~ Lochlan heard Penny screaming. When she’d been taken from the porch, he attempted to go after her but was pulled back into the fight with the werewolf he now faced. Older, stronger, bigger, Lochlan couldn't shake him to get to her aide. He had made it out of the clearing into the woods, but he was right back where they had started. Because of the lack of urgency of the werewolf he fought, he knew the other man was working with him. One kept him busy, while the other snatched Penny and got away. With Black injured, he knew he couldn't send his wolf after them. In this storm, there wouldn't be a trail to follow. Distracted by his concern for her, he was too slow to block a blow that landed solidly in the center of his chest. It knocked the wind right out of him and sent him flying backward. He landed hard. Rain beating down on his face, he listened but heard nothing but the storm and his breathing. Panic tried to rise in his chest, but he stamped it down. She was fine.

~ Even if she ran away, her options remained the same. Death or the change. Those were the glaring options she had left. She could either become a werewolf, or she could, well, kill herself. Neither of them sounded pleasing to her; she wanted to live, and she wanted to remain human.  The third option was the vampires. She had done some research based on some things Lochlan had told her about them. They were rich. Like filthy rich. The top tier of the society. They owned multimillion-dollar companies, held prime seats in government, and headed major charity boards. If she went into one of the five cities they controlled, Sven could not hunt her there. That, however, would leave her at their mercy. It really was just a matter of the lesser evil. "What are you thinking about?" Lochlan asked. "Death or the change," Penny said thoughtfully. Lochlan stood there, looking down at the top of her head. He could feel her fingers along his skin as she r

~ Penny woke up, panic tightening her chest. It had been two days since she had tried to leave, and she hadn't spoken to Lochlan since. She couldn't. She couldn't even look at him. Marx, the consummate voice of reason, was all help and smiles. He told her they had to suck it up and learn how to deal with it. Learn to control it. He didn't mince words about the importance of Lochlan being able to move around without collapsing in a helpless heap at the feet of his enemies. A liability. She was becoming more and more so. The man really was a charm. His charm made her grit her teeth. Gripping a fist of her shirt over her heart, she stumbled out of bed. What was he doing? Was there another attack? If there was, he would be useless. Penny took grim comfort because her chest felt like it was being ripped apart. He lived. Sobs shaking her body, she crawled to her door. Her feeling this way meant he was alive, and that was good. Penny wanted to kill him herself. She tried to re

~ Penny sat on the edge of her bed, waiting. To say she was nervous was an understatement. Twisting her fingers in her lap, she tried to keep her mind clear, breathing even. She thought about mixing an herb relaxer, but then she couldn't get herself to move. The only part of her that moved were her fingers, and her teeth chewing on her bottom lip. Lochlan was taking an uncomfortably long time getting to her room. He had told her to wait there, and she had been waiting for a while. Black came in first. He rested his head on her lap, looking up with his warm, gold eyes. Her fingers buried themselves into the black silk of his pelt. His warmth was reassuring to her. A minute later, Lochlan came to stand at the door. "Are you ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be." Penny kicked off her shoes before lying down on the bed. "Can he stay with me?" Penny asked when Black walked away. In response, he jumped up, stepping over her to lie on the other side. Penny

~ "Well, now we know why Barabbas didn't bother having you lynched." That comment came from Marx. Lochlan pulled down his shirt, grimacing. The pain had his entire body throbbing. Through the gaping hole at the top of the stairs, he could see dawn creeping in; the sun turning the sky a warm glow of oranges and yellows and blues. It had only been a few hours since Sven’s men kidnapped Penny. He didn't know exactly where the manor was located, but he hoped they had gotten there in time. Penny had taken something. She wouldn't have done that if she didn't think they could save her. His chest was tight, panic trying to set in around the pain. As the poison tore him apart, the pain kept him together. It held his sanity in place. Wherever she was now, she was so far away their link was silent. He felt the void, like a piece of him was missing. Lochlan hoped Pe