man right in front of me, and he’s covered in blood.
Even though adrenaline is pounding through my veins, I still can’t move. I tell myself to get up, to run, to flee, but my legs and arms feel as heavy as concrete.
I wait for Collin to shift into that hideous beast once more. I know he’ll leap on top of me. He’ll kill me and eat me, just like he did Declan.
I whimper. “Please don’t hurt me.”
Anguish distorts Collin’s features. “Brianna, I’d never hurt you.”
My lips part.
Collin’s kneeling in front of me. He moved again in that silent way of his.
The moonlight illuminates his broad back and muscled thighs. He’s naked. For the first time, I realize he’s not wearing a lick of clothing. My gaze dips down to the appendage dangling between his legs. Holy hell. The man is huge on every level.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Did I seriously just check out the guy’s dick?
“Bri?” He moves closer, not seeming to care that he just killed a man and is crouching beside me in his birthday suit. “Did he hurt you?”
Rage coats his words. His breath sucks in when he turns my head, inspecting my cheek where Declan slapped me. He surveys the rest of me, taking in the cut on my mouth that started bleeding after I flung myself into the ditch. The fury rolling off him increases.
“I got here as fast as I could. It took me a few hours to pick up your scent since it disappeared when you got in that logger’s truck. I would have come sooner—”
“You followed me here? As a wolf?” The screeched statement leaving my lips sounds foreign. Is that really my voice? I then reason that it’s not every day I’m attacked twice in the same weekend. I figure a meltdown is appropriate.
He takes a deep breath. “I can run faster as a wolf.”
“But you … he … it…” I shake my head. “You just killed someone.” I pull back more. “Are you going to kill me now too?” After all, he said he would let me leave, yet here he is, probably returned to lock me up again.
Collin’s shoulders droop. “I would never. I meant it when I said I would never hurt you.”
“But you almost did earlier today!”
“I know, but that was before.”
“Before what?”
His eyes glow brighter. “Before I recognized that you’re—”
Chapter 12 – Collin
I clamp my mouth shut.
No, I can’t tell her. Not here, and not like this. She already looks like she’s going to pass out. My fucked up werewolf problems are not something she needs to deal with right now. I’ll tell her later.
“That I’m your what?” she asks. She’s still eyeing me warily, that distrust filling her gaze as strongly as it did back at the cabin.
I shake my head. “Nothing. Just please believe me. I won’t hurt you, and my wolf won’t either. Never again. Really. We won’t.”
I take a deep breath, but it’s not enough to slow my heartbeat. It’s pounding erratically. When I heard her scream, I’d run as fast as I could, but I was still too late. The asshole was already on top of her. He’d slapped her. He’d been yanking off his pants, intending to rape her.
The beast had gone apeshit when he’d seen that. I couldn’t have controlled him if I wanted to, but I hadn’t wanted to. I’d craved the fucker’s blood as much as my psychotic wolf had.
But dwelling on that now won’t help. The brimming anger inside of me will only add to her worries.
Brianna’s face is pale. She’s been through so much this weekend. And all because of me.
Her eyebrows draw together, and she tries to inch back, but the boulder stops her. Her suspicion is palpable. I’m sure my silence isn’t helping.
I offer my hand. “Come on. We need to go.”
She recoils. “Go where? You just killed a guy. Or have you already forgotten?” Her tone turns high-pitched.
Shit.
I take a step back, crouch down, and tilt my head to bear my neck. Assuming a smaller, less dominant position is meant to reassure her, but then I remember she’s not a wolf. She doesn’t communicate like we do. Still, I try.
I quiet my voice and say, “I know I killed him, which is why we need to go.”
“But why are you even here? I thought you were letting me leave.” That fear creeps into her eyes again. It’s in her scent too. Her beautiful, intoxicating scent turns slightly sour. Fuck. I hate