by Becca Van
Talia knew she had to escape him. The man was insane. She didn’t want to become a werewolf. Keira had told her how humans were changed, and she didn’t want to endure the agony of having her guts ripped to shreds. She fought against him, but she was no match for his strength. He pulled her so hard and moved so quickly she had trouble keeping her feet beneath her. Her head hurt as he tugged her by the hair, but she kept on fighting.
They reached the top of a staircase, and Talia knew her chance had arrived. This was the only option she had, and she was going to go down fighting. She used the last of her waning strength and dug the heel of one foot into the floor for leverage. With the other foot, she tripped Paul. Then she slammed her whole body into him.
Paul teetered for a moment, and then he lost his balance. He began to fall, and she tried to pull back so she wouldn’t go with him, but his grip on her hair was too strong. She screamed as she went tumbling down the long stairs with him. They rolled with unstoppable momentum. Her body smacked on top of Paul’s, and then the stairs slammed into her back. Talia heard a sickening crack, and then blinding pain radiated up from beneath her chin into her jaw and head. She literally saw stars, and then she was totally blind. She slid down into the beckoning black abyss.
* * * *
Chris was silent as he drove the truck. The knot of fear and anxiety which had been in his gut since the moment he and his brothers had found out that Talia was missing got bigger with each passing hour she was gone. They were headed toward Marvel in Colorado, which was just an hour or so across the border from Aztec, New Mexico. His Alpha cousins, Jonah, Mikhail, and Brock, were following behind in their own truck as were his other cousins, Greg, Jake, and Devon. They planned to storm the large country house and leave no one standing. He had studied the plans of the house and grounds for hours, until he knew he could move around without having to think. He knew where all the bedrooms were, the kitchen, the study, and every other room in between. He knew where the garage and garden shed were situated, and he knew the security system would be a piece of cake to bypass. So why was he feeling so unsettled? The only reason he could come up with was because Talia was in danger.
He vowed to never let her out of his sight again. The thought of not having her with him for the rest of his life tore through his heart. He loved his mate so much and knew his brothers felt the same. The thought of her in the clutches of her ex was just too horrific to bear. He slowed the truck and took the exit from the freeway. It wouldn’t be long now before he and his brothers had their woman back in their arms and in their bed. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the other two trucks traveling close behind. Pulling onto a quiet road, he slowed even more and traversed the small Colorado town. He pulled the truck to a stop five hundred yards from the Rogan property and got out.
Chris stood with his brothers until his six cousins joined them. He pushed his fear and anxiety to the back of his mind and silently led the way down the road. He made sure to keep out of sight of the windows once he had the property in his view. He and his cousins communicated through their wolves, knowing they were secure since it was a Friess Pack link. He and his brothers took the front door, while Jonah and Mikhail took the back. The rest of the men split up to either side of the house, covering all exits and entries.
Chris didn’t bother trying the door to see if it was open. He kicked it in. The sound of the wood frame splintering was loud and echoed through the silence. He rushed through the door, his brothers at his back, and froze with shock and fear. He felt sick to his stomach when he saw Talia in a heap on the floor next to a man. He was glad Blayk was there because he couldn’t seem to get his body to move. Blayk rushed past him and knelt down, placing a finger against Talia’s neck to feel her pulse. His waited in terror and dread for Blayk to look at him. His knees nearly buckled when he heard his brother’s words.
“She’s alive. Chris, call for the paramedics while I check her over,” Blayk commanded.
Chris stood over Talia and his brothers as James helped Blayk with their mate. She had a cut beneath her chin, a swollen, bruised cheek and a fat, lacerated lip, but she was breathing. He looked dispassionately at the man lying on the floor next to his mate. His neck was twisted at an odd angle, his eyes were wide open, and he wasn’t breathing. The bastard was dead.
Chris heard sirens in the distance fifteen minutes later. He could tell by the way Blayk was frowning at Talia that he was worried about something, but Chris knew he would do everything he could to see Talia had the best possible medical care.
While his brothers had looked after their mate, his Alphas and cousins had searched the place for any incriminating evidence in regards to their species. They had found a lot of stuff down in a hidden basement and were pleased find the files on werewolf DNA had all been stored on the computer. Brock had copied the files onto a USB stick and then wiped the hard drive clean, removed it, and destroyed it.
He watched as Talia was loaded carefully onto a stretcher and carried into the ambulance. Blayk climbed in the back. He would let him and James know which hospital they drove Talia to. The local sheriff had arrived, and so had the coroner. Chris knew it was going to be a long day. He didn’t want to have to deal with the local authorities, but he had no choice.
Three hours later Chris finally pulled his truck into the parking lot of the hospital in Durango, Colorado. He was bone tired since he hadn’t slept a wink the night before, but he had to see Talia. Blayk had sent him and James periodic text messages letting them know that Talia’s condition hadn’t changed, but he needed to see her for himself. He entered through the double front doors to the medium-size hospital and hurried down the long corridor. He was glad to see Blayk pacing in the distance and knew he wouldn’t have to harass any of the medical staff to find his mate.
“How is she?” Chris asked.
“Still no change. She hasn’t regained consciousness yet, and they’ve just taken her to get an MRI scan and an X-ray.”
“It’s not good that she hasn’t woken up yet, is it?”
“No. The longer she’s out, the more likely it is that she’s sustained brain damage. There is swelling in her brain, and even though she heals at a much more rapid pace, it may take longer for her body to repair itself, depending on how extensive the inflammation is,” Blayk stated, a frown on his face.
“Fuck. If that bastard hadn’t broken his neck in the fall, I would rip him apart,” Chris snarled.
“Yeah, me, too. We’ve done all we can. Now it’s up to Talia and God,” Blayk said.
Chris turned as he heard wheels rolling on the floor. His fury boiled to the surface again at the sight of his mate looking so bruised and battered, hooked up to a drip as the staff wheeled her into a room close by. He felt so helpless. He wanted to take Talia into his arms and take her pain and bruises away, but he couldn’t. He wanted to scream and shout at the unfairness of his woman being in such a state, but knew that wouldn’t help her.
He walked over to Blayk as his brother conversed with the doctor and listened as he related Talia’s injuries.
“She has bruises and contusions and is exhausted. She had a slight concussion but not enough to keep her out this long. I think you’ll find she’s just plain worn out. The cut on her chin has been stitched and bandaged as you can see. There is no swelling in her brain, and she will probably wake up once she’s caught up on her sleep. We found traces of a drug in her system, so that could also be the cause of her sleeping. We’ll keep an eye on her. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, doctor,” Blayk said and shook the man’s hand.
Chris stepped forward to do the same. “Thank you.”
Chris watched the doctor walk away, and then he turned and entered the bedroom where Talia was convalescing. He pulled up a chair and sat by her side. He took her hand in his, careful not to touch the needle of the IV. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain.
“Talia, darlin’. You’re safe now. It’s time to wake up,�
� Chris stated then looked over as James and Blayk pulled chairs up to the bed. James ran his hand up and down her blanket-covered shin, and Blayk took her other hand in his own.
“Please wake up, baby. We’re getting worried about you,” Blayk said.
“Come on, sugar. It’s time to open those pretty eyes of yours,” James declared.
Chris looked up at Talia’s face when he felt her move her fingers in his hand. She licked her dry lips, and he knew in that instant that their woman was going to be fine. She moaned, and her eyelids fluttered, and then he was looking into her glazed deep-blue eyes.
“Hey, darlin’, how are you feeling?” Chris asked.
“Terrible. Can I have some water please?”
“Sure, darlin’. Sorry, I should have thought about that,” Chris said as he released her hand and got her a cup of water. He placed the flexible straw in the cup and held it to her lips. Talia took a few sips, then let her head fall back on the pillow.
“What happened?” Talia asked.
“Don’t you remember, baby?” Blayk asked.
“Yes, I think so. Oh, I pushed Paul down the stairs, but I ended up falling with him. Any wonder I feel like I do. How did you find me?”
“We found the chip, darlin’,” Chris answered.
“What chip?” Talia asked with a frown.
“Paul had placed an information chip in your license. We think it was his backup in case the people he was working with turned on him and stole his data. The chip had the address for all his properties as well as information on the mob and the experiments he had been doing with werewolf DNA,” Chris explained.
“Oh my God. He was taking me down to his lab and he was going to use me as a lab rat. He said he was going to make me into his werewolf bitch. You have to stop him. The chaos he could create would be astronomical if he’s allowed to get away with what he wants to do,” Talia said urgently. She struggled to sit up, and Chris held her shoulders to keep her in place.
“Shh, it’s okay now, darlin’. He won’t be doing any experiments, and we destroyed his formula,” Chris said in a quiet, soothing voice.
“He won’t be hurting anyone ever again, baby. It’s over,” Blayk stated quietly.
“Did you call the police? Did they take him away? He’s mentally unstable. He should be in a psychiatric hospital.”
“Sugar, Paul’s dead. He broke his neck when he fell down the stairs,” James said quietly.
Talia went still, her face blank with shock. “He’s dead? Oh my. I killed him?”
“Talia, you didn’t kill him. Everything that happened to Paul was caused by his own actions. You had nothing to do with his death,” Chris stated quietly.
“But…” Talia began.
“No buts, baby. You just concentrate on getting better, so we can get you home again. Okay?” Blayk declared.
“Okay,” Talia replied around a yawn.
“Close your eyes, darlin’. You need to rest. We’ll be here when you wake up,” Chris said as he stood and placed a kiss on her forehead. Moments later Talia’s breathing deepened and evened out. She was resting peacefully.
Chapter Nine
Talia shifted and felt their eyes on her. She looked up to see all her men watching her.
Three days had passed since the kidnapping, and Talia was back home. Her mates had been true to their word and stayed with her the whole time she had been in the hospital. They had taken turns staying with her through the night. She was never left alone at any given moment. She was currently lying in Chris’s bed snuggled up between her mates. She had no lasting effects from her concussion, and the bruising on her cheek and chin were waning. She was glad Blayk was a doctor because that meant she didn’t have to worry about going anywhere for a checkup. Her claiming had enhanced her healing abilities, and Blayk was going to take the stitches out of her chin today. She couldn’t wait because they were driving her crazy with the itching. She didn’t care if the incident left her with an unsightly scar. She was just glad to alive and the same person she had been before Paul had taken her.
“Morning, darlin’, how do you feel?” Chris asked as he leaned over her.
“I’m fine, thanks, but I need to get up. I want a shower and food, and then I want to go work in the gardens.”
“I don’t think you should be doing anything yet, baby. You’ve only been home one night,” Blayk stated.
“I feel fine, Blayk. I promise. If I get tired I’ll stop. Please? I just need to get out in some fresh air.”
“Okay, but only for a couple of hours,” Blayk replied.
“Thank you. I promise not to overdo it. When or if I feel tired, I will come back inside to take a nap.”
“Okay, let’s get going then. I have to be at work in an hour,” Blayk said, rising from the bed.
Talia rose and headed for the bathroom. Minutes later Blayk knocked on the door, and she opened it to him.
“Let me get those stitches out for you, baby. Then we’ll help you in the shower.”
Talia stood still with her neck tilted back while Blayk removed her stitches. She sighed and massaged the back of her neck as she lowered her head.
“Come on, darlin’, I’ll help you shower,” Chris stated when he entered the bathroom.
“I can shower by myself, you know.”
“I know you can, Talia. Humor me, okay? I like taking care of you. We all do,” Chris explained.
Talia stepped into the shower with Chris. He washed her hair, and she was amused at how careful he was with her, trying not to get shampoo in her face. He washed her body thoroughly, being just as careful to touch every part of her, and by the time he was finished, she was so turned on she was shaking.
“Come here, darlin’. Let me take care of you,” Chris said.
“You already have,” Talia said with a sigh.
“Let me make you come, darlin’. I can smell and feel your need,” Chris said in a deep voice as he pulled her into his arms.
Talia sighed again as her hard nipples came into contact with his bare stomach. The ache in her pussy intensified, and her internal muscles clenched. She was on fire, and she wanted him to make love to her. She clutched at his shoulders as he lifted her up. He placed a supporting arm beneath her butt and leaned down to kiss her.
Talia moaned as Chris’s tongue swept into her mouth. She twined hers around his and clung to him. She felt his free hand slide in between their bodies, and his fingers began to massage her clit. She sobbed with need as she sucked on his lower lip, and then she cried out when she felt him plunge two fingers into her wet cunt. He pumped his digits in and out of her body, hooking them as he reached just inside the entrance to her pussy.
Talia threw her head back and moaned as waves of pleasure cascaded through her. She felt Chris move his thumb into the top of her slit, and he caressed her clit as he fucked her with his fingers. She keened in the back of her throat as the tight coils in her womb and pussy gathered and then snapped. She screamed as her body convulsed, contractions washing over her in wave after wave of ecstasy. Chris didn’t stop pumping his fingers into her until the last spasm faded away.
“You are so fucking sexy. I love watching you come, darlin’,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice which caused her to shiver. “Come on, I have work to do.”
Chris turned the shower off and passed her over to Blayk, who was waiting with a large towel. He patted her dry and toweled her hair. James was at the ready with the hair dryer, and she stood still while he brushed her tresses. She had never felt so loved and cherished. She wanted to bask in their attention forever. She opened her eyes, reached for his hand, and kissed his palm.
“Thank you,” Talia said, looking into James’s eyes.
“You’re welcome, sugar. Why don’t you go and get dressed? I’m going to shower and I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast,” James suggested.
“Okay,” Talia replied and left the bathroom. She dressed in her favorite jeans and one of the new tops she had bought and the
n headed downstairs with Chris at her side.
The large dining room was nearly filled to capacity. Instead of sitting down at the table, she helped the housekeeper and cook, Angie, and her daughter, Cindy, by taking platters of food to the massive dining table. She took a seat when that was done and waited for Blayk and James before she ate breakfast. They walked through the door a moment later. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her sexy mates walking toward her. She knew in that instant she was irrevocably in love with her three men. They took such good care of her, and they had wrangled their way into her heart. Talia had vowed, after Paul, she was never going to be involved with another man. Boy, had she been wrong. Here she was mated to three hot, hunky men, and she never wanted to be apart from them. She smiled as love and joy filled her heart. Her mates filled and completed her as no one else ever could.
“Here, darlin’, let me get you some breakfast,” Chris whispered from her side. She turned to him and gave him a smile, letting him know how grateful she was for taking such good care of her.
Talia ate her breakfast and sipped her coffee when she was done. The room was so full of chattering people it was hard for her to stay tuned to any one conversation, so she gave up and just watched them all interact. She watched how Jonah, Mikhail, and Brock took care of their mate and then slid her eyes over to see Keira’s mates taking care of her. She was so glad she hadn’t been Paul’s true mate. He and the Rogan Pack couldn’t even compare to the men of the Friess Pack. They were all loyal to their Alphas and were so solicitous and took such good care of their women. She hadn’t ever seen human males treat their women with such love and respect. She wanted to hold on to them and never let go.
When breakfast was over, Talia wandered out into the gardens. She loved watching plants grow and nurturing them until they rewarded her for her care with their colorful, fragrant blooms. Talia was weeding the vegetable garden when she heard footsteps nearby. Security had been beefed up since her kidnapping, and all the women were watched constantly. If their mates couldn’t be near them, then one of the Omegas was appointed as bodyguard for the women. Everyone in the mansion always knew they could find Talia working in the gardens, and she was interrupted often as they sought her out. She looked up, and saw Michelle coming toward her.
