Truth be told, when no one was looking, Travis found himself near the crib, staring down at the little girl and talking to her softly. In such a short amount of time, the little one had come to mean the world to him, and he was determined to protect her and her mother.
A cough came from the door, and Travis looked over where Patrick stood.
“The men are ready.”
He nodded and stood up, his gaze traveling over to Vanessa. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised. She nodded, looking worried again as she shuffled her way towards him.
“All right. Be careful.”
Ignoring Patrick in the doorway, he went to her and touched his mouth to hers. She parted her lips, and he took that as a sign, a yes. His tongue swept in, mingling with hers.
God, he wanted to fuck her again.
She moaned and tried to get closer, her arms encircling his neck.
Another cough came from behind him, and Travis instinctively wanted to hurt his best friend. He couldn’t help the growl that vibrated up from his throat, though, and Vanessa chuckled, drawing back.
Travis was already missing the closeness, the heat, her taste, her smell…
He froze and bent down again, sniffing her neck.
She pulled back, frowning up at him. “What is it?”
“I don’t smell him,” he said, astonished.
Vanessa’s eyes widened. “What?”
“I don’t smell the bastard on you. I smell–.” He bent down again and pressed his nose against her neck, taking her unique and intoxicating scent in. “I smell me.”
Vanessa jerked backwards, and their eyes met. “It worked?” Shock caused her irises to expand, the green to deepen, but he saw more than disbelief. He saw hope and a slight joy that he knew she was afraid to feel.
He opened his mouth to reply, but his fucking friend behind him…
“I’m sorry, Alpha, but we don’t have much time if we are going on the attack.”
Travis growled. Vanessa moved a step away, and his hands fell to his side, but it was the look in her eyes that gave him hope.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here when you return,” she said.
His heart stopped as their gazes met. He nodded. Beyond words at the implication.
He gave her another brief kiss and headed out to deal with the unwanted wolves. For the first time in his life, he hated his job, his responsibility, and just wanted to be in the arms of his mate.
His mate.
He was more determined now than ever before, and his wolf was in full agreement on that score. Against all odds, he may have just broken the weak mate bond of Dominic’s and made Vanessa believe.
Vanessa watched out the window of the office as the men left, and leaning forward, she put her head against the cool glass. Closing her eyes, she drew in a few deep breaths, thinking of the past few days, of the lack of struggle to keep her mind closed. She thought back to smiling more, to feeling relaxed for the first time in years. She had believed that it was because of her daughter and Travis, which was a large part of it, but what if–.
Could Travis be right?
The bond, she thought, her eyes burning with tears. She couldn’t feel it. In fact, ...
She closed her eyes again and pictured Travis, his handsome face hard, looking back towards the direction of the house, towards her. She put her closed fist up against her trembling mouth and a sob tried to burst free, but she held it in.
Travis, please be careful.
Looking back out the window, she watched as he stilled and shot up, his dark gaze zooming in on the direction of the house, where she was.
I will, baby.
She opened her eyes, and their connection seemed to grow and strengthen.
Her bond with Dominic had been broken, and with their brief attachment, Travis knew it, too.
Happiness and joy hit her hard, and a small, tearful laugh filled the silence. Sparkling droplets flowed, streaming down her cheeks.
She was free. She was free! But better than that, her daughter would never know the pain and abuse of the bastard who had helped to create her, of that she vowed.
The link wasn’t there; it had been severed. He couldn’t feel the connection to Vanessa anymore. Even the fight she had been putting up against him finding her was gone. The bond no longer existed.
Dominic struggled to breathe past the fury that threatened to choke him as he stared out the window in his office. There wasn’t much to see, as the tall wall surrounding his place blocked the views from the house, but he could see the snow-covered mountaintops in the distance if he cared to look. And he didn’t. His fists tight and back straight, he didn’t say a word. With the connection broken, he had lost his power over her. After everything he had done to ensure the bitch was his, she had to go and be mated to some bastard.
He will die, too. His grimace set in stone.
Dominic felt the urge to run, to let loose, but he had things to see to, and he was expecting someone very soon. A knock sounded on the door behind him, and for the first time in days, a small satisfied smile curved his thin lips.
“Come in,” he ordered still staring outside.
The fear thickened in the room, growing with each second he remained quiet.
Good.
“Well?” His voice hard, he waited for the excuses to follow, and he wasn’t disappointed.
“A man came out of nowhere and stopped me from setting the fire closer to the house.”
The anxiety increased.
“And?”
He heard the gulp from behind him.
“I did what you asked. I’ve been telling you what you wanted to know.”
More excuses. He was fucking tired of them. He wanted results.
“You’ve failed me twice now, Charles,” he said, calmly.
Dominic finally turned, and the expression on the face of the other man gave him little satisfaction. Only his blood could do that. If Charles had succeeded, Dominic would have Vanessa in front of him, bleeding at his feet with her clothes torn to shreds. He would have had her begging for life as he made her pay. Instead, he had a shriveling coward standing in the room, literally about to wet himself.
Shaking his head in his disgust, his arms still folded behind his back, Dominic’s claws grew as he walked closer to his useless cohort. He didn’t think the other man could have gotten whiter, but what color he had disappeared.
The fear was now full-blown terror.
“You have one more chance,” Dominic said, the low growl a blast into the room. He heard the heartbeat of the other man race, picking up speed.
Charles nodded jerkily.
“Let’s get the betas in here. We don’t have much time.”
The next night, Vanessa stood in front of the window in the living room, looking out into the dark. Travis still hadn’t returned. She refused to admit it to anyone, but she was worried.
Anna was with her daughter, and Samantha and Emma were relaxing in their rooms, so she had a few minutes to brood without anyone noticing. She hoped.
“Ava!”
The scream from the top floor froze her for a split second, wiping the smile and joy from her face that had been on it since realizing that the power Dominic had over her was gone. Vanessa felt her heart stop as she took off, the panic in Anna’s voice unlike any she had ever heard before. She almost tripped on the stairs but caught herself and cleared them. Samantha and Emma flew out of their own rooms and were right behind her. They ran into the area where Anna was frantically throwing the blankets out of the crib.
“Where’s Ava?” Vanessa demanded, her heart in her throat as she ran over to the crib and looked in.
It was empty.
Oh, God, where was my baby?
“I don’t know,” Anna cried, tears streaming down her face. “She was sleeping, so I just went to the restroom. When I returned, she was gone.”
She was sobbing as she dropped to the floor, looking under the furniture and between the cracks of everything; p
laces there was no way a baby would be able to fit. Samantha bent down and drew her hysterical sister into her arms, looking over at her mother’s pale face.
“Get the men. I want this fucking house and land searched,” Emma ordered. Her skin tightened as the wolf fought to be released, to tear into who had taken the little girl.
She’d have to stand in line. Vanessa had already shifted, not bothering to control her own animal. She ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door.
She stopped in the middle of the yard and sniffed, drawing in the scents around her. Something caught on the breeze, and her eyes narrowed as the wrath took over. She took off, the sounds fading behind her as the yard blazed to life and men ran towards the house.
Vanessa didn’t spare them a glance; she was already gone. Her only impulse was to bring her baby back after making those who had taken her pay. No one messed with her child. Her fangs lengthened as she pushed her wolf faster, the smell of that evil prick surrounding her, getting closer.
Out of the blue, pain exploded in her shoulder, and she stumbled, hitting the ground hard. Another shot hit her just as she managed to get to her feet, and she fell again. This time, she couldn’t get up. Her vision faded, but she saw Dominic holding her child in his arms.
The baby’s cry was the last thing Vanessa heard as blackness claimed her.
Travis stumbled to a stop, alarm flashing through his mind. The others behind him stopped and looked over at him, but he ignored them. Something was wrong. He took a step forward as he heard the faint cry again.
Vanessa.
Without a word, he turned and flew across the field, fangs extending past his chin. It was a rare moment and only happened when rage consumed him. His eyes glowed as the faint connection grew weak.
Hold on, baby. I’m coming. Stay with me.
The whole excursion had been a trap; a diversion. He should have known better. Almost two days and they hadn’t spotted any wolves. Vanessa had been the real target.
Son of a bitch.
His pack didn’t speak or ask questions, they just ran with him. Howls of panic and terror met his ears as the bond with his mate grew again. The link between them filled with fear; his heart dropped. He pushed his beast faster.
She’s in danger, his wolf uttered. Our mate is in danger. The animal wasn’t saying anything he didn’t know.
Faster. Faster. Faster. He had to get to her. He couldn’t lose her. He topped the last hill and didn’t stop, pushing himself to reach his home, his mate, his daughter.
Travis ran up the porch steps and raced into the house, skidding to a stop. Without a word, he shifted back, and his mother handed him a set of clothes.
“Thank God, you heard us,” his mother said, tears in her eyes. He knew she hated for people to see her cry, but like him, she loved Vanessa and adored the baby.
“Where’s Vanessa? Where’s the baby?” he commanded, throwing on the clothes without a care as he stared at his family. His heart was in his throat.
“We don’t know! The baby disappeared, and Vanessa raced out of here after shifting, but we can’t find her either.”
Terrified, Travis looked around for Samantha and didn’t see her anywhere.
“Where’s Samantha?” he demanded.
She shook her head. “I-I don’t know.”
What the fuck was happening?
He saw Anna sitting on the couch overcome with tears. She had a small pink blanket on her lap, rubbing it gently.
He ran over to her and knelt down in front of her knees. He grabbed her hands, stilling them.
“Anna,” he crooned, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Where’s Samantha?”
Her lips trembled, her blue eyes welled up, and tears fell. “I-I’m so sorry, Travis,” she whispered. “I just turned my back for a second, went to the bathroom, and when I returned…”
She looked down at her lap, now wailing uncontrollably.
Travis didn’t have time to comfort her. He had to find Vanessa and the baby.
“It’s not your fault, honey,” Emma said, coming to sit next to her daughter.
With that, he jumped up just as Patrick ran in. “We’ve searched the perimeter; can’t even pick up a trace. I have men searching the woods now.”
“Samantha is missing, too,” Travis said grimly.
Patrick cursed. “Fuck. You think the lead was a trick?”
“Yeah, I do. It was meant to get us away from the house.”
But that didn’t explain Samantha missing.
Another man, Thomas, ran in, and the look on his young face had Travis’ heart falling to his feet.
He must have deciphered his look, his fright, because Thomas gave his blond head a quick shake.
“Alpha, we found something,” he said grimly.
The three men walked outside.
“What is it?” Travis asked.
“It’s Charles. We found his body in the woods. It’s not a pleasant sight.
He cursed, having a feeling this death was more than what it seemed. It was a message.
Turning to Patrick, Travis ordered, “Expand the search. I want the bordering packs searched as well.”
Patrick looked at him, his eyebrow raised. “You think that’s wise?”
“They’ll understand. Make it known we don’t believe they’re involved, but these sons-of-bitches traveled across their land. That will piss them off more than anything. I’ll close up here and be right behind you.”
Chapter 21
Her baby was crying. Vanessa fought the darkness as she struggled to awaken. What was wrong with her baby?
“Vanesssssaaaa. Time to wake up.”
That voice. Cold dread encased her heart, and the panic of the past, the fear, hit her.
Oh, God. He has my baby.
“Open your eyes, Vanessa. Our baby is gorgeous; looks just like you.”
Her wolf pushed, howling in anger and helplessness, and her eyes popped open. She tried to move, but something held her arms and legs down. Her gaze flew around the room, fighting to make sense of what had happened. She looked down at herself, at the binds that held her tied to a small cot, the smell of musk, water, and concrete heavy in the dank air. She shivered, her naked skin glowing in the dark.
A basement.
Unexpectedly, she heard a noise and swung her head towards the sound, zooming in on the man in the corner who was sitting with her child in his arms. The dim shadows from the light streaming down from the steps off to the left of him highlighted his hawkish nose and sharp cheekbones. His piercing eyes gleamed, his tall frame filling out his jeans and t-shirt very well. If it hadn’t been for the coldness emanating from every pore of his body, he would have been handsome. She saw the glittering of his teeth, his fangs extended as he smiled.
Gulping, her eyes went to her child’s pale face. Distress was evident in her eyes, her gaze held Vanessa’s. For being so young, her daughter had an uncanny sense and understanding of her surroundings.
“Give me my baby,” she whispered, her throat tight as she watched him. If the bastard wanted her to beg, she would beg.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Dominic said as he looked down at the little girl in his arms.
“How is it possible? You were a wolf when we had our fun, and surely, a wolf couldn’t–.”
“You mean after you raped me? The only way you could ever get anything from me is by force. Don’t forget that.” Vanessa saw his eyes widen as he looked over at her, a black strand of hair falling over them.
“I’ll be damned,” he said.
She heard the surprise in his voice as he chuckled, ignoring her reply. “You stayed a wolf for over two months after leaving, didn’t you?” He shook his head, still chuckling.
Silently, she watched him as he rocked her baby, her little girl. It sickened her to see Ava in his hands. Her stomach dropped the longer he held her, knowing it was only a matter of time before the monster would appear.
Travis, where are you? I need you.
A slight smile curved his thin lips as he looked up and met her eyes. “I want what is mine.” Hardening his stare, he walked over to where Vanessa lay strapped to the cot. He bent down, the baby, her baby, still tucked against his chest, whimpering.
Raising his free hand, Dominic stroked Vanessa’s cheek with one finger before pushing the hair out of her eyes. Immediately after, pain sliced through her as he jerked her head back by the hair, exposing her neck.
She gasped at the pain but wasn’t prepared for the bite on her neck. She screamed as his teeth sank in, and she felt wetness trail down her skin. A scream mingled with her wolf’s howl filled the air. Seconds seemed like years as he remained there, almost as if he was drinking her life’s essence.
Finally, he released her and pulled back. Blood dripped from his long incisors, and he eyed the wound he’d created.
“Perfect,” he whispered, grinning.
His free hand trailed down the side of her body and between her legs until he came to the junction of her thighs. He closed his eyes and bent down again, licking the side of her neck and grazing the skin with his teeth.
“You’re mine,” he whispered.
A full cry from Ava broke the sound of her ragged breathing, and tears fell from her eyes, sliding down into her hair.
“Please,” Vanessa whispered. “Please don’t hurt my baby.”
Dominic smiled and turned without answering, walking up the set of stairs.
“Please!” she screamed as the door slammed.
Travis stilled and shot up, his eyes widened.
“Vanessa,” he whispered.
His mother ran over to him. “Travis, what is it?’ she asked urgently, the tears still coming easily.
“Vanessa. She called out…through our bond.”
But something was different. For some reason, the connection was thready and about to snap.
Fuck no.
“So she’s still alive.” Emma’s eyes slid closed. “Thank God.”
Travis closed his eyes as well and concentrated.
Vanessa, where are you?
Silence.
His eye sockets burned, and he opened them as he heard someone approach. Patrick stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
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