by Kimber White
I swallowed hard past a lump in my throat. Pat herself might not be were, but the stare she gave me now was pure den mother.
“I-I don’t know. I need time. It’s a lot.”
Pat nodded. “Damn straight it’s a lot. But you’re a smart girl and a strong one. Don’t fuck around.”
She gave me a nod and a wink and let go of my hand. Then, Pat got up and went back to her pot of chicken soup. She was done talking. Message received.
I got up too and was about to ask her if she’d seen Luke. Although I wanted to take some time to myself to process everything Pat told me, I had a sense of urgency where he was concerned too. An instant later, I realized that sense wasn’t coming from me at all. My heart thundered in my ears and a hellish growl rent the air. Pat dropped her spoon and ran to the back door with me right behind her.
Luke was out there. Bas was too. Their wolves were strong and fierce as they rounded each other, fangs out, tails high. Luke’s pulse transmitted his fury through my whole body. He leaped at Bas, his eyes red-rimmed with the bloodlust that coursed through his veins.
Hunt. Kill. Die.
“Son of a bitch,” Pat muttered. Bas flattened his body and lunged back at Luke. The pair of them locked their bodies, turning end over end in a death roll. “Looks like we’re already too late.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I felt it. Luke’s pain. His heated blood. His force of will as he threw Bas off him for the third time. But, Bas kept coming. Yesterday, he’d held back. Today brought the full force of his Alpha strength bearing down on Luke. I didn’t need to be were to understand the meaning of Bas’s cold blue eyes and rumbling growl.
Submit.
He was trying to exert himself over Luke. Force him to accept Bas as his Alpha. When Pat told me about it, I had a passing wonder about what that would be like. Now, I saw it in all its brutal glory. Bas pressed forward, dodging the murderous arc of Luke’s sharp claws. Fur literally flew as the two tumbled down the hill together. Luke let out a high-pitched squeal as Bas took a chunk out of his shoulder with the swipe of his own paw.
Time and again, Bas tried to get Luke on his back and pin him down. But, Luke was too fast for him and willing to die rather than expose himself that way. It tore my heart in two. Beside me, I saw a similar emotion darken Pat’s face. This was her boy, her baby. And he’d rather let himself be killed than live under another Alpha. She swore Bas was different. Not a Tyrannous Alpha like Luke’s brother Asher. Right now though, it was hard for me to see the difference.
They tumbled through the snow, leaving streaks of red against the stark white. Luke landed hard against one of the maple trees at the edge of the woods. Bones cracked, sending a stab of pain through me as well.
“Make him stop,” I put a hand on Pat’s shoulder. “I’ll do it. Whatever he needs. Just, not this. I can’t bear it.”
Pat closed her eyes slowly; they misted with tears as she opened them. “There is no stopping this once it starts.”
“Bullshit! Bas can choose to knock it the hell off! Are you telling me you’re okay with him ripping Luke’s throat out?”
Pat gripped the wooden railing of the porch deck. She shook her head and looked at me. Both rage and sorrow clouded her eyes. “I am most certainly not. He won’t. Luke will submit.”
“No. He won’t. I can feel it. He’d rather die than live under another Alpha. Not even Bas.”
Pat’s eyelids fluttered. “Oh, shit.”
“Right. Wait here. Just don’t let them maul each other to death in the next sixty seconds.”
I didn’t wait for Pat to respond. I dashed back through the house and went into the mud room off the garage. I filled a bucket with cold water and ran back out and down the porch steps, nearly knocking Pat over on the way.
Bas had rounded on Luke again. Neither of them saw or heard me approach; they were too far gone in their own battle. I swung the bucket back and let it go, sending the frigid water in a high arc across the yard. It doused them both. Bas froze. Luke staggered backward, his silver ears dripping and frost already forming at the corners of his mouth. Bas shook his head wildly and sidestepped. They both looked at me, their wolf eyes flashing. For an instant, Bas took a step toward me, and I thought he was about to lunge. But, he recovered and bent his head low. I’d pissed him off, but it didn’t matter. It worked.
Bas shifted first, icy water still rippling down his chest. He ran a hand through his hair and it was tough not to marvel at his perfect form. A light dusting of auburn hair covered his rippled chest. I looked away before my eyes settled on his swinging cock. He made no move to cover himself as he strode past me. I put a hand over my mouth to suppress a giggle. It was hard not to laugh at the absurdity of it. Bas growled as he stormed up to the house, water dripping from his ears.
I turned back to Luke. He had just risen to his full height after shifting back. He was angry too, his eyes sparking with cold fury. But, he didn’t notice what I did. He’d shifted effortlessly this time. He hadn’t needed Bas or me to bring him back.
He gritted his teeth as he came to me and put firm fingers around my upper arm. I squealed as he used his other hand to deliver a swat to my backside as he led me toward the house. He tried to mask it with his glower, but I saw the lines of his mouth twitch with humor. And we went up to the house together.
Once the men had collected themselves and put some clothes on we congregated back in the kitchen. Pat’s soup was ready, and she doled out heaping bowls of the stuff. Bas and Luke devoured theirs, looking more like Vikings than werewolves. Neither of them spoke a word, but devolved into grunts and shoving of chairs as they went back for more helpings.
Finally, I couldn’t take another second of the testosterone show. “Are you two finished now, or do I have to go to the pet store and pick up a couple of crates for you? Shock collars, maybe?”
Bas pointed a finger at me and his face went white. But he still didn’t seem able to form words, so he kind of snarled and threw down his spoon. That did it for Pat. She burst into deep laughter and reached across the table to rub Bas’s shoulder.
“Tell him,” she said. “Or I will.”
“Tell me what?” Luke said, throwing down his own spoon.
“You were two seconds from besting Bas and he knows it.”
Bas growled at her. “He was not.”
“Oh, yes, he was. Why else would he have broken off so quick and let you go? If all it took was a bucket of cold water to fend off an Alpha’s challenge, our packs would be doomed. Tamryn did you a favor.”
“No. She. Didn’t.” Bas’s nostrils flared as he blew out a hard breath. He shut his eyes then slowly opened them. Some of the color came back into his cheeks. “But, yes. You impressed me, Luke. You held your own. You’re stronger than you think you are. More importantly, you’re stronger than I thought you were. I’m still not convinced that being out here by yourself is going to work. We have some time. Not a lot of time, mind you. But some.”
“Time for what?”
That knowing look passed between Pat and Bas. This time, Luke was in on it. Then I understood. Time for me to decide whether I was willing to submit to Luke as his mate.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I rested a hand on Luke’s knee as we sat together on the edge of my bed.
“How was I supposed to tell you something like that? Oh, by the way, unless you agree to let me bite you and change your entire life, there’s a good chance I’m going to descend into madness.”
“Well, maybe not using those exact words, but yes. And it’s not like I didn’t already kind of understand what was happening. From the second you came into my life, I’ve known that we’re connected somehow.”
He turned toward me and smoothed a lock of hair from my brow. His eyes filled with tenderness and he leaned down to kiss me. Oh, I loved this Luke too. He could be gentle and sensitive or rough and powerful. Each side of him sent my insides churning and heat roiling low bet
ween my legs.
“Why didn’t you just do it the other night? Claim me. Mark me. That’s what Pat called it. You know I wanted you to. I didn’t know what it was, but I craved it too.”
Luke took a breath. “Because I’m still not sure. You want to believe. Bas and my mother want to believe I have all of this under control. That I’m completely recovered from what Asher did to me. But you’re not inside my head. You don’t know what it’s like. But, the second I mark you. If I mark you, you will. Do you understand? Tamryn, when a werewolf mates, it’s a deeper connection than you realize. You’ll hear my thoughts. You’ll feel pain when I do. And I’ll hear and feel yours. Forever. I’m not sure I want to put you through that.”
His body warmed mine. I traced the lines of his palm with my finger. “What if I’m not afraid of your dark places?”
Luke’s unwavering gaze sent a chill through me. “The point is, you should be.”
At that moment, I knew it mattered to him that I didn’t flinch. Instead, I leaned forward and kissed him. I sank into him as he slid his arms around my waist and drew me down onto the bed. I wanted to stay there forever. His fingers played slowly around my ribcage, and I felt his rising need against me. He groaned when I reached down and traced the outline of his rigid erection as it strained beneath his jeans. Oh, how I wanted to set it free and close my lips around him, draw him out. Make him mine.
But, this time, I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t afraid of him, no matter how many times he warned me to be. Now, I understood what this could mean for us. How it would change the both of us forever if we did it the right way. The way we were meant to.
I pulled away, gasping for air as if I had been drowning in him. I had been. And I wanted to keep on drowning.
“Tamryn.” His voice was ragged with lust and his eyes flashed dark. But, Luke let go of my hand and slowly sat up on the bed.
“I want you,” I said. “I want this. But I know how important it is that I choose it with my eyes wide open. I’m not scared of who you are because I already know.”
“Tamryn . . .”
I put a hand up. “Hear me out. Your mom said when you mark me, it’s intense. Really intense for at least the first few days.”
Luke nodded. “It’s called the Rise.”
“Right. Some type of super horny werewolf mate thing.”
He laughed. “Yeah. Something like that.”
“And I’m pretty sure I won’t mind. But, I need to be there for my grandpa tomorrow. And maybe for a couple of days after that until we get him completely out of the woods. So, can you hang on for that long?”
Luke’s smile melted me. God. It was so hard to keep from straddling his lap and letting him drag me right back down. Heat pulsed between my thighs and the first slow trickle of wetness coated the inside of my panties. I wanted to let him tear them off with his teeth.
“I think so. And I haven’t said for sure that I’m going to mark you.”
“Well, then let’s make a deal.” I put a hand out for him to shake. He arched a brow but took it. “Three days. Then we’ll decide. In the meantime, you promise me you’re not going to run off. And you’re not going to turn into psycho-wolf. And you’re not going to fight with Bas anymore.”
“I promise.”
“Good.” I leaned down and kissed him. It took everything in me to tear myself away. Never mind the fact that I’d just committed to letting him sleep under the same roof with me for three nights without touching me. Maybe I was the one who needed to worry about going insane from it.
“Then good night for now. I’ve got to get to the hospital in about three hours. You might think you’re the one who’s got the most monster in him. You haven’t seen me on three hours of sleep before.”
Luke laughed and rose from the bed. He kissed the top of my head but wisely chose not to get any closer. Pretty soon, I was going to need a bucket of cold water thrown on me.
“Three days,” he said. “Then we decide.”
With that, he left the room and quietly shut the door.
***
Grandpa was out of it when I got there in the morning. I signed a few more forms and held his hand as they wheeled his bed down the hall toward the prep area. His numbers stayed good throughout the night and Dr. Hansen was all smiles and optimism when he peeled back the privacy curtain and gave me a thumbs up. He wore a surgical cap with yellow ducks on it. I refrained from commenting.
“Shouldn’t be too long of a wait,” he said. “I’ll have one of the nurses come out as soon as I finish up. Then we’ll go over the next steps. He’s a tough old bird, your grandpa. I’ve seen guys half his age do a hell of a lot worse in his condition.”
“He is that.”
Hansen gave me a squeeze on the shoulder and left me alone with Grandpa. He stirred on the bed and his eyes fluttered open.
“Hey there, handsome,” I said, adjusting the sheet covering him. “You’re about to get a bionic heart. You’ll be good as new. Ready for the ladies in no time.”
Grandpa reached up and stroked my cheek. “Hey, Buckets. Glad you could make it.”
My heart swelled. He knew it was me. “Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
He tried to say something, but his voice came out weak and scratchy. He reached for the cup of water next to his bed. I hated that I couldn’t give it to him, but he wasn’t allowed to have anything this close to his procedure.
“They’re coming in a few minutes to take you down to surgery. They said it should go quick and not to worry. They’re calling you a medical miracle. We’re going to get you through this.”
Grandpa’s eyes clouded, and I thought he’d gone to that far-off place again where the fog of dementia robbed him of the here and now. But, he took my hand in his and raised it to his parched lips and kissed me.
“I’m sorry I can’t go with you. I asked them to wait, but there’s no more time.”
“Gramps, there’s plenty of time. And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry all the things that I did for your own good made you suffer. Jesse was better at this stuff. She would have known how to handle this.”
Ah. Jesse. It meant he probably thought I was my mom again. I smoothed his hair back and smiled at him.
“Tamryn. Promise me you’ll listen to what they have to say.”
“I. Uh. What now? Listen to who?”
“Just promise.”
“Uh. Okay. Yes. I promise I’ll listen. As long as you promise not to worry about anything but getting better. Got it?”
He smiled and gave me a slow nod. He squeezed my hand tighter until it started to hurt, but his gaze never wavered. He was more clear-eyed than I’d seen him in weeks. Fear snaked up my spine. But, before I could ask him what he meant, the nurses came in to take him away. He let go of my hand and his face softened. Whatever cryptic warning he tried to give me, he seemed to have already forgotten it. I tried to follow the nurses as they wheeled his bed away, but they directed me to the waiting room. I knew the chances that Grandpa would remember what he was talking about after he woke were slim. So, there was nothing for me to do but head to the waiting room and pray.
Dr. Hansen didn’t lie. It seemed like as soon as I’d picked out the least awful magazine from the waiting room table and sat down to read it, he came out to give me a report.
“He’s in great shape,” Hansen said. “Tolerated the procedure quite well.”
“Oh, thank God. Can I see him?”
“Let’s give him some time to rest. I don’t want any excitement for him for a bit. Not even good excitement at seeing his pretty granddaughter. Give him a couple of hours to sleep. If you’re comfortable here, that’s fine. Or, you could head on home for a bit and come back later this afternoon. Whatever you’d like.”
I rose and smoothed my hands over my hips. I held a hand out to shake his. “Thanks again. I’ll probably come back after dinner if you think that’s long enough to g
ive him to rest.”
“Perfect. I’ll check in on him tomorrow morning, but I really think we’re getting to a point where he can maybe go home the day after tomorrow. We need to sit down and talk about his aftercare. I’ll get with his primary physician and come up with a plan.”
“God. That’s such a relief. Really?”
Hansen was already turning to leave. He was a busy guy with a lot of other patients, and I was learning that when he was done talking, he was really done. “Yep,” he said, raising a hand to wave at me as he headed back down the hall.
I felt like an anvil had just been lifted from my chest. With one crisis almost past, I was free to think about Luke and what I wanted to do. I grabbed my purse off the chair and headed for the elevators. I tried to dial Luke’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. It didn’t surprise me. Once again, cell reception up on the hill was spotty at best.
I practically skipped my way through the parking lot, eager to get home to Luke and tell him the good news about Grandpa. I had my key out, ready to slide it into the lock of the Jeep when strong hands gripped me by the shoulders and pulled me back. A hand went over my mouth.
“Just relax.” Beau’s voice was thick with venom as he pressed his lips against my ear. “Nobody’s going to hurt you.”
I thrashed against him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Another car pulled up alongside us, the squeal of its tires echoing through the parking garage. I kicked backward, but Beau was too strong. He pushed me into the back seat and held me down as he closed the door and the car sped away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I don’t know how it works for most kidnappings. But, in my case, my captors saw fit to hold me hostage at the Oodena Civic Center. Beau kept a firm grip on my upper arm as he dragged me out of the car and up the sidewalk. Gerard had driven the getaway car and walked beside us looking grim and more than a little ashamed.
“Nobody’s going to hurt you, Tamryn,” Gerard said. “We just need to talk to you.”
