“How close?” Louis demanded.
Jacque shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out just as soon as we finish this.” He stepped in front of Gator and led the way to the road.
The men Troy had left to wait for him were lounging against their SUV. They came to their feet when they saw Jacque. They began to growl when they noticed their alpha, beaten and bloody.
“Your alpha attacked and attempted to mate with my mama,” Jacque informed them. “One of our males took exception.”
“You expect us to believe one man did this to Troy?” The spokesman moved out in front of the two others.
“Smell him. You’ll get three distinct scents—my mama, Gator, who is carrying him, and that of the man who beat him. I suggest you take him home. You might want to rethink your choice of leader. Any man who’d come to another pack and attempt to do business and then attack the alpha’s mama is none too smart.”
“Open the door,” Gator told the nearest man. He hesitated only for a second before doing as Gator bid.
Jacque could see the wolf doing all the talking was doing some thinking of his own. Troy groaned and his eyes opened as Gator dumped him in the backseat of the SUV. When Gator stepped aside, Jacque leaned in through the open door. “Come back here again and you’re dead. I don’t think your daughter would miss you.”
When Jacque stepped back, Gator shut the door. “I suggest you head home,” Jacque informed the acting leader. “You have problems enough of your own without adding to them.”
The man nodded and motioned to the remaining two. All of them slipped into the vehicle. Armand, Cole, and Joseph had joined him, Louis, and Gator, and they all watched until the vehicle was out of sight.
“Cole, you and your father keep watch a bit longer. Armand and Sage will spell you later.” Cole nodded, but Jacque expected nothing less. They were more than pack. They were family. He knew Cole had overheard his conversation with Louis. He also knew Cole would get the details later from Gator.
“Right now, I have to go talk to my mama.” He looked at Louis. “You coming?”
“You couldn’t keep me away.”
Knowing the pack was safe for now, Jacque headed toward his mother’s home.
Chapter Nineteen
Mikhail couldn’t stop shaking. He’d almost lost Elise. Troy might have wanted to mate with her, but he might have killed her just as easily. He should have been with her. “I’m so sorry.” He ran his hand over her back and kissed the top of her head. The stench of her fear and of the other man’s touch was like poison in his veins.
Elise shook her head. “You saved me.”
He wished that were true. “You saved yourself. You were smart enough to howl for help.”
“I tried to jump through the front window, but he caught me.”
Mikhail knew he’d have nightmares for a long, long time. It was all too easy for him to imagine Elise leaping for the picture window only to be dragged back by Troy. Even if she’d made it, she might have been severely hurt by the cut glass. If she’d sliced a major artery— No, he refused to think about it. She was safe in his arms. That was all that mattered.
He tightened his hold on her and rubbed his face against hers, only stopping when she flinched. “I’m sorry. You’re hurt.”
As much as he wanted to keep sitting here holding her, he knew her sons would be back in short order. Elise wouldn’t want Jacque or Louis to see her like this.
“Nothing that won’t heal in a couple of days,” she told him. She patted his chest, trying to soothe his agitation.
It was unfortunate that she probably had a very good idea just how long it would take her to heal. He knew this wasn’t her first beating, but as God was his witness, it would be her last.
He’d kill the next man to touch her in anger, and not even she would be able to stop him.
“You need a bath.” A shower might be quicker, but it wasn’t what she needed. Elise had to be stiff and sore. A soak in hot water would help.
She sniffed and nodded. “I want his scent off me.”
Mikhail stood and carried her into the bathroom. He didn’t want to let her go but forced himself to set her carefully on the vanity. When he was certain she was steady, he put the plug in the tub and turned the taps. When he adjusted the temperature to his liking, he started searching her bathroom.
“What are you looking for?” Elise seemed totally bemused by his behavior.
“Those smelly bath salts or bubbles or whatever it is you use in the tub.” She always smelled like lavender. He figured she could use as much comfort as she could get.
She pointed to the cabinet below her feet. “In here.”
He yanked open the drawer, pulled out a bottle, unscrewed the top, and sniffed. Lavender. It always reminded him of Elise. He dumped a large portion of the stuff into the water, and it immediately began to bubble up.
He heard her moving behind him. Sure enough, she was trying to remove her bra, but her fingers were shaking too much. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
He hurried over to her, set the bottle of bath bubbles on the counter, and caught her hands in his. “You were just attacked in your own home. That’s what’s wrong.” He eased her torn sweater away and gently removed her bra.
She made a half-hearted attempt to cover her breasts. “I used to be better at dealing with this sort of situation. Calmer.”
Mikhail really wished he’d killed Troy. Maybe that would have settled some of the anger bubbling up inside him. He felt like a molten volcano, ready to blow at the least provocation.
“You shouldn’t have had to deal with this sort of situation,” he reminded her. “I should have been here. I should have known he’d try something after the way the bastard was looking at you at dinner.”
He caught her arms and slowly pulled them down by her sides. Vicious scratches marred her pale white flesh. Bruises had already formed on her shoulders and stomach. He assumed there would be more on her back and legs. A huge bruise was forming on her forehead.
“Can you stand?”
Elise nodded. “Yes. Really, I’m fine. There’s no need to fuss.”
He helped her stand, unzipped her skirt, and let the material fall to her feet. Mikhail knelt at her feet and carefully removed her panties and knee socks, making sure she was steady.
When he was done, he stood, scooped her up, and deposited her in the tub. The water had been running the entire time and sloshed dangerously close to the rim. A froth of bubbles made it impossible to see any of the water. He might have overdone it.
He cranked off the water and silence surrounded them. Elise started to reach for the mesh sponge sitting on the ledge, but he stopped her. “Let me.” He snagged a clean facecloth from an open shelf, knelt beside the tub, and motioned her to sit. “Lean forward. Let me know if I’m being too rough.”
Elise nodded and sat forward to reveal her slender back. As he suspected, her skin was discolored by huge splotches. Bruises ranged from her shoulders and continued on down to where the water lapped at her waist.
Mikhail wet the cloth and carefully washed her back. He figured there was enough soap and bubbles to clean her without using soap. Again and again, he wet the cloth and let the lavender-infused water trail over her back.
She sniffed once and then again. “Elise?” He dropped the wet cloth on the edge of the tub, ignoring the water that spilled over the side and onto his jeans. He eased her back until she was leaning against the tub. Tears spilled out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
“Baby, I’m so sorry.” He tried to wipe them away, but they were flowing too fast.
“Do you know what the worst of it was?” she asked him.
The sorrow on her face almost broke him. Pressure built up behind his eyes and his chest ached. “No, baby, what was the worst?”
“That I hadn’t said yes to you. That we hadn’t made love.”
Mikhail couldn’t take any more. He stood and yanked his shirt ov
er his head. It hadn’t hit the floor when he had his jeans open and was pushing them down. He had to stop and get rid of his boots and socks. Then he was naked.
He didn’t pause, didn’t hesitate. He stepped into the tub behind her. Elise moved forward to make room for him. “What are you doing?”
He paused halfway down when he realized how his actions could be misconstrued. She’d said she was sorry they hadn’t made love, and he’d immediately began to strip. God, he was being an ass. She needed comfort, but this was the only way he knew how to give it. By touch.
“I just want to hold you, Elise. Nothing more,” he promised her. He needed comfort just as much as she did. He’d see the scene he’d burst in on tonight until his dying day. Elise battered and on the floor with Troy Burdette opening his pants.
A growl escaped before he could stop himself. He started to get out, deciding maybe this wasn’t what Elise needed right now, but she wrapped her hand around his calf. “Sit.”
He sat. Some water sloshed over the lip of the tub as he settled back. Then he put his hands on her shoulders and eased her back. She sighed and settled against him. He had what he needed at the moment—Elise safely in his arms.
She sighed and relaxed against him. Some of his anger began to dissipate. He kissed the curve of her neck. “We’ll make love eventually,” he promised her. “When the time is right and you’re truly ready.”
He grabbed the cloth and began to wash her front, reaching around her to clean Troy’s scent from her chest and torso. Her nipples tightened at his touch, but he ignored the sign of her arousal and kept moving the cloth. Tonight was about comfort, not sex.
Besides, he figured they didn’t have long until Jacque showed up with his brother in tow. Mikhail didn’t think the alpha would bring anyone else with him, not unless he thought she needed medical attention.
Elise was acting calm, but it was because she was still in shock. At some point, she was really going to lose it. Her tears had stopped for now, but they’d be back. She’d need to cleanse the dark emotions and memories at some point.
Silence surrounded them. Except for the sound of their breathing, all was still and quiet until he heard a door open and someone enter Elise’s home. Their respite was over.
“Mama?”
“We’ll be out in a minute,” Mikhail called.
Elise gasped and bolted to an upright seated position in the tub, wrapping her arms around her legs. They could both hear Jacque swear.
Mikhail ignored the alpha’s presence and focused on Elise. “Do you want to wash your hair?” If he could still smell Troy’s scent on it, so could she.
“Yes.” She lifted her gaze when he stood and stepped out of the tub. Her eyes went straight to his groin.
He groaned. “Don’t look at me like that,” he told her. He found the end of her wet braid. The elastic was missing, so he unwound it and ran his fingers through her thick tresses.
“Don’t need to hear that.” This time it was Louis who called out.
Elise buried her face against her knees and began to shake. Mikhail scowled. If they’d made her start crying again, he just might kick both their asses.
“Elise? Baby?” When she looked up at him again, he was startled. There were tears rolling down her face, but she wasn’t crying, she was laughing.
“Could this get any more awkward?”
Mikhail grinned. “They could have come to the bathroom to check on you,” he offered.
She shook her head and lay back in the tub until her head was submerged. She looked like a sexy sea nymph with her hair floating around her. He could hear the men muttering and pacing, but that faded into the background. All he could see was Elise. All he could hear was the sound of the water splashing as she sat up.
“That will do, for now,” she told him. She gathered the length of her hair and began to wring the water out of it.
Since he was dripping on the floor, he grabbed a towel and dragged it over his wet skin. Then he yanked his jeans on, which wasn’t easy with damp skin and a very large erection. He didn’t bother with his shirt.
Elise held her hand out to him. He tossed his damp towel onto the floor to help mop up some of the water that had overflowed and helped her out of the tub. As soon as she was steady, he snagged a dry towel and wrapped it around her.
Droplets of water trailed down her face. He grabbed another towel and tried to wrap it around her hair, but it was awkward because she had so much of it.
Frustrated, he walked behind her and gathered the lush locks in the towel and squeezed the excess water from it. He leaned down and sniffed, grateful to scent only lavender and Elise’s unique perfume.
“For God’s sake,” Jacque called out. “Can you hurry up? I want to see Mama.”
That spurred Elise into action. She went to the vanity and grabbed her hair dryer, but Mikhail took it from her. “Let me.”
She stared at their reflection in the mirror. Her skin was almost the same color as the white towel wrapped around her, except for the dark bruises covering much of her arms and upper body. He loomed behind her, and the scowl on his face would have scared even the bravest of wolves.
Elise smiled at him and handed him the dryer.
Emotion filled him, and he took a deep breath to settle himself. Then he turned on the machine and dried her hair. It was an incredible experience. Elise leaned against the counter, and he was careful to watch her. He didn’t know how weak she was feeling and knew better than to ask. He had to trust her to tell him if she felt faint.
…
The tug and pull of Mikhail’s fingers against her scalp as he worked was incredibly soothing and erotic. He kept the dyer far enough away so it wouldn’t burn her skin, but close enough to quickly dry her hair.
She’d never had a man tend to her in such a manner before, and in spite of the seriousness of the situation, Elise discovered she wasn’t immune to Mikhail’s touch. Even with her physical and emotional aches and pains, she was aroused.
It was the first time she’d ever shared a tub with a man as well. Like many other experiences she’d had with Mikhail, they were firsts.
She was almost sorry when he finished, even though she was starting to tremble with fatigue. He tossed her dryer back onto the vanity, grabbed her brush, and stroked it over her hair. “Do you want it braided?”
She nodded. It would feel more normal. “Please.” She wasn’t sure she was up to doing the chore herself, but she need not have worried. Mikhail was more than up for the task. She was beginning to think there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do.
The braid was slightly lopsided, but it was passable. He yanked open one of the vanity drawers he’d looked in earlier, grabbed a coated elastic band, and secured the end of the braid.
“What do you want to wear?”
She was still wearing a towel and was getting chilly. Because she was expending so much energy trying to heal, she wasn’t able to regulate her body heat as well. Or maybe it was shock. She really didn’t know.
“Nightgown and robe.” She headed toward her bedroom but had only taken one step when Mikhail swooped her up again to carry her.
He set her on the pink bench. “Where?” Neither of them said much, both of them very aware her sons were only feet away waiting for them.
She pointed to the closet. “Back of the door.” The flimsy garments looked even more delicate in his big, rough hands. It was a very sexy picture, but Mikhail was all business as he pulled her nightgown over her head and helped her thread her arms through the proper holes. When she stood, he whisked the towel away and tossed it toward the bathroom.
Then he spread the robe over her shoulders and held it while she slid her arms into the garment. He tied the belt without her having to ask.
“Ready?” he asked her.
She shook her head but replied in the affirmative. “Yes.”
His gaze softened, and he leaned down to whisper softly in her ear. “I’ll be with you. They need to see you.”
She knew they did, and she wanted to see her sons, too. She just wished they didn’t have to see her like this. It was too much a reminder of days long past that they all wanted to forget.
Mikhail started to lift her again, but she shook her head. She needed to walk out there on her own two feet. He frowned but settled for wrapping his arm around her waist. She didn’t mind that in the least. She was still chilly, and Mikhail gave off heat like a furnace.
It was a short distance, but it felt like it took her forever to get from the bedroom to the living room. Several pieces of furniture were missing. Elise knew they must have been broken during the struggle. She had no memory of breaking anything, but it had all happened so fast, it was a blur.
The blood that had been spilled had been cleaned away. Only a faint scent of cleaner remained.
Both her sons were waiting for her. They were both big and strong. They were also both scowling. She knew they’d blame themselves for this, especially Jacque.
“Mama.” He came to her and pulled her into his arms. Mikhail released her to Jacque’s care. For a split second, she felt almost abandoned, but Mikhail still hovered beside her, and her son needed her.
She blindly reached out her hand, unable to see as Jacque held her tightly to his chest. Louis closed his fingers around hers. “Mama.” That was all he said, but she heard the pain in her youngest son’s voice.
She allowed herself to simply rest against Jacque. They were all safe. That was all that mattered. She didn’t need to ask about the rest of the pack. If there was a problem, only one of them would be here. She knew her sons well and knew they’d protect the pack with their lives.
Elise finally pushed away from Jacque. “I need to sit.” Standing was becoming more difficult.
Jacque started to lift her, but Mikhail reached out and snagged her. Jacque frowned but allowed Mikhail to carry her into the living room. He set her in her big, cozy chair and took up position behind her.
Jacque pulled the coffee table closer and sat right in front of her. She was vaguely surprised it wasn’t broken. She’d hit it hard. That much she did remember. It was a testament to Cole’s building skills, since he’d made it for her years ago.
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