Gates of Paradise Read online

  Drace grabbed a couple of the aspirins and a bottle of spring water. Shoving them into Griffin’s hands, he headed for the door. “I have to get out of here before my head explodes. Get those down her throat and keep an eye on her. I’ll be back in a little while.”

  Shrugging, Griffin accepted his task and headed back to the bed as the door slammed behind him. It was hard telling what Drace’s problem was now. Maybe he needed to jack off or something. Hell, it wasn’t a bad idea, but someone had to stay with their guest. He didn’t dare leave her alone. Anything could happen, then he’d have not only Drace to answer to, but Adam Greer, Alpha of the pride. He didn’t want anything to do with that.

  * * * *

  Aliana struggled to open her eyes. The lids 13

  seemed so heavy. It was almost as though someone tied weights to her eyelashes! Groaning, she put her hand to her head. What happened?

  Moving was so painful, she limited herself to rubbing the one spot on her scalp that didn’t hurt when she touched it.

  Her last memory was of running blindly through the woods, trying to escape her father’s men. Why did he want her to marry that creep?

  Didn’t he know, didn’t he care that the man’s first two wives died under mysterious circumstances?

  Even she knew that.

  Trying to sit up was almost impossible. The bed felt so soft and the blankets weighing her down so warm and comfortable, she almost didn’t want to move. Years of self-discipline paid off. She would manage to gather her strength and move no matter what. Perhaps that was why her mother had insisted she read all of those self-help books and take so many self-defense courses. Perhaps she’d known that this day would come.

  Stretching, she tested her muscles and tried to resign herself to the fact that her father’s men had caught her. She’d given it her all, had ran until she nearly drowned herself in an effort to get away. It was nothing that should make her feel guilty. But she did. Remembering her mother’s letter, she could almost hear the words.

  You must do everything possible to escape him, Ali.

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  Nothing you can do or say will change his mind when he’s made a decision. I begged him to stop this nonsense. I begged him to listen to reason. He can’t see reason. His mind only focuses on business and what is good for profit. He’s no longer the man he once was. I cannot cope with the monster he has become any longer.

  Please, take the money I’ve left you and run while you can.

  Only there was no money. Her father had taken it and managed to hide it away in a bank somewhere. She had nothing, no one, to help her and now they’d captured her. The only thing left to her was marriage to a monster, death or finding another way to escape.

  Finally gathering the courage to open her eyes and deal with her father’s fury, she cracked one eyelid open and looked around. She rolled onto her side with a groan. Every muscle in her body ached. Where was she? Nothing looked familiar.

  Roughhewn walls reminded her of a rustic cabin.

  Colorful wool blankets hung from the ceiling to divide different sections of the room. They reminded her of the Native American blankets her mother bought on their last trip across the country six months ago. Her mother loved splashes of color all over the house and the blankets just seemed to fit the décor of the family room. They’d had so much fun together, both of them anxious to get home and tell of their wonderful time together.

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  But that was before her mother killed herself in an effort to escape her father’s iron grip. How had he hidden what he was from them so well?

  Blinking, she forced herself to remember where she was—in a strange cabin, with goodness knows who waiting for her to wake. Lifting her head, she took a look around. A small stove and sink in the corner only helped confirm the small interior and she knew, somehow, this was not one of her father’s lodges. No, his cabins in the woods were more like ski resorts. The smallest had sixteen bedrooms. Whoever owned this had nothing to do with her father. She hoped.

  Sitting up, she managed to muffle her surprised squeak when she found nothing but skin beneath the sheet and blanket that covered her. Who undressed her and why? Looking down at herself, she noticed the scratches and bruises that marred her flesh. Doing a quick inventory, she determined nothing was broken. She was just banged up a bit.

  Reaching up, Aliana pushed her hair from her face. Ugh. It was matted, with dried mud and twigs or something in it. Maybe that was why she was naked. Perhaps, she’d been filthy all over.

  “It’s good to see you’re finally awake.”

  Ali jumped at the sound of the deep, male voice. A man peeked around one of the blankets that gave her some semblance of privacy. Holding the covers against her chest like a lifeline, she 16

  glanced up into the strangest looking eyes she’d ever seen. Not many people had that strange cat-like yellow color. She’d bet her last dime on it.

  Golden hair framed his square face and fell just short of his broad shoulders. A light dusting of down, the same color as the hair on his head, made a narrow track to his hips, disappearing below the waistband of his jeans. She frowned, disappointed, when he turned toward the table and gave her a view of his back.

  “My backpack!” Speaking of last dimes, everything she owned was in that bag. She frowned. Except her shoes. Did she really kick off her boots and pants in the water? How would she ever manage to replace them?

  He glanced over his shoulder. “Your pack is fine. It’s still a bit damp, but it’s fine.” Turning, he moved to push the curtain back a bit more and lean back against the backrest of a sturdy-looking chair.

  Biting her lip, Ali looked down, unable to hold the man’s unblinking stare. Nodding, she cleared her throat. “My… Where are my clothes?”

  He smiled and pushed the blanket open a bit further. “I washed what you were wearing yesterday. Something told me you’d want them when you woke.”

  “How long have I been asleep?”

  “About thirty hours.”

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  Holy cow! “Thirty hours?” No wonder her back ached and she had cottonmouth. She needed a drink of water to rinse the horrible taste from her mouth. But until she could figure out where she was, she’d stay put and let them think her incapable of running.

  She peered around him, trying to figure out whether this was one of her father’s men. Beyond the opening, she saw her blue lace bra and matching panties hanging from an indoor clothesline. She cast her gaze to the floor, her face burning with mortification. He’d washed her clothes and hung them up? In his house of all things! How long had he sat and stared at her most intimate clothing while she slept in his bed?

  Heck. The Earth may as well just open up and swallow her right now. She had no desire to ever look at the man again. It was too embarrassing!

  Where was that river she’d fallen into last night?

  She wanted to go drown herself in it. Now!

  The man reached down and brushed his thumb over one of her burning cheeks. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed. I have sisters and their things were all over the house all of the time.” He winked.

  As if that would help. Men! Did they think it was okay to hang a woman’s under-things for all and sundry to see and stare at? Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Calm down, Ali. It’s just one 18

  man. One man saw them, not the entire Army for cripes sake.

  A door slammed and she jumped. Closing her eyes, she prayed it was the man’s wife. But something told her he wasn’t married. No man would have taken it upon himself to wash another woman’s underwear if there was a wife hanging around. Not if he wanted to continue breathing anyway.

  Gathering her courage, she managed to open her eyes just in time to see a gorgeous man with blue-black hair turn his back. He strode from the cabin, slamming the door behind him. What was wrong with him? He wasn’t the one laying naked in a stranger’s cabin w
ith two drop-dead gorgeous members of the opposite sex hanging about. She was the one who should be storming out—with her clothes on, carrying her backpack. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she looked up at the remaining man and raised her brow.

  Smiling, he turned and left the cabin. “Call out if you need my help. You’re bound to be a bit weak.”

  Weak? Ha! She scorned the word and the condition. Weak was giving up without a fight.

  Weak was letting the strong oppress her. No. She wasn’t weak. She would never allow it. She would struggle against this just as she would fight her father and the marriage he arranged until her 19

  dying breath. She shuddered at the thought of Doug Hamill’s groping hands on her. He would never touch her like that. She’d let them kill her first.

  Standing, she held on to the wall for support until her dizziness passed. Then she slowly made her way to the things she needed to get dressed.

  Slipping into her panties, she couldn’t help but feel grateful the man thought to wash them so they’d be clean for her. But it still didn’t help her embarrassment. It was just a good thing she hadn’t been on her cycle. That would have been mortifying.

  After donning her bra, panties and blouse, she looked around for something to wear as pants.

  Even a towel she could wrap around herself as a skirt would have been welcome. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t with her. She found nothing. She sighed. What she wouldn’t give to have her backpack with her change of clothes and her cash with her. Where was her backpack? He’d said it was here. She sighed. It didn’t matter. He’d said it was still wet.

  Aliana thought about the handsome man and the other she’d only gotten a glimpse of. Both of them were built like construction workers or body builders. Their well-defined forms were enough to make her mouth go dry even with her current problems.

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  Grabbing a lap blanket off the back of the small sofa, she wrapped it around her waist, then sat down and rested her head in her hands. How could she be so tired from such little activity and how could she be so attracted to two men she’d just met? She didn’t even know their names. What was wrong with her? Why did she still feel so drained? Everything was mind over matter.

  Everything. And if she didn’t mind, why should it matter?

  Aliana sat still for a minute, willing her strength to return. She refused to succumb to this weakness. She had to get up, get dressed—even if she had to borrow something—and get the heck out of here. The longer she stayed here, the more chance there was of her father and his men finding her. She couldn’t allow it. And she couldn’t allow her troubles to burden these two men. If she stayed here, she would only manage to drag them down with her. She could never live with herself if they died because of her.

  * * * *

  Drace slammed out of the cabin and started down the path toward the river. He had to get out of there. The scent of the woman’s fear and slight arousal was driving him mad. His other self wanted nothing more than to pounce on her, 21

  nuzzle her breasts and lap the sweet cream from between her slim thighs. He hungered for her in a way he’d never hungered for another.

  What had come over him? Women didn’t affect him like this. They relieved his sexual tension, nurtured his sometimes immature need for a woman’s tender ministrations, but he never needed them. Never.

  Reaching down, he rubbed his cock. It was as hard as a baseball bat in his pants. He grinned.

  Well, he sure had some wood. Stopping, he rested on a fallen log, unzipped his jeans and released his cock. This wasn’t the first time he’d attempted to relieve himself since they’d found the woman lying in the river and it probably wouldn’t be his last.

  He grasped his shaft in his hand, moving his fist close to the head. His thumb caressed the crown as he slid his hand up and down the length while he fondled his balls with the other. Drace pictured the woman. The way she looked as she lay in his bed naked. Her soft breasts rose and fell with each breath, their rosy tips beckoning him to lean down and suckle the pert tips.

  His stomach clenched and the muscles in his thighs tightened as he imagined sinking into her tight sheathe. How would she feel? Drace knew she would be wet. He could smell her arousal from just looking at them. She was sensual and 22

  erotic. Everything he’d ever wanted in a woman.

  But she was human.

  Nothing would stop him from enjoying her, but he could never marry her. Like every human, she would never understand what they were.

  As he continued to pleasure himself, he imagined her body beneath him, soft and pliant. A familiar tingling began in his lower back, wrapping itself around his balls like tiny tongues licking him. The sac drew tight, pulling them up against his body. He threw his head back and reached for his orgasm. Drace imagined her soft body against him, her fingers and lips closing around him as she licked and nibbled his shaft, moved him closer and closer to the edge. He concentrated on her green eyes looking up into his, her lips caressing his skin. His imagination carried him over. And his hand moved faster, sliding over his cock as thick jets of semen shot into the air.

  Biting back a groan of pleasure, he took a few deep breaths, taking a few moments to enjoy the sensation, before he tucked himself back into his pants. Goddess knew how long his peace would last. It had only been a few hours since the last time he’d sought release. Griffin was having the same problem. What did it mean? She couldn’t be their mate. She was human.

  Standing, he fastened his jeans and made his 23

  way to the river. If she’d found her way into Paradise through the water, others could. It was obvious the veil was very thin here. They couldn’t afford for anyone else to find their way beyond the veil. This was their side—their haven.

  Shifters roamed free here. Shifting or using their magic at will wasn’t an option on the outside, but there was nothing to stop them here. That was why their people decided to create Paradise, to move their town to the other side of the veil where they would always be safe. He’d heard a few other clans had done the same, but like Paradise, they were well-hidden. A movement in the brush caught his attention and he moved toward the river for a closer look.

  Two armed men and a dog moved on the other side. Were they looking for his guest? It was very likely. After all, she’d been here too long already.

  They couldn’t hope to keep hidden here forever.

  There was only one way to find out. Ducking behind a large tree, he concentrated on changing into one of his other selves. He couldn’t use the cat. The men would shoot him at the first opportunity. Concentrating, he changed into a raven, spread his wings and took flight.

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  Chapter 2

  The air was light, the breeze carrying him silently over the two men. A tree loomed near and he landed on the closest branch and leaned down to listen.

  “Where do you think she’s gone?”

  “What the hell do I look like, Reese, a fucking fortuneteller?” The man, wearing an Army ball cap, pushed his hat back and scowled. “All I know, is I want us to be the men who find the little bitch.” He grinned. “She’s a real pretty piece of ass. And I want my turn with her before we take her back to her old man.”

  Drace narrowed his eyes. He’d be the first one to die if they found the cabin. He wasn’t perfect, had even used a few women for pleasure now and again, but he’d never taken a woman by force. He couldn’t imagine ever doing such a thing. Women, like the one in his cabin, were to be protected, taken care of, loved and cherished.

  Reese laughed. “I know you want your turn.

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  Can I have sloppy seconds?”

  A breeze rustled the leaves and brought the scent of a big cat to him. Stay away from here, Griffin. They’re armed and they don’t look like they’d show any reluctance in shooting you if you show yourself.

  A short cough made its way through the brush and the
men stiffened.

  “What was that?” Reese raised his rifle to his shoulder.

  “It sounded like a mountain lion or something.”

  Or something, you ball cap wearing prick. Drace watched them, waiting for an opportunity to strike if needed. He glanced over at Griffin. I mean it.

  Stay away from them. Go back to the cabin and make sure there aren’t more of these assholes wandering around. Get someone else up here to watch the gate while you’re at it. We have to get the girl out of here.

  Griffin lifted his lip in acknowledgement and turned to leave. Underbrush shifted as he moved through it. One of the men lifted his gun to his shoulder and took aim.

  Their drawing down on you!

  Griffin immediately dove to the ground.

  Drace flew from his perch and dive-bombed the two men. Plummeting down, he scratched their scalps and immediately disappeared into the trees, then landed on a high branch where he could see without being seen. I hope you took that opportunity to get the hell out of here, you idiot.

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  Silence greeted him and a knot began to form in his gut. They hadn’t shot him, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t found another way to bring his friend down. Griff?

  Leave me be for a minute. I’m trying to figure out if I should thank you or tell you to fuck off for calling me an idiot.

  Relief flooded through Drace at the sound of Griffin’s voice. Just get back to the cabin where I know the two of you are safe. I have an advantage over you here.