by Vivian Arend
But like…hell…was she was going to leave him.
Her mate continued, total indifference in his voice as he baited the bears. “When I don’t call in for the final stages of our flight on time, there will be all kinds of people and pack searching for us. You really don’t want to be doing this.”
“No, I really do,” Bruce insisted. “We need the money, and see, your little scenario with us chasing her for days? Not going to happen. Because I bet she’s watching right now.”
Fudge.
Bruce examined the bush again, his lantern held high in the air. “You want to make this easy, Gem? Come on in, and we’ll go ahead with the next step of the game plan.”
“She’s not stupid. You confessed you planned to kidnap her. Why the fuck should she be willing to come out?” Shaun rearranged himself awkwardly.
“You’re right. Fine. Lower him, boys.”
Vince’s idea of letting him down consisted of whipping out a fixed blade knife and slashing the supporting rope in two. Shaun smacked the ground with a crash, a few choice swear words escaping.
Gem didn’t move. Not when they pulled the ropes from Shaun and yanked him to his feet. Not when Norm and Vince grabbed him by the arms, forcing him forward to stand naked and defenseless before their boss. Not when Bruce placed the lantern at his feet.
Bruce called out louder. “Right. Of course she’s not stupid. Gem, it’s you we want. If you come with us now, your lover doesn’t get the shit beat out of him. Simple.”
He spun and planted a right hook into Shaun’s belly. Fist meeting flesh was stomach-retching sickening. So was the expression on Shaun’s face. He’d turned cold, cruel. As if her Shaun wasn’t there anymore.
Bruce bashed him again, across the jaw. Shaun’s head snapped back with a crack, blood dripping from the side of his mouth. Another blow landed, and another. Shaun struggled against the bears restraining him. He lifted his legs and slammed them at Bruce. The bear shifter laughed as he ducked aside and struck repetitively.
He spoke between blows. “And, Shaun? If you decide to change to your wolf in the hopes you can escape us that way? Just remember a human body is a lot harder to hide. I have no trouble killing a wolf in an instant.”
Gem hesitated. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to cave. Maybe Shaun had some master plan up his sleeve, but witnessing his torture? She couldn’t do it. There had to be a better solution.
She shifted back to human, crouched low. If they made a run for her, she would change again and escape. “Stop.”
Shaun spoke, the first sound from him other than grunts of pain since the beating began. “Insane.”
She wasn’t going to fall for it—he’d said that on purpose, just to piss her off. Bruce pivoted, the lamplight at his feet smearing the smile on his face into a hideous caricature. “There’s the lovely girl. Come on, dear. So nice of you to join us.”
“You have to promise not to hurt Shaun anymore. He’s my mate. He’s worth money as well.”
The sudden silence in the clearing was deafening.
“Your mate. Damn, that makes a huge difference.” Bruce slapped Shaun on the shoulder. “You hound dog. Well done. I was joking before about moving up in the world, but you really did it.”
“Shut your fucking face.” Shaun’s comment was greeted by a punch to the back of his head from Vince, and her mate fell to his knees as the goons on either side of him released his arms.
“Shaun.” Gem ran forward. The bad guys had all the reason they needed to not kill Shaun and leave his body behind. Either they took her word about the money or they would simply kill them both at some point. She figured she and Shaun had a better chance of surviving this adventure if they were together.
Bruce stepped aside and let her wrap an arm around Shaun.
“You weren’t supposed to do this.” Shaun held her hand as she helped him stagger to his feet.
“I thought you’d figured out by now I don’t always do what I’m supposed to.”
The bears tugged them down the airstrip to where a second helicopter sat waiting next to Shaun’s.
“I suppose I’ll just have to take your word for it about you two being mates. While you stink like each other, that deep metaphysical wolf shit doesn’t register on us bears.” Bruce handed a robe to Gem, and she took it, dressing herself quickly.
“Shaun needs clothes as well.” She crossed her arms and stared at their captor.
Bruce grinned, displaying broken teeth. “I’ll have to charge extra for that.”
Shaun spat out blood before growling, “You can take your clothes and shove them up your—”
“Give him some clothes, or let him get some from his supply. I don’t care which, but you will clothe him properly,” Gem demanded. Then she turned to Shaun and slapped him on the arm. “And you, watch your tongue. I don’t need to listen to that kind of talk.”
Vince snickered. Norm chortled.
Bruce raised a brow. “Henpecked already, I see. You wolves need to learn how to deal with your women better. Vince, grab our guest a shirt and pants.”
Shaun was hauled to the side of the chopper and offered a handful of crumpled garments. Both Vince and Norm watched closely as he pulled on the oversized clothes. Gem wrapped her robe a little tighter, stood a little straighter as she pointedly ignored the bear looming at her side. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing exactly how scared she was.
She was pressed into the back of the helicopter, a sloppily dressed Shaun at her side, his hands tied behind him. This time when they took off there was no protective headset offered, and the noise from the propellers pounded like a hammer on an anvil in her ears. She twisted toward Shaun, pressing one ear against his chest and covering her other with her right hand.
Her left hand snuck around his back, and she clung to him, fighting the tears that threatened to fall.
“I’m so sorry. So sorry this happened.” He couldn’t hear her, but she needed to say it anyway. With the whining of the props overhead and Vince staring at them, it was the least likely of places for confessions, but she had to let the words out, in case she didn’t get another chance. “I love you. I mean, I know our wolves like each other. Mine is very put out with me for not marking you and letting her spend time with your wolf. But it’s more than that. I think you’re a very special man, Shaun Stevens, and I’m glad that we’re mates. And if I die in the north, that’s fine, because I’ll be beside you, and somehow that makes even dying okay.”
She hugged him tighter and his chest moved. She wished she knew if it was because he’d heard her confession, or if she’d squeezed one of his sore spots from the beating.
With his hands tied behind him, Shaun was helpless to cradle Gem the way he wanted. The roar from the props increased the pain throbbing through his head. A shift would help him heal faster, but damn if he’d even consider that with the threat of death hanging over him. Instead he ignored his aches and nuzzled his chin against the top of her head, the only thing he could do to let her know he was there. The tear streaks on her cheeks were enough to make his wolf feral, and he wanted to do all kinds of terrible things to Curly, Larry and Mo.
The bastards flew them north and east as far as he could tell. He watched over the pilot’s shoulder when he could, looking for information, hoping that wherever they did land, he could help her escape and he’d be able to steal the chopper or…
Yeah. He was hoping the crew would literally be as stupid as the Three Stooges and fall asleep or some such thing, and together he and Gem would stroll out of this without a worry.
Reality sucked.
When they landed outside one of the deserted DEW Line buildings, his whole perspective changed. This wasn’t simply an impulse nab, although the fact the baddies had a chopper had kinda given that away. Unless someone knew specifically where to look, Gem could have been trapped in there forever. This was a well-executed maneuver to get cash.
The words of the big bear shifter in Chicken came ba
ck to him. Money to buy votes in the upcoming bear whoop-de-do. He and Gem had fallen victim to a money grab.
The blessed relief of the cessation of the prop noise was exchanged for increased pain as Norm shoved him in the back hard enough Shaun fell out of the chopper, face first to the ground, unable to break his fall with his hands pinned behind him.
Gem tugged him upward, brushing a hand over him gently even as she aimed the evil eye at their kidnappers. “Leave him be. There’s no benefit in hurting him anymore.”
“Ahh, see that one was for my brother down in Chicken. Your mate should stay out of fights that don’t concern him.” Norm flashed a crooked smile before shoving them toward the building.
Shaun forced himself to stay vertical and take in everything he could. If they were going to get out of this, and he had every intention of damn well making it out with both of them alive and unhurt, he needed to figure out what the hell to do.
Gem’s warm hands slipped around him, helping more than he wanted to admit. Not just the physical strength, but the fact it was her, his mate. Great time to figure out that he was hopelessly in love and would do anything to make sure they stayed together.
Sections of the derelict building’s siding had worked their way loose, hanging in tattered ribbons of silver and grey, the steel building posts exposed to the harsh elements. The Defense Early Warning Line buildings not actively maintained by the US and Canadian governments had been abandoned after the Cold War ended. Some had been adapted to become weather stations, some stripped by nomadic natives and shifters scavenging for building materials. This mid-sized one was in better shape than most, as they discovered after being shoved inside, the door slamming closed behind them with an ominous metallic clink. A bolt slipped into place, a lock attached.
Shaun swore. “There goes the idea of jumping them in their sleep.”
A loud banging rang out—a fist pounding the door?
“You got enough supplies for a person to survive a week.” Bruce’s rasping laugh echoed weirdly from outside. “’Course, since there’s two of you, I suggest you go on a diet or pray for mice. Once we get our money, we’ll let your Daddy know where you are, sugar. And don’t bother trying to figure out who we are. We’ll be going bush for the next while and not even your wolves can track us. Not when we’re in bear and you have no idea of our starting point.”
The ear-splitting rattle resounded from the door again followed by a short silence, then the helicopter props sounded, fading slowly into the distance.
There was a ringing in Shaun’s ears after the volume overload of earlier. A tomb-like hush surrounded them.
Gem clutched his shirtsleeves, her eyes wide as she stared at him. “Are they really gone?”
“It looks that way. Here, untie me.”
She’d already moved to his side, and he twisted to allow her to reach his wrists. The lighting was shitty. There wasn’t that much light in the sky, not even up here where the sun never set. Add to that, most of the windows seemed to be sealed with storm shutters. Only minute cracks in the siding allowed in slivers of orangish light, painting them with freaky stripes.
“This sucks. Sorry, Gem, I fucked up royally back there. I hadn’t considered the idea that anyone would try to kidnap you.”
She tapped his arm again. “Stop that, you’re certainly not to blame. I’d forgotten about the danger myself, not realizing anyone knew who I was. It’s my fault I got you into this mess.”
What a ridiculous conversation. Shaun grinned, his jaw aching. “Well, now that we both got that bit of whining out of our systems… No more blame, except where it belongs—on the shits responsible.”
The pressure restricting his hands vanished, and he brought his arms forward with a groan as the blood hit his fingers and flowed into the fatigued muscles.
“Are you okay?” Gem dropped the ropes to the floor and rubbed his arms gently, avoiding the rising bruises from where he’d been beaten. He’d never been so humiliated. Of course, three on one weren’t good odds, but still.
“I’ll be better once I shift—but first, let’s take a look around. It doesn’t sound as if we’re in a huge rush.” He stopped her before she stepped away. “I meant after I kiss you. Insane woman.”
He caught her cheeks in his hands, cradling her face tenderly before lowering his lips over hers. Gem wrapped her arms around him and pressed closer. Their contact wasn’t sexually frantic, but needy. Wanting. An affirmation of being together and being alive.
It was a heady kiss, and they were both breathing rather hard when they finished.
Gem slipped her fingers into his as they explored their prison. Near black surrounded them, making it tough to see where they were going. They shuffled forward, toes bumping into debris on the ground.
“At least it doesn’t smell too bad.”
Shaun chuckled. “That’s not always a good thing. Means there isn’t enough in here to attract animals, maybe not enough space to get in and out.”
Gem sighed. “Call me a princess if you want, but I’m glad there’s nothing dead and rotting. That would be a more than I could handle right now.”
Shaun gave her shoulder a tight squeeze. “You are more than a princess, darling, but I’m with you on that one. I’m tired enough that not even my wolf is interested in a snack.”
“Ewww, yuck.”
Her disgusted laughter was better than the frustrated one-step-away-from-tears he’d heard in her voice the moment before. Shaun tugged her deeper into the station. “Let’s find somewhere to crash. It’s been a long, long day, and we might have better luck seeing what we’re doing in the morning.”
“You sure we shouldn’t keep going tonight? Because I can, if we have to.”
He peeked around the corner of a doorframe, the second one they’d come to. This time the door was intact and not hanging half off its hinges. A single cot and chair were tucked into the room.
“Ah, the penthouse suite. Here we go.” He walked her forward and checked the bed for strength. “At least the asshats got that part right. It’s built for shifter weight.”
Gem tugged him to the bed beside her. “Are you implying I’m a heavyweight or something, Mr. Stevens?”
He leaned back without protest. He should go look around a little more, but the mattress was calling his name. “Hell no. Only this could even put up with us doing the mambo. Not that I’m saying I want to. In fact, I think for the first time in my life I will honestly say ‘Not tonight, dear, I have a headache.’”
She smoothed a hand over his head, tenderly outlining one of his cuts. “Shift to your wolf. That will let us share the bed better. If you’re sure about waiting until the morning.”
He closed his eyes in relief. “Waiting is fine. We’ve been up twenty hours already. It’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses. Hit it.”
There was no response.
Shaun peeled one eye open. “What? You never seen The Blues Brothers? I thought that was like a classic southern movie and all.”
Gem shook her head, but she smiled, shifting into her wolf as she crawled beside him. He changed as well, wrapping himself around her smaller body. The steady pulse of her heartbeat slowed almost immediately, her breathing settling. He forced himself to stay awake a little longer, using his nose, his ears to examine the building as sleep rolled closer.
There was food nearby. Water. Then nothing but dust and the fading scent of bears.
Even as sleep overtook him, he realized the idiots had no idea that they were going to get the butt-whomping of their lives once he and Gem were free. One of their kidnappers was related to a bear he’d fought in Chicken? He had the contacts to take that information to the cleaners. Mess with the Takhini wolves? Mess with a Jacobs?
Hell on earth was coming down on those bear boys in very short notice. And whatever advances they’d hoped to make in their political wrangling was going to the dogs.
Or should he say wolves?
14
Caroline dealt
with another customer before responding to Evan’s summons. Just because she’d become his main squeeze didn’t mean he could order her around and she’d drop everything and come running.
Although in the bedroom? Holy Toledo, she’d take his orders, with an extra side to go. Sex with a wolf of Evan’s caliber had turned out to be something to truly write home about. It made this façade they were pulling worthwhile on a whole new level.
She knocked on his office door, then walked in without waiting for a response, freezing when she discovered he wasn’t alone.
There were two visitors. One stood against the wall, dressed in a plain dark suit. The guy could have slipped unnoticed into The Matrix. The other man was the center of attention. A Colonel Sanders type, with a neat mustache and beard—traces of silver showing against his dark skin. Even the spectacles were perfect—thin-rimmed, dignified. He rose to his feet, hands remaining folded on top of the head of a polished silver cane.
Caroline nodded politely.
He…sniffed, and she couldn’t stop the smile that escaped. Wolves didn’t seem to realize they gave themselves away in the first ten seconds of greeting anyone. That sniffing thing—it simply wasn’t a human behavior. Not that she was about to say anything to them.
“Mr. Jacobs, this is my personal assistant, Caroline.”
“She’s not a wolf.” The older man narrowed his gaze and examined her thoroughly. “And she smells like you. Whatever did you do to your face, girl?”
Caroline touched her still-swollen left eye involuntarily. Evan sighed as he came to her side. “Internal pack politics. It’s been dealt with.”
One grey brow rose skyward. “I hope the other person looks worse than you.”
Bloodthirsty wolves. Caroline smiled, showing all her teeth. “She’s in a cast, sir. My black eye is significantly less than what she’s wearing.”
