Free Destiny Unchained by Leia Shaw

face. So tender and
caring.
    She shuddered.
    “Feel,” he said desperately, pressing his palm to her
chest. “Feel me. Know me. I’m on your side.”
    She had no side. Her hands roamed up his chest and he
closed his eyes, exhaling a pleasurable sigh. The smoothness of his
skin, the contours of his muscles – she etched them into her
memory. For that’s all she’d ever have of him. With the viciousness
she was known for, she pushed him and spat, “Get off.”
    He sighed, but rolled off of her. “I should’ve kept
my mouth shut.”
    “I’d have regretted it.” She stood and pulled on her
pants.
    He looked down at his hard-on. “I wouldn’t have.”
    She grabbed her bra off the ground finally
registering the chill in the air. Bastard took her shirt. Where was
her jacket? “I’m sure you can still find some tail,” she told him.
“It’s not like there’s a lot of competition in these small towns. I
bet you have women throwing themselves at you.” She spotted her
leather jacket in a pile of leaves next to the tree she’d been tied
to.
    He grinned. “You find me attractive?”
    She tossed him a sideways glance then retrieved her
jacket. “I said there wasn’t a lot of competition.”
    He rose from the ground and tugged on his jeans,
wincing as he tucked himself in. “Women have told me I’m ruggedly
handsome.”
    Ruggedly handsome? What an understatement. “Uh-huh.
And these women, had they consumed large quantities of
alcohol?”
    “Very funny.” A frown reached his face as she started
to put on her coat. “Take my shirt.” He held it out to her.
    “No.” She could hear his teeth grind from a few yards
away.
    “Damn it, Natalia! I am going to tie you back to that
tree if you don’t take the fucking shirt!”
    Pushy bastard. She met his furious gaze then took the
shirt without a word and pulled it on. It was far too big so she
tucked half of it into her pants. He bit down on his lip and a wave
of lust hit her hard. She wanted to feel nauseous from the pinewood
scent of his shirt, but she couldn’t deny a perverse pleasure in
it. What is
happening to me?
    Her dignity forced her to thank him. He smiled
faintly.
    She looked up at the sky. At least five hours till
dawn. She had plenty of time to follow the Slayer’s trail before
finding a safe place to rest for the day.
    She started north then Cristian stopped her, blocking
her path. With his eyes narrowed he demanded, “Where do you think
you’re going?”
    “North. I’m following the Slayer’s trail.”
    He arched a brow. “You have no weapons.”
    “I am a weapon.”
    Amusement danced in his eyes before he pushed it back
in favor of a stern glare. “We made a deal. We’ll discuss strategy
first then we’ll follow him together.”
    “I was obviously delusional from lack of blood. I
don’t make deals with werewolves.” She tried to step around him but
he moved with her.
    “Does honor mean nothing to you?”
    She bared her teeth as pressure built in her chest
like a volcano. “You want to talk to me about honor, werewolf? What
honor is there in stealing children from their families and killing
them in the lonely woods? What honor is there in hiring yourself to
do the dirty work of a group of pious sorcerers starting war with
every supernatural race? What honor is there in beating a woman,
supposedly his mate, within inches of her life and leaving her to
die while the pack watches her plead for mercy?” She stepped toward
him, fire burning in her eyes. Her chest heaved with angry breaths.
“Werewolves don’t extend mercy. Neither do I.”
    She expected anger. She wanted anger. But Cristian’s
eyes softened, sympathy turning his mouth into a frown. He trailed
a finger down her cheek. Her body froze under his touch. “What
happened to you, Talia? What werewolf wronged you to create such
hate?”
    The answer almost slipped from her tongue. She
clenched her jaw then slapped his hand away. “None of your
business. Just don’t