Matthew's Return [Wolves of Climax 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever - Serialized) by Stacey Espino Page A

stitch started in her side, causing her to slow down. “I have to stop,” she said. “The hunters will help us, show us the road.”
    The stranger shoved her down to her knees. “Get in. Quickly.” She crawled forward, the dirt and debris moist and alive under her palms. Cassidy imagined all kinds of creepy-crawlies. The cave entrance was rocky, low, and narrow. Claustrophobia set in immediately. Was this a path to a larger interior or was he trapping her in a virtual coffin?
    He prodded her through, right behind her. When she reached an end to the tunnel she was relieved that she could stand up without crouching, and there was more than an adequate air supply. The faint light of the moon filtered down through an opening high above.
    “Where is this place?”
    “It’s safe, that’s all I know.” He paced around the cave like a restless tiger. She could make out a faint silhouette. He was a large man. “And those weren’t hunters. They were loggers.”
    “How do you know?”
    “I don’t know. I just do. Some thoughts are starting to come back to me, but the harder I try to concentrate, the more my head hurts.”

Chapter Six
     
    He didn’t know this woman. So why did she have concern in her voice? And why the fuck did she arouse him? He couldn’t remember his own goddamn name, but the sound of her voice made his cock hard?
    His mind was a sinister playground of broken images and jumbled thoughts. He wished he could shake his head and watch everything fit back together like a jigsaw puzzle. All he knew for a fact was the loggers closing in on their location were to be avoided at any cost. His palms grew clammy, his heart racing the closer they came. The sudden need to shift, to find security in his fur, nearly overwhelmed him. Yet he had to keep some semblance of control because his behavior affected the little human as well.
    “Why are we hiding?” she asked.
    “Shhh!” He pulled her into his lap, one arm around her waist, his other hand cupping her mouth. He couldn’t risk her giving away their location. There was no way he’d return to captivity. Captivity? More scrambled thoughts tried to arrange in his mind.
    It felt like hours passed by before the hunting party drifted downhill and away from them, the dogs howling finally a faint echo. They’d stopped at the cave entrance, but the loggers urged them on, probably suspecting a bear or other wild animal. He took a deep breath of relief, releasing his tight grip on the girl.
    “What the hell was that? I’m not your prisoner here!” She toppled down to her knees in front of him.
    “I was keeping you safe.”
    She turned. “From what? Getting rescued? Being taken to town and away from man-eating wolves? Now we’re trapped. How long until they track down our scent? We’re sitting ducks in here, a meal waiting to happen.”
    “You’re tired. I can hear it in your voice. Sleep now. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” Even he knew he must sleep. Whatever had a hold over his mind was only exasperated because of his great lack of rest.
    “Someone will be looking for me soon. They’ll be worried.”
    “Sleep.”
    She frowned, but didn’t fight him before curling up on a bed of straw and leaves in the corner. Her eyes were heavy, her breathing shallow. It wouldn’t take long for her to slip off into REM sleep. As soon as he was sure she wouldn’t run off on her own, he dropped down to his back by the entrance to the cave, his arms as a makeshift pillow, and let the exhaustion take hold.
    Black-and-white images crossed his mind’s eye as he slept. Wolves. Cages. Whips. He tossed and turned, feelings of anxiety washing through him. Starving. Alone. Pain. The memories bombarded and weakened him.
    Matthew. His name was Matthew.
     
    * * * *
     
    Warm light flooded the small cave. It took Cassidy a few moments to remember her predicament. Her surroundings were so different now that she could see. The rock face was irregular, parts smooth,