The beast within her howled. No, she couldn’t let it happen again. When she saw the driver, Jason, she knew she could not get in that car. Jason was a good partner for Boris: evil, cruel, and without mercy. The difference was that Jason didn’t care if a woman was a were or not.
“Mom, please. I have to get away,” she whispered. “Nolan!” she called in her mind.
“Roxy will have you killed,” her mom whispered back. “She wants you to do something. I don’t know what. They’re keeping me in the dark.”
“The more reason I can’t go with Boris and Jason. You know how cruel they are. I have a plan,” Alex said determinedly. Her feet were no longer bothering her, and she had her balance back.
“No, Alexandria. Boris might kill you now. He’s angry at playing nursemaid already.”
“Sorry, Mom,” she murmured.
“What? Wait,” her mom protested, but it was too late.
Alex pushed Heather away and sprinted past the barn and into the woods that lay beyond. They were on the restricted area, probably on Mount Adams, but she could find her way home. She heard her mother yelling at Boris, then a slap that silenced the pleas.
She almost turned back to check on her mom, but she had to escape. She could not stay with them and be bait for Nolan before being brutally tortured. She was not completely expendable. In a lot of ways, she would prefer death to the tortures she had seen Boris indulge.
She ran faster, then slipped behind a tree and climbed as fast as she could. Her feet slipped a couple of times, but she managed to get up high. As she had hoped, Boris had hesitated in his human form, choosing to change to the faster wolf form. Which meant he would be unable to climb the tree.
She had only bought herself a short amount of time. She just prayed it was long enough.
“Alex!” The call in her mind was urgent. “Answer me.”
“Nolan,” she said in relief. “Where are you? I’m on restricted land. Jason and Boris are here again. Boris brought my mother. I’m up in a tree.”
She sensed his confusion at her disjointed words. She was trying to spew out as much information as she could. Boris was near her now. He leaped past her tree and paused.
“Hurry, Nolan. He’ll find me in a minute.”
“We’re following the cats deep in the reservation. We’ve split up. Those who don’t have passes for the restricted area are looking for you elsewhere. The cats seemed pretty sure you were on restricted lands, though, so I’m with them.”
She held her breath watching Boris scent the air for her. “Hurry, Nolan. Find me.” Just then she heard a howl, and a low growl emanated from Boris in response. “Was that howl you guys? If so, you’re close.”
“That was us, I think. Which direction did it come from?”
“You’re northeast from me,” she said.
“Be there shortly. Hang on, Alex. Hang on.”
As if she had much choice. Things would be so much easier if she came out and admitted she could shape-shift. Then she could run fast enough to have a chance to get away from Boris. But the long-term consequences would make her current predicament look like a vacation. In their pack, Roxy forced couples to copulate even if they weren’t mated. She wanted higher numbers and did not care about the mating rituals or people’s feelings.
Boris cared even less about little things like rape. It did not faze him if the woman was unwilling. If anything, it excited him. No, much better to go on being a not quite were.
At that moment, the wolf turned and looked up at her. Right before her, Boris changed into a human. She swallowed down the bile in response to his look.
“I have you again, Alex. Now you’ll pay for running.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Fear wafted over her and out to him. She saw the enhanced excitement when it hit him. His whole body reacted, including the size of his penis. The bile threatened to spill out. How she wished Nolan would hurry. There was no way she would let Boris take her again even if it meant revealing she could shape-shift.
Knowing that Nolan was coming to aid her helped to tamp down the fear and brought her courage against Boris.
“You shouldn’t kidnap people if you don’t want them running away. You might try smiling as well,” she added, pretending to assess. She looked him over as if he were a horse she wanted to buy. “On second thought, you might need a whole attitude change. That eternal scowl doesn’t say ‘stay with me.’” Her voice was light and airy as if she was his personal trainer rather than his treed hostage. She smiled at the look of confusion on his face.
Usually, she tucked tail and ran from confrontation. He had no idea what she was capable of handling in a crisis situation and looked thoroughly pissed off right now. Correctly interpreting the red face and puffed-out cheeks as anger rather than held-in laughter, she stood up on the branch to get her limbs farther from his reach.
Not a moment too soon as he jumped with a were’s super strength, and his hands grazed the trunk near where her feet had dangled. She gulped down the new wave of fear and looked to the next branch. The tree was getting thinner, and she didn’t know when the branches were too weak before putting her weight on them. But if he jumped any higher, she was going to risk the next set of thin looking branches above her and hope they held her weight.
The air vibrated with Boris’s anger and excitement at capturing and punishing her. She heard his thoughts clearly. Not for the first time, she cursed her ability to read people’s minds. There were times when being psychic brought as much pain as it helped her avoid.
She felt the paralyzing emotions run the gauntlet through her mind: fear, indecision, hope, anger, and exhilaration. She was finally in a position to defend herself, if needed. She was better off not changing, but if she did, she knew Nolan would protect her. A were without a pack was fair game, but with Nolan, she had a pack.
That knowledge gave her the courage she needed to do more than taunt Boris; it helped her to feel strong. “I will never go back with you, Boris. You’re feral and cruel. I’m the healer, but it won’t stop me from hurting you to defend myself.”
Laughter echoed around them. “You think you can stop me, human?” he taunted. “You’re only useful to us as long as you perform your duties. If you’re refusing, then I’ll kill you.”
“Right,” she said resentfully. “Always Roxy’s favorite dog. I don’t perform, you’ll punish me.” Years of frustration filled her voice. “No more. I haven’t refused to perform my duties. Not only did you kidnap me and tie me up, my hands were injured. Even if you have Roxy’s support, the pack will start to rebel. Leave me now, and I won’t tell the pack about you, Jason, and the kidnapping.”
Her words had a stronger effect than she had planned. He paled and stepped back. Maybe Roxy hadn’t okayed the kidnapping? No, she doubted he would go that far off against Roxy’s wishes. It was more likely she had said he had better not get caught or she would deny all knowledge. Watching his reaction, she figured she was right on the money about Roxy’s role.
With a growl, his face contorted in anger, and she only had his clear thought of intention blasting into her mind before he jumped at her. She took a leap and hung from a branch higher up. He scrambled to follow her, his bare feet looking for purchase on the tree’s trunk. His muscular arms bulged as he attempted to pull his heavy weight up. She knew it would not be long before he succeeded.
Carefully following his movements, she timed it so she swung and jumped to the ground when he was belly over the branch. Grateful she had supernatural speed in her human form, she took off. She heard him curse and drop back to the ground. When she heard nothing further, she looked behind her.
Her heart skipped a beat and lodged itself in her throat. He had shifted again and the wolf wasn’t far away from her. Adrenaline gave her a quick rush, and she ran hard, running over logs. He had caught up close enough that she heard his claws as they scraped the log when he jumped off of it.
Tears were streaming down her face. She could not
go back into forced confinement. As short as the time had been, she had still nearly sliced her hands off trying to get free. No way would she survive a longer captivity with her sanity intact.
Her hands!
“Nolan,” she cried out in her mind, not trying to hide her desperation from him. “I’m bleeding again. Fresh blood.”
“You sound terrified. What’s happening?” he responded calmly, not addressing what she had said.
Frustration gave her a spurt of energy, and she willed it to her legs and lungs. “I’m running from Boris, who’s in wolf form, and he’s nearly on me!”
“The cats have your scent. I know you’re bleeding. They smelled the fresh blood a few minutes ago. Going by the strength of it, we’re nearly caught up with you. Call out audibly to give us a clearer idea of your current direction.”
“Help!” she screamed in response.
Boris’s laughter filled her mind. He might not be able to express it as well in his wolf form, but he was delighted she’d called for help like a human with all their inherent weaknesses. For the first time in her life, she truly loathed someone.
He was so full of hatred. His deep, abiding disgust and racism toward a species he felt was inferior to him left her feeling unclean and ashamed of her heritage. “Help!” she screamed again, frantic.
He almost had her.
That Boris did not want to kill her was only a minor comfort. If her pack were not so racist, she was sure she would have been bitten long ago to force the change. However, in his anger, Boris might decide it a fitting punishment for her. Even though she was Were, getting bit by him still was not something she wanted to happen.
“Nolan, help me.” He had to come in time.
The panting behind her seemed to be farther away after her last yell. She looked to see why. Boris had slowed to a jog, apparently believing her call to Nolan meant help had arrived. She kept running, taking the opportunity to put some distance between them.
She knew the moment he decided Nolan was not around, for a renewed determination to catch her filled his mind and spilled over to hers. He desperately wanted to hurt her. It was like a fixation within him.
When she looked again, she saw him speed up. Fear consumed her, and tears caused her to stumble. When she hit the ground, Boris landed on her back and growled. “I am your master. You’re the lowest in our pack. How dare you defy me! Healer or not, you shall pay.” His words were infused with growls and barely understandable to a regular human. She understood the threats all too well.
“No,” she yelled trying to get out from under him. He had her pinned down and his weight was effectively keeping her from getting any leverage against him. She started crying in frustration. It can’t end this way. I just found my mate.
Boris clawed her back from the neck to the waist, ripping her shirt into shreds, causing her to stop screaming. She nearly suffocated as she tried to hold still against the pain. His intense satisfaction at her pain and tears confirmed what she had always known—how hateful and cruel he was.
She tried to control her body’s reaction to the pain, but he recognized her futile efforts and simply growled in response. She wet herself under the pressure of him on her back. She struggled harder, her beast shattering her self-control as it sought for release. Her wolf could better handle Boris and more quickly heal her wounds. She felt her bones moving but willed it to stop.
No, I can’t change. If she did, in their current positions, Boris would mount her and dominate her before she could make any defensive moves. That stilled the beast. It had no wish to have Boris’s stench left on her, but it was still a struggle. Survival instincts were telling her to change. She felt the beast’s nature against her control once more, the need to fight strong.
She had given up hope she could fight her beast and had stilled as she considered the best way to use her surprise change and hopefully get him off her before he mounted. Turning the options over in her mind was hard with the pain screeching down her spine.
There was a loud commotion in the woods surrounding them. She barely registered the sounds when Boris’s weight suddenly lifted off her back with a loud howl and a flash of fur. She turned her head to look and recognized Nolan’s wolf form atop of Boris.
They growled and swiped at each other, getting in small scratches. They barked furiously, the contest dropping to instinctive levels. Boris and Nolan circled around, snapping their teeth and growling.
Her back’s nerves sent frantic signals of pain to her brain, but she could not look away from the fight. Every time Boris took a swipe at her mate, her beast wanted to attack. Whenever Nolan got a piece of her captor, it growled in satisfaction inside her head.
Fierce pride shook her as Nolan took a bite out of Boris’s front shoulder. She nearly jumped when she sensed a presence near her and turned her head to see who it was. A large werecat, a jaguar, had stepped over her, putting two of its legs on either side of Alex’s body, the protective stance placed the underbelly of the cat in a vulnerable position. It made her feel humbled and grateful. She sniffed at the were so she would be familiar with it in human form, then stiffened.
“No,” she said softly to her protector, momentarily forgetting the fight still raging on next to her as her healer persona took over. “You’re pregnant. You mustn’t shift if you can help it.” She placed her cheek on the ground. Her neck hurt from watching the fight, but she kept an eye on her protector.
The werecat stared at her in surprise. The sleek black cat looked her over. She heard the thoughts and felt the impact of her words as the werecat processed them. “I’m a healer,” Alex explained, twisting her head back up to see the cat’s face better.
It was all she needed to say to gain the jaguar’s acceptance. The great cat nodded to show she understood but did not shift back. Alex could not blame her. The were had already shifted and would be safer in her cat form than her human form. Alex tried to move but a small cry of pain escaped her.
“Hold, little one. You are greatly hurt.”
Alex stilled. The voice was soft, and the purr rolled over her mind bringing great comfort. She closed her eyes and let it wash through her. Soft and appealing, the sweet vibrations rocked gently through her mind.
A great yelp and growl sounded near them. Boris had escaped Nolan’s clutches and was running toward the barn. The others gave chase, but Nolan came to her, his wolf nuzzling her neck.
“My darling. You’re hurt.” His growl was threatening, but she knew it was not aimed at her.
“I’ll be fine now that Boris is gone. Take me somewhere I can shower his smell off me and start healing.”
“You’re telepathic too,” a new voice intruded. Nolan and Alex looked in surprise at the jaguar.
“Yes, I am. Do you understand me?” Alex said.
“Yes. Not many can speak this way. You’re the first werewolves I’ve met who could talk like this.” She lifted her head suddenly. “Come on. We need to get Alex out of here before too many questions are asked.”
“You mean like how you know I’m a were,” Alex challenged the werecat.
“Of course you’re a were. I can smell the dog in you. Are you telling me your pack doesn’t know?”
“No,” She hoped her grimness came through her words. “I’m a half-breed test model that they think has failed. Now let’s get out of here.”
“Nolan.” One of the pack members came up to him nude in human form, two others close behind. “He got away. There was a car with two others in it that sped off as we approached.”
Alex wanted to cuddle up to Nolan and instinctively tried to do so, but the pain was too great, and she whimpered. Nolan growled at the other pack member and changed to human form.
He stood very close to the man.
“Joseph,” he said so softly that Alex doubted she would have heard him with normal human hearing. “If I find you had anything to do with this or if you let Boris get away, I will personally bring pack justice to bear on you. There will be
no choice.”
The two following Joseph stepped to either side of him, reminding Alex of prisoner guards. They flanked him, and although it could be a sign of solidarity, in her estimation, they were ready to grab him if he got out of line. If he had anything to do with it, she was glad of Nolan’s ferocity in dealing with the pack member.
“You’ll not always be in charge,” Joseph said, his eyes narrowed.
“Is that a challenge?” Nolan snarled, standing taller.
Defiance showed in the lines of Joseph’s body from the proud tilt of his head to the clenched fists. For a minute, she thought they were going to have a fight, but Joseph backed down.
“No,” he said. “Just stating facts.”
“This is the second time you’ve produced a challenge and backed off when confronted. If it happens a third time, I’ll not ask you if it’s a test of my ability to lead. I’ll kill you.” Nolan pushed some of his power into the last three words.
Fear wafted off Joseph like a dust cloud. He only nodded at Nolan, too afraid to answer verbally.
Nolan picked her up, being careful of her back. Even so, the pain knocked her unconscious.
***
“Is she okay?” the jaguar asked.
“She will be. I have some salve at home. Thank you, Sherona. You and your people,” he said as more cats surrounded them. He looked at Alex’s pale face and felt a wrenching in his gut. His mate was injured. Fury rolled through him.
“We are not safe yet, ulfric,” Sherona replied, using his pack title as a show of honor. “They had a vehicle. We have a couple of miles before we get to ours. Hope that Boris is too ashamed of his failure to go to his leader right away. It may buy us time. If not”— she shrugged in indifference— “it will be a fight.”
Nolan welcomed a fight for himself, but a battle wasn’t what was best for his mate. He nodded, containing his anger. He followed Sherona as she turned to leave. He saw the two wolves on security detail keeping an eye on Joseph and allowed himself to relax slightly. They would be watching Joseph closely.
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