30. The Woods Have Eyes
L una stills, lips on my jaw, breath caught.
“Ori—”
“Shh, baby,” I breathe, voice low in her ear. “Don’t stop.”
Her body trembles as she forces it to relax, molding tighter to mine, arms slipping between us but keeping my hands free. She peppers quiet kisses down my throat like nothing’s wrong, tucking my now deflating cock back into my boxers with shaky breaths but steady fingers.
She buttons, buckles, zips, all with slow, silent care. Her hips roll over me like we’re fucking, while I palm the garter around her thigh, reminding her what I gave her. My other hand slips into the inside pocket of my jacket.
I pull back, cup her nape, and kiss her hard enough to pull a real moan from her?—
My gun’s drawn before leaves rustle behind her.
“This is a courtesy,” I growl into the dark, my other hand cradling the back of Luna’s head and holding her to my chest. “Come on out, or you’re dead.”
I scan the trees, keeping Luna close, my aim steady.
Chick-chick .
A shotgun.
Behind me.
Luna sucks in a breath and goes rigid with fear.
I hold her tighter, curving over her body, shielding her as best I can with my gun still aimed forward.
Out of the corner of my eye, a bearded man with brown hair and a shit-eating grin steps into view, a sawed-off shotgun level with Luna’s face.
“Oh, don’t stop on our account,” he drawls with an accent like mine.
“But how ’bout you go on and drop that gun before getting to the good part, yeah?
I’d hate to see Bordeaux’s pride and joy bleed out all over Fury scum.
Killing a pretty thing like that would be a waste of a good cunt if you ask me. Don’t you agree, cousin?”
Rage boils under my skin, but fear for Luna’s life douses it as good as ice water. I ease my finger off the trigger, lifting the pistol skyward, my jaw still clenched tightly. My other hand releases Luna, dragging away from her to slowly rise in surrender.
Leaves whisper in the darkness I aimed at, and a tall, broad shadow in blacked-out camo finally emerges.
Bart. Fucking. Wilde.
He locks his pistol on me and whistles. “Y’all were putting on quite the show.”
Luna shudders. She’s still straddling me, covered by my jacket draped over her shoulders but still terrifyingly vulnerable before these monsters.
Her thighs tighten around my hips, doing anything to shield her exposed flesh.
The fact that I turned her into prey by not paying attention, by destroying the only scrap of fabric that could’ve concealed her, all because I couldn’t control myself…
It hollows my chest out worse than the shotgun next to me ever could.
“Too bad we can’t finish the porno,” the other Wilde sneers. “Go on, girl. Put his shirt on. We don’t wanna be seeing all that.”
Luna’s fingers tremble as she gathers my shirt and yanks it over my head, so fast my glare only breaks for a blink.
She tugs the sleeves down my arms and torso, movements efficient despite her shaking hands.
I ache to ease her fear, to end these two bastards for putting that terror in her eyes, but I have to keep my head on straight and focus on our captors.
“Hurry up,” the Wilde barks. “We’ve got places to be.”
Bart gives us a wolfish grin. “And a wedding to attend. Mine .”
My stomach lurches. “The fuck are y’all talking ab?—”
The butt of the shotgun cracks against my skull. White-hot pain explodes behind my eyes, shattering my vision, and Luna’s scream pierces through the ringing in my ears.
Then everything goes dark as rough black fabric scratches down my face.
“Stop! Get off him— Ah! ”
She’s torn from my lap, and I roar, lunging for her blindly, but something pierces my left shoulder. I stagger at the impact, landing hard on my knees, head reeling.
Luna shrieks a curse, igniting new hatred in me, and I claw the sack off my head. I don’t know where my gun went, so I reach for my crossbow instead, but…
…my left arm…
It won’t. Fucking. Move.
I grit my teeth, trying again, but it hangs uselessly at my side.
Not even a twitch.
Luna struggles across the fire against both Wildes, my jacket ripped away as she fights tooth and claw. She’s right there and I can do nothing to help her. And her screams… they’re so far away.
What the hell is happening?
My heartbeat thunders in my ears. I reach behind me with my other arm, fighting the numbness. My fingers brush the hilt of something foreign lodged in my deltoid. A dart. A tranquilizer dart.
Fuck.
My mind shouts against the darkness pressing in, nerves sparking and misfiring as my body turns traitor. I twist to wrench the dart free, but I can’t control my grip. Luna shrieks again, followed by a grunt that isn’t hers.
She’s fighting back.
Equal parts relief and terror flood through me.
“ Orion! ”
“Luna…” I inch forward, searing my palm on hot coals, but I keep moving. “I’m?—”
A boot slams into my ribs, and a sharp crack drives me into the mud, gasping through the pain. I draw a ragged breath and reach for her, only to close around something soft, a point at the end.
A feather. It’s one of hers, stained black, bent, and ripped from her bodice.
Protect her. Protect her. Protect her.
It’s the mantra I swore to years ago. It’s all I’ve ever done, all I know. And it’s always worked.
Until now.
“Stop! You’re hurting him! Orion, please get up. You have to?—”
Her voice cuts off on a scream.
“Leave her alone! Take me!” I roar into the night, but my plea is swallowed by the woods and the sudden flapping of wings.
“I’m okay,” she gasps, suddenly at my side. “It’s okay. Stay with me. No—don’t! Please don’t?—”
A final kick slams into my skull.
“ Orion !”
The last thing I hear is the woman I love begging for my life.