Rescued by the Wolf (Other World Series Book Four)

by Ramona Gray

  “Give the female to me, Radek. I want you to shift and go ahead of us. There are mantorians in the area and you will ensure that our way home is clear. Go a few miles and then come back and report to me.”

  Sara frowned at him and wrapped her arms protectively around Radek’s thick neck. “It is too dangerous for him to go alone.”

  “Be quiet, little one,” Kane said sternly. He ignored Radek’s warning growl as he held out his arms. “Give her to me and do what your alpha requests, Radek.”

  Radek hesitated a moment longer before standing. He handed Sara reluctantly to Kane and as he settled her in the crook of his arm, took Kane’s arm in a hard grip. “Do not allow the creature to touch her, Kane.”

  “Aye, I won’t, Radek.”

  * * *

  “How much further?” Abby asked Kane. She was staring nervously at the lightening sky as they trudged through the forest.

  Radek had returned an hour ago and shifted to his human form. He had immediately held his arms out for Sara and Kane had handed her to him without speaking. She had fallen asleep, slumped against Radek’s back with the koran kitten wedged between her body and Radek’s.

  “Another hour or so.” Kane glanced at the clouds. “More if we do not beat the storm.”

  “Val, you should go ahead.” Abby squeezed his hand. “You can move faster than the rest of us. Go to the cabin and I will see you there shortly.”

  He shook his head. “I’m staying with you, little dove.”

  She gave him a look of frustration. “Val, you’re not getting caught in the sunlight because of me.”

  “It is a chance I am willing to take.” He kissed her hand. “Or you can climb on to my back and I will take you with me.”

  She glanced at Sara. The woman was still sleeping soundly against Radek’s back and Abby made a sudden decision. “Take Sara with you. Reese and Adina can look at her and – “

  “No,” Radek said firmly. “She is not to be alone with the creature.”

  “Why not, little boy?” Val said cheerfully. “Are you afraid that, like you, I hate her so much I will just have to taste her pussy? Or perhaps that she will enjoy the touch of my tongue more than yours?”

  “Jesus Christ, Val!” Abigail snapped as Radek’s eyes turned green and he began to growl. “Give it a rest!”

  Kane placed a restraining hand on Radek’s arm before turning to Abby. “Both you and Val will go ahead. We will not make it home before the sun rises.”

  “I don’t want to leave Sara again,” Abby protested.

  “We will not allow her to be harmed,” Kane said firmly. “Go. Tell Reese I will see her soon.”

  “Come, little dove.” Val guided her behind him and helped her on to her back. “Hang on tight.” She kissed his cheek and the two shifters watched as they disappeared in a blur.

  Radek relaxed slightly and Kane gripped his arm for a moment. “Abigail is from the same world as Reese, and Val is her mate. I have promised Reese that we would treat them well. Do not harm the creature, Radek.”

  “If he touches the human - if he tries to force her to wear his collar - I will kill him, Kane,” Radek said angrily.

  “He will not. I told you, he does not keep the humans as slaves.”

  “How do you know that? You only just met him.”

  “Abby says he does not and Reese believes her. I trust in my mate’s judgement,” Kane said.

  Radek made a harsh noise of frustration. “The girl is a virgin, Kane, and the creatures would still have fucked her without caring about her innocence or if they hurt her. They murdered her brother and stole her like she was nothing more than cattle. Just because the creature says he is not like them does not mean – “

  “How do you know she is a virgin?” Kane interrupted.

  “She told me.”

  “That seems like an odd thing to share with someone you just met.” Kane raised his eyebrow at him and Radek flushed.

  “The girl never stops talking.”

  Kane laughed. “Aye, I know what that’s like. Although my mate did not reveal such personal details after knowing her for only a day or two.”

  Radek sighed loudly. “She offered me her virginity in exchange for my protection. She said I could have it if I kept her safe until she found other humans.”

  “I’m going to assume you did not take the girl up on her offer,” Kane said sternly.

  Radek gave him a hurt look. “Of course I did not. You know me better than that.”

  “Aye, I do. Although I feel we are drifting apart, as of late.”

  Radek shrugged. “You have a mate now, Kane, and you are the alpha of our pack. You do not have time to – “

  “Bullshit,” Kane said bluntly. “Do not blame my mate or my new duties as an excuse for your absence, Radek. You are distancing yourself from me and Raina and the pack. I understand your reasons but you need to know how painful it is for Raina and for me. We miss you.”

  Radek sighed and stared at the sky. “Kane, I do not know what you want me to say. I am trying but I hate the humans and to see them every day is difficult.”

  “You do not seem to hate the young Sara.”

  “I feel sorry for her, nothing more,” Radek snapped. “She will not last long with her fragile body and her broken spirit.”

  “Broken spirit?” Kane asked. “She may not have the fiery spirit of Reese or the bravery of Abigail but her spirit seems just fine to me.”

  “You barely know her,” Radek replied. “I have spent the last three days in her company and, believe me, the woman will not survive if she does not find a mate in our pack to protect her.”

  “Perhaps you?”

  “Do not be ridiculous, cousin!” Radek glared at him and Kane grinned widely.

  “It is not me who is ridiculous, Radek. You have not stopped touching the woman since we found you and you seem to find her attractive enough. If what we walked in on in that shack was any indication.”

  “I told you – the woman spent hours attempting to seduce me in order to gain my protection. She may be a virgin but she is no innocent.”

  “Really?”

  “Aye, really,” Radek lied. “She will have no problem finding a mate in our pack.”

  “Then I suppose that is good for her,” Kane said mildly. “I know Teagan is looking for a mate. Perhaps he will find her pleasing and – “

  “Teagan is not to touch her!” Radek growled angrily. “He has no idea how to please a woman and he would hurt her badly just trying to take her.”

  Kane laughed. “What do you know of Teagan’s lovemaking skills?”

  “I have heard the rumours,” Radek said darkly. “The human needs someone gentle, she weighs next to nothing, and Teagan will not understand that. He is used to female shifters.”

  “She is a tiny thing.” Kane agreed as he looked Sara up and down. “But I’m sure someone in our pack will be gentle enough for her. If she rides them, she can control the pace and – “

  “Watch your tongue, cousin,” Radek said sharply.

  Kane grinned to himself. As Radek’s alpha, his cousin was speaking out of turn but for the first time in weeks Radek was speaking to him like he used to and he could not correct him for it. He missed his cousin and he could sympathize with what was happening to him. He wondered how long Radek would continue to deny his attraction for the small female. He hoped not as long as he had done with Reese. Teagan wasn’t the only shifter in their pack looking for a mate and the woman would have no shortage of potential mates to choose from. Reese and Adina, and even shy Ghita, had made a good impression on his pack in the last couple of months. If Radek continued to deny his feelings but kept other shifters away from the girl it would cause tension in the pack.

  Radek shifted Sara on his back and she woke with a soft snort. She straightened, looking about blearily, before her eyes widened in alarm. “Where is Abigail?”

  “They went ahead,” Kane replied. “The sun was rising and she did not want her mate
to be caught in the sun.”

  “Oh, right.” Sara lifted the koran to her face and smiled when it licked her with its scratchy tongue.

  “You should leave it to its fate, little one,” Kane said not unkindly. “Korans are not known for their loyalty.”

  Sara shook her head. “I will not abandon it to die a painful death. Stop telling me to do so.”

  Radek squeezed her thighs. “Do not speak to our alpha in such a manner, human.”

  “He’s not my alpha,” Sara muttered defiantly.

  Kane’s mouth twitched as he fought to hide his grin. Radek was a fool if he truly believed the girl had a broken spirit. She might be timid but her spirit was far from broken.

  “Quiet your tongue, human,” Radek growled.

  The koran kitten hissed and batted the back of his thick neck with its sharp claws. Radek flinched and Sara quickly gathered the kitten into one arm, giving Kane a rather smug look of triumph.

  Radek glared at Sara. “Your little pet has drawn blood.”

  “You should be nicer to me then,” she replied.

  He growled again and bared his fangs at the koran when it hissed once more.

  “Oh stop it. Both of you,” Sara said. She tapped Radek on the back. “I can walk now. I know your arms are growing tired.”

  “Do you forget you wear no shoes?” He snapped at her.

  “It’s fine.” She wiggled against him and his hands tightened around her legs. “Put me down, Radek. If my feet get too cold, I’ll tell you.”

  “No,” Radek grunted.

  She scowled at him. “Put me down.”

  He ignored her and she sighed in frustration as Kane said, “Put the girl down, Radek.”

  Radek made a low growl of anger before suddenly dropping her to her feet. “Fine. I grow tired of listening to you speak anyway, human.”

  He shifted and bounded forward, disappearing into the trees as Sara shoved her skirt down and set the koran kitten on the ground. It scampered ahead, sniffing and peeing on different trees as Kane glanced at the human.

  “You must be happy to have found your friends, little one.”

  She nodded. “I am. I didn’t even know for certain that we were on the same world.” Her breath hitched in her throat and she stared at the ground as she blinked rapidly.

  “I’m sorry that you were taken from your own world,” Kane said gently.

  “Thank you.” She sighed loudly and wiped at her face. “I believe I will find a way back though. I only need to wait for the next storm and – “

  “Are you certain that would work? From what my mate has told me, there is no guarantee that you will return to your own world.”

  “Is she from mine?” Sara asked.

  Kane shook his head. “No, she is from the same world as Abby.”

  “But Abby is from my world, isn’t she?” She frowned at him.

  He shook his head. “No.”

  Sara took a deep breath. “I really have no idea what is happening.”

  She suddenly winced and grabbed at her leg.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. My leg is a bit sore.”

  “We have a human female who is a healer, she will help you,” Kane replied.

  “Do you enjoy being alpha?” She suddenly asked.

  “Why do you ask?”

  She shrugged. “Radek said you had only just became alpha and that before you showed no interest in it.”

  “Aye, I did not. But our previous alpha was threatening my mate and I was left with no choice.”

  “You’re married to a human, right?”

  “I am.”

  “Do many shifters marry humans?”

  He shook his head. “It is not common, although it is becoming more and more common to find shifters interacting with humans.”

  “So, do you like being alpha?” She persisted.

  He stared thoughtfully at her. “Aye, I suppose I do.”

  She was silent for a moment. “Why does Radek hate humans?”

  “That is for Radek to share, not me.”

  She sighed in frustration. “He finds me disgusting. I doubt he’ll share such personal information.”

  “Aye, perhaps not. Although you seem to be fine with sharing with him.”

  “What do you mean?” She said cautiously.

  He suddenly stopped and took her arm in a gentle grip. “May I give you a word of advice, human?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do not offer your virginity to other members in my pack as a way to protect yourself. They will not be so quick to turn you down as Radek was.”

  She flushed a brilliant red and tugged her arm free before staring at the ground. “Why did he tell you that?” She whispered.

  Kane shrugged. “We are like brothers, little one. There are no secrets between us.”

  “He shouldn’t have told you! It’s none of your business what I – I do or offer to someone!” She said hotly.

  He took her chin in a firm grasp and lifted her face to his. “Will you heed my warning, human? Do not offer this gift to another of my pack brothers.”

  “Why shouldn’t I?” She spat at him. “I have no way of protecting myself, no way to keep from dying on this stupid world! Why shouldn’t I offer the only thing I have of value?”

  Kane, his eyes glowing, leaned down and she made a small squeak of fear as his warm breath washed over her face. “My pack mates are good men, little one, but they are not known for their gentleness with their mates. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  She swallowed heavily and fear gleamed in her eyes. “Yes, I think so.”

  “They would not mean to hurt you but they are not used to someone as fragile as you.”

  “Radek was – was gentle,” she whispered.

  “I am glad to hear it but that does not mean the others in our pack will be,” Kane replied. “If you decide to find a mate within my pack, you must choose wisely. And if I tell you not to choose one or another, you must listen to me and trust that I am doing what is right for you. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, fascinated by the glow in his eyes and the sound of his deep voice. For the first time since she met Kane she understood why Radek, a strong and powerful shifter, bowed to his will. The shifter was an alpha through and through, and she wondered for a moment at the woman who would sleep with him. She would have to be very brave, she decided. The shifter was not unattractive but she would rather face down a floran than join him in his bed.

  “Get away from her, cousin.” Radek stalked out of the trees and bared his fangs at Kane.

  Kane dropped his hand as Radek put his arm around Sara’s waist and pulled her against his hard body. He cupped her throat possessively as he glared at Kane.

  “Do not touch her again.”

  Sara craned her head to frown at him. “Radek, Kane wasn’t – “

  “Hush, human,” he said harshly.

  “I was simply giving her a word of advice, cousin.”

  “You do not need to touch her to offer advice,” Radek snarled. His face was red and a pulse throbbed steadily in his temple. “If I see you touching her again, I will –“

  “Can I give you advice, cousin?” Kane interrupted.

  Sara winced at the tone in his voice, her eyes automatically lowering to the ground as Radek glared at him.

  “What is it?”

  “If you are intending to claim this woman as your mate, then you should make your intentions known as soon as we arrive home.”

  Radek’s mouth dropped open. “My mate? My mate? Kane, have you gone mad? I hate humans. They disgust me and this female is no exception.”

  Sara made a harsh sound of hurt before stomping on his foot. He flinched and released her and she stumbled away from him. Kane took her arm before she could flee into the woods and, with tears glinting in her eyes, she scowled at Radek as the koran rubbed against her legs.

  “Why the hell you would ever think I would want this weak little human as my mate is
beyond me, Kane,” Radek snarled. “I know things have changed since you mated with a human and became alpha but do you honestly believe that I would ever feel anything more for a human than hatred? The woman is – “

  “If you are not planning on asking her to be your mate,” Kane spoke loudly, “then stop behaving as though she belongs to you, Radek.”

  “I – I do not,” Radek sputtered.

  “Do you not? You were pleasuring her with your mouth when we found you.”

  Sara flushed bright red but Kane didn’t seem to notice as he stared at Radek. “You refuse to stop touching her, you will not allow her to visit with her friends, and you challenge your alpha when he touches her.”

  “I am trying to protect her!” Radek snapped. “I do it for you and especially for your mate. Is it wrong of me to try and make my alpha’s mate happy? Should I not be protecting someone as fragile as she is? Why are you – “

  “She no longer needs your protection, Radek,” Kane said harshly. “She has found her friends and they have vowed to keep her safe. Either ask the woman to be your mate or leave her be.”

  Radek’s gaze dropped to Sara. She stared silently at him, her stomach churning at the strange look of need and anger and confusion that crossed his face. She swallowed and gave him a tentative smile, remembering the way he had kissed her and the sweetness with which he had touched her.

  A mask dropped over his face and he curled his lip at her before nodding. “Aye, you are right, my alpha. My time with this whining, weak human is done. Let her find another in our pack to keep her safe.”

  He shifted and ran ahead of them. Sara, her face bright red and struggling not to cry from a combination of anger and embarrassment, glared at Kane.

  “I hate him! I hate him so much! He’s the – the meanest person I’ve ever met in my entire life!”

  Now the tears were starting to slide down her face and Kane’s expression softened before he picked her up and cradled her gently in his arm. She buried her face in his thick neck and he patted her back soothingly before starting after Radek.

  She muttered something and he sighed before squatting and scooping up the koran kitten. It batted at his chin as he tucked it into the girl’s arms and she hugged it tightly before burying her face back into his neck.