by Anya Bast
Capturing Caroline
By Anya Bast
SMASHWORDS EDITION
PUBLISHED BY:
Anya Bast on Smashwords
Capturing Caroline © 2014 Anya Bast
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
~*~
A Note from the Author
Hello, fair readers ~ I am New York Times bestselling author, Anya Bast. This novella was once published with Ellora’s Cave and is a reissue. I have updated and expanded this work.
If you have found this novella after reading my Elemental Witches or Dark Magick series, you will find this story to be more erotic. Be warned!
If you’re not eighteen yet, please return when you are. This story is for adults only.
~*~
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
www.anyabast.com
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Chapter One
His name was Torrent.
Under other conditions, Caroline was pretty sure she would’ve fallen in love with him within the first five minutes of meeting him. It didn’t matter that she’d never seen his face. Even if he had three eyes and a blue tongue, it wouldn’t matter. His protective and caring manner was enough to make all other such shallow considerations secondary.
Of course, conditions being what they were—imprisoned in an alien dungeon—love wasn’t really on the menu.
“Menu,” Caroline groaned, her mouth watering.
“What?”
She opened her eyes and scooted down from her bunk to the dirty stone floor and crouched at the iron bars that separated her cell from Torrent’s. Tucking the skirt of the prison gown she wore around her legs, she peered into the darkness toward the direction of his voice. “A menu. Where I come from there are places called restaurants. They give you a menu listing all the meals they prepare. That’s what you order from.” Oh, crap, she was drooling just thinking about it. “After so many days of stale bread and warm water just the thought of a menu brings me to my knees.”
His voice came out in a low, reassuring rumble from the corner of his cell. “I read about restaurants once. Where I come from such places do not exist. We prepare meals with family and friends. The closest we have to something like a restaurant is an open kitchen at an inn for weary travelers far from home.”
Where he came from was mysterious. It certainly wasn’t the sharp, shining city she’d stumbled into when she’d come through the veil—that’s what Torrent called it, the veil—and into this strange place. She came from Earth, but she’d accepted that she was no longer there. She was in another reality, the flip side of a coin. Somehow, impossibly, she’d been taken from Earth and plopped down in this place. Torrent called it Selaryica.
After she’d come through the veil, she’d found herself in the middle of a clearing. On the horizon had been a great city, all shining towers and glittering edges. She’d walked straight for it, but, in hindsight, she should have turned and ran into the woods. She should have run as far as she could’ve away from it because at the city’s edge the first person she saw arrested her.
And she’d ended up here, in a dungeon cell next to Torrent.
She’d lost track of how long she’d been here since it was completely dark or mostly dark all of the time. For a while, she’d been lost in a twisted haze of denial and shock. Torrent had laid it all out for her, but her mind had refused to comprehend. Alternate realities had been something for science fiction writers. They couldn’t be real. And, if they were real, how could she have been pulled into one? She worried about how she’d get home, and couldn’t understand why they hated her so much here.
It was necessity that had finally made her accept the unbelievable as truth. It was either acknowledge the bizarreness of her situation or go insane. The constant darkness of the prison cell was almost enough to send her over the edge. She had to fight for every bit of sanity she could retain.
She had so many questions and Torrent seemed to know more than he was telling her. As much as she appreciated his protectiveness, she didn’t like that he seemed to be keeping certain things secret.
The small slot at the base of the heavy metal door scraped open and a wooden tray slid inside, first to Torrent’s cell and then into hers. She tried not to lunge across the floor and stuff the entire crust of bread into her mouth. She was starving, but she still had her pride. Reaching into the thick darkness, she sought the tray and drew it to her.
They got two pieces of bread a day, along with a small tin cup filled with tepid water. She’d wanted to take off a few pounds…but this wasn’t the way she’d wanted to do it.
Just as she was lifting the bit of bread to her mouth, Torrent pushed his share through the bars. “Eat mine, too.”
“What? No, I can’t. You need it.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“No, really—”
“Please.”
“Torrent, we get the same amount of food every day and you’re a guy, you’re bigger than me. You need more calories—”
“Ridiculous. Take the bread. It’s all I can do for you right now.” Odd how he sounded guilty about that.
She took his bread, offered through the bars, knowing he wouldn’t let up until she agreed. As she ate, she scooted closer to him. “Why does it matter what you can do for me? I’m nobody to you.”
Torrent remained silent.
“I know you’re keeping something from me. It’s almost like you feel responsible for me being here, but that’s impossible. It can’t be your fault. You were already here when they threw me in, and we never knew each other before this.” She didn’t say it aloud, but one of her worst fears was that they’d move Torrent from his cell. If she didn’t have him she surely would go insane.
Still, Torrent said nothing.
She pressed on. “From day one it’s been like you know who I am. You’ve seemed so sad that I’m imprisoned here and I’ve wondered why. You weren’t…expecting me, were you, Torrent? That’s impossible…right?”
“Not expecting you.” Torrent let out a slow breath of defeat. “You weren’t supposed to be brought over. I was supposed to die before that happened." He sounded disgusted at himself. His voice dropped to a rough murmur. “This is the worst possible scenario that could be.”
Caroline gulped down the last of the bread. “What are you talking about?”
He made a frustrated sound. “I’d hoped not to tell you.”
“Whatever it is, I deserve to know.” She curled her fingers around the bars and peered vainly into the blackness of Torrent’s cell, hoping for the millionth time for a glimpse of his face.
He sounded tortured.
“You won’t believe me.”
She snorted. “Torrent, I was pulled into an alternate reality and arrested by aliens. I think at this point I’ll believe anything.”
“You’re my soul mate, Caroline.”
She paused for a moment, absorbing his words. Then she laughed. For some reason hearing those words—such strange words, so unexpected—in this situation was hilarious to her. “Soul mate?”
“Yes, Caroline, I’m completely serious right now
.”
She bent over double, holding her aching, still-hungry stomach, and laughed so hard tears streamed down her face. Maybe it was stress. Maybe this was a catharsis. Caroline didn’t know. All she knew was that it felt damn good to laugh.
Finally the laughter stopped and she wiped her cheeks. “Uhm, okay. That’s funny. So I’m your soul mate, huh?” Maybe she’d been spending all this time with a crazy man.
Torrent’s body thudded against the bars separating them as though he was trying to squeeze through them. “I’m the reason you’re here, Caroline. My blood called to yours. You and I, we’re a perfect match and the universe connected us even through alternate realities, like two magnets finding each other through time and space.”
“I’m sorry, Torrent,” she said, scooting away from him. “I didn’t realize all this time I was talking to a cra—I mean, someone with sanity issues.”
Torrent made a low sound of frustration. “You just pointed it out; you’re sitting in an alien prison, why is it so hard to believe you and I are connected?”
She sobered. He was right. So many other impossible things had happened to her this week, why not one more? Swallowing hard against her dry throat, she chose her words carefully. “Okay, I will grant you that just about anything could be possible if such things like alternate realities are true.”
“I didn’t want for you to be drawn over. I was supposed to die before that happened. There’s a prophecy.” He grunted in frustration. “You were supposed to stay in your world, and I was supposed to die, but it didn’t work out that way. Everything’s a mess and you’re in danger.” His voice had gone low and angry. “How am I supposed to protect you now?”
“Hey, I’m capable of protecting myself, okay?” The guy was a tad bit chauvinistic. That was definitely something they’d have to talk about if they really were soul mates…if they got out of this alive.
“I know you’re strong, Caroline. The fact you’re still sane says that much about you.”
“Let’s pretend for a moment that what you say is true, that I have been pulled through my reality and into yours because I’m your soul mate. Explain to me how all that would work, exactly.”
Torrent moved closer to the bars. “That is a complicated question. I will try and answer it as succinctly and understandably as possible.”
She moved to his side and absorbed as much of his body heat that she could. “I’d appreciate that.”
“You are in a country called Selaryica. It is a place with several races, the primary and most populous of which are the Magica. They have been at war with my people, the Lycaon, for centuries.”
“So these guys who have us imprisoned are the Magica.”
“Yes, you are in the city of Titan right now. The Magica are in command of certain types of magick. My people are the Lycaon and the Magica genetically engineered them a very, very long time ago. That happened when we all lived in your reality, around nine thousand B.C.”
“Uhm, what?”
“Let me try and clarify. The Magica and the Lycaon are both native to your reality. The Magica created the Lycaon to be warriors and protectors of their race. They created us to not be able to procreate, but we evolved, changed and became able to produce offspring. The Lycaon became a separate species, a race in our own right, and we fought for independence from the servitude of the Magica. When that happened, the Magica felt threatened and tried to kill us all. This sparked a great war, one that has waged between our peoples ever since.”
“How did the Magica and the Lycaon end up over here, if you’re native to my world?”
“When the war began between our people, the mystical Powers-That-Be pulled all of us over here.”
“Mystical Powers-That-Be?”
“We don’t know for sure how it happened, but we may know why it happened. It is thought this occurred because humanity was in its infancy and we would have interrupted that species had we remained.”
“This is too weird.”
“It gets weirder. Some of the Magica and Lycaon were left behind on Earth and their genetic signature exists today in certain individuals, certain individuals like you.”
She frowned and gripped the bars tighter. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you have Lycaon blood. The Magica never expected for the Lycaon to be able to produce offspring. Not only do we do that ability, but we spawn shifters that take forms other than dire wolf—“
“Wait a minute, what? Dire wolf? Shifter?”
“Did I skip that part? Yes, the Lycaon are shifters, mostly to the form of dire wolf but sometimes to other birds and beasts.”
“And I am…part Lycaon?” She rocked back on her heels, trying desperately to absorb that.
“Our fertility rates are low and we produce many more males than females. It’s a result of the genetic engineering; we suspect. There is a magical component to the fertility of the Lycaon, as well, that we call the mating bond. It links most compatible males and females, no matter where they may be, and draws them together. If a mate is beyond the veil separating our realities, it pulls that mate through.” He paused. “That’s what happened to you.”
“B-but…whoa. Just whoa...if I’m part Lycaon, what about my sisters? What about—”
“Kaitlyn and Paige are here, mated, and doing very well.” He said the words softly, carefully. “Kaitlyn is a hawk shifter, strong of heart and sharp of eye. She is mated to Rafian and Lucas. Paige is a dire wolf shifter, happy with her mates, Jarek and Kaiden.”
The strength went out of Caroline’s body. She fell back with relief and curled up into a ball on the floor, sob after sob racking her body. After all this time she knew her sisters were okay.
“Caroline?” came Torrent’s voice. “Are you all right?”
The sobs eased away and she rested boneless on the floor for several moments. Finally, she pushed up, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Her voice came out harsh and unforgiving. “I sat in here for God only knows how many days and you said nothing about my sisters. How could you?”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you. It was wrong. I didn’t say anything because telling you about your sisters would have forced me to tell you about us.” He paused. “I know what my fate is to be and…now I fear it may be yours as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am prophesied to die in this war and I believe my death will come soon. Like I said, I’d hoped it would happen before you were brought over—”
“But here I am.” Her voice sounded dismal to her own ears.
“Yes.”
They were quiet for several moments. Finally, Caroline forced her thoughts away from her likely bleak future. “What did you mean when you said Kaitlyn and Paige have mates?”
“Exactly that. Most women here have two mates, not one. Sometimes even three. It depends on how many men that woman is perfectly suited for.”
“And…me?”
Torrent remained silent for several moments, and when he finally spoke, he sounded tortured. “You and I are rare exceptions. You and I are only suited for each other.”
“So, basically you’re telling me I found my soul mate mere moments before both our deaths. Awesome.”
“I won’t let them hurt you.” His voice came out a protective snarl.
She pressed herself as close as she could to the bars. “You don’t have a choice, Torrent, and you know it.”
Torrent said nothing for several moments, then he reached up and touched her cheek. “I can’t even see you in this darkness, but I know you’re a part of me. I can feel it.”
It was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. Her throat clogged and she blinked away tears. “Do you want to know what I look like? I have dark hair and eyes—”
“You’re beautiful in every way. I don’t need to see your face to know that.”
She swallowed hard and reached into the darkness, placing her hands on his cheeks and feeling the cu
rves and ridges of his face like a blind person. Maybe it was the situation, the danger, the darkness, whatever, all Caroline knew was that no matter how crazy his story sounded, she wanted to believe it. Her voice came out soft and full of tenderness. “I wish I could know you, Torrent.”
He made a low sound of anguish. A heartbeat later the scrape of the cell door opening scoured their eardrums. The guards coming to take Torrent somewhere? Cold fear gripped her heart.
What if this was the end? What if they were going to execute him?
She gripped his hand. “No. It can’t happen,” she whispered to herself. She wasn’t sure about this whole soul mate thing, but she knew one thing: Torrent was a special man and she had deep feelings for him. No way could she let him go.
Not now. Not ever.
“It won’t,” Torrent snarled. He pulled away from her faster than lightning. A roar, a crash, and two muffled yelps of terror filled the darkness. Silence for three heartbeats. Then the sound of jingling keys met her ears and a scrape of shoes on the corridor floor. A key turned in the lock of her door and it swung open slowly. She threw her arms up, even the dim light of the corridor blinding her. She blinked, unable to make out anything.
Chapter Two
A hand gripped her and pulled her to her feet. “We’re getting out of here,” Torrent growled near her ear. “I have no idea how, but we’re doing it. I deny that prophecy in your name.”
He pulled her into the light of the corridor. She squinted her eyes shut, her pupils on fire after so long in the dark. The light seemed not to affect Torrent at all. She yelped in surprise as he hefted her over his shoulder and began to run down the hallway.
The sounds of an alarm blared suddenly, making her jerk and twist in his grasp. Her eyes were slowly beginning to adjust to the light, but everything was bright, bleary and bouncing as she joggled up and down on his massive shoulder. She could make out the vague forms of guards at the end of the corridor, however, closing fast.