Unbearable

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 Wren Michaels

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-237-7

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Laurie Temple

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  I dedicate this book to my husband, who has believed in me from the very start. Without his encouragement and support, my career would not be possible, and every hero I write is a side of him. To my BB girls, Jenn, Kristyn, and Evie, who countless times have restored my soul and talked me off ledges. They are my spirit animals! Without them, I'd have thrown in the towel and none of this would have happened. And especially Evie, without her prodding I'd have never attempted a story like this. She is the reason this book exists. To Niki, my twinsie, who reads everything I put in front of her and holds my hand, blood or not, we're sisters for life. To my editor Laurie, who helped make Rose's story sing, thank you. And of course Evernight Publishing, for taking a chance on me and wanting to share my words with the world, your professionalism and kindness will never be forgotten.

  UNBEARABLE

  SnowRose, 1

  Wren Michaels

  Copyright © 2015

  Chapter One

  Wetness seeps through my worn leather boots. With each plunge of my feet through the snowdrifts, icy water squishes between my toes. Flakes continue to fall, wisping to the ground like white angels around me. If only they were angels.

  I toss a glance over my shoulder, dusk hindering the line of sight behind me. Through the flurries and shadows of nightfall, the sound of his labored wheezing increases, telling me he closes the distance. Long tendrils of red hair flow around me like a cloak, billowing on the breeze as I kick up speed. My chilled fingers barely keep hold of my skirts, hiked to my thighs as I trudge through the thick snow. The crunch beneath my feet rings in my ears. The stomp of his ring louder.

  Dizziness assails me through each labored breath pulled into my lungs, and I fight my weary limbs to keep going. Towering trees snake in my path, their barren branches bridging together like praying fingers above me. Darkness falls faster, though I'm not sure if it's around me or just in my mind. Everything spins and my feet slip from under me as I plummet to the ground. Skirts of red and white blanket around me, growing heavy as they soak in melting snow. I manage to suck in a heaving breath, and I pray it's not my last.

  He slows his pace as if knowing he's won. Stalking towards me, a sinister grin slithers across his bearded face. His long black cloak drapes a tall, willowy frame. I will my limbs to move, to thrust forward and rise up. They refuse my orders, tired and weak from an hour's long run. A single tear slides over my cheek, streaking my chilled skin. Fiery pain slices its way up my legs. My frozen fingers slip into the crevice of my bodice and curl around the hilt of a dagger hidden between my breasts.

  “Aren't you tired yet, Rose?” he asks as he lurches forward, gripping his knees with his hands and panting for breath.

  I glance up to him. “Perhaps you need to work on your stamina, Tobias. Aren't you supposed to catch me, then throw me down? I wasn't supposed to do it myself.”

  Another slash of pain courses through my lower limbs as I push myself up from the ground and I fear I may have sprained something. I unsheathe my dagger from its hiding spot, dropping my hand to the billows of my skirts as I turn and face him. Soaking fabric clings to my legs, chilling me to the bone.

  “Can we just go home now? This game isn't fun anymore, Red.” He glances around as the cry of an owl pierces the chill in the air.

  “You're free to go if you want.” I dust my skirts off with one hand and tug my red velvet cloak tight against my shoulders. “But you won't get your reward.”

  His beady eyes narrow. “You promised me sex.”

  “No, I said if you catch me you could have sex with me. I tripped and fell. And now you want to go home because you're afraid of an owl. There'll be no sex with you tonight.” I purse my lips. “I need a man who can take me down, who can bend my will to his own. You are not that man, Tobias.”

  He huffs through sallow cheeks, pointing a finger of judgment. “You're a tease and a whore, Rose Red!”

  “How would you know? You haven't slept with me,” I say and blow him a kiss.

  “I've heard stories of the wicked ways in which you lure men to your bed.” His narrowed eyes burn with a hateful glare.

  A laugh pops from my throat. “Then why did you agree to play my game?”

  His lips purse to a thin line and his face deadpans. “I'll make you mine, Rose Red. And I'll rightly punish you for your wicked games.”

  Inching closer to him, my lips hover over his. “No man has ever made me his. No man ever will. Do you know why I brought you out here, Tobias?”

  His mouth trembles as he stares into my eyes. “To fuck you.”

  “Oh no.” I shake my head and a giggle erupts from my throat. “I'm going to kill you.” Rage flashes in my eyes as I plunge my dagger into his soft belly. Flicking my wrist, the knife twists in his gut before I yank it back out. Blood drips from the tip and dots the white snow beneath it in crimson. “That's for helping kill my mother, you bastard.”

  Shock fills his eyes as they bulge out of his head. His hands clamp down on the wound and blood seeps through his fingertips. Wobbling knees buckle beneath him as he drops to the snow, clutching what's left of his stomach.

  “Maybe this will send Hestor the message that I will avenge my mother's death.” Dropping to a squat, I look him in the eyes. “May you rot in hell, Tobias. Don't worry, I'll send Hestor to join you soon enough.” I blow him a kiss, rising back to a stance.

  His chest heaves one last breath before he topples face first into the snow. My throat closes as I cup a hand over my mouth. Though the bastard needed to pay for his crimes, taking a life never got easier. Tears slip from the heavy pools in my eyes and I plunge the bloodied knife into the snow. Pulling it back, red ice drizzles along the steel blade and I stab it once more into the pure snow, washing away the sin.

  Tobias is the last name on the list of men who assisted Hestor. Now, I go after the dwarf sorcerer himself. But not tonight. My weary bones cry out for rest, and I need to check in with my sister, still wrought with grief over our mother's death. If she ever finds out what I've been doing, she'll never forgive me. She is too pure to even think about killing for revenge, or killing anything for that matter. So I must.

  Even though we are not blood kin, her mother raised me like we were. And if Snow were to share the same fate as her mother, my heart would shatter. She is my world. My sister. My love. And I must keep her pure. So I do what has to be done in order for her to remain Snow White.

  Darkness overshadows the last of the light, casting blackness through the trees. The slice of crescent moonlight fails to illuminate my path. But I know these woods like the back of my hand, the ones the townsfolk say are haunted.

  For I'm the one that haunts them.

  I swipe at the remnants of the frozen tears gripping my cheeks like a lifeline. They are the last bits of my soul not filled with hatred and revenge. The boning in my corset stabs at me, piercing through the fabric. Sucking in a sharp breath, I reel in the pain of my legs and stomach. I force a step on wobbly ankles, fighting to remain upright.

  My legs crisscross as I stumble thr
ough the drifts, now inches deeper than they were. I must make it to the bridge; there I'm sure to be found by Snow if I don't make it home. She never ventures farther than the bridge. I've always warned her not to.

  Wind whips through the trees, smothering my face in a mask of flurries that sting my already icy cheeks. My steps slow, each one languishing as I hobble along, fighting the wind and my heavy, torn clothing. The dark posts of the bridge come into view and my heart leaps. Jutting my hands in front of me, I reach for it like a lifeline, a savior. Blood stains my trembling fingers and I jerk them back to the safety of the folds in my drenched skirt.

  One more step and it's within reach. My foot sets down on the rickety planks that bow beneath my weight. Wind howls in my ears, barking at me to continue on. Warmth settles in my heart as I place my second foot on the safety of the bridge. Snow can find me now.

  Creaking startles my thoughts and I drop my gaze to the wood beneath my feet. Sheets of ice peek back through the gaps in the boards. Another creak stings my ears, followed by a snap sparking tremors through my body, and I grip the railing covered in snow. I need to move. I need to run. But my body refuses and anchors to its spot, willing the bridge to hold.

  I lift a foot and press it on another plank as my heart hammers so hard dizziness swarms me. The loud snap that follows is the last one to hit my ears as I plummet to the icy depths below. My body breaks the sheeted barrier, plunging me into the frigid water. Arms and legs flail, tangling themselves in my heavy skirts. The broken boning in my corset jabs at my stomach once more, forcing a gasp from my lips and I suck in a gulp of frozen water.

  Snow fills the last of my thoughts. Heaviness weighs down my heart as I sink in the water around me. I say a silent prayer that she runs far away. Beyond the evil hand of Hestor and his wicked sorcery. But the reality of it hits me as my body comes to rest in the gritty sand of the riverbed; she's as dead as I am.

  My lashes flutter shut, forcing away the icy sting of the water flooding them. Darkness takes me and my heart slows its rapid hum to a dull intermittent thump. Then something clamps itself around me and my body arches upward. I refuse to open my eyes, fearing it’s the reaper who's come for my soul. It ascends fast and furious, carrying me like a doll.

  It breaks the surface. Ice splinters across my body and the chill of the air against my soaked skin jolts my eyes open. My chest convulses, expelling the water that still tries to drown it. I suck in a gasp of frigid air and it rips through my lungs like a razor. Strong arms pull my body from the river and up the bank. Water spits out of my mouth in gobs through another choking breath.

  I look for my rescuer, but blackness takes me before my eyes find him.

  ****

  Flickers of light from the fire dance in shadows across her pale face. With hair that echoes the flames and plump lips to match, her beauty surpasses any that my eyes have looked upon. Limp arms hang off the edge of the bed I tucked her into as sleep takes its hold on her. I've watched her for months now, luring men into the haunted woods only to gut them like fish and dash away under the cover of darkness. Never knowing her motives, I kept watch for fear of my own safety.

  Tonight, her words to this latest victim struck me to my core as I watched her from the shadows. We had something in common—a linked enemy. Perhaps it is fool of me to think we could be of assistance to one another. But if I'm ever going to rid myself of the curse, I must try.

  Soft moans echo through the tiny one room cottage that's become my haven for months. Rising from my chair, I cross the room to her as she stirs from her slumber. A breast slips free of the blankets and its stunning nipple stares at me. My cock hardens at the sight of it and a breath hitches in my throat.

  Her eyes flutter open and we lock gazes. I expect her to scream, leap from the bed or even throw something, but her sleepy stare entrances me in a welcome smile. I inch closer.

  “I won't hurt you,” I whisper. “Forgive me, I had to get you out of your wet clothes.”

  She glances down at her exposed breast and clutches the covers over herself, slinking deep within their confines. “Where am I?” she chokes out as her gaze darts across the tiny cottage.

  “My....home,” I say, making my way to the edge of the bed.

  “Were you the one that saved me from the river?” she asks, wonder filling her stunning green eyes.

  “Aye, that I am.” I give her a nod.

  With a tilt of her head, she tosses me a soft smile. “That accent, is it Irish?”

  “Very good, lass. But I must say, you end up in a strange man's cottage, nekkid in his bed and you ask me about my accent? What about my name?” A laugh rumbles in my throat. “Are you afraid of nothing?”

  She eases to a seated position on the bed, covering her chest. “You rescued me from the bottom of a frozen river, stripped me free of my wet clothing and tucked me into a warm bed. My nethers haven't been touched. Should I fear you?”

  Pale skin contrasts the blue and yellow plaid blankets around her. Long curls of red fall across her shoulders, resting along the tops of her hidden breasts.

  “Perhaps I'm just waitin' for you to wake so I can take your body for my own, did not ya’ think of that?” I quirk a brow.

  “You said you wouldn't hurt me,” she replies and purses her lips.

  “That I did. You're clever, miss....” I tilt my head, hoping she'll give me her name.

  “Rose,” she says maintaining her lock on my eyes. “Rose Red.”

  Heat swells my cock the longer I look at her, and the towel around my waist tightens.

  “Rose,” I repeat. “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” Easing onto the bed, I lean over and cup her hand, pulling it to my lips as I dot it with a kiss. “I'm Marcus.”

  “Do you have a habit of going around saving damsels in distress, Marcus?” The coy tone in her sexy voice hardens my cock even more, evidence that I've not been in female company for quite some time, and it's taking its toll.

  “I don't have many women that wander into the haunted woods in need of my rescuing. Which leads to the question, what were you doing there?” I fold my arms and stare down into her eyes.

  “I don't think that's any of your business now, is it?” The icy aftertaste of her tone sting my ears. “While I appreciate the rescue, I should get home. My sister is waiting for me and will send out a search party if I don't return.”

  “It'll be a mighty cold walk with no clothes,” I say, holding back the smirk climbing across my lips.

  The green in her eyes darkens. “Kindly give me back my clothing and affects, sir.”

  “Absolutely. Once they're dry.” I fan my arms to the fire where I've laid out her soaking clothes. “It'll take hours for them to be dry enough to wear. Besides, there's a nasty storm brewin' outside. A bit treacherous for you to be wandering out in, alone and at night. It would be in your best interest to stay here and let it pass. You can venture home in the morning.” My eyes lock onto hers and I pour sincerity into them in hopes she'll reconsider my offer. “I promise, come sunrise I will leave you, and you are free to go.”

  She darts her gaze between me and the fireplace. I half expect her to make a mad dash for her clothes. But she doesn't.

  “And what am I to do the rest of this eve then?” Her arms fold across her chest, pinching her breasts together.

  I force my eyes away from the glorious cleavage and swallow over the lump in my throat. “Well, I assume you'll want to sleep. After all, I would imagine killing a man would take a lot out of you physically and emotionally. Not to mention the whole falling into the river and me rescuing you.”

  Her eyes widen as big as saucers. “Were you stalking me?”

  “Perhaps I came upon you once or twice before.” I give an aloof shrug.

  Fury blazes in her dark green eyes and it lights my cock on fire even more. Damn, she's gorgeous when she's feisty. It takes everything in me not to devour her plump lips with my own.

  “How much do you know?” She leans in, forg
etting she's naked as her protective covering falls away from her breasts.

  They stare up at me from the corner of my eye, but I'm careful not to look at them for fear she'll cover them back up. Stunning pink nipples harden at the chill in the room. My fingers ache to rub them.

  “How much should I know? I've never met you before, Rose. You've come into my woods for the past month, and each time a man is with you. But you always leave alone. And I'm left to dispose of bloodied bodies before morning. So, do I need to worry that you'll add me to your collection?” Jutting my hands to the blanket on either side of her body, I press in closer to her on the bed, hovering just above her lips.

  Quick breaths puff from her lips as she processes my words. Her eyes stay glued to mine in a glorious rage, and it stirs me inside to think of burying myself in that fury between her legs.

  “Not unless you're in league with Hestor. If you are, I suggest you run.” Her body inches closer to mine, the blankets falling even further down her body. The delicate soft skin of her stomach catches my eyes and I'm unable to look away.

  “Hestor?” I repeat, as it's the only word that sticks in my ears under the distraction of her curves.

  “Are you not familiar with the dwarf sorcerer?” she asks.

  “Oh. On the contrary, I'm quite familiar with Hestor. The question is, why do you seek him out?” My gaze turns back to her.

  “Like what you see?” She tilts her head and swipes her lips with her tongue. “It's yours if you lead me to him.”

  I shake my head. “You truly must think me a fool if you proposition me so, dear Rose. I know that's what you offer the targets in your game. You tease them with the reward of your body, yet you get them alone in the woods and take their lives. You cannot seduce me in this way.”