Read Online Bewitching the Werewolf by Caroline Hanson - Free Book Online
Authors: Caroline Hanson
Tags: Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Anthologies, Collections & Anthologies, Holidays, Werewolves & Shifters, Two Hours or More (65-100 Pages)
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else who gripped the stake tighter. Someone else who walked forward, eye level with the monster who had just been about to kill her. And behind him was Lucas his large presence overshadowing everything else. She smoothed the rumpled Pogues t-shirt, wanting to hit his heart on the first try.
She struck hard and fast but the stake didn't go in far enough. Val tried again, using two hands and pressing forward, all of her weight pushing forward. It was like cutting a grisly steak with a plastic knife.
“ Harder,” Lucas said.
Val heard a grunt— her own— and pushed, her arms burning with exertion, until the stake slid forward and the vampire paused in mid-struggle.
His skin turned ashen then disintegrated, bones falling around the stake and clunking to the ground before her, dust settling on her tennis shoes. Her momentum carried her forward, the stake still raised, about to pierce Lucas. Deftly, he turned and caught her, his strong hands gripping her arms, keeping her and the stake away from him.
“ I think one vampire is sufficient for tonight,” he said dryly.
Val stepped backwards and looked up into his eyes. She thought of a gas fire, the blue that surrounded the flames, the same color and heat of his eyes.
“ I release you,” he said softly, looking down at her.
Valerie came back to herself, the blue ocean throwing her out, cold night air biting through her clothing, her shin painful and still bleeding. She looked down at the wound, then back up but Lucas was gone.
She heard Jack calling her. Dropping the stake, she ran; calling for Jack and her father, tripping over tree roots and slipping on damp leaves as she followed Jack's voice back to the car.
Her father looked her over, disappointment, maybe even irritation, etched on his face. “See Jack, I told you she was fine. You think that's a funny game, Valerie? Run off into the woods and scare us witless? If you couldn't help, or I guess wouldn't help, then you should have stayed in the car. You were stupid and reckless, Valerie.” Her father strode to the driver's side of the car and got in, leaving Val in the cold night air.
She supposed she should tell him what had happened. But she didn’t want to.
Did she fear Lucas? Hell, yeah! She wasn’t a total idiot. But would he hurt her?
No.
Her mind and body knew it, the answer resonating through her like the vibrations of a bell. Part of her wondered how she could know, wondered at the risk she was willing to take, and then that worry resolved too. Irrationally, she knew. He wouldn’t hurt her.
They drove home in silence and Valerie went to bed thinking about Lucas and her decision to stay quiet. He'd known her name, protected her, and tried to help her get over her fear. Even though she hadn't been in control of her actions, she felt a little better, like she'd kind of done it, and could maybe protect herself in the future.
He was like Lucifer, the angel so beautiful that all others paled in comparison. Men didn't look like him, features so bold and striking, so harsh and perfect that he was frightening. When she thought about boys, she thought about Jack. She spent most of her time imagining kissing Jack, she'd even dreamed about it.
Lucas was not a boy.
Lucas wasn’t the stuff of girlish fantasies. He was too predatory to fantasize about. It was like a kitten admiring a lion. Val pushed the uncomfortable thoughts away, and was glad she’d decided to say nothing about Lucas. She didn’t want to think about him, have Nate and Jack talk about him. They couldn’t do anything anyway. Lucas had crushed that other vampire with a punch. She knew who Lucas was. All the Hunters did. He was their leader. King . And he could kill her and her family with one careless swipe of his arm.
And if she told them about Lucas they’d have questions. Questions she didn’t have the answers too and that she didn’t want said aloud. She
She struck hard and fast but the stake didn't go in far enough. Val tried again, using two hands and pressing forward, all of her weight pushing forward. It was like cutting a grisly steak with a plastic knife.
“ Harder,” Lucas said.
Val heard a grunt— her own— and pushed, her arms burning with exertion, until the stake slid forward and the vampire paused in mid-struggle.
His skin turned ashen then disintegrated, bones falling around the stake and clunking to the ground before her, dust settling on her tennis shoes. Her momentum carried her forward, the stake still raised, about to pierce Lucas. Deftly, he turned and caught her, his strong hands gripping her arms, keeping her and the stake away from him.
“ I think one vampire is sufficient for tonight,” he said dryly.
Val stepped backwards and looked up into his eyes. She thought of a gas fire, the blue that surrounded the flames, the same color and heat of his eyes.
“ I release you,” he said softly, looking down at her.
Valerie came back to herself, the blue ocean throwing her out, cold night air biting through her clothing, her shin painful and still bleeding. She looked down at the wound, then back up but Lucas was gone.
She heard Jack calling her. Dropping the stake, she ran; calling for Jack and her father, tripping over tree roots and slipping on damp leaves as she followed Jack's voice back to the car.
Her father looked her over, disappointment, maybe even irritation, etched on his face. “See Jack, I told you she was fine. You think that's a funny game, Valerie? Run off into the woods and scare us witless? If you couldn't help, or I guess wouldn't help, then you should have stayed in the car. You were stupid and reckless, Valerie.” Her father strode to the driver's side of the car and got in, leaving Val in the cold night air.
She supposed she should tell him what had happened. But she didn’t want to.
Did she fear Lucas? Hell, yeah! She wasn’t a total idiot. But would he hurt her?
No.
Her mind and body knew it, the answer resonating through her like the vibrations of a bell. Part of her wondered how she could know, wondered at the risk she was willing to take, and then that worry resolved too. Irrationally, she knew. He wouldn’t hurt her.
They drove home in silence and Valerie went to bed thinking about Lucas and her decision to stay quiet. He'd known her name, protected her, and tried to help her get over her fear. Even though she hadn't been in control of her actions, she felt a little better, like she'd kind of done it, and could maybe protect herself in the future.
He was like Lucifer, the angel so beautiful that all others paled in comparison. Men didn't look like him, features so bold and striking, so harsh and perfect that he was frightening. When she thought about boys, she thought about Jack. She spent most of her time imagining kissing Jack, she'd even dreamed about it.
Lucas was not a boy.
Lucas wasn’t the stuff of girlish fantasies. He was too predatory to fantasize about. It was like a kitten admiring a lion. Val pushed the uncomfortable thoughts away, and was glad she’d decided to say nothing about Lucas. She didn’t want to think about him, have Nate and Jack talk about him. They couldn’t do anything anyway. Lucas had crushed that other vampire with a punch. She knew who Lucas was. All the Hunters did. He was their leader. King . And he could kill her and her family with one careless swipe of his arm.
And if she told them about Lucas they’d have questions. Questions she didn’t have the answers too and that she didn’t want said aloud. She
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