by T. S. Ryder
Keeping the alpha safe was a top priority. But it would also be very nice to take this bear alive to get some answers.
A low growl vibrated in Ryan's throat. The bear jumped on him and bit at his neck, but his thick mane prevented her from finding purchase. Ryan used the opportunity to throw his paws around her neck and dug his claws in tight, then clamped his jaws around her throat. He kicked into her belly again and again.
The bear made a choking noise. She dropped, crushing Ryan under her weight, but he kept his grip, not letting her loose. Long claws stripped the flesh off his back. Black and white spots flashed before his eyes. He couldn't breathe, the bear's weight crushing him. She grew heavier, her movements jerkier, and he knew it would be over soon.
A jolt of pain ran through him. Shouting echoed in the room. Half a dozen guards suddenly surrounded them, jabbing tasers into the bear. Electricity crackled through the air, but given how tightly their bodies were pressed together, the tasers affected Ryan as much as the bear. His body jerked one way, then another. His jaws tightened on their own, then released. His whole body went limp as the Guards turned off their tasers.
Unfortunately, so did the bear. Her weight pressed down on him, making an already difficult situation worse.
"Get the alpha out of here," he heard Sean shout. "And get this bear off of Ryan, it's crushing him!"
He tried to nod in agreement, but the lack of oxygen and the pain from being tasered made it impossible for him to know what he was doing. The sounds around him seemed to come from a far-off place. The thought crossed his mind that he hoped Jamie wouldn’t be too worried about him, and then everything went black and he thought no more.
Chapter Seven – Jamie
If the automated bank doors didn't open and close on their own, Jamie would have been tempted to slam them shut. She wanted to hear the shattered glass, see the shards sprinkle the ground. Normally she wasn't a violent person, but in this case, she wanted to just destroy something.
Of all the things Leila had done to her, she hadn't expected this. No wonder she was so desperate to get Jamie married off . . .
There was an obstacle course nearby, and Jamie headed for it, not bothering to find her car. Her Panther hissed and screamed, filling her with hot energy. She needed to do something to calm down before she went home or else she might end up shredding the living room.
A snarl rose to her lips as she found the arena and signed in (noting that the desk clerk emphasized the fact that no fighting was allowed). She glanced at the TV as she waited for her payment to go through.
It was the news, showing an image of the alpha's residence. A grim-faced reporter stood in front of it, and the caption below read Attack on alpha. Jamie froze. Her heart jumped to her throat as she continued to read. Guards had been injured. Her hand shot to her pocket and she had pulled out her phone before she could stop herself.
"No," she whispered to herself. "He's fine."
Ryan wouldn't answer the phone even if he wasn't among the injured – which he probably wasn't. He'd be dealing with the fallout and making sure that there weren't any more imminent attacks. Not to mention that the 'attack' was most likely just somebody trying to get into the house or something. There was nothing to be worried about. Plus, the TV said there were no reported fatalities.
Jamie stuck her phone back into her pocket and let out a deep breath. Ryan was strong. And if something happened to him, then at least she'd give him a reason why he could take a break right away for her to go to university.
If she could get her money to do so.
"Actually, I've changed my mind. I don't want to go in today," she told the desk clerk, her angry energy having been burned away. "Can I get a voucher or something for another day?"
The clerk looked annoyed but gave her a voucher. Jamie headed back home, intending to print off some more job applications. With her qualifications, she ought to have a job soon. And she was going to need the money in order to get back to school.
"It seems your trust fund is empty."
The bank teller's words came back to her and so did her rage. This time, however, she wasn't going to redirect it. Her Panther wanted blood, and she would give it to her. She slammed her car door shut and started the engine. Leila had decided to hold her as a hostage in this relationship all for money. Not just to pay off her debt to Ryan, but also to get her hands on the funds Jamie's father had left to her.
And Jamie wasn't going to let her get away with it. Katrina also had a fund to be released when she was married, but the bank wouldn't tell her anything about that. If there was one thing that was for certain, though, Jamie wasn't going to let her little sister be forced into marriage just for her to lose everything that their father had given her.
The mansion was rather quiet when she pulled up. One of the servants greeted her warmly, and Jamie forced herself not to show her anger.
"Is my mother or stepfather in?"
The servant shook his head. "They've taken a trip to Cabo. Only Miss Katrina remains at home."
Her blood boiled, but Leila choked it down. "Thank you. I'll go see her myself."
Even though anger was hot in her chest, Jamie's mind was clear. She knew exactly what to do. Katrina was in her room, lying in bed with a closed book beside her. She jumped up and let out a cry of delight when Jamie came in, though the happiness in her face faded away quickly when Jamie walked to the closet and began pulling out clothing.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't care if you still have tests to take, you're not staying in this house with that witch another day," Jamie said shortly. "Is she even going to let you visit Aunt Tanya?"
"I failed my test, so she wasn't going to let me go." Katrina's brows furrowed. "Jamie? Want to slow down and tell me what is happening?"
Jamie flung open her closet and searched for a bag of some sort. Her anger burned hotter. "I've had it with Leila manipulating us. Next thing you know she's going to blackmail you into getting married so she can steal your money as well. Of course, she goes to Cabo now –she must have known I'd look for my trust fund. Which she has emptied."
"What?"
"That's right! Our dear mother has stolen everything Daddy left for me. No doubt used it to finance her trip. We have to look at legal avenues to just cut her from our lives. She's toxic and doesn't deserve us!"
Katrina scrambled up and grasped Jamie's arms. "Calm down. Why are you tearing apart my room?"
"Because we're going to pack you a bag and you're going to move in with me. I will not have her threatening to cut us off from one another anymore. I won't."
Katrina's hands tightened. "I've been packed for a while. I was still hoping to go see Aunt Tanya."
Well, that saved time. Jamie hugged her sister tightly. Her heart twisted as her eyes filled with tears. Why did Leila have to be like this? Why couldn’t she just be a mother who loved them? Even after Emily died, it was like she didn't even care. She was ice cold and only pretended to care when she wanted something.
Jamie straightened her back as Katrina pulled out her packed bags. She needed to get her sister away from this toxic home. This would be resolved, and when it was, Leila would pay back everything she had taken.
***
Ryan moved slowly when he returned home that night. He grunted a greeting at her when she came to the door and told her that he was headed to bed.
"You were injured in the attack today, weren't you?" she asked, watching the way he winced as he pulled off his jacket. Guilt twisted her stomach. She should have called him after all.
"It's nothing," he said. "No broken bones."
No broken bones did not mean it was nothing. Jamie moved to help him. She opened her mouth, but Ryan spoke first, cutting her off.
"I can't tell you anything about what happened today. Just know there was an attack that was stopped, and the alpha is safe."
"OK, I understand. I won't ask about the attack," Jamie said. She twisted her hands. "But there's something
else I want to ask about. Or, talk about." She wasn't going to ask for his permission. They were married, that meant that this was her house as much as it was his. Her nerves increased. "You met my sister Katrina at the wedding."
Ryan headed up the stairs. "Yeah. Why?"
"Well . . . because she's going to be staying with us."
Ryan stopped. He turned with an incredulous look but slowly nodded. "Okay. I've been worried that you've been lonely lately, so having a sister around will help . . . How long will she be staying?"
"Forever."
Her husband's eyes widened.
"Well, at least until we figure out what to do next. She doesn't want to be in our old house by herself and Mother . . . " She didn't want to tell him about what Leila had done, running off to Cabo like that. "She's not around much. So Katrina is living with us."
Ryan opened his mouth, then closed it. He shook his head and gestured for her to follow him. He didn't look angry, but then neither did Leila when she was furious. Bile tasted in the back of Jamie's throat as she followed him to their bedroom. There, he closed the door and turned to her, his eyes hard.
"Did it occur to you to ask me before deciding that your sister was going to move in with us, Jamie?"
"Well . . . it was a sudden decision," she hedged, fidgeting. "But you're not even here during most of the day, I don't see why it should bother you. I understand she'll have to get a pass and everything, and we've talked about her contributing to the household. She's struggling with school, though, and has to take summer courses to graduate high school." Jamie put her hands on her hips. "But she is staying with us, and that's that."
Chapter Eight – Ryan
"That's that," Ryan repeated softly.
He snorted and shook his head. After the day he'd had, he was short on patience and coming home to his wife telling him that her sister was living with them and to just deal with it was the last thing he needed. Irritation beat at his chest as residual pain from the attack made him want to just lie down and sleep. He'd had to get a full physical after the attack and, though he was in perfect health, he was still exhausted.
This couldn’t wait, though. He shook his head. "That's not that."
Jamie folded her arms.
"If you want your sister to stay with us, then fine. She can stay. You could have told me first, though, and you are going to tell me the truth as to why she's here."
"Mother—"
Ryan held up a hand, stopping her. He narrowed his eyes. "I heard you when you said that your mother was gone. I want the truth, Jamie. You have your secrets and I agreed that you could have them, but in this case, there's too much going on. I vetted you thoroughly when you offered to marry me, but your sister has not had any clearance. There was an attack on the alpha, and I can't go around ignoring the fact that my personal life and professional life could be connected. So, tell me the truth."
Jamie's eyes flashed. "Don't use that tone with me. I'm your wife, not a recruit you can order around. My secrets have nothing to do with the alpha, and my sister has nothing to do with that, either."
"I want answers. Now."
Her hands curled into fists and she glowered at him. Ryan stared back in her eye, meeting the challenge, but suddenly realized what he was doing. This wasn't an interrogation, but he was treating it like one. With a heavy sigh, he relaxed his stance and sagged on the bed.
"I'm sorry. I agreed you could have your secrets . . . But I want to know, Jamie. I want to know everything about you and I . . . I want to protect you. It's in my nature."
The anger disappeared from her face, replaced by a look of vulnerability. She shook her head as she sank onto the bed beside him. The bed where they had shared so much passion already. If she would just trust him, he knew that it could be so much better.
"No one has protected me since Dad died," she whispered. "I've tried so hard to look after Katrina, but I've felt like I was struggling just to keep myself from drowning. And these past few weeks . . . It's like I've been a hostage in my own life. The only good thing my mother ever did for me was let me go . . . to give me to you. You were right when you thought I didn't want to marry you."
She told him everything, from her mother threatening to keep her from her sister to her empty trust fund. By the time she was done, fury ate at his heart and he struggled to stay calm. At some point Jamie had leaned into his arms, her fingers curling into his shirt. Her voice remained steady the whole time even though she shook.
"So, you didn't want me," he whispered. "You were threatened and blackmailed into marrying me. All those letters we exchanged . . . it wasn't you at all. It all makes sense now."
"Mother didn't give me a choice." Jamie sounded relieved for having told him. "And then she acted like she was giving me a gift. You understand why I had to take Katrina away, don't you? Mother is controlling. Even though we're both adults, we've never had independence."
"I understand." He pulled away from her, sickened. "I understand you didn't have a choice. You never wanted to marry me. If I had known . . . I wouldn't have married you. And now here I am. Your mother has made me a rapist."
Jamie's eyes widened. She jumped to her feet and shook her head. "No."
"No?" A bitter laugh bubbled up in his throat. He had never hated anybody more than he did himself at that moment. He had seen the signs and had chosen to ignore them. "You were with me under duress. You can't give your consent when you're being forced to do something through blackmail!"
"She forced me to marry you. That's it."
Ryan shook his head. There were rooms in the guard house available that he could stay in. He couldn’t look at Jamie as he stepped towards the door. "I won't force you to look at me any longer."
"Quit being dramatic and sit down." Jamie's voice was hard, upset. She planted herself in front of him and put her hands on her hips. "I might have been forced to marry you, but my mother did not force me to sleep with you. She didn't make me rip off your clothes last night or try to get you to keep going when it's the middle of the night and we're both exhausted. That was all me."
Ryan didn't reply.
"I slept with you because you're sexy. I wanted to have sex with you and I love it. So, don't you dare start talking like it's something to be ashamed of. It's not."
Her ferocity surprised him, but her words still eased the knot in his chest. "Okay then."
He sat down again, injuries pulling. Jamie sat beside him and ran a hand over his chest, frowning as her fingers brushed against the bandages. He hoped she wouldn't try to turn the conversation back to the attack. He couldn’t tell her anything. Even though he was mostly recovered already, he still had some injuries left and he couldn't tell her the details about how he'd gotten them.
"I knew you weren't going to do anything I didn't want. On our wedding night, I was a little nervous just because I felt like I had a knife hanging over my head. But that didn't mean I didn't want you."
"So you do trust me?"
Jamie looked startled. She froze, staring at him as though trust was a bad word. Her hand dropped to her lap and she looked away briefly. "Trust . . . Yes. I guess I do trust you. I'm not sure why . . . I still hardly know you. But you wouldn't hurt me on purpose, would you? You're not at all like her . . . "
Ryan pulled her into his arms, his fury starting to bubble up again. What sort of evil person would treat their children this way? Selling them off so they could steal their money? Controlling their lives? From the sound of it, Leila liked to have things her own way and would cut people out of her own family to get what she wanted.
"I can send somebody after her," he suggested. "Theft and fraud are serious crimes. I can have her arrested, even in Cabo, and sent back to face trial."
"I doubt it would get me my money back." Jamie sighed. "Katrina and I still have our property. I told the servants to contact me the instant Mother and Jeremy return. I'm going to have them kicked out of my house and . . . after that, I don't know what I'll do. I just need to
be able to protect Katrina from her, you know? She's so sensitive – so easy for Mother to manipulate and control."
"She can stay here as long as she likes. As for your estate . . . it's out in the country, right? It would be nice to have a vacation home. If you need extra funds to keep it going, you can always rent it out like a hotel. I know a lot of people who would like to have a country retreat every once in a while."
Jamie looked up at him, a small smile on her face. Her arms wrapped around his chest and she arched a brow. They'd known each other long enough for him to know what that meant. Just the look was enough for him to swell with desire and he dropped his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply.
But despite his desire, he felt a brief flash of guilt settle in his stomach. After the attack on the alpha, it had been decided that there was going to be a raid on Jordon's hideouts. It would take place in two weeks. And it was going to be dangerous. He had arranged four teams. Each one had been given a different location and was forbidden from discussing it. There was a leak in the Guard, and he was going to find it.
Had it been a good idea to get married when things were so unstable? Was he just distracting himself and putting Jamie in a terrible position where she'd end up a widow? Well, it wasn't like they could go back and stop from being married in the first place. He slipped a hand under Jamie's shirt, finding her round breast to squeeze. Jamie arched her back into his hand, groaning, and he dropped his head to her chest but paused.
"Ryan? What's wrong?" Jamie asked, carding her fingers through his hair.
Ryan forced a smile on his face and shook his head. "It's nothing."
He kissed her again. Her eyes fluttered shut and he pulled her closer. He couldn’t tell her about the raids. It was his job.
Chapter Nine – Jamie
Jamie hadn't heard anything from Leila since Katrina came to live with her and Ryan. It was a relief but also worrisome: she didn't know how her mother would react to everything or what she would do to get Katrina back – if she was going to try to get Katrina back. If she was coming back from Cabo at all. Still, by the time two weeks had passed, she was starting to relax and hope that it was over, at least for now.