Dorthena

by Sharon Barrett

  The week was spent making love, running the woods, having fun. They were so connected by the end of the week that each knew what the other was feeling and thinking in seconds. Both kept there minds open to one another. They laughed and talked, Ryker had called Storm required groceries and William and Zand brought out what was on the list of items needed. Thena never looked more beautiful, her heat had come to an end. She was all smiles she had on a pair of cut off pants cut off above the knees, she had a t-shirt on. She was planting flowers around the cabin from seeds that were in the cabin. She laughed over the silliest of things, she cried over stupid things, and desired Ryker when it hit her. Two weeks had passed since her heat ended and she was almost relieved in some ways and in others wished it had not stopped.

  When Zand and William came up to the cabin with the truck started unloading and Ryker came out of the cabin and helped take in groceries. Thena planted flowers when she finished she came in washed her hands and started putting groceries away. She smiled when she saw all the groceries, she turned to Zand, “how much do I owe you guys for the groceries?”

  Zand laughed, “Compliments of Storm and Wind and a thank you; the deed to the land was handed over this morning to Storm.”

  William said, “Let me help you put groceries away!”

  Thena smiled, “that would be nice I think Ryker wants to speak to Zand any way.” As they put groceries away Zand and Ryker walked off by themselves.

  Zand looked at Ryker, “ok what is it you want to see me about Ryker.”

  Ryker frowned, “I want you to take care of and protect Thena while I am gone. And before you say anything I want you to know I am going after Melrodger’s and putting an end to this once and for all. Thena is carrying my pup right now I don’t think she knows, but I have noticed changes in her scent as her hormones are changing.”

  Zand frowned then growled, “if Thena is carrying your pup then you need to stay here with her and take care of her, and protect her more so now then ever before.”

  Ryker looked at Zand, “I have to go now; more then ever before, I cannot have Thena killed while she carries my cub I have to stop it now. Ben Wright is out there waiting for her to make the wrong move.”

  Zand looked at Ryker, “When are you leaving?”

  “Tomorrow morning and Thena doesn’t know and won’t know until I am gone. I want you and Alexis to come by and pick her up tell her you want her to go shopping some place a few hours from here. Suggest she needs clothes or needs to get out and away and relax for a while.”

  Zand said ok, I’ll do it, but if she asks I won’t lie to her, we have been friends for to long to have it destroyed in lies.”

  Once the groceries were put away Ryker and Thena went for a run in the woods. He laughed at her stunts, made her take it easy. When they went to bed that night he whispered in her ear that her scent was changing and he thought she was pregnant. She needed to buy some clothes and some items she wanted and to have some plans done up for their new home. She smiled and they talked and made love slowly gentle love making, Thena was a sleep quickly. Ryker held her in his arms all night.

  Chapter 7

  Morning came and Alexis and Zand drove in. Thena was doing breakfast dishes. Ryker, and her were talking about how beautiful the weather was. “Oh look Ryker, Zand and Alexis are here. I wonder what they want,” she said with a great big smile.

  Thena and Ryker went to the door, when Alexis came up onto the porch she smiled, “Thena I thought maybe you would like to go shopping with me, and I need to get some items for the pups and it would give you a day out.”

  Thena smiled, “Ryker lets go it would be fun to go eat out and have some fun.”

  Ryker smiled, “I can’t go honey I have an appointment with Storm in about two hours and you should go it will do you some good.”

  Ryker smiled at Thena, “you would truly not mind my going Ryker?

  “No not at all go and have fun.”

  Thena turned to Alexis and smiled, “I’ll be ready shortly.” Thena rushed up stairs put on a wrap around skirt, a blouse and a pair of sandals. Added a little lip stick and smiled. Walked down the stair case with a smile, and then frowned when she saw Zand and Ryker whispering harshly to one another. Ryker turned around and looked at Thena, “you look beautiful, have fun honey. I love you.” Thena kissed Ryker long and deep, didn’t know why she had to do it, but she did.

  When Thena was in the back seat of the truck she turned and looked around she did not see Ryker and she opened her mind to him, he was in the kitchen having coffee. Alexis began talking about the pups what she needed and then ask Thena what she needed, and they chatted freely.

  When Ryker could not feel Thena in his mind, he turned rushed up stairs packed a suit case and walked out to the SUV tossed in his suit case, and started it up and drove out of the yard.

  Eight hours later Ryker was putting his suit case into the plane, William was going to drive the SUV back to the alpha house and Jake was going to follow him. Ryker would fly the plane back to the alpha house because there was a small air port in the local town of Rock River. He would call the alpha house and one of the men would pick him up when he got back.

  He handed the keys to William and smiled, “see you later William.”

  Thena called Ned ask if he would ship her personal things to her, he said he would do no later then the weekend. Thena and purchased about ten out fits and three pairs of shoes, she purchased gifts for Ryker, a nice black western shirt, some western pants. She purchased him a new watch that cost a small fortune at four hundred dollars. She purchased lunch and snacks for everyone. She had a great time. Alexis was a sweet heart of a woman. On her way home she tried to reach Ryker in her mind, but he wasn’t home. She began to worry. A half and hour from home she knew he had left her. She wasn’t sure how she knew she just did.

  She turned to Zand, “Ryker’s gone he left me she began to cry. Zand never said a word.

  When they reached the turn off Zand slowed, “do you want to come and stay with Alexis and me or go to the alpha house?”

  Thena said, “No take me back to the cabin I want to be alone please.”

  Zand drove her up to the cabin they took her things into the cabin and Zand and Alexis left because Thena had told them to leave. Thena knew deep inside that Zand and Alexis knew Ryker was leaving her; they were the diversion for him. Thena went up stairs to the bedroom crawled into bed and scented Ryker on his pillow and cuddled it in her arms and cried herself to sleep. During the night Thena woke to hear some one down stairs. She slowly reached under her pillow pulled out the gun she had there. She silently placed pillows in the shape of her body in the bed covered it with the blankets. Slowly she made her way to the door and hid behind it and waited.

  The foot steps came up the stair case and down the hall, the door knob slowly turned and the door opened gently, when the door was open almost half way a hand with a gun was stuck in, and two shots rang out. Thena pushed on the door as hard as she could and the gun dropped trapping the arm between the edge of the door and the edge of the door frame. Thena shot four shells through the door, and then she opened it. A man lay on the hall way floor, then a shot rang out and Thena dropped. The bullet hit her and grazed her head. As the woman walked up to Thena and looked down and smiled, Thena pulled the trigger twice to her gun and the woman dropped to the floor dead.

  Ryker got into his plane and taxied out to the run way, and in ten minutes was lifting off the run way into the air, he made his turn from the air port plotted his course and relaxed and let the auto pilot take over for him. In seven hours he would be landing in Toronto, Ontario and he would hunt down Melrodger’s and kill him.

  Half way to Toronto he felt sick suddenly, something was awful wrong. He was not sure what it was. He searched his mind to reach out to Thena, but there was nothing. Maybe she was a sleep and dreaming about him, or she shut him out, because she was mad as hell at him he wasn’t sure, he just had a bad feeling. It was to late now to tur
n back.

  The flight went extremely well he reached Toronto in the six hours, because of a tail wind. He landed, and pulled up to a hanger. He parked the plane the name Dorthena One was on the side. The name was put on the plane six months after him and Thena split, he just could not help himself, then the numbers to the plane appears after the name Ryker then anchored her down, walked a short distance picked up a rental vehicle.

  Ryker drove north heading to a small resort town in upper Ontario, he did not want to fly, because he did not want a record of landing any where near the resort. He knew Melrodger went to this resort every year for three weeks. He had been here a week now if he stuck to his usual plans.

  When he was about four hours from the resort Ryker pulled over and slept in his rental for a few hours. When he woke he drove to the nearest town got gas for his vehicle, had something to eat. He tried to reach Thena again, but there was nothing. He wondered if he should call Zand and ask him to check on Thena. Yea that would be a good idea. Ryker pulled out his cell phone the battery was dead. “Damn I forgot to charge the damn phone.” Ryker would just have to trust Zand to take care of Thena if she would let him.

  Once Ryker had finished eating, he went out to his vehicle got in to drive the rest of the way to the resort. Once he was fifteen minutes from the resort he parked his vehicle in a dead end road made sure it was out of the way for anyone wanting to turn. He then sneaked his way up to the resort without being seen. He waited and he watched for Melrodger. A week had gone past and he had not done the same thing twice. Ryker was getting angry by this time; he thought the job would have been over and done with by now. Each day he tried to reach Thena in his mind and got nothing back. When the last and final week began he noticed that the second week was in line with the first week and that on Thursday Melrodger would go for a walk up the side of a trail that was five miles long. There Ryker would be waiting for him.

  Thursday came and Ryker was at the two and a half mile marker waiting for Melrodger. By ten in the morning he could see Melrodger coming up the trail. When Melrodger reached a certain point Ryker shifted down into a wolf and leaped at Melrodger. Melrodger hit the ground and shifted into a wolf. The two wolves were in a fight to the death. Both wolves knew that only one would walk out this day.

  Melrodger jumped at Ryker bit down hard and pulled with is jaws and muscle, Ryker yelped and turned and rolled freeing himself from the older wolf. Ryker then jumped grabbed Melrodger by the throat bit down with all his strength and ripped fur, skin and flesh. Melrodger was bleeding badly. But turned and bit at Ryker. They were growling and ripping at one another. The furry of the fight was draining them both. At one point Melrodger shifted into human form and so did Ryker. “So Ryker we meet again. How long has it been fifteen years you have learned much in the art of fighting since you were a boy. Oh by the way I just got word yesterday Dorthena is dead!” Melrodger laughed, Ryker shifted down quickly made a leap at Melrodger and tore out his throat, and then he tore out another large piece of his throat.

  With that Ryker ran as fast as he could towards his vehicle. He finally had to rest once he got to the vehicle. He unlocked it cleaned himself up so there would be no blood on him, changed his clothes and drove back to his plane. He tried to reach Thena and there was nothing. He was certain she was dead now and tears filled his eyes as he drove. The miles flew by time stopped for Ryker. His heart was breaking with each second that past.

  No he would not believe Zand had failed to protect Thena. There was no way in hell Zand and Storm both would have failed. Storm had agreed with his leaving. They both knew if the threat against Thena remained it also put his pack in danger. Neither one wanted that for the pack. No he would not believe Thena was dead there had to be another reason why he could not reach her. Maybe it was because they connection made at the ritual was done with less blood on Thena’s part then on his. Yes that had to be the reason the connection would not be completed at such a distance away.

  Chapter 8

  When he reached the airport he turned in his vehicle unanchored his plane and taxied out to the run way when he was told it was his turn and flew west towards home. He set the auto pilot and sat in shock. Thena dead, no she can’t be dead. No way in hell she was to smart to wise to anyone who would try to kill her. She would take special care she was carrying his pup. If she was dead then so was his pup. Tears filled his eyes, and his heart broke. When he reached the alpha house he flew low over the house nearly hitting the tree tops. When he saw William came out of the house he waved. William jumped into a truck headed for Rock River and Ryker was making his approach at the airport. He taxied in off the run way. When he got the plane anchored his suit case out William pulled up in the truck. Ryker rushed over jumped in, “how’ Thena?”

  William turned the truck rushed out of the air port and back to the alpha house not to the cabin. “Ryker Thena has been shot the bullet hit her in the head. She lay in the cabin for two days before Alexis and Zand found her. Two dead bodies were also found next to her. She put up a great fight, appears she shot the man four times right through the door, the woman was shot twice both times in the chest she died quickly. One bullet hit her heart.”

  Ryker looked like death had claimed his heart and sole, “The pup is the pup alright?”

  “At the moment yes as far as I know, but then I didn’t know she was carrying a pup.”

  Ryker frowned, “where is Thena now?”

  “She is in the clinic at the main alpha house. Wind and Alexis have been taking turns sitting with her and talking to her. Storm sang to her one evening. Storm talked to her told her he needed more money to buy more land and she had to get well to write the check. But there has been nothing now for almost two weeks. Storm even demanded she wake up as alpha of the pack and she didn’t wake.”

  As William drove into the alpha house yard, Ryker jumped out and rushed into the clinic. Paige was sitting at her desk, and she smiled, “Can I help you?”

  “My name is Ryker you have my mate Thena here?” Ryker said with a worried looked.

  Paige frowned, “Yes she is here in the clinic come with me.”

  Ryker followed Paige into a room then in the next room were beds. Thena lay in one of the beds, she was hooked up to IV bags, she was pale, and her head was not bandaged. She showed Ryker where the bullet skimmed across her skull. There was little damage done, and Paige had no idea why Thena was unconscious for so long a period.

  Ryker sat down beside Thena, “honey I am here come back to me baby. Thena it’s me Ryker honey come back to me. Melrodger is dead. Your safe now and always will be with me honey. Ryker talked to Thena for several hours. Storm and Wind came in sat down asked Ryker how he managed. Ryker told of how he killed Melrodger and that no one would think it was him. Ryker told Storm how he wore a scar on his leg for years because of Melrodger but it was none gone

  Wind was speaking to Thena softly, “Thena Ryker is home he is waiting for you.” Nothing came of Winds talking to Thena.

  Storm took a turn at speaking to Thena but nothing. When midnight came Ryker fall into a light sleep, he was drained but knew Thena needed him. He opened his mind to her and left his mind open as he slept.

  Thena’s mind was moving around in a white mist, she was lost, she felt half a live. Then she heard this tiny female voice deep inside of her. “Mommy you have to wake up now. It’s time to wake up mommy, daddy is home I can hear him speaking to you mommy please wake up!

  Then Thena heard a baby crying and Thena cried out, “don’t cry baby mommy is here, I’ll try to wake up for you baby girl. Mommy’s here baby girl.” The baby cried harder, “don’t cry baby I am going to wake up soon.”

  Thena moaned her head ached something awful, the pain like a distance memory shot through her head. The baby continued to cry. Thena tried to get up, but she couldn’t get up something was holding her. Thena cried out, Ryker get our baby girl she’s crying I can’t reach her.

  Ryker shot up out of the chair looked aroun
d. The chair hit the floor when it fall over backwards. Thena had not changed, but yet he heard her. He was positive her heard her tell him to get the baby girl. Ryker kneeled down picked up the chair and sat back down.

  Ryker opened his mind, he heard Thena, “Ryker get our baby girl she is crying for me I can’t reach her.

  Ryker looked at Thena, “wake up Thena the baby needs us, wake up honey.” Riker knew there was a connection to a pup and the mother before birth that they could communicate.

  Then Ryker didn’t hear anything more, Thena was breathing easier, but deeper, and he asked Thena, “is the baby still crying honey?”

  Thena whispered, No Ryker she is sleeping now, I need to sleep.”

  Ryker walked out to the office Paige wasn’t there so he went to the back door of her apartment and knocked. Paige came to do the door in her dressing grown. Ryker smiled, “I hate to bother you Paige, but can you check on Thena please something has changed in her.”

  Paige smiled, “I would be happy too, I must admit I am worried about her if she does not wake up soon I don’t know what to do. Paige walked in the room with the beds and looked, where is Thena?

  Ryker said, “what do you mean where is Thena, he looked the bed she was in was empty and the IV bag was on the floor, the needle had been removed and she was gone.

  Paige quickly rushed to the phone and dialled one. The phone rang about a dozen times before Storm answered it, “hello!”

  “Storm this is Paige, Thena is missing we have to find her.”

  Storm frowned, “how long has she been gone, no more then ten minutes at the very most.”

  “Where is Ryker? Storm asked calmly.