by AJ Jarrett
“Do you know who that guy was that pulled up?” Jake asked.
“No.” Carl shook his head. “I’ve never seen him before.”
“Well hopefully he’ll leave soon. I like our odds better with four against two.”
Jake had to agree with the man. Not that he was worried but he liked having the odds in their favor.
Seth headed toward the back of the property and Holden walked over to his position. Jake and Carl stayed where Seth had indicated. Jake propped up on his elbows and rested his face in his hands as he kept watch on the house. Carl lay down beside him and mimicked his position.
“Do you think they are expecting us?” Carl asked.
“Us? No. You? Yes.” Jake thought it to be expected that Tobias knew Carl would return. The man knew he had the one person that would bring Carl back every time, his brother.
“I guess he’ll be surprised when he sees you guys, huh?” Carl smiled over at him.
“That’s the plan.” Jake nudged his shoulder against Carl’s.
After a few minutes had passed Carl spoke again. “This probably isn’t the best time but I want you to know something.”
Jake turned his attention from the house to his mate. He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to know what Carl had to confess. “Baby, you don’t have to tell me anything that you don’t want to.”
“I want to,” Carl rushed to say. “If we’re going to be together I want you to know the truth.”
Jake looked longingly into his mate’s eyes and could see this was something his mate felt he had to do.
“There was a time I thought I was in love with Tobias.” Carl ran his fingers over the brown grass in front of him. “I let him have me when I was barely sixteen. I was young and stupid. I thought he really cared about me.” Carl stopped moving his hand and sat there motionless for so long Jake started to get concerned. “I remember Tobias before he became the alpha. He’d come visit my family and have dinners with us. He was so polite and caring. No one would have guessed what type of person he truly was.”
Jake had to bite his tongue to keep from howling out his frustration. His own father might have been a hard man to live with but he never abused his power as alpha. Just thinking about Tobias ever laying a finger on Carl had him seeing red.
“When I was locked up in that cage he put me in, there were times I wished we could go back to the way we were before he became so possessive. After my parents died all I wanted was to be happy.” Carl tore at the grass and the blades broke free from the ground. “Makes me look pretty pathetic, doesn’t it?”
“No, it doesn’t.” Jake took Carl’s hand in his. “You would have done anything to save your brother and yourself. It’s only to be expected to make deals and bargain for that assurance that you will be safe.”
Carl leaned to his side and rested his head against Jake’s shoulder. “But I still feel like an idiot. You can’t make a crazy person see reason and Tobias didn’t negotiate. He wanted absolute obedience at all times. Looking back now it’s fair to say he’s a complete dickhead.”
Jake jerked his head to the side. His shy little mate had never once used a derogatory word when describing Tobias. Jake started to laugh. “Yes, your ex-alpha is a complete and total dickhead.” He kissed the side of Carl’s head and his mate beamed under the affection he gave.
“Since you shared something with me, I’d like to share something with you,” Jake said. He had a feeling what he was about to say would make his shy little mate very happy. Carl looked at him with big eyes. “You are the first man I’ve ever kissed or touched in a romantic way.”
“Really?” Carl’s mouth fell open. “But you’re so good at it.”
“Thanks.” He leaned forward to kiss the tip of Carl’s nose. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m no virgin. I’ve dated my fair share of women but never a man.” He shrugged. “Sure I’ve flirted with guys before but something always held me back. As I think back on it now maybe it was because I was saving myself for you.”
His words must have struck a chord with Carl. Carl’s eyes began to weep and his chin trembled.
“Baby, please don’t cry.” Jake tried to bring Carl closer to him but in the position they were lying at made it a little difficult. “I didn’t say that to upset you.”
“I know.” Carl’s voice cracked. “It’s just a really nice thing for you to say. I just wished I had waited.”
“Carl, it doesn’t matter what happened in the past because, baby, I’m your future and that’s all that matters now.” Before Carl could respond Jake captured his pouty lips in a deep kiss. A whine left Carl’s lips and sent a vibration clear down to Jake’s toes.
He believed what he told Carl. Yesterday and the day before that were all in the past. There were things that couldn’t be changed and on some level Jake wasn’t sure he’d want them to. Everything happened for a reason, or so his mother always told him, so in some way maybe they both had to go through all this crap to find one another.
As the kiss lingered on Jake lost track of time. He became consumed by his mate and his needy little whimpers. He wanted nothing more than to strip Carl naked and make love to him right out in the open but he knew that would be wrong. Carl deserved more than that. No matter how loud his wolf howled in his brain to claim his mate again, Jake ignored those impulses. They both had gifted each other with the mating mark and for now that would do. Once this situation was dealt with he planned on making their first time together one of the most romantic things Carl ever experienced.
“Did you hear that?” Carl pulled back and climbed to his knees.
It took Jake a moment to catch on to what was happening.
“Oh my god, that’s Casper!” Carl shouted as he took off running. Jake lay there dazed as his mate shifted and took off down the hill toward the alpha’s house.
“No,” he whispered as he shifted to his knees. “Carl, stop!” he said louder, trying to get his mate’s attention. But the brindle-colored wolf didn’t stop. Jake lunged for Carl’s hind legs but the wolf was too fast. Just as he scrambled to get up a heavy weight landed on his back, pinning him to the ground.
“Be quiet,” Holden whispered close to his ear. “They need to think he came on his own. We can take on a few wolves, not an entire pack.”
Jake heard what his friend said but he couldn’t make his heart and body listen. He struggled to get free but Holden held tight.
Loud barking drew his attention down toward the house. Carl ran at a lightning-fast pace toward the front door. Jake watched as a man with short-to-the-scalp black hair threw the door open. An evil grin lit the man’s face. The sheer madness in the dark eyes made Jake lose the ability to breath. What had his mate just done?
Chapter Ten
As the kiss between him and Jake started to get heated a pain-filled cry met his ears. A sound he had heard several times before.
Casper!
Carl pulled away from his mate and took off running. His shift came over him so fast that he didn’t realize he was running on all fours until he was halfway down the hill.
The desperate cries grew louder the closer he got to the house. He willed his legs to move faster. A sharp burn radiated throughout his muscles and fear soured his belly. God only knew what brand of torture his brother was having to endure.
You can’t show any fear. You need to be strong. Be strong for Casper, the little voice in his head shouted.
Carl drew on every ounce of hatred he had for Tobias and let it fuel his anger. For far too long he’d let the man run his life and the life of his brother. It was time for Carl to take a stand.
He leapt over the yard with the grace of a deer and stormed up the steps. Saliva dripped from his jaws and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. He’d break down the damn door if he had to. Jake, Holden, and Seth would have his back.
Just then the front door opened up and Carl came to a stop. Tobias stood gazing down at him with a look that promised pain. Carl looked over his shoulder to see if
his mate was getting close but Carl didn’t see him or his friends. He was all alone. The ice-cold fingers of fear gripped around his heart. There was no way he could fight Tobias on his own. He couldn’t understand why Jake would abandon him like this.
“I see that you finally made it home.” Tobias knelt down in front of him. “I must say it took you much longer than I expected.” He waved a finger, motioning Carl to come to him. “Come here.”
Carl dropped to his belly and ducked his head down low. Even with the smile gracing his lips, Carl knew Tobias wanted to punish him. Punish him for not loving him and for leaving.
“I said to come here!” Tobias said sharply and Carl crawled toward him. He flinched as Tobias ran his hand through his fur. The gesture seemed so loving and to any bystander watching, nonthreatening. “Oh the things I have planned for you, my love. When I’m done with you, you’ll never think about leaving me ever again.”
A soft whimper sprang from his throat before he could swallow it down. It didn’t matter how strong he wanted to be. It wouldn’t be enough. Without the help of his mate, Tobias would for sure beat him into submission. And knowing Jake had forsaken him, Carl didn’t even feel like fighting back. He’d take whatever beating Tobias gave him if it meant Casper would be safe. At this point that was all that mattered to him.
He’d fallen for Tobias’s lies and it wasn’t fair to make Casper suffer for his mistakes. Carl would agree to anything and do anything if he could bargain for Casper’s freedom. His brother deserved a normal life and one way or another Carl would find a way to make that happen.
“Let’s go.” Tobias grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled up. Carl yelped but didn’t fight back. “Anton!” Tobias called out. “Take my pet up to my room.” Tobias looked down at him and a sparkle glinted in his eyes. “And chain him to my bed.”
“Yes, sir.” Anton took hold of Carl around the neck and dragged him up the stairs.
In the distance Carl could hear the clicking of Tobias’s boots as he walked away in the other direction. Carl wanted to howl in frustration. If Tobias wasn’t with him then it meant he was with Casper. He sat back on his hunches trying to break Anton’s hold but the man just pinched the skin he had a hold of harder. Carl was no match for Anton’s brute strength.
“Stop stalling!” Anton bit out. He threw open the door and reached back with his other hand to grab Carl by the tail. Anton with more power than needed shoved him into the room.
The hardwood flooring was slick under his paws and he tried to use his nails to slow him down. But it didn’t help stop his momentum and he banged against the wall with a loud thud. The force rattled his head and made his vision blurry.
“Shift.” Anton nudged him with his booted foot. Carl lay in a heap, still stunned from hitting the wall. “I said shift, you piece of shit!” Anton shouted then followed his order with a kick to Carl’s rib cage.
Carl grunted and tried to relax to bring about his shift to human form. He took a deep breath but he couldn’t focus. Anton shouted again and gifted him with another kick, this one higher, right around the breastbone.
Just as Anton brought his foot back to land another blow, Carl forced himself to shift. He brought his hands up to shield his face as Anton connected with his forearm.
“I don’t know why he wastes so much time on you.” Anton grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up toward the bed. “Ever since you were just a pup he wanted you.” Anton shook his head as he spoke as if he were disgusted. “All the things he did just to have you and this is the thanks he gets? You run off. And look at you.”
Carl’s head snapped up so fast he became dizzy all over again. What did Anton mean? What had Tobias done?
Anton’s beady eyes roamed over Carl’s and he tried to fold his body up to appear as small as possible. “You’re weak and not worthy of him. Tobias deserves better.”
Carl didn’t say anything. He crawled up on the bed and held his hands out to Anton. He’d learned long ago to not fight back. Anton didn’t care how much pain he caused Carl and he couldn’t afford to let Anton accidently kill him in one of his tirades. If he was dead he couldn’t help Casper.
Once Anton had Carl’s hands chained together he pulled the excess chain tight so that Carl’s arms stretched above his head. Carl winced as his joints popped and he used his feet to scoot up the bed to relieve some of the pressure.
“What the hell.” Anton let go of the chain and wrenched Carl’s head to the side. “What have you done?” The man started to laugh.
Hard fingers ran over the mark Jake had left on his neck. Carl’s stomach dropped and he could feel perspiration break out across his forehead. He had totally forgotten about the bite mark and he had no way of covering it up and it wouldn’t matter. Anton would tell Tobias regardless.
“Boy have you messed up now.” Anton finished latching the chain to the side of the bed then looked back at Carl. With one last smirk he slapped Carl across the face. Pain bloomed across his upper cheek, causing his eyes to water. Anton’s laughter could be heard as he left the room.
Once the door was shut Carl immediately started to pull on the chains. His hands felt numb from the binding being so tight and there was no extra give in the length. He was stuck. He had to wait until Tobias came to him. The thought of being at that man’s mercy made his stomach start to stir. His mouth began to water and he began to gag. Only bitter acid filled his mouth but he swallowed it down.
Carl looked around the room to see if there was anything he could use to his advantage if by some miracle he could break free. It was up to him to save Casper and himself. No matter what his mind had said, his heart couldn’t believe Jake and the others had abandoned him to this fate. He had to stay strong and pray that Jake wouldn’t fail him now when he needed him the most.
* * * *
“Let go of me,” Jake gritted out between clenched teeth.
“If I let you go you can’t go down there, Jake,” Holden whispered against his ear. “They’ll see you coming and kill you before you ever reach the door. If you’re dead what use are you to Carl?” Holden gave him a little shake.
His friend spoke nothing but truths. If he ran down there like a ravenous wolf, Tobias would gun him down before he reached the drive. That’s what Jake would do if the tables were turned. He had to be smart about this.
“Okay, I get it. Now will you please get off of me?” Jake looked over his shoulder at Holden.
Holden climbed off his back but stayed close. Jake got up to his knees and looked down at the house. It looked quiet and peaceful but Jake knew it was all a façade for what really was going on behind closed doors. His mate once again was trapped in that house of horrors.
“What the fuck happened?” Jake and Holden both turned at Seth’s harsh words. “How could you just let him go?”
Jake’s lips curled back and his fist balled up. “You think I would voluntarily let my mate run into danger?” He didn’t give Seth the opportunity to respond. “You are a fucking asshole if you believe that. I love him.”
“I know you do.” Seth softened his tone. “But you need to explain to me what just happened?”
Jake flopped back to sit on his ass. He ran a hand through his hair. “He said he heard his brother then took off running faster than I’ve ever seen another wolf go.”
Seth looked from him to Holden. “Did you two hear anything?”
“I didn’t,” Holden said then turned to Jake. “Did you?”
“No.” Jake shook his head. He had been too preoccupied kissing his mate to have noticed another person’s cry for help, but not Carl. His mate sprang into action with little thought to his own well-being and no matter how much that infuriated Jake, he understood. If it were his brothers Tobias had locked up not even the hounds of hell could stop him from getting to them. The same went for his mate but he had to have a plan. Clear minds needed to prevail so they all didn’t wind up dead. He couldn’t sentence Carl or his brother to a lifetime of Tobias�
��s torture.
“What’s the plan now?” Holden asked as if reading Jake’s mind.
“There’s an entrance in the back.” Seth pointed out toward the house. “It looks like a way in through the basement. It’s off to the side away from the back of the house. We’ll wait until it’s dark then shift and make a run for the door.” Seth took a deep breath and dropped his head to stare at the ground. Jake didn’t like the look on the man’s face. “Jake, I’m sorry to say this but I’m hoping Tobias and the other two men in the house are so preoccupied they don’t notice us.”
Jake closed his eyes and let his head fall back. The thought that Tobias was touching his mate made his stomach turn and his skin crawl. “Then what?” he asked softly.
“Once we reach the house we’ll shift back. Get inside and search for the brothers.” Seth’s face went hard and his eyes narrowed. “And we kill whoever gets in our way.”
“I’m down with that.” Jake nodded his head. “Holden, you okay with this?”
“If it means saving Carl and Casper, then yes. We need to do whatever it takes.” Holden hesitated and Jake could see an uncertainty creep along his friend’s face.
“What’s wrong?” Jake asked Holden.
“I’m wondering if we should call Devon.” Holden held his hands up, silencing Jake’s rebuttal. “All I’m saying is we don’t know exactly how many wolves are in that house. Yes, Carl said Anton was the only wolf that lived with Tobias and we’ve only seen one other person go inside but we’re not a hundred percent certain.”
“We don’t have time to wait.” Jake pointed toward the house. “God only knows what’s going on in there right now. I’m sorry, Holden, this is a chance I have to take but I will not force you to go.” Holden had been a good friend to him and any other time he would agree to call for backup but time wasn’t something they had a lot of. None of them knew what Tobias’s plans were for Carl or his brother. For all he knew the alpha had plans on killing Casper as a form of punishment for Carl. Carl wouldn’t be able to live if that were to happen and Jake couldn’t live without Carl.