Red (VonRouge Book 1) Read online

  What the hell was he?

  And why, on this God’s green Earth, was I more focused on how gorgeous he was than anything else?

  His eyes were beautiful.

  He was stunningly scary.

  Gorgeous.

  And if my mind wasn’t messing with me, he’d just morphed into a man . . . after chasing me down as a wolf.

  My mind lagged before catching up with what I now knew.

  The stories I’d heard as a child of these creatures were true.

  One of them was staring me right in the face.

  One of them was currently naked as the day he was born and pinning me down to the forest floor!

  Werewolf.

  He shifted again, his thigh sliding between my legs, pressing intimately against me. The moonlight glinted off his black hair as he lowered his head to sniff my jaw one more time.

  Slower than before. He was taking his time.

  A low growl rumbled in his chest.

  His lips brushed along my skin as he took my scent deep into his lungs.

  The length pressing against me shot hard as a rock in an instant. I gasped, recognizing what it was. He was hard and getting even harder with each second he breathed the scent of me in.

  What really surprised me wasn’t his reaction; it was mine.

  My back arched of its own volition, my body seeking out more of his heat.

  And just before his teeth sunk into the juncture between my neck and shoulder, he pulled back, his full lips twisted in a cocky smirk.

  One word left them.

  One word that I didn’t realize had sealed my fate.

  One word that made my body ache in ways I’d never ached before.

  “Mine.”

  His teeth pierced my skin.

  Chapter 1

  “I’ve only been in this town a week and I’ve managed to land myself in the hospital.” I throw my head back onto the scratchy hospital pillow, looking up at my aunt.

  Who, by the way, is softly stroking my hair. “Hun, I warned you about going out too far into those woods. You’re lucky something scared off the animal before it could do any major damage.” With her free hand, she continues to stroke my hair.

  At her mention of the word animal, my brain flashes back to my hallucination.

  Because it had been one.

  Right?

  My eyes roll upward of their own accord at the stupid thought—of course it had been a hallucination. My Aunt Tasha tugs on my hair, pulling my attention back to her. “Hey! No hair pulling here,” I whine, jutting out my lower lip. “I’m the one who is currently bleeding from this traumatic event. And the one suffering from temporary amnesia. I still can’t believe I don’t remember making it home.” I scratch my forehead in frustration, careful to avoid the golf ball-sized lump that I now have on my head.

  Why can’t I remember much of anything past being tackled by the wolf?

  Damn. I definitely must have hit my head hard enough to not only cause memory loss, but also that freaky vision I had when I was knocked out. Nevertheless, the nurses have already said I don’t have a concussion. Is it possible to hit your head that hard and not get one?

  Weird.

  A warm hand envelopes mine, bringing my mind back into focus and making me realize I’ve been scratching my arm to the point that angry red welts are starting to form. Sheepishly mumbling a, “Sorry Aunt Tasha,” I force myself to stop.

  She gives me a small smile and returns to messing with my hair.

  I let her because it’s obviously bringing her comfort and although she’s hiding it well, I know she’s worried for me after last night.

  My fingers twitch with the urge to scratch again. I curl them into fists, fighting it. My skin keeps tingling, like a thousand bolts of electricity are coursing through it. No matter how much I scratch, the sensations don’t cease. I’m also sure I’m developing anxiety issues. My lungs strain like I can’t fully catch my breath.

  Once we’d arrived at the hospital, Aunt Tasha started acting bizarre. I didn’t even ask her what happened when she began telling me how I came stumbling up the porch, bleeding down my neck and mumbling about a wolf. The whole story seemed weird, almost rehearsed. She thinks maybe I fought it off or something scared it; that part she is firm on.

  But once she finishes there is this look in her eyes, one of questioning, like my story is going to change. She has repeated the same conversation several times and with each new telling I begin to get aggravated with her. It’s like she thinks I’m lying, as if I wanted to end up bitten and in the hospital.

  It grates on my nerves that she thinks I’m not telling her everything, but I am. I really don’t freaking remember, which kind of scares me.

  My aunt continues to remind me how lucky I am in between each telling of her story. Between the shock of the attack and how cold it had been these last few nights in the forest, she doesn’t think I would have made it if I had stayed lost.

  She’s said I’m lucky three times tonight.

  So why don’t I feel lucky?

  My aunt moves away and takes a seat in the chair by the window. My eyes remain locked on her for a few moments, watching her rest before my mind begins to wander. I try to connect all the broken pieces in my memory. Everything leading up to and during the so-called attack is crystal clear

  So is the hallucination. I remember every second of that.

  A wolf changing into a man? Just like in all those legends I read about. No way. No freaking way is that possible. At the mere thought of it, fear ignites through me.

  But what if it had been real?

  My eyes close, the memory of the wolf flashes through my mind; then the man it changed into. The way he held himself above me, and those haunting gray eyes. His soft lips skimming my skin. Each memory causes my breath to hitch.

  My mind continues to question if he was real.

  It wants him to be.

  His scent on my skin, the heat and weight of his body on mine . . . my body responds to the memory so viscerally, recalling every single detail. For the first time since waking up, I have to entertain the idea that these memories are too real to just be a dream or some bad hallucination.

  If it did happen, then he must exist. So does the pull he has over me. And that almost freaks me out as much as what he said to me last night does.

  Mine.

  Almost.

  Shaking the thoughts from my mind and refusing to give any more time to nonsense—because there’s no way I’m his—I turn my thoughts instead to the “how’s” running rampant through my mind.

  How did he change? How did I get home? How? How?

  I don’t believe for a second that I was able to fight off a man or a wolf. Thinking about it, what girl my size would be able to do that?

  Not only was he a werewolf—which based on the stories I’ve heard and read guaranteed him super human strength and speed—his size alone made it impossible for me to gain control over him.

  A shadow crosses my line of vision. Startled out of my reverie, I blink and look up to find an attractive, middle-aged man in a white doctor’s coat standing at the entrance to my room. He is handsome. Devastatingly handsome. With his dark tousled hair, bluish-gray eyes, and the light five o’clock shadow covering his jaw, he is breathtaking.

  His looks aren’t what captures my attention. It’s his dominating aura that makes it impossible for me to form words. I think I might be gaping as I take him in. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be flustered by him or scared. “Hello, Tasha. What a pleasure to see you again,” he greets my aunt with a smile.

  My eyes widen when I catch a glimpse of his canines and how large they are. I’m enraptured. I don’t think I’ve ever seen incisors that big on a human before.

  Nope. But I saw them last night. Inside the mouth of another man.

  Not a man. A freaking beast.

  My aunt stands and walks toward the man, full of smiles and arms open to embrace him as if he’s a longtime
friend.

  They must know each other since he knows my aunt by her first name. There is a gleam in her eyes. One I can’t seem to decipher but that makes me curious. “Oh, hello Dr. Snow. It is wonderful to see you, too.”

  Is this the doctor that helped me earlier?

  Dr. Snow bends his tall frame to embrace Aunt Tasha. “Next time we see each other, hopefully it will be under better circumstances.” He turns to me, flaunting an impressive smile, complete with those big incisors. “You must be Sadie VonRouge. Your aunt was telling me all about you while you were sleeping. She has been very worried about you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” I start fidgeting with my hospital gown. For some reason, I’m always nervous around males and tense up without fail. It’s a problem I have been trying to work on, but this habit is harder to break than I originally thought. Seemingly, a part of my DNA I can’t rewrite. This man, with his looks, aura and height, is just too intimidating for me to handle.

  “I’m Dr. Snow, but you can call me David.” His request is kind but his tone holds authority, and it’s in such a way that doesn’t leave room for negotiations. All I can do is nod. He looks down at my chart, his brows draw together and I start to get worried. “The nurse says you were attacked by a wolf?” He sounds confused as he looks up from the chart.

  However, he isn’t looking at me; he’s regarding my aunt as if to confirm what he just read. She simply nods her head with an undecipherable look in her eyes. These two are having some weird, silent conversation and I’m apparently not going to be included.

  Since I have no choice left but to answer, I turn back to the doctor. “Umm, yes sir.”

  Aunt Tasha and Dr. Snow continue to have their silent conversation for another moment before his eyes dart to mine. Something about them seem familiar, but I can’t place where I may have seen him before. So what could it be?

  “And you were able to fight your way free, then make it back to your aunt’s house?” There is no hint of disbelief in his voice. He, just like my aunt, seems to accept my explanation like its normal, but this hasn’t been the consensus around here.

  Other nurses I have spoken to since getting here have looked at me like I’m insane. But not my aunt, and definitely not Dr. Snow. Instead, he just continues to stare at me expectantly. As if merely waiting for my answer, no matter how ridiculous it may sound.

  His behavior is so strange, and it’s actually making me more uncomfortable.

  “Well, I only remember up to a certain point. I was out walking in the woods behind the house. I must have wandered too far and before I realized, it had become darker. I decided to head home but as I turned to walk back, there was a man. I got a creepy vibe from him as he began walking toward me so I took off running . . .

  “All of a sudden as I was running from the man, a wolf just appeared in front of me. It completely freaked me out, so I took off in another direction to get away from the man and the wolf. The wolf started chasing me and then tackled me to the ground.”

  As I glance up, I notice that Dr. Snow seems to be hanging onto every word I say and his intense focus disconcerts me. I hesitate a moment, trying to hide how uncomfortable he is making me. “At first I thought he would kill me,” I whisper.

  Dr. Snow cuts me off. “You ran from the wolf?”

  “Umm yes?” I’m unsure why that matters. If I ran or not, clearly the outcome had been the same.

  I survived. Somehow.

  Dr. Snow’s eyes glance over to my aunt once again.

  With a deep breath, I continue when it becomes obvious neither of them are going to speak.

  “Then, as he sniffed me, he started running his nose over my face and neck. After that, I’m not sure what happened. I have images of being at the house and then the drive here but they are fuzzy. It all happened so fast. I don’t even remember being bitten or getting away.” Lying has never been a strong suit for me but this lie rolls off my tongue with ease.

  The room goes silent as Dr. Snow takes notes on my chart. His easygoing yet authoritative demeanor has changed into a rigid stance, complete with a tight jaw. I’m not sure why he seems almost mad that I was attacked by this wolf. It isn’t my fault.

  It sure as hell isn’t his.

  That’s what I sense in him though; an odd air of responsibility.

  “And nothing else happened? No one helped you?” he questions as he sets down the pen he’d been writing with. “Nothing strange or unexplainable?”

  Stunned by his question, I tilt my head to the side and study him. Could he possibly know the truth? Does he have a clue what it was that bit me?

  Until I’m sure what he knows—if anything—I decide to act as if I have no clue what he’s talking about. There is no way I’m going to admit what I remember without having absolute proof that it was real. “What do you mean?”

  Our eyes stay fixated on one another, both of us seeing who will be the first to give in. After a few moments, he looks away, breaking into one of his killer smiles. The kind of smile that seems masterfully manipulative. Full of false comfort.

  I’m getting to a point where I realize his smiles shouldn’t be trusted.

  “I’m just asking if there is anything you remember that would explain why a wolf would do this. Wolf attacks are not common in this area. Also, are you having any problems or symptoms after the bite?”

  He sounds genuinely concerned.

  I still don’t trust him and I can’t pinpoint exactly why.

  “Well . . . no. I don’t even remember everything and most of it is in broken pieces. Sorry.” My aunt pats my shoulder and I look up to see her smiling down at me. I can’t help being on edge about lying to them, but how the hell do I tell them the details of . . . of . . . my vision, or whatever it was, without them thinking I’m crazy?

  I immediately put aside the idea of confessing to the doctor about the tingly feelings traveling through my skin, or the problems I am having breathing.

  “No worries, dear. Dr. Snow is on our town watch. He is only asking to help prevent this from happening to someone else. Right, Dr. Snow?” My aunt’s overly enthusiastic tone and brighter than normal smile causes me to become even more suspicious.

  “Exactly.” Dr. Snow walks over to a cabinet of medical supplies and opens it. Taking out a syringe, he turns to me. “Now it’s time for the stitches. This might sting a bit.”

  “How long will these take to heal? I’m starting college next week and I don’t want to look like an extra from a horror film.” I scrunch up my nose at the thought of showing up like a hot mess for my first class.

  Aunt Tasha and Dr. Snow glance at each other again before he turns to me. “Don’t worry Sadie, you will be fine before you know it.” A small smirk adorns his lips.

  What the hell is up with this man?

  For the next forty-five minutes, Dr. Snow stitches the open wounds on my shoulder. Then administers a rabies shot. After going over the aftercare, my blood work results, the arsenal of pain meds with antibiotics and the follow up appointment, he finally discharges me.

  The car ride home is silent, which I’m thankful for as I don’t think I could take lying to my aunt anymore.

  This move to Casterton was supposed to be a fresh start after losing my parents in the car crash. This is supposed to be my new home. To a certain extent, it already seems like it is, although I’ve only been here a few short days.

  Aunt Tasha has gone out of her way to make it comfortable. She redid the room that is now mine, making it more of my own. She even hung a few of my favorite pictures of my parents. Little touches that not only make me feel at home; they make it a place I can comfortably lay my head to rest. Ever since losing my parents the way I had, getting a good night’s sleep has been impossible.

  After last night, I’m not so sure it’s that safe anymore.

  Not that I can leave. I’m not saying I would want to, either. I’ve finally found a place where the balance between my old life and my new one seems p
ossible. It’s a sense of peace I’m not ready to give up, simply because something strange happened.

  I’m going to look at the glass half full, at least for my aunt’s sake. And perhaps even my own.

  Leaning my head back against the headrest, I gaze up at the full moon peeking out from behind the clouds. This day has seemed endless. The night has fully taken over, blanketing the sky with stars and draping the woods in a cloak of shadows.

  Fear of nightmares cross my mind, but I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep when I get home so that’s not what I really have to worry about. The wolf came after me during the night, so it’s safe to assume it isn’t a nightmare I should fear.

  No. It’s that large black beast with light gray eyes . . . and the gorgeous, obviously dangerous man it might be able to turn into.

  Chapter 2

  “Okay Aunt Tasha, I’m going to go take a bath and have a good soak. Hopefully it will help with these aches,” I say as I rub the tingling skin on the back of my neck.

  “Alrighty, go relax and I will see you in the morning.” Her hands hold my face as she places a kiss on my forehead. She doesn’t let go right away; her eyes seem to be searching mine. For what, I’m not sure. With an extra squeeze of my cheeks, she releases me and wanders to her room.

  Finally, some peace and quiet. Gone is the pungent hospital odor and random strangers asking me questions I either don’t remember the answer to or don’t wish to give.

  As I step into my bathroom, I’m thankful my aunt kept the giant claw tub. The entire bathroom is decorated with a feminine touch. The walls are painted in a deep burgundy color making the room have a cozy ambience, while touches of silver and white from the marble counters stand in contrast to the dark wood flooring.

  The claw tub is clearly the focal point of the room. A set of French doors open to a small balcony just big enough where I can sit down with a book if I want to.

  Not tonight though. I just want my bath, then my bed. Although I doubt I’ll be sleeping much, but I still have to try.

  Turning on the water, I slowly begin to remove my clothes, being careful of my shoulder. Taking Dr. Snow’s advice, I wrap up the stitched area with the plastic he’d given me. I’m going to have to be careful with washing my hair.