What would I be like after he was gone?
Would I become hostile and angry like Roger? Would the line between right and wrong blur? Would I become depressed or dangerous?
Could I risk loving Quinten?
Ray busied himself in the kitchen, and I carefully got up to help him. He looked at me and smiled, but it was forced and so unlike his naturally warm smiles it made me afraid. “Dad, what am I going to do? I can’t be Roger’s mate, but I can’t let him hurt any of you.”
Ray sighed and cracked another egg into the pan that he was working over. “I don’t know, Alanna. I do know that I’ll die before I ever let him hurt you. That’s a promise.”
I felt my eyes begin to tear up and in that moment, I loved Ray more than I ever had before. I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. “I love you, Dad.”
He returned my hug, practically squeezing the life out of me. “I love you too kiddo. We’ll figure this out, I promise. You’ve got me, Jax, and Quinten by your side. Everything will be alright.”
I pulled away from him and was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one blushing. Looking embarrassed, he returned to the eggs on the stove. I busied myself with making toast, and for a moment neither of us spoke.
Finally, Ray broke the silence. “Did you and Quinten have a chance to talk last night?”
“You know we did,” I said, looking at him. “Did you ask him to…you know…ask me?”
Ray shook his head. “Not exactly. I know how he feels about you and I thought that it might help our situation. He was more than happy to–” He stopped and looked down. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. It’s for Quinten to say or not to say.”
I took a deep breath, readying myself to ask an important question. “Does he love me?”
Ray sighed, and nodded once. “Yeah, kiddo. I think he does. Do you love him too?”
“I think I might. But it doesn’t matter, because Roger will never let it happen. He’ll kill Quinten before letting the two of us be together.”
Ray sighed. “I wish you were wrong, but I think you’re probably right. I think Roger’s grip on reality might be sliding. He’s dangerous, even without his legions of fans and supporters.”
“What if we just tell someone that he’s blackmailing me? Wouldn’t that do something?”
“What do you expect someone to do? Put him in some top-secret werewolf prison where he’ll never escape? Those places only exist in stories. Alanna, nobody is going to care about one young werewolf. We’re on our own with this. Don’t worry so much, we’ll think of something.”
Chapter Seven
When Jax returned, breakfast was ready. Everybody ate in silence, and I noticed that Quinten avoided so much as even looking in my general direction. Was he embarrassed about last night? I didn’t blame him if he was, but he had to realize that nothing was ever going to change the fact that we were best friends.
“Alright,” Jax said, taking a seat on the couch. “We seriously need a game plan.”
“Jax, you don’t have to be a part of this. Roger’s threat was only against Ilene, Quinten, and dad.”
Jax looked offended. “You don’t really think that I’d run out on my family when they need me, do you?”
I smiled. “No, I guess not. I was just offering.”
“What if we move?” Jax asked. “The farther away from here we get, the less influence Roger will have, right? If we move to like Australia or something, he can’t possibly hurt you there. I mean, Quinten would have to come too, but he might just give up and find another potential mate.”
Ray shook his head. “We have ties in this community. Ilene has school, Quinten’s grandmother resides in the area, and…Carmen is buried here. I don’t think any of us can leave. Moving should be our last option.”
Jax nodded. “Alright, so moving is out of the question, at least for now. What about a fight with him? Ray, do you think that you could take Roger in a fight? If we were there to help?”
Ray sighed. “I don’t know. He’s old and powerful, and he used to hunt vampires for a living. He’s not going to be easy to take down. It might be dangerous. I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”
“So we can’t run and we can’t fight,” I said, shaking my head. “We’re screwed. There’s nothing to do except say yes to his offer. If I become his mate, he’ll leave you all alone.”
“Alanna, don’t you even think about it!” Ray said, glaring at me. “We’ll think of something.”
I highly doubted that. We were trapped and it was all my fault. There was nothing I could do to help protect the people that I loved. Would things really be better if I just gave myself over to Roger?
I got up and headed to the kitchen for something to drink. The phone rang and I picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Love.”
I almost dropped the phone.
“Love, are you there?”
“Yes,” I whispered, turning away from the living room. “What do you want Roger?”
“You know what I want, Love. Have you thought about my offer any? It would be a shame to lose two such fine werewolves as your father and sister. Not to mention that incredibly tall and charming cousin of yours. Plus, I’m sure you would miss that human boy too, wouldn’t you?”
“You’re a monster.”
“I’ll make you a deal right now. Accept my offer and I’ll spare them. I’ll even let you continue to see your father, sister, and cousin from time to time. You won’t be completely isolated.”
“But not Quinten, right?”
He sniffed. “Of course not. You’ll be a mated woman. You can’t go running around with single men. What would people say?”
I clenched the phone so hard it creaked. “What would people say if they knew that you were blackmailing me into this?”
“Now don’t be that way. You’re acting like you can’t possibly be happy with me. I have a mansion, and money, and fame. Isn’t that what every little girl wants?”
“I want love, and respect, and fidelity.”
“Two out of three isn’t so bad, is it? As I’m sure you’ve heard I’m a monster incapable of love. Apparently I’m incapable of feeling anything but anger and lust. But I can promise you that I’ll respect you, and I’ll always be faithful. I’m old-fashioned. I’m with one woman and only one.”
“What do you want with me?” I asked again, trying not to be bothered by what he’d just said.
He sighed. “I told you my new deal. Accept my offer, and I’ll spare them. If you agree to this, meet me in the clearing in the woods surrounding that cozy little cabin of yours in one hour. I’ll take you away and you’ll never be left wanting anything ever again.”
He hung up before I could answer and I put down the phone with a sigh of frustration. What was I supposed to do? He was giving me a chance to spare my family. Could I trust his word though?
I’ll never get to see Quinten again…
I grabbed my drink and sat back down on the couch. I tried to look like I was listening to what everyone as saying, but I tuned them out for the most part. I couldn’t stop thinking about Roger’s offer.
I glanced at Quinten out of the corner of my eyes and felt like crying. Was this the last time I’d ever see him? Would he ever be able to forgive me for what I was about to do?
Forty-five minutes later, while Jax and Ray were busy planning my freedom, I slipped my shoes on and snuck out of the house. I was tempted to just turn and run in the opposite direction, away from Roger, but I couldn’t just leave my family to be tortured because I couldn’t face what a monster he was.
They were willing to risk everything to protect me; I had to be willing to do the same thing for them. I just hoped that someday they could learn to forgive me for doing what needed to be done.
As I neared the clearing, something crashed through the trees behind me. I spun, ready for an attack, and found Quinten. He was out of breath, scratched, and dirty. His eyes were na
rrowed at me in anger. “How dare you!”
I looked away from his accusing eyes. “I’m trying to keep you all alive. Roger told me that if I accepted his offer, he’d let all of you live. He said I’ll even be able to see Ray, Ilene, and Jax again.”
“But not me? Can you just throw away our friendship like that? Did you even stop to think what this would do to me?” He was shouting now, and his hands gripped painfully at my arms. “How could you just walk out without saying anything to me?”
I looked up at him. “I’m just trying to do what I thought was right. It’s not like anybody else had a better plan! I won’t be responsible for your deaths. This way you all get to keep your lives.”
“Did you stop to think for one moment that maybe I don’t want to live without you?”
My heart sped up, and the blood began to pound in my ears. Did he really just say that? It made me inexplicably happy.
“Quinten, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
He sighed. “Alanna, you’re coming back with me.”
“I can’t. If I do, he’ll hurt you.”
“I can’t lose you.”
His grip on my arms softened and he pulled me closer. In that moment, everything between us shifted, and I felt myself leaning into him and his warm embrace. In this one wonderful moment, there was no crazy homicidal werewolf threatening to kill everyone I loved. There was just me and Quinten.
His head lowered, and his lips were inches from mine.
“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. A couple of lovebirds in a passionate embrace.”
Quinten and I broke apart and I stepped in front of him. I wasn’t sure how much protection I could offer him against Roger, but I was determined to do everything possible to keep him safe.
“Roger–”
“You dare bring him here to our secret tryst?”
I tried not to shudder and he frowned.
“So be it, my love. If this is your final decision, you’ll both suffer the consequences.”
I threw myself to the ground, landing on four silvery gray paws. Roger was almost an entire head and shoulders taller than me, and his fur was a dingy ugly brown color. His body was lithe and powerful looking. It would take a miracle to get me and Quinten out of this alive.
“You dare challenge me!” He snarled, baring his fangs at me.
“You’re not going to hurt him!”
I turned to look at Quinten, hoping I could nudge him toward the clearing, and Roger lunged in, sinking his teeth into my neck. I yelped in pain and he dragged me down to the ground, shaking his head rapidly back and forth. He was trying to snap my neck!
I twisted my head; it tore painfully at the open wound his jaw was fastened around, and swiped with my claws at Roger’s underbelly. He loosened his hold just long enough for me to back off and get a safe distance away.
I stood my ground as he rushed me, rising up on my hind legs with him. We collided, fighting to get our teeth around each others’ throats. It was like a fight for dominance in a wild wolf pack.
Grunting and snarling we fell back to all fours. I jumped on him and tried to roll him off his feet. The blood loss from the wound in my neck was going to make me slow, and he was going to use that to his advantage. In a fight with Roger Mason, one little extra ounce of speed could make all the difference.
He knocked me aside roughly, and as I hit the ground he pounced on top of me. He struck fast, lunging in at my exposed throat a second time. I moved aside and all he caught was a mouthful of thick silver fur. He yanked up, trying to rip it from my skin, and I raked my claws down his face.
He shook his head, trying to keep blood from pouring into his eyes, and released his grip on me. I buried my face in his neck, desperately trying to reach the flesh beneath the fur. His head collided with mine and, as I sat there dazed, he turned on Quinten, who was standing helplessly in the clearing.
The blood loss was setting in and I was getting dizzy. But I forced myself to my feet. I rammed my shoulder into Roger’s, knocking him to the ground. Standing in front of Quinten, I snarled at Roger, hoping that somehow help would arrive in time to save both of our lives.
He circled me, determined to kill something today, even if it was the werewolf he’d wanted as his second mate just moments ago. I wasn’t going to let that happen though; if he killed me, Quinten wouldn’t stand a chance of surviving. I was going to do everything in my power to protect him.
I refused to take my eyes off of Roger for a second. I knew it would be hard to fight him, even though he was bleeding as well. My wound was more severe and it wouldn’t be long before he knocked me down and I would be unable to get back on my feet.
He snapped at me and I clumsily dodged. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to gauge my response time. He had to know that I was beginning to slow down. All Roger had to do was wait it out and I’d probably collapse without any help from him.
He moved in closer and I swiped at him, trying to get him to back up. My nails dug into the meat of his shoulder, and he grunted in pain. He shook it off and lunged in again, determined to finish this fight now. I met him head on once again, and we snapped at each other.
Roger raked me twice and managed to nip my hind flank. I swiped him across the face again and bit his foreleg until it snapped under my massive jaws. He yelped, and tore my shoulder open with his teeth before pulling away.
He limped back a few steps, licking his damaged leg. He tired to put weight on it and whimpered once. He growled in frustration and looked at me with all the hatred and contempt he could possibly manage. Even with his broken leg he could still be dangerous enough to win this fight.
“You’re a natural fighter, just like your father.”
I glared at him, trying not to show how dizzy the blood loss was making me. “Good enough to earn your respect and walk away from this?”
He barked a laugh. “Nice try, Love, but you and your boyfriend are going to die here.”
The blood loss was worsening, and I felt my legs buckle underneath me. I wouldn’t be able to fight any longer, but I refused to back down. I wouldn’t give in, and made this easy on him.
“Alanna!” Quinten’s voice startled me.
I turned to see a large black wolf with a star on his chest and an equally large sandy blonde wolf run into the clearing: Ray and Jax. They’d obviously figured out where I’d snuck off too, and just in time to save the day.
Roger was outnumbered and outmatched. With his broken leg he didn’t stand a chance. He turned and ran out of the clearing, forcing himself to run on his injured leg. I could tell Ray and Jax wanted to run after him, but they more worried about my wellbeing.
I shifted back and tried not to feel awkward about being naked in the clearing with Ray.
Thankfully he wasn’t looking at me. He was busy checking Quinten for injury. Jax had shifted back and was kneeling beside me. He had Quinten’s shirt in his hands and he handed it over to me without a word.
I looked up at him, tears stinging my eyes. “Jax, I am so glad that you’re gay.”
My eyes closed, and I felt myself drifting off.
*****
I was comfortable, warm, and not alone. I forced myself to open my eyes a tiny bit, and found myself tucked under my comforter. An arm was wrapped protectively around my waist, and I looked behind me to find Ray curled up by my side.
His eyes opened. They were red-rimmed and tired. He smiled at me. “How are you feeling kiddo?”
“I’m fine, Dad. Thank you for coming for me.”
“I’ll always be there for you,” he said, propping himself up into a sitting position.
I burst into overwhelmed tears, too tired to be embarrassed or ashamed. I tried to pull away, but Ray dragged me against his chest and gave me the most protective loving hug ever. I sobbed into his chest for a few minutes, before finally reaching my limit, and the tears stopped.
He gently pushed me away and looked down at me. “What the hell were you thinking, giv
ing yourself over to Roger?”
“He told me that he’d let you all live. I just wanted to keep you all safe.”
“If Quinten hadn’t followed you, we never would have gotten to you in time.”
“What?”
“You’re surprisingly hard to locate when you don’t want to be found. Quinten’s trail was much easier to follow than yours was. Of course, he wasn’t worried about hiding his trail; he was just trying to catch you before you destroyed your life.”
I sniffed and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hands. “Dad, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. You guys were willing to do so much for me; I just wanted to do everything I could to keep you safe.”
He nodded. “I know kiddo. If it had been me, I would have done anything I could to keep you safe. I should have figured you would do something like this. I guess I just underestimated how much like me you are.”
I smiled and hugged him again. “You mean amazing, fearless, caring, and with perfect timing?”
He chuckled weakly. “Yeah, I do,” he pulled away, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I lost. He would have killed me if you and Jax hadn’t shown up when you did.”
“You survived, that’s all that matters.”
I sighed. “Alright, what are we going to do now? I’m dead to Roger. None of us are safe anymore. He’ll kill you, Ilene, Quinten, Jax, and me just to prove that he can. I can’t watch him hurt all of you.”
“We’ll think of something. And this time we’ll do it together, without you running off to sacrifice yourself.”
“Ok, Dad.”
“Come on, we’ll get you something to eat.”
“How long have I been out?”
“It’s almost ten in the morning. You slept all yesterday afternoon and last night. Now, come eat something. Jax and Quinten have done nothing but worry since we brought you back.”
Ray got up and headed toward the door.
“Dad!”
He looked back at me. “Yeah?”
“You didn’t see me naked, did you?”
He laughed. “No Alanna, I didn’t see you naked. Only Jax did, and I don’t think you have to worry about him staring.”
Arena Wars Trilogy Page 8
