“I can’t believe anyone would do that,” said Akala, shaking her head in disbelief. “What kind of monster would do this?”
“I have a feeling you’re going to find out sooner rather than later,” said Kilenna, her eyes moving to look at the person who’d entered silently to stand behind them.
“You there,” said the man, pointing at Akala. “Johnson wants to talk to you.”
Akala looked to the other woman for help, but there was nothing they could do. She thought about protesting, but she knew she didn’t stand a chance if it came down to violence. No, it was better that she go willingly until she had a better idea of what she faced. She would go talk to this Johnson person, but that didn’t mean she’d go along with anything he had to say.
FOUR
Akala was escorted out of the locked building that served as her jail cell and into a fancy looking home that looked out of place among the other relatively simple cabins that made up what she assumed to be the Kintawep village. Floor to ceiling windows showed off the modern design of the home, and two large men served as guards posted on either side of the door. They acknowledged Akala’s escort with simple nods, opened the wide double doors, and stepped aside to let them pass.
“So you’re the one Shinn was so interested in,” said a man in tailored suit pants and a white dress shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows. His shirt was partially unbuttoned at the top, and he had short stylishly cut blonde hair that framed his face perfectly.
Akala would have found him extremely attractive had it not been for the fact that this was the man responsible for kidnapping her.
“You must be Johnson,” she replied. “I guess you’re the leader of the Kintawep tribe?”
“Herbert Johnson the Third, and yes, I am alpha here.”
He motioned for them to be left alone and the man who escorted Akala left them alone in a large room with little more than a low glass table and an arrangement of minimalist black leather chairs. Akala sat on one of these and observed the man who settled into a seat opposite her. His gaze was penetrating and unyielding. Akala saw a man who took what he wanted and wasn’t used to hearing the word “no”.
“What gives you the right to steal girls from other tribes?” asked Akala, her own boldness coming from someplace within her that she didn’t even know she had access to. “Some of those girls are barely sixteen years old, and you’re going to what? Rape them?”
Johnson leaned forward and smiled. “You’re not of our kind, and I don’t expect you to fully understand how things work among wolves. The quaint notions you have about dating and falling in love are not so important to us. We shifters obey the hierarchy of the pack, and that gives us a clear enough right to do as we do.”
“What of girls like me? What about Rachel, the girl you stole from her husband?”
“You gave up your special rights the moment you fell in with shifters like Nashoba and his tribe. From what I hear, you knew full well he and his people were werewolves when they caught you, and that means you should have known what you were getting yourself into.”
“He was actually taking me to the airport when you grabbed me.” Akala blinked back tears. “I was leaving him to go back to my old life because I didn’t want to get involved in whatever this was.”
“But you’d already mated with him, hadn’t you?”
“Mated? No, we were just getting to know each other.”
“I can smell his scent on you even now,” snarled Johnson. “Are you carrying his pup?”
“What? How can you ask me that?” Akala crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t have to tell you anything about my personal life.”
Johnson sprung from his chair and was in front of her in a fraction of a second. He wrapped his hand around her throat and pushed her back into her chair, his knees straddling her and pinning her body in place.
“It would be a mistake to think you have any rights beyond those I deign to give you,” he whispered into her ear. “I know you fucked him on the deck outside his bedroom. I know you gave yourself to him willingly and then let him take you again before the sun was up the next day. Don’t even think about lying to me, or I will show you what awaits those who disappoint me.”
Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Akala wept openly. Tears streamed down her face as she fought to control her breathing with Johnson’s fingers squeezing her throat.
“I’m on the pill,” she sobbed. “I know I’m not pregnant because I’m using birth control.”
“Excellent news.” Johnson eased his grip on her throat and brushed his lips across her cheek in the faintest whisper of a kiss. “That’s very good news indeed.”
Releasing her altogether, Johnson stood up and went back to his seat, adjusting the bottom of his shirt before sitting again. He regarded his captive intently, watching as she did her best to get her crying under control.
“As alpha, I’ll have my pick of the litter, as they say. I don’t plan to place all my hopes on just one girl, but I like your spirit and would have you as my primary. Is there one among you that you care to share your mating duties with?” Johnson smiled and spread his hands before him. “I’m no monster after all, and I don’t see why this shouldn’t be as pleasurable for all of us as possible. Perhaps Rachel, the other human?”
“What are you talking about?” Akala shook her head in confusion.
“I’m sure you’re aware of our little situation with female infertility,” he explained. “I have plans for this tribe and all of those who should rightly fall under my rule, but without an heir, I risk losing control of my tribe and everything that my father and his father before him have built up over the years. I’m giving you the opportunity to share that with me as a queen of sorts, and as a gesture of good will, I’d like you to choose another female to share our bed. If you’d rather not choose, I can make that decision for you.”
Akala swallowed a lump in her throat and stared at the floor. Images of her and Rachel having to serve as this man’s sex slaves flashed before her eyes, and she felt her stomach churn and revolt over the idea, threatening to throw up every last bit of the stew she’d just finished eating.
“Take some time to think about it,” said Johnson. “I understand that everything is new here, and that you’ll need some time to adjust to your new situation. Unfortunately, we are on something of a tight timeline here, and if I’m going to get myself an heir, then I’m going to have to start working on that as soon as possible. Since you said you were taking birth control pills, I assume you’ll need a few days to work your last doses out of your system.”
Johnson stood and walked around Akala to stand behind her. She froze at his touch, unable to move and scarcely able to breathe as he laid his hand on her shoulder, sliding it down under the hem of her shirt to cup her breast. He squeezed it with a surprising gentleness and pinched at Akala’s nipple where it stiffened in response despite her desire to pull away and retch at his vile touch.
“Tomorrow we’ll get together and have a little practice session,” he continued, removing his hand and walking away from her. He paused and turned back before walking through the large doors that lead further into the house. “We’ll start with just you and I, and then we’ll bring in a playmate once you’re comfortable. If you and Rachel want to get started tonight, I wouldn’t blame you. I have cameras in every room in that house, so I’ll be happy to watch you two go at it as a warm up.”
Akala sat speechless until someone came to get her and lead her back to the house with the other girls. She stumbled numbly into the hallway after being shoved through the door, and didn’t speak another word until Rachel and Kilenna coaxed her into a spare bed.
“We have to get out of here,” she whispered to them in the darkness. “We have to escape.”
FIVE
The room was tinted dark orange with the last rays of of the day’s sunlight when Nashoba’s opened his eyes. He’d not wanted to even consider laying down to sleep while Akala an
d those other girls were out there being held by the Kintawep, but he’d finally bowed to the wisdom of his elders and collapsed into bed for a chance to rest and heal. He looked at the clock and saw that he’d barely been asleep for two hours, and although his body and brain were screaming for more rest, he sat up and wiped the crust away from his eyelids. His head pounded and his throat was so dry that he could hardly swallow, but still he forced himself to stand and go to the bathroom.
His reflection in the mirror showed his bruise taking on new and angrier shades of purple and green, and he winced after prodding it gently. It ached fiercely, despite the pain medication Haley had forced upon him that afternoon, and if he’d had any doubt about there being at least one broken rib before his nap, he no longer questioned his injury. Something was wrong in there, and it hurt him just to stand in front of the sink and breathe.
Nashoba splashed cold water on his face, and then cupped his hands beneath the tap to drink deeply of the refreshing cold water. He could think of little else than the last moments he’d seen Akala being dragged away by the Kintawep. He’d been a fool to bring her into this life so quickly, and he cursed himself for not being more cautious. The other wolves of his tribe often chided him for overthinking everything, and the one time he’d acted impulsively in an effort to keep her in his life, he’d put her in danger. It was a difficult thing for him to admit to himself, but Akala had become very dear to him in the few short days she’d been there. As attracted as he’d been to her from what he’d seen in pictures and their email conversations, he hadn’t expected to feel so strongly about her just yet. He felt responsible for her being put into a dangerous situation, and he was angry about that, but the truth of it was that there was something more. There was something that lay beneath the rage and worry.
He was in love.
There was no other answer for it. His serious nature and his life being groomed for leadership of the Choctaws hadn’t left him much time to date or form relationships with any of the females of his tribe, and even those few experiences he’d had were nothing compared to what he felt for Akala. She was beautiful and sexy, smart and funny, but deeper than that there was something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She had a strength of will that he couldn’t ignore, and he’d found himself at a loss for words from the moment he’d picked her up from the airport.
And now she’d been kidnapped.
Nashoba went to his dresser and pulled on a black t-shirt. He’d made an attempt to resolve things peaceably, but it was clear Johnson had only one thing in mind, and that he wouldn’t be swayed from his course of action. The only way to get the girls back would have to be going to get them. It was the very thing Nashoba had hoped to avoid, but he knew he couldn’t leave them in danger any longer. There was no doubt in his mind that the Kintawep had taken those females because they were suffering the same problems as the Choctaw women were. Nashoba might have wanted to avoid violence if possible, but he wouldn’t let the girls of his tribe be handed out like playthings to the Kintawep males. He wouldn’t let Akala be treated like that.
Dressed and as awake as he could be, Nashoba pushed open the door of his cabin and made his way to the circle where his team waited for him. He was halfway there when Haley intercepted him.
“You’re going to attack them, aren’t you?”
“It’s the only way, Haley.” Nashoba ran his hand through his hair in a reflexive motion, but even this simple act sent pain shooting through his body.
“Look at you. You can barely walk without pain. How do you think you’re going to be able to fight to free those girls? Do you think you’re going to be of any use to them if you get yourself killed?”
Nashoba stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his cousin’s arm. “I’m bringing Machk and four of his best fighters with me. I can’t just leave them there, Haley. You know full well why Johnson took those girls, and you know what he plans to do with them. Can you live with that happening to Akala? Can you live with it happening to Sinopa?”
Haley bit her lip and shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down onto her cheeks, and she moved closer to Nashoba to hug him tightly.
Nashoba grunted and pulled Haley back a little. Intense pain was clearly visible on his face.
“Your side is that bad?” Haley swung her satchel around and rummaged through it until she found a small leather pouch. From it, she removed two innocuous looking leaves and held them out to Nashoba. “It’s clennestine leaf. Chew one now, and chew the other only if it’s a dire emergency.”
Without hesitation, Nashoba popped one of the leaves in his mouth and chewed it into a bitter pulp. “What does it do?”
“It’s extremely difficult to grow or find, and that’s pretty much my entire store of it. Give it a few minutes to kick in, and you’ll start feeling a lot stronger and more energetic. You won’t feel nearly as much pain, but that doesn’t mean your body isn’t experiencing it. It’s wildly dangerous, and I normally wouldn’t recommend anyone take more than half a leaf in even the most dire circumstances, but…”
“Thank you, Haley.” Nashoba tucked the other leaf into his pocket. “I’ll be careful with it. If there was another way, you know I’d take it, but I just don’t see how else we’re going to get the girls back.”
“I know,” she said with a nod. “That doesn’t mean I won’t worry about you.”
Nashoba used his good arm to pull Haley into a light embrace and then set off for the circle. A large fire was going, and even though the majority of the village was gathered there, the mood was one of quiet anxiety. Even the children sat calmly by their parents, not understanding what was happening, but still attuned to the energy of the adults around them.
“How are you feeling?” asked Machk.
“Truth?” asked Nashoba. “I’ve been better.”
“No one would blame you if you stayed back to rest and lead our people,” said Machk. “My team is strong, and we can handle this alone.”
“No, I can’t sit idly by without confronting Johnson myself. He’s been a risk to our tribe for too long now, and I can’t let him get away with this.”
“That’s about what I thought you’d say,” Machk said with a smile. “What’s the plan then?”
Machk drove along the rough night-time roads with frightening speed and precision that most people wouldn’t dare in full daylight. What’s more, he did it without his headlights on. Nashoba felt every bump and rut deep within his chest, but the clennestine leaf had begun to kick in and what had been an all-consuming shooting pain was now a distant ache with an accompanying feeling of his body being a little too tight for its own skin. His mind felt sharp and alert, and the closer they got to Kintawep territory, the more he found himself eager for a fight. He didn’t normally relish the thought of combat, even for training purposes, but now he was downright hungry for the blood of anyone who dared oppose him. He made a mental note to not let the leaf’s effects take over his mind as well as his body, but he didn’t know how well he could keep control if he ate the second leaf as well.
“How are your boys doing?” he asked, turning to look through the back of the cab to where Machk’s warriors held onto whatever support they could find on the open truck bed.
“Oh, they’re used to it by now,” replied Machk. “This road is nothing compared to what we take when we press deep into the backcountry for elk hunting season.”
“We must be getting close to the Kintawep village now. Do you think they’ll be expecting us?”
“Hard to say.” Machk eased off the accelerator but still kept them moving forward at a decent pace. “If I were Johnson, I’d be expecting retribution for sure, but that guy is one deranged fuck, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he thinks he’s some sort of untouchable god or something.”
“Either way, we have nothing to lose if we can gain the element of surprise. Let’s pull over and take it on foot from here.”
Machk tucked the truck neatly into
a patch of high dense shrubbery, and within seconds his team had hopped out of the back of the truck and covered it with leafy branches. Anyone walking up to it would see it for what it was, but it would pass casual notice if a patrol happened to wander nearby. Besides, thought Nashoba as they entered the woods and made their way towards the village, if they did their job right, they’d be back at the truck before the Kintawep knew what hit them.
Allowing Machk’s team to do what they’d been trained for, Nashoba hung back with Machk while the others spread out and pressed forward, moving stealthily under the cover of night and the dense forest that surrounded the village. Even in human form, they were deadly predators that Nashoba wouldn’t want to encounter alone, and he was glad to have them on his side.
After a time, Nashoba and Machk reached the edge of the village, taking up a position on a slight ridge that gave them something of a view of the layout of the buildings. One by one, the four scouts returned to report on what they’d learned by moving around the edges of the village, observing Kintawep movements as carefully as possible.
“The females are being held in two separate buildings, there, and there,” said one of the scouts, pointing to two of the larger cabins.
“Did anyone lay eyes on any of our girls?” asked Nashoba.
“It seems that they split them up,” replied the scout. “I didn’t see Akala, but I thought I caught a glimpse of Sinopa in that building on the east side of the village. At least one of our other girls is in the building on the west.”
“I guess we’re splitting up then.” Nashoba looked at his team of six. “Machk, you take two and hit the west building, I’ll take the other two and hit the east. We get our girls, get the hell out, and rendezvous back here.”
“There’s more, Nashoba,” said one of the other scouts. “It’s not just our girls in there. I counted at least twelve girls in the west building, and there might even be more. I recognized one of the girls as a Pushtan.”
The Alpha's Mail Order Bride- The Complete Series Page 9