by Alisha Basso
As she listened, Elise placed an arm around his shoulder to help steady herself. She could feel the muscles rippling underneath his shirt and his breath came in soft puffs, dancing across her face. Slowly the warmth of his body was seeping into hers, blocking out the chill of the gently falling snow and she relaxed in his arms. The male scent of him was so like Kane’s. It wrapped itself around her and she laid her head against his body, the faint sound of his heart beating barely distinguishable, yet still comforting.
She wished Kane were here. He and Ryne were so alike except for their eyes; she could almost imagine it was Kane carrying her. A wave of warmth washed over her and she felt an aching need building inside of her. She brushed her nose against Ryne’s neck and rubbed his back before allowing her fingers to wander up to his neck, playing with the strands of hair that tumbled over his collar. Mmm... Kane...
Ryne’s pace faltered and then he came to a stop. He sniffed at her and his whole body stiffened. Looking down, he quirked a brow. “Elise? Are you...?”
Suddenly, Elise snapped out of the desire induced haze she’d fallen into. Ryne was her brother-in-law, for heaven’s sake! Mortified, she pushed herself away from him, totally forgetting that he was holding her some five feet off the ground.
Nearly dropping her as she struggled, Ryne tightened his grip and Elise cried out as pain shot through her body from where his fingers had squeezed her broken limb.
A deep growl suddenly reverberated through the trees, causing them both to freeze as a large black wolf burst into sight surrounded by a swirl of white snowflakes.
Chapter 34
“Kane!” Elise ceased her struggles against Ryne and stared at her mate. He snarled and lowered his head, lips drawn back to reveal an impressive set of teeth. Slowly he stalked towards them, the fur on his back rising. With surprise, she realized that the door to his mind had been opened to her and she had some idea of what he was thinking and feeling. Unfortunately, it was still a bit hard to interpret, but she knew he was incredibly angry. She hastened to offer reassurance, trying to project her thoughts while speaking. “I’m all right. Ryne was just carrying me because of my leg. He accidentally squeezed it, but didn’t mean me any harm.”
Her efforts had some effect, since Kane stopped in his tracks, but he still didn’t back down.
Ryne kept his eyes locked on Kane and a low rumble emitted from his chest. Elise felt his muscles tensing around her and her head snapped to look at the man holding her. What was he doing? Was it an instinctive reaction to the threat Kane posed? Deliberately, Ryne sniffed her, then let her slowly slide out of his arms, her body brushing against the length of his.
“Ryne!” Elise gasped at his audacity, her face flushing at the suggestiveness of Ryne’s move. Well, wasn’t this just great! Apparently, her close proximity during her stupid heat cycle was no doubt affecting him, but really, they didn’t have time for this right now!
Anxious to move away from Ryne in order to keep the peace, she tried to step back as soon as her feet touched the ground, while still sending good thoughts Kane’s way. Unfortunately, she discovered she wasn’t that good at doing two things at once. Forgetting to balance her weight on one leg, her injured limb gave way. With a cry, she automatically grabbed onto the nearest object that could provide some stability. Unfortunately, it was Ryne’s arm and that was just enough to send Kane over the edge.
What happened next was a blur of movement. Elise pushed herself away from Ryne and gave a sideways hop, shifting her grip to a nearby tree trunk. Kane leapt towards his half brother and Ryne jumped back, phasing into his wolf form even as he moved. In the blink of an eye, the two males were engaged in combat, growling and biting each other, while Elise clung to a tree trunk, watching in horror as the situation dissolved into a primitive battle.
It was a terrifying sight, yet some ancient part of her thrilled at the idea of the powerful males fighting over her. Her heart was pounding, blood rushed through her body, raising her temperature and stimulating her desire. Shaking her head, she tried to suppress the erotic feelings inside her and clear her thinking. She wasn’t some animal waiting to mate the strongest male! This was barbaric and she had to stop it. Frantically, she looked around for something that could be used to separate the two, but of course there was nothing to be found. Returning her gaze to the scene in front of her, she stood transfixed.
Snarls filled the air as teeth flashed and claws slashed. The two were equally matched, with first one and then the other seeming to be ahead. Ryne grabbed Kane’s back leg, but Kane whipped around and grabbed his brother’s neck. Rolling over Ryne freed himself and regained his footing, then charged his opponent again. Kane yipped in pain as teeth slashed his side, but he pulled away and swiped his claws across Ryne’s face, narrowly missing his eye. Blood was freely streaming from their wounds and their fur was matted with dirt and saliva. Around them, the trampled snow was stained with a combination of mud and blood. Drawing back, they circled each other panting heavily, each looking for an opening that would allow them to get past the other’s guard.
“Stop it!” Elise knew she had to get through to them. The thoughts coming at her from Kane were frighteningly violent and primitive. Had his wolf taken over completely? Had he lost touch with his human side? Did either of them even understand what she was saying?
“Listen! You both have to listen to me! Please! There’s no need for this.” She projected her thoughts towards Kane, but had no idea if he was sensing her. There was no break in his movement as he slowly circled Ryne, his gaze locked on those of his opponent. His step never faltered, his ear didn’t even twitch in her direction. Knowing it was useless, Elise still felt compelled to try again, since there was little else she could do. “Kane! Ryne isn’t trying to take me away from you and he isn’t the bad guy in all of this! I know what’s going on. It’s all M—”
Mid-sentence, she stopped speaking. So intent was she on the fight in front of her that Elise hadn’t noticed anyone approaching, until a cold blade pressed against her throat.
“Hello, Elise.” Marla whispered into her ear.
A wave of icy fear washed over her and Kane suddenly froze, his head swinging her way. Ryne, obviously not knowing what was going on, lunged at Kane who neatly sidestepped, allowing Ryne to overshoot his mark and fall heavily to the ground. Ryne leapt up and twirled around, only to stop dead in his tracks as he finally noticed the new arrival.
“My, my! Look at you two. All bloody and dirty. Tsk, tsk. Is that any way for loving brothers to behave, fighting over a little bitch?” Marla mocked the pair of black wolves that faced her. Kane’s eyes reflected his confusion, disbelief, and then rapid assimilation of the situation as it dawned on him that Marla had a knife to Elise’s neck, and was the source of his mate’s fear. He took a step towards her, growling, only to stop when Marla spoke. “I wouldn’t come any closer Kane, darling. I might get nervous and flinch. This knife is extremely sharp and just the slightest pressure could break the skin.”
Kane shifted into human form, while Ryne’s wolf snarled. Marla laughed. “Temper, temper, Ryne. Remember all of the trouble it’s caused you already.”
“What are you up to, Marla?” Kane’s voice was cold, his face stony.
“Just trying to convince you to sell the land, so I can get my hands on the money it will generate.”
“Sell the land?” Kane’s voice was incredulous. “Is that what this is all about?”
“Well, it’s certainly not about getting you back—not that it wouldn’t be a nice side benefit—but really, good-looking men are a dime a dozen once you have money.” As she spoke, Kane was slowly stepping to the left and Marla turned to keep him in sight, seeming not to realize that Ryne was inching his way to the right. Elise said nothing, silently watching the two brothers instinctively work as a unit, one providing the distraction while the other circled their prey.
“So how is hurting Elise going to get me to sell the land?” Kane inquired blandly.
/> “You sign the papers from Northern Oil and I set her free, unharmed.” Marla explained.
“I don’t have them here.” Kane’s gaze briefly darted in Ryne’s direction.
She snorted derisively. “Of course not. I’m no fool. Elise is staying with me until the papers are in the hands of Northern Oil’s lawyers. I have friends there who will let me know when it happens. Then you’ll deposit the money into my bank account. Once that’s taken care of, Elise will be free to go.”
Kane rubbed his chin thoughtfully as if considering the situation. Elise observed him carefully, widening her eyes as a feeling—just the inkling of an idea—began to form in her head. She focused herself as best as she could, pushing through her own feelings of panic to find what Kane was trying to communicate to her. It was a bit of a jumble and she strained to make sense of it, finally grasping a repeated thread: I love you. Be ready.
He loved her? Oh my gosh! Her heart leapt inside her chest. What a time to find out, when there was no chance of savouring the sweet words. She had to be ready, but ready for what? What was Kane going to do? How would he signal her when Ryne was going to attack? That was what she assumed the plan must be. Her gaze flew to his face hoping for a hint, but it remained impassive. She wished she could see Marla’s face to get some indication of what the woman might be thinking, but from her position with the knife against her throat, it wasn’t possible.
Marla sighed impatiently. “Hurry up, Kane. Just agree. You know there’s no other way out of this. Oh, and Ryne?” Elise felt Marla move behind her. “Quit trying to sneak up behind me or I’ll blow your brains out sooner rather than later. I have a gun and I’m ambidextrous so it won’t be a problem using my other hand to shoot.” Elise heard the distinctive click of a gun, followed by a frustrated whine from Ryne. Trust Marla to have two weapons on her.
Elise saw the muscle in Kane’s jaw flex indicating his inner turmoil, but his voice revealed nothing. “Well...” Kane drawled the word out. “The problem is, Marla, I have to consider the needs of the whole pack, rather than what I might personally want.”
“Don’t give me all of that ‘for the good of the pack’ crap. This is what you need to deal with right here and now.” Marla’s voice had gone from mocking to hard and exasperated. She pressed the point of the knife into Elise’s neck causing her to whimper as warm liquid slowly trickled down her neck and between her breasts.
Kane narrowed his eyes and they began to glow eerily. His body was shaking almost imperceptibly. Elise sensed how hard he was trying to maintain control of his human side, when the wolf within was crying out to be released and allowed to seek revenge.
“You really shouldn’t have done that, Marla.” Kane’s voice was so cold and deadly that Elise shivered.
Marla possibly sensed she’d gone too far. She backed up a step, trying to drag Elise with her, but of course Elise couldn’t keep her balance on one leg without the tree to hold onto. She stumbled backwards into Marla, who flinched, causing the knife to dig deeper into her flesh. Her cry and Marla’s shout blended together as Elise reached up to push the knife away. Her body lurched to the left and Marla’s went to the right. As she hit the ground, two black blurs launched themselves toward their mutual enemy.
In rapid succession, two shots rang out, signalling the beginning of a terrifying symphony of screams, snarls, and whimpers of pain. Elise pulled herself upright and saw one black wolf was down, a puddle of red spilling onto the snow covered ground. The remaining wolf, though bleeding heavily, had Marla by the leg. While badly injured, the woman wasn’t giving up. She was kicking and trying to pull herself away. Her arm was stretching towards the gun that had fallen to the ground.
“Hey!” A voice shouted from some distance away. Elise briefly swung her head towards the sound and saw Bryan a few hundred yards away, running in their direction. Help was coming, but would it be in time? She turned her attention back towards the fight.
Horrified, Elise saw that Marla’s hand had reached the gun... She was wrapping her fingers around the handle... Lifting the weapon... Now, she was bending her arm towards her unsuspecting attacker...
Elise tried to get up. She had to do something. Bryan was still too far away. Frantically, she dragged herself towards the combatants using her arms. She felt her hand hit against something cold and hard, half buried in the snow... It was the knife that just moments before had been pressed to her own throat! Grabbing it, she used all of her remaining energy to get to her feet and as a blinding pain shot up her leg, she threw herself forward on top of Marla.
“No!”
As the world went black, Elise was aware of three things. The gun had discharged. A warm, sticky substance was oozing over her body and the forest was suddenly incredibly quiet.
Chapter 35
Elise awoke, sensing she wasn’t in her own room. The surface beneath her was too firm, the sheet covering her was too scratchy. Overall she felt...numb...as if she was drifting on a cloud. Did that mean she was dead? She opened her eyes a crack just to check, wincing as the bright light assaulted her pupils. A large expanse of white greeted her through the veil of her lashes. Hmm... No, definitely not dead unless the afterlife had a crack in the ceiling plaster. And she certainly wasn’t at home. Her bed wasn’t this uncomfortable. The infirmary? Possibly. Licking her lips, she tried to swallow. Her mouth felt dry and a bad chemical taste was assaulting her tongue. She needed water. Maybe beside the bed? Starting to turn her head, she frowned as something pulled at the skin on her throat. Carefully lifting her hand, she felt the gauze that was there and tried to recall what had happened.
A slight rustling sound drew her attention and Elise cautiously turned to see Kane sleeping in a chair beside her. Dark circles under his eyes gave them a bruised look and stubble darkened his jaw line. A wave of love and warmth washed over her as she viewed his beloved features. She scanned down his powerful body only to stop when she noticed that his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing bandages wrapped around his chest.
The events of the past twenty-four hours suddenly came rushing back to her. As she relived those last few moments, tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. So much had happened; arguing with Kane and then blood-bonding, Ryne and Kane fighting, Marla. Just the woman’s name caused a shiver to run through her. Ambivalence filled her over the woman’s fate. She hated what Marla had done, pitting the brothers against each other, killing Zack, trying to ruin Kane’s relationship with her... Yet, no matter how she felt about the woman, her own part in Marla’s demise was hard to take.
It wasn’t in her nature to react violently, but somehow she knew if the situation arose again, she’d do whatever was needed in order to protect her mate. She’d come so close to losing him. Watching the steady rise and fall of Kane’s chest comforted her; knowing he was still alive and by her side. Soon her breathing was in time with his own; steady and deep as she drifted off to sleep.
*****
Sometime later, fingers gently brushing her forehead drew her from her rest. Kane was leaning over her, softly calling her name. Elise blinked at him sleepily and felt a smile forming on her lips. “Hi!”
“Hi yourself.” His voice was deep and raspy as if he, too, had just woken up, and indeed that was how he looked. His dark hair was falling in his eyes and he still hadn’t shaved. She reached up to caress his stubbled jaw and he pressed a kiss to her palm. “How are you feeling?”
Elise considered the question. Overall, she supposed she was all right; a bit stiff and sore. She tried to shift herself up into a sitting position and was surprised to feel a sense of heaviness coming from her leg. She looked down in confusion and saw a cast around her lower limb.
Kane followed the direction of her gaze with his eyes and he answered her unspoken question. “You had surgery. Your leg was a real mess and it took some work to get it set properly. Nadia was swearing a blue streak when she saw it. Something about idiots that try to walk on a broken leg and the fac
t that she isn’t a miracle worker.” He chuckled at the memory and Elise winced, imagining the expression on the nurse practitioner’s face. “Your leg will be fine, but unfortunately, even with our rapid healing abilities, you’ll be stuck in a cast for some time.”
Grimacing, Elise eased herself back against the pillows. Well, at least she was alive. “How’s Ryne?”
“He’s fine. They removed the bullet and stitched him up. He’s resting at the Alpha house right now. In a few days, he’ll be as good as new.”
She reached for Kane’s hand and laced her fingers with his. “And you?”
“I’m good, now that I know you’re okay.” He stared at her for a moment as if memorizing her features then leaned down to give her a slow, warm kiss. Elise opened to him and revelled in the sense of closeness she now had with him. Everything he was thinking and feeling came rushing at her and all of it was good and comforting, enveloping her in the warmth of his love. He pulled away and she traced his lips with her finger.
“I was so scared.” She admitted in a whisper.
“I know. I was, too. But it’s all over now. Marla’s gone and so is Rose, though I still can’t believe she was involved in this.”
“I can’t either. I wonder why she did it?”
Kane shrugged. “We’ll never know. I’ve talked to her parents. They aren’t sure either, but wonder if being involved with Marla and her scheme gave Rose a feeling of importance because someone was paying attention to her. It was also a chance to show off how clever she was; that’s something we never gave her enough credit for, I guess. Rose was so quiet, no one ever really noticed her. She was just...there. Maybe we’re all a bit at fault for ignoring her.”
Elise nodded slowly. “And what about Daniel? I thought he and Rose were starting to become a pair.”