Discovering Their Wolfen Heritage

by Discovering Her Wolfen Heritage (lit)

  “She’s mated with Remus!”

  Michael didn’t appear to notice the excitement in the doctor’s voice or his choice of words, but Maddie did.

  Still ignoring Maddie’s presence, he continued speaking directly to the doctor. “Is there anything you have with you that you can give her to calm her down so we can transport her back to the clinic?”

  “Of course, I anticipated the need for sedation.”

  As Maddie watched in horror, he pulled open his case and removed a hypodermic needle. She could tell by the look on his face he couldn’t wait to get her back to his clinic, especially now that he knew she’d mated with Remus.

  “No!”

  Maddie screamed out and then ran for the back door while books, dishes, and lamps flew all over the room. Her only thought was to escape and get to Remus. Michael anticipated her desire to run and grabbed her, wrestling her to the floor. He held her still for Dr. Constantine to give her the injection.

  As she struggled against the two men, Maddie called out to Remus in her mind.

  Remus, help me! They’re trying to take me away. I can’t fight them alone, and I don’t wanna leave you. Please Remus, I love you. Don’t let them take me. I can’t get away from them. Please I need your help. Do you even hear me?

  She wanted to tell him goodbye and that she loved him. She knew there wasn’t time for him to get home before they take her away. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she sent him a final message.

  I’m sorry, Remus. I tried to fight them. I never wanted to be away from you. I’ll always love you.

  She continued to struggle against the two men as the drugs began to affect her body. She felt more and more drowsy and unable to make any coordinated effort to escape. Her last thought before she lost consciousness was that she wished she could see Remus one more time.

  * * * *

  As she ceased her struggles, Constantine bent down and checked her vital signs.

  “Is she okay?” Michael’s voice was small, almost like a whisper.

  Constantine watched Michael as he looked down at his younger sister. “She’s fine, Michael. Her vital signs are good.”

  “I’m so sorry, Maddie. I wish I didn’t have to do this. I know you’re never going to forgive me, but I just want you to be well. You’re the only family I’ll ever have.” Michael was talking to Maddie like he’d not even been aware the doctor had spoken.

  “She’s fine, Michael. She’s just sleeping now. When she wakes, she’ll be back in her room at the clinic with everything that’s familiar. Don’t look so sad, son. You did the right thing. She’ll be safe with me.”

  Michael nodded as a tear slid down his cheek.

  “I don’t know if I’m ever gonna be able to forgive myself for doing this.”

  “Nonsense, you didn’t have any other choice.”

  Constantine watched Michael cuddle his sister and felt anxious to get her back to the clinic. He didn’t want to risk Michael changing his mind at the last minute. And if she’d really mated, they needed to get her away before her mate showed up. Giving him a moment with his sister to say goodbye, Constantine looked around the cabin.

  It’d been years since he’d been a guest here, and nothing much seemed to have changed. He hadn’t taken much time to really look around when he’d hidden the camera. He had just wanted to get in and out without getting caught.

  He brought his thoughts back to the present and looked down at the young man so distraught over his sister’s unconscious body. “Michael, it’s time for us to go. We need to get her back to the clinic before the sedative wears off. We don’t want to be in transit when it stops working.”

  Michael nodded in agreement, then stood and lifted her in his arms. Without a glance at the doctor, he walked through the door and carried her out to his car.

  “Wait, Michael, you need to put her in my car. I need to be able to monitor her medication on the drive back. It’ll be easier and safer if she’s with me.”

  Looking as if he wanted to argue, Michael turned and walked to the doctor’s car. Once Constantine opened his door, Michael carefully placed his sister on the back seat. He smoothed her hair away from her face and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

  “I’m so sorry, Maddie. Please remember how much I love you. I only want what’s best for you.”

  After whispering his apology to his sister, Michael gently closed the car door and started toward his own car.

  “I’ll be following behind you, Dr. Constantine. I want to be there when she wakes up in the clinic. I’ve got to try and explain myself.”

  “All right, Michael, if that’s what you want. We’ll drive straight to the clinic from here. The less stops we make the better. We don’t want her waking up before she’s settled. It’ll be better for her if she stays as calm as possible.”

  With that, he got in his car and started the engine. Waving to Michael, he backed up and started down the long drive.

  * * * *

  Miles away, Remus had been receiving feelings of anxiety from Maddie. He has been edgy and nervous, sensing her stress. He could barely pay attention to the Elders as they went over pack business. He could tell they were becoming annoyed with him, but there was no way he could ignore the feelings coming through the mate link.

  Suddenly, he heard Maddie’s voice clearly in his head.

  Help me, Remus, they’re trying to take me away. I can’t fight them alone, and I don’t want to leave you. Please, Remus, I love you. Don’t let them take me. I can’t fight them. Please, I need help.

  He let his mind dig deeper into her subconscious and realized her brother and the doctor were trying to take her away. Remus was livid that Michael and Constantine would try to take her against her will. He jumped up, startling his pack brothers. “My brothers, I need your help. My mate is being abducted by her brother and Dr. Constantine.”

  At his words, the members of his pack began to strip off their clothes, then shifted and followed him as he raced toward their cabin to stop the abduction. He was determined to stop them before they could get off the mountain.

  * * * *

  Constantine was thrilled. He has his prize patient back, medicated and on her way to his clinic. There’s nothing to stop him from finishing his research now. He’d make sure her records showed a permanent reason for her to remain in his care. He was excited to think about all the tests he could do now that she’d mated with a full-blooded Wolfen. It should trigger her DNA, allowing her to shift. What a wonderful thing that would be if he could have her do controlled shifts in the clinic.

  Glancing back in his rear view mirror, Dr. Constantine wondered how soon he could get rid of her brother. He was grateful for his help in getting her today, but he would feel better when they didn’t have much contact again. Chuckling to himself, he realized he was lucky that her brother wasn’t too bright and somewhat afraid of her abilities. It made it easy for him to manipulate Michael.

  Glancing back at the road, he was stunned to see twenty or more wolves running toward his car. He immediately slowed down, then changed his mind and sped up, letting them know he’d run them down if he had to.

  The wolves fanned out and then fell in beside the two cars like an escort. He saw Michael’s face in his rearview mirror. He looked absolutely terrified, but he was keeping up with the doctor’s car.

  As Constantine rounded the next bend in the road, he was dismayed to see it blocked by human looking men and two cars. The forest on each side prevented him from driving around them. Reluctantly, he stopped the car, moving swiftly to lock the doors. He glared at the wolves resentfully.

  As he sat there pondering his next move, Remus came up beside his window and tried to open the door.

  “Open this door right now, Constantine, or I’ll turn my pack loose on you. They won’t leave anything for the authorities to find.”

  Constantine was afraid but determined not to show it. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out another hypodermic needle and leaned over the seat
.

  “Back up, Remus, and call off your pack. Let me drive away, or I’ll kill her right now. I swear it.”

  * * * *

  Remus growled from deep within his chest. He’d never felt such fury in his life. He couldn’t take his eyes off the syringe being held so closely to his unconscious mate. It wouldn’t take him any effort at all to just rip the door off the car, but Constantine would still have time to inject whatever was in the syringe. He felt like a knife was piercing his heart. To save his love, he’d have to let her go with him for now.

  “I’m warning you, Constantine, if you hurt one hair on her head I’ll kill you myself in the most horrible, painful way I can think of. Don’t think you’ve won, because I’m coming after you. There won’t be any place you can hide that I can’t find you.”

  Constantine snorted. “Save your pretty speeches, wolf man, they don’t mean shit to me. I’ve been studying your kind since before you were born. You, or any of your kind, come anywhere near me, and I’ll end her life. I won’t even lose any sleep over it.” He moved the hand with the syringe closer to Maddie’s neck and glared at Remus. “Now get that road cleared now. I’m driving away and I’d better not see anybody or anything following me. Do you understand?”

  Remus glanced at the serene face of his mate. “Yes, I understand.” He called out to his pack mates. “Clear the road and let him through.”

  “Remus?” Latan’s voice had the sound of fear in it.

  “Just do it, Latan. He’s going to kill her if we don’t let them out of here.” Remus heard a car door slam.

  “What the hell is going on, Remus?” Michael wanted to know. “Where did all these wolves come from? Where the hell are your clothes?” The young man sounded scared and hadn’t ventured away from his car door.

  Constantine smirked up at Remus. “Looks like you’re going to have your hands full dealing with good old brother Michael. He doesn’t know about you, does he? But since you mated with Maddie, I’ll bet she knows everything. It’ll make it so much easier to study her abilities if she’s aware of what’s going on.”

  “Get back in your car, Michael.” It was all Remus could do to hold in his anger with the doctor.

  “No,” Michael yelled back. “You get away from Maddie. Dr. Constantine is taking her back to the clinic where she’ll be safe.”

  Remus had no patience to deal with the young man right now.

  “Latan, get him out of here and hold him until I can come and talk to him.” He watched his brother nod to two of his pack mates and walk off. The next thing he heard was Michael screaming and then sudden silence. He wasn’t worried. He knew they wouldn’t hurt him unless he asked them to.

  “Back away from the car, Remus,” Constantine ordered. “I want a clear passage to drive away.” Remus growled again and couldn’t stop the tears forming in his eyes. “Just remember I’m coming for you.” He slowly began to back away from the car. Constantine didn’t do anything until Remus was standing in the grass on the other side of the road. Remus saw Constantine lean forward and then heard the engine of the car start. Before he could move, the car’s wheels spun as it surged forward, tearing down the gravel road. His beautiful Maddie was gone. He was so lost in his pain that he was startled when he felt a hand on his arm.

  “Remus, snap out of it,” Ethan cried. “What do you want us to do?”

  Remus looked around at all his pack mates. They were standing around him, waiting to see what the plan of action was going to be. He pointed to the four wolves closest to the road. “You four, track them, now. We need to know where he’s taking her. Go up to the cabin and get her scent. When you catch up to them stay hidden, don’t let him know you’re there unless you think her life is in danger. Just locate her and call me. We’re going to come up with a plan to take care of this permanently.” He watched as the loped off toward the cabin.

  He turned to Ethan. “Where did they take Michael?”

  “They put him back in his car and drove him to the Pack house. They’re going to hold him there until you tell them different.” Ethan looked at his brother and grimaced. “You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do for the Elders. They’re not going to like us holding a human against their will.”

  “I don’t give a damn whether the Elders like it or not, we’re talking about my mate’s survival. Besides, whether he knows it or not, Michael is only part human.” Without another word, Remus shifted, and ran off toward their Pack house.

  * * * *

  Constantine kept glancing in his rearview mirror and up and down the wooded areas beside him as he drove down the two lane county road. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Looks like we’re home free, Maddie girl. Looks like he took me seriously and decided not to follow me.”

  He quickly peered over the seat and saw she was still unconscious and hadn’t moved at all. Turning back around, he smirked. “He’s an idiot, though, because I’d never hurt you, Maddie. I’m going to take very good care of you. We’re going to become very close, just like I was with Eloise. You’ll see. You will be happy with me. We’re going to work together to find out what makes the shifts occur. No matter what it takes, we’re going to find out what makes you what you are.”

  * * * *

  Remus raced up the steps to the Pack House and pushed his way through the screen door. Immediately, he shifted back to his human self. He quickly changed into the clothes he kept in the closet there, checked his pocket for his cell phone, and then went to find where they were holding Michael. He’d just started down the hall when he heard Latan’s voice.

  “Remus!”

  “Where did you put him, Latan?”

  “He’s in the room at the end of the hall. I’ve got one guard inside with him, and one outside. What happened after we left?”

  “He took her, Latan, he took my beautiful Maddie. He was going to inject her with something if I didn’t let him drive away, and I couldn’t risk that he was bluffing.” Remus knew he had tears falling down his cheeks, but he couldn’t seem to care.

  Latan walked up and put his arms around Remus. “We’ll get her back, and we’ll make him pay.” He stepped back and gazed into his brother’s face. “Do you want me to come with you to talk to Michael?”

  Remus thought for a moment. “Yes, I think I do. I don’t think my mate will be very happy with me when she comes home if I’ve done something to damage her only brother.” Remus laughed, but there was no real humor in it. “Let’s go.”

  Remus opened the door and gazed at the young man sitting at the table. His face showed fierce anger, but the trembling of his hands gave away his fear. He wasn’t surprised when Michael was the first to break the silence.

  “Remus, what the hell is happening? Where are Maddie and Dr. Constantine? Why have you brought me here?” He wasn’t even giving Remus a chance to answer.

  Remus didn’t say anything for a long time. He just let Michael sit there, wondering what was happening. He watched Michael’s eyes as they followed Latan when he walked around the room and took up a position behind him. The pack member Latan had assigned to guard Michael stood nearby. He nodded respectfully toward Remus, then returned his attention to Michael. Remus was fighting his impulse to throttle Maddie’s idiot brother for his part in her abduction.

  “Michael, do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Remus tried to keep his voice even, not emotional. He didn’t think he would get answers from Michael if he let his anger out.

  “I haven’t done anything except try and get my sister the help she needs. Damn it, Remus, you’ve screwed up everything. Dr. Constantine only sedated her so she would calm down on the ride back to the clinic. Did you bother looking inside the cabin? She practically destroyed the place with her fit of anger.”

  “Why was she angry, Michael? What did you and Constantine do to make her so angry?” Remus asked.

  “I questioned her about you, you sick bastard. It was pretty obvious that you’d been staying there with her. Hell, your clothes are all o
ver the place. Did you think I wanted you to watch her that closely?” Michael stood and paced back and forth in the room. Then he stopped in front of Remus. “How could you? How could you take advantage of someone as innocent as Maddie?”

  Remus took a step forward and grabbed Michael by the shoulders, then shook him hard. “I didn’t take advantage of anybody, Michael. I love Maddie and she loves me.”

  Michael struggled to get away from Remus’s hold. “She can’t love you. She doesn’t know what love is. Hell, she’s been locked up for most of her life. You just saw an easy piece of ass and took advantage, and now Maddie’s the one who’s going to have to pay the price.”

  Remus pushed him away and watched as he struggled not to lose his footing. “I never took advantage of her innocence. Maddie and I were married four days ago, Michael. Did you even give her a chance to tell you that?”

  Michael looked like he’d received a fatal shock. “Married? You married her? That’s not possible. She would need my permission.”

  “Michael, Maddie is an adult, not your child, and not your responsibility any longer. In case you missed it, the courts ruled that she could make her own decisions. Why can’t you accept that? Don’t you want her to be happy, to have a life, a family of her own? Or are you so damn lonely in your own life you’ll do anything to keep her under your thumb?”

  The embarrassed look on Michael’s face spoke volumes. “I don’t believe Maddie would marry you without telling me first, without even inviting me to witness it. I’m her only family.”

  “It nearly killed her that you weren’t there, but she was realistic. She said that she knew you’d object and cause problems, and she didn’t want to face your anger until it was a done deal.” Remus watched as Michael walked over and sat back down at the table. He looked like a lost little boy. “Michael, where’s Constantine taking Maddie?”