A Mating of Convenience

by Elyce de Reefe

  She cracked the door open and peeked out. The room was quiet. Boaz lay slumped on the couch, fully dressed, and snoring softly. She tiptoed over, watching his chest rise and fall in a slow, even rhythm. Biting her lip, she pressed her fingers to his throat. He didn’t so much as flicker an eyelid, but his pulse was strong and steady. She let out a long, slow breath.

  Using a throw pillow, she propped his head at a more comfortable angle and covered him with a blanket. Then she settled down to wait. It was only ten after ten, and she needed to be certain everyone was asleep before she made her move.

  Three hours later, Nina pulled her medical bag over her shoulder and padded quietly to the couch. She’d already transferred those few essentials that she couldn’t abandon to the bag, but she’d have to leave everything else. The re-created formula was carefully packed in an insulated bag and tucked in a side pocket. She’d had to scribble down her notes on it by hand, but at least she had them safe.

  Standing silently for one long moment, she gazed down at Boaz’s relaxed face, his mouth slightly open and looking more peaceful than she could remember seeing him. She had briefly debated leaving a note, but really what could she say?

  Sorry I had to drug you, but this kidnapping was dragging on too long?

  She let out a soft sigh. Somehow that didn’t seem quite right. But standing there, she was forced to admit she was going to miss him— whatever that said about her. His quiet presence. That tiny half-smile. The glint of approval in his otherwise impassive face. And their evening hikes.

  Pull yourself together, Nina. These are werewolves. Or, not-werewolves, anyway. They are holding you hostage. They threatened to kill you!

  And Eva needs me.

  Turning her back on his sleeping form, she strode quietly to the door. Carefully she twisted the knob, soundlessly cracking the door to peer through the slit. The hallway was dark, but faint light showed from the balcony where the stairs led down to the great room.

  Feeling her heart start to race, she slipped quietly into the hall and crept down toward the stairs. She kept expecting someone to pop out of one of the closed doors and grab her. It was like waiting for the jack-in-the-box to spring out at her.

  By the time she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she could hardly breathe. With barely any light coming through the windows, the great room was an ominous cavern, the comfortable furniture transformed into great looming shapes in the darkness. Fortunately the kitchen area had the faint illumination of the clock on the microwave and stove; otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to see well enough to find the entrance to the hall.

  She had to force herself to enter its dark maw, all too aware that Lucas slept just down the hallway on the left. Biting her lip, she inched forward, feeling along the right-hand wall for the door to the mudroom, and escape. She did her very best not to imagine what would happen if Lucas woke up and caught her trying to sneak out.

  She let out a soft breath of relief when she reached it, the white tiles of the room a slightly lighter grey in the darkness. Carefully, she tiptoed toward the four faintly glowing windowpanes in the back door, a tiny crescent of moon providing the only light. She had to fight the urge to run for it, but she couldn’t afford to make the slightest sound. The only thing she knew for sure about these non-werewolves was they had truly excellent hearing. And sense of smell.

  And night vision, she reminded herself. She felt her jaw clench. What in the world made her think she could escape?

  She reached the door and almost sagged with relief as her hand closed over the knob. She twisted the handle. Nothing. It was locked. Resisting the urge to groan, she fumbled along the door, locating the deadbolt and turning it ever so slowly. It slid back with a distinct click. Her heart almost stopped.

  She froze, trying to listen, but all she could hear was her own heart pounding in her ears. She eased the door open and peered out into the night. The crescent moon hung above the trees behind the house, faintly illuminating an open expanse of lawn, framed by the garages and surrounded by the dark, impenetrable blackness of the woods.

  The air was fresh and clean as she slipped outside, gingerly easing the door closed behind her. And just like that, she was free. She cast a quick glance to the right and left and then eased along the shadows toward the driveway, avoiding the open area of the yard. If she could make it to the road, maybe she could flag down a passing motorist. Not an ideal strategy, but it was the best she could come up with under the circumstances.

  Thinking of all that security equipment, she decided not to walk directly down the driveway, but parallel it through the trees, just in case they had cameras. The problem was, it was dark under the trees, and the driveway was long, as in really long, and it kept curving away from her. After about ten minutes, during which she’d been creeping forward like a snail, she realized there was a real possibility she could end up lost. Not something she wanted to contemplate. It was all too easy to picture herself alone in the woods come morning surrounded by a pack of werewolves, including a very angry Lucas. And Boaz.

  She grimaced, trying not to imagine Boaz waking up in the morning, his look of confusion, followed by anger…

  She pushed that thought aside. This was not her fault. They had kidnapped her.

  A twig snapped under her foot and she almost had a coronary. She held completely still for a moment or two, but didn’t hear anything beyond the industrious chirping of crickets, and possibly tree frogs. She moved forward more cautiously, almost certain the driveway was just there to her right, when she heard a soft rustling in the bushes behind her. She froze, straining to hear over the bright cacophony of the night. The sound came again, a little to the right this time, and closer. Nina’s heart began to pound.

  And then something large was in front of her, just to the right, and coming fast— straight at her.

  Nina turned and fled into the darkness.

  Chapter 13

  A stinging slap brought Boaz to bleary consciousness. He blinked, trying to force his eyes to focus.

  What?

  His vision steadied enough to make out the form of Jesse leaning over him in the dark.

  “Wake up, Romeo. Your Juliet has fled the castle. You don’t want Lucas to find her.”

  “What?” He tried to sit up, but his body was heavy and uncooperative.

  Jesse smacked him again, and Boaz snapped his eyes back open. Had he closed them?

  “Boaz, wake up, man. Dr. Evans is outside, running through the woods. I tried to turn her away from the house, but she’s making enough noise to wake the dead.”

  Adrenaline hit his system like an icy blast. Boaz levered himself up on one arm and glanced around. His darkened bedroom. Bed— empty. No Nina.

  He pushed himself up to his feet, feeling more alert by the second. She must have drugged me. “Where did you see her?”

  “She was about halfway down the driveway, on Cray’s side. I chased her down that way, figuring Cray might have some sympathy if he hears her, but you better hurry. It would be best to get her back here before anyone finds out.”

  “Yeah.” He clamped a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. “Thanks.” He pushed off and stumbled toward the bathroom. “Why didn’t you just bring her back?”

  “I was in wolf form.”

  Boaz looked up from splashing cold water on his face, noticing for the first time, Jesse was naked. “Yeah. Never mind.”

  Jesse smirked. “I’ll just go patrol the border by the road. Make sure she doesn’t manage to find her way off the territory.” He peered more closely at Boaz. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Just— waking up.”

  Jesse shook his head. “She drugged you, huh?”

  “Yup.” Boaz lumbered past him toward the door, gratified when his legs seemed to steady.

  “I told you she was trouble.”

  “My kind of trouble,” Boaz growled, shuffling down the hall as quietly as possible, Jesse following on his heels. Inside his thoughts were jumbled. Why was she runn
ing? Hadn’t they started to form a connection? Hadn’t he just let her talk to her sister? Twice. He’d thought they were beginning to know each other. His mouth tightened. She was acting strange all evening and you ignored it. He’d thought she was worried about her sister. But maybe she’d just decided she didn’t want him. Was willing to risk death rather than accept him.

  They reached the mudroom door and stepped out into the night. The cool, crisp air surrounded him, bathing his lungs and clearing his head. Jesse shifted into wolf form and took off down the driveway. Boaz inhaled and had no trouble finding her scent. He set off at a lumbering jog after her. Obviously, Nina hadn’t counted on his faster metabolism, or she would have dosed him harder.

  A few minutes later, he’d settled into an even run. He didn’t want to shift, even though it would be faster. It probably wouldn’t help if he was naked when he found her. Especially since chasing her through the woods like this was awakening all his mating instincts. Her enticing scent clung to the bushes and exploded into the night air every time he brushed one. Even though he had become accustomed to her rich, intoxicating fragrance, running after her like this was playing havoc with his senses.

  But this was no mating run. This was no challenge to see just how dedicated he was to making her his own. She wasn’t running from him intending to draw him after her. And his intense reaction disturbed him. It smacked too much of forcing the bond. Which he refused to do. No matter what Lucas said.

  Her scent was getting stronger now. She was close. He could tell by the number of broken branches and disturbed earth that she had been running here. Blundering blindly through the trees in a panic. He could detect Jesse’s scent off to the right, where he must have been flanking her. Herding her away from the road. He owed Jesse big time for this, but he still didn’t like his scent so close to hers. His stomach clenched at the idea of what might have happened if Lucas had been out patrolling instead of Jesse.

  He could hear her movements now, up ahead, and her harsh breathing. She was no longer running, more like stumbling doggedly forward. He put on a burst of speed. They were getting uncomfortably close to Cray and Elizabeth’s cottage. The last thing he needed was for her to wake Cray. Maybe Cray would be sympathetic, and maybe he wouldn’t. Cray was an enforcer after all. And he was extremely protective of Elizabeth, which made him unpredictable.

  Running almost flat out, he hurtled over a downed log and around a large sugar maple. He had the advantage of his night vision. He could actually see where he was going. And there she was, just up ahead on the left. Heading directly for the cottage.

  Nina had almost made it to the break in the trees when she heard a soft scuffing noise behind her. A split second later, something large slammed into her, knocking her off her feet. A steely arm snaked around her waist and yanked her back, halting her fall. The breath hissed out of her as she slammed back against something solid. Someone solid. Before she could get any air back in her lungs, a hand clamped across her mouth.

  Her heart hammered in her chest as she tried to wriggle free, but it was like trying to break out of a steel trap. She managed to land a good solid elbow though, and her attacker gave a soft “oof.”

  “Stop it, Nina. It’s me.” Boaz’s voice spoke almost directly into her ear, his hot panting breath tickling the hair at the nape of her neck.

  Boaz? A wave of relief hit her even as her mind tried to argue with reality. It wasn’t possible. She’d drugged him.

  “Don’t scream, Nina. This is serious.”

  She shivered and nodded against his palm, which covered the whole bottom half of her face. He let his hand drop away and eased back from her, spinning her to face him. “What are you doing, Nina? Don’t you know how dangerous this is?” His deep voice was quiet and earnest. Not the angry accusation she would have expected. For some reason, that made her feel worse.

  She swallowed hard and tried to steady her breathing. “You can’t keep me here. I have rights.”

  “Wrong. You have protection. While you remain on the territory. Once you leave? You have nothing.”

  A large warm hand slid down her arm to take hers. It was such a familiar gesture it made her throat ache.

  “Come on,” he said, leading her back into the trees. “It’s not safe here. We’re too close to Cray’s cottage.”

  Nina said nothing as he guided her deeper into the dark tangle of trees. A feeling of lassitude came over her. She’d tried, she really had, but she hadn’t managed it. She’d never be able to get away now. He’d be watching her like a hawk. Feeling equal parts hopeless and helpless, she let him lead her wordlessly through the forest.

  What was she going to do? Oh, Eva, I’m so sorry. Her heart felt like it was breaking. She should have tried harder. She shouldn’t have delayed her escape just because she was enjoying her time here. She should have been willing to increase the dosage. First do no harm… But that was just an excuse. They’d kidnapped her. Her Hippocratic Oath didn’t apply here.

  But Boaz…

  She felt her throat constrict and had to blink back a flood of tears. It was like college all over again. For one blissful semester she’d done exactly what she’d wanted, studying art and history and literature. She took French and was planning to study abroad. She was free for the first time in her life and was taking full advantage. But it all came crashing down. She couldn’t just ignore her responsibilities.

  She’d loved her parents. She had. But she’d never had an easy relationship with them. She was too strong-willed to buckle easily to their pressure. Eventually they’d worn her down. Their constant criticism, their driving need to control every aspect of her life had crushed her spirit.

  The car accident that had caused their deaths her freshman year had set her free. Instead of the pre-law they’d insisted on, she studied the humanities. She been so busy enjoying her freedom, she’d failed to notice Eva’s deteriorating health. Until it was almost too late. The guilt and shame of that time crashed down on her once again.

  Eva had been only thirteen when their parents died, and she’d taken it hard. More mild-tempered and agreeable, she’d been the good girl to Nina’s stubborn rebelliousness, and Eva had been devastated. The life insurance had been enough that the two of them didn’t have to worry about money, and Nina had gotten them a pleasant two-bedroom apartment near the Syracuse campus and became her sister’s legal guardian.

  When Eva began to lose weight and look wane, Nina had put it down to grief and the stress of adjusting to a new school. But in reality, Eva had developed aplastic anemia, a serious condition related to leukemia that shut down the production of new blood cells—adult stem cells—in her bone marrow. She’d received numerous treatments over the years, including blood transfusions and two bone marrow transplants, only one of which had been successful.

  It had been terrifying to discover that the young sister she was now solely responsible for had a life-threatening disease. But it was watching over her treatments that opened Nina’s eyes to the study of medicine, and she found her true calling. She switched to pre-med the following semester and never looked back. Although she still studied French and took the occasional art history or literature class, she’d never made it to France.

  And the treatments had proved only temporary. Although the first bone marrow graft had taken, Eva’s body eventually attacked the new marrow, and the second graft, only a few weeks ago, had failed. While blood transfusions were a short-term solution, there was a serious risk of an iron buildup in her body if she had too many of them.

  What she needed was healthy newborn stem cells—cells that had yet to differentiate themselves—which had an almost magical ability to transform into anything the body needed. But they had to be a match for Eva’s unique genetic makeup.

  Seven years ago Nina had decided to get pregnant. Her baby would have the best chance of being a match. She had been devastated to discover she was infertile. She’d tried everything, in vitro, hormone treatments, but nothing worked. She’
d almost given up hope by the time she’d met Marten.

  So far the formulas she’d created hadn’t worked, but she was getting close. She could practically feel it. But she was running out of time.

  “Okay, this is far enough.” Boaz’s deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Nina, why are you out here? Don’t you understand? This could get you killed.”

  “I couldn’t— I can’t stay. I have responsibilities. I have to go.”

  “I can’t protect you if I’m not with you. The security of the People is at stake here. Lucas is not going to take this lightly.”

  Her heart nearly stopped. “You’re going to tell Lucas?”

  “Do I look stupid to you?”

  She swallowed.

  “Thank you.” Her voice came out little more than a whisper.

  “But you can’t run. You have to promise me, Nina.”

  She couldn’t really make out his features in the dark, but she could tell he was watching her intently. And his voice held a quiet expectation. Her heart gave a funny little lurch. She’d drugged him, and yet he wanted her promise. Still seemed to think it would mean something even after what she’d done.

  She felt a wave of guilt and longing. Why was she having all these confusing feelings? This was a simple situation. Cut and dried. He’d kidnapped her. He was the enemy.

  But he’s Boaz…

  She blinked a few times, hoping he couldn’t see the tears welling in her eyes. He reached out and stroked her hair away from her face. It was such a tender gesture, it made her throat ache.

  “Why, Nina? Am I so… intolerable?”

  Her heart squeezed. This kind, gentle man. Well, not quite man, but still…

  “It’s my sister, Boaz. You know she’s very ill. I— she needs me. That procedure they want to do is too dangerous. Her system is already depleted by a failed bone marrow transplant she had last month. They had to kill off most of the diseased blood cells to prepare for the transfer, so now she’s in worse shape than before. She needs something, Boaz. She needs something fast.”