Free A Night of Forever by Lori Brighton Page B

his eyes…
he should be able to make the distance.
    He didn’t need to look back at Mary Ellen to check
her welfare. He could sense her, feel her breath, hear her
heartbeat…slow…so slow. Panic urged him into action.
    Aidan ran directly at the far corner, so fast he
knew he was a blur, and was for once thankful for his abilities.
His foot hit the corner, about five feet up. Aidan pushed off and
focused on those iron bars covering the windows.
    He gripped the bars and looked directly into their
pale English faces…each and every one. For a moment they were too
shocked to make a sound. Quickly enough the women screamed, the
small group of silk dresses and suits stumbling back in their haste
to escape. The sound of shattering glass resonated through the cell
as they dropped their flutes of wine.
    “No need to retreat. Don’t worry.” The man in charge
tried to calm their fears. “There is no possible way he can escape.
The bars have been tested.”
    Aidan focused on him. Their leader. He pierced the
man’s soul with his gaze and relished when the man shivered. He
could hear the rapid beat of his heart, practically taste his fear.
His bald head glistened with sweat, his swollen belly pushing
against the seams of his black jacket as he panted.
    Growling low in his throat, Aidan gripped the bars
harder and pulled them apart. The screech of metal interrupted the
sound of snarling wolves below. The bars parted easily under his
strength, far enough that he could fit through. The feminine
screams turned high-pitched. Fear vibrated the very air around him.
He would see they all paid. But not now. No, he had more important
things to worry about.
    Aidan released his hold and fell, landing in a
crouched position on the ground. Slowly, he lifted his head,
focusing on the wolves. One was lying upon the ground, bleeding,
still. The other was limping its way toward Mary Ellen. She drew
her knees to her chest, her face pale in the torchlight, her
whimper heart-wrenching.
    With a cry of outrage, Aidan burst forward, teeth
bared. He hit the wolf before the animal sensed him coming. The
beast rolled to its side, taking Aidan with him. Crushed beneath
his weight would have killed a lesser man, but Aidan wasn’t exactly
human. Aidan shoved his palms into the animal’s side. The wolf flew
across the room, hitting the stone wall with a thump. The animal
cried out, sliding to the ground.
    Aidan jumped to his feet. “Mary Ellen, now!” He held
out his hand.
    She stumbled upright, her body quivering with fear
and exhaustion, but her eyes were trusting, so damn trusting. He
reached her in one step, wrapping his arm around her waist and
pulling her up hard against him. The werewolf was regaining his
feet, his gaze locked to them.
    Aidan glanced up at the windows, the spectators were
gone, leaving behind only a trail of terror and regret.
    “Hold tight,” Aidan said. “It’s going to get
interesting.”
     
    ****
     
    As Aidan raced forward, headed toward the wall, Mary
Ellen faded into darkness. It wasn’t until the cool night air
whispered lovingly over her face that she stirred. How very odd she
felt, floating between darkness and light. She knew Aidan still
held her, she could sense his presence and breathed in his spicy
scent. She knew that somehow they had escaped certain death, yet
couldn’t manage to dredge up enough energy to care.
    “Mary Ellen, open your eyes.”
    The pressure of Aidan’s arms lessened and she felt
her body sliding down his hard form. The friction caused an odd
heat to fill her veins. She had the sudden desire to be closer to
him, to wrap her arms around his waist and never let go. Her feet
hit the ground and she opened her eyes. His beautiful blue gaze
watched her as if he cared. Did he care? Was Sally right? Or had he
merely saved her because she was Grayson’s sister-in-law?
    He reached over her shoulder and pushed open the
door to a large cottage.
    “Where are we?” she asked, her voice soft, weak.