide why.
“Well, Xander?” Gwen cocked her brow in a gesture he was starting to love. “Will you force me to go home?”
He pulled her hand from inside his pants and moved to the bed, sitting on the edge and leaving her standing by the fireplace. Distance from his true mate who seemed intent on triggering his instincts was a necessity.
“You do realize I’m an alpha.” He raised a brow as she’d done. “Don’t you, Gwen?”
She dropped her gaze to the floor and caught her lower lip between her teeth. The coy look set him on edge. With a seductive gait that tightened his groin, she approached him. It was impossible not to react to her.
His true mate was beautiful, but like this, with her hair caressing her shoulders and a slight flush to her cheeks from the warmth of the fire, she could’ve been a siren.
The rolled waistband of her sweats slipped, exposing her stomach. The glimpse of her creamy skin tempted him. One yank and her pants would fall.
She stopped in front of him. “Yes, I know.”
“Then you should answer my questions immediately, not pose ones of your own.”
A small smile tugged at her lips. He fought to keep a matching one from spreading. “Sorry. Did you ask a question?”
“Why don’t you want to go home?”
She took a single step closer to him, forcing him to spread his knees to make room for her. The position didn’t help his control, but he couldn’t deny Gwen or move away from her.
“That’s a personal question, Xander. I am under no obligation to answer it.”
The grin he’d been fighting spread. “I disagree. I did risk my reputation by coming after you. That gives me the right to ask personal questions.”
She chuckled. “Is that right?”
“Yes.”
She took another small step, invading his personal space yet not touching him, and lifted one knee to the bed. The move left him eager and cautious. She was up to something. He knew it, but couldn’t guess what it could be.
“Then I should be able to do the same.” She focused on his lips. “It’s my reputation on the line too. My virginity has been offered up as a prize. I’ll be judged whether I lose it to you or not.”
No sympathetic person would judge her for what happened after she was left alone with the male who won the right to her body. If they did, they didn’t deserve to live. He didn’t bother arguing the point. There was a reason behind her words. He wanted to know what. “Then ask me something.”
“Anything?”
“Yes. I want you to feel comfortable with me. Know that you’re safe.”
“Have you participated in other hunts?”
He held her gaze, despite the urge to look away. It wasn’t a reaction fitting of an alpha, but his participation in those hunts shamed him, even though he’d led the other hunters away from the female being hunted or picked fights with those who’d cornered her, giving the woman a chance to escape. “Yes.”
She flinched, ever so slightly. It was enough to sicken him, however.
“Virgin ones?” she asked.
“You are the only female I’ve caught.”
“You’ve never been with a woman, then?” A teasing smile flitted across her plump lips.
He grinned, unable to hide his response. She affected him in ways no woman ever had, even Elizabeth and Tabitha. If Gwen set her mind to it, she’d have him confessing his sins to her, along with those thoughts and desires he’d never voiced. “I meant I’ve never won a female in these hunts. Even if I had, I wouldn’t have touched her.”
She inched her body closer. Her knee brushed against his groin, stirring his body and his suspicions. He settled his hands on her thighs, stopping her from getting any closer. She’d destroy his plans if she kept this up. He wasn’t a saint. “Gwen, what are you—”
“If you want the answer to your question, answer mine. Have you ever taken a woman’s virginity?”
“No.” Vlad had enjoyed that privilege, taking both Elizabeth’s and Tabitha’s virginity, and no other female had tempted Xander enough to share that moment.
“A shame.” She pressed her palms to his chest and leaned close, her lips inches from his. “I was hoping you could tell me what to expect.”
“Pleasure.”
“Really?” Her voice lowered, caressed him as if it had a physical touch. “I’d heard it’s painful.”
Xander fisted his hands, dropping them to the bed in an effort not to touch her. “If your lover is worthy of your virginity, you won’t feel pain, only the sensation of being stretched and filled. You’ll enjoy it. Very much.”
She turned her head, her lips brushing his roughened cheek, and pressed her mouth to his ear. “But I’ll bleed, won’t I? How will that be pleasurable?”
His breathing deepened. The ache in his shaft grew. Gwen had no idea how much she tempted him. Or maybe she did and was trying to make him snap. He couldn’t imagine why. Unless she wanted him to take her.
He settled his hands on her hips. Her soft skin tempted him closer. He gave in to the urge, slipping his fingers under her shirt. “Your lover will make sure you’re ready for him. If you’re aroused enough and eager for him, you won’t bleed, and if you do, you won’t notice it.”
She tipped her head to the side, meeting his gaze. The hunger displayed in her eyes demanded he meet her needs. “If you’ve never been with a virgin, how do you know this?”
He should stop this. If he didn’t, Gwen would succeed in breaking through his control. He didn’t push her away, though. He inched his fingers lower, pushing her pants down with the move. Testing her. Or maybe himself.
“Pack life is much different from anything you’ve experienced. Sex isn’t a taboo act meant to be done behind closed doors, and taking a female’s virginity is as much a test of a male’s skills as it is a rite of passage for her.”
“And you’ve never wanted to”—she slid her gaze to his lips—“prove your worth?”
“I’m alpha. Any female who loses her virginity with me will automatically think she’s important to me. That I want to mate her. It’d be a lie. I won’t lead any woman on like that.”
Gwen pushed away from him and walked toward the window. Arms crossed under her breasts, she scanned the woods. “So what you said back in those woods about me being important to you. About how you’d come inside me if we had sex. It was an act.” Her chest rose and fell with quicker breaths, and her words rushed together. “Like the exchange with Vlad. You were just saying what you had to in order to rescue me.”
Her pain radiated from her, yanking his wolves’ attention from their surroundings to Gwen. They wanted to go to her and comfort her. He shared their desire. Hurting her hadn’t been his intention.
He settled his hands on her shoulders and turned her. She faced him, but didn’t look at him. He raised her chin and waited for her to meet his gaze. “You are important to me. More than you could ever imagine. I didn’t lie to you.”
“Then prove it to me.” Not a demand this time. A question, maybe a plea.
“How?”
“Will you force me to return home with you?”
“I won’t force you to stay with me.” Even though he wanted to lock her to his side. Falling in love came in steps, according to what he’d witnessed of other shifters in love. If she wanted to date, they would.
“No.” She shook her head. “I mean, leave with you tomorrow. Return to your pack with you. I don’t want to be rescued. I want to go with Reno and—”
He nipped her lip, stopping her words before he had to tell her no. He wanted to give her what she needed, but this wasn’t something he could allow. Never again would she be exposed to danger. “Enough games. They won’t work.”
“This isn’t a game.”
“No, it’s your attempt to coerce a promise out of me.” He paused, waiting for her denial. She didn’t offer one. Lips pressed into a thin line, she stared at him. He sighed. “Tell me why you want to return to the males who’ve offered your body up as a prize.”
She dropped her head to his chest. “I left a man behind. I need to rescue…”
A warning from his wolves alerted him to Vlad’s presence a second before the hard punch to his psyche drowned out her words. The anger behind Vlad’s demand radiated through him.
“What’s wrong?” Gwen whispered.
He pressed a finger to her lips and glanced over her shoulder to look out the window at her back. A quick scan of the woods didn’t reveal Vlad, but he was out there. Watching them. Xander opened himself to his pack mate.
“We’ve been set up.” Vlad’s growled words reverberated in Xander’s head.
“What do you mean?”
“The moment the helicopter was out of sight, they opened fire on me. Left me lying there in a pool of my own blood.”
While Xander would be angry about that too, it didn’t necessarily mean they’d been set up. “What else?”
“They went through my pockets and took my cell so I couldn’t call for help.”
“And?” Because there had to be more. Xander would’ve done the same if he’d wanted to ensure Shifter Affairs didn’t find out about his actions. Vlad should’ve expected that.
“All the while, they were talking about how they duped a Royal feline shifter they’d seen nearby. Even described him. Probably for my benefit so I’d know we were screwed.”
“Dante?”
“Yeah. He won’t be coming to help us anytime soon. He’s rescuing another human from a hunt.” Vader cursed. “They made it so Dante wouldn’t miss hearing the woman scream.”
“Shit.”
“Agree. I hate to say it, but this whole thing feels off. Gwen is important to us, but to the Ulgran clan, she’s just another female to exploit. Yet they had a half-dozen shifters hidden in those woods. Why? Usually it’s just a handler.”
Xander glanced into Gwen’s guilt-ridden eyes. “I think Gwen knows.”
“You going to share that knowledge with me?”
Xander rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. “She left a man behind. She wants to rescue him. My gut says he’s the reason for the extra shifters, so he doesn’t lose Gwen. Reno did say this was her punishment.”
“No. She’s not going back to another male. She’s—”
“Enough. We don’t have time to discuss this. Dante will come as soon as he can.” Xander didn’t doubt that. “In the meantime, let’s move. I’ll kill Reno. You go after the shifters outside. I want off this mountain before the storm hits.”