by Ruby Shae
Three days later, she was ambushed on her daily walk. She’d been so stupid. She honestly thought the hunter would run, but instead he and two of his friends kidnapped her and tried to use her for bait. Every day the bears didn’t come, the hunters became more agitated.
She’d been threatened with rape, but so far they’d only abused her with their hands and feet. Her face hurt from several slaps to the face, and her thighs were bruised from their boots. They withheld food and water, and left her out in the cold after dark with nothing more than her sweatshirt for warmth. As their patience waned, she feared the unknown and what would happen next.
The door to the shed opened and two men entered the tiny dwelling. One of the men she recognized as one of her three captors, but she’d never seen the fourth man before.
“Oh good, you’re awake. This is Jimmy. He’s the one I told you likes the fatties. Maybe he can convince you to summon the bears.”
She looked up at the two men, and Jimmy had a smirk on his face.
“Well aren’t you pretty? Are you ready to have some fun?” he asked. To his friend, he said, “Leave us. You’ll know when I’m done.”
When the other man left, he cut off her gag and offered her a bottle of water. For a moment she relished the cool drink as it soothed her parched throat. She continued to drink as he looked on and encouraged her to take her fill.
“Drink as much as you need to,” he said when she almost reached the bottom of the bottle. “I have a reputation to uphold, and those bears need to hear your screams.”
***
Aaron walked to Sara’s home, but when he got there, he found a sign on the door directing all patrons to the sheriff’s office. He knocked on the door anyway, but he was met with silence.
A sinking feeling shrouded over him and for a moment he couldn’t move. Had something happened to her? The thought of losing her left him numb. If he’d declared himself sooner, and marked her as his own, she’d have the same protection he did. She’d never die. Instead, he’d left her vulnerable and alone. He’d never forgive himself if something had happened to her.
He turned on his heel and ran to the sheriff’s office. Inside, Gage, Dave and Seth hovered over a map laid out on Gage’s desk.
“Cade and Collin went here, just in case they decided to go south. The craft fair was next to this lake, so it’s possible they’ve taken her there,” Seth said.
“Taken who?” Aaron interrupted.
The three men turned toward him, and Dave and Seth dispersed, leaving Gage alone behind his desk. Dave went to stand behind his own table and Seth moved to the window.
“This is police business,” the sheriff said. “It doesn’t concern you.”
“The hell it doesn’t. Where’s Sara?” Aaron demanded, stepping closer to the sheriff.
“Again, this doesn’t concern you,” Gage said. “Get out of here, Aaron, and don’t come back.” Gage dismissed him and spoke to his deputy.
“Dave, have you checked out the Old Mill, yet?”
Blinding, white-hot rage surged through his body. Something was wrong, and he would not be ignored. Aaron no longer feared releasing his bear, he’d mastered controlling the animal, but he couldn’t say the same for the man.
He charged the desk and leapt over it, pushing off the center of the wood for more power, and landed in front of Gage. He pinned the sheriff against the wall with his forearm under his throat. Dave and Seth raced over to pull them apart, but Gage stopped them.
“Don’t,” Gage warned. “It’s between him and me.”
Both men took a step back, but watched intently. They would protect their leader if necessary.
“Where is she?” Aaron said, pressing against Gage’s windpipe.
“What do you care?” Gage taunted, struggling for breath.
“She’s my mate.”
“No, she’s a woman you fucked,” Gage said, and pushed him back into the desk. The map, phone and several papers scattered to the floor, and Aaron roared.
“She’s mine!”
“No, she’s not,” Gage yelled back. “You pushed her away and left her in pieces. That’s not the way to treat a mate. I wish I knew another shifter I could introduce her to so she’d never think about you again.”
“Don’t you dare,” Aaron said. He rushed him again and pinned him back against the wall. “I know I fucked up, but I’m back and she belongs to me.”
“You plan on sticking around this time?” Gage asked, unaffected by his rage.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Aaron ground out.
“Good. I’m glad you’re back,” Gage said honestly.
Aaron stared at his friend and realized the man had been testing him. Though they were both alphas, Gage could take him if he wanted to. The clan leader had let him mend their rift with dignity, and earn his place in clan.
He pushed away from the sheriff, and laughed.
“You son of a bitch,” Aaron said.
“Welcome to Bear Mountain,” Seth laughed with them. He and Dave started picking up the items from the floor, and Dave clapped him on the back.
“It’s good to see you again, man,” Dave said.
For a moment, the camaraderie overwhelmed him and he took a few deep breaths.
“Thank you,” he said. He voiced the sentiment to the group, but he looked pointedly at the sheriff. The man nodded once and moved to stand beside him, gesturing to the map.
“Okay, now that we’ve got that taken care of, we have a bit of a problem.” Dread filled him as he waited for the sheriff’s next words. “I know it’s difficult, but try to remain calm.”
“Is she alive?” he asked, unsure whether or not he wanted to hear the answer.
“Honestly? We don’t know. Seth, Cade, Collin and I have patrolled in bear form, and Dave and I have been on foot. Aaron, we can’t find her.”
“How long has she been gone?”
“Three days.”
“Three days?” he roared. “What the hell happened?”
“The girls went to a craft fair on Sunday and she had a confrontation with the hunter who shot her. They were selling real pieces of grizzlies—teeth, claws, that kind of thing—and offered her a cut if she helped them. She denied, vowed to report them, and he threatened her. She filed the report that night, and I alerted the game commission, but that’s all we could do. I warned her to be careful, and things were uneventful until Thursday. She never opened her kitchen for breakfast, and when guests couldn’t find her to check-in or out, they came here.” Gage said.
“After we confirmed her disappearance, I put up the sign. Dave, Seth and I have been taking payments and helping with confirmed reservations, while Sam and Darcy have been cleaning the rooms. We're keeping things running, and accommodating everyone the best we can, but…,” Gage trailed off.
“Soon we’ll have to close the business.”
He’d said the words the man hadn’t wanted to say, and Gage nodded.
“Okay, show me where you’ve been, and I’ll shift and do a patrol.”
“Take Seth with you. Those men will be shooting to kill. Even though you can heal, if you get hurt, you can still be knocked out of commission. One of you can run for back-up if needed.”
He agreed and listened as Gage and Dave filled him in on where they’d already searched. Because he hadn’t marked Sara, she’d be harder for the other bears to scent, but he shared a special connection with her. He felt confident he’d be able to find her.
Seth drove him through Gage’s property until they reached the border of the National Park. They got out of the truck and walked through the trees until they felt safe to shift, and then they ran.
They raced through the forest, and covered a lot of ground, but it seemed as if she’d disappeared without a trace. His legs burned, but he couldn’t give up. There were several hours of daylight left, but he’d search all night if he had to. He didn’t expect the same from Seth. The man had a mate to take care of, and he needed rest.
Seth shifted back to human form before he had the chance.
“Don’t even think about it. If you stay, I stay. Let’s keep looking.”
Seth shifted back into bear form and motioned for him to lead the way.
Aaron sniffed the air and relief flooded over him when he caught Sara’s scent. It mingled with dirt, blood and something rancid, and he understood why the others hadn’t been able to find her. He raced toward the location of the smell with Seth on his heels.
The man got in front of him and forced him to slow down.
Seth sniffed the air again and encouraged him to do the same. This time he scented Sara, plus four others. He assumed they were the hunters.
They lumbered toward the scents carefully, and hid in the trees on the top of a hill to assess the situation.
The first three men were easily spotted.
They were each stationed against a tree surrounding an old, dilapidated shed used by rangers in the early part of the century. The tiny dwelling had one boarded up window, and the building looked like it would fall over if a strong wind hit it.
He hated the thought of Sara sitting alone in the dark room.
Their plan was to knock out—not kill—the hunters, and then rescue his mate, but every plan went out the window when Sara’s bloodcurdling scream filled the air.
Aaron charged the building.
***
Sara held the empty water bottle in her still bound hands and glanced at her captor. As much as she didn't want to look at him, she needed to mesmerize his face in case she got away. She didn't think she'd make it till tomorrow alive, but she wouldn't give up without a fight.
“Okay, time to stand up. I don't want to get dirty.” He pulled on the rope holding her hands together and yanked her toward him. He smelled like he hadn't showered in days and she didn't miss the irony in his statement. She turned her head as she slammed against his body, and he laughed as he sniffed her hair.
He turned her around and pushed her toward the wall of the shed. He pressed her face against the wall with one hand, and used the other to run his hand over her ass. The old, weather beaten wood scraped the skin off her cheek and he pushed her harder against the wood when she winced.
“Oh, you've got a lot of extra cushion,” he said as he squeezed her flesh with bruising force. “I'm going to have fun teaching you why you should never stick your nose where it doesn't belong.”
He took a step forward and wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her flush with his body. The hand on her head pressed harder, and he rubbed his cock all over her ass. The hand around her waist dove between her legs and grabbed her crotch forcefully, lifting her heels off the ground.
“Let's get these pants off,” he said, reaching for the button on her jeans.
She lifted her leg and kicked him in the knee cap as hard as she could. He loosened the hold on her face and she swung her bound hands around and hit him in the head. He swayed from the blow and she ran for the door.
He caught her by the hair and pulled her back, slamming her into the ground. His body covered hers and he held her bound hands above her head with one hand, and tried to unfasten her jeans with the other. Sara swung her legs, and tried to wiggle away, but he was too strong. She managed to kick his already injured knee, and he released her arms. She tried to hit him again, but he held her bound hands against her stomach and slapped her across the face.
“Son of a bitch,” he yelled. “You want to play dirty? Fine, we’ll play dirty, but I always get what I want.”
He pulled a knife out of the holder on his belt and cut a slit in the fabric covering her arm.
“This should help you behave,” he said, and stabbed the knife through her nearly healed gunshot wound.
Sara screamed in pain and tears streamed down her face. The shock of what he’d done left her immobile and he quickly unfastened her pants and shoved his hand down her panties.
She heard three shots and the door to the shed burst open. A huge grizzly raced into the room, dragged the man off of her and burst through the opposite wall. The structure swayed above her head, but she couldn’t move.
Outside the shack, bears roared and men screamed, cried and begged. Another shot rang out, and then silence filled the air. Sadness swamped her as she thought about the bears not surviving the hunters.
A man ran back into the building and kneeled above her, but she couldn’t see his face through her tears and the added light in the room. Had a hunter come back to finish her off, or was he one of the good guys?
“Don’t worry, honey,” he said, touching her stomach. “You’re safe now.”
As much as she tried to focus, the man remained a black shadow.
“Is she—” another man said as he ran into the building. “Oh, shit. Here, use my shirt.”
She heard the sound of fabric ripping at the same time her hands were freed and the rope peeled away from her skin. She moaned as he moved her hands to her sides.
“This is going to hurt, but I have to pull the knife out now, honey,” the shadow above her said. She tried to place his voice, but she couldn’t, and then he pulled out the knife.
Pain caused her to cry out, and she gave in and sank into the darkness.
Chapter Seven
No! No! Get off me! The dirty, smelly man above her smiled maniacally and held her in place with his body. He was strong, but she still fought to free herself. Pain doused her arm and she cried out as the man forced his hand down her pants.
She cried for help, but no words escaped her mouth. Suddenly, a bear burst into the room and pulled the man away, breaking through the fragile wall of the shed. Had Aaron come back for her? The man she loved didn’t want her, but she allowed herself an ounce of hope. Roars and screams filled the air, followed by the sound of a gunshot, and then silence.
“Aaron!” she screamed.
Sara sat up in bed, swinging her arms and legs. She had to see Aaron, and find help if needed.
“Shh… I’m here,” he said, pinning her sore arm to her side and wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. “Careful or you’ll rip the stitches out again.”
The sound of his voice soothed her in ways she hated to admit, but she’d know him anywhere. Aaron’s hard body enveloped her in warmth, and the lose grasp on her elbow was light enough to keep her arm in place and not cause any extra pain.
She looked around the sterile, darkened room and realized they were at the clinic. A small cot had been placed under the window, and the pillow and blanket were askew.
He’d stayed with her? But why?
Maybe the pain medication had altered her senses.
“Aaron?” she asked. She’d been so sure of his voice, but she couldn’t believe he’d come back. His presence didn’t make sense.
“It’s me, honey,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “Everything is going to be all right, but you need to rest now.”
“You left,” she stated the obvious.
“Yes, but I came back,” he said, lowering her back down onto the pillow. “Rest now and we’ll talk in the morning.”
“I heard gunshots,” she worried. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he assured her.
He straightened her blanket and pulled it up to her chin. His hand brushed hers and she grabbed it, lacing her fingers around his.
“I was so afraid they’d killed you,” she whispered, kissing the back of his hand.
“I can’t die, honey, so that would never happen.” He leaned over and lightly brushed his lips against hers. “We’ll talk more in the morning. For now, you need to rest.”
She tightened her grip on his hand.
“Stay with me,” she pleaded. She didn’t allow herself to focus on her weakness for a man who didn’t want her. She needed him.
“Always,” he said.
She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
***
Sara woke early the next morning, and glanced around the room hoping to see he
r own bedroom and personal belongings. Unfortunately, she was still in the clinic and the cot under the window looked like a toddler bed with Aaron’s big body draped over it.
It hadn’t been a dream.
She vaguely remembered waking up in the middle of the night and begging him to stay with her. How could she have been so stupid? Whatever his reasons for returning, they had nothing to do with her. Making him stay in her hospital room was beyond needy. As soon as he woke up, she’d let him off the hook.
The bathroom door mocked her from less than ten feet away. Her legs felt heavy and tired, but she felt certain she could walk the small distance. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and carefully lowered herself to the ground.
She dragged the IV with her and took baby steps to the tiny room. When she finally made it to the door, she felt as if she would collapse. Sheer will got her inside, and when she finished washing her hands, she leaned against the counter in defeat. How would she get back to the bed?
“Sara?” Aaron asked after she heard a knock on the door. “Are you okay?”
As much as she wanted to lie and tell him to get lost, she needed his help.
“No,” she sighed. “I’m…”
“I’m coming in.”
He pulled open the door, took one look at her, and scooped her up in his arms.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked.
“I didn’t want to bother you. What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what are you doing in my room?”
“Waiting for you to wake up,” he said, placing her back on the bed. “I’ll get the doc so he can check on you.”
He left the room without another word and returned with the doctor.
“Well, it’s nice to see you awake, Miss Henley,” the doctor said. “I want to observe you for a few hours, but if all goes well, you can go home after six tonight. You’ll still have to take it easy, so let Aaron do all the heavy lifting for at least a week. I want to see you next Monday, and if everything is okay, you’ll be free to carry on as usual.”
