The Mating

by Nicky Charles

  “Oh, what a clever girl you are.” Marla mocked. “You’re right. Marty showed me enough about how an engine works that I can hotwire it or sabotage it. Once Zack was dead, I figured Ryne would be the logical replacement since he was older. When it looked undecided, I gave matters a little push. Ryne was bigger and I thought he’d win a challenge, so I told him that Kane had sabotaged Zack’s brakes. Being the impulsive, hot-headed type that he is, Ryne issued the challenge before he had time to think things through. Unfortunately, he lost and it set me back a bit. I’d been working on Ryne for weeks before then, convincing him that selling out was the right choice, and now I had to start all over again.”

  So that’s why everyone thought Ryne was behaving differently just before the challenge, Elise realised. Marla had probably been using all of her wiles to try and compel him to give in to Northern Oil.

  Marla stared disinterestedly at the various rocks and trees that decorated the ravine, her lip curling slightly as if she found her surroundings somewhat distasteful. She gave a quiet snort, then returned her focus to Elise. “With Ryne gone, I went to work on Kane, trying to convince him to sell out. I poisoned the water, set traps, had the electricity turned off, called the fire inspectors… Even that picture was part of the plan.”

  “The picture?”

  “Remember how worried Kane was? How he thought someone might notice that the wolf in the picture isn’t a real wolf? If someone comes to check it out, the pack could be discovered. I might even hire a few actors to do that, now that I think about it. People poking around town, looking for wolves is a guaranteed way to spook our Alpha. You see, Kane cares too much about his pack and that’s his weakness. If I can convince him it isn’t safe here, he’ll agree to sell out and move elsewhere. Once the cash is in his hands, I can electronically siphon it from his account into an untraceable Swiss one in my own name.” Marla stopped and looked down at Elise, scowling. “Everything was going great until you showed up.”

  “Marla, if it’s money you want, I can talk to Kane. I’m sure he’d give you some.”

  “Some!” Marla scoffed. “I don’t want some. I want it all.” She checked her watch. “Well, as much as I’ve enjoyed this scintillating conversation, I’d better go get Ryne’s clothes on again. If I’m going to kill you, I want his scent all over you.” Winking, she kicked Elise’s broken leg. “Don’t go anywhere while I’m gone.”

  Elise tasted blood in her mouth from where her teeth were biting into her lip. She wouldn’t cry out and give Marla the satisfaction of knowing how much that had hurt, even though her body was screaming with pain. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of retreating footsteps until they could be heard no more.

  Finally she could let her aching body relax. Unclenching her hands and her jaw, Elise took stock of her situation. She was alone at the bottom of a ravine, with a broken leg, a money-hungry she-wolf coming back to kill her at any moment, and a dead body for company. Blinking, she reached up a shaky hand to brush a lone snowflake from her face. Yes, she was alone and no one knew where she was…

  Chapter 31

  Surrounded by the quiet stillness of the woods, Elise sat at the bottom of the ravine, listening to the sound of her own laboured breathing. Every square inch of her body hurt. She’d just completed what felt like a herculean task by working herself into a sitting position and sliding her way over to the base of a small tree. Now, as she leaned against the trunk, she fought back waves of blackness that threatened to overtake her. The move had been excruciating and her immediate plan, to put as much distance between herself and this location before Marla returned, would have to wait until the urge to vomit and faint had passed.

  This was a fine mess that she’d landed herself in and had no idea how she was going to get out of it. Her first thought had been to try to contact Kane, seeking him out with her mind, but nothing came to her. He was still blocking her out, but did that necessarily mean he couldn’t sense her? Did it work both ways? Concentrating as hard as she could, she projected her thoughts outward. For a moment, she wondered if she’d captured his attention, but then the little spark was gone, leaving her feeling empty and alone once again.

  Staring up at the sky, she watched as more snowflakes began to fall. They landed on her face and caught in her lashes. It was actually quite pretty, she mused, letting her mind drift away from the pain that shot through her with every breath. If she was back at the Alpha house, she’d be sitting in the kitchen, sipping a fresh cup of coffee and watching Helen bake. The mug would be warm in her hands and the smell of fresh baked cookies would fill the air while they chatted about pack life. In her dream world, Kane would come walking in and place his hands on her shoulders. Then he’d nuzzle her neck and trail his warm lips along her jaw until their mouths met in a slow, warm kiss. Elise smiled at the thought and let her eyes drift shut, cherishing the picture.

  She must have drifted off, for the cry of a blue jay had her becoming aware of her surroundings with a start. Grey rocks jutted out of the dark soil that composed the sides and base of the ravine while sickly thin saplings and dried weeds haphazardly popped up here and there. Evidence of what might be a stream in wetter weather could be seen meandering down the centre of the ravine floor, but at present only the tiniest trickle of water was evident.

  Looking down towards her injured leg, Elise saw that a small amount of snow had accumulated around her and she realised that she was shivering. Her warm wolf fur would come in handy right now, she thought, but she hesitated to change forms. Her leg was broken and she wasn’t sure how phasing would affect it. Could the reshaping of the bone cause further damage or would it help it to heal faster? And then again, did she want it to heal faster if it wasn’t properly set? Could she end up with a permanently damaged leg or one that needed to be re-broken in order to be corrected? Nibbling on her lip, she decided to hold off changing forms as long as possible, but, if necessary, she’d risk being lame over being dead.

  Glancing at her watch, she saw that it had broken in the fall, so she had no real idea of the time. Squinting up at the sky, a very hazy glow from the sun could just be seen through the cloud cover. From its position, she assumed it was almost noon. By now, Mr. Mancini would be having a fit that she hadn’t shown up for her shift at the Grey Goose, though Kane had forbidden her to work there anymore. She wondered if he’d meant it, or even remembered having uttered the words; it had been said in the heat of the moment after all. The way Kane had ranted and ordered her around yesterday still rankled underneath the hurt of his rejection. When she saw him again—if she ever saw him again—she’d have to clear that up. She enjoyed her job. To be sure it was just waitressing, but she was becoming quite good at it and enjoyed interacting with people. Working at the Grey Goose was her first taste of independence and she wasn’t going to give it up without a fight.

  She gave herself a little shake. Why was she getting so worked up about her job at a time like this? Staying alive was a more pressing matter! Her stomach chose that moment to rumble and she realised that she’d forgotten to eat breakfast, instead she had spent her time telling Helen her troubles. She recalled with longing the delicious smells that had been floating around the kitchen earlier. Everyone would be gathering at the Alpha house now and enjoying Helen’s lunch of scalloped potatoes and baked ham. Would anyone notice she was missing and wonder where she was? Would Kane try to establish a connection with her in order to locate her? Once again, she tried to contact him, but soon gave up in frustration. If he was receiving her, he wasn’t giving any acknowledgement of the fact.

  Damn him for being so stubborn and pigheaded! Her anger started to grow. If he had only listened to her, rather than believing all the evidence against her, he’d have left the connection between them open. Then he’d know she was in trouble and get his butt over here. A part of her mind told her this was unfair. If the tables had been turned and she’d seen him hugging Marla, along with reading love notes and tape recorded messages, she’d be incli
ned to see him as guilty too. Still, she’d like to think that she’d have checked up on his well-being now and then, especially if he didn’t show up for a meal and had left no explanation.

  Running her fingers through her hair, she realised that the temperature must have risen. She wasn’t feeling as cold any more. In fact, a thin film of sweat was forming on her brow and she unzipped her jacket, closing her eyes and relishing the feeling of the cool air as it hit her overheated body. Ah, that felt better. Suddenly she widened her eyes. Oh no! Not now! She was becoming used to reading the signals her body gave out; one of those waves was approaching again. A frustrated growl rumbled in her throat. The heat cycles were supposed to be fun, and filled with hours of great sex. So far not a single one had lived up to her expectations. Kane had been away for the first, mad at her for the second and now, well, who knew where he might be!

  Well, she wasn’t just going to take this lying down. She’d funnel all the sexual frustration inside of her into trying to escape out of this ravine. Looking around she saw a few sticks that might serve as a crutch and slowly, painfully, dragged herself over to them. After testing several, she took the longest and sturdiest one available and, using the tree for support, heaved herself up into a standing position. Once upright, she swayed precariously for a few moments until the world quit tilting and then slowly began to hobble in a northerly direction.

  After only a few steps, she was bathed in perspiration, the pain shooting up from her leg was almost unbearable, but she forced herself to keep moving. She had to get away. Marla was returning with plans to kill her and no one knew where she was. No one was coming to rescue her; she had only herself to rely on. Focusing solely on walking, she repeated the patterned movement over and over in her head: balance on the good leg, move the stick forward, use it for balance while hoping ahead, swallow hard and ignore the pain each lurching step caused, then repeat.

  Her good leg was starting to tremble with fatigue. Reluctantly, Elise stopped and leaned against a tree, panting for breath. It felt like she’d been travelling for ages. Glancing backward to see how far she’d come, she wanted to scream; she could still see Rose’s crumpled body, now partially covered with snow. All her efforts had gained her was a few hundred yards. Tears of frustration and self-pity swam in her eyes and she brushed them away, sniffing inelegantly. No, she couldn’t give in, she had to keep trying. Where was all that anger and frustrated energy when she needed it?

  Squaring her shoulders, she made another hopping step forward and then cried out in fear as her makeshift crutch slipped on the snowy ground and she fell forward. Twisting midair, she managed to protect her face by landing on her shoulder. The air left her body in a whoosh as she hit the partially frozen earth and she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. This time she allowed the tears to fall, beating the ground as she vented. She knew it was totally unproductive, but at that moment, didn’t really care. She was scared, she hurt, her hormones were raging and, quite frankly, life sucked at the moment!

  When she was finally done sobbing, she felt only marginally better. While the crying jag seemed to have curbed the heat, she still hurt all over and was more scared than she ever thought possible. Lying on the ground she gave a forlorn hiccup and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. She had to get up and keep trying. Waiting for Marla to come and finish her off wasn’t an option. Rolling over, she manoeuvred herself into a sitting position and began to look around for something to use to help lever herself upward. The faintest of sounds reached her ears and she froze, listening intently as she tried to decipher what it might be. Heavy breathing, footsteps—no, make that paws—and a slight snuffling sound. Someone was coming in wolf form and they were sniffing, following a trail.

  She wondered who it might be. Was Marla back already? Or maybe Julia had decided to join her and Rose? Could it be Kane finally coming to rescue her? Elise hesitated. Should she call out, assuming it was someone coming to rescue her? But what if it was Marla? No use in tipping the woman off.

  Scooting herself back towards a tangle of shrubs, Elise attempted to conceal herself just in case. She’d watch and see who appeared. If it was rescue, she’d call out. If it was Marla… Well, she’d stay hidden as long as possible, and then fight tooth and nail for her life when the time came.

  Minutes passed like hours as she listened to the sounds grow louder. Whoever was coming was approaching with caution, picking their way along sniffing carefully. Elise forced herself to breathe slowly and lightly in order not to make a sound. She kept her eyes sharply fixed on the point where she felt the wolf would first appear.

  Her vigilance was finally rewarded and she gave a slight gasp of relief. A large black wolf was coming into sight. Kane was looking for her! She began to lean forward, but then paused. Something was wrong; the way the wolf moved, the set of his ears… It wasn’t Kane, nor was it any wolf she’d encountered before. Sniffing, she tried to pick up his scent, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Narrowing her gaze, she studied the animal.

  It stood poised at the top of the ravine almost exactly where she and Rose had tumbled over the edge. Slowly the wolf scanned the area and Elise resisted the urge to move backward, aware that any movement on her part would draw the wolf’s attention. Thankfully, its gaze passed over her and then fell upon Rose’s body. With a yip, the wolf made its way down the steep slope and nuzzled the corpse.

  Biting her lip, Elise considered her options. She could stay hidden or call out for help, but she didn’t know who this person was. Were they a friend, someone just passing through, or possibly even an accomplice of Marla and Rose that she hadn’t yet heard of?

  The decision was taken out of her hands when the wolf began to sniff around Rose’s body and then, obviously picking up her scent, began to head her way. Reaching around for her walking stick, Elise held it firmly in her hands. It wasn’t much protection, but it was better than nothing.

  Closer and closer the wolf came. Elise could feel her heart beating faster and her palms becoming sweaty. She shifted her grip on the stick and raised it in preparation for swinging as hard as she could. The wolf stopped just a few feet from her hiding spot and gave a whine. Licking her lips, Elise hesitated. It was a friendly, non-threatening greeting. She opened her mouth to speak, and then blinked. The wolf was looking directly at her and had the most incredible blue eyes.

  The air shimmered and the wolf disappeared, only to be replaced by the best looking man she’d ever seen, after Kane. In fact, the man was almost a carbon copy of Kane, except for the eyes and a few very subtle variations in the slant of the nose and breadth of shoulder. This had to be the mysterious Ryne!

  Chapter 32

  The usual clatter of utensils filled the dining room as hungry pack members ate Helen’s culinary offering. Most had been outside since early morning, either helping to clean up the oil spill or patrolling the perimeter of the territory looking for signs of trespassers.

  Kane sat at the head of the table, poking at his food, unable to eat. Elise was off to work by now and he couldn’t help but think of how badly they’d parted. Yesterday morning, he’d had such hopes when he’d come home early, leaving Franz temporarily in charge of the oil clean up. It had been her birthday and he’d been planning the day for quite some time; Ryne and his annoying childish pranks weren’t going to be allowed to spoil the day Kane had mapped out.

  Staring blindly across the room, Kane reviewed how the day should have gone. He’d arranged for a private room at the Grey Goose where the two of them would have had an intimate meal together. His friend, Edward Mancini, even had the chef make a special menu just for the occasion. When Elise finally finished her shift, Kane would meet her in the parking lot, blindfold her and then bring her in through the private side door—Edward having assured him that Elise hadn’t yet seen the exclusive suites upstairs. She’d be so surprised by the luxurious surroundings; he could just imagine the look on her face when she saw the four poster bed, complete with a curtained canop
y, the hot tub, the gold faucets in the bath…

  After a leisurely meal, he would give her his presents. He smiled thinking how she’d react to the green sweater he’d bought. She’d mentioned it on one of her first days here, but probably never realised how closely he’d been listening to what she said. The sweater had been sitting on hold at the store for the last two weeks, with instructions to deliver it that morning so there was no chance of Elise accidentally finding it. Next, he’d present her with a delicate gold bracelet he’d picked out to suit the fine bones of her wrist. It had a small wolf medallion hanging from it, inscribed with their names and the date of their mating.

  For his last gift, he was planning on professing his feelings, thus giving her his heart. Kane knew he had always been cautious about opening up to anyone, but with Elise it was different. He felt comfortable sharing his inner self with her and wanted to ask if she’d blood bond with him. Then, if everything went as he’d planned, they’d spend the rest of the afternoon making love and discovering each other’s most secret thoughts and feelings.