Monsters Under Mistletoe

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

B efore my eyes even opened, I could smell him. The warm sandalwood scent I’d struggled to replicate with candles surrounded me, but it was bolder and more overwhelming than the last time I saw him.

Declan’s changing.

I struggled to open my eyes. My arm burned from the unnatural way it was hanging above my head. The looseness of my limbs and inability to open my damn eyes could only mean one thing.

Drugs. But who?

My groggy brain started to piece together what had happened.

The frantic call from Declan.

My race to his sister’s house.

Trevor inviting me inside.

Then nothing.

Eventually, my eyelids fluttered open, the first thing I saw was a mistletoe hanging above me on the bed frame. I rolled my head to the side and got a good look of Trevor and Lala’s basement, complete with their festive tiki bar.

“What in the world?” I croaked out. Movement on the other side of the basement caught my eye. “Hello? Who’s there?”

There was no response, but I could feel eyes on me. I pulled on the chain with what little strength I could and shouted, “Let me go! You don’t want to see what happens when I’m cornered. It’s all teeth and claws!”

Nothing. There was no sound or movement, but I knew I was being watched.

Panicked, I kicked it up another decibel and shouted until I was shrill, “I mean it! Someone better free me, or I will eat your hearts out!”

One thing I’d been taught in the Crescent Pack was that the outside world was full of dangers. The biggest being hunters. These humans thought they were experts on us, but they were just scared little people who made up stories to make themselves feel better.

A figure stepped out of the shadow, and I tensed.

“I think it’s a little late for that, Holly.” Declan sneered, lifting his hand to his chest. “Feels like you did a pretty good job ripping mine out.”

He looked rough. His dark hair was sticking up in every direction, his lip was busted, and his shirt was torn and stretched out. “Declan?” I curled my legs up to my chest, scooting back so I was sitting. “What’s going on?”

Declan took a step toward me, and I tried to make myself smaller. Tilting his head, he narrowed his eyes and scoffed. “You’re scared of me? That’s fucking hilarious.”

“I didn’t—”

“Stop.” Declan held his hand up, closing the distance between him and the bed. “All this time, you were a werewolf and didn’t tell me.”

I gnawed the inside of my cheek, eyeing his hands as they wrapped around the wrought iron bed frame, squeezing so tight his knuckles turned white. “You’re right.” I licked my lips, struggling to come up with the right words. “There are so many things I’ve wanted to tell you. So many secrets—”

“Stop!” Declan shouted as he shook the bed, pulling it from the wall. My arm jerked painfully, and I hissed. His scowl dropped, and he was by my side in a second, scooting the bed back in place. “Shit, Holly. Are you okay?”

“Fine.” I winced, adjusting the angle of my arm.

He huffed out a breath and went back to the end of the bed. “I don’t know what’s happening.” Dragging his hands through his hair, he glared at me. “Why did you do this to me?”

“I wasn’t in control. It’s been a long time since I’d shifted and . . .”

“You took a bite out of me.”

I nodded.

I’d spent my time away reliving that night over and over, and one thing was clear—I’d wanted Declan more than any man I’d ever met. Throw in a full moon, and the man I loved was turning into a werewolf.

He let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the bedframe on straight arms. “Trevor says we have to kill you to stop the change.”

I frowned, my body stretching back out as I leaned toward Declan, the chain pulling me up short. “That won’t stop the change.”

His eyes dropped to my bare feet. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not. Nothing will stop the change. I bit you on a full moon while . . .”

He licked his bottom lip, his gaze dragging up my body. “While what?”

Heat spread through me under his attention. I shut my eyes like a coward and said, “While thinking you were mine.”

Declan’s fingertips grazed the top of my foot. His stormy gray eyes darkened, and his mouth opened slightly as he inhaled deeply.

I shivered, his touch sending sparks up my body, shocking me. “What happened to your face?”

He looked at me through his thick lashes as he gently squeezed my ankle. “Trevor brought you down here all comatose, and I lost it. He tried to put me down, but I got the upper hand, and he locked us down here.” Standing to his full height, he rounded the end of the bed. “He’s trying to figure out what to do about all this.”

“So, he’s a hunter?” My mind whirled, trying to find a way out of this awful situation.

Declan nodded, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Listen, there’s nothing he can do. Killing me won’t stop the change, but I can help you survive it.”

He sat on the edge of the bed, his scent distracting me from the situation at hand.

“Are you going to let him kill me?”

“No,” he said as he rested his hand on my calf. The thick material of my leggings did little to protect me from the sensation of his touch. He moved up my leg and whimpered.

“Are you going to kill me?” My voice shook out of fear and desire.

His eyes lifted to my face, and he shook his head.

My heart raced. I may have taken a chunk out of his neck, but he looked at me like he wanted to devour me whole. Adrenaline pumped through my blood as I whispered, “So, what are we going to do?”

His tongue flicked out and wet his lips. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

I frowned. “You need to get me out of this cuff. I can protect us, get us out of here.”

Declan shook his head, his hand sliding between my thighs. “No. Not yet.”

My face flushed. “What do you mean, not yet? Are you fucking—”

His fingers lightly grazed my pussy, and my hips jerked toward his hand as my head fell back into the flat pillow. Panting, I sucked down a breath and looked back at Declan. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched me.

“We need to get out of here,” I half-heartedly muttered, more worried about keeping Declan’s hands on me than survival.

He toyed with the waistband of my leggings, his eyes never leaving my face. “Trevor left a little while ago. Lala forgot the kid’s toothbrushes. I figure we’re probably dead either way, so—” Shifting his body, his hand dipped into my panties.

Blood rushed to my core, leaving me feeling hot all over when his finger slid against my clit. I needed to have fewer clothes on—he needed to have fewer clothes on.

Another minute, and I knew I would be past the point of no return. “We shouldn’t do this,” I said, but my body disagreed.

He leaned over me, and the metallic smell of his blood filled my nostrils. Tugging my leggings and panties off, he moved until he was nearly on top of me. “I can’t stop. I know this is reckless. I can’t explain it, but I can’t stop.”

He crushed his lips against mine, his finger sliding into me.

His mouth muffled my cries as he roughly moved in and out. He bit and tugged my lips with his teeth, leaving them stinging and sore. Tension began to build, my muscles tightening, waiting for the final push over the edge.

Declan’s weight felt wonderful, but I wanted to touch every inch of his body. I ached to reach out and caress my mark on his neck, to push his hair from his eyes. Even bloody and beaten, he was the most handsome man I had ever seen. The only problem was that every time I tried to use my free hand to bring him closer, he pinned it down.

Frustrated, I pulled my face away. “Declan, let me touch you!”

He nipped down my throat, his tongue soothing the spots, only to bite down harder. With every bite, his teeth were sharper—he was changing.

“No.” His mouth landed on my collarbone as his thumb pressed into my swollen clit, sending my body into spasms. I arched into him, my body pulsing around his fingers as he prolonged my orgasm past comfort.

“Please, I-I—”

“You want me to stop?” Declan moved between my thighs, licking up my neck to my ear. Taking the soft flesh between his teeth, he pulled hard.

My moan filled the small room, and my free hand fell to the back of his head, holding him to me.

His body shook with laughter. “I’ll take that as a no then?”

I sighed, giving up all control to him. A small voice inside tried to remind me this was a bad idea, but my instincts overruled all rational thought.

He pulled away, looking down with darkening eyes as his canines descended. Taking my chin between his finger and thumb, he forced me to look into his eyes. Smelling my arousal on his fingers sent a shot of lust through my body. I wanted him covered in my scent.

“I’m going to mark every inch of your luscious body as mine. Do you want that, Holly?”

When I didn’t immediately answer, his grip on my chin tightened.

Instead of using my words, I pushed my hips up into his and shuddered at the feel of his denim-covered erection against my exposed folds.

Declan pressed down, grinding me into the mattress.

“Fuck,” I panted. With one hand pinned to the bed and the other locked in a handcuff, I arched into him, trying to feel every bit of his body.

Reaching behind his head, Declan pulled off his shirt.

The view left my mouth watering. The man was broad, toned, and better than any picture I’d seen of him on social media. My gaze followed the smattering of hair on his chest down to the happy trail above the waistband of his jeans—I wanted to see where it led.

As I struggled in his hold, one large hand ripped open the front of my shirt, and I gasped.

Declan grunted as his teeth grazed my lace-covered nipple. Biting down, he pulled the fabric away, and his free hand tugged at the cups, exposing me.

Staring down at my disheveled form, his eyes dilated. “God damn, you’re beautiful.”

As promised, he began a slow but thorough perusal of my body. Dragging his nose down my cleavage, a growl vibrated from his chest. “You smell even better than before.” His gray eyes flashed up at me. “Is this a wolf thing?”

Declan didn’t wait for me to answer before he palmed my belly, running his hand to my side, and squeezing as he bit the other.

I moaned, twisting to try and find something to rub against.

“Look how pretty your skin looks with my marks,” he said, his tongue tracing a particularly sore spot.

Lying flat on his belly between my thighs, he hung his legs over the bed frame at an awkward angle. The heat from his breath sent goosebumps down my legs.

He inhaled deeply and groaned. Spreading me wide with his fingers, he licked me from ass to clit.

I moaned, my thighs falling ever wider. The way he sucked and licked me had me shaking. I rocked against his face, following his lead as his tongue speared me over and over. My free hand fell to my breast, and I massaged it, occasionally pinching and pulling my nipple.

I was on the edge of coming when Declan bit the inside of my thigh viciously. I yelped and he let out a dark chuckle.

“You don’t get to come yet.” He bit the other thigh as he slapped my clit.

“Fuck,” I cried out, looking down at him with wide eyes.

He did it again, and I jerked, yanking the chain.

With a smile, he slid up my body. As we lay chest to chest, his eyes fluttered shut. “Do you feel those sparks? Is it always like that?”

“I do, and no, it’s not. I’ve never—” My words were cut off as he slid two fingers inside my pussy. The magic I felt humming under my skin the night of the Christmas party was pulsating now, making every one of Declan’s touches that much more intoxicating.

He pulled his fingers out and wiped them across my lips, giving me a feral grin before kissing me roughly. His hand gripped my neck, holding me in place as he licked my arousal from my lips, then dipped his tongue into my mouth so I could taste it.

I moaned, pressing my heels into the bed to get closer to Declan.

Leaning up on one elbow, he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down along with his boxers. With my hand finally free, I gripped him tightly. Slowly, but firmly, I worked up and down his shaft.

His head fell back, and his eyes shut tight. “Oh god. Yes, just like that.”

“If you like that, imagine what I could do with two hands.”

Declan’s eyes flew open, and he ripped my hand from his body, pinning it to the bed. “No. You’re going to feel what it’s like to be my prey. You tasted me. It’s my turn to taste you.”

A shiver racked my body.

Giving me a wicked smile, Declan leaned down to my ear and murmured, “That’s right, baby. Be scared.”

Without warning, his canines dug into my neck, and he entered me. I cried out in pain as my body adjusted to the sudden intrusion.

The pain heightened into pleasure as he slowly pulled out and thrust in harder. He wrapped one of my legs around his waist, allowing him to go even deeper. His teeth stayed buried in my neck, holding me in place as he fucked me.

My wrist burned from the handcuff, my other from the grip of his hand as his nails extended into crude claws.

The old bed squeaked as he pinned me to the mattress over and over. His coarse chest hair dragged across my sensitive nipples, and my belly jiggled with every thrust. Our bodies moved in sync, my pussy gripping him as I got closer to my release. He grinded against my clit, stimulating me in every possible way. With one more brutal thrust, I came undone.

I saw stars as wave after wave of pleasure came over me. There had never been a point in my life where I felt this connected to another person. Despite the shit timing, I knew what it meant—Declan was my mate.

His hips snapped into mine, the rhythm erratic and sloppy until he groaned, coming deep inside me.

When he pulled his teeth from my neck, I winced.

He ran his warm tongue over the wounds, humming at the taste of my blood. “Is it sick that I love the way you taste?”

“No,” I whined out, fighting the competing feelings of pain and pleasure. “I think we might be mates.”

He propped himself up on his elbows and gazed down at me. “Mates?”

“Soulmates.” I licked my lips, distracted by our skin touching. “Even before I bit you, it was different with you. I’d never—” I shook my head. “I’d never felt such a connection with another person, but you weren’t a wolf.”

Declan shifted his weight, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. “Since I met you, you’re all I’ve been able to think about. Do you know I haven’t fucked another person since I met you? Not even a kiss.”

I frowned. “Me neither. I didn’t want to.”

Declan grinned, his eyes glowing. His lips parted, but a noise upstairs drew our attention. “He’s back.”

I shoved Declan’s shoulder to sit up. “Unlock me.” The full moon meant a shift would be fast, as long as I could move.

He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a key.

Heavy footsteps came down the stairs, and keys jangled as Trevor fumbled with the lock.

Declan and I shared a panicked look. The cuff fell from my wrist as the door swung open.

“What the fuck?” Trevor shouted, pulling a gun from his waistband. “How are you already changing?”

I scoffed, “Not so all-knowing, huh?”

“Shut up!” He fired a shot, and I ducked, the bullet missing me by an inch.

Declan jumped off the bed, putting himself in between me and his homicidal brother-in-law. With his hands held up, he inched toward the door and said, “Put the gun down, Trev.”

“Stop right there. Don’t make me shoot you.”

A loud crack sounded through the room, and Declan grabbed his side. “Fuck, that hurts.”

Trevor took a step toward Declan, his face twisted in worry. “No, no, no. You weren’t supposed to shift yet. The sun hasn’t set yet.”

I kept my mouth shut, curious about just how little this supposed hunter knew about the shift.

While Declan would be fully shifted by the time the full moon was high in the sky, it didn’t mean it couldn’t start earlier, or even be complete before then. It wasn’t an on-off switch.

The beauty of being born a were was I had more practice harnessing the power of the moon at any time to start my shift. I’d never been too good at fighting the full moon. My pack didn’t teach us to, but for once, my lack of control worked to my benefit.

Trevor’s attention on Declan’s painful moans was the perfect distraction for my body, which was already changing and popping into shape without me even trying.

I slinked off the mattress and crouched down on the other side of the bed. I focused hard on my shift, praying to the Moon Goddess that I’d be able to get us out of this mess.

Minutes passed with Trevor leaning over Declan, muttering nonsense and completely forgetting about my existence. Every one of Declan’s screams drew my attention. His bones cracked and reformed, but it wasn’t until his face elongated into a pointed muzzle that his screams became garbled and unnatural.

Trevor jumped away, his hand shaking as he pointed the small handgun at my writhing mate. “I’m so sorry, Declan. This is for the best. I won’t let you become a monster.”

I let out a vicious growl and leapt, half-shifted over the bed. Trevor swung the gun toward me and squeezed off a shot. The bullet grazed my hind leg as I rolled away. Trevor screamed, and the gun went off. The scent of blood filled the room, and I quickly realized it was Declan’s.

I growled as I righted myself, a rage I’d never felt turning my vision red.

Blood oozed from Declan’s shoulder, but he kept his teeth buried in Trevor’s thigh, holding on for dear life as Trevor fought to get to the gun lying a few feet away. Despite the pain from the shift and gunshot, he never let go.

I stalked toward Trevor, a vicious hum rattling my chest.

“No. Don’t—” were the last words he said before I ripped his throat out. Blood sprayed everywhere, covering the two of us as his body slumped to the floor.

Declan’s eyes held a sadness, but there was something more there. As his shift completed, I felt every fiber of our bond snap into place. Everything I’d ever felt for him heightened until he was an extension of my own existence. Declan was my heart outside of my body.

“Mate,” I mind linked.

He reared back, shaking his big wolf head. “Holly?” Stepping around his dead brother-in-law, he nuzzled my neck. “How are you in my head?”

“We’re bonded. I’ll explain everything once we’re out of here. Come on.”

We snuck up the stairs and out the backdoor. The full moon shined brightly on our bloody fur. Declan stood in the backyard, transfixed by our surroundings. I could hear his thoughts racing, his senses overwhelmed by the scents of the city.

Nipping his hind leg, I nudged him toward the alley. He had plenty of time to explore and stretch his new abilities. For now, we needed to get away from the bloody scene in the basement.