Chapter 90

Rachel POV

Moonglow Pack - Modesty Cabin

Heat exploded out from where Nathan's lips met my own. I was stunned by the intensity of the contact. My lips froze as suddenly as they'd burned only the feeling of cold creeped out from my lips to my cheeks, past my ears, down my neck, over my shoulders and on and on until my whole body was frozen solid.

I was paralyzed as Nathan kissed me with more and more frantic movements. His hands went from holding me to clutching me tight enough to bruise. I felt his fingertips become claws which sank into my soft flesh and the heat of my blood -hot as lava as it leaked out of me- thawed me out enough to fight against Nathan's hold.

"No!"

Screaming the protest at him, I shoved Nathan away from me with all the strength in my body. His wolf had come out enough for him to growl at me in a show of fury, but Nathan was enough himself to release me from his grip.

I didn't waste time. As soon as I was free of him, I leapt up from the couch and raced into the room designated for me.

Luck was on my side as I managed to throw the lock on the door before Nathan could surge up to chase me. His body crashed into the door, rattling it on its hinges and making me scream again.

"Nathan, no! No!"

A furious howl came from the other side of the door, making me shiver as if an icy wind had blown through the cabin.

"Nathan, you have to stop! Get ahold of yourself!"

Alphas could be unpredictable. I knew I wouldn't have much time if Nathan lost control and his wolf overtook him.

Putting my hands on the door, I felt the wood tremble as his body slammed into it again. My refuge wouldn't hold for long. I could tell from the way the material shook under the force of Nathan's rage.

I had left my phone out in the main room. A quick glance around showed there was no phone in the bedroom to call from and then my mind skipped through the events of the day to recall Art's instructions: blood out the window.

Rushing to the window, I pushed hard to get the wooden frame to rise free of the window sill. Time or the elements had caused the wood to swell, making it hard to force it open. I managed only a few inches, but it was enough for me to be able to push my hand outside.

"Come back to me, Rachel."

The voice was inhuman. I couldn't hear Nathan in it. All I knew of his wolf was he embodied all it meant to be an Alpha and he was called Lyon.

I remembered my brother laughing because he thought the name was perfect for Nathan, heir to House Lewis and the closest man to becoming a king in his worldview.

Time wasn't on my side as the door shook again under the weight of Nathan's big body crashing into it. I heard the wood splinter as if he was gouging at it with his claws. Had he shifted into his Lycan form?

The idea of Nathan being trapped in the half-human-half-wolf form made me feel sick with terror.

Lycans were rarely under control. Their whole existence came from werewolves losing control over themselves to the point they couldn't remain human yet not far enough to where they became their animal.

Being trapped between worlds could cause someone to go insane. I'd heard stories about wolves who'd fallen into insanity forever during the first time they'd become Lycan. Had Nathan ever shifted into his Lycan form before? Would he be able to shift back?

Had I driven him mad?

Tears streamed from my eyes as I openly wept from fear and guilt and self-loathing.

I should have never asked Nathan to come with me to Moonglow territory. He had no reason to be here. I couldn't offer him anything other than madness and pain. Why had he come with me? Why did he still love me after all I'd done to him?

I didn't deserve his love. I didn't deserve Tyler's love. I didn't deserve---

"No!" I screamed again as Nathan's claws dug into the door.

I pulled my hand back in from the window, digging into the tears in my slip to paint my fingers with my own blood before thrusting them out the window again.

"Art!" I yelled, "Art! Come help!"

"Rachel," the raspy voice on the other side of the door called to me, "Unlock the door, Rachel. I'm going to come in anyway. Why not make this easier? You want me. I know you do. I could feel it when you kissed me."

A part of me had responded to Nathan out of shock, but it had been only for a second. I did not want him the way he thought! I was not his mate! I would never be his mate!

"You're wrong, Nathan. I was surprised. You surprised me. That's all! I swear!"

Pushing my hand as far outside the window as I could, I strained to move my fingers, hoping I could somehow get Art to smell my blood if I just moved around enough.

Damn this place for having not a single breath of wind!

The door shook again and chips of wood sprayed through the air as Nathan cracked a deeper gouge into the one barrier between me and his crazed desire.

Screaming, I tried to call again, "Art! Art Windsor, I need you right now! Help me!"

Activity outside the window caught my eyes and I pulled my hand back inside, pressing my body against the wall as I leaned as close to the glass as I could.

"Stand back," Art ordered, "Get away from the window so I can take it out."

My teeth chattered as I nodded in understanding. I raced across the room to the far wall just as Art wedged his hands between the window sill and the frame. His muscles strained as he forced the pane up, up, up all the way even as the frame cracked and broke under the pressure.

"Come here. Now!"

The door to the bedroom yielded to Nathan's claws and I saw a hairy, inhuman arm snake in through the gaping hole, grasping around for the latch to let himself inside.

I moved as fast as I could, faster than I thought I could even, to get to the window. Throwing my hands out, I screeched in terror as Art grasped my wrists and yanked me out of the room.

My slip tore to shreds below my breasts as I was dragged through the open window. The wooden sill was rough against my skin and I was positive I was bleeding from a thousand places where my skin had been scraped away.

"Go into my cabin and lock the door. Now!"

Refusing to look back, I followed Art's instructions and raced for his cabin. I didn't want to see Nathan turned into a monstrous beast with no control. I didn't want to see the boy I'd loved ruined by the love I'd spoiled.

Art let out a growl of his own as the sound of glass breaking echoed from behind me. Could Nathan have broken through the wall? Did he throw himself through the window?

I hadn't seen a Lycan enraged before in person to know how large the form would be. My frame of reference was lost as panic made my thoughts frantic and shallow as if I were nothing more than a dog trying to paddle as fast as possible to avoid drowning.

The door to Art's cabin barred closed the same way the Modesty Cabin did. I threw the bar down with a finality which did nothing to calm me.

Panic had me racing away from the door to the other side of the one-room space only to realize I was close to the far wall. If Nathan could come through a door, could he get through this wall? Was I any safer at all?

Sounds of fighting came from outside the cabin, but I was too scared to go to the window to see what was happening. I moved to the bed where I sank down beside it in a crouch. My thighs burned with the urge to shift my body into another form, a stronger form, but I forced myself to breathe in as deeply as possible.

Holding my breath, I counted to ten while straining to hear the battle raging outside. I didn't know if the door would hold. I didn't know if the walls would protect me. I didn't know if I would be able to offer any kind of resistance at all if Nathan got to me again.

I put my hands on my belly to hold my baby in the only way I could, praying I would be able to keep her safe while wishing with all my might I could have my Alpha mate appear to protect me.

In my mind, I had Rayne send out a call, "Tyler! I love you! Help!"