Tall, Dark & Heartless

Logan lazily flipped him off as Kale strolled past his cage, but not before Kale caught a whiff of something that didn't have any business being near a Master's cage. With a heavy sigh he backed up until he was facing his one time friend.

"Really?" Kale asked, gesturing lazily to nothing at all. "Are you really that f**king stupid?"

Logan didn't pretend not to understand as he simply sent him a smug smile, daring him to interfere, which Kale wouldn't. He had enough shit to deal with. Besides, this little secret wouldn't last much longer so he wasn't going to waste his time on it.

Flipping Logan off for good measure he headed towards his purpose. He wasn't too surprised to find the young Pyte sitting on the floor in front of his brother's cell. Marc took one look at him and was immediately on his feet, moving as fast as he could away from him. The kid sent him a defiant look before he turned and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Kale didn't bother calming the kid down by promising him that he wouldn't kill him, because that would be a lie and they both knew it. If he thought for even one minute that the boy would grow into a Pyte who would rein hell on this world, he would kill him without a moment's hesitation before the boy hit his transformation and came into his immortality.

He watched the boy's retreating back for a moment longer before he turned his focus on the little problem at hand. For a few minutes he was content with studying the young man sitting on the cot in the cell before him. He looked over the young man, noting his mussed light brown hair, chiseled jaw, strong build and the aura of rage practically pouring off of him and wondered, not for the first time, what the hell he helped create a few months ago.

Kale scented the air, detecting the scent of a vampire, shifter and something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but he would. Soon. That was a matter for another day. Right now he was curious about something else.

"You're in control of it, aren't you?" he asked.

The man who hadn't spoken in months said with a cold chuckle that sent shivers down his spine, "Completely."

********

The first growl Danni ignored, thinking it was just an animal sending off a warning, but the second and third growl had her quickening her pace and mentally kicking her own ass for going into the woods. She knew better than most people about what lurked in the woods during the three nights of the full moon. Tonight the full moon was at its fullest and here she was running through the woods like an idiot.

If they figured out what she was they'd tear her apart just on principal. For a moment she considered screaming for Caine as she had when she was a child, but she couldn't do that to him. Besides, she didn't need him, she told herself as the first large brown beast cut off the path in front of her.

She skidded to a stop as the large beast bared its teeth, sending a warning growl as it lowered its large head and moved into a crouching position. Taking a slow step back, she gripped the edges of her shirt tightly together and looked over her shoulder only to find that way cut off by an even larger beast with a deep black sprinkled throughout its fur.

Another one moved to her right and then to her left before several more werewolves surrounded her, leaving her with no way to escape. As she looked around at the werewolves who scented the air and looked more than willing to tear her apart she had a feeling this was going to be one of those moments where she was going to hate not being able to die.

Please don't let them eat me, she thought as her stomach twisted into a knot at the idea of being alive while she was feasted upon.

A loud howl had all of them shifting their large heads to look past her and somehow she forced herself to take her eyes away from them and follow their glances. As soon as she did she wished that she hadn't. One of the largest werewolves she'd ever seen came crashing through the woods. When it saw her, it growled and came straight for her at a full run.

She automatically reached for her weapons only to remember that she was traipsing through the woods in only a torn dirty men's shirt. When it was fifteen feet away she prepared herself for the attack that she knew was coming only to gasp as the large black wolf shifted mid run into a man, a large gorgeous na**d man with shaggy black hair, rich tan skin, a great physique and a really pissed off expression on his face as he slowed down until he was storming up to her.

"Where the f**k is he?" he demanded, getting into her face and startling the living hell out of her.

"Who?" she asked, confused that he wasn't commencing with the chomping, but also very relieved since she was pretty sure that she'd never get over someone chomping on her liver while she watched.

"Don't play coy with me, sweetheart, I can smell the bastard all over you," he said, glaring down at her through beautiful silver eyes.

This was embarrassing, but probably not as embarrassing as not being able to scent them before they were able to ambush her. She'd been able to smell wild animals, but all the scents were a bit overwhelming. She had a difficult time weeding through them and focusing on any of them. It was something that she was going to have to learn and soon.

"Can't help you," she said with a shrug. No matter how much Caine pissed her off, and holy hell did that man have the ability to piss her off, she wasn't about to sell him out, especially after everything he'd done for her. He'd been there for her when she was a child when no one else was. As much as she hated to admit it he'd also taken care of her when the cancer was kicking her ass and she hadn't been able to protect herself. So for that she planned on keeping her mouth shut.

"Oh, I think you can more than help me," he said, leaning forward to run his nose over her hair and neck. When she moved to step away he grabbed her hand and gave it a warning squeeze as he continued to scent her. "Tell me where your mate is," he said, giving her wrist another painful squeeze as the large beasts watched them.

Even as a human she wouldn't put up with this bullshit. If he thought he could intimidate her with a little manhandling then he was sorely mistaken. With a bored sigh she twisted her hand, using her newfound strength to her advantage. She forced the na**d jerk forward before her other hand shot out and delivered a blow to his nose that had his head reeling back. He cursed up a storm as he released her in order to cup his face, but she wasn't done.

Not by a long shot.

While he was cupping his face, her hand shot out, palm out, and slammed into his chest, sending him flying back with a surprised "oomph" before he tripped over a root and slammed into the ground, but still she wasn't done. Calmly, she walked over to him, ignoring the warning growls from his pack. When she was standing over him, she placed her foot on his throat and pressed down in warning, he stilled even as he glared up at her.

"Since I don't have a mate I can't help you," she bit out as his pack moved to take her down.

"The hell you don't," Caine said as he stepped out of the woods.

Chapter 26

"You might want to tell your pack to back off my mate," Caine drawled as he walked into the small clearing. He ignored Danni's exaggerated sigh, probably at the mate comment and not really caring.

She was his and she really needed to get the hell over it. He'd grudgingly accepted the situation and she would, too. She was just being too stubborn to realize that she belonged to him now. Once she realized that she never had to worry about anything ever again and that he'd protect her and support her then she would no doubt be grateful for their situation. Until then, he was going to have a hell of a time stopping himself from strangling the stubborn woman.