kiss. He dominated, devoured, destroying you for every other male on the planet. His lips were sin, wrapped in seduction, and the moment they touched you, you were lost to him before you even realized his game.
He pulled back, releasing my hands, chuckling darkly at how weak I was to resist him. I hated him a little for knowing that he held that control over my senses. Rhys pulled me up from the ground, and I moved my knee, hitting him in his balls. I started forward as he dropped to the ground hard.
I ran toward the forest without peering back, knowing I’d merely bought myself a few moments before he’d catch me again. I wasn’t entirely sure why I thought that kneeing him in the nuts was wise. I had enjoyed the shock on his face as I’d landed my knee against his groin. A moment before I would have pushed through the forest line, a large grey wolf exploded from the brush, and I skidded backward, trembling with fear.
“Bad doggie! Please don’t eat me. I’m not old enough to be tender yet and haven’t had enough time even to marinate to taste good!” I cried, only to have a firm, large, very angry Van Helsing shove me behind him.
“Stand down, mutt. She’s mine,” Rhys growled, and I peered around his shoulder to see if the wolf listened.
My eyes widened as power rushed through the clearing, and the wolf trembled, growing hands before the rest of him started mirroring human parts. He lifted from the ground, baring teeth that had yet to finish turning blunt, and Rhys snorted.
My attention lowered to the enormous appendage between his legs, and my mouth dropped open. “Holy dick,” I whispered in amazement as Rhys turned his head, glowering at me with annoyance. “What? It’s huge and very hard to miss!”
“Stop looking at the mutt’s cock, Remington,” he hissed, moving his attention back to the man, who had just shifted into a human.
“Why’s your bitch on my land, Helsing? My pack is hunting tonight to feed, and this isn’t the time to be having some honeypot out in my fucking woods. Not to mention, judging by the scent of her trailing from the road, she’s fucking mortal.”
“Conrad MacGregor, meet Remington Silversmith. If you’d have answered the fucking summons, you’d know who she was. She’s also under my protection. Make sure the other mutts and savages get that memo because I won’t give it again.”
I slowly lifted my gaze from the man’s very thick, large appendage to meet his heated stare. He had sharp features, and he didn’t look friendly in the least bit. Dark hair was disheveled, which looked pretty damn hot on him. His arms were covered in black and grey tattoos, while his chest held scars and a full moon over his heart. My stare dipped down again, and his cock jerked, forcing my gaze to lift to the wolfish grin marring his sensual mouth.
“Silversmith, and under your protection? Are you planning to fuck her then, Van Helsing?”
“That isn’t your problem. Is it? She’s untouchable unless I say otherwise, MacGregor. You have yet to respond to my invitation to Beltane. I suggest you respond to it soon. The heads of the houses will all be in attendance.” Rhys stepped in front of me when Conrad continued staring at me as if he wanted to say something else.
“Funny, last I remembered, my pack wasn’t worth your fucking time. Now, all of a sudden, a Silversmith shows up, and you want us at your party?” he asked, lifting a brow in challenge.
“I was being generous asking for your attendance, asshole. It wasn’t a request. Vampires have turned up in daylight, and they’re unresponsive to the normal shit that should be killing them. That’s a problem, and with Laura currently recovering from wounds inflicted during a conflict with my little honeypot, as you referred to her, all heads of houses have been called here for Beltane.”
“You took down the evil bitch?” Conrad asked, moving around Rhys, inspecting my borrowed clothing and disheveled appearance. “Did she do that to your head?” he questioned, stepping closer to sniff me. “If she’s yours, Rhys, why the fuck does she smell of other men? Losing your touch at seducing women in your old age?”
“The caravan she was in was attacked last night. I am currently retrieving her from her own stupidity.”
Conrad whistled, lowering his mouth to lick over the cut on my head as Rhys snorted, holding me still