Read Online Savage Silence: A Dire Wolves Mission (The Devil's Dires Book 4) by Ellis Leigh - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellis Leigh
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over his shorn head. “You can shift wherever you’re comfortable. There’s nothing to fear in here.”
Except me, he thought. Because she did fear him, that much was obvious. A fact that caused him more pain than his bum shoulder.
Thaus moved to the windows of the living area—two of only four small ones in the entire house—making sure each was thrown open so the scents of the forest could carry in on the breeze. The battle would come to them, and scent was the easiest way for Thaus to know when it had arrived.
He turned around to head toward the rear of the house once more…
And almost died.
Ariel had shifted back to her human form.
And she had not yet gotten dressed.
His mate—his beautiful, luscious mate—stood in the middle of the living room, naked with her back to him, struggling to pull her dress over her head. Thaus tried to look away, but the mating pull was too strong. The need to devour her in any way he could too hard to resist. So he looked.
His eyes focused on all her soft bits first—her thighs, the swell of her hips, the curve of her stomach when she turned just slightly, the side of her breast he could just barely see under her arm. She was stunning and sensual in a way that nearly knocked him over. But that appreciation quickly turned to rage.
Scars.
Everywhere.
Claw marks, puncture wounds, long, straight lines that looked as if they were cut into her flesh with some sort of knife. They covered her body, creating what looked like a light-colored pattern across almost every inch of her skin.
Everywhere.
“What happened to you?”
His words were automatic. Unstoppable. And as soon as he said them, he wished he could pull them back. Ariel finally tugged the dress down, covering herself. Hiding those scars from his view. She almost seemed to shrink in on herself as if embarrassed.
“Like Glaxious, a group of shifters decided they wanted an Omega.” She shrugged, her eyes staying locked on the floor instead of meeting his. “Or twelve.”
Thaus’ stomach dropped. The Omegas. The battle at Merriweather Fields, home of the NALB president, a mere three years before. He remembered it well. A pack with an Alpha set on harnessing the power of the Omega shewolf had kidnapped many of them from across the country and tried to forcibly breed them. He’d seen some of them at the final battle—the showdown when that Alpha tried to overthrow the president of the NALB. Tried to oust the Dires’ current boss. The bastard had been defeated and the Omegas brought back home, but Thaus didn’t remember Ariel from that group. He’d checked in every one, had carried most of them down to the hospital wing in the mansion after the fight was over. He would have remembered Ariel. He never would have left this mate once he found her.
“You weren’t at the battle,” he whispered, his voice rough and raw, his emotions much the same.
Ariel finally met his gaze, looking confused. “What battle?”
“Three years ago when the Alpha kidnapping the Omegas came to challenge President Blasius Zenne, you weren’t there.”
“No. I didn’t even know there was a battle. I ran as soon as I figured out how to free myself.” She held up her arms, putting her wrists together so the scars lined up just right. So he could see the circle from what had to be some sort of restraint, the flesh around it rough and jagged from teeth marks and the tears. Thaus was going to be sick.
Ariel, meanwhile, had lost a bit of the life about her. She spoke in a monotone with no expression on her pretty face. “Nearly had to chew my own hands off, but I got out of the chains. The other girls there…they weren’t so lucky.”
Thaus’ head spun. So close. He’d been so close to finding her years ago. If they’d figured out what was going on sooner, if the Dires had been called in a little earlier, he might have been able to find her. He might have saved her from that hell.
But he was also so very proud. His mate had
Except me, he thought. Because she did fear him, that much was obvious. A fact that caused him more pain than his bum shoulder.
Thaus moved to the windows of the living area—two of only four small ones in the entire house—making sure each was thrown open so the scents of the forest could carry in on the breeze. The battle would come to them, and scent was the easiest way for Thaus to know when it had arrived.
He turned around to head toward the rear of the house once more…
And almost died.
Ariel had shifted back to her human form.
And she had not yet gotten dressed.
His mate—his beautiful, luscious mate—stood in the middle of the living room, naked with her back to him, struggling to pull her dress over her head. Thaus tried to look away, but the mating pull was too strong. The need to devour her in any way he could too hard to resist. So he looked.
His eyes focused on all her soft bits first—her thighs, the swell of her hips, the curve of her stomach when she turned just slightly, the side of her breast he could just barely see under her arm. She was stunning and sensual in a way that nearly knocked him over. But that appreciation quickly turned to rage.
Scars.
Everywhere.
Claw marks, puncture wounds, long, straight lines that looked as if they were cut into her flesh with some sort of knife. They covered her body, creating what looked like a light-colored pattern across almost every inch of her skin.
Everywhere.
“What happened to you?”
His words were automatic. Unstoppable. And as soon as he said them, he wished he could pull them back. Ariel finally tugged the dress down, covering herself. Hiding those scars from his view. She almost seemed to shrink in on herself as if embarrassed.
“Like Glaxious, a group of shifters decided they wanted an Omega.” She shrugged, her eyes staying locked on the floor instead of meeting his. “Or twelve.”
Thaus’ stomach dropped. The Omegas. The battle at Merriweather Fields, home of the NALB president, a mere three years before. He remembered it well. A pack with an Alpha set on harnessing the power of the Omega shewolf had kidnapped many of them from across the country and tried to forcibly breed them. He’d seen some of them at the final battle—the showdown when that Alpha tried to overthrow the president of the NALB. Tried to oust the Dires’ current boss. The bastard had been defeated and the Omegas brought back home, but Thaus didn’t remember Ariel from that group. He’d checked in every one, had carried most of them down to the hospital wing in the mansion after the fight was over. He would have remembered Ariel. He never would have left this mate once he found her.
“You weren’t at the battle,” he whispered, his voice rough and raw, his emotions much the same.
Ariel finally met his gaze, looking confused. “What battle?”
“Three years ago when the Alpha kidnapping the Omegas came to challenge President Blasius Zenne, you weren’t there.”
“No. I didn’t even know there was a battle. I ran as soon as I figured out how to free myself.” She held up her arms, putting her wrists together so the scars lined up just right. So he could see the circle from what had to be some sort of restraint, the flesh around it rough and jagged from teeth marks and the tears. Thaus was going to be sick.
Ariel, meanwhile, had lost a bit of the life about her. She spoke in a monotone with no expression on her pretty face. “Nearly had to chew my own hands off, but I got out of the chains. The other girls there…they weren’t so lucky.”
Thaus’ head spun. So close. He’d been so close to finding her years ago. If they’d figured out what was going on sooner, if the Dires had been called in a little earlier, he might have been able to find her. He might have saved her from that hell.
But he was also so very proud. His mate had
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