AGAINST MY WISH.

chapter 4

obliterating the original red wolf species until more recently.”

When she wouldn’t respond, the cop said, “We have to know what you were

doing in the wolves’ pen, miss.”

She looked back at the blankets covering her, considered the I.V. attached to

her arm, and wondered which floor of the hospital her room was located on.

Thompson sat in the chair beside her. “I’m not leaving until I have some

answers.”

Maybe not, but perhaps he’d grow sleepy, or take a bathroom break, or…

The cop’s phone rang. “Yeah? I’ll be right down.” He hung up and then said,

“The media man vanished. I’m going to help my partner look for the news van.

The lady at the front desk gave out the wrong room number for wolf lady here.”

She couldn’t help but cast him a sardonic smile at the name he called her.

“You won’t be smiling when we put you in jail for this little stunt you’ve just

pulled,” Thompson said, his tone harsh.

Wouldn’t that be ironic? If she sat in jail long enough, she could turn back

into the wolf. Then the charges would be dropped against Bella, and she’d be

returned to the wolf pen as Rosa.

“You might want to stay with her in the event someone locates her anyway,”

the cop said. “Be back in a little while.”

“I’ll be here.”

The cop hurried out of the room and shut the door behind him with a click.

Fleeing seemed much more plausible now with Thompson all alone with her

in the room. He leaned closer to the bed and tapped his fingers on the mattress,

his eyes pinning her with authority. “We might not be able to make the charges

of wolf-napping stick against you, but we can get you for trespassing.”

She closed her eyes.

He grunted. “You’re as stubborn as my ex-wife. When she’d made up her

mind not to say something, there wasn’t anything I could do to convince her to

open up.”

Bella wanted to ask why they were divorced, but she figured she was better

off keeping quiet.

The door opened, and Bella opened her eyes. The nurse poked her head in.

“The doctor said you have ten more minutes and then the patient needs to rest.

Visitors aren’t normally allowed in the rooms at this hour.”. “But—”

The nurse raised her hand. “Doctor’s orders.”

Before she shut the door, another scent filtered into the room—Devlyn’s

aromatic male scent.

Hell, he was coming for her, the traitor, and he’d return her to Volan

posthaste.

“Get me out of here now, and I’ll tell you where Rosa is.” Bella’s voice was

still little more than a whisper, which probably saved her butt or Devlyn would

have heard her.

Thompson folded his arms and leaned back in the chair. “No. You’re too

weak. Not until the doctor says—”

She glanced at the I.V. in her arm and then yanked it out. To stop the

bleeding, she clamped her hand over the tape that had held the I.V. in place.

“Wait, miss—”

Jerking her blankets to the floor, she stumbled out of bed. What she wouldn’t

have given for some swift wolf’s legs about now. Although she could run long

and hard as a human, too, a nice warm wolf pelt would have been preferable in

the cold winter weather to a human’s n***d body.

Thompson jumped up from the chair and headed for her.

Her head swam, and she grabbed the mattress. The idea that she had

completely recovered was a delusion.

Thompson skirted around the bed to help her. “I’m—I’m sorry. You need to

return to bed, miss. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She rushed past him into the bathroom. With only a flimsy hospital gown

tied at the back and nothing else to clothe her body, she was out of luck. She

locked the bathroom door and then looked at the window. No way to open it. No

escape. She hurried out of the bathroom.

Thompson hit the nurse’s call button, his tanned face now pale. “I’ll get a

nurse to put the I.V. back—”

Desperate to escape Devlyn, Bella ran out of the room. She dashed for the

nearest exit sign down the long corridor.

“Miss!” Thompson shouted after her.

She slammed into the fire stairs door, glancing back to see Devlyn at the

nurses’ station and Thompson tearing out of the room. Thompson looked back at Devlyn, evidently to see what caught her eye.

Both men stared at each other for a moment. She didn’t wait to see what

happened next.

After charging down two flights of stairs, she bolted onto the first floor. One

man’s boots tromped down the stairwell in hasty pursuit of her. She dove

undetected into a hospital room. Thank God an elderly patient snored in his sleep

in one of the beds. Heart pounding, she slid under the unoccupied bed.

The door to the room opened. She scarcely breathed. Boots stood in the

doorway but then moved away and the door closed.

Hurrying out from underneath the bed, she searched through the man’s wall

closet.

After tossing the hospital gown, she slipped on his large button-down,

collared shirt that reached mid-thigh. She pulled a bulky sweater over this. His

baggy trousers and canoe-sized shoes were way too big. Grabbing his corduroy

jacket, she shoved her arms into the sleeves. Barefooted and barelegged, she ran

to the door and peeked out.

The hallway remained empty, but Thompson, the police, and Devlyn had to

be nearby. She leaned against the doorframe, dizzy—not yet herself. Her head

fuzzed and her heart beat way out of control.

When her head cleared, she dashed for the front door that she envisioned lay

beyond the bend in the hall, centered in the middle of the building.

Devlyn suddenly walked out of a room down the hall and into her path, his

back to her. Her breath caught in her throat. Bolting, she tried to dash past him,

but he jumped to block her. She slammed against his body instead, and he

wrapped his arms around her in a secure vice.

Panic filled her. His touch forced her to want more from him—a searing

embrace, another kiss, full of passion. Madness. He’d turn her over to the pack

leader, damn him.

Devlyn pulled her into the room. To her horror, Thompson and the two cops

lay still as death on the floor, forcing a gasp from her lips. “What—”

His eyes burning with anger, he held a finger to her lips. Then he took her

hand and whispered harshly, “We’re leaving through the front door, quietly.”

When she tried to jerk free, he gripped her hand tighter. “Quietly, damn it, Bella.

Behave for once.”

Straightening her shoulders, she narrowed her eyes. She’d slipped away from. the pack before. She could do it again. And, for now, Devlyn seemed her only

chance to flee the hospital. Yet, God, how she hungered for more than his hand

gripping hers. It was mating season, she reminded herself, nothing more, and she

would l**t after any male that…hell, who was she trying to kid? The way he

looked at her bare legs, even while they stood in imminent danger of being

discovered, the way he touched her—he craved her as much as she did him.

He walked her back into the hall toward the center of the building, his stride

long and indomitable, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. His touch

should have warmed her…well, hell, it did. But for all of the wrong reasons. She

craved more of his touch, at the same time resenting the implication. He was her

captor, her new zookeeper; her blood sizzled.

When they walked past the nurses’ station, a woman wearing polka-dot

scrubs spoke on the phone, her eyes wide. “The patient is missing?”

His jaw tight, Devlyn hurried Bella toward the door past the station.

The woman said, “Wait! Sir! Miss!”

He hit the door with his shoulder and yanked Bella outside into the crisp,

cold air. Grabbing her up in his arms, he ran for the black SUV parked curbside.

Gray-haired Argos tugged the door open.

“Argos,” she said under her breath, the pleasure at seeing him overshadowed

by the realization that the pack was returning her to Volan. She clenched her

teeth.

He gave her a warm smile. “We’ve missed you.”

“Volan has missed me.”

Argos’s smile faded.

“Hurry.” Tanner, Devlyn’s cousin, pointed out the window. “A security

guard is headed this way.”

Devlyn jumped into the driver’s seat while Tanner and his brother Heath

wedged Bella between them in the middle seat; then Devlyn gunned the engine.

“We’ll split up. Give the police clues that Bella and I have headed in other

directions.”

Bella was squished between Devlyn’s cousins, who sat too close for comfort.

“Give me some more room,” she growled.

Tanner chuckled. “Spicy vinegar, just like the old days, eh, Bella?”

“Volan won’t like it if we split up,” Argos warned, glancing over the seat at

her. She shoved at Tanner to move his leg, uncomfortably wedged against her

thigh, but he wouldn’t budge. His brother patted her bare thigh. “About time you

returned to the pack. Sure missed having you around.”

She slapped his hand.

“They’ll catch all of us if we don’t split up,” Devlyn countered, shifting his

attention from the road to his rearview mirror, and gave his cousins a dangerous

glare.

Murmured objections filtered forward, but by pack rules, Devlyn was older,

and since Argos, though the eldest, had stepped down from pack leadership,

Devlyn made the decisions.

“Bella stays with me. Everyone else takes whatever route they need to, to

make it back to Colorado,” Devlyn clarified.

Argos took a deep breath. “And the two of you?”

“We’ll have a time with Thompson.” Devlyn shook his head at Bella. “You

sure have confused him.”

She jerked Tanner’s fingers free from a coil of her hair. “Touch me again

and you’ll lose your fingers.”

The cousins all laughed, but Devlyn gave them a look like he’d be the one to

follow through with Bella’s threat if they didn’t behave.

When they arrived at the hotel, the time approached one in the morning.

With obvious disdain, Devlyn’s cousins reluctantly drove off into the dark in

separate vehicles. Argos gave Bella a warm embrace in the parking area of the

five-story hotel. He’d been the father she’d lost so long ago, and her heart sank

with the knowledge that she might never see him again.

“Welcome back to the pack, Bella. We’ll see you soon.”

Instantly, he stoked her ire. She was never returning to Volan, ever. “It’s

good to see you again, Argos. You take care.”

He’d always been kind to her, protecting her when the overly rambunctious

males had overextended their boundaries with her during her teens, keeping in

touch with her all of these years. She loved seeing him again, even briefly. But

she knew she’d never be able to correspond with him again for fear Volan would

discover her.

Argos nodded as if he knew her thoughts and acknowledged she would make

Devlyn’s life hell if he contemplated returning her home.

He shook Devlyn’s hand. “Keep her safe and bring her home.”. “Will do.”

Argos quickly disappeared into the blackness, too.

Instantly, being alone with Devlyn sent a spark of concern through her. All

male, he was the right age to crave mating with a female in heat. Would he make

a move on her while Volan remained out of the way?

Secretly, the urge to mate with Devlyn wreaked havoc with her feelings. She

couldn’t encourage his attentions, or both would suffer Volan’s wrath. But still

the desire to have Devlyn’s kiss again—

Devlyn grabbed her arm and pulled her into the cement stairwell, their

footsteps echoing all the way up to the second floor. Down a long, carpeted,

dusty-smelling hall, he hastened her to his room.

“You’re barely able to stay on your feet and your eyes look soggy, half-

drugged. We’ll sleep here for a couple of hours and then move.” He shoved the

keycard into the slot and then opened the door into a living area furnished with a

sofa and a couple of chairs.

At once, the idea that he’d take her back to the pack leader stirred her blood

all over again. “You’re not taking me back to Volan.” She didn’t have to say it,

but she wanted to state the facts up front, to let Devlyn know that, even if he

thought he was the boss of the situation, she had other plans.

He walked her across the living room and then pulled her into the bedroom.

“Whatever you say, Bella.” While blocking her escape path through the

doorway, he yanked off his leather jacket.

The black shirt he wore fit over shoulders that had broadened since the last

time she’d seen him. Were his pecs as hard and well sculpted as she imagined

them? She was dying to see. On the other hand, she couldn’t let him know how

much she desired him.

She folded her arms. “You’re not staying in here with me.”

He crossed the floor to her, pulled the way-too-big jacket from her shoulders,

and then dropped it on the floor. “You’re not sleeping by yourself so you can

give me the slip. We’ll have enough running to do. That Thompson fellow is like

a bloodhound. He won’t be satisfied until he gets you back.”

“You mean the wolf back.”

“Yeah, and that means you.”

Her eyes remained riveted on his buttons while he worked to remove his

shirt. When he pulled it off and dropped it on the floor, she stared at his dark. haired chest and chiseled abs. She sighed at the sight of his well-toned body.

Already her hormones were set in high gear. She would be attracted to any male,

she reminded herself, as much as she desired to mate. But she couldn’t help the

feeling that this one stirred her like no other.

Her n*****s tightened and her breasts swelled in anticipation of his touch.

She was sure the short curls between her legs were drenched with expectation, as

much as she ached for him. Damn being in heat.

She folded her arms again and hoped to both stop what she figured he had in

mind and still leave herself a chance of escaping him. “Volan won’t like it if you

share a bed with me.”

“He doesn’t have to like it.”

She raised her brows to hear his defiant words. “So, does that mean you’ve

finally grown some balls?” If he were ready to fight Volan—

“Don’t, Bella. Don’t make anything more out of this than a bad case of

necessity. You’ll run if I don’t stay with you. That’s all. You’re going home to

the pack where you belong.”

She curbed the anger that simmered beneath the surface. He didn’t want her

after all. He only used her to get in good with the leader of the pack. “Why

didn’t you have Argos stay with me instead?”

“He’d have let you have your own way.”

She didn’t believe Devlyn for an instant. Sure, Argos had always been good

to her, but she was certain he felt she’d be safer at home with the pack and

wouldn’t have let her off that easily.

“And your cousins?”

“Any one of them would have tried to have their way with you. They’re

immature and would lose their heads over the thought of you n***d in bed with

them.” He reached over to touch her belly. “As ripe as you are, your smell is an

aphrodisiac.”

She slapped his hand away. His intimation that her alluring scent was the

only reason the other males wanted her forced a chill of irritation across her skin.

But hell, maybe he was right. Maybe Volan was the only one who really desired

her for a permanent mate. Her stomach rolled with nausea at the idea.

Devlyn walked over to the bedroom door and shut it. With a click, he locked

it. But it wasn’t half as secure as the zoo cell. She smiled inwardly but glowered

outwardly. He returned to the bed, sat, and pulled off his boots. Considering his words again, she observed his actions. “But you won’t lose

your head over me?”

“I have a bit more control than that.”

Right.

She walked over to the bed and jerked the solid green comforter back. “Good

for you, though I’m not removing anything more anyway.”

Crossing the floor in a flash, he pulled her around to face him. His unbridled

actions signaled danger. She sensed he was close to losing control. He’d done it

before when he kissed her, and the fire burned and the anger smoldered in his

darkened eyes now like that day long ago. His gaze dropped to her lips as her

heart sent the blood rushing to her ears. He wasn’t as immune to her as he

pretended. Why couldn’t she meet a human male who aroused her like he did?

But Devlyn could never be her mate. He would always be Volan’s lackey.

She tried to pull away, but he shoved her back on the bed, making her sit.

Glaring at him, she folded her arms.

He yanked off the cardigan sweater and then unbuttoned her shirt. Once he’d

pulled it from her shoulders and dropped it on the floor, he said, “I won’t sleep

with something that smells like a human male.”

His gaze dropped from hers to enjoy her nudity. He smiled appreciatively.

“You’ve seen me n***d before.” She slid into bed and then yanked the

covers over her.

“It’s been a good long while and you’re a bit more mature now.” His eyes

sparkled with intrigue and his lips still smiled.

She assumed he wouldn’t try to make love to her.

But then he dropped his pants and she saw his erection. He was one gorgeous

hunk of a gray lupus garou. She hadn’t remembered him being that big. She

wasn’t sure he could hold back and not attempt to mate with her. On the other

hand, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to stop himself, either.

He yanked the covers off her. “Slide over.”

“Go around to the other side of the bed,” she growled.

“You’re on my side. But if you prefer to sleep here, too…” Letting his words

trail off, he climbed on top of her and pinned her to the mattress.

Clenching her teeth, she tried to wriggle out from underneath his hard, naked

body, but his hands seized her wrists and he spread his legs on either side of her,

boxing her in. His thick arousal pressed hard against her mound and liquid heat.pooled between her legs.

“Like it here still?” he asked, l*****g her cheek.

Lost in the feel of him, his heart beating rapidly against her chest, his skin

hot, his body hard, and his smell wild, out-of-doors, and musk, she fought

parting her legs for him; the ache to have him penetrate her feminine folds was

overwhelming.

His erection stirred and he swept his lips over the sensitive skin at her throat.

Was he having a difficult time maintaining his subservient position in the

pack?

“Get off me,” she growled, although she wanted to encourage his actions.

“I gave you ample opportunity to move and you wouldn’t listen.” His voice

sounded drenched with l**t. His mouth caressed the line of her jaw, making her

skin tingle in heady expectation. “When you’re in a pack, there are rules.”

Unable to control her body’s reaction, her heated core ached for him to

follow through. “Yes, and one of them is not to seduce the pack leader’s

intended b***h,” she said, meaning to sound irritated and put him off, but her

voice seemed sexually frustrated instead.

Devlyn cast her an evil smile. “I’m not seducing you. You’re still suffering

from the effects of hypothermia. I’m merely providing necessary medical

attention.”

Again she tried to squirm free, to show him he couldn’t control her, but

every wiggle only made her more aware of how ready his body was to take hers.

She swore she heard him muffle a groan.

“Yeah, right, Devlyn. Volan would really believe that line as much as I do.”

He ran his fingers through her hair and touched his lips to hers, softly this

time.

She couldn’t help but respond, desperately needy for a mate’s touch…

Devlyn’s touch. The doubts she had about Volan, Devlyn, or wanting a human

male all faded from her thoughts in an instant. She licked his lips and then

nipped the lower one.

He issued a deep-throated growl.

She paused. What the hell was she doing? He said he could control himself,

but not the way he touched her. His erection throbbed against her waist as the

sweet ache between her legs intensified. She didn’t want him to stop. What was

wrong with her? She couldn’t encourage him. Volan would kill him for certain.