Rescued by the Wolf (Other World Series Book Four)

by Ramona Gray

  “It is not!” Mia snapped. “He hates the humans and he’s left because of them.”

  She turned and glared at Sara. “Because of you!”

  “Shut up, Mia!” Raina shouted again. Her face was bright red and Sara could see tears in her eyes. “Radek will be back and he will tell you himself that he keeps leaving because of you and stupid Kavine!”

  “I am not stupid!” Mia shouted back.

  “I didn’t say you were stupid! I said Kavine was stupid!”

  “Enough!” Sara said again. “Mia, I think you should go home. You and Raina can talk this out later when you’re both calm.”

  “I’m never speaking to her again!” Mia shouted before storming past Sara and out into the cold.

  Raina stalked to the door and shouted, “Fine with me, Mia! I don’t want to ever speak to you again either!”

  She slammed the door shut and punched the wall before stomping to the kitchen and collapsing dramatically on one of the chairs. She buried her head in her arms and her body shook as she sobbed loudly.

  “Oh, Raina. Honey, don’t cry.” Sara hurried over and pulled a chair up next to her before sitting down and rubbing her back lightly. “It’ll be okay, don’t cry.”

  Raina threw herself into Sara’s arms. “Why does he keep leaving me?”

  “Oh, honey,” Sara held her tightly and rubbed her back again. “He’s just – he’s confused right now and needs some time.”

  Raina stared up at her. “He keeps leaving me all alone and doesn’t even care that I’m by myself. I hate him!”

  “You don’t, honey,” Sara said. “I know you’re angry with him but you don’t hate him.”

  Raina sobbed quietly for a few minutes before wiping at her face with her hand. “Aye, I don’t. But I’m so mad at him.”

  “I know and you have every right to be. It isn’t fair to you that he keeps leaving you,” Sara replied.

  Raina sighed loudly and continued to lean on Sara. She didn’t mind. There was no fire in the fireplace and it was cold in the cabin. Raina’s warmth was the only thing keeping her from shivering. She stroked the young shifter’s hair soothingly. “I’m sorry, honey.”

  “It’s not your fault. Well, maybe it is,” Raina said. “Although I wasn’t lying when I told Mia that Radek is tired of her and Kavine mooning over him.”

  She was quiet for a few moments before sighing again. “I’m so lonely. What if Mia is right? What if Radek really has left for good?”

  Sara shook her head. “He hasn’t. He loves you, Raina and wouldn’t leave you like that.” She hesitated before saying, “Do you want me to stay with you?”

  Raina popped up and stared at her. “Would you, human?”

  Sara nodded. She had been staying with Reese and Kane and although the alpha had been perfectly friendly to her, she had a feeling that he would prefer to be alone in the cabin with Reese.

  “Yes. If there’s room in your cabin,” she said.

  “There is!” Raina said eagerly. “We have three bedrooms. You can sleep in mama and papa’s room.”

  “Then it’s settled. I’ll stay with you until Radek returns.” Sara smiled when Raina kissed her cheek.

  “Thank you, human!”

  “You’re welcome. But we’ll need to have a fire going. I will freeze to death if we don’t.” Sara grinned at Raina before standing and holding out her hand. “Why don’t you come with me to Reese’s cabin while I tell her?”

  “All right.” Raina took her hand and squeezed it gently. “We are going to have so much fun together, Sara!”

  * * *

  “What does it feel like when they bite you?”

  Abigail stared at the blonde woman before her gaze flickered to Maria. Maria was staying in Adina’s cabin and Abby had stopped by to visit with her. She didn’t know Adina very well, the woman kept to herself and Maria had told her that Adina didn’t talk much even when it was just the two of them.

  “Does it hurt?” Adina asked when Abby didn’t reply.

  “Yes,” she said honestly. “A little.”

  Adina stared into her mug, giving Maria a distracted smile of thanks when the older woman filled it with tea.

  “Adina?” Abby leaned forward and touched the woman’s hand hesitantly. “Are you – do you want Faren to bite you?”

  “Of course not. Why would you think that?” Adina said quickly. “I am just curious.”

  “Adina,” Maria sat down across from her, “when you are bitten by a vampire it starts an obsession that cannot be controlled. You will go mad if they do not keep biting you.”

  Adina frowned. “I find that hard to believe, Maria.”

  “Aye, I know it seems strange but believe me – it is true. If Faren bites you and then does not continue to feed from you, the only way to stop the madness is by not seeing him again. Eventually, if the vampire is not near you the obsession will fade but it takes a long time and is very painful. Especially if they have been feeding from you for a while.”

  “It’s true,” Abby said.

  A shiver went down her back. When she had been stolen from Val, the withdrawal had been worse than anything she had ever experienced before. She shuddered again, remembering the pain and the need. She had spent more than two weeks in bed, her entire body wracked with pain and her mind screaming at her to find Val, while Michael and Wesley and the others had waited to see if she lived or died.

  When Adina gave her a questioning look, she smiled faintly at her. “I was separated from Val after he had bitten me. The pain and the withdrawal were…intense.”

  “Yet you allowed him to bite you again,” Adina pointed out.

  “Yes, but that’s because I love him and I was saving his life,” Abby said. “If I didn’t love him, I would not have allowed him to bite me again. It isn’t just the obsession with being bitten. Vampires are a, well, very sexual race. Most of them enjoy having sex with a human before they bite them. It’s not just the feeding you obsess for but the sex too.”

  Adina’s face went a brilliant shade of red and she quickly bowed her head. Abigail frowned in confusion but Maria touched Adina’s shoulder lightly. “Adina? Have you had sex with Faren?”

  Adina rubbed her forehead with one shaking hand. “Aye, last week.”

  “What? How?” Abby asked.

  She smacked herself in the head as a small grin slid across Maria’s face. “Wait, never mind. That’s a stupid question.”

  Adina sighed heavily. “He would not bite me.”

  Both Abby and Maria gaped at her and Adina’s flush deepened.

  “You’re kidding me,” Maria said faintly. She stared at Abby. “Have you ever heard of a vampire having sex with someone without biting them?”

  Abigail’s own cheeks reddened. “Well, yeah. Val slept with me without biting me when we were reunited. But Faren – I find it hard to believe that he didn’t bite you, Adina. He has no problem feeding from humans.”

  “Well, he didn’t!” Adina suddenly snapped. “I have practically begged him twice now to feed from me and he will not.”

  “I know that I don’t know you very well but I’m hoping you’ll take my advice. Faren is dangerous. He wouldn’t deliberately hurt you, at least I don’t think he would, but he does not have the affection for humans that a vampire like Val does. Most vampires don’t. Val is, well, he’s different,” Abby said.

  “He is,” Maria agreed. “Letting Faren feed from you would not be wise.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I told you – he won’t feed from me,” Adina said.

  “That’s a good thing,” Maria said gently.

  Adina didn’t reply but Abby could see the disagreement on her face. “Adina? Why do you want Faren to bite you?”

  Adina paused before finally meeting her gaze. “All my life I have been the – the good girl. I did what my parents told me to, I became a healer like my mother because that’s what she wanted me to do. When my brother sold me to the slavers to save his own hide, I wasn’t even t
hat angry with him. I told myself I understood why he did it and that good girls like me needed to just accept what happened to them.”

  She stood up and paced restlessly back and forth in the small kitchen. “Do you know that the previous alpha nearly picked me for his mate? His name was Dagon and he was cruel. He had killed all four of his previous mates but I told myself and Reese that it didn’t matter. That I had to accept I would be his mate and do as he asked and hope to bear him children so he wouldn’t kill me as well. Because that’s what good girls do.”

  “Oh, Adina,” Maria said softly.

  Adina whirled around to face her. “I do not ask for your pity, Maria! I am tired of always doing the right thing, of always being careful and safe, and just once I want to know what it feels like to do something – something stupid and reckless!”

  She folded her arms across her torso and stared at the floor. “And I am attracted to Faren. Not that it matters. He is not attracted to me.”

  Abby frowned. “If he had sex with you, Adina, then he’s attracted to you.”

  “Then why will he not feed from me?”

  “That is weird,” Abby admitted. “I don’t know why he won’t.”

  Maria shrugged. “Perhaps for the first time in his life he feels something more than blood lust for a human.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible for Faren,” Abby said quietly.

  There was a knock at the door and Maria crossed the room to open it. Abigail grinned when she saw Asher standing in the cold.

  “Hey, Asher,” she called.

  “Hello, human,” he replied without looking at her. He stared intently at Maria who blushed furiously before clearing her throat.

  “What do you want, Asher?”

  “Hello, hum –“ he paused and cleared his own throat. “Hello, Maria.”

  She gave him a startled look as Abigail and Adina joined them at the door.

  “Come in out of the cold, Asher,” Abby said brightly as Maria glared at her.

  The shifter nodded and stepped into the cabin, kicking the door shut with his foot. He had both hands behind his back and he smiled at Maria.

  “Your hair is very pretty today, Maria.”

  Maria touched her hair self-consciously as Asher’s gaze lowered to her chest and then her pelvis.

  “Um, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Maria. Do you know how to read, Maria?” He asked.

  “Yes.” Maria gave Abby a confused look as the younger woman grinned like a lunatic. Even Adina was smiling faintly and Abby nudged her playfully as Asher continued to stare at Maria.

  “You’re very smart, Maria,” Asher said.

  “Thank you?” Maria said hesitantly.

  There was an awkward silence and Abby, still grinning widely, said, “Do you know how to read, Asher?”

  “I do not. I am not as smart as Maria,” he said gravely.

  “Nonsense. I bet Maria would teach you how to read,” Abby said.

  “Abby!” Maria elbowed her discreetly before smiling nervously at Asher.

  “Would you, hum – Maria?” Asher asked. “I would like to learn to read.”

  “I don’t have anything to teach you with,” Maria said.

  “I can bring books, Maria,” Asher replied. “Anna teaches our young ones how to read and write and has what you need.”

  “Why not get Anna to teach you then?” Maria asked.

  Asher hesitated, clearly not sure of what excuse to give, and Abby jumped in. “I’m sure Anna doesn’t have enough time to teach the young ones and you. Isn’t that right, Asher?”

  “Aye, that is right.” Asher gave her a grateful look and Abby winked at him.

  “Well, Maria? Will you teach me to read, Maria?” Asher asked.

  Maria hesitated before nodding and Asher gave her a broad grin. “Thank you, Maria.”

  He turned to leave and Maria, Adina and Abby stared at the weeds he held tightly in his right hand behind his back.

  “Asher? What are those?” Abby said loudly as Maria booted her in the shin. She winced and rubbed her leg as Violet stuck her head out from Abby’s hair, clasped her tiny hands under her chin and made an exaggerated kissy face at Asher and Maria.

  “I almost forgot, Maria. These are for you, Maria,” Asher held out the limp bouquet of weeds.

  “Thank you, Asher,” Maria took the weeds. They were soaking wet and Asher smiled hesitantly.

  “I had to dig them out from under the snow, Maria.”

  “They’re beautiful,” Maria said.

  “I have another gift for you, Maria,” Asher held his tightly-clenched left fist out. “Open your hand, Maria.”

  “What’s with all the ‘Maria’s’?” Abby whispered into Adina’s ear. The blonde woman shrugged and Abigail bit back her laughter when Asher dropped five small stones into Maria’s hand.

  The stones had been polished until they gleamed in the dim light and Maria stared blankly at them as Asher gave her an eager look. “Do you like them, Maria?”

  “They’re very…shiny,” Maria replied.

  “Aye, they are. I spent many hours polishing them, Maria,” Asher replied. He gave her a nervous look. “Small, shiny rocks. My alpha’s mate says that is what human females like. Is she wrong?”

  Abigail made a choked noise of laughter and turned away as Maria studied the rocks in her hand before smiling at the shifter. “No, she isn’t. They’re lovely and I like them very much. Thank you, Asher.”

  “You’re welcome, Maria. I will come by tomorrow so you can teach me to read, Maria,” Asher said.

  He left the cabin and Abigail and Adina burst into soft laughter as Maria slipped the rocks into her pocket.

  Adina grinned at Abigail. “What kind of world are you and Reese from that men give you small stones as presents?”

  Abigail giggled. “Oh my God. If you could just – if I – oh shit, this is the funniest thing ever.”

  She wiped at the tears in her eyes before shaking her head. “In my world we have jewels - precious jewels - that are dug from the earth. There are a bunch of different ones and the most coveted one is the diamond. They’re worth a lot of money and men give them to women when they get married or even just as presents. Diamonds are often referred to as ‘rocks’ and they are small and shiny. That’s what Reese meant.”

  She laughed again as Maria, her cheeks still lightly flushed, shrugged. “It’s not Asher’s fault he didn’t understand.”

  “Nope, it isn’t,” Abby looped her arm around Maria’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. “I like him a lot, Maria. You should sleep with him.”

  “Abby!” Maria slapped her gently on the hip. “Go on, now. I don’t want to hear anything more about sex with Asher. He gave me those gifts because I agreed to teach him to read.”

  “Oh, of course, that’s why.” Abby rolled her eyes and walked away.

  Chapter 14

  “You are doing very well, young Sara,” Val said.

  “Do you really think so, Val?”

  “I do. Much better than the little dove,” he said.

  “Hey!” Abigail gave him a mock look of anger as he grinned at her.

  “It is true, Abigail.”

  “I know. God, I miss my sword.” She studied the target in the glow from the torches. She had fired five arrows and only one had even hit the target. Sara had also fired five and all of them were embedded deep within the middle of the target.

  “You have a knack for it,” Val said to Sara as she collected the arrows.

  “I’ve been practicing a lot,” Sara said.

  “I heard. Abby told me you’ve been practicing for hours every day for the last month,” Val said as Abby kissed him on the cheek before joining Michael beside the fire. A dark look crossed his face and a soft hiss escaped before he could stop it.

  “She’s in love with you, Val,” Sara said.

  “I know. But I am the jealous type.” He winked at her and she grinned before following him toward the shifter
s and humans gathered around the fire.

  As Val joined Abigail and Michael, she sat beside Raina and the young shifter leaned against her affectionately as Deena sat beside her.

  “Hello, Deena,” Sara said politely.

  Deena touched her hair and smiled. “Pretty hair.”

  “Thank you,” Sara said. “I like your hair too. Where is Borek?”

  “Hunting,” Deena replied before touching her hair again.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes before Sara looked at Raina. “You’re quiet tonight, Raina.”

  “I’m fine,” the young shifter said moodily.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Aye,” she said shortly.

  Sara bit her lip. She had been living with Raina for the last month and had gotten to know the girl very well. She was fairly certain she knew what was wrong. She squeezed Raina’s hand. “He will return soon.”

  “It has been an entire moon. He has never been gone this long before,” she said softly. Tears were starting to drip down her face and she wiped at them angrily. “He could be dead for all I know.”

  Panic stabbed Sara directly in the heart. The young girl had finally vocalized what she had been worried about for weeks and she tried to smile reassuringly at her. “I’m sure he isn’t. He can take care of himself.”

  “I know he is dead,” the teenager whispered. “I can feel it.”

  “He is not dead, Raina.” Kane’s deep voice came from behind them and the three of them turned to stare at him.

  “You don’t know that, Kane,” Raina whispered.

  “I do, my love,” he said kindly. “I saw him in the forest not two days ago.”

  “What?” Raina jumped up and grabbed Kane’s hands. “You spoke with him!”

  “No. He was in his wolf form and would not let me get close to him. But he is not dead.”

  “Why won’t he come home?” She whispered forlornly.

  “I do not know,” Kane said as his gaze slid to Sara.

  Guilt flooded through her and she stared at the snowy ground, only barely aware of Deena’s hand stroking her hair.

  “Raina? Come sit with mama and me.” Mia had appeared. The two girls had made up only a few days after their fight. Raina nodded and followed Mia to where her mother sat. The woman put her arms around Raina and Mia and hugged them gently.