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Chapter Five

Sutton

I had no idea where they were taking me.

The wolf who’d grabbed me held me now, totally mobile as we bumped along a dirt road, heading toward the goddess only knew where.

“Ugly demon bitch,” he said low. “Either you talk, or I make you fucking scream.”

I tried to unhinge my clamped jaw to speak, to explain what was going on, but the fear was just too great.

I was in a full-blown panic attack, and all I could do was sit there paralyzed, trying to breathe, while this wolf told me over and over how much he despised me for what I was, and how much he was looking forward to hurting me because of it.

When I was afraid, there was no holding back my transformation, and I knew my eyes were glowing red in the back of the van, that my nails were still black claws, and my veins also black in stark contrast to my pale skin.

The combination was more than a little disconcerting to look at, and the half dozen pairs of glowing wolf eyes watching me with equal amounts of hatred and disgust told me exactly how they felt about my appearance.

One of the wolves stood suddenly and rushed to the doors at the back of the van, looking through the dirty windows, and cursed.

“We’ve got company.”

“Who—”

The deafening sound of motorcycles rumbling around the van was suddenly so loud it was like they were on top of us.

“Why the fuck are hounds following us?”

My heart slammed against the back of my ribs a moment before the van was hit by something heavy. The large vehicle abruptly jerked to the right, fishtailing a moment in the mud before the rear of the van swung into a large tree, stopping it in its tracks.

“What the fuck?—”

The door shrieked, the steel groaning a moment before it was torn off completely, then it went flying, crashing somewhere in the forest.

I sucked in a stunned breath.

Standing in the now gaping space, illuminated from behind by moonlight, was Jagger—and at least two other hounds.

Jagger was naked, his tattooed chest heaving and his face contorted with rage and traces of his hound. “Get your fucking hands off her now. ” The last roared, his voice a deafening force that had me shrinking back and lifted goose bumps all over me.

No one moved.

Jagger snarled. “Now, wolf, or I will send you to Hell screaming.”

The wolf abruptly lifted his hands, releasing me, then shoved me hard toward Jagger, like I was some deadly poisonous creature. My shoulder popped back into place from the force, and I managed to bite back my shriek.

Jagger grabbed me, hauling me out of the back of the van, and I could feel his heart pounding hard against mine as he held me to him in a viselike grip.

Warrick strode forward, and the alpha hellhound’s eyes were blazing red. “What the fuck are you doing with this witch? Does Draven know this is how you treat females?”

At the mention of Draven, the wolves’ alpha, the male who had held me in the van, flinched, his unease so strong even I could smell it.

“She’s no witch,” the wolf fired back, then spat on the floor. “She’s a fucking demon. Look at her. We have every right to deal with demons encroaching on our territory, in any way we see fit.”

“Wrong on both counts. Not that it matters, but she is more witch than demon, and even if she had not a drop of witch blood in her veins, you would have been making the wrong fucking play, wolf.”

“All she had to do was speak up. She chose not to.”

“Because she’s fucking terrified!” Jagger roared.

He obviously hadn’t missed how badly I was shaking.

The wolf’s gaze slid over me, uncertainty filling his eyes for a moment before it turned to defiance. “Bullshi?—”

Roman grabbed the wolf by the throat, and slammed him to the floor of the van so hard, the steel dented. “Does she look like a feral to you? No, she looks more like the kind of female they snatch for breeding.”

“What if she’d been a breeder trying to escape her demon captors?” Warrick added. “I don’t know how you treat females in your pack, asshole, but warning: you do anything like this again, and we will make sure you never do again. Understand?”

Rome shoved the wolf away and turned to me. “You okay, Sutton?”

I nodded, but it was hard with my face pressed against Jagger’s throat, his grip not even coming close to easing. If anything, it had only grown fiercer.

The wolf’s gaze sliced between me and Roman, then back to Jagger, and it was like the enormity of his situation finally hit him.

His gaze widened in alarm. “I had no idea she was yours. I would never have touched her if I’d known.

But come on, man, she broke into our place.

Why don’t you ask her why she was there?

That’s something I’m certain our alpha will want to know.

We thought she was up to something. I was just trying to defend our territory from the enemy, and she sure as hell looks like the enemy to me with the fucked-up way she looks.

She sliced me up with her claws, for fuck’s sake.

She doesn’t look like any witch I’ve ever seen. ”

That’s when I noticed the deep gouges down the side of his face.

Jagger snarled again, the sound ripping through the forest.

“Now would be a good time to shut the fuck up,” Warrick said, then placed a hand on Jagger’s shoulder, his red, glowing eyes burning into the wolves. “Get the fuck out of here, now. I’ll be calling Draven to deal with you. You’re lucky we’re letting you leave at all.”

The wolf didn’t say anything else, but his upper lip peeled back, flashing his canines. Then the wolves started the van and tore off along the dirt track, a shrieking sound coming from the dented and torn-up vehicle.

“Get her home,” Warrick said to Jagger, holding his gaze for long seconds. “I’ll speak with Draven. Looks to me like some of his pack have gone rogue with that shit.”

I was still frozen, and I hated myself for it.

I thought I was getting better. I thought I was doing okay, now this had thrown me back to that nightmare, and probably set me back months.

Jagger strode along the road we’d driven, not saying anything, just continuing to hold me in a firm grip.

His bike was up ahead, and when we reached it, I saw his clothes in a heap on the ground.

I could only assume he’d gotten off his bike and shifted so he could smash into the van to stop it.

I refused to let my brain come up with reasons for that, reasons that could give me false hope.

He eased me down his naked body, staring at me with those moss-green eyes of his. “You think you can hang on to me on the back of the bike?”

I nodded. Still struggling to get my vocal cords to freaking work.

“You’re bleeding.” His hand went to my forehead. “You hit your head?”

I nodded again.

He studied me, his jaw tightening. “You know who’s got you, yeah? You know it’s me, don’t you, Sutton? That you’re safe?” His tone was harsh, short, abrupt, a contradiction to the things he’d said and the look in his eyes.

Yes, I knew I was safe. He would make sure no one hurt me.

He’d protect me, like he had before, but who would protect me from him?

From the damage he could do to my heart and soul?

He’d rejected me. He was here now, but he wasn’t staying.

I had to remember that. My head was woozy.

I probably had a concussion. I was struggling to think clearly.

I knew I should tell him I didn’t need his help, but right then I did.

He hurt you, and he’ll keep on hurting you.

“Yeah, Jagger, I know exactly who you are,” I said, finally finding my voice.

His throat worked, his nostrils flared, but he said nothing, just quickly dressed, climbed onto his bike, and held out his hand to help me on.

I didn’t want to go on the back of his bike. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him, certainly not that close. That’s what my head was saying, but my heart wanted to stay in his arms and feel safe for a little while longer.

“Just take me back to my car.” I’d allow myself that small reprieve from my convictions, just long enough for him to take me to my car, and then I could ignore him again for the rest of my life.

He shook his head. “Someone’s already seeing to that. I’m taking you home.”

Shit . I turned back to where Rome and Warrick had been, but they were already gone.

With no other choice, I climbed up on the bike behind him and wrapped my arm around his waist, hanging on to his shirt the best I could with the other damaged one. Jagger started the bike, walked it back, then turned and headed out of the forest.

I’d never been on a bike before, and sitting like this, I was far too close to him. My front was plastered to his back. Goddess, I could feel his heat through his leather vest, and the way his upper body expanded with each of his deep breaths.

It was a beautiful torture.

How many times had I imagined this since I realized who he was, since he went back to Hell.

I’d thought about this, especially after Fern shared how much she loved riding with Relic.

Now I was finally here, on the back of his bike—but he wasn’t mine.

This meant nothing, not to him, because he didn’t want me.

Because he would never want me.

My head was fuzzy, and my limbs felt weak. Yeah, I was definitely concussed, and I was going to blame that for the stupid, pathetic thoughts rolling through my head.

The worst part was that being this close to him, confirmed what I already knew. Jagger was my mate. There was no doubt, not for me.

Exhaustion was settling in and it was getting hard to hang on, but we were almost at my house. I blinked, shaking my head when shadows began dancing at the corners of my eyes?—

My hand slipped from around Jagger’s waist, and I started to tilt sideways. One of his big arms shot back, wrapping around me, holding me to him as the bike slowed, then stopped.

He climbed off the bike somehow, scooping me up at the same time, then maneuvered me in his arms. I was too weak and drowsy to protest.