by D. M. Turner
“I’ll go back in.” The rifleman shrugged. “No big deal.” He pointed to Tanya. “Do you want me to return that one?”
“Not until we’ve got the right one in hand. With my luck, you’ll just catch her again.”
At least it didn’t sound like they intended to kill her. That was reassuring.
One of the threesome shuffled to the front of the group, his gaze going to his superior but not looking into his face. “Boss, do you think we could keep this one? She’s a real beaut.”
The man in charge studied her for a moment. Then he came over and knelt next to her cage. “She is, at that. Fine. We’ll hold onto her. Maybe we can find use for her once we get home.”
Use? There was only one “use” a male wolf like that would find for a female. I’ll die first.
“It looks like she’s waking up. We’ll take a good look at her when she’s up moving around.” He stood again. “Let me know when she’s fully awake.”
“Yes, sir.”
After he left, the rifleman left through another door and the trio to one side of the room closed in around the cage. Wolves, each and every one. She tried to get to her feet, but wobbled just trying to stand. She finally managed to get upright, but she couldn’t sit up, much less stand.
“She sure is a pretty thing.” The one closest to her head smiled, baring his teeth. “I might share her with the two of you. Rank has its privileges.”
She meant to growl, but it came out a pitiful whine instead. Was the world rocking back and forth, or was it her? She dropped her gaze to the floor, trying to hold off the dizziness and accompanying nausea.
“What do you know? We appear to have us a nicely submissive thing. That’s perfect. She won’t give us any trouble, and the boss won’t want her for himself if she’s too weak. He likes his women strong-willed. More fun to break.”
Whoever the “boss” was didn’t have particularly bright subordinates. They’d given her an idea. She had to get out of that cage. Free of it, she’d have a fighting chance. As long as the rifleman didn’t return anyway.
Two choices presented themselves. Embrace the wolf and fight for her life and freedom, or languish in their hands, subjected to who knew what horrors until they probably, eventually, killed her.
She tried to get to her feet, testing her ability to do so rather than out of any real desire yet. If she could convince them she was weaker than she really was, they’d underestimate her. Hopefully. Of course, that meant she had to actually be stronger than she appeared.
Fingers touched her hip through the cage bars. She flinched away, pretending to cower when she really wanted to bite the hand off. Any sign of strength or courage, and they’d probably never let her out of that cage.
Don’t growl. Don’t growl.
Tanya climbed slowly to her feet then staggered, pretending a lack of coordination, and allowed her legs to crumble beneath her. The move assured her the drugs they’d pumped her with were, indeed, wearing off. A few more minutes, and she might even be fit to run if she got the opportunity.
A click caught her ear.
She continued to allow her head to sway and wobble as though simply having it off the floor took tremendous effort. A slight turn of the head and a glimpse out of the corner of one eye showed the door of the cage opening.
The one who’d laid claim to her slowly and cautiously opened it. Then his hand shot into the space and grabbed her hard by the scruff of the neck.
She yelped melodramatically and cowered when she wanted nothing so much as to rip his throat out. How dare he manhandle her that way?
He yanked her out of the cage, an action that prompted her to cry out more, as though she was terrified. These wolves apparently didn’t use their noses very much, or they’d know she wasn’t as afraid as she pretended to be. Stupid and incompetent would work to her advantage.
“Hold her,” he ordered the other two.
They came up on either side, each putting a hand over her muzzle and grabbing a foreleg. Neither held on particularly tight, as though they expected little resistance.
Their superior (for lack of a better word) walked around and studied her like a piece of horse flesh at an auction. Then he grinned. “Hey, boss! Come take a look.”
Oh, no. Genuine fear swept through her. The man in charge hadn’t struck her as stupid.
The door he’d gone through opened, and he stepped into the room with a frown. “What are you doing?”
“Check it out. She’s completely submissive without a fight.”
Disgust flashed on the other man’s face. “Weak, simpering, worthless.” When he approached, only the hands on her kept her from melding with the floor at her paws.
Would he have her killed? Or lock her up somewhere to die like the last man who’d called her ‘worthless’?
“She definitely doesn’t measure up to my daughter,” he muttered.
His daughter? Kelly. White wolf. Oh, God… help me. It was even worse than she’d thought. Stories Kelly had told of her father’s brutality returned. Cages. Beatings. Starvation. Rape. Tearing his victims apart for fun.
“I really like this one, boss.” Her admirer knelt beside her and to the rear, laying a hand across her hips. “Please, can I have her since you don’t want her?”
“Do whatever you want with her.” He waved a hand as though he couldn’t possibly care and left. The door slammed behind him.
The man at her flank moved around behind her, still kneeling. “Well, let’s give you a test run, darling. See how well you fit me.”
Tanya cringed at the endearment.
The zipper on his pants grated.
Oh, God…. Not again. Never again.
Spurred by adrenaline that washed the last of the drugs from her system, she growled, twisted, and pulled free of the two very surprised men who’d been holding her.
One of them reached for her scruff.
Her teeth closed on his hand and wrist.
He screamed, more from pain than rage her nose told her.
Blood filled her mouth. She released him and whipped around to face the man who’d been about to force himself on her. Without a thought, she sprang for him.
He raised an arm, shock widening his eyes, but she nosed it aside and clamped her teeth on his throat.
Never. No one would ever rape her again. This man would never do it to anyone. Not again.
A kick to her ribs nearly tore her loose from the man’s throat, but she clamped down even harder and held on until his pulse stopped against her tongue. Then she spit him out and turned to face the other two men, blood dripping from her mouth as she snarled at them.
The door crashed against the wall as their boss ran in.
His gaze quickly took in the situation and hardened on her. With a light of interest. “So, not as submissive and beaten down as you wanted us to think, huh?” He unbuttoned his shirt and toed off one shoe. “You might be worth keeping after all.” The other shoe followed its mate as the shirt hit the floor. He reached for his belt and stretched his neck, and his teeth began to lengthen. He intended to Shift and dominate her.
Her gaze swept the room for any route of escape. He and the two remaining men stood between her and the open door. The rifleman had closed the second door when he’d left. Window. To her right. She’d heard you should never jump through a window because the glass could do a number on you. If she didn’t chance it, those wolves were certain to do worse.
Tanya whipped around and bolted for the window.
“Stop!”
She skidded to a halt and glanced back at the unexpected order. Then she realized, there’d been no need to obey. When Ian commanded her to do something in that tone, she couldn’t resist. This man apparently didn’t have that power.
“Return!”
Ian had forced her to return to human form the first time she’d met him, but he’d backed it with the authority of a real alpha male. She sensed none of that from this man. With a canine grin, she turned and ran t
oward the window.
“Stop!”
Head lowered, she jumped through the pane of glass, hoping for the best. It shattered, pieces peppering her and the ground. Thankfully, she landed clear of most of it. Pain in a rear paw warned she hadn’t gotten entirely clear. Don’t let it stop you!
Tanya ran for all she was worth. Forest. Lots and lots of trees. She stayed away from the one road she found, sure they’d look for her to be on it.
Finally, too tired to run and limping from pain in her hind paw, she slowed to a gimpy trot and assessed her surroundings. Where was she? More importantly, where was home? Even if she’d had a phone in her coat somewhere, she wouldn’t have a clue how to tell somewhere where to find her.
At the top of a rise, Tanya stopped and studied her surroundings. Flagstaff lay below her. She turned in the direction of the Preserve, raised her nose to the sky, and howled. Would they hear her from that distance?
A deep howl echoed through the air from behind her.
She set off in the direction of the Preserve again, running as hard as she could, ignoring pain in her paw. She could outrun almost every member of her own pack. Hopefully these guys weren’t as fast as Colin and the others. If she could stay ahead of them….
At the top of another rise, she stopped to let out a long howl again. Then she ran.
This time a faint but familiar howl reached toward her from in front. Colin!
Tanya forced her legs to move that much faster and harder, only to stumble when a strange wolf darted in front of her. She slid to a halt and confronted him, snarling and snapping her teeth when he got too close. She howled again to announce her location to Colin, but the other wolf cut it off by body-slamming her. Then he jumped back and held position.
What was he waiting for? Why didn’t he just kill her?
It didn’t take long for answers to come.
A huge wolf stepped out of the trees. The boss. Colin was too far away to help, she realized with a twist of her stomach.
You’re a werewolf. Remember. Not some helpless, naked human in a concrete cell at the mercy of monsters. You are one of the monsters now. Act like it!
The boss-wolf circled her, growling, his eyes glowing with bloodlust. Arousal wafting off of him warned that blood wasn’t the only thing he lusted after.
A third wolf crashed through some underbrush, panting hard. He took up a position opposite his counterpart. Neither of them made a move toward her, so she kept her eyes on the one giving the orders.
Mistake.
One of the subordinate wolves hit her from behind, almost knocking her off of her feet before she could recover.
The second slammed into the other side of her, biting down on the side of her neck when she swung her face away from his teeth.
The first clamped down on her front leg and held tight.
She wiggled and squirmed to break free, but they held fast. They weren’t underestimating her anymore.
The big wolf grabbed her muzzle in his teeth and gave it a slight shake, drawing blood. Then he glared into her eyes and growled.
She froze, afraid he’d crush her head if she fought him. Wait until he lets go. Then figure out what to do. She couldn’t possibly fight all three of them.
He released her and padded past one of his wolves to circle behind her.
A sinking feeling in her gut warned of what he planned. She renewed her struggles against the two wolves holding onto her, crying in pain as loudly as she could while seeking to break their grips.
Flesh ripped, blood flowed, but they held tight.
If she couldn’t get away, she’d rather die than be raped again. Her cries would draw Colin, so at least she wouldn’t die without someone finding her.
Colin. She wasn’t ready to leave him. They’d had so little time together.
Lord, please, help me!
A dark streak flew out of the trees and slammed into all of them. The two wolves released their hold and turned with their master to face the new arrival. Colin went straight for the leader without pause or hesitation. Neither of the subordinate wolves went to his defense.
Two more wolves, one nearly as white as Tanya, rounded a large tree and attacked the two wolves watching their boss fight. Kelly. Brett.
Help had come. Relief swept through her, sapping strength. Tanya braced her feet apart to stay upright, hanging her head and panting. The snow around her feet turned crimson. Blood dropped from her face and ran down both front legs. She sat in the snow, panting. Unable to stay up, she lay down but kept her gaze on the others.
Silence came.
Three wolves lay dead in the snow.
Colin, Brett, and Kelly stood over them, bloody but none wavering or showing weakness.
By the time Colin reached her, his wounds had already stopped bleeding, except for a bit of seepage here and there.
Kelly stood over her father’s still form, then she snorted and walked away, Brett close to her side.
Colin nuzzled Tanya.
She whined softly and wagged her tail gently.
He nudged her more firmly.
Tanya tried to get to her feet, surprised to find that she could. She glanced at the wound on her front leg, but it had scabbed over. Did that mean she’d live?
Colin nosed her again.
She licked his face then stood, dismissing the urge to shake snow off her coat, not wanting to break open sealed wounds.
Brett and Kelly led back the way the three of them had come.
Tanya moved slowly, so Colin stayed at her side, matching his gait to hers. Travel increased weariness, at first only a little at a time then a lot. She didn’t know how far they’d gone before she stopped and sats, panting.
A soft whine combined with a growl preceded Colin nudging her gently.
Head lowered, Tanya leaned against him. She couldn’t go any farther. He’d have to figure it out and understand.
He shared a look with Brett, then Brett and Kelly ran off without them.
Content with the knowledge they wouldn’t make her walk anymore, Tanya curled up on the hard, cold ground, grunting at protests from her neck and leg. A sigh of contentment slipped out as Colin curled up against her, reassuring her that she was, once again, safe. A wolf was no one’s victim. She’d escaped, and the Lord had sent help when she needed it most.
Time to rest. Just for a bit. Then she could go again.
* * *
The next time Tanya opened her eyes, she was in bed, still in wolf form, with her human-form husband asleep beside her. She changed position enough to stick her nose to his bare throat.
He groaned as he stirred, cupping a hand over her muzzle but not pushing it away. “Your nose is cold.” He leaned down to nip the side of her mouth. “You had me worried.”
She whined softly then sighed and called for the Shift.
He released her without moving away and waited.
She stretched, helping everything settle back into humanness, then smiled at her husband. “I’m sorry.”
“Why did you go out the inner gate? I followed your trail, so I know you went willingly.”
“I was curious to see the rest of the Preserve. I caught Brett and Kelly’s scents out there and decided to see if Kelly wanted to go for a run.” She frowned. “I didn’t detect the human until after he’d hit me with a dart. Then it was too late.”
“O’Neil found him. He thought he was rescuing a pet wolf-hybrid that had been stolen by well-meaning environmentalists and turned loose in the wild without having been taught hunting skills. He assumed that’s why you were underweight.”
“So, he thought he was on some sort of mission of mercy?” That sounded a bit ludicrous. Then again, people did weird things sometimes and fell for some even weirder lies.
“Yes. He wasn’t happy when the man who hired him said he’d gotten the wrong wolf. He couldn’t believe there’d be two white wolves in the same area. It made him suspicious of the whole thing, so when O’Neil cornered him, he spilled the whol
e story.”
She nodded then her thoughts went to the men who’d held her captive. “They’re all dead, aren’t they?”
“Yes.” Colin took a deep breath then looked her right in the eyes. “And I don’t regret killing Kelly’s father.”
“He intended to rape me.”
“I certainly thought so when I came upon you. That’s why I took him out.” His jaw flexed. “I wanted to make sure he never hurt you again.”
“I killed one of them.” She lowered her gaze to the few inches of bed between them. “Kelly’s father thought I was weak, called me ‘worthless’. He told one of the others he could have me. The two Brett and Kelly killed held onto me, but I played weak and unsteady from the drugs, so they didn’t hold on very tight. When he moved around behind me and unzipped his pants, I broke free and ripped his throat out.”
“Good. He won’t hurt anyone again.”
She rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. “I know I should hate myself for killing him, but I don’t. I know what he intended to do, and eventually they would’ve killed me. I’m not anyone’s victim.”
“No, you’re not.” He leaned closer, his face hovering over hers with a bright smile. “You’re my little fighter. No matter how hard life tries to beat you down, you just get back up again.”
Tanya smiled. “I think I’m ready.”
“For what?”
His puzzled smile made her grin. “To embrace the wolf. She gives me strength I never had before. She’s brought me a man that I love. A whole new family. New friends. All of whom accept me for who and what I am. And I’m no more a killer than anyone else out there. Humans kill each other every day for nothing. Greed, hate, anger, boredom. Meaningless, senseless. We kill only when we have to, to protect ourselves or others. There are some really bad wolves out there, and they think little or nothing about killing. Without us, who would protect the humans from them?”
“No one. The humans would be on their own.” He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.
“My parents may never accept me. They may be out of my life for good, but I can’t let that stop me from accepting what I am.” Tanya laughed softly. “Besides, without me, how will our stories be written?”
