Chance Lost

by Jo Larue

  He sighed, and whispered to her, “Sorry baby. I never meant to make you feel threatened. I thought it would calm you, not scare you. I’m here if you want to talk about it.” She didn’t respond, but he was willing to wait for as long as it took. Sylas closed his eyes to replay the fight. She had caught him unaware and taken him out. She was truly going to be an equal. He knew then and there that he needed to rethink his stance on using her as bait. She was right. There was more to Chance than being human. She was fully capable of handling any threats that may or may not come her way.

  A few minutes later she turned around and curled into him. Sylas pulled her with him as he rolled to his back. She rested her head in the crook of his arm, with her hand lying across his chest. He waited for her to calm herself. Chance was shaking from head to toe. Knowing her as well as he did, he knew she was sorting out what she needed to say. When he felt her breathe deep and relax, he braced himself. He knew this was going to help her, but what was it going to do to him?

  “When I was in foster care, I was moved to a lot of different homes. Never the same family for very long because of the bruises the social workers or my teachers would find. When I was younger, they hit me for stupid reasons. Sometimes it was because they thought I sassed them, or I didn’t do something right or fast enough.”

  “The unwanted advances didn’t start until I was older. By then I was already experiencing a change in my body. I was stronger than a girl should be at those ages. The men… they used to mostly come in the night, drunk or high on something. I would wake up with hands on me in places they shouldn’t. I always managed to fight them off. I would scream, bite, hit, and scratch until they would leave. I refused to give in.”

  “The men never beat me unconscious, but it came close a few times. They would punch or slap me in the face or stomach. I honestly don’t know how many broken bones there are in my medical records. One visit to the doctor or hospital with a broken bone would get me moved again.”

  “It didn’t matter though, it was always the same. There was always an abuser in the new house. If they weren’t trying to get in my pants, they were making me clean their filth. If the house wasn’t just so, I was beaten for that too. Women can be just as cruel as men can when it comes right down to it. I don’t know if it was me they hated or life itself. I knew I was different, but why hate me so much?”

  “I was just a scared little girl who needed someone to love her. I kept hoping the new house would be different, that someone there could love me. It never happened though and it broke me, Sylas. I guess now I know why I was different and where my strength to fight them off came from.”

  Chance paused and whispered, “I’m just sorry that you’re stuck with such a fucked up and broken mate.”

  Sylas suffered for her silently as he listened to her pour out her hurt. He wanted to track down each and every person that ever laid a hand on her. He could kill them all without a second thought. When she said the last line, he sucked air in through his teeth.

  “You are not broken, Chance. Stop thinking that right now!” He sat up, taking her with him and turned her so she could see his eyes.

  “You are smart, talented, beautiful, and street wise, Chance. You are who you are because of them. I wouldn’t change anything about you. If I could go back in time, I would so I could stop the tortures, but then I wouldn’t have the woman I fell in love with. Never think you are broken, baby. Cautious, maybe, but never broken.”

  A tear formed and fell, tracing down her cheek. Sylas reached up with his finger and wiped it away gently. “No more tears for something you can’t change, love. Those people were wrong, not you. They were the broken ones. I love you, Chance, and we will have forever. I will show you every second of our time together what real love is. Karma always comes back to those who abuse the trust of a child and they will get theirs in the end. In the true scale of time, those assholes are just a blip, nothing more.”

  Sylas pulled her in for another embrace. He would never tire of holding her. He gently picked her up and pulled down the comforter and placed her back down, pulling it back up and over her.

  “Rest baby. I’m going to shower and change. I can sleep in the other room on the sofa tonight if you want to be alone.”

  “No, Sylas. I’m done sleeping alone. This is our bed, not just mine. Okay?”

  Sylas could see the threat of more tears shining in her eyes and it broke his heart to see it. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, love. Go to sleep. I will be here with you, always.”

  Sylas turned and walked back to the front of the motor home. He pulled his phone out to check for any messages from Jack. There were none. He checked in with the security detail and no change there either. He locked everything down and walked to the back stripping his clothes off as he went. In the morning he would have to take another look at the situation with a fresh mind. Right now though, he wanted a shower and to spend the night with the only woman that made him whole.

  Chapter 29

  Craven sat waiting for the tracker at the airport. The flight was slightly delayed, and he was waiting for a text saying he was outside waiting in the pick up lane. This guy boasted the best reputation in the business. He never failed to find anyone he was asked to find, and this was what he was counting on. He wanted the bitch chained up in his basement yesterday. It was all he could do to contain himself as he thought of all the little delicacies he had in mind for her. After all, who didn’t get off on a little S&M every so often? Caligula was a pussy when it came to delivering pain in his book. His little torture devices made the old Roman Emperor look like an amateur.

  He fantasized while he waited. He pictured Chance naked with a spreader stretched wide between her ankles and her arms chained apart on the ceiling. He had her gagged, but not blindfolded. He wanted, no, needed to see her fear. His cat-o-nine selection was one of the best. He would start with a regular whip to bring her tears and muffled screams before he moved on to the wired one that could cut the flesh a layer at a time. He wanted her to stay alive long enough to have a decent amount of fun, so he would only mar one spot at a time. He planned on fucking the bitch in front of the Enforcer and Trey. He would get pleasure while they suffered the pain of being forced to watch.

  Cravens cell finally buzzed with a text. “Out front waiting.” He started his SUV and pulled forward into the pick up lane. He saw a tall male with silver gray eyes and long black hair pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He looked like he was bronzed from the sun. He seemed muscular, but then he would be. He was a wolf and they tended to have little to no body fat. He was wearing a black Stetson, jeans, t-shirt, and western styled boots. He carried no luggage, just a backpack. He pulled up beside him and rolled down the passenger window. “You Dakota?” The man looked him over before nodding. “Get in then, I’m Craven. I’ve got you a place to crash and can take you to the spots I spoke to you about when you’re ready.”

  Dakota slid into the seat and shut the door. “You can take me now. I’m ready to start. Take me to all the places you know she’s been.”

  Craven grinned. “Just what I was hoping for. I like your no nonsense attitude. The sooner you bring me the girl, the more money for you. A bonus if you bring her to me within the week.”

  Dakota nodded but stayed quiet. Craven wasn’t put off by his silence. It was fine with him. He wasn’t much of a talker either. He preferred the quiet. It gave him more time for his fantasies.

  * * * *

  Dakota always got the job done. It was his reputation on the line and it served him well. The fucker who picked him up was clearly a nut job, but money talked and he was here for that reason alone. He was ready to get this over with and get home to his wife. She was carrying his pup and due to give birth in the next three weeks. The last job was a breeze. The guy he’d hunted owed a casino boss a lot of money. Needless to say, they took the money owed out of his hide.

  As they rode, he contemplated how much this area had changed over the years. He
was Alpha of a pack here a long time ago in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains, near where the Appalachian Trail started. The memories almost brought him pain, but he fought it back. That pack and those days were long gone and he’d moved on with his life.

  Moving out to California and then into Oregon was the best move he ever made. He met his new wife in Cali, and she changed his life for the better. She removed the pain of losing his previous family by simply loving him. Now he had a new family, new pack, and a baby on the way. Life could only be better if he was home, and he intended to get there by week’s end.

  Craven pulled up to a small quaint house that had a for-sale sign in the front yard. He explained they were here on the pretense of looking at it as a potential purchase. He’d called earlier and set up an appointment with the realtor. She was all bubbly and smiles when she met them at the door. Craven distracted her as Dakota walked through the house. He caught faint hints of the scent, but someone very smart had scrubbed the place down with bleach and repainted both the interior and exterior. He hoped this guy had something better to go on than this. He shook his head at Craven, signaling this was a washout and it was time to go.

  They loaded back into the SUV and about 30 minutes later pulled up to a burned out shell of a building. Dakota turned to Craven with disbelief. “I can track most anything, but you’ve got to be kidding me! All I can smell here is burned wood and wire. Take me back to the airport, I’m done here.”

  Craven held up his hand, stopping him. “Hold on, Dakota. I have something here that will take you right to her. Follow me.”

  He followed Craven to another building nearby and he pointed to the wall. He walked closer and saw what looked like a rust streak running down part of it. He moved closer and then the scent hit him. Blood. He caught the scent of copper and then a light scent of honey and what smelled like dark sweet wine. Dakota narrowed his eyes. What is going on? Who is this woman? The scent was familiar but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Shaking his head, he turned and forgot it. It was time to go do his thing. There was enough to go on now. Pulling his backpack from Craven’s SUV, he turned and told him he would see him within the week. The sick bastard just smiled like Lucifer himself. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach he was going to regret taking this job.

  * * * *

  Trey paced his apartment for what felt like the gazillionth time. He rented it before the bombing and now he was glad he did. He’d bought a second car; one the pack knew nothing about. Trey was sure they put a hidden tracker in it and by now picked up the fact it hadn’t moved in a while. He’d dumped his cell along with it. He put nothing past Craven now. He was officially off their radar and he intended on staying off. He’d seen Craven with the strange man, having tracked him from a distance. He put the pieces together when he noticed the man lift his head scenting the air near that building.

  Since the night of the fight, Trey had gone back to her house after healing and followed the moving truck to the lake house. From there he had followed them out to her property. They never left her alone long enough to do a snatch and run.

  Trey needed to do something to find her before the tracker did. Chance dropped off the face of the earth after the bombing. He’d gone to the house on the lake the next day and found them gone. A security detail had taken over, so Trey left to retrace his steps. He figured the only way to find her now was to track Craven or head out to her property again.

  The only consolation to all of this was if he couldn’t find her, then neither could the tracker. Trey struggled with his attraction to her and the fact she was with the one man he hated above all others. At least she was safe with him, but it didn’t mollify him. He would still kill the man the first chance open to him.

  His insurance package was all he had right now to keep things from going wrong. He needed more, but the how was bothering him. He prayed she would go back to the property so he could snatch her there. Decided on his plan of action, Trey packed a duffel bag with spare clothes and food. He locked the house, got in his car and headed out.

  * * * *

  Sylas did his best to not wake Chance when he finally went to bed. He’d stayed up for a few more hours, unable to reconcile everything she told him. He never understood how humans could be so cruel to children. In the animal world, babies were top priority. They were cared for even if it meant the parent going without. He knew not all humans were like this, but what were the odds on every home she lived in had abusers? Unable to stand it any longer, he called his mother for an explanation.

  She came to him dressed in normal human clothing this time, a break from the norm. She was wearing jeans and an electric blue silk blouse that accentuated her eyes and hair. He gave her a small smile and hug. It was all he could manage at the moment.

  “I know your questions, son. It needed to be this way as I explained before. If she had not gone through life this way, she would not be fit to be your mate. Now she will be as strong as you will, in mind and spirit. Once the string of life has been cast, there is nothing that can be done to change it. Only my sister, Atropos, can end a life when she chooses. I can foresee where the life will go and this is how I chose her for you. It was written in the strings. My sisters told me Chance was the one for you and you both would live out your lives forever, together. Clotho made her for you, and I guided her path to you. My sisters and I have only your best interest at heart, Sylas. Try to understand this, son. She needed to go through it to truly be yours.”

  His mother left him alone to sort it out in his mind. She confirmed what he told Chance earlier. It was fate for her to go through the pain, but it still didn’t change the fact he wanted to ease it.

  Sylas pulled back the comforter and slid in behind Chance. She’d gotten up at some point and dressed in an old t-shirt and a pair of his boxers. He was dressed the same and for once he could feel more of her skin on his. Chance turned as his body weight shifted the mattress. He pulled her into him and breathed in her unique scent of honey and wine. Sylas wound his arm under her and rolled her even closer. He closed his eyes as he listened to her heartbeat and placed a kiss to her forehead. The sound of the steady beat soothed him and he fell asleep with his mind finally at ease.

  Chapter 30

  Dakota lifted his nose to the air, sniffing to catch the faint scent of the woman he was tracking. His special skills came in handy. If the scent wasn’t more than a week or two old, give or take a few days, he could find them, no matter how far they went. As soon as Craven left he shifted. He was grateful that when he shifted everything he kept with him as a human stayed with him. It was why he traveled light. His backpack was always with him when he needed it, not that he knew where it went, but he didn’t care as long as it came back with his clothes.

  He was fast tracking now. Her scent grew stronger the farther north he went. He could run like this for days at a time. His wolf never seemed to tire of the chase. His inner beast thought it was a game of hide-and-seek. For Dakota it was a job; one that paid very well. The scent brought him to a house on Lake Lanier. She was long gone, but her strangely familiar scent was very strong here. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get close enough to the house to go inside to investigate. There were shifters guarding the place and they were toting high-powered weapons. He didn’t want the pay enough to get his ass shot or killed.

  There were two trails leading away from here. Dakota debated on which one to follow. They were both pretty strong, but a recent rain messed them up as to which was more recent. He picked one and went with it. It took a northerly track. He was starting to feel tired but he wanted to go home more than sleep. A few hours later he was on a track of land being developed or seemed to be. Her scent was very strong here; in fact it was everywhere on the property. There were two sets of prints in the outlying area, along with some wolf tracks. He caught scent of her and the wolf, but not the third person.

  He found a cave they had been in and decided he would use it to crash. There was a water supply inside and
dry earth to sleep on. He shifted and bathed in the spring. He ate sparingly and settled in for the night. The next morning, Dakota explored more of the property. He saw a construction crew working on a build up on a rise in the middle of the acreage. He stayed as far as he could from the crew, but he picked up on a very familiar scent and followed it. What the hell was he doing here? Dakota bristled and let out a small growl. What he didn’t need was old ghosts showing up in the middle of a job. Dakota trotted back to the cave, shifted, and pulled out his SAT phone. He needed answers and he needed them now.

  * * * *

  Trey walked up to the lead man on the site asking if they were hiring. He figured the best way to watch for Chance was to be here, out in the open. The builder’s name was Rick and it just so happened he was short handed. His time limitations had him in a crunch. He was asked the usual – experience, ID’s and such. He was hired on the spot and set to helping on the dig site for the underground levels. Trey thanked his stars he had experience with backhoes. He paused for a split second while digging when he caught a whiff of wolf on the air. It was unfamiliar. Must be the tracker sniffing around. He got back to work right away. There was no reason for concern since she wasn’t here. If he came here, then he must have lost her trail. That gave him a small bit of comfort. He still had time on his side, at least for now.