Embracing Carly

by Tianna Xander

  Locked in his large kennel for the night, Bosco let out a roar that would have made Carly wet her pants had she heard it. It was unusual for the bear to show such aggression.

  “What in the world has gotten into you all?” Bastien asked. He looked at his friend. “What is it, Kyle?”

  There is a danger to the female. The wolf’s upper lip lifted in a silent snarl, informing Bastien that something was amiss. I can smell her fear.

  Reaching out with his senses, Bastien tried to feel what the others warned him about, but he couldn’t glean much. Being in his human form had its limitations.

  He glanced around the barn to determine he was alone, then concentrated on the change. Bastien wasn’t fond of shifting often. If something seriously injured him while in wolf form, he couldn’t shift back until he healed, and there would be no one to care for the caged animals on the estate. Since his was the only safe house for miles, he was all they had.

  Carly was here now. However, he didn’t know if she could overcome her fear of animals enough to care for them in his absence.

  Bastien couldn’t depend on her yet. With luck, he might someday. As it was, if something injured him while in his wolf form, he could very well starve to death in his own backyard.

  His home was one of many safe houses where shifters of all types could go when in need. However, the safe houses were usually fifty or more miles apart. That was a long way to travel with life-threatening injuries.

  Crouched on the floor of the barn, he waited impatiently for the change. Excruciating pain wracked him as his bones cracked and popped, and his muscles and organs reshaped.

  His clean-shaven face lengthened into a fur-covered muzzle, and then Bastien dropped onto four roughly padded paws.

  As with other shifters, Bastien was a large animal while in his wolf form. Most natural wolves were the size of a large dog. Those of his kind were of a similar size as wolfhounds. It made it easier to identify another shifter while in their beast’s form.

  Reaching out with his lupine senses, he finally felt the threat the others had detected. He smelled a stranger’s scent, felt the danger to his property, to his mate.

  Wait-what?

  The discovery gave him pause. His mate? He did not want to take a human for a mate! It would never work out. It worked out fine for Jake. Yeah, after Eden ran and went missing for ten years.

  His wolf fought with his human half. Insistent. It must protect its mate. Bastien shook his head, his lip raised in a snarl. No matter now. He would protect what was his and sort out the details later.

  Chapter Seven

  After finally working out a comfortable routine with her chores around Bastien’s home and her photo lab job, Carly found she was happier than she had been in years. She would wake up, make breakfast, and set something out for Bastien’s lunch before she went to her day job. When she got back in the evening, she would make dinner for them both and do the dishes while setting everything up for the next day’s meals.

  The rapport she had with her employer was better than she had ever had with Robert.

  Still, Carly suspected the time would come when she would get too comfortable and make a fatal mistake. Though she hoped that would be a long time in coming. She still couldn’t believe she’d gotten complacent two days ago by forgetting to keep checking the rearview mirror to see if someone had followed her home.

  It had been nothing short of careless and stupid. After six weeks, she was comfortable here in Bastien’s house. He’d made her feel so welcome, she even considered it her home as well. The last thing she wanted was for her ex-husband to turn up and ruin her situation.

  The radio played softly in the kitchen. Carly’s hips swayed as she stirred a pot of bubbling pudding with a wooden spoon when she heard the doorbell.

  “Can you get that, Bastien? I’m stirring pudding, and I don’t want it to get scorched,” she called into the next room.

  Carly turned down the heat under the pudding and tested the consistency. “Bastien?” She waited for an answer. “Crap. He must be in the barn.”

  Sighing, she realized she’d have to get the door herself. After turning off the heat, she reached for a potholder to set the pot aside while she went to see who was at the door.

  “Well, well. Don’t you look cozy?”

  Carly dropped the pan of hot butterscotch pudding on the floor with a screech and jumped back to avoid the splash of scalding custard before she turned to face Robert. He leaned his meaty form against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

  She tried to look past him. “How did you get in here?” Where is Bastien? God, she hoped this animal hadn’t hurt him. She’d grown rather fond of her employer over the last several weeks. She had never met a more gentle man.

  He shrugged. “I just walked right on in when I saw your boyfriend messing around out back.” He grinned. “I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

  “What do you want?” She cast a glance around the room, looking for something—anything—she could use to defend herself with before he attacked.

  “I dropped in to see my wife. Do I need a reason other than that?” Robert bared his teeth in a parody of a smile and jerked his thumb toward the doorway behind him. “I don’t think your boyfriend out there would be very pleased to find out you’re married.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. I work here.” She backed slowly toward the door leading out to the back porch. “And I’m not married to you anymore, Robert. Or have you forgotten?” She shot him a grim smile. “I’ll be quite happy to show you the final decree of our divorce. Don’t you remember? You wanted a punching bag. I wanted you to leave me alone. You wanted to roam. I wanted fidelity.” She inched closer to the back door. “By the way, how’s Chelsea?” she asked to keep him talking. “Or did you tire of her demands and start beating the crap out of her, too?” If the other woman had any sense, she would have left him while he was in prison.

  His face darkened. “Chelsea is none of your damned business.”

  “And any relationship I may have with Bastien is none of yours.”

  He sneered. “Bastien? What kind of pansy name is that?”

  She didn’t answer. Reaching behind her, Carly grabbed the doorknob, opened the door, and flung herself outside and down the steps.

  Robert threw himself at her and grabbed her by the knees. Crying out, she fell to the ground. Taking the advantage, he pressed her face into the rough concrete walkway. “You’re mine, you bitch! Do you hear me? You’re mine!” he snarled, pounding her head into the pavement.

  Carly whimpered beneath him, fighting off the darkness that threatened to claim her. She refused to pass out. She would be even more at his mercy if she did. He could take her anywhere or do anything to her if she lost consciousness.

  She refused to acknowledge the fact that he was strong enough that he could still do anything with her, even if she were conscious. Carly gritted her teeth, determined to fight him with everything she had. She was her own woman now. He no longer ruled her life.

  Robert buried his hand in her hair and pulled her head back. “You will leave this place, Charlene. You will come back to me, or you’re gonna die.”

  “I’d rather die, Robert. So, you might as well kill me now,” she sobbed. He slammed her face into the sidewalk again. Her head throbbed, and she fought the urge to vomit. “What are you trying to do?” She groaned and tasted blood. “Are you trying to break my jaw again?” The side of her face ached where he jammed it against the ground. She tried to wash away the memory of that horrifying night when he had almost killed her. But it was impossible to forget when she was reliving it.

  “Don’t play with m—” Robert cut his words short, and she heard a low growl. “Call it off, Charlene,” he said, resting his weight on her and pressing his mouth against her ear.

  She felt his hot, rancid breath against her skin, and it made her sick to her stomach. Fighting the urge to retch, Carly wondered how she had ever been attracted to the animal attacking her. A th
ought came to her, and she realized that a being didn’t have to have four legs to be an animal, and a creature didn’t have to have two legs to earn her trust.

  “I can’t call it off.”

  Robert pulled her hair harder, punishing her. “You can’t, or you won’t?”

  “I can’t. You know I’ve always been terrified of animals. I never go around them.”

  The animal snarled, barking and growling at Robert.

  “It looks like a wolf. Damn it. And it’s huge! I think the thing wants to kill me.”

  “Welcome to the club, dog,” she whispered. Carly refused to believe for a second that her ex-husband would stare down an actual wolf.

  “What did you say?” He shoved her face back down into the pavement, grinding her cheek into the rough concrete.

  Gritting her teeth, Carly refused to give Robert the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt her again. Let him kill her. At least then, she wouldn’t have to run from him anymore.

  He’d be doing her a favor by putting her out of her misery. She was damned tired of looking over her shoulder and sick to death of running from him.

  Raising her voice, she wanted to be certain he heard her this time. “I said, if he wants to kill you, he damn well better join the friggin’ club!”

  Robert drew his fist back. “Why you little—”

  The animal attacked. Sinking its teeth into Robert’s forearm, it pulled back, making Robert scream. “S-shit! Get it off me, get it off me!”

  Carly would have grinned if her face hadn’t hurt so much. It was a pleasant change to hear him stuttering with fear and crying out with pain.

  The snarling animal kept pulling and tugging until Robert was on the ground a few feet away from her. After it released him, the animal stationed itself in front of her with a low growl in Robert’s direction.

  “Tell your boyfriend, I’m suing him for every cent he’s got. To hell with the measly few thousand you have.” Robert cast a calculating glance toward the house before turning his attention back to the animal. “I don’t believe he keeps wild animals on his property.” He pointed at the animal. “That’s a wolf, for heaven’s sake!” Robert cradled his forearm as long rivulets of blood ran down from his bicep and dripped between his fingers.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Robert. He has no more control over that animal than I have over you. And how many times do I have to tell you? I do not have any money. I used my portion of the equity to pay off all those bills you left me with.”

  Maybe the next time, her ex would be more discerning with whom he spent his time. She had heard Chelsea was expensive. Not that she gave a damn what new bimbo Robert spent his time with as long as he left her alone.

  Carly slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position and got the first glimpse of what she had originally believed to be a dog.

  “Damn, Robert. That is a wolf. You can’t possibly hold Bastien responsible for a wolf attacking you,” she said, following every move the animal made with a wary eye. “Especially, when you’ve trespassed onto Bastien’s property and attacked his employee.”

  She stiffened when the enormous animal looked her way and inched closer as a low rumbling noise came from deep within its chest. It wasn’t a growl, yet it didn’t sound particularly friendly either.

  Carly sat motionless as it got close enough to rub its muzzle against her leg, then her hand. Before she could think to stop it, it rested its head on her shoulder and nuzzled her wounded cheek.

  “Oh, God.” She swallowed thickly, knowing she would get no help from her ex-husband. The jerk would probably enjoy seeing the animal rip her apart. It would save him the trouble.

  “Save the innocent act for the police.” Robert pointed at the wolf. “I’m not stupid. I can see the animal is attached to you. I hope you’re not too attached to it.” He grinned evilly, “I’m going to have it put down. It’s probably rabid.”

  “I doubt it,” Carly said, gingerly reaching up to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.

  Her face had already started swelling. The all too familiar discomfort of stretching skin spread down her cheek and across her lips. She most likely had a black eye, definitely a swollen cheek, and at least one fat lip.

  Carly closed her eyes and sighed. It would be embarrassing to go to work like this, especially when everyone would guess what had happened. The excuses got old after a while. How many times can a person stumble into a doorknob, fall down a flight of stairs, or fall off a horse? The last was almost laughable, considering she hadn’t even seen a real horse since camp when she was a teenager.

  Gathering her courage, she reached out and placed a trembling hand on the wolf’s head as a small thank you. The softness of the animal’s coat surprised her. She assumed his fur would be coarse and wiry, not almost as soft as a rabbit’s fur.

  “I don’t think we have much to worry about. After the police take one good look at what you’ve done to me, you’re going to be the one hauled off and tested for rabies.”

  Robert pushed himself to his feet, his face a peculiar shade of red. He looked as if he wanted to strike out at her or just strike her. She wouldn’t have put it past him. It wouldn’t have been the first time.

  The wolf lifted its head. Staring straight at Robert, it laid its ears back and snarled, showing its gleaming incisors. It growled again, generating a more serious threat from somewhere deep in its chest.

  “This isn’t over, Charlene. Don’t you dare think this is over.” Robert swayed a bit on his feet and, still cradling his arm, staggered around the side of the house.

  “Good riddance.” It was just too damn bad he wouldn’t take the hint and leave her alone for good. Turning her head, Carly looked at the wolf.

  It sniffed her skinned elbow, then stared right into her eyes and licked her swollen cheek. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt. The wet rasp of its strange, velvety tongue against her cheek only tingled.

  Stunned, she watched as the wolf ran toward the edge of the woods. He stopped and turned to look back at her. The way it stared at her was disconcerting. It was almost human, and a little creepy the way it seemed to see right through her. The look was haunting and somehow familiar. She shook her head. How ridiculous.

  What was she thinking? She had never been around wild animals before. There was no way anything about the wolf could be familiar.

  “Don’t be stupid. The wolf was just protecting his territory.” Carly would never tell Robert, but wild animal or not, she suspected he was another one of Bastien’s friends. Over the last few weeks, she’d learned that her employer didn’t have pets—he had friends.

  She limped back into the house, stopping in the kitchen to clean up the mess on the floor.

  “What happened?”

  Carly jumped and screamed. Spinning around, she dropped the pan full of pudding again. Staring down at the floor, she tried not to cry. She couldn’t stay with Bastien after what had just happened. She couldn’t ask him to deal with her problems or with her crazy ex-husband showing up at the drop of a hat to beat the crap out of her.

  Frankly, she couldn’t blame him if he wanted to fire her after this. It was all she could do to keep herself from bursting into tears.

  “Good grief, Bastien, you scared me.”

  Glancing up, she stared at his bare chest for a minute, trying to ignore how the light dusting of dark hair below his navel tapered down to disappear beneath the waistband of his jeans as she avoided his stare.

  Shifting her attention back to the floor, she looked down at the golden pudding making a big, sticky glob on the white tile. Tears filled her eyes. What would she do now? She didn’t want to leave here, to leave him. The arrangement they had was perfect. It was the best job she could have ever hoped to find. She conveniently ignored the fact that she already felt more for her handsome employer than she should.

  Reaching up to swipe at the tears, Carly flinched when her fingers brushed her swollen cheek. She would miss Bastien and this house. Hell, she’d even miss
Bosco, the big baby. She’d grown somewhat fond of watching the playful bear’s antics over the last weeks—from a distance, of course.

  Carly glanced down at the floor, trying to hide her face behind the fall of her hair.

  “My ex-husband visited me while you were outside. I wish I could say I’m sorry you missed him, but I wouldn’t wish his company on my worst enemy.”

  She was glad Bastien hadn’t been there. She didn’t want him to get injured because she’d had the impossible dream of finally being free of the monster she’d been naïve enough to marry. Her stomach clenched and her heart ached when she realized that over the last few weeks, she’d fallen for her benefactor.

  When had he sneaked through her barriers and touched her heart? Now she’d have to leave. Forever. She would always wonder what would have happened or what they could have had together, had she been able to stay.

  Perhaps it was for the best. After all, she’d already proven her taste in men was terrible. It was probably only a matter of time before something dreadful in Bastien reared its ugly head. Maybe it was better that she left while she still had what was left of her fantasies.

  Chapter Eight

  “You never told me you were married.” Bastien nearly cringed at his accusatory tone and immediately wished for a do-over.

  Carly’s face paled, and he felt an overwhelming urge to pull her to him and kiss her until her color returned. Bastien had never told her he was a shifter, either. Secrets were one thing he understood. Everyone had secrets. His were just more bizarre than everyone else’s.

  Looking over his shoulder, she laughed mirthlessly. He wanted her to look at him, but it was as though she couldn’t bear to look into his eyes for fear of what she might see there.

  “Well, now you know. Robert is a bit crazy. The jerk thinks we’re still married. And, in his mind, we always will be as long as he wants us to be,” she said before she went back to cleaning up the mess. “Or until I’m dead.