The Mechanic's Mate

by Mikea Howard

  The men fighting to hold him down must be the rogues Marek told him about. The ones moving about the cave Eridon hid in. They began punching him all over while he managed to work one arm free. He landed a few quality hits, breaking a nose and blacking an eye or two, until they all focused their strikes on his solar plexus and head. Domek withstood it as long as he could, then the world went dark.

  Chapter 35

  Nonononono . . . not again!

  Sadie woke to iron shackles seeping ice into the bones of her wrists and ankles. It froze in stark contrast to the heat of Domek’s arms which were yanked away violently. A foul smelling handkerchief joined the last memory of five men holding her alpha back as everything went black.

  Chloroform.

  Head pounding, she tried to put that aside while assessing the situation without letting anyone know she’d awoken. Panic set in without even a glimpse.

  Oh goddess, Eridon has me again. Each breath sped, her heart’s pace joining in as a pressure bumped against her consciousness. Oh goddess, my madness has started. I do have another personality.

  Sadie remembered being in that room, held captive, when this would happen. She felt this sensation that another person prowled in her head keeping her company, comforting her, or pushing her back. Clearly, she’d gone insane. Either that monster passed crazy in his bite or he broke her . . . something would have to give soon.

  It pushed again, insistent now. Although non-corporeal, something both soft and coarse at once brushed against her consciousness . . . fur. Sadie almost gave herself away. In this room, locked in shackles, held by a lunatic, she wanted to laugh. How could she have missed it? It seemed so obvious now. He didn’t give her insanity; he gave this, her cinnamon wolf. Sliding by again, the action intended to instill strength, just like before. Not alone anymore, she pushed back gently.

  Okay . . . okay girl. Let’s see how bad off we are right now.

  Keeping her eyes closed, torso absolutely still, she twisted both wrists, testing if the cuffs fit loose enough to pull out of. They caught as the metal of the cuff neared the thumb joint, so that wouldn’t work. Without moving she knew the ankle shackles clamped too tight. Deep breath, scent . . . ew, that smells wretched.

  Eridon couldn’t be far away, one hundred feet at most. In addition to him, it smelled damp, dank tinged with sulfur, like a cave. So he didn’t have her imprisoned in Eureka, only Eridon’s oily scent offended her werewolf nose.

  Sadie realized that nothing else could be learned without cracking her eyes open. Peeking through just the slit, a shadowed figure moved directly ahead. Opening them more, she saw that her monster paced at the entryway. Eridon appeared to be having a conversation with himself, mouth moving, hands waving as though convincing or arguing with someone. Glancing her way, he stopped and squinted. She had not been careful enough. He knew she was awake. The cruel glint in Eridon’s empty eyes took her back to his horrid city room.

  Stalking toward Sadie with a maniacal gleam, he opened his trousers. Her hands were uncomfortably bound as he grabbed a fist full of hair, not with the intention of positioning her head, but just to yank on it hard.

  She almost fell over as he tugged her back up and attempted to shove his cock into her mouth. She kept her lips locked tight. Sadie didn’t want this, but her muscles were about to betray her due to the lack of nourishment, having been starved for days.

  As her body began to shake with her fading ability to fight he jerked her forward, trying to force his hardened shaft past her resistance. “You should be begging to please me. What is wrong with you?”

  Releasing his cock with a snarl, he backhanded her, then flung her away by her hair. She remembered one closefisted punch, and then everything went dark.

  She awoke achy and sore, with new wounds. Glancing down at her arms, she marveled at the defensive bruises. Even out cold she’d tried to defend herself.

  Her wolf nudged again, pulling Sadie back to the cold hard ground beneath her, viewing him staring with that same violent intent. Now realizing that her wolf had taken the beating back then, after she’d blacked out. Even before her first shift their synthesis had begun, and they’d deal with him together, despite the revulsion and fear that nearly overwhelmed them both.

  “I will repeat myself this one time Marek. I refuse to wait for you to gather everyone. I’m leaving now.”

  Domek had awoken with his eyes so swollen they barely opened, and his jaw had refused to work. His inability to breathe deep without almost blacking out again assured him that his ribs were broken. Eridon’s associates must have continued to pummel him even after he lost consciousness. So, as much as he wanted to go directly to where he felt certain Eridon held Sadie, he needed Matus.

  He practically crawled back home for the first few miles. As his Were healing kicked in he’d begun to move faster, until he entered Blue Wolf at a full sprint. They had beat him soundly, regardless of healing, every step hurt. Unwanted attention from every person on his way to the healer’s house assured him he looked like hell. Domek certainly felt like it.

  He required something that would keep that sack of shit alive, but somehow kill him from the neck down. Permanently would be best, but he would settle for just long enough to be able to get him back here so they could string him up for the rest of his days. Matus had provided angelica anomala with strict instructions on how much to force into him. Now, equipped with everything, including the cave’s location, he wanted to head out fast as possible. He still had quite a hike through the woods, and once he got closer he’d need to slow his pace to move in with stealth.

  “Gather every single enforcer, maybe even some of the larger enclave members, then meet me there.” He closed up the waist satchel, adding in his stern alpha voice before Marek could even open his mouth, “Go now. This is non-negotiable.” Heading out of his house, he exited Blue Wolf and south into the woods.

  She forced her eyes to lock on the monster who now starred in her every nightmare. Sadie’s initial plan included shifting to escape, but she still recovered too slow, leaving her helpless for too long. Not to mention, he had yet to pull out his favorite collar, which would be far more difficult to escape than the cuffs. Knowing what kind of person subjugated her, she planned how to get him to remove the shackles. The reality of how convincing she’d have to be made her practically retch, the idea abhorrent to her. He wouldn’t believe it at first. Would she be able to keep up the charade long enough?

  But he won’t kill me . . . can’t kill me.

  When she first woke up, his punishment lacked the usual physical severity. He walked toward Sadie, slapping her hard across the cheek with his savage flesh. He squatted down and grabbed her chin roughly to examine her face.

  “How dare you leave your mate!”

  Specks of spittle hit her face as he yelled. His grip became firmer with his anger preventing her from pulling away. “And you fucked another wolf while away. I cannot tolerate you being a sharecrop! You are mine!” Dropping to his knees, he sat on her, pinning her down. His erection pushed hard against Sadie’s stomach while he kissed her punishingly, forcing his tongue down her throat. He pulled back to bite her lip. “You’ve displeased your mate and proved you’re just a pro skirt. You’re lucky I’m even taking you back.” Eridon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood back up.

  She wanted to cry, somehow believing she’d done something wrong. Closing her eyes tight she rolled onto her side in the fetal position. Chest aching, Sadie pictured Domek’s face, showing patience and tenderness, even when disappointed. Sadie wanted to kick herself for falling for Eridon’s connivance again, even for one moment.

  I didn’t do anything wrong! He did it again, the creep!

  He knew exactly how to manipulate the situation by using her own innate submissive nature against her. He always had, from the beginning. Now she neede
d to make him confident that he still effectively controlled her emotions. Sadie steeled herself for what had to be done, even as it reeked of betrayal to Domek.

  Thanks to his partially healed rib, Domek battled being short of breath during the run to the rogue cave. The painful wheezing slowed him down and ate into his time to save Sadie. The delay irritated him, knowing he needed to get to her quick as possible. That bastard would be implementing psychological or physical torture by now just to spite him. Bring him back into the power position over her.

  His mind flashed to the day he found Sadie, beaten, starved, and almost broken by that worthless rogue. He still couldn’t figure out Eridon’s game. Why hunt down his fated mate to mate her first? Did that explain his eagerness to leave after the pack’s decision? But why . . . what would be the purpose? Did he blame Domek for his failure to become a strong, powerful wolf?

  Domek shook his head. Focus, Domek! The ‘why’ doesn’t matter right now. Keep your head together for Sadie.

  The analgesic herbs Matus had given him had started to wear off, allowing pain to creep in. He still had miles to run and more healing to do on the bones before they could shift. Sure they break anyway during his transformation, but the fracture and reknit process happened in a specific order. So if any bones broke outside of that order, say like his ribs, it would throw off the shift, leaving him with a concave chest in both forms.

  Domek reached into the waist satchel and pulled out two pouches. One had his pain herbs, the other held drugs for Eridon’s subduing. Obviously he had to be diligent about picking the correct one, but for some reason Matus had placed them both in identical leather pouches. It wouldn’t help Sadie if he paralyzed himself instead of deadening the pain of his beating. Checking the one in his right hand, the sac contained a yellowish brown powder.

  Definitely not taking that one.

  Closing the sac, he placed it back into the satchel. Opening the other pouch, he pinched out a small amount of the course ground leaves and tossed them in his mouth. Chewing, he sighed in relief as the numbing properties of the plant tingled his gums and tongue.

  Tossing it back into the satchel he took off running again, this time heading west. Eridon’s cave was located south of Eureka. From what Sadie had shown him, it resided southeast of that sack of shit’s city home where she’d been held hostage the first time. Where he beat her and . . . and . . .

  “Goddess be damned, I failed by letting Sadie become his hostage again. If he’s touching her . . .”

  That sick bastard would, but he didn’t want to imagine her going through it again. Domek planned to remedy that by making Eridon their prisoner instead, letting him suffer the pain he’d inflicted upon her, and so many others. He’d chain him up in the enclave common area then let Kara at him.

  Then again, maybe not. Kara and other pack members may let their rage take over, kill him by accident, thus ending his little rabbit. His little rabbit needed him to save her right now. He pushed himself to run harder, even though Matus’s herbs were taking their sweet time numbing anything other than his tongue.

  Eridon moved back toward her; she could smell oil and iron when he entered the corridor. Controlling each breath to calm herself, she pulled her tired body into the corner to sit with her legs pulled up to her chest, resting her cheek on her knees trying to appear as pitiful as possible.

  He stormed in. “Have you thought about what I said to you, Sadie?”

  “Yes, Eridon. I’m sorry.” She willed her chin to quiver.

  “I was too lenient with you,” he said grabbing more hair to tilt back her head. “You will call me Master from now on.” Tightening his grip, he pulled Sadie up to her feet.

  More than a bite of pain shot through the nerves in her scalp, pulsing with fire. He liked to hear sounds of pain and watch her cry. Against all instincts, she gave him what he wanted. Sadie hoped if she appeared defeated, let him believe he won, Eridon would grow confident enough to remove the chains. In order to seduce a monster like this she’d have to play up his ego. He needed to be powerful so she needed him to believe she recognized him as such.

  “Yes, Master,” Sadie called out. “Please forgive me, Master.” The words burned like poison. To even call him that title screamed blasphemy, but this amounted to the least of what she’d have to do. She needed to get free enough to kill him, or herself, ultimately taking him with her. Please goddess; don’t make me spend eternity in hell with him.

  “Are you really sorry, Chippy?” As she nodded yes he slammed her head into a rock using the hair still held in his fist. It would have been enough to knock out a human. “How do you plan to prove it?”

  Sadie gritted her teeth against both blinding pain and tremendous anger at him. That pet name made her skin crawl. I’m sure all husbands call their wives whores when they’re being nice. It didn’t matter anymore, so instead of biting him, she answered, “Anything, Master. Whatever you want.”

  “Hmmm, let me think.” He crowded her back against the rough cave wall. Sharp rocks dug into her as he insinuated his thigh between her legs, biting hard between her neck and shoulder. Crying out like Eridon wanted, Sadie kept herself from telling him how much she hated him as he sucked on the area to leave his mark.

  Pulling back, he regarded the bruise forming there. He chuckled. “I believe I need to put more marks on you, just so Domek knows who you belong to. What do you think about that, Chippy?”

  “Of course, Master, I accepted you.” Trying not to lay it on too thick, she reached out toward him, stopping short as though she didn’t have enough slack to move. “Please, Master, can I touch you?”

  “I don’t know, how loud can you scream for me?” He attacked the other side of her neck, pushing her harder against the rocks. Forcing her back to be cut and scraped. Oh goddess that hurts. She screamed for him as he continued to slice her apart on the cave wall, sucking, and biting her neck, shoulders, and chest.

  Chapter 36

  As the iron and oil scent grew thicker, Domek knew he had to be nearing the hideout. Odors of the others, the ones who pinned him down and beat him, irritated his nostrils. They must move through this area often, he’d need to go into stealth mode sooner than anticipated.

  That meant shifting to his black wolf. With his senses heightened and enhanced ability to slink about the shadows and lower brush, it appeared the most logical choice. Now he just needed to convince his still healing body of it.

  Taking a deep, chest filling breath his ribs still twinged with pain. Better, but still not fully healed. He would just have to chance it. Being broken with Sadie by his side, beat perfect but wanting to die without her.

  He stripped off his clothes, stashing them in a hollow log nearby. Covered by lichen and flowers, the hole smelled like the skunk family that made it home not long ago. It would be effective masking his scent left on the clothing. No need to be stealth if any wind picked up his scent alerting the rogues of his arrival.

  Taking the waist satchel, he tied it loosely around his neck, the only location as wolf to carry something without losing it at a run. His ancestors learned this after many attempts tying it around chests or waists, losing it down their wolves’ rump and legs during a hard run. The lack of opposable thumbs made it impossible to tie it back on without shifting.

  Dom eased through the transformation. The sinking sensation of loneliness rolled over him doing it without her . . . he didn’t like it. Both he and his wolf enjoyed being responsible for Sadie and her cinnamon wolf. His memory gleaned through each shift since she turned his world upside down. To provide for, transition with, teach, and play with her, just like any proper mate of a bitten wolf would.

  Now in black wolf form, he stalked toward the cave keeping his nose to the ground, ears alert, and eyes focused on any movement. He stood about a half mile away when it became visible through the trees. Lowering him
self onto his belly, making sure he blended in with the darker shadows he spied on Eridon’s associates. Some simply loitered about the entrance, while others unloaded crates from a truck into the cavern.

  It would be a challenge getting in through them. He had to figure out a way to pick the rogues off one or two at a time, but any attack would make too much noise and alert the others. Almost on cue a rustling came from the underbrush a couple feet from the men. One leaning against the entrance drew a gun, shooting toward the movement. A large fox, or possibly a coyote took off running the opposite direction of Domek’s current location, heading for Eureka. Only two goons made a break after it, firing at the orange blur bolting across the woods. Now he needed to deal with the three rogues left behind.

  So focused on their task of unloading the truck, bringing them to him didn’t appear a viable option. Studying his surroundings, he assessed his position and possible paths to get up closer. The cave, more like an underground cavern, had an entrance in the side of a small hill covered in shrubs and trees. He stalked around it, going up and over the top, searching for a spot from which to leap down to take one’s throat. The surprise attack would hopefully give him an advantage, allowing him to take out the other two without alerting anyone.