chest. The alleyway flashes by at an alarming speed while my attacker runs surprisingly easily.
How can someone be carrying me this fast?
That thought leaves my mind at the same moment I scissor my legs and pummel my attacker’s shins. But he doesn’t stop despite me landing vicious blows.
I scream, or try to, but the thug’s hand is covering my mouth so tightly that my air’s cut off.
But I don’t stop.
I thrash and kick more, struggling so hard against him that I’m surprised he doesn’t fall over.
He’s strong.
Incredibly strong.
He’s still running and carrying me from alleyway to alleyway at superhuman speed.
What the hell is happening?
A small part of my brain knows that nobody can run this fast, but I shove that thought off and try to bite down as my vision darkens.
No! Stay conscious! You’re dead if you pass out!
But my mouth and nose are completely covered. Shit! Shit! Shit! I can’t breathe!
My attacker grunts when I land another kick on his kneecap. He still doesn’t slow. If anything, he tightens his grip on my mouth, and I’m losing consciousness despite willing it otherwise.
This can’t be happening. No. Please. No. This can’t be real.
It’s the last thought I have before I sag against him.
Chapter 3 – Collin
She’s heavier than most women. Unlike the emaciated druggies and skinny prostitutes I’m used to carrying after the beast’s kills, she’s solid muscle and warm flesh. She’s tall, too, but nowhere near my height. And her fragrance. That caramel-and-sunshine scent fills my lungs.
The beast stirs, pushing against my control. His bloodlust rises like a deadly wave.
“Fuck off,” I growl and slam him down.
I dip into the last alleyway where the stolen car’s parked. With silent movements, I flip the lid on the trunk and deposit her inside. I try to be gentle, and the irony isn’t lost on me. I just clamped my hand over her mouth so tightly that she passed out.
But unconsciousness is necessary if I’m going to take her.
And even though she’s knocked out cold, I know it won’t last long. She’ll likely be awake in minutes.
After grabbing the duct tape, I rip a piece to cover her mouth, grimacing at the slash of silver against her smooth skin. I don’t let the growing guilt stop me, though. I make quick work of her arms and legs until she’s fully restrained.
She’s got a purse strapped across her chest, and with a start, I realize I don’t even know her name.
I take it off her and search inside for her driver’s license. The beast pushes against my control again, his impatience growing when I pull it from her wallet. Clenching my jaw, I shove him back, but his enhanced eyesight allows me to see the details on her ID.
Brianna Keller.
Her name’s Brianna.
I scan the rest of her details. She’s twenty-six—older than I suspected given she’s an undergrad. The license states her height is 5’10” and she weighs one-hundred-sixty pounds. Brown hair and brown eyes.
After slipping the license back in her wallet, I toss the purse beside her. Now that she’s completely restrained, I allow myself a moment to study her. Up close, she’s even more beautiful than I realized.
Lush dark hair falls down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes are closed, and long lashes rest on her smooth tanned cheeks. She’s breathing evenly again, but she’s still unconscious. Her chest rises, drawing my attention to her round firm breasts before I take in her slim, muscular legs folded awkwardly against her toned stomach.
I step back, and the dim moonlight illuminates a picture from a horror film. I blanch and rake a hand through my hair.
I have a passed-out beautiful woman bound and duct-taped in a stolen vehicle’s trunk.
Something stirs inside me. Something entirely human. With a start, I jerk back.
What the hell am I doing?
This isn’t like the beast’s victims. With them, the beast raged inside me, completely in control when he snatched them off the street and devoured them only feet away at the end of barren alleyways. Those attacks were impulsive, primal, and fueled by my insane wolf.
But this woman…
I’ve stalked her for two weeks as a human even though the beast grew impatient. And now, I’ve bound her, stuffed her in a trunk, and am taking her away.
Far, far away where no one can take her from me.
Except for the beast.
I shake my head. No. He won’t. I won’t let him.
But still…
I’ve abducted her.
I’ve never done anything like this before.
You’re a sick fuck, Collin. What would the pack think