Page 11 of The Night Wolf
THOUGH THEpain was intense, Sean shifted and ran as fast as he could. He was a fool to believe Gareth could possibly be different than any other Alpha. He’d said the nice words, made Sean imagine the possibility he could have found a place to be safe, and then, once more, it had been ripped away.
In the distance, a wolf howled, and a shudder ran through Sean. They’d be coming for him. Gareth would finally do what Ryker couldn’t: he’d cage or kill Sean.
What did it matter? He was too tired to go on anyway. The energy he’d gotten from Gareth had helped to heal the physical wounds, but this time there was so much pain in his heart. How could Gareth’s betrayal be worse than that of Sean’s parents?
The wolf cried out again, this time closer. Every instinct told Sean to run, but to his soul he was tired. Ten years of looking over his shoulder, of running, of narrowly escaping Ryker’s attacks, and he was just done.
He knew someone would find him, and though he wished life could be different, he finally accepted his fate. He shifted back to human and lay on the cold, damp ground and waited to see if he’d end up dead or as a prisoner.
How much did it suck that he prayed for death?
The beat of paws on the ground nearby caused Sean’s breath to hitch. This was it. He lay perfectly still, wanting to let Gareth or his enforcers know that he wasn’t going to fight back.
“Sean?”
Gareth’s voice. Soft and gentle, so close that Sean could reach out and touch him.
“I’m sorry if I scared you. I swear to the goddess, I would never hurt you. Never have I raised a hand to my wolves. I don’t even like to yell at them. I’m going to be honest with you, though. There’s something about you that has my wolf baying and wanting to protect you. He’s riding me hard, and has been ever since he scented you. I know you have no reason to trust me, and I am painfully aware I’ve given you no reason to, but I want you to be safe. Will you please come back with me?”
He wasasking?
“Why don’t you just collar me and drag me back? Isn’t that what Alphas do?”
A sharp intake of breath. “What do you mean?”
Sean rolled to his side and did his best to telegraph his anger. “Alphas take what they want. They don’t give a damn about anything that doesn’t benefit them. So if I’ve got something you want, go ahead and take it. Want to fuck me? Here, let me roll over. Got no lube? Why should that matter?”
When Gareth’s eyes went dark, Sean shivered.
“Who hurt you?” Gareth grabbed Sean’s arms and lifted him off the ground. “Who would do such a thing to any member of their pack?”
“Who doesn’t? Every damned Alpha I’ve ever met has wanted to own me or kill me. Why the hell should you be any different?”
Gareth winced as he put Sean down again. “Is that what you think of me?”
Did he? No, he didn’t. Yeah, Gareth was no-nonsense, but he’d healed Sean. He’d fed him. Hadn’t made any demands. Though Sean had only met Dr. Frank and Caleb, they seemed to worship Gareth, not fear him.
“I don’t know.”
Once again, Sean found himself wrapped in Gareth’s arms and pulled to his chest. “I vow to you, as Alpha of the Lydon pack and the son of my ancestors, I would never hurt you, and if you want to be one of my wolves, I will defend you unto my death.” He took a deep breath, as if he was inhaling Sean’s scent. “If you want to go, I will take you anywhere in the world you’ll feel safe. If it helps, I’ll provide you with bodyguards. Whatever it takes to allow you to breathe easier, I’ll do it.”
Words. They all said them. Promising him money, power, sex, love…. But Gareth was offering him a chance to stop running. To belong to a pack again. Could he walk away from that, knowing full well it might be his only chance at a normal life?
“I want to.”
“Then do it. Trust in me, and I swear I will never let you down.”
His voice was soft, but it carried so much sincerity, it was all Sean could do to stop himself from telling Gareth everything. But… if Gareth was going to offer Sean a life, then shouldn’t Sean be honest about what could happen?
“I—I’m in trouble. There’s a man—”
“We can talk later. It’s cold, you’re naked, and I won’t let you freeze out here. Can you shift so we can go back?”
Sean nodded. He reached for his wolf, but…. “I can’t.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My wolf is hiding. He’s afraid. See, this is the thing. There’s not just me—it’s both of us. If you’re taking one, you kinda get stuck with the package deal here.”
