by Roxy Wilson
She’d heard enough, and she’d certainly talked enough. If he didn’t let her go, she would make an effort herself. Nya wasn’t the sort to wait for rescue. If there was anything that needed doing, she wanted to be the first one to attempt it. With a mighty heave, she pushed him, but much to her shock, he merely clutched her in his arms. The attempt didn’t even require an effort on his part.
All he had to do was swing her around and then he dumped her on the bed. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said in a voice that showed no anger. Clearly, he was expecting her to do something of this sort. Her move didn’t surprise him. He was prepared for it. “As I said before, we’ll let you go.”
“I’m going to scream my head off.”
“Do that. No one is going to come here. This is way on the eastern edge of the forest, and even you don’t come so far down, so frequently.” He smiled. “And you’re a forest ranger.”
“You asshole,” she said. She leapt off the bed, but he was way too fast. He was out of the door and had slammed it by the time she reached it.
Shit.
Nya banged on the door but it was useless. “There’s a bottle of water and some snacks under the bed. You can use the bucket in the corner if you need to relieve yourself,” he shouted through the door. “And don’t waste your effort trying to escape. We’re right outside, and there isn’t much you can do.”
“I’m going to make sure you head to the prison as soon as I’m out.”
Would that make him listen to her?
“Some things are more important than personal safety, Nya. You won’t get it.”
She wasn’t done yet. Nya put both her hands on the door, willing him to open it. He had to listen to her. He just had to. “Is this more important than your wife and daughters, Duncan? What do you think they’ll say when they hear about what you did? Would they like to see you in jail?”
There was no reply. She heard him moving outside. Actually, she was pretty sure there was more than one person outside. What did he mean when he said ‘we’? Were they all outside? What were they doing? Did they really need three men to keep her inside?
Nothing made sense.
While she should’ve been scared, Nya was more perplexed. What Duncan did and said was contrary to his personality. He wasn’t this guy. Something was going on here which was way beyond her understanding.
Nya sat on the bed. As an afterthought, she pulled out the snacks and the bottle of water from under the bed. She drank the apple juice and ate the biscuits that they left for her. How long was she supposed to stay here? The food returned some of her energy. Her mind began to work. She put the water bottle on the floor and walked to the window. Maybe she could pry out the nails and escape through this route.
The easiest option was to wait and see if they changed their mind, but Nya wasn’t going to sit around. She planned to take matters into her hands. She would try her best to break free from this prison. Since she didn’t have a weapon, she searched through the room to find one. Naturally, they didn’t leave behind a knife or a screwdriver. That would have been too easy.
But she was a forest ranger who was trained to survive in the toughest of circumstances. She never allowed the brutality and harshness of the forest to break her, and she wouldn’t allow these men to hold her against her will. One of the chairs was a bit rickety. She put it down, put pressure on the legs, and snapped it off. The broken end was pointy and sharp. Good. It was exactly what she needed. She wouldn’t be able to pry the nails off with it, but she’d a better idea.
Nya put the pointed end under one end of the board and put her heart and soul into the task. The board creaked. She stopped. There was no sound fro m the other end. She hoped they weren’t right on the other end. If they came in, she would lose the make-shift weapon. She pushed some more. Sweat dribbled down her forehead and cheeks. Her hands ached as she applied more and more pressure, slowly willing the board to shift. The nail popped. It came out from the wall and the board was loose. Her heart jumped with joy when she noticed there was no grill on the window. She would be able to climb out without a difficulty.
It was a small step, but it was progress.
Nya rubbed her hands together and then went to work on the other side of the board. It took her half an hour, but she managed to pop it. Now the board hung only from the top. She didn’t need her weapon anymore. All she had to do was pull up the board hard. If she did it in a smart way, the board would become loose and she would be able to pull it away. As she lifted it to give it a hard, solid yank, she heard a voice.
Nya froze. She didn’t want to give her captors the notion she was about to make a break for it. “I don’t think he’ll come.”
“He will,” said another voice. It was probably Foster. “I know him, and he isn’t going to let her go this easily.”
Who are they talking about?
What did they expect?
She remained rooted to the spot. Who could it be? An image formed in her head; was it possible they were talking about Reece? No, why would they? Surely, they weren’t doing this at his behest? He couldn’t possibly be behind this nefarious scheme?
Could he?
It made no sense.
Reece wouldn’t get her kidnapped. He had no reason to do so. But what if he was the murderer? What if he was doing this to eliminate her because he thought she was a threat to his freedom?
She’d believed with all her heart he was innocent.
If she’d even thought for a moment he was a criminal, she wouldn’t have given him the tip-off. Even though the evidence pointed to the fact that he was behind this plan, her heart couldn’t accept it.
Reece couldn’t be a criminal.
She didn’t want him to be.
Chapter Twelve
He bounded into the clearing, heedless of the danger that possibly awaited him.
The three men stood and faced him.
Reece stared at them. They dared to kidnap Nya, and bring her here.
Why?
He could only imagine two reasons for their behavior. One, they wanted to teach him a lesson for dating a human, or two…they were Miles’s murderers and wanted to kill her because the investigation started because of her. For their sake, he hoped it was the former and not the latter, because if they were murderers, no one could save them.
He wouldn’t allow murderers within his pack.
Reece snarled as he padded into the clearing in full view of the men. They didn’t shift. Maybe they didn’t want a battle, but he wanted to give them one.
Where was Nya? He caught her scent. She was alive. He could almost hear her heartbeat even this far away. For their sake, he hoped she wasn’t hurt. He prowled around the shack, but much to his amazement, the men didn’t as much as move a muscle. They didn’t change their form and they didn’t come after him.
Good. It was obvious they didn’t want a fight.
Maybe this was their way of making a point; if he didn’t listen to them, they would take away Nya.
Bad idea, boys.
Now he was royally pissed.
Reece leapt into the air. When he landed, it was on his two feet. He rotated his shoulders and stretched his arms while the men watched. “Where is she?”
“Inside. We didn’t hurt her,” Duncan said.
“What’s the point of this?”
“You said you weren’t dating her, but now when she’s here, you come running. What’s the meaning of this?” Foster demanded. He strode forward. “We told you it wasn’t allowed for pack members to mingle with humans.”
“And I told you to stay out of my business,” he said. “I’m the alpha. I’m the one who makes the rules, and this goddamned rule doesn’t exist anymore. It’s okay to date a human…not that I am dating her.” Reece frowned. “Why did you bring her here?”
An odd smile played on Foster’s lips. “Maybe I just wanted to see how deranged the human has made you. Is she more important than the pack?”
Is she?
A few days ago, he would have said yes. After all, he didn’t have anything solid with Nya, but then that kiss changed everything. It kept him going. It gave him a new energy. He wanted more, and he wasn’t about to ditch her.
When he attempted to walk past Foster, the man put a hand on his shoulders.
“Move,” Reece seethed.
“Not so fast. You haven’t answered my questions.”
He was tired of having his authority questioned. Foster didn’t have any right to do this. With a sharp move, he flipped the man’s hand away from his shoulders.
And then it started.
From the shocked gasps of Duncan and Smith, he could tell that they didn’t expect this. Foster must have told them something different, but there was only one reason why he lured Reece here—and that was to fight. Foster had been vying for the position of alpha and when he didn’t get any support from his friends, he tricked them into helping him.
Perhaps he convinced them that he was doing it for the pack.
Whatever the reason, Reece was now tired of this constant struggle. Foster stepped out of bounds, and now he would have to pay the price for it. Reece couldn’t forgive the other man so easily.
With their hands, they grabbed unto the other.
The fight was brutal, sudden.
Foster was a shade taller than Reece, but in strength they were well matched. Reece pushed him and Foster skidded back. Their heads butted together as they both attempted to make the other fall onto the ground. With a loud snarl, Foster shifted into his wolf form. The transformation from man to wolf was almost instantaneous; it was almost magical. His jaws clamped down on Reece’s arm, but before they could sink in, Reece slipped away.
The two wolves charged each other. They met in the middle of the clearing with a loud bang. Reece tried to sink his teeth into Foster’s leg, but Foster slithered away before he was able to grip it. While the other wolf had brute strength, Reece was faster, wilier. His wanted to teach this wolf a lesson. He didn’t intend to kill or injure him.
But it soon became apparent that Foster had other intentions.
Reece stepped away. Perhaps now Foster would realize that fighting this battle was futile, but the other wolf didn’t back down. Instead, he dashed towards Reece and lunged at him. At the last moment, Reece stepped away and allowed the wolf to land on the rocky ground. His leg twisted in what seemed like a painful angle and a yowl of pain escaped his lips. Reece charged at the other animal before he had a chance to recover from the fall. With a loud snarl, he plowed into the other wolf and pushed him into the tree. Foster’s head banged into the trunk, and he literally shook from the impact.
Now, perhaps, Foster would learn the lesson.
Foster appeared intent on suicide or murder. He gathered his energy and swept towards Reece. Once more, they crashed into each other, and this time Reece took the hit. He fell onto the ground and the other wolf’s teeth penetrated his side. Foster’s teeth sank into his flesh, and the pain was terrible. Reece shook himself free from the brutal embrace and grabbed the animal’s leg. He snapped it with a powerful pull of his teeth. The howl of pain that reverberated in the clearing made his blood run cold.
He didn’t want to do this.
This wasn’t who he was.
While he could have killed the animal, he didn’t even make an attempt to do so. Foster shifted into his human form, and the pain reflected in his eyes told him how terrible the wound was. This was a defining moment; if he so wanted, he could have killed the beast. According to the rules of the pack, if anyone challenged the alpha and failed to win the fight, the alpha retained the right to kill.
Reece turned back at the other men.
They were rooted to the spot. If they had so wanted, they could have joined Foster and finished this matter a long time ago, but it was clear they didn’t have any such intentions. They probably stuck to Foster because he was their friend, but he misled them. It was obvious they didn’t have any plans to challenge Reece.
He transformed into his human form. Reece glared at them. “It will be a while before he heals. Take him, and go.”
Duncan and Smith looked at each other. They both moved forward at the same time. It was a good thing that Foster was a werewolf. His wounds would heal in time. He wouldn’t need to go to the emergency room and explain this to a doctor. Still, it was a matter of shame that he lost the battle.
“Aren’t you going to punish him?” Duncan asked.
He could throw out the wolf from their community. Maybe Foster would change his ways if he was forced into exile.
Did Reece want to do that?
No. This wasn’t the time to decide. He never liked to make a decision when he was mad and right now, uncontrolled rage boiled within his blood. “This is punishment enough for now. What the hell were you guys thinking?”
“He told us if we brought her here, and you came for her, we would be able to prove you had a thing going on with the human, and then we would be able to put it in front of the pack. He wanted you to give up being the alpha,” Duncan said. “We had no idea he planned to challenge you.”
“He probably thought you would support him when he fought against me.”
“We accepted you as alpha, and unless you do something that violates the rules of the pack, we don’t want to do anything to upset the status quo,” Smith said. “We’re sorry.”
He couldn’t stay mad with them for long. Their friend, Foster, had deceived them and that was punishment enough for now. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Would you like to see her?”
“What did you tell her?”
Duncan gnawed at his bottom lip. “We didn’t explain anything. I bet—she’s confused. When she comes out, she’s going to come after us.”
“That’s on your head. There isn’t much I can do about it,” Reece said. He looked over at the wounded man who was still on the ground. “Just take Foster and split. If she files a police complaint, we’ll deal with it later.”
They both stared at him, and then at Foster who was still wailing and writhing in pain. While he would heal at his own speed, the process of it would be agonizing, but which he alone would have to bear. After a few moments, they picked him up and carted him into the forest. Their car must have been parked on the nearest road, and he was confident they would make it without trouble. He’d actually let them go without too many consequences, but this wasn’t the time to deal with their infractions. He had to first get to Nya and make sure she was all right.
She would demand some answers, and he didn’t have any. Even as his feet took him forward towards the shack, his mind grappled with various ideas. Perhaps he should tell her that the men were messing around with her, or with him. Or perhaps they had a bet. He could pass it off as a joke.
Anything really.
Surely, she would believe him.
When he opened the door, she was pressed against the wall. The look on her face made him pause. She was scared. “It’s all right,” he said. “They’ve left.”
She opened her mouth and closed it.
He took a step forward, and much to his surprise, she pressed harder against the wall as if she wanted to pass through it. Reece stopped. Something was wrong. Did the men hurt her? “Did they—do something to you?”
She shook her head. Still no words escaped her lips.
His gaze roamed over her. She appeared unharmed. Still, it must have been a traumatic experience. Getting kidnapped from her house was nothing short of an ordeal.
“No,” she finally managed to say.
Reece took another step forward. He really wanted to make sure she wasn’t hurt. His hands itched to touch her, but he got the distinct feeling she wouldn’t tolerate anything even remotely intimate at the moment, even if he only wanted to make damn sure she hadn’t been injured in any way. He beckoned to her. “Let me take you home, Nya.” When she continued to cower, he t
ook a deep breath and expelled it slowly. “I told them to leave. The men…they were just messing around. I really don’t know what they were thinking. They’re sorry for what they did, and I’m sure they’ll come personally to apologize to you.”
His explanation sounded lame, even to his own ears.
Her gaze darted to the window, and instinctively he looked in the same direction. It was boarded but then he noticed the wood shavings on the floor and two nails on the floor beside them. She’d been working on a plan to escape. A smile hovered over his lips. Of course, she wasn’t a damsel in distress who needed a knight to get her out of this mess. She was very much a woman of this century who was fully capable and independent.
He was glad he came in time. In the mood Foster was in, he might have attacked her if she tried to defy him so openly. As he looked from the window to her, he frowned. Something didn’t add up. Reece strolled over to the window. He touched the edge of the board and then began to push it up. It came up with relative ease. She’d been about to make good her escape. Of course, the men had been waiting right outside. As he lifted the board, his gaze settled on the clearing where he recently fought with Foster.
Understanding dawned, and with it came a horror and a feeling of helplessness that he didn’t ever experience before.
She knows.
After dropping the board back in place, he turned to face her. “I can explain.”
She didn’t speak, but he saw the expression on her face. Her eyebrows squished together. She wanted him to give her a logical explanation for what happened. Naturally, no human who ever saw something like this or was aware that anything like this could happen, wouldn’t be so accepting of this situation.
“I…” What could he say? He didn’t have words. If he told her she had a head injury that made her hallucinate, she might accept that explanation more easily than what he was about to tell her. “I’m a werewolf,” he said.
A sob escaped from her lips. She put her hand on her mouth and shook her head.
“It’s the truth. So are the other men you saw. They’ve lived in this town for a long time, and they’ve been like this for much longer. So…no harm has ever come from them. They’ve never hurt anyone. We’re not…violent.”
