* * *
S he came to, and her body instantly tuned into her surroundings. She was somewhere underground, blindfolded with hands and feet tied together. The drip, drip, drip of water echoed throughout the room and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t determine where she was other than a large, dank, moldy space .
She moved her bound hands around behind her back and determined that she sat upon some sort of concrete. The sound of traffic was present, if a bit muted. So, she felt she was still in the city, but where exactly, she couldn’t tell .
Panic seized her chest and her breath wheezed in and out in small, panting gasps .
“Roman,” she called and coughed when her voice came out raspy and hoarse. A light, shimmering weight dusted across the skin of her bare arms and she suddenly felt Roman’s presence .
“Where are you?” she asked softly and waited for him to respond .
“He isn’t here, Princess,” an unfamiliar voice announced and she jerked her head blindly to her left. A low, guttural growl rumbled from the area .
“Where is he?” she demanded. “Where am I? Who are you? What do you want ?”
A chuckle wafted into her face, its malevolence echoing in the space surrounding them .
“One problem at a time, eh?” the voice mocked .
“Don’t say a word, Marty,” another voice broke in. “We’re only supposed to hold her until Rafe gets here .”
“Shut up,” Marty growled. “Rafe isn’t here yet so I’m still the one in charge .”
“What does this Rafe want with me?” Josephine asked. She basically understood the fact that she’d been kidnapped because of her association with Roman, now she wanted to know who they were and what, exactly, they wanted .
“Curious little girl, aren’t you?” Marty spoke directly into her ear and she jerked her head aside to keep him from touching her. She felt Roman’s rage and wished she could convey her thoughts to him as easily as he received hers .
Suddenly howls, whistles and barks heralded the arrival of others, but what frightened Josephine most was the fact that they didn’t sound human. It was then she understood the trouble she faced .
“Wolves,” she murmured. “You’re the werewolves that Roman mentioned .”
“Very intuitive, Princess,” a third voice praised. “Take her blindfold off Marty .”
Once the mask was removed from her eyes, Josephine slowly opened them and inhaled sharply when she saw the sheer size of the group of men surrounding her .
Although their bodies weren’t as large as the bears, these men were still massive. Sinewy muscle and unusually long limbs replaced the bears’ hulking frames. Letting her eyes adjust to the lingering shadows, she realized they were in an abandoned, underground parking garage .
The wolves all looked unkempt and dirty, much like the city’s homeless population appeared. She remembered how Robert had explained the wolves and their chosen targets of homeless and degenerates .
So, that was how they cloaked their existence; by hiding themselves among their food source .
“Why am I here?” she repeated .
“You’re here,” the tallest of the group stepped toward her. “Because you found the Scroll,” he finished and squatted before her. His yellow eyes narrowed to slits and she inhaled sharply when he brought his face to within an inch of hers .
“You’re here because I can’t have old man Williams being cured,” his voice deepened. “My kind is starving because antiquated rules were made without our consent. With the elder Williams dead, the heir will have no choice but negotiate a new treaty, especially if he wants to see his mate alive again,” his voice trailed off and he smiled when the others snickered and laughed behind him .
Josephine’s heart plummeted when she realized how much trouble she was in. She’d noticed that her messenger bag was missing and she didn’t know if that was because the wolves had already gone through it or because Roman had it .
She hoped it was the latter. With that being the case, he could, at least, still save his father .
“Where is it?” she asked, and noticed Rafe’s body stiffen .
“We don’t have it,” he answered gruffly. “Why do you think we need you?” he challenged .
“I don’t understand,” Josephine admitted. “I’m of no use to you, Roman probably took the Scroll directly to his father and Mr. Williams is alive and well as we speak…” She trailed off when she realized what she’d just done. With the Scroll out of their reach, what could the wolves possibly want with her? She was no longer of any use to them. She’d just signed her own death warrant .
“That’s where you’re wrong little butterfly,” Rafe said and peered over his shoulder. He exchanged glares with another man and then turned back to her .
“Marty sent a nice little message to Roman Williams,” he explained. “If he uses the Scroll to cure his father, we will kill you. The only way he’ll see you alive again is to return the Scroll to us and let his father die .”
Josephine’s breath hitched and tears formed in her eyes. Robert had been right, the wolves were shady. They were also downright evil. Roman faced a decision he would regret the rest of his life, however long it may be. If he turned the Scroll over to the wolves, saving Josephine, his father would die. If he used the Scroll to save his father, Josephine would die .
Either way, Roman would lose someone .
Chapter 10
A fter sitting in the same position for what seemed like forever, the wolves finally moved Josephine to another location. They’d blindfolded her and carried her to a waiting vehicle, and then exiting the parking garage, driven for about fifteen minutes. She tried following the turns, dips and curves, but whether it was the anxiety or headache, she couldn’t recall a place in the city that matched their trip .
The fact that she was still alive told her that either Roman hadn’t responded to Rafe’s message or that he’d made his decision to try and free her. She knew that no matter what happened, Roman would blame her for his father’s demise. He held the key to curing him in the palm of his hand .
She knew next to nothing about the whole mating business. If she died, what would happen to Roman? Considering the fact that they hadn’t consummated the coupling, perhaps he could still get out of it. Since Mr. Williams survived after Roman’s mother died gave her some hope. Maybe the mating connection was nothing more than human wedding vows .
Where are you Josephine? Roman’s voice flitted through her mind and she froze in her thoughts. She heard him as plainly as if he sat next to her but she didn’t know how to answer him. Could he still read her mind ?
I feel your fear and panic; please try to communicate with me. I can’t tell what you’re thinking, our bond isn’t strong enough .
“Well, that answers my question,” she murmured dryly. Wiggling around on the bed in the dusty room they’d put her in, she folded her hands in her lap and closed her eyes. Concentrating hard, she thought about the parking garage and the trip when they’d moved her. She tried to project her thoughts out of her mind, which was a difficult task considering she had no idea how to do it .
Pressing her eyelids tighter together, she pictured the musty old bedroom she’d been locked in. She described everything down to the faded, chipping wallpaper. She strained so hard, she felt a headache coming on .
She waited a few minutes but when no reply came, she exhaled harshly and launched herself from the squeaky mattress. She walked over to the sole window and pulled the tapestry aside only to grumble at finding the portal blacked out .
A knock sounded on her door and she jumped away from the window as if she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She refrained from uttering a word, knowing the knock was merely a joke. She’d been locked in here for the better part of two days if her count was accurate .
The only time anyone came was when they brought her a tray of food. She was thankful her room had a small bathroom connected to it or she would’ve been using a cha
mber pot .
She raced back to the bed and climbed onto the middle of it, situating herself to look as innocent as possible .
The door opened a fraction of an inch, just enough for them to see her seated on the bed and then a young, slender girl slipped through the opening. Instead of food, she carried two large shopping bags .
She stopped just inside the threshold and extending her hands, she dropped the two bags on the floor at her feet. She then smirked and turned to leave .
“Wait,” Josephine called. “What’s in the bags ?”
The girl turned just enough to see Josephine from the corner of her eye. Tucking a greasy strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she motioned down at the bags .
“Clothes and other necessities,” she informed. “You’re having dinner with Rafe and he wants you presentable .”
Without thinking, Josephine launched from the bed again and quickly approached the girl. When the waif turned to head out the door, Josephine grabbed her arm. The girl whirled and lashed out with unprecedented speed and accuracy .
Reaching up to touch her cheek, Josephine inhaled sharply when her hand came away with a smear of blood .
The girl tilted her head and studied the smattering of red with a predatory curiosity .
“What’s the occasion?” Josephine asked and prepared herself for the animal’s attack. The girl seemed to shake herself out of some stupor because she turned her glazed eyes back to Josephine’s and smiled, the action revealing four very sharp incisors .
“Apparently, we’re having company and Rafe wants you to there,” she sneered. “And he said to tell you to be sure and look like the professional historian that you are, hence the clothes.” She nodded at the bags again and then turned to head out the door, slamming it forcefully behind her .
Josephine released the breath she’d been holding and bent down to retrieve the bags. She dug through them and found a couple changes of clean clothes, a brush, a few towels, some shampoo and conditioner, soap and a mirror .
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and winced at how bad she looked. Reaching up to tentatively touch the sizable cut on her cheekbone, she gasped and nearly dropped the mirror when Roman’s face shimmered in her reflection .
“Roman?” she asked softly and ran her finger over the flickering surface .
“Josephine?” their combined reflections demanded. “I can barely see you. How are you doing this ?”
She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, unable to offer a solid explanation .
“I’m just looking in a mirror,” she explained. “I don’t know how any of this mating business works .”
Roman’s face lit in a relieved smile .
“I can hear you perfectly, so that means you’re closer than we thought,” he admitted. “Can you tell me anything about where they’re holding you ?”
So for the next fifteen minutes, Josephine went through the description of the parking garage and the move, then the description of her room .
“That’s all I know,” she confessed sadly. “Roman, you should take the Scroll and save your father.” She stopped talking when her breath hitched. “You don’t owe me anything and there’s no guarantee that they’ll even let me live if you let them have the Scroll .”
Roman’s gray eyes narrowed angrily back at her .
“I’m not giving them the Scroll and I’m not giving you up either,” he replied harshly. “My men and I will find you, just stay alive,” he demanded. “You hear me ?”
Josephine nodded and smiled .
“Rafe is forcing me to have dinner with him and some guest, what should I do?” she asked .
“You do what he says,” Roman answered succinctly. “You go along with him, tell him anything he wants to know. We’ll find you soon, I promise.” The mirror surface shimmered once more and she stared at her own reflection. Roman’s was gone .
“Easier said than done,” Josephine murmured and gently laid the mirror on the bed. After rummaging through all the new clothes, she chose a cream cashmere sweater and chocolate brown pants. Her black heels were scratched up from her kidnapping, but she was sure she could clean them up satisfactorily enough .
Steeling herself for an unexpected night, she headed into the small bathroom to begin getting ready .
Once she was pleased enough with her appearance, she tucked the small mirror into her pants’ pocket and paced the floor in front of the door. It wasn’t more than thirty minutes before another knock heralded her escort .
She frowned when the same volatile waif pushed open her door and stood back for Josephine to exit .
“Follow me,” the girl barked and then pulled the door closed before setting off down a dimly lit hallway. Once they reached a dead end, Josephine watched as the girl turned left and descended a set of wooden stairs .
As they moved to a lower floor, across a foyer and into a dining room, Josephine realized they were in an old, abandoned farmhouse. She wondered if that’s what Roman had meant when he’d said she was closer than they’d thought. Could the farmhouse be close to Roman’s country home ?
“What happened to her face?” Rafe demanded harshly and grabbed the girl by the upper arm. “I told you not to harm her,” he growled and backhanded the girl before shoving her into Marty’s arms .
“Get her out of my sight,” Rafe snarled and then turned back to face Josephine, his face morphing from an angry sneer to a delighted smile. She found herself wondering if all the wolves were as dysfunctional as Rafe and his pack. Were they all just as insane? She remembered Robert telling her that not all wolves fed upon human prey, but in facing the maniacal man/wolf before her, she couldn’t help but believe the entire species was just as bloodthirsty and savage .
She shrank backwards when Rafe lifted his dirty hand toward her face. He stopped with his hand in midair and chuckled lightly before sweeping the same arm toward a chair behind him .
“Please,” he invited. “Sit with us .”
Josephine brushed past him and sat in the offered chair. When Rafe moved around behind her and helped push her chair closer to the table, she looked around at the other guests. She wasn’t surprised when she saw two more werewolves seated when them, but when her eyes lit on the third person, they widened in shock. The fourth guest sat directly across from her and she could tell right away that he wasn’t a wolf or human. His hulking frame and tall statue gave him away as nothing else could .
He was a bear. One of Roman’s own men had betrayed him .
“It’s nice to finally meet you Ms. Baxter,” the bear greeted and extended his large hand across the table for hers. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you,” he bragged .
“I wish I could say the same,” Josephine snapped and merely stared down at his extended hand with blatant disdain. “But I have no idea who you are .”
“Apologies,” Rafe said from the head of the table. “Josephine Baxter, meet Christopher Williams. He is Roman’s first cousin and the soon-to-be Williams’ heir. Once Roman is dead, that is.” Then turning to face Christopher, Rafe smiled, revealing his wolf teeth yet again .
“Am I correct in assuming you two – ” he trailed off and waved his finger between Josephine and Christopher, “share a mutual friend?” he asked conversationally .
“Oh yes,” Christopher hastened to answer. “I believe we do,” he agreed and turned back to Josephine. “It was Clara Stewart who suggested I contact you to begin with .”
Josephine’s stomach dropped. Now it all made sense. She’d found it incredibly lucky that Clara’s old high school flame had gotten drunk enough to talk about a secret society she’d researched for years. She had wondered how Clara, who knew nothing of history, had gotten the inside scoop when she had failed to, but she’ dismissed it from her mind in all the excitement of landing a new job .
Now the only question was whether Josephine had been the target all along or was she just the unlucky historian who’d gotten the job ?
“I thoug
ht you said that with Roman’s father dead, he would be forced to form a new treaty with the wolves, why do you need Christopher?” she asked Rafe .
The werewolf laughed and reached for the tarnished silver cup before him. Raising it high in the air, he waited for the other three men to mimic his action before turning his attention back to Josephine .
“That was the plan,” he admitted. “But when Christopher came to me with an alternative, it was too good to be true .”
“And what exactly is the alternative?” she demanded angrily turning flashing eyes back on the man/bear across from her .
The beast had the audacity to smile and wink before tossing back his cup .
“Easy darling,” he drawled. “I’ll become the new heir once Roman is dead and the wolves won’t need a treaty, they can have all the territory they desire .”
“You’re selling out your family for power and position?” she asked .
Christopher nodded proudly .
“Of course, I’ll get to marry you once Roman is dead, so I consider that a nice bonus,” he added and Josephine’s blood turned to ice in her veins .
“I’m not the Princess,” she informed him. “I’m just a lowly employee .”
“On the contrary,” Christopher argued and motioned at the near healed wound on her neck. “I beg to disagree with you. He’s bitten you and the bond has begun to form. For all intents and purposes Ms. Baxter, you and Roman are mated .”
Chapter 11
J osephine didn’t say anything else throughout the mockery of a dinner Rafe hosted. She didn’t touch the food they placed in front of her from fear that it was human. She’d learned that the other two wolf/men were leaders of packs from neighboring states .
Apparently, they weren’t really happy with Roman’s father either. The mere fact that the Bear Clan dictated all the other supernatural beings’ hunting grounds enraged them on a frightening level .
His Christmas Baby: A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 72
