Haulcon's Revenge Read online

  Using it as an extension of his arm, he brought it down on top of the bag and used the branch as a hook to draw it closer to him. He swept her first-aid kit toward him as well. Gathering the supplies, he moved back to his savior/victim. He used the bag as a cushion for her head then opened the white plastic container to see what he could find to aid her. He didn’t want to leave her in the woods in this state.

  Coming across a smelling salts stick, he snapped it under her nose. She mumbled incoherent sounds and turned away from the sharp smell but remained delirious.

  He looked around hoping something would catch his eye, that he’d have some thought of what to do with the woman. They were too far from the city for him to hope someone else would find her. Hell, that was the reason the traitors had selected to place him here, there was no hope of anyone coming upon him and saving him.

  But there had been one.

  Returning his gaze to her face, he noted that even though she was unconscious from loss of blood, her rich mahogany complexion seemed to hold a glow and her features looked more at peace than distressed.

  Refusing to take time to consider the oddity of her response on any level, he made a decision. Shoving the kit back into her pack he zipped it shut then scooped her up. To a human man, she was probably too much woman to lift and carry around for long, but her full, curvaceous figure was no burden to him and she felt right in his arms. Even though she shouldn’t have.

  “Evidently I’m still suffering from the events that happened to me.” He moved through the forest looking for a place of shelter. It was summertime and the day would be long, he would need more rest before he could take his other form.

  Chapter Two

  Roasted meat tickled her senses and flooded her mind with memories of spending the summer with her grandparents and going camping with her Pap-paw. She didn’t want to wake up from her dream. Her grandparents had passed away three years ago, six months apart, and she missed them both dearly.

  “Have you finally recovered?”

  The deep, rough timbre filled the air around her. It wasn’t her grandfather. Oh, no. That kind of sound shot straight through her body into her core and surrounded her insides with warmth. Nope not her grandfather.

  On a moan she opened her eyes and stared across the rocky ground to a man seated beside a small campfire.

  Campfire? That didn’t make sense. She didn’t recall going camping. Not moving she just took in everything about the man. He was huge. Even though he was seated she could tell by the width of his shoulders…six hands across at least. The man’s long, straight, jet-black hair was showcased in the firelight like ink being poured down his back. Oh, my. She started to question what could have happened that would have brought her into the presence of such a man, but then pictures and sounds began to flood her mind. She remembered who the man was…where she’d seen him.

  How she had seen him. With a gasp she bolted straight up and scooted back.

  “You don’t have to be afraid, little one. I am not going to harm you.”

  That was a lie, her brain shouted. He had already tried to eat her.

  “Not eat. Feed.”

  “What?” She hadn’t stopped moving backwards until her spine was pressed against the rough wall of the cave. Why are we in a cave? Is this his lair? Are there others that would join him to finish devouring me?

  “This place is not my first desire. But, I had to get you out of the open area until you awakened.” His sigh was heavy. “There are no others coming.”

  “How do you keep doing that?” The sound of her croaking voice let her know she was about two breaths away from freaking out.

  “What?”

  “Answering questions I didn’t even ask?” she shouted.

  He raised one blunt-tipped finger to his mouth. “Keep your voice down. We don’t need to draw any company.”

  Licking her lips, she glanced toward the mouth of the cave. It wasn’t big, barely large enough for two people to enter side by side. The inside area was smaller than her living room. That wasn’t saying much since she lived in a studio.

  Heat surrounded her. Twisting to the side she realized the man was beside her. She hadn’t even seen him move. She squeaked, the only sound able to come out of her contracted throat. Every muscle in her body had drawn tight from fear, causing her to not only ache but to quiver as well. As a wildlife photographer, she had been up close and personal too many times with a lot of scary types of animals. Because of those experiences, she had learned how to keep herself calm and levelheaded to be able to escape danger. However, every ounce of her training and know-how had not prepared her for a beast/creature such as the one beside her now.

  Do I scream? Run? Play dead? What was the protocol?

  “Please. I will not hurt you.” He held out a piece of meat of some game animal.

  She wasn’t sure. However by the size of the small drumstick she would guess rabbit. Not taking it, she met his gaze. His eyes were so clear she could barely tell there was a hint of green tint to them-like fresh moss.

  “You need to eat. Nourishing your body is important in keeping up your strength.”

  The meat did smell wonderful. She couldn’t recall the last time she had eaten. Her stomach felt hollow and empty and she was a little queasy and lightheaded.

  “That would explain why you passed out. Eating is very important.”

  Snatching the food from his hand, she moved along the wall trying to put as much space between them as possible. Even though the small area only allowed her a foot of distance. “You’re doing it again.”

  A thick ebony eyebrow raised high above one eye. “What are you talking about?”

  “Are you a mind reader?”

  His brows pinched together over the bridge of his nose as he glanced away. Then as if he needed space from her, he stood and slowly crossed the cave and stared down into the fire. “Apparently, you and I have connected in some way.”

  “Connected?”

  “Yes.” He still had not looked at her again. Instead he was staring so deep into the fire, unmoving, that she wondered if he was considering jumping into it.

  She hopped not. It would be a shame to ruin such an amazing body. She recalled how he looked, lying out in the open field his body tied to trees by thick ropes. He had been bloodied and bruised, his handsomeness unrecognizable. Fear that he would die had caused pain along her spine. Fear that she would not be able to save him. There had been so much desperation in his voice she had wanted to weep. However, she had kept herself together and worked tirelessly to free him. He was nude and hurt and she had not given one thought to the muscles and tone of his form. However, now with the firelight dancing along every bare curve, the desire to trace and play along the shadows and light on his bare skin made her fingers tingle and her lungs tight.

  There went that eyebrow again, as he tilted his head and gazed her way. Intense. That was the only word she could think of to describe how eyes that had been moss green a moment ago now appeared black—void of any of the previous color.

  “I don’t understand how it happened.” He ran a hand over his head, as if the situation frustrated him somehow. “A simple feeding from a human—”

  The bite. Lifting a hand to her neck she searched her throat frantically as she attempted to find the place his teeth had sunk into her. They had pierced her, only giving a moment of pain. However, her neck was smooth, no opening or sores that she could find. What kind of magic monster was he? What in the hell?

  “Not hell,” he growled. “Why is it that you humans are always equating any being you don’t understand with it being from hell? I’m just as created by the Great Spirit as you.” His gaze was pale green again, as he murmured, “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything
that creeps upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

  Hearing the Bible verses from his mouth shocked her.

  She realized that in her ignorance somehow she had offended him. However, she didn’t apologize. Her hands squeezing the warm meat in her hands, she asked, “You’re one of those…uhm…” Her mind searched for any word that wasn’t a form of creature. But that was a lot of times how people referred to the things that lived and moved deep in the forest and mountains. They were warned by the media and government to keep away from them.

  “Valf.”

  “What?” Curious at his word, she stared at him.

  He turned, facing her, his chin raised with pride. “I am valf.”

  Valf. That was a word she’d never heard before. Her father was a science man and frequently mumbled about the beasts of the field when she took a moment to pay him a visit, but she generally attempted to get him to talk about anything else. Anything that made her dad seem as if he was still present with her. She shook off the melancholy that thoughts of her father always seemed to bring.

  She felt pressure on her right shoulder.

  Glancing to the side she saw the man beside her again, his gaze a vivid green and filled with compassion.

  Swallowing, she said, “I’m going to need you to stop doing that. Matter fact, stop doing a lot of things you’re doing. Like mindreading and ghosting around this cave.”

  One corner of his wide, perfect lips twitched as if he was going to smile, but he didn’t. “Ghosting?”

  Waving her hand with the rabbit around in front of her, she pointed around the cave. “I don’t know what you call moving from here to there and here…but I can’t see you moving.”

  He chuckled. “I will do my best to move slower.” Lifting the hand that rested on her shoulder he stroked her temple. “On the mental connection. I don’t even understand how or why it is happening. Once I do…then maybe I will be able to stop it.” Standing he moved back to the fire. “Eat.”

  With the distance granted her, she took in a deep breath as she brought the meat to her mouth and bit into it. It was unseasoned but tender. In two bites she had torn all the seared flesh from the tight-knit bones.

  “You need more. Come closer.”

  Not sure if her legs would support her, she crawled toward the fire. Not too close. She watched him snap the cooked, skinned animal with his large hands and pass half of it to her.

  Reaching out, she took it. She’d never felt so famished in her life. Without manners she gnawed around the bone consuming every piece of meat.

  When the bone gleamed in the firelight, she was only slightly embarrassed to see she’d finished way before he had. With his fingers he removed one chunk of meat after another and popped it into his mouth.

  She licked her lips at all the tender juicy meat that still remained in his hand.

  “Would you like this piece too?”

  Shaking her head, she glanced away. Shame filled her core. This man had been severely hurt just… She glanced outside. It was still light outside. Was it the same day? She was unsure of how long she’d been out of it.

  Patting her pocket, she went to pull out her cell phone to check the day and time. But, it wasn’t there. Then she remembered she always placed it into the front pocket of her backpack. Looking around she searched for her things. “Where’s my stuff?”

  He pointed. “There.”

  In the shadow of the back of the cave she saw her navy blue pack. Crossing to it, she opened it up to ensure all her items were present. She removed her cell phone.

  Of course in the cave there wasn’t a single bar and no battery life. Great. There went my option for calling for help.

  “I’ve already helped you.”

  Damn. She would really have to remember he could read her thoughts.

  “You have.” She would just leave it at that, understanding a little more about his kind, they were literal. Digging back into her bag she pulled out an article of clothing. “Here.”

  He frowned. “What is this?” Opening up the material, he stared at it.

  “Shorts. Haven’t you seen a pair before?”

  “Yes. What would you like for me to do with them?”

  She guffawed. “Put them on. As delightful as your body is. It is a little distracting to have a conversation with a nude man.”

  “Truly? Well, clothed, a female form can be just as alluring.”

  What? “Well, I’m sure that is true. But I don’t have that issue in or out of clothing.” Nope most men didn’t ogle at her dressed or undressed. Generally, even when she was dating someone and they moved to the sex part of the relationship, it was always done in dim light and she wore a long nightgown. She wasn’t a prude. She just understood that plump hadn’t been in fashion since the Rubenesque period.

  Smiling to herself she thought about how much this man looked like a Greek god.

  “The men you have been around are fools.”

  His words drew her gaze. Staring at him, she picked up on that onyx gaze again. There was heat that seemed to be coming from it as he stared at her, but she chalked it up to the blaze in the middle of the cave more than him being remotely attracted to her.

  “Anyway. Shorts, please.”

  With a nod, he stood.

  Averting her eyes, she tried not to think about all that delicious bronze skin just a stone’s throw away from her reach. She had made sure to keep her gaze above the navel so as not to be taken in his lower region. Although when the nights got lonely for her, it was nice to be able to have something to think on. But, it was for the best. No use torturing herself.

  “Better?”

  No. Was the single word that came to mind as she stared at him in her sweat shorts. Even though she was a full-figured girl and knew that he would be able to fit into her pants, she didn’t anticipate how he was going to look. Damn, the man made those dark grey shorts mouthwatering. His thighs were so thick that the material pulled snug and cupped him in every place she had tried not to think about. She was sure that she could bounce a half dollar off his ass. Not to mention the way the material stretched along his cock she wouldn’t have to imagine hard just how hung he was.

  Damn. Damn. Damn. Get it together girl. She glanced into the fire not wanting to see in his gaze if he had picked up on her thoughts about his body.

  “So, what is your name?” She asked wanting to keep her mind on the mundane.

  “Haulcon.”

  “That is it? Just Haulcon?”

  His chin lifted high as he stared down his aquiline nose at her. “Alpha of the South-East Valfs.”

  “Wow. That is some mouthful.” She frowned. “I’m Adair Ellis.”

  He gave her a short nod.

  “Help me understand something, Haulcon. If you are some bigwig in your valf community why were you out in the forest like I found you?” Was it some kind of ritual? Some kind of lure to catch and eat a human?

  “We don’t eat humans.” His growl reverberated off the walls of the cave.

  “Got it.” She raised her hands. “Were you attacked by an enemy clan?”

  The heaviness of his sigh reached her and made her heart thump with an echo of pain.

  He walked over to the mouth of the cave and stared out. She noticed he kept himself to the shadows and out of the direct light of the sun that beamed in through the opening.

  “Yes. I was placed there by an enemy.” He balled his hands into tight fi
sts. “Unfortunately this enemy was of my people.” Exploding he swung and landed a punch into the wall.

  Adair slapped a hand over her mouth trapping her scream inside.

  Crumbles of rock rained down on the ground around his large, wide feet. When he lowered his hand, she saw the indentation in the wall where his knuckles had crushed the boulder.

  It took some major strength to pulverize the hard rock.

  “How is that possible? Is this a part of a custom…like an initiation?”

  Turning he faced her and moved back toward the fire. “No. It was not to be. I need to get back to my people and exact justice. I just needed to ensure I repaid your kindness and that you were all right.”

  “Thank you. But, if you were injured and left for dead by those in your people…and you’re the Alpha…how are you going to just walk back into your clan at all and bring justice.”

  “That is my concern. I will find a way.”

  “Okay.” She shook her head. Men, human or valf seemed too pig-headed to reason with at times, so she just left it alone. “Well. I’m fine now.” She stood and dusted off her backside. “Fully recovered. I think the meal helped. So, I will be on my way before it gets dark.”

  “Are you sure? It would not be right for me to leave you and you become sick and fallout again.”

  He was standing too close. His gaze was roaming her features as if he were attempting to discover if she were being honest about her health.

  However having him this close to her was doing crazy things to her body again. She could smell the robust scent coming from his body. She would have expected the odor of sweat to be coming from him. However, instead it was more like a woodsy cinnamon blend—natural and erotic.

  She forced herself not to inhale deeply. Taking a step back from him, she forced a smile on her lips. “Trust me. I’m as healthy as a cow. So, I will be on my way.” Grabbing her backpack, she slung it over her shoulder.

  His hand on her waist stopped her from moving forward. “Well, savior, thank you again for your assistance. I would have surely perished if it had not been for your kindness.”