by Kai Andersen
“Adrienne?”
Jake nodded.
Jared clasped Jake’s shoulder. “Sorry, bro.”
Jake shook his head.
“C’mon, let’s head to the nearest bar; I’m in the mood for a drink.”
Jake really didn’t want to; he preferred to be alone, but he knew his brother’s good intentions. “Your treat?”
“Sure, any --”
Jake ...
He straightened abruptly.
Jared turned alert. “What is it?”
Jake faced Jared with wonder and bewilderment befuddling his thinking. “Adrienne. I heard her ... calling me.”
Jared looked at him sharply. “Calling you? You were never able to ‘hear’ anyone before.”
“I know.” Jake nodded. “It’s coming again.” Fear clutched his heart. “She’s in trouble.”
“How do you know?”
“I can hear it in her voice.” Jake fumbled with the key in the ignition and tried to start the car. His fingers slipped, once, twice. He realized with a start that his heart was beating too fast and that his skin was clammy with perspiration. He laid his head on the steering wheel and took in several deep breaths. Feeling calmer and his heartbeat slowing, he finally got a grip on the key and turned the ignition. “I’ve got to go -- No, wait. She’s not at her flat. Jared, we have to find her.”
“Why should we?” Jared was assessing him with steady eyes. “She left you high and dry. I say we go ahead to the bar and leave her to fend for her --”
Jake gunned the engine, anger and fear snaking their vicious way into his heart. “Get out of the car!”
Jared placed a steady hand on Jake’s arm. “Cool down, bro, I was just joking. How can we find her if you can’t think clearly? Now, take a deep breath. There. Another. Okay, did Adrienne say where she is?”
Jake closed his eyes to concentrate better. He took another deep breath, forcing out the panic and fear. He couldn’t afford to miss Adrienne’s voice. He needed to find her, like he needed air and water to survive.
Jake ... I’m so sorry ...
Adri, there’s nothing to be sorry about, he whispered from his heart. Tell me where you are, honey. Tell me, so I can find you.
Incredibly, he could sense her. As long as her voice kept coming, he could pinpoint her general direction.
He opened his eyes. “She’s to the west of us. Jared, we better change places. You drive, and I’ll navigate.” His voice was grim as he added, “I hope we get there in time.”
* * * * *
Jake ...
The villain mauled her other breast. He pulled up her skirt and insinuated one blunt finger into her cunt, rubbing roughly.
She was dry. She couldn’t become wet for him, even if it meant her life.
He made an angry exclamation and snatched up the scissors again. He cut away her skirt in a frenzy, sometimes nicking her flesh. One particularly careless cut stabbed deeply into her thigh, spurting blood.
The pain awakened her from her stupor. Why was she taking this lying down, literally? Why was she waiting for death when she had so much to live for? Nobody knew she was here. It was up to her to save herself!
All right, Adrienne, think! What should you do first?
She forced herself to smile at her captor. “Hey, handsome, since we’re going to be so intimate, it’s a bit unseemly that I don’t even know your name.”
He grunted. “Charlie.”
She batted her eyelashes up at him. “Well, Charlie, I think it would be more pleasurable for you if you untie me, you know. Just think, I can hold you close in my arms. Also --” Her lashes lowered. “-- how can you -- how can we have sex with my legs tied like this?”
He sat back on his haunches. Sweat dotted his forehead. An obvious struggle was going on inside his mind.
To tip the scales in her favor, she stretched and planted a kiss on his chin, licking his flesh in the process. She kept her expression sensuous, though she wanted to gag at his taste. “I want to be able to grip you with my legs ...”
He sneered at her. “You’re hot for me, aren’t you? Slut, slut, slut!” With each word, he snipped at the ropes securing her. Several minutes passed as he sawed at the thick ropes, struggling to break through them with the scissors.
Adrienne suffered every insulting word, every grope and squeeze of his fumbling hands. She felt separated from her person, as if her spirit had detached itself from her body and was floating above, watching. Physically, she bided her time, waiting for the last length of rope to fall away from her, waiting ... waiting ...
He gathered the rope into one untidy ball and threw it to one side.
She raised her knees and opened her legs, forcing a smile. Blood from her numerous scissor wounds trickled down her calf and dripped onto the floor.
He moved eagerly between her thighs.
She held up a hand. “Wait!”
“What?” He roared. “Are you playing with me?”
“You haven’t taken off your pants,” she said, lower lip protruding in a fake pout.
He leered. “Oh yeah, I forgot.” He stood up and took off his pants and underwear. His cock sprang out, short and stumpy.
“Oooh,” she cooed, “well, come on, big guy, what are you waiting for?”
He knelt down between her legs, not appearing to mind the blood red rivulets on various parts of her legs.
Her foot shot out, aiming for his groin.
“Ow!” The impact sent him sideways to the left, clutching that side of his crotch. “You bitch!”
Drat! She missed! Blast her wounds; they hurt too much! She sprang up and hobbled as fast as she could toward the door.
“Get back here!”
Her hand closed over the doorknob. Two meaty hands closed around her waist and dragged her forcefully away from the door. She struggled and twisted and writhed. She flailed and thrashed, swinging her hands and kicking her feet with desperate strength, determined to hit him, resolved to bring him down. Her leg wounds stung and ached, but she ignored them. Her elbows poked into his chest. By some lucky stroke, she stabbed his thigh with the heel of her foot. Hard.
His hands tightened until she fought to draw a breath.
“You bitch!” He threw her on top of the bed and towered over her, breathing heavily from his exertions.
Winded, she stared up at him, heart thudding in fear. In a quick, surprise move, she rolled off the bed and hit the floor running.
A roar of rage sounded from behind her, and then she was tackled to the floor. The breath was knocked out of her. Her face smacked hard on the concrete. Her nose bled.
He flipped her onto her back, fury etched on his face. His eyes burned with an unholy anger. His lips twisted into a snarl. “You played me for a fool!” He caught her hands and pinned them above her head. With some maneuvering, he subdued her legs with his thighs.
He was so heavy. She was losing the feeling in her legs, felt crushed beneath his weight. She tried to fight him, but she couldn’t even move her limbs. She had no strength left. He slobbered against her neck. She shook her head, trying to escape his touch. His cock nudged against her pussy. Tears of frustration and helplessness pricked her eyes. “No ... no ... no ...”
The door banged open. Loud growls filled the small room, like that of predator cats or wolves.
Adrienne’s head snapped in that direction, and she opened her eyes. Tears threatened to spill again, but never was there a more welcomed sight. Her breath caught on a sob. Jake’s here, Jake’s here, her mind chanted.
Jake’s massive body filled the doorway. The voice that issued from his throat was deep and harsh. “Take. Your. Hands. Off. Her.” In a fast blur, he ate up the distance separating them. He hooked one hand around Charlie’s neck. His fingers tightened.
Charlie turned purple. His eyes bulged with terror. His hands slackened.
Jake growled. “Since you can’t act fast enough to suit me, I’ll do it for you.” He lifted Charlie by the neck and threw him
across the room.
Adrienne heard Charlie crash into the wall with a loud thud, but she only had eyes for Jake.
He sat down beside her, a tender expression on his face. He laid a gentle hand on her cheek. “Look at you.”
Her tears spilled. Extreme joy and utter remorse mingled within her. She struggled to sit up. “Jake ...”
He made her lie back down. “Let’s get you to a hospital first. We’ll talk later.”
* * * * *
Adrienne opened her eyes, aware of the parched feeling in her throat. She looked around. The ceiling was white, the wall was white, and the bed was unfamiliar. Weak sunlight streamed in through the curtained windows. There was an antiseptic smell to the room that she remembered from another time. The hospital. She croaked, “Water.”
She didn’t think that anyone was in the room with her, but a feminine voice spoke up from somewhere near her feet. “You’re awake. Hold on, girl, while I get you that water.”
A moment later, the strange woman approached the bed from the right side and supported Adrienne’s head while she sipped the water from a straw. “Slowly now, girl, that’s it. There.”
Adrienne lay back down, exhausted. She closed her eyes. She heard the woman dragging over a stool to sit beside her bed.
“How are you feeling?”
Adrienne opened her eyes.
The woman was really a sight for sore eyes. Although there were tiny lines on her face and a sprinkling of white among her short black strands, beauty was still etched on her face, with her high cheekbones and clearly defined features.
“Better.” Adrienne smiled a little. “Who are you? You couldn’t be a nurse. You’re too elegant.”
“Oh, won’t James be amused when he hears that!” The woman trilled. She leaned in confidingly. “He always says I’m old; now I know he’s just jealous.” She smiled cheekily. “I’m Teresa, by the way. Jake’s mother.”
“Oh, Mrs. Wo-Woolf,” Adrienne stammered.
“Call me Teresa,” the woman said, her hands pressing firmly on Adrienne’s. She added with a twinkle in her eye, “Or Mom, if it’s not too early.”
Adrienne had never thought herself capable of blushing, but she found herself heating up. She met Teresa’s eyes shyly. “I’m afraid it’s a bit too early for that.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.” Teresa gave a mock sigh. “I’m in despair of my children ever marrying. I have five, you know, and not one of them shows any sign of settling down.”
“But you’re still young. Surely, you don’t want to have grandchildren yet.” Adrienne found herself teasing her, trying to appeal to the woman’s vain side.
“I’m a mother at heart, Adrienne.” Teresa patted Adrienne’s hand. “I love the sounds of childish laughter and running feet. That’s why I was so excited when Jake told me that you have a 10-year old brother; maybe you can let him visit me sometime. I would so love to meet him.”
Adrienne’s eyes filled with tears. Teresa reminded her of her own mother, who had passed away many years ago. Impulsively, she took Teresa’s hand. “David would love you.”
“There, there. All that crying can’t be good for you.” Teresa used a tissue and dried Adrienne’s tears with a gentle hand. “You’re just starting to recover, you know.”
“How long have I been here?”
“You’ve been asleep for two whole days.” Teresa frowned. “We were getting worried, but Tara said you were healing, that your body needed time, and that sleep was the best for now.”
“Tara. She --” Adrienne hesitated, wondering if it was her place to say anything. “She misses you all, you know.”
“Yes, I know.” Teresa’s voice was sad.
Adrienne decided not to pursue the topic. Anyway, she wasn’t part of the family yet. She couldn’t deny, though, the great yearning that rose in her at the thought of belonging to Jake. Now, more than ever, she was determined to work things out with him. Nothing like a near-death experience to bring things into the right perspective.
A deep, familiar voice came from the left side of the bed. “Adrienne.”
Adrienne turned. Tears filled her eyes at the sight of his beloved face. She opened her mouth, but no sound came. She tried again. “Jake.” Her gaze touched lovingly on his clean-shaven face, noting his haunted eyes and slightly gaunt face. “What happened to you?”
He moved and took over his mom’s place at her side. “You.” He captured her hand in his fist and brought it to his mouth. His eyes looked intensely into hers.
“I’m sorry.” She was so absorbed in looking at him that she barely noticed what she was saying. She wasn’t even aware of Teresa leaving the room, until the door clicked shut after her.
He shook his head. “Not your fault. If I hadn’t gone out that door so fast, those guys wouldn’t have --”
“We couldn’t have known they were out to get me. If you had stayed, maybe they would have captured you as well --”
“Capture a wolf?” An amused look crossed his face. “I’d like to see anyone try.”
Adrienne thought about it and laughed. “You’re right.” She turned serious. She searched the gray-brown depths of his eyes intently. “Jake, I swear I wasn’t having sex with Lucien and Paul when you barged in on us. I was angry with you, and I wanted to hurt you as much as you’ve hurt me. That’s why I made it sound like you interrupted us in the middle of --”
“But you -- the three of you -- were lovers.” His voice was quiet and devoid of emotion.
Chapter Twelve
“That was before the two of us.” Adrienne’s voice was equally quiet. “I never intended to take up with them again. The sex was purely physical, Jake, without the gut-wrenching emotions that tore me up inside when I thought you had betrayed me.”
She waited for some declaration on his part, some avowal of love, of affection, but she waited in vain.
“Betray you? Hurt you?” He looked confused. “When did I do that? What did I do to make you so angry?”
Adrienne bit her lip and looked away. Telling him about it was so shameful that she thought of lying. She’d failed to trust him, and brought about a nearly catastrophic event. Yet if they were to build a relationship, she had to be honest with him. She had to trust him now, to understand and forgive her. She gathered her courage and turned back to him, meeting his eyes. Her voice trembled. “I thought you were worming your way into my affections, spying for my stepfather about where I hid David, and when you had the information, you were going to betray me.”
A flash of pain crossed his face. His hand tightened on hers. “Ah. I suppose I couldn’t blame you. After all, we don’t really know each other very well.”
“I should have listened to my instincts; they were telling me that I was totally wrong about you,” she confessed. “But logical person that I am, I couldn’t disbelieve the evidence that I had before me.”
He threw her a sharp look. “Evidence?”
“I heard you talking to someone about the fact you’d found out about David and how you’d have all the information once I was putty in your hands and that you’d bring us both to him once you knew where --”
“Oh, that.” Jake laughed. “I was talking to my mother. I made the mistake of telling her I was dating this girl who had a young brother. She wouldn’t stop nagging until I promised to bring both of you to see her.”
“Oh.” So that’s how Teresa had known about David. Her mouth tilted with an impish smile. “I do have to object about the putty comment.”
Jaked leaned close, eyes dark with intensity. “Maybe I’m putty in yours.”
An urgent beat tugged at her heart, reminding her of one more thing she had to clear up. “Jake ...” She hesitated.
He seemed to have read her thoughts, because his face went taut. “I’m only sorry that I’m not enough --
“No.” She placed a finger swiftly over his lips. Her voice held all the remorse within her. “Those were words of anger.”
His eyes lo
oked searchingly into hers.
“You are more than enough for me. It’s just that -- the lack is mine.” She needed to explain to Jake, to try and make him understand as much as she was able to. “My past sexual encounters have made me the way I am, Jake. I enjoy variety in bed, I enjoy having more than one man in my bed, but as I’ve discovered, it is a variety that I can do without, if you cannot accept it. You are enough for me, Jake. You fill all my needs.”
“Adrienne ...” Jake rested his forehead against their joined hands for a few moments. Finally, he looked up, his expression somber. “Life stopped for me when I sensed that you were in danger. I realized then that I need you in my life; I need you as much as I need air to live. I’m willing to try and compromise on -- on --” He swallowed.
She looked at him with tears blurring her sight. She knew what it cost Jake to even say it and love for him rose up from deep within her. She choked, “That’s enough for me, Jake. Your willingness to meet me halfway -- it’s enough.”
“I almost lost it when I knew you were in trouble,” he continued in a low voice. “If a wolf can’t even protect his mate --”
“Am I?” Her breath caught.
“In my heart, you are.” He nodded. “I knew it a long time ago. But you have the choice, too.”
“Yes.” The moment she said the word, Adrienne felt peace spread throughout her entire being. “You are my wolf-mate, and I am yours.” Her voice broke on the last few words. Jake. She didn’t have to think it twice.
Jake’s warm lips touched hers and he kissed her with slow, cherishing passion. His lips were trembling, and she knew that he was as affected as she was. There was something about this moment that was sacred, this pledging of their hearts, their whole lifetime to the other.
Jake lifted his head and smiled. “You do know that wolves mate for life, don’t you?”
“Then that means I’m stuck with you?” The idea pleased her very much.
He nodded.
She smiled, delighted. “What a great way to spend the next fifty years.”
He started to smile back, but then his jaw tightened and the beginnings of the smile faded. “That guy -- did he hurt you?”
