The Mating

by Nicky Charles

  “Well, I suppose. If you want to tell me, that is.” Elise chewed her lip nervously wondering what possible reason he could give.

  “Before the challenge—you know about that?” She nodded. “Well, Marla and I were…together. Originally, she was Kane’s girl and around him she would put on this helpless female act, playing up to his need to be the protector, but when Kane wasn’t looking, she showed me her true colours. She was the ‘bad’ girl with a bit of an attitude and I found that appealing for some reason, so I worked hard to steal her away from him. I didn’t feel guilty about it, since I knew she was playing him along and he’d never really be happy with her. In a way, I was rescuing him from his own blind stupidity. It was only later that I found out she was stringing me along, too.

  “Marla’s a master manipulator and without even realising it, she had me eating out of her hand. She knew my weaknesses and played on them; got me to challenge Kane because of some cock and bull story about him sabotaging Zack’s truck—damn, I can’t believe I was such an idiot.” He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head in obvious self-disgust. “Anyway, long story short, Kane won. I was embarrassed and left the area. Marla refused to come with me, of course, and that was when I realised that, like Kane, I never really knew her. I’d only seen the image she wanted me to see.

  “Unfortunately, the depths of my stupidity hadn’t been reached yet. Before I left, I gave her all my photographs to sell with the promise that she’d forward the money to me.”

  “I’ve seen one of your pictures. You’re quite talented.” Elise interjected.

  Ryne gave her a half smile. “Thanks. I was going to use the proceeds to establish a new pack. Imagine my surprise when I called Bastian’s Gallery and found that all but one of my works had been sold, even though, surprisingly enough, there was no money in my account. It turns out she’d kept it all.

  “So I came back to town looking for my money and she laughed, saying she’d already spent it and there was no way I’d ever get it back from her. To top it all off, there was also this sports car that I owned—I only used it once in a while—and I’d left it with her to sell. Rather than taking it to a proper dealership where there’d be a fast turnover, she had it sitting at some little out of the way garage where it will probably never sell, because she wanted to still have use of it.

  “All my money, my heart, even my status with the pack—she took it all from me. Everything I had was gone and she just laughed in my face. I grabbed her by the arms and shook her. She spit in my face and I lost it; I slapped her. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I won’t hide it either.”

  Elise was quiet for a moment, then reached out her hand and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry she did that to you. If it makes you feel any better, you’re not her only victim. She’s driven a major wedge between Kane and myself. I was foolish enough to listen to her too.”

  Ryne looked over at her and gave a sad smile. “She’s a real piece of work, isn’t she?”

  Nodding, Elise gave a quick smile back. “And now she wants to kill me.”

  “Right. Not that I want you dead or anything, but why didn’t she just kill you when you first fell down here? What did she have to go and get?”

  She hadn’t really wanted to tell Ryne that Marla had basically been assassinating his character, but couldn’t think of an alternative and she refused to lie any more. “Umm… She went to get some of your clothes that you’d left behind. She’s been using them so that your scent was at the scene of some of the bad stuff that’s been going on around here.”

  Ryne stiffened. “What kind of bad stuff?”

  “Well, oil purposely dumped in the water, traps have been set, Thomas was shot… And now she wants you blamed for my death and probably Rose’s too.”

  “Damn!” Ryne surged up from the spot he’d been sitting and began to angrily pace back and forth in front of her. “She is such a bitch! I imagine my name is mud within the pack and they’re trying to hunt me down now, aren’t they? Why the fuck is she doing this to me? What kind of twisted revenge does she want? Just because I lost the challenge, she dumps me and screws up my whole life! Wait until I get my hands on her…”

  “Ryne, calm down!” Elise snapped the order at him, hoping to keep him from flying off the handle. “If it’s any help, she’s not getting revenge on you personally. She’s trying to convince Kane it’s too dangerous to stay here and that he needs to sell out. After that, she’s planning on stealing the money from his bank account. You’re just being used as a scapegoat to keep suspicion away from her.”

  Ryne growled and looked around, angry emotion blazing from his eyes. Elise was worried that he’d just charge off and leave her. “Please, Ryne! I know you’re mad at Marla, but I need you to help me right now. I can’t get back to the Alpha house on my own and I’d prefer not to be here when Marla returns. I’ll explain everything to Kane and then the two of you can go after her together.” She wasn’t exactly sure Kane would believe her, but she’d cross that bridge when she got there.

  Finally, Ryne stopped his pacing and took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. He clenched and loosened his fists several times before finally turning to face her. The rage he was feeling was evident in the stormy blue of his eyes, and she forced herself to swallow the fear that rose up inside her. Ryne wasn’t mad at her, she reminded herself.

  “All right. I’ll take you to the Alpha house, but then I’m coming back here to find her, regardless of what Kane says.” Carefully, Ryne eased his arms under her and picked her up trying not to jostle her leg more than necessary. Each step he took made her wince however and she sought a way to keep her mind off the pain. Picking a question that had been floating around in her mind, she began a conversation.

  “So, if you weren’t planning on ever coming back, why are you here today?”

  “I was trying to track down Marla one last time in an attempt to get my money back. If she wouldn’t give it to me, I was going to tell her that I’d approach the gallery and complain. They wouldn’t likely give me any money either, but I’m hoping the threat of losing her job would make her cough up some of the cash she owes me. She hasn’t been back to her apartment in days, so I figured she was staying here. I caught her scent by the road and was following it when I found you.”

  As she listened, Elise placed an arm around his shoulder to help steady herself. She could feel the muscles rippling underneath his shirt and his breath came in soft puffs, dancing across her face. Slowly the warmth of his body was seeping into hers, blocking out the chill of the gently falling snow and she relaxed in his arms. The male scent of him was so like Kane’s. It wrapped itself around her and she laid her head against his body, the faint sound of his heart beating barely distinguishable, yet still comforting.

  She wished Kane were here. He and Ryne were so alike except for their eyes; she could almost imagine it was Kane carrying her. A wave of warmth washed over her and she felt an aching need building inside of her. She brushed her nose against Ryne’s neck and rubbed his back before allowing her fingers to wander up to his neck, playing with the strands of hair that tumbled over his collar. Mmm… Kane…

  Ryne’s pace faltered and then he came to a stop. He sniffed at her and his whole body stiffened. Looking down, he quirked a brow. “Elise? Are you…?”

  Suddenly, Elise snapped out of the desire induced haze she’d fallen into. Ryne was her brother-in-law, for heaven’s sake! Mortified, she pushed herself away from him, totally forgetting that he was holding her some five feet off the ground.

  Nearly dropping her as she struggled, Ryne tightened his grip and Elise cried out as pain shot through her body from where his fingers had squeezed her broken limb.

  A deep growl suddenly reverberated through the trees, causing them both to freeze as a large black wolf burst into sight surrounded by a swirl of white snowflakes.

  Chapter 34

  “Kane!” Elise ceased her struggles against Ryne and stared at her m
ate. He snarled and lowered his head, lips drawn back to reveal an impressive set of teeth. Slowly he stalked towards them, the fur on his back rising. With surprise, she realised that the door to his mind had been opened to her and she had some idea of what he was thinking and feeling. Unfortunately, it was still a bit hard to interpret, but she knew he was incredibly angry. She hastened to offer reassurance, trying to project her thoughts while speaking. “I’m all right. Ryne was just carrying me because of my leg. He accidentally squeezed it, but didn’t mean me any harm.”

  Her efforts had some effect, since Kane stopped in his tracks, but he still didn’t back down.

  Ryne kept his eyes locked on Kane and a low rumble emitted from his chest. Elise felt his muscles tensing around her and her head snapped to look at the man holding her. What was he doing? Was it an instinctive reaction to the threat Kane posed? Deliberately, Ryne sniffed her, then let her slowly slide out of his arms, her body brushing against the length of his.

  “Ryne!” Elise gasped at his audacity, her face flushing at the suggestiveness of Ryne’s move. Well, wasn’t this just great! Apparently, her close proximity during her stupid heat cycle was no doubt affecting him, but really, they didn’t have time for this right now!

  Anxious to move away from Ryne in order to keep the peace, she tried to step back as soon as her feet touched the ground, while still sending good thoughts Kane’s way. Unfortunately, she discovered she wasn’t that good at doing two things at once. Forgetting to balance her weight on one leg, her injured limb gave way. With a cry, she automatically grabbed onto the nearest object that could provide some stability. Unfortunately, it was Ryne’s arm and that was just enough to send Kane over the edge.

  What happened next was a blur of movement. Elise pushed off of Ryne and gave a sideways hop, shifting her grip to a nearby tree trunk. Kane leapt towards his half brother and Ryne jumped back, phasing into his wolf form even as he moved. In the blink of an eye, the two males were engaged in combat, growling and biting each other, while Elise clung to a tree trunk, watching in horror as the situation dissolved into a primitive battle.

  It was a terrifying sight, yet some ancient part of her thrilled at the idea of the powerful males fighting over her. Her heart was pounding, blood rushed through her body, raising her temperature and stimulating her desire. Shaking her head, she tried to suppress the erotic feelings inside of her and clear her thinking. She wasn’t some animal waiting to mate the strongest male! This was barbaric and she had to stop it. Frantically, she looked around for something that could be used to separate the two, but of course there was nothing to be found. Returning her gaze to the scene in front of her, she stood transfixed.

  Snarls filled the air as teeth flashed and claws slashed. The two were equally matched, with first one and then the other seeming to be ahead. Ryne grabbed Kane’s back leg, but Kane whipped around and grabbed his brother’s neck. Rolling over Ryne freed himself and regained his footing, then charged his opponent again. Kane yipped in pain as teeth slashed his side, but he pulled away and swiped his claws across Ryne’s face, narrowly missing the other’s eye. Blood was freely streaming from their wounds and their fur was matted with dirt and saliva. Around them, the trampled snow was stained with a combination of mud and blood. Drawing back, they circled each other panting heavily, each looking for an opening that would allow them to get past the other’s guard.

  “Stop it!” Elise knew she had to get through to them. The thoughts coming at her from Kane were frighteningly violent and primitive. She wondered if his wolf had taken over completely, if he’d lost touch with his human side. Did either of them even understand what she was saying?

  “Listen! You both have to listen to me! Please! There’s no need for this.” She projected her thoughts towards Kane, but had no idea if he was sensing her. There was no break in his movement as he slowly circled Ryne, his gaze locked on those of his opponent. His step never faltered, his ear didn’t even twitch in her direction. Knowing it was useless, Elise still felt compelled to try again, since there was little else she could do. “Kane! Ryne isn’t trying to take me away from you and he isn’t the bad guy in all of this! I know what’s going on. It’s all M—”

  Mid-sentence, she stopped speaking. So intent was she on the fight in front of her that Elise hadn’t noticed anyone approaching, until a cold blade pressed against her throat.

  “Hello, Elise.” Marla whispered into her ear.

  A wave of icy fear washed over her and Kane suddenly froze, his head swinging her way. Ryne, obviously not knowing what was going on, lunged at Kane who neatly sidestepped, allowing Ryne to overshoot his mark and fall heavily to the ground. Ryne leapt up and twirled around, only to stop dead in his tracks as he finally noticed the new arrival.

  “My, my! Look at you two. All bloody and dirty. Tsk, tsk. Is that any way for loving brothers to behave, fighting over a little bitch?” Marla mocked the pair of black wolves that faced her. Kane’s eyes reflected his confusion, disbelief, and then rapid assimilation of the situation as it dawned on him that Marla had a knife to Elise’s neck, and was the source of his mate’s fear. He took a step towards her, growling, only to stop when Marla spoke. “I wouldn’t come any closer Kane, darling. I might get nervous and flinch. This knife is extremely sharp and just the slightest pressure could break the skin.”

  Kane phased back into human form, while Ryne’s wolf snarled. Marla laughed. “Temper, temper, Ryne. Remember all of the trouble it’s caused you already?”

  “What are you up to, Marla?” Kane’s voice was cold, his face stony.

  “Just trying to convince you to sell the land, so I can get my hands on the money it will generate.”

  “Sell the land?” Kane’s voice was incredulous. “Is that what this is all about?”

  “Well, it’s certainly not about getting you back—not that it wouldn’t be a nice side benefit—but really, good looking men are a dime a dozen once you have money.” As she spoke, Kane was slowly stepping to the left and Marla turned to keep him in sight, seeming not to realise that Ryne was inching his way to the right. Elise said nothing, silently watching the two brothers instinctively work as a unit, one providing the distraction while the other circled their prey.

  “So how is hurting Elise going to get me to sell the land?” Kane inquired blandly.

  “You sign the papers from Northern Oil and I set her free, unharmed.” Marla explained.

  “I don’t have them here.” Kane’s gaze briefly darted in Ryne’s direction.

  She snorted derisively. “Of course not. I’m no fool. Elise is staying with me until the papers are in the hands of Northern Oil’s lawyers. I have friends there who will let me know when it happens. Then you’ll deposit the money into my bank account. Once that’s taken care of, Elise will be free to go.”

  Kane rubbed his chin thoughtfully as if considering the situation. Elise observed him carefully, widening her eyes as a feeling—just the inkling of an idea—began to form in her head. She focused herself as best as she could, pushing through her own feelings of panic to find what Kane was trying to communicate to her. It was a bit of a jumble and she strained to make sense of it, finally grasping a repeated thread: I love you. Be ready.

  He loved her? Oh my gosh! Her heart leapt inside her chest. What a time to find out, when there was no chance of savouring the sweet words. She had to be ready, but ready for what? What was Kane going to do? How would he signal her when Ryne was going to attack? That was what she assumed the plan must be. Her gaze flew to his face hoping for a hint, but it remained impassive. She wished she could see Marla’s face to get some indication of what the woman might be thinking, but from her position with the knife against her throat, it wasn’t possible.

  Marla sighed impatiently. “Hurry up, Kane. Just agree. You know there’s no way other way out of this. Oh, and Ryne?” Elise felt Marla move behind her. “Quit trying to sneak up behind me or I’ll blow your brains out sooner rather than later. I have a gun and I’m am
bidextrous so it won’t be a problem using my other hand to shoot.” Elise heard the distinctive click of a gun, followed by a frustrated whine from Ryne. Trust Marla to have two weapons on her.

  Elise saw the muscle in Kane’s jaw flex indicating his inner turmoil, but his voice revealed nothing. “Well…” Kane drawled the word out. “You see Marla, I have to consider the needs of the whole pack, rather than just what I might want.”