by Dace Everan
“Do you remember who you were with?”
Cole looked right at him, then Theo, her eyes big blue pools of fear. Her gaze focused on Theo. He looked familiar. “Who…?” She cringed. That wasn’t her voice, was it? It felt crackly and dry, and tears filled her eyes. She’d had the voice of an angel before, soft, smooth, reassuring. Not this petrified sound emitting from her lips.
Theo narrowed his eyes. Did she know them? Had she seen them before at a show? Lane held the glass to her lips again. Her mind was returning. It was finally sinking in that she was safe, had to be. Her whole body was relaxing and her eyes were actually seeing.
“Theo, get her some of the stew.”
Theo cleared his throat. “I’m thinking we should see if she can handle water first,” he surmised.
Cole’s eyes widened. These men weren’t bad. She wasn’t sure what made her believe that, but deep down she knew they were not going to hurt her. “They made me!” She shook her head as the images flooded her brain, as shame filled her. She needed to tell them she was not to blame! “I…they were going to kill me, use my body…” She stammered her words and her hands covered her face in shame. She inhaled short, sharp breaths. She needed to get her head together. “What day? Where am I?” She needed to keep herself together. If these two were actually going to help, she needed to get out of here and soon. The others would hunt her down and kill her.
Theo nodded. Good, she was getting her thoughts back. “Montana, November twenty-ninth,” he offered.
Cole’s face paled, her hands fell, and her eyes went blank, and then roared back to life full of anger, then fear and confusion. “Two months…two fricken’ months they had me…Who are you?” she demanded.
Theo cleared his throat. “Theo Lindberg and this is Lane Deller.”
Cole held her hands in her lap to stop them from shaking. “Cole, Collette Hemmel, I’m from Canada…” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know who they were. They grabbed me.” She shuddered as a sob wracked her bony shoulders. “I should never have gone there.” Tears rolled down her face and she hugged her belly. “My tummy hurts,” she cried, groaning. They had taken turns at her, continuous, none stopping. Till she had missed her period, then she got a break. Dizziness struck her and she teetered, the feel of that cold metal hanger being shoved into her replayed in her mind. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her gaze rose and met Theo’s gaze. “I just wanted to see what it was like! I wasn’t doing anything there,” she explained. She should have just gone home.
Theo reached out, caressing her cheek. “Nothing wrong with that, hon. Where did they grab you from?” he asked calmly.
Her eyes closed. How could she have been so careless? She should have made Gina go with her. She should have parked closer. “I was at a club in Calgary…should have made my friend come.” She shook her head. “Research, all it was, was research. Boyfriend’s going to kill me…” She rubbed her face. What boyfriend? Who would want her after what she had just been through? Two months. She had been gone for two fricken’ months. “My kids…I missed Halloween. We always go trick-or-treating. Should be putting up Christmas decorations…. Christmas always pukes on the house,” she rambled.
Theo put the glass down. “We have a radio. We can call down to the watchtower and try to get a search and rescue up here.”
Cole’s head whipped up. “But those men, the Lord…” Her whole body shivered. “There are others. They’ll come looking for me!” She looked at herself. “They’ll want their merchandise back…They called me merchandise. They were trying to kill me!” She furrowed her brows, eyes darting to Lane. “You took it out? she asked.
Lane nodded. “Yes, you were bleeding. You kept on mumbling. I thought it best to take it out.” Lane glanced at Theo then back at Cole. “If you convert to your wolf form, the chances of saving your toes and healing your insides would go better,” he replied watching her face carefully. His chest tightened at the baffled look in her eyes.
Cole stared wide eyed at Lane. “What?” she mumbled. Did she just hear him right? Convert into her wolf form? Was he daft? She looked to Theo and he gave a reassuring nod. She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she uttered, tugging the blanket draped on her closer.
Theo took hold of her hands and looked her in the eyes. “Cole. You’re Wolf. As in werewolf, Lycan. Have you never had the urge to crawl out of your skin? To run on a full moon? To howl at the moon? Perhaps enjoy the outdoors or being away from large groups of people? Prefer the country?”
Cole shook her head. This could not be happening. Was what she had just gone through not enough? Now this was going to be dropped into her lap?
Theo released a breath, giving her hands a squeeze. “Cole we can smell it on you. Lane and I are also Wolf. We claimed this area of the mountain. Whoever had you was Wolf as well, and they had to know what you were to take you.” Theo’s heart constricted as she shook her head in denial. “They were probably trying to breed with you. When you didn’t shift, they probably hurt you further to get you to change.”
Tears rolled down Cole’s face. This couldn’t be happening! This couldn’t be real. She was still in that cold dark cave with those men and her mind had finally completely left her. She sobbed at the feel of Theo’s grip on her hands tightening, the warmth his hands offered her. She shook her head in denial. “I’m just a woman. A mom.” She whimpered.
Theo shook his head. “Sorry, hon, you’re more than that and you need to let Lane and I help you so you can help yourself,” he coaxed.
Cole slumped. This couldn’t be happening. She was just a plain woman, and those men who took her were sick, sadistic, inhuman—she could go on forever on how frightfully sick they were. As safe as these two men made her feel she needed to leave, Wolf or not. Her whole body ached at the thought of leaving, moving, and running. She looked up at the two men in front of her. She should get away from them before her presence brought trouble to them.
Chapter One
Two Years Later
Cole looked around the dingy room, cringing. She looked back out the door at the sunny, corralled yard behind her. She lowered the bucket and mop to the floor. She inhaled a deep breath, her nose tickled by the dust. She wished she hadn’t breathed in so deeply as the sneezing fit struck.
She couldn't believe her life had come to this. She clenched her hands into tight balls, fighting the fear, the anxiety. She would get through this. She crossed the small cabin and pushed open the dingy curtain, grunting at the dust that fluttered off, and sun speared through the window, blinding her. “Err, really?” she grumbled, removing the curtain rod and slipping the curtains off, blinking the dust and brightness from her eyes. Might as well clean those, too.
She took in the whole room, going around gathering any other dust-infested curtains, the bedding, and anything else that would need washing, disappointed that it was hardly a load. She dumped them into a basket and went to the next cabin, removing all the curtains, bedding, and so on, till she had made her way to the end of the row. Five cabins all needed to be cleaned and in tip-top shape by the end of the week.
Her days would be filled with cleaning till her kids got off the school bus, then she would play the mommy role. Try to play the mommy role. She had managed well so far, only breaking down once in a while and usually after they went to bed, when she was alone to sit and think. She hated the nights. She glanced back at the ranch house that they now lived in…with him. Rendell Juniper. Lane and Theo had recommended him as a safe haven for her if she ever needed help. She would never forget Theo and Lane. The day Lane had found her and both he and Theo had saved her, they had given her life back to her, and showed her something more. Who the hell would have thought werewolves were real? She shivered. That right there terrified her. But it gave her a strength she was unaware she had.
She caught sight of Ren as he stomped out the back door of his home and headed for the stable. He tilted his cowboy hat at her and continued on. Long, lean, a
nd dominating was what she thought when her gaze landed on him.
When Theo had told her about him, she had expected an older man in his fifties. Theo had said older friend. She had not expected this stud of a man, discovering on their first meet he was only thirty-eight. He was in his prime. Shoulder-length, wavy brown hair. In the sun it shimmered with highlights of gold red, and she swore it was lightening up to a sandy blond.
She had walked by his room the other night, and he had stood there reading something in nothing but the buff. She couldn’t get the image of his broad shoulders and tight, well-sculpted ass out of her mind. The man was lean, tight muscles everywhere. The reaction her body had had scared her. She grunted. She didn’t remember the last time she touched a man, didn’t want to remember the last time one touched her. Looking at Ren made her want to touch a man.
She did need to talk to him about the naked thing. Sucked that it was his room, his house, and she had to ask that he cover up that superb body. No need for her little ones getting a glimpse of him in the buff. More questions she would have to answer.
She shouldn’t whine. He was nice enough to let her and the kids live in his home, act as though it was a home of their own. He gave her chores around the ranch to pay for her room and board, as well as a paycheck. Her kids had a ride to school and she had safety.
Still, after two years, she woke with night terrors. Not as often as before, but still she found herself sinking into the depths of darkness and getting lost. It was one of the factors that had broken her relationship with Billy. The constant waking to her screams, her fists flying. The restless nights followed by exhausted days, fighting to get ahold of her life. He had lasted as long as he could but then stepped out. He had stepped out and into the arms of another woman, another woman who apparently had been in his arms for a while. She couldn’t hold a grudge, had tried, but the pain was never ending and she knew if she harbored any more, she wouldn’t make it. She needed to be strong for her children. She opened all the windows, airing out the cabins, and rolled up her sleeves and went at it.
Ren leaned against the doorjamb watching as Cole scrubbed at the cupboards, as she groaned at the disgusting state his cabins were in, he assumed. His lips curled into a smile. She didn’t seem as damaged as Theo and Lane had said she was. The woman oozed confidence when she was on her own and unaware of him watching her. She was a strongheaded woman, tough on herself and her kids. Tough in a good parental way though. He liked that about this woman. It was probably one of the reasons he let her run his home and boss him around in it. She grabbed up a spray bottle and covered her face with her arm and sprayed. “What is it you’re spraying?” he asked.
Cole yelped at the sudden question. Startled, she slipped and teetered, losing her balance. Her scream filled the air as she fell back, the world moving in slow motion as she waited for the pain of hitting the hardwood floors to hit her.
Ren bolted and caught her before she hit the floor. In the process, her sheer force overtook and slammed him down. He landed with a grunt and she squealed, struggling to get out of his lap. Frantic arms and legs flew as Ren tried to grab hold of her and restrain her. His inner Wolf’s fur stood on end at the terror he could feel pouring off her. “Stop, Colette!” he ordered.
Cole froze in place, her eyes went blank, and a whimper escaped her. Her reaction to him putting his hands on her was not what Ren had expected. Holding her, he watched as tremors of fear reared through her. She was looking at him as though he were a depraved beast. As though he were going to hurt her.
Ren took hold of her shoulders, easing her up. “Colette, look at me,” he ordered. She wouldn’t move. He furrowed his brow. Theo had warned him, told him to stay away from her. Not to frighten her or creep up on her. Always let her know when you were in the room. Shit, he hadn’t realized it was this bad. “Cole, you’re safe here,” he whispered, finger caressing her cheek. Her eyes darted to his, the blank look slowly leaving and recognition returning to the blue orbs.
“I…I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Ren smiled. “Nothing to be sorry about, filly. I should have let you know I was here.” He helped her up, waiting for her to catch her bearings before he released her. He grabbed the spray bottle handing it to her.
“Bleach water. You have mouse-shit droppings everywhere.” She moved the chair closer to the counter. “You should probably leave. The mouse droppings alone could be deadly. The bleach will give you a headache,” she warned.
Ren grimaced. Poor, beautiful woman with the biggest heart he had witnessed in a woman in a long time. Stuck cleaning his messy cabins, and exposing herself to mouse shit and bleach-induced headaches. “And what about you?” he inquired. She chuckled and Ren grinned. He liked her chuckle. It was deep and thick.
“Mr. Juniper, if it hasn’t killed me yet, it won’t. I’ve cleaned many a places like this,” she remarked, spritzing into the next cupboard, face shoved into her bent arm.
Ren sighed, reaching into his back pocket. “Here, filly,” he whispered, coming up behind her. “Not gonna hurt you, relax.” He hummed, tying the handkerchief loosely around her neck, lifting it so it covered her nose and mouth.
Looking at her eyes, he saw her smile under the bandana. “I feel like a bank robber from the Old West.” She gripped her spray bottle like it was a six-shooter and she was ready to go on down to the OK Corral and take down the bad guys.
Ren tapped the tip of her nose. He loved seeing the reddening of her cheeks, the glitter in her beautiful blue eyes. “There you go, filly. If you need another, they’re in the top drawer of my dresser.”
Cole nodded and watched him turn on his heel and leave her.
* * * *
Cole hugged up her little ones, smiling. “How was it, guys?” she asked, with an arm draped over her son, her daughters hand in hers. Both started yapping in unison, filling her in on their day at school. It was the routine, tell Mom what happened, what they learned, and go over what they had for homework.
Cole smiled and listened as they went on and on, bright smiles, eyes full of life. She had missed her children those months away from them. The months to follow had been hard, but putting on her mommy shoes had helped her disguise a lot of anguish she had been feeling. She refused to show weakness in front of them.
Ren nodded to the two kids as they entered the front door, both the most respectful children he had ever met. Shit, they had more manners than the ranch hands he had around here. Made him wish he’d had Cole out here long ago to teach those pigs a few things. He watched as they removed their shoes, hung up their coats, then smiled up at him.
“Hello, Mr. Ren, we got to see a baby duck at school today,” Jake greeted.
Ren smiled. “Cute and fluffy, aren’t they?” he offered. Jake grinned, nodding. Ren glanced at the little duplicate of Cole. “And you, little one, did you see the baby duck?” He was sure she would go on and on about how fluffy and cute they were, and how tiny they were and how she wanted one.
Harriet scrunched up her nose, her big blue eyes narrowed and she grunted. “No…Sammy brought in a toad.” She glared up at her mommy. “A big, slimy, icky, toad, Mommy. Why couldn’t he bring in a duck?” she whined.
Cole smiled, holding her arms out to her. Warmth filled her when her daughter fell into her embrace with a sigh. “Toads, I think, are cool. Did it croak at you? Stick his tongue out? Oh! Did they try to feed it?” Cole darted her tongue out followed by a croak. Etty grinned, burying her face against her mommy’s chest.
Jake grunted, hugging his mom around the waist. “I wish I had the toad in our class. The duck was noisy and distracting.”
Cole chuckled. “Yes, well, beautiful kiddies of mine, we can’t always get what we want…well, except for supper.” Her eyes twinkled with an all-knowing look.
Both looked at her, eyes bright. “Pizza!” they yelled in unison, their little faces lighting up.
Cole smiled, nodding. She had made the right choice in making their favorite tonight.
“Yes, but I need a cheese shredder and a can opener. You two have your jobs. Oh, wait, backpacks. Lay out your homework then come help me.”
Jake looked up at Mr. Ren. “Are you going to help us, Mr. Ren? Maybe you can help with the onions? Mommy likes green peppers.” He scrunched up his nose.
Ren nodded. “Sure, I just have to go wash up.”
Jake grinned. “Me, too,” he declared, grabbing his backpack and heading upstairs to his room. Ren following up behind him.
Etty looked at her mom. “Kids are rude, Mom,” she grumbled.
Cole raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did something happen today, Etty?” she asked softly. A quick grumbly statement was the way Etty started things off when one of the girls at school had taken the swing or not let her have her turn on the teeter-totters.
Etty scrambled from her mommy’s arms, grabbing her backpack. “Nothing. I just think they’re rude.”
Cole released a breath. Something was on her little girl’s mind. “You have to let me know, my little one, if you want help,” she offered, watching her little one climb the stairs, one agonizing step after the other.
Etty nodded. “Later, okay, Mommy?”
Cole nodded. “When you’re ready, my girl, meet you in the kitchen.”
Ren hadn’t laughed so much in a long time. Etty and her facial features, Jake and his teasing, Cole and the laughter in her eyes, it was the only time he saw pure laughter in the little filly’s eyes, or pure joy on her face. This woman was in her element around her children and in the kitchen.
He helped the kids load the ingredients on and while it baked the kids pulled out their spelling, and he watched as Cole cleaned up and listed off the words. Shit, the woman was amazing. He crossed his arms over his chest and just admired her in her element. She had obviously been born to be a momma. Soon he realized he had a shadow as Jake leaned up against the counter, mimicking his movements. He caught sight of a smirk on Cole’s face and assumed it was due to her son’s antics, and it warmed him inside.
