by Honor James
“No, tomorrow works very well for me.” Evan looked at Ben as she said, “The sooner we are married the better. I don’t need a large overdone wedding. I just need you as my husband, Benedek.”
“We’ll need to do the blood work today then, love,” he said softly unbelieving she was willing to marry him, especially after his less than traditional asking. “Are you sure about this, Angel mine?” he asked her softly. “I know your first run at the gauntlet was less than ideal.” He really wanted to sink his claws into that bastard. “Are you sure you’re okay with trying for a better number two?”
“Benedek, as far as I’m concerned you are my one and only. I want to forget the first time.” Even though she never would. The scars and memories would haunt her for all time. “Just us.” Smiling wickedly she added, “And yes, I’m very sure that I want to marry you, Ben, because if we get pregnant I want to be able to tell them that we were married first so that we can hold that as emotional blackmail against them later in life.” Or something like that.
Chuckling at her words he shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll figure out something,” he murmured. “I want to tell Laz and Des at the least. We’ll need them as witnesses, but I want to keep the rest out of the loop for the time being. We’ll announce it at dinner come Sunday,” he said looking to her to see if she would be agreeable.
“That sounds like an ideal plan. That way we can tell everyone at once instead of having to make multiple calls and then for them to be upset because they weren’t called first, yadda, yadda, yadda.” Evan smiled and nodded. “I suggest that you and I get our blood work done then, Ben, so that we can get married.”
“Then you had better eat, love. I don’t want them trying to tell me that you are undernourished our some such nonsense,” he said nodding to her plate. “Eat up and we’ll go do that before we hit the store to see what everyone has done to the place.”
As she began to eat she asked, “You do know that you can go back to work, right? I promise that I will find something to do with my time, Ben.”
“I know, but not yet,” he told her bumping her shoulder with his. “I’m liking having you to myself for a time. Besides, you learning to be a Wolf has been entertaining. I like seeing the world through your new eyes. It’s been an education and a good time for me. But if I’m in your way…” He let that trail off with a grin at her.
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “And you know that I love having you around.” Especially when they were able to run as wolves and then stopping in the middle of the forest just to make love. Oh yeah, good times. “Whew, did it just get hot in here?” she asked as she began to fan herself.
Scooping up more food, he ate it before answering. “It’s just your heat kicking in, love,” he told her quietly. “It will be murder for about two days and then again each month for the next year, after that it gets less frequent.”
“What?” She squeaked and shook her head. “So what do we do in the next two days, Ben? How do I deal with this heat?” Well she knew what she wanted to do, really wanted to do and just seeing him there was making her want him all the more. “Gods I want you, Benedek.” She knew that the other women in the Farkas brothers’ lives loved their heat because of how much pleasure they got with their mates in that two days.
Smiling knowingly at her he nodded. “That’s exactly how we deal with it, love,” he told her softly, practically able to read the thoughts in her head. “But after you eat,” he pointed out settling in his chair just an inch further from her knowing it wouldn’t take long for her to come back for him.
She scooted closer without even thinking about it and asked, “Shouldn’t you be eating up as well, Ben? I mean really, don’t you need to keep your strength up as well, love?”
Showing her his fork full of food, he stuck it in his mouth and chewed with a slight grin. “I am eating, my love,” he told her with a chuckle. “You on the other hand seem to have forgotten that you are supposed to be refueling your body.”
Evan rolled her eyes and began to eat, watching him as she did so. Laughter on her face and in her body as she enjoyed her time with her mate.
* * * *
She kissed him again and licked her lips. “Go, darling. I am fine, Benedek.” She pulled back and wrapped his robe tighter around her body. “I’m just going to be lazy today and then tomorrow I’m going to head to the city so that I can see how the foundation’s new safe house is coming.” She had decided to turn her lottery winnings into a foundation for abused and battered women and children and the first thing they were doing was building a shelter for women and children.
He didn’t really feel like going but knew she was right. He had work to do with tax season rounding the corner at the speed of an out of control freight train.
“I love you, Ben. Have a good day of work all right, darling?” She didn’t want to have him leave, but he had to get back to work. He needed some time from her after the last several days of intense heat that they had shared. She was still sore and had more than a few scratches and bites, and loved each one of them.
Kissing her once more he sighed. “You’ll call if you need anything, right?” he asked softly. He worried about her, he couldn’t deny it and knew it would always be that way. Cupping her cheek he breathed in her heady scent. “I love you, Angel mine.”
“I will call if I need anything, Ben, and I love you, too.” She leaned into his hand and smiled. “Go husband.” She still couldn’t get over it. They were married now. “Go and make sure the stores are still standing. Call me if you are running late, please?”
“You know I will, love,” he promised backing up from her so he didn’t stay longer then he should. “Be good, darling and I will see you later tonight.” Letting his eyes skim over her for a moment more, he forced himself to turn and leave her behind.
She watched him leave and smiled as she closed the door behind him. Happiness flooded her as she closed the door and stalked toward the bedroom, pulling off her robe as she did so. Laying back in the tub as the hot water filled it, Evan closed her eyes and placed a cloth over them before settling in for a light doze while she soaked.
* * * *
He had been trying to find her for a while. The bitch who divorced him and then made off with the cash that he deserved. No, he wasn’t going to let this bullshit slide, not at all. No he wanted retribution and he was damn good and well going to take it.
He slipped in unnoticed, gun in hand as well as a Taser. He was ready for anything that the little bitch could toss at him. He moved silently up the stairs and when he found her lazing around in the bathtub he grinned. Without even hesitating he depressed the trigger on the Taser and made it hit the water. The shock from the Taser gave Evan’s body a shock that she didn’t even have time to scream from.
Laughter filled the space, a madness that couldn’t be faked. Ah yes, he had her now. Pulling the plug on the tub, he then pulled her out and started to do what he had been waiting to do to this little bitch.
* * * *
Holding up a finger to one of the impatient young employees, Benedek grabbed his cell and called home even as he shifted to pull a box off a shelf. Frowning when he got the voice mail, he sighed looking at the clock. “You’re likely in the bath, love, so I’ll call back later.” He knew his mate and she already had a rhythm to her days.
“Of course, if you are or aren’t in the bath I now have the image of that stuck in my head for the rest of the day,” he said with a groan. “If you get out any time soon call me, love, otherwise I’ll call you again later, I’m thinking we should go out for a pizza, beer, and maybe a game on a bigger screen TV than we have. Love you, Angel,” he said and hung up sticking his phone into his pocket even as he carried the box out front.
“Well now, isn’t that sweet, Angel,” he said snidely when Evan’s eyes finally opened. She jerked roughly and gasped when she realized she was chained to a metal chair which was in a pool of water. “You see, I learned something about you, E
vangeline, you became that fucker’s bitch.” There was a resounding slap across her face as her ex-husband loomed into sight finally. “You let that motherfucker change you into an abomination!” Another slap.
He pulled back, however, and nodded. “Enough for now. I want you to be very aware of every single strip I take from you.” He smiled and nodded. “Stupid dog, he actually thought he would be better than a human?” The mad man snorted and pulled out a blade. “And now we begin.”
Chapter 6
She was on her side in the pool of water which was now heavily tinged with her blood. She fought against the chains, battled against the scalpel but in the end she couldn’t defend against insanity, not with the constant shocks that he kept flooding into the water.
Tears rolled down her face and she sent out a silent prayer that Ben didn’t come home alone. She prayed that someone would notice the wolf pack not running. Her heart clenched again as she thought of the wild animals who had been shot, killed by this crazed man.
She heard his laughter as he leaned back in the chair and wiped the semen from his belly. “Damn, you know maybe I should have had someone change you to their bitch before. It’s very fucking satisfying to see you healing almost as quickly as I can cut you, bitch.” He cocked his head to the side and smiled. “Wonder if this is another wolf coming from hiding to come and see what’s happened to his little furry pals.” He smiled sadistically as he heard the howl of the wolves and yaps of their barking. “Come on, doggies, I don’t have enough for a coat, yet,” he said as he looked at the pelts that he had strewn all over the living room floor.
When he’d come home the scent of blood had stopped him at the property line and, quick as he could, he’d shifted to go on a search of the property. What he’d found had pissed him off beyond all reason, but not so much as to risk his mate’s life. Racing to his brother’s house, he’d gotten them all to follow him back to the house. This was not just about him. This was something that involved the family.
Circling the house he let out another howl to let his brothers know just what was going on. Changing, he sneaked into the house before shifting back into his wolf form and prowling through the dark to where the bastard who had his mate was. Standing behind the man he looked to Evangeline and let her see the light bounce off his eyes before he pulled back. Letting out a series of sub-harmonic growls, something only an animal could hear, he directed his brothers inside the house.
Evan heard the sounds and had seen the reflection of her husband’s eyes but didn’t show it. She didn’t show her upset or hope. She closed her eyes and lay there panting, waiting on her husband to free her from the chains that she couldn’t free herself from.
Letting out another sub-harmonic growl, he crept forward and, at the blink of his eyes he changed and punched the bastard, uncaring about the blade. Diving forward Benedek beat the man until he was pulled off by one of his brothers. “Evangeline needs you, Ben,” one of them snapped to him. That was the only thing that brought him out of his blood lust and had him rushing to his mate. Dropping to his knees he reached for her and snapped the chains in his still boiling anger, cursing the man out for doing this to her. “Talk to me, love,” he said as he pulled her into his arms.
Evan’s eyes were swollen shut and it hurt to speak so she shook her head, the action causing her pain and finally bit out. “I love you, Ben. I’m so sorry.” His pack was gone, destroyed by a mad man and left to view there on the floors of their living room. Her vision swam as she lay there in his arms until she said, “I can’t shift. He’s put too much electricity into me and I can’t shift to heal.” Because of the extent of her injury, she knew she needed it, but couldn’t do it.
“Shit,” he muttered. “All right, love, just relax for a little while, darling, I’m going to take you to the bath and get you into the warm water. It should help you relax enough to shift, love,” he whispered gently. “When I pick you up it’s going to hurt, a lot, love.”
“I know, Ben, but believe me I’ve been through pain before.” She gasped out and closed her eyes. “If I pass out just put me into bed?”
“I just never wanted to be the one to cause you pain,” he whispered his biggest fear and horror of his nightmares to her. “I’m going to clean you up, Evan, trust in me, love,” he murmured softly stroking a hand over some of the flesh that was still fully intact.
Kissing her cheek gently he lifted her up into his arms and headed for the bathroom, her gasp of pure agony cutting through to the heart of his Wolf. It scarred him, but it was nothing more than he deserved. He’d left her unprotected and alone. He should have been here to keep her safe and he hadn’t been. That shame would be with him for the rest of his life.
Leaving his brothers to clean up the mess in the house, he took her to the bathroom and, drawing her a bath, cleaned her flesh of the blood on it and soothed the raw healing skin. Gently lifting her out long minutes later, he dried her with a soft towel and laid her in their bed before cleaning himself up and checking with his brothers.
Long hours later he joined her in their bed but kept distance between them so he wouldn’t aggravate her wounds. The only thing that touched her was his fingertips, stroking continuously over her soft cheek.
“I’m so sorry, Ben,” she whispered finally a time later. “For everything, I’m so sorry.” She felt ill but was relaxing a little small amount at a time. “I need to shift, Ben,” Tears fell freely from her eyes. “Gods, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Evangeline, this is not your fault,” he told her softly holding in the anger he felt toward the man that had done this. It wasn’t her fault and he couldn’t let her even contemplate it for a moment. “Change, Angel mine, I’ll be right here to hold you.”
Evan couldn’t even say a word but bowed her head and shifted. Her sobs turned to howls of pain as she shifted. The Wolf now rested in his arms, panting and whining in pain.
“I know, Angel,” he breathed pulling her closer to him even as he shifted his own position to better accommodate her. Stroking his fingers slowly through her fur, he breathed her in and began to hum softly hoping to help ease her into much needed slumber.
Evangeline whined for a long while until finally she allowed herself to fall into a healing sleep, sleeping in the guise of the Wolf while the woman healed as best she could.
* * * *
The Farkos men surrounded Evan’s ex-husband. It was more than the men though. The wolves circled as well. The blood scent was on the wind. The wolves could smell their family on this man and they wanted retribution.
Stepping from the shadows so that the man could see him, Lazslo spoke. “You have killed an entire pack that was protecting their mistress. You tried to take a mate from one of my brothers. No more. Your soul will forever be doomed to hell.” He motioned the pack, the Alphas from his, Janos’s, Miklos’s and Kristof’s packs moving forward as the packs filled in the shadows.
“Your body will never be found. Tonight you do not face man’s justice, but a Wolf’s Justice.” Laz growled. “Nevermore.” Another motion and the male Alphas attacked the man, his screams dying in the night as the Pack ensured that this monster would never again harm another soul.
Chapter 7
Waking slowly Benedek reached out and then woke fast in shock at finding the other side of the bed empty. Shivering in fear he sat up, pushing a hand through his hair as he looked around in near panic. Clearing his throat softly he licked his lips. “Evangeline?” he called hoping his desperation wasn’t showing through in his voice.
“I’m here.” She was in the corner, the shadows folding her up close. “I’ve been watching you sleeping,” she whispered and swallowed. “I woke and was still hurting but I couldn’t.” She had tears that were still coming. “I couldn’t leave the room without you.”
Frowning at the hurt in her voice, Ben slid from the bed and walked slowly toward her. “Come here, love,” he said gently holding out a hand to her. “Come on, Angel,” he encouraged
softly stopping a ways from her to let her make the choice. He wouldn’t force her to do anything until she was ready.
She went into his arms readily and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest she breathed in the familiar scent that was him and closed her eyes against the pain. “I’m afraid in our own house, Benedek. What kind of mate am I to you?” She couldn’t stand the thought of walking out into their home, seeing where their wolves were slaughtered and tortured before her.
“You are the perfect mate, love,” he whispered gently, feeling her pain as his own and choking at his own inadequacies. Holding her until she settled a little, he leaned back to see her face. “Maybe we should get away for a time,” he suggested. “We can take a trip, just you and I anywhere you’d like to go and, when we come back, we can think of what to do whether to sell this place and build a new house or whatever you’d like.”
She had to shake her head and said, “No, Ben.” Touching his cheek she licked her dry lips and continued. “This is our home. We can’t give him that last and final win.” Tears streaked down her face. “Not when he took so much from us. He took our pack from us. We can’t let him take our home and our tie to this land as well. This is where we belong, Benedek. I just need time.” Time to learn not to be so afraid. Time to stop seeing ghosts, she hoped.
“We could still take a few days away to let you recover, Angel,” he murmured. “Then, when we return with a stiffened resolve, we can move forward. But it’s your choice, love. I’m with you however you want to proceed.”
“He killed our pack,” she whispered. “In front of me, Ben. He skinned them alive.” She would never be able to live that down, move past the howls of pain from them, the looks in their eyes as mate tried to help mate. “I don’t know how to move past that. How to make up for the fact that I’m the cause of so many deaths.” Even the pups hadn’t been spared from the brutality that was her ex-husband. “They wouldn’t listen to me. I demanded that they leave me, demanded that they leave and live but they wouldn’t.”
