Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4)
Page 11
He didn’t. “I’ll be back.” He turned and walked out of the room.
Great. Now she would really be able to concentrate on work.
~~~~~
Elsie pulled her sweatshirt closer to her as the cool night breeze kicked up. The soft fabric kept her arms warm enough, but her shorts and flip-flops didn’t offer any protection. It had been so warm that afternoon, she never thought about changing out of her pajama shorts.
She checked her cell phone again. Five past two and Dani still wasn’t there. Really, if she was going to call a midnight meeting in secret, she should at least be on time.
Sneaking out had been easier than expected. Elsie worked late in the downstairs office and fell asleep over her computer. The vibration of the alarm she set on her cell was just enough to wake her up while letting the rest of the house sleep.
The sound of dead leaves crunching made Elsie look to her left, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Dani walk toward her.
Her hair was down around her shoulders and she wore more sensible flats, but her makeup and blue dress were still on. “Hey girl. How was everything tonight?”
Dani smiled hesitantly, but she was visibly nervous.
“Is everything okay?”
Dani looked over her shoulder and back to Elsie. “The dance was great. Everyone thought I looked great and I danced with a few guys I’m fairly certain didn’t even know I existed a week ago.”
Elation filled Elsie. “I’m so glad you had a good time. I was thinking about you all night. What did you want to talk about?”
Another anxious look behind her. “You have a lot of power now, you know? You’re the new queen.”
“So I’ve been told,” muttered Elsie.
“How much do you know about my dad?” asked Dani.
The elation was suddenly gone. “Just the basics. I heard he’s not a fan of Brock or the rest of your family.”
Dani’s eyes widened and a masculine voice spoke from behind Elsie. “That’s a very watered-down version of events.”
Elsie whipped her head around. Derek was easy enough to spot. He had the same blond hair as Dani and their similar bone structure made their relation undeniable. If the huge and muscled werewolf appearing out of nowhere wasn’t enough to get her heart racing, there were two others with him: a big guy with sandy-brown hair and a burn scar that covered the right side of his face and a tall, skinny brunette who looked as though it was her goal to wear as little clothes as possible.
A shame. She had an amazing body, but the trashy clothes made her look like a streetwalker. Elsie blinked as she focused on the matter at hand and not makeovers.
“Don’t freak out, Elsie. They just want to talk to you.”
Dani’s words didn’t do a thing to calm Elsie. “What’s going on here?”
The scarred one spoke up. “We just want a chance to reason with your mate. He doesn’t normally like dealing with the gutter rats like us, but we thought, since you are so new to our world, that you’d be more reasonable.
“I’m Cullen and this is my mate Rachel.”
Cullen. The man Brock suspected of hiring the myotis. Elsie tried to keep her face blank. “I wouldn’t mind talking with you, but I’m sure you can understand why I don’t want to have a drawn-out political discussion under these circumstances.”
Dani stepped toward Elsie, rustling more leaves. “You’re safe. They just want to talk.”
Elsie frowned and looked back to the three werewolves. They hadn’t made a sound when they approached. Dani was young and inexperienced. These were hunters.
No matter what Dani said, these three were after her. Elsie stepped back. “Dani, we need to go inside.”
Rachel stalked closer to Elsie. The menacing look in the pack’s eyes traveled to the rest of their faces and her lips curled into a snarl.
Without any hesitation, Elsie turned and ran, gasping in a breath to scream. The house was so close. Surely Brock would hear her.
She never made a noise. Something that felt like a brick slammed into her skull, sending her flying across the sandy leaves.
She wanted to get up. She wanted to run. Nothing seemed to work. Her eyes were closed, but the world seemed to spin.
A female shrieking sounded from behind her, and she recognized it as Dani.
“Shut up, girl. What do you think they are going to do to you when they find out your part in this?” said a male, but she couldn’t tell who.
Dani stopped screaming, but her quiet crying continued. Elsie wanted to scream. Run! Get help!
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She took a deep breath and then had to cough when she inhaled sand and dirt. At the noise, Rachel walked over and slammed her boot into Elsie’s head.
The force of the kick pushed Elsie to her back as bright light flashed behind her eyes.
“Fuck, Rachel. You can’t kill her yet. We need her,” said Cullen. Behind him, Dani’s cries got louder. “Shut up! We need to get her out of here before your brat wakes up everyone.”
Elsie tried to open her eyes to see what was happening, but they wouldn’t cooperate. The air seemed to slow and the earth beneath her shifted, telling her someone was approaching. Her head tucked in and muscles tensed as she waited for the next blow.
Derek laughed above her. “You should see her shakin’ right now, man. You need to get a picture of this.”
Through the pain, rage filled her. It wasn’t enough to beat her. They wanted to remember it for later.
Not that she put up much of a fight. Compared to their strength, her only option was to run, and she even failed at that. “Just get her to the truck,” muttered Cullen.
The knowledge that he was about to touch her sent a fresh shot of fear straight down her spine. Her leg kicked out at his knee and her fist aimed at his face. A satisfied thrill shot through her when both made contact, but it was quickly chased away when he didn’t back off at all.
“Bitch,” he muttered as his fist crashed into her cheek. After that, her world went black.
The world spun around Elsie as awareness slowly came back.
No. It wasn’t spinning. She was being carried over someone’s shoulder. Her eyes shot open and the sudden, though small, movement sent pain crashing through her skull. She groaned as each step the man beneath her took made the headache even worse.
Keeping herself limp so they wouldn’t know she was conscious, Elsie tried to figure out where they were and where she was being taken. The woods still looked the same, so they must not be too far from Brock’s cabin. Derek and Rachel walked to her left, so it must be Cullen’s shoulder ramming into her lungs.
There was no sign of Dani. Elsie sent up a silent prayer hoping the teen was okay and getting help. Not that the pack seemed too worried. They walked calmly and silently through the darkness.
Even carrying her weight, Cullen’s steps were silent. Was Brock that quiet when he walked? Maybe he was stalking them right now, about to jump out of the shadows any second to free her.
Or not. If Dani wasn’t raising the alarm, Brock would think she was still sleeping peacefully over her laptop, just like any other workaholic. And Elsie had to face the reality that Cullen and his pack wouldn’t be so calm if they thought there was any possibility of Brock coming after them.
Cullen stopped and the sound of a car door opening filled the night. He unceremoniously tossed Elsie on the dirt, the six-foot fall forcing what little breath she had out of her lungs.
“Did we wake you, princess?” asked Derek. Elsie opened her eyes and stared at the man with all the hatred she felt. Derek knelt as a hand pulled back for a punch.
Cullen gave Derek a look that stopped him mid-swing. “Cut the shit. No playing with her while we are on Holt land. Put her out and tie her up so we can get the hell out of here. Those ropes had better be tight or I will beat your ass so hard you won’t be able to shit for a month.”
Just as Elsie started to contemplate what he meant by “put her out,” D
erek raised his fist again and everything went dark.
As Elsie regained consciousness for the third time in one night, she was no longer surprised by the screaming agony in her head. At this rate, that pain would be with her the rest of her life.
The shooting aches in her shoulders and arms were new, though. Opening her eyes did her no good because she was surrounded by nothing but pitch black. The movement of the metal surface she was laying on told her she was in a car. Probably the back of a pickup.
She kicked out her legs, only to realize she couldn’t do more than wiggle them. They were bound together at the ankles, knees, and thighs. Her arms were similarly tied up in multiple spots and stretched painfully behind her. A cloth gag was tied and knotted behind her head, ripping out a few hairs every time she shifted and leaving her mouth unbearably dry.
Considering her other serious injuries, dry mouth didn’t seem like the highest priority, but damn it, it was annoying.
The pickup hit a bump and Elsie slid across the metal, tucking her head to avoid any further injury.
Focus, Elsie! There has to be some way out of this damn box! Elsie felt along the slots in the bed of the truck but couldn’t feel a thing. There was nothing loose rolling around next to her and no sharp rusted edges she could use to cut herself free.
She had to hurry. There was no telling how far they’d been driving or how much longer she would have to escape.
What were they planning to do with her? If they wanted her dead, she’d be dead. Not that she felt any better. The pounding in her head was evidence enough that they had no concerns for her well-being.
They needed something from Brock and they were going to use her to get it. As frustration mounted, Elsie kicked upwards at the bed cover, but her legs couldn’t maneuver more than a few inches off the ground.
No, no, no, no, no. This isn’t happening. She refused to believe she was stuck.
Elsie shifted her shoulders back and forth, but the small and quick movements did nothing to loosen the ropes. Her breath started to come more rapidly and she banged her legs against the metal sides of the truck bed.
The temperature seemed to rise in her small prison. Was it daylight? It seemed much too dark, but she felt overheated. Would she cook to death in her little coffin? A slow and agonizing death as if she were in a slow cooker?
Fuck no. She resumed her struggles, frantically pulling at her bonds. She pulled and rubbed until she felt a warm liquid flow down her arms and she knew she was bleeding.
Have to keep going. As the pain increased, her breaths came faster. Her head spun as her mind turned to tunnel vision. All she could feel was the ropes. She needed out of these ropes.
Elsie twisted and contorted her body, trying to get in some type of position to give her leverage. The cuts in her wrists were nothing compared to the unnatural position she was pushing her shoulders into.
She tried to take deep, calming breaths but all she could do was gulp in shallow pants of air. Using all the strength she had left, Elsie used her legs to push her shoulder into the metal truck bed.
She heard the popping sound before she felt the pain.
As her shoulder fell limply to her side, no longer connected at the joint, Elsie screamed with all the air in her lungs as some mental dam in her broke.
Her other shoulder seemed to move of its own volition as it slipped out of its socket, and the ropes around her legs were suddenly looser.
Even as her bones shifted and moved, the pain seemed to lessen. Elsie’s brow furrowed as she looked down to see her legs starting to physically shrink.
And then she realized she could see. The truck bed had been pitch black just seconds ago, but now it seemed as though it was being lit by some dim glow.
Her arm shifted and contorted and the ropes started to fall away.
The gag started to get tighter against her mouth and Elsie used her teeth, sawing through the foul material. As her legs and arms shrunk, her head and torso seemed to be stretching. Her teeth were sharper and strength flooded her injured muscles.
Her fangs cut through the gag as it cut deeper into her skin; fur started to sprout from her skin. The last rope fell to the metal and Elsie attempted to stand. The covering made standing impossible; when the truck turned, her new paws couldn’t get any traction and she slid across the metal.
A low growl rumbled from the back of her throat. With her claws and fangs, she attacked the thick plastic covering. In seconds, there was a hole just big enough for her to squeeze through.
Without a second thought, Elsie jumped through the opening.
Her paws hit the pavement with a gracefulness she never imagined possible. A car coming toward her swerved out of the way, but Elsie didn’t look back to see what happened. She headed for the trees and pumped her four legs as fast as she could.
The wind rushed through the thick white fur as the trees and bushes around her turned to blurs.
Her lungs that had been struggling for air just minutes before were now filled with the fresh air of wilderness. The scents of hundreds of animals surrounding her filled her, and she could hear the sounds of chipmunks scurrying away.
The sun was beginning to rise in the horizon. The soft light brightened the woods around her, giving everything an ethereal glow. The foliage beneath her paws was lit up as bright as if it was midday.
With every step she took, she seemed to go faster. Each new stride took her farther. Some part of her knew she was running for her life, but she was on another level.
This was freedom. There was no Rebecca pressuring her to get married. There was no werewolf queen threatening her in her sleep. There was no mate she barely knew with a family who hated her, and there was no impending vampire war threatening everything she knew.
It was just the next step. The next breath. The next log to jump over or the next puddle to splash in.
Elsie didn’t know how long the high lasted. It could’ve been hours. It could’ve been minutes. How long had they been driving her away from her mate in that metal coffin? What was the speed limit? How long would it take her to find her way back to her mate?
The questions would have to wait. For now she was free, and nothing would stop her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Brock heard the front door open and close and held his breath in anticipation. Was Elsie back from her midnight walk? Would she finally join him?
He wouldn’t push her. He was determined to give her whatever space she needed. But, God, how he wanted her next to him. Tomorrow he would probably have to fire his nephew, and all he wanted was one night of peace with her.
The days were tense with his grandmother’s disapproving stares and growing reports of unrest with the wolves. Whenever he thought of the stress, he reminded himself of how Elsie felt when he touched her. Kissed her.
With every caress and gentle kiss, she was becoming more used to him. They might not have had a normal courtship, but he was breaking her barriers down.
Footsteps sounded below him, but he immediately recognized them as Dani’s. Something was different, though. She seemed to be walking softly, but there was no reason for her to sneak around.
With a resigned sigh, he pushed himself up and grabbed a black t-shirt to throw on as he made his way downstairs. He found Dani with her back to him, still in the fancy dress Elsie picked out for her. He couldn’t see her face, but her discomfort was palpable. He could smell the fear coming off her.
His shoulders tensed and he listened intently for any sign of a threat. “What happened, Dani?”
Her breaths came in quick pants, as though trying to hold back sobs. She slowly turned, her face streaked with tears.
“What happened?”
“They— They— I’m so sorry.” Her words were barely more than a whisper and chilled him to the bone.
He knew. Elsie was gone. “Where is she?”
In short, jerking movements, Dani shook her head. “I—I don’t know. He said he just wanted to talk to her.”
He stopped where her scent was strongest, looking to the ground. At the sight of a shiny black object, he knelt.
Footsteps sounded behind him, but he recognized Russell’s scent before he ever got close. Brock picked up the cell phone and stared at it. The screen appeared intact, but that didn’t tell him anything.
“There was some type of fight.” Russell looked over the patterns in the sand.
Brock nodded. “There were three of them.” He pointed to the footprints of the intruders. “Elsie stood here and Dani stood a bit farther back. Serving her up like a lamb for the slaughter,” he growled.
“Dani is pretty torn up. I’m sure she didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Brock felt his fangs slip down as his body tried to pull him into the transformation. “The only way for them to set foot on this land was if Dani broke the wards. She did this. Now I have to get my mate back.”
He stepped over an abandoned flip-flop and leaped into the air. By the time he hit the ground, he was a wolf. His pants fell off naturally, but he ignored the shirt. He had already wasted too much time talking.
Nose to the ground, he ran at breakneck speed through the dark woods. These weren’t unfamiliar scents. He had fought Cullen enough times to recognize his stench, and he knew Derek’s from when he dated Gloria.
The female wolf’s scent was new, but Cullen never had a hard time getting followers.
Elsie’s scent was weak. Barely registering. They must’ve carried her through the woods. Was she awake and fighting? She wouldn’t go down without a fight.
More likely she was unconscious for the trip. Brock growled again, deep and furious.
He should’ve followed her out. He should’ve made sure she was safe. Cullen never should’ve set foot in his territory!
His land was warded against intruders by the most powerful sorceresses on the continent. Not that the wards did much good when they got Dani to hold the fucking door open for them.