One Princess One Pack One Villain

by Brenda Westfall

  Zeke was in another bedroom with two other men. Humans but bodybuilders I would say. They were big guys. When I came crawling through the door they stood up and moved back. Max was right behind me. He wasn’t happy at all. I wouldn’t let him help me and I couldn’t stand up.

  When I got near the bed Zeke whined. I whimpered back to him. I tried to crawl up the side of the bed, but I couldn’t. He rolled off the side of the bed. He nuzzled my neck. I wasn’t sure if Max would understand he wasn’t being a male but my twin. Frankly, I didn’t care.

  I curled up in Zeke’s arms and nuzzled him. I sniffed his wounds and dried blood. I started licking the blood off his face. Then I did hear a growl. A very angry one. But then the doctor was there trying to explain to Max that I would do what I had to in order to clean my brother’s wounds.

  Max ordered a woman to get a rag and start wiping the blood off my brother. He couldn’t stand seeing me touch my brother. When the woman got, close and tried to wipe the blood off my brother I snapped at her. My teeth bared. She yelped and dropped the rag. I picked it up and started working on Zeke.

  “Cara, she was only going to help.”

  I turned to him and growled. Showing him all my teeth. He shut up. I then turned back to my brother. I couldn’t get much of the blood off it had dried. “Zeke, can you crawl to the bathroom?”

  “Not sure.” I pulled at him and he struggled to crawl. Between the two of us, we got him to the bathroom. I ran the water in the tub then helped him in shorts and all. Max never let me out of his sight. I helped Zeke clean up.

  “Sorry, this happened to you again. It’s all my fault again. Oh Zeke, even running away I can’t stop hurting the ones I love.”

  He reaches over and grabs my chin. He lifts my face till he is looking in my eyes. He stares at me then growls at me. Max is on his feet ready to jump on him. “You did not hurt me. Hear me? Not you. Not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Love you.”

  “Love you. You feel better? Is the hot water helping?”

  “You know it is. I’m going to be all right. Wolf remember? Nothing will keep us down.” He holds up his little pinky and I curl mine around his. It is something we have always done to reassure each other things are going to be all right. He leans over the side of the tub holding his ribs with one hand and he kisses my forehead. Max comes a step closer.

  For a wolf who is watching his supposed mate touch, another male, Max is really showing constraint. Once Zeke is blood free Max has his goons help him out of the tub.

  Max picks me up and carries me out of the bathroom. “You can wait till they have him dried off and clean shorts on. Do you feel any better?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cara, baby, I swear they weren’t supposed to hurt him. He fought them. They didn’t start it, he did. I would never make you feel pain like this. I would not hurt you this way. Baby, do you believe me?”

  “I don’t know what I believe right now. Just need to be close to my brother till he is better. Lay me on the bed.”

  “You’re not sleeping with him. I won’t allow that. I am trying hard to understand the touching and all. Cara your mine. Not his. You sleep with me.”

  “I have to be touching him right now. You don’t understand, I get that. But we are part of each other. It’s not a sexual thing. Ow!”

  Max is going crazy trying to figure out how to stop my pain. He can’t of course. Then when I cry out he isn’t sure what has happened. “What?”

  I grab my side. I take it one of the men drying my brother hit a tender spot. I hear him curse. They carry him back to the bed and laid him down. I struggle to get out of Max’s arms. He won’t let go. Instead, he carries me over to Zeke. He sits me on the side of the bed. I crawl up close to Zeke and lay down. He has his back flat on the bed. He is breathing hard trying to catch his breath.

  “Zeke, your lung, is it puncture or is it just badly bruised? Can you tell? Your ribs didn’t get set, did they?”

  “They tried. Bruised not punctured.”

  “Ok, don’t talk. Sleep. I will stay with you.” He closes his eyes. I start feeling his right leg and I hear growls. I turn and look at Max with a menacing face. He steps back a step. I go back to Zeke’s leg. It is broken.

  “Zeke, I have to straighten your leg. Sorry. Sorry, it’s got to be done. Ready?”

  “I think so. Just do it fast if you can.” I take hold of his foot, then I pull quick and hard and twist. I feel it pop back in place. Zeke is breathing even harder. But he didn’t cry out. Then I move over to his left arm. I start at the shoulder and I work my way down feeling it. I find it isn’t broken, but his elbow is out of place.

  “Ready kiddo?”

  “Go.” Max watches me like he is amazed I know what to do or how to do it. I have seven brothers, there are always fights with bones broken or out of place. Plus, the pack gets into fights a lot. I learned a long time ago how to help out.

  I have to sit on Zeke’s legs in order to get the right grip on his arm to twist it back in place. This really pisses Max off. He paces beside the bed trying not to rip me off, Zeke. “Zeke I can’t get it. Hang on. Sorry.” I pull and tug hard. It still isn’t going back into place.

  “Will you let anyone help you? Doctor Leon, perhaps?”

  “I can do it. I just have to…” I twist and pull till I hear it pop. Then Zeke relaxes. I know I have it in place. I work his arm bending it and straightening it. I have to make sure it isn’t going to just pop back out of place. “Now you can heal. Rest, brother, rest.” I feel hot wet tears running down my face. I know my brother is hurt because of me and I can’t stand it.

  “Princess, thanks. It already feels better. Lay with me.” I do. I had no intentions of leaving his side. Max doesn’t like it. But as long as he is in the room and can watch, he seems to be almost able to handle it. I fall asleep lying against Zeke’s side. My head on his chest. I wake up in another bed, laying on another chest.

  Max has his arm wrapped around me, holding me to his chest. He is asleep. I try to slip out of his arms. He raises an eyebrow, then opens one eye. “Where are you going?”

  “Bathroom.” He sits up letting go of me. He watches to make sure that is where I am going. It was. I really had to pee. I did my thing, then walked back into the bedroom. Max was still watching the bathroom door. He patted the bed beside him. I looked at the bedroom door, then at Max. Then I looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was four thirty in the morning.

  “It’s too early to get up. Come lay down. We just went to be a little bit ago. You need to rest. Your brother isn’t alone. Doctor Leon is with him. He is lying beside him on the bed.”

  “You sure?”

  “Would I lie to you baby? No, I wouldn’t. Come now and lay back down. I need to get some sleep and so do you.”

  I go back over to the bed and lay down. Then I feel like my throat is dry. I start to get off the bed and I feel his arm around my waist and his head on my shoulder. He is looking over my shoulder at me.

  “What now?”

  “My throat is so dry it hurts. I need a drink.”

  “Lay still I will get it. There is some bottled water in the Refrigerator.” He goes and gets me a bottle. I down it before he can lay down. I start to get up to get another one. He stands up and holds his hand up. “I will get it.”

  “Make it two this time. I don’t know why, but I am so dry. It’s like I haven’t been drinking anything for a month.”

  “You haven’t had much that is for sure. I will bring a few just in case. Lay down. I will be right back.” I lay down and wait. He comes back carrying four bottles. I sit up and take one and I down it. Then I down another one. Then I start to lay back down. Nope, I can’t, I have to go to the bathroom again.

  “Now what?”

  “Bathroom, the water seems to be going straight through.”

  “Good grief. All right. Hurry back. The bed is cold and lonely without you.” I rush to the bathroom then back to bed. I lay down on my side of the b
ed, then I feel his arm, pulling me closer to him. He curls up around my back and puts his leg over mine. I try not to fuss. I don’t want him to be this close right now. I haven’t forgotten what the doctor said about people disappear when they make Maxwell mad.

  Morning comes and Zeke is feeling much better. I sit with him while he eats three cheeseburgers and fries. He has two chocolate milkshakes. “Feel better now?”

  “I think I do. Princess, just seeing you and knowing you are alright is making my heart feel better.” He pulls me into his chest for a tight hug. I wrap my arms around his neck. He is sitting on the bed with his back against the bed frame. As we are hugging I hear a growl, then Max clears his throat. He is trying to understand.

  “Cara, I need a minute.”

  “Coming. Zeke, you need anything else?”

  “A pepperoni pizza?” I laugh at him. He is sort of kidding and sort of serious. What he just ate won’t fill him long. While he is healing, he burns up twice the normal calories.

  “I’ll see what I can do. Lay down and get some rest.” I get off the bed and Max holds out his hand for me to take. I hesitate, then think I better take it. He walks me back out into the living room. He pulls me in his arms.

  “You’re looking a thousand times better. How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Much better. Zeke is healing and the pain isn’t as strong. Thank you for bringing him here. I don’t think I would have lasted much longer. I don’t understand it, but I know when we are too far apart it kills us both. If he ever dies I fear, I will too. Or if I ever die he will.”

  “Yes, I think I got that. I have never witnessed anything like what you two share. I only dream of being that close to you. Even once we are a mated pair I don’t think we will share what you two seem to.”

  “Sorry. Believe me, I wish we didn’t share it. It’s scary knowing if one of us dies the other one follows.”

  “Yes, it is very scary. I will see that it doesn’t happen. I am going to have to take care of some business now. I will be about two hours. When I get back we are going to have to go. I have some business elsewhere that needs tending. I had hoped you and I would have time to play in the casino while here. But you just weren’t up to it. I will send Tina up to help get things packed. Your brother’s things are in a duffle bag in his closet. I will have someone come help with him as well. Oh, and Doctor Leon wants to check on both of you. He is due here at nine. Now do you need anything before I run off?”

  “Not that I can think of. Where will we be going? Zeke is still healing I don’t know how well he is going to travel.”

  “I know. I am sorry that we have to go so soon. But I have business to take care of that can’t be helped. I would leave you two here, but I can’t stand to be that far from you. The minute I walk out that door, I start feeling anxious to get back to you. Do you feel it when I am not here?”

  I know he is hoping I do. He wants what Zeke has with me. I know even if I don’t feel the way Max does that I have to say I do. When we first met, I did feel that way. But since Zeke got hurt it has changed. Knowing that Max was behind it has changed the way I feel inside.

  “I feel it too.”

  “I will try to hurry. I will bring you back something. Now be a good girl and stay out of trouble. I love you so much baby.” He kisses me with passion. A passion I no longer feel for him. I think he notices too. He gets all stiff before he ends the kiss. “You sure you’re all right? You don’t seem like yourself yet. Are you feverish?” He feels my forehead. It’s cool to the touch. Maybe cooler than it should be. He stands up straight leans his head back and looks at me puzzled. He lets it go for the time being.

  “Tina will do the packing. You don’t have to help. She knows what to do. Doctor Leon will wait till I get back to let me know how you’re doing and how your brother is doing. He may have orders for your brother’s healing. You rest till I get back. Keep that brother of yours well feed. He eats like a horse.”

  “The healing takes it. You know that. Or have you never been hurt that bad before?”

  “Never. I am strong and a great hunter as well as a great fighter. But I am even a better lover as you will soon see. Now that you’re feeling better we can get back to where we left off in the bedroom.” He growls at me sexy like then gives me another quick kiss. Then he turns and walks out. I stop and think about him in the bedroom. Him at the house in the woods and what he did teach me that night. I feel flush.

  I go back to the bedroom where Zeke is and sit on the side of the bed. I know now that every call I make is being monitored. But I need to know where the pack is and if their all right.

  “Zeke, we can’t talk too loud, I fear we are being listened to. Can you tell me where the pack is?”

  “Not really. They were to let me out a mile from where I was supposed to meet Max. They did. After that, they were supposed to set up a tracking spot. Father has a van with all the latest equipment. He was going to follow my moves till I found you. Then the pack was supposed to come storming in and rescue us. The only problem was I was being followed from the minute we hit town. Rufus, Kyle, and Duncan are in town somewhere. I don’t know if they were attacked too. I was attacked before I got two blocks. There was four of them and only one of me. Once they beat the crap out of me they took me to some warehouse.”

  “So, he was responsible for you getting hurt. I thought so. He swears they weren’t supposed to hurt you.”

  “I don’t know how much he told them to do. He was pretty mad when he showed up at the warehouse. He told them they hurt you and they would be punished. Something about every time I hurt, it hurt you and he had warned them. So maybe he didn’t mean for them to hurt me as much as they did. But I do think he planned for them teaching me who was boss before I got to see you. If I got to see you. I understand the doctor told him as long as we were within a hundred miles of each other you would be alright.”

  “Yeah, I heard him telling Max that. I don’t know how true it is. I didn’t know when you were close because I was unconscious. I had stopped eating or drinking anything, and it pretty near did me in. Then when I woke up and felt your pain I panicked.”

  “You’re better now though, right? You don’t feel as sick to me. I mean I don’t feel it as bad.”

  “Thank goodness I feel a hundred times better. The doctor kept forcing me to drink some kind of vitamin drinks. Look, I am going to make a call to Mel. Hopefully, she will get the gist of my conversation. I do know the phones are being monitored. I figured that out the hard way. When Max gets back, he plans on us, leaving Vegas. I don’t know where he is taking us, but if the pack knows, maybe they can be watching for us.”

  “Be careful Princess. I don’t think I am ready to fight another fight yet.”

  “I know you’re not. Keep quiet for a moment you listen for the door. We are expecting…

  The door opens before I can finish. I hear my name called. It is Tina coming to pack. I go out to see her and she tells me she will go on in and get started.

  Chapter 12

  I go back into Zeke’s room and shut the door. I pull the phone to the other side of the bed and sit on the floor.

  I dial Mel, then think better and hang up. I call Eric. As kids, we had codes that told the other one when we were in trouble. I hope he remembers.

  “Hello”

  “Eric Reynolds, You’re in trouble.”

  “Cara? What?”

  “Can’t you tell I miss you fool. Traveling around the states takes me away. Family, vacationing, lost City of lights and gambling. Moving soon. Hope you get out of trouble soon.”

  “Got it. Miss you too.” I hang up and know that he will contact my father. He knew I was missing or supposedly kidnapped. I didn’t know how much he really understood, but I figured he got most of it.

  I called Cara’s house and got one of the cousins. I told him I had a message from Cara and needed to get it to her father. He connected me to her father’s cell.

  “Hello”
<
br />   “Cara says she is in trouble, moving soon. She is in Vegas I think. Not sure where she is moving to. She couldn’t say anything straight out. She was being listened to.”

  “Eric, thank you for calling. I will be ready. I owe you, son. Did Cara sound ok?”

  “Yes, from what I could tell. She didn’t really say much, just in trouble, city of lights, moving soon. We had a code as kids, and I am so glad I remembered. She told me I was in trouble meaning she needed help. When you find, her let her call me so I know she is safe please.”

  “I will do that. If you hear from her again call this number.” He gave me the direct number to his cell phone. Then he hung up. I in turn called the gang to let them know I had heard from Cara. Mel said she had gotten a call just a few minutes ago, but they had hung up when she picked up. She was afraid it was Cara.

  I was still sitting with Zeke when the doctor showed up a few minutes later. He checked Zeke over from head to toe. Then he checked me over. He was worried about us traveling, but he said Max wouldn’t hear of leaving me behind.

  “I don’t know where you are going. He never tells anyone. Maxwell has been a lone wolf for years and he has grown to rely on very few. Cara, keep taking the vitamin drink for at least a week or until it runs out. It will help you build up your strength. I hope you don’t need to be stronger right away. I fear for your life. Maxwell is totally in love with you. If you cross him, he won’t hesitate to kill the first thing in his way, your brother. Zeke dies, you die. I have explained that to him over and over, but when he gets into a rage he doesn’t always think first. He kills, then thinks. Cara, I wish I could help you. I think you’re a very special wolf. I think you are even more special than anyone knows.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  “No, you don’t understand, I’m not just a healer. I can sometimes see the future of the one I have touched. I can’t see it clearly in your case, but I know that you will…” Before he can finish saying what he was going to tell us we have company. Four men, I have never seen. They are there with a wheelchair.