by Leela Ash
“You made more than a mistake,” Layne exclaimed. And for some reason, instead of feeling angry, she burst into tears. It was definitely the hormones. And yet, the pain she had felt back then, the confusion and betrayal she had experienced, had been very, very real. She had just managed to hold it back all this time.
Suddenly, Aydin’s strong arms were around her and his chocolatey voice was consoling her, telling her all the things she had thought over the years about him. That he had been childish, stupid, naive, and cruel. That she hadn’t deserved to be hurt the way she had been. That he had always loved her, then, all the way up to now.
His lips kissed her forehead and she gritted her teeth, consumed by memories of their last sweet embrace. It had been the morning before he had executed his plan. His strong hands had been all over her body, awakening deep longings for Aydin to somehow become part of her. Complete her somehow.
And he had. So many times and in so many ways. Layne’s vulnerable body, her heart, broken and shattered by the tragedy that had taken her away from her family and friends, had found an odd sort of peace with Aydin. And they’d shared such a strong sexual chemistry. It was different than what she had with Jax, who was always powerful, caring, considerate, and honest. With Aydin, she could never be sure what he was really thinking, and in a way, her insecurity had enhanced that aspect of their relationship. She cherished every tiny morsel of attention she’d received from him. And now, there he was again.
“I need you to leave, Aydin. I mean it,” Layne said, pulling away from his embrace.
“I thought you needed my help,” he said, smiling maddeningly at her.
“I need equipment,” she said, gritting her teeth. “That doesn’t mean I need it from you.”
Aydin smiled, a genuine smile, and he stood up with a courteous, old-fashioned bow. He was always doing this sort of thing. Grandiose, sarcastic, and yet, deep down, she suspected he was secretly just that kind of person. Larger than life. More like the evil villain in a book than a person in real life.
“Good night then,” he said, his eyes twinkling.
Layne cringed as she listened to his footsteps recede. She couldn’t trust herself with him. It was better to keep him out of her life as much as possible. Getting involved with him would just complicate everything, and for her baby’s sake, she couldn’t afford that.
Still, her mind was reeling for the rest of the night, her loins on fire at the thought of being able to indulge one last time in the sensual pleasures that she had once enjoyed with Aydin. He was certainly a master of his craft, and on more than one occasion, he’d left her begging for more and more, until the sun had risen and she still hadn’t had enough. It was to be expected from someone so young and in love, who had never enjoyed the touch of a man before. And as hot as it made her to remember, and as tempted as she was to revisit that erotic, secret part of her history, she wouldn’t let herself. Not even if it meant having to get her equipment elsewhere.
Aydin was a monster. That’s all there was to it. And she wouldn’t let him feel as if she owed him for anything. Not anymore. Not after he had knowingly poisoned them all, having Layne distribute the cups of his noxious solution as if it were nothing more dangerous than water. Not after a child had died under his watch and Layne’s love had been replaced by the sadistic Natalie – a woman who shared in Aydin’s demented vision and encouraged him to find a cure, by any means necessary.
She wouldn’t let Aydin know anything about her pregnancy or allow him to feel like he could pressure her into exchanging sex for research equipment. If he wanted the beer, then fine. They would trade the beer. And if not, they would be on their way, far from the confusing, hellish emotions that being near Aydin stirred up in Layne. She didn’t need that. She had a family to think about, and that was exactly what she was going to do.
Chapter Twelve
Layne moaned softly. Her body was on fire, and broken images of Jax and Aydin flooded her mind. They were both so virile and powerful in their own ways.
“Layne?”
A familiar voice broke through the foggy images and she was roused from her feverish sex dream to find Sam in the little tent beside her.
“Time to get up, Layne,” Sam said, shaking her shoulder gently. “We have some negotiating to do.”
“Okay. Have you slept?” Layne asked, sitting up groggily and trying to push back the embarrassing images that had gotten her so aroused. It was calming to talk to Sam after that. It helped her to remember where her loyalties really lay.
“Not yet. I told you I wouldn’t,” Sam said with a tired smile. “I saw Aydin come in here last night. I was heading this way but he left before I got here to check on you. Is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” Layne said quietly. “Let’s get this over with.”
They emerged from the tent and headed toward Aydin’s little shack. The light was streaming in this time, and he was easily visible sitting on a small stool, crouched in front of a small pile of supplies.
“We’ll take your trade,” he said, without meeting Layne’s eyes. “Leave the beer here and you can take everything you need.”
Sam and Layne exchanged surprised looks. The last thing Layne had expected was for Aydin to agree to helping them. But maybe it was true what he’d said. Maybe he had changed and he regretted the things that had happened. Or maybe, he just really liked her beer.
“Thank you,” Sam said, lifting the heavy bag from Layne’s back and emptying her own on the ground in front of Aydin. He watched with a careful eye, and when she was finished, she carefully packed up the equipment. Bunsen burners, petri dishes, eye droppers… everything they needed.
“Leave us now,” Aydin told Sam when she was done packing their supplies. Sam shot a worried look at Layne, and Layne shrugged. Aydin wanted to speak privately with her. There wasn’t much she could do about it. She gave Sam a nod. They would probably be fine.
“Let me know if you need me,” Sam said, staring Layne in the eye. Layne nodded as Sam disappeared behind the ratty old blanket in the doorway.
“Things have changed since you left the tribe,” Aydin said. “We’ve scoured the country looking for knowledge. We’ve raided laboratories, gathered books, gained and lost wonderful people. I see the error of my ways. And I mean what I said. I miss you. You are welcome here any time.”
Layne waited for the catch, but Aydin just smiled at her.
“That’s all. You’re free to leave now. Good luck on your journey.”
Layne stammered to find words, but none came, and she left the settlement in silence, with Sam close to her side.
Chapter Thirteen
“She just left,” the blonde woman said once Jax reached the settlement. “You missed her by like an hour.”
“Fuck!” Jax growled, punching down one of the stakes in their wooden fence.
“Easy tiger,” the woman said, her eyes sparkling.
“Damn.” Jax glared down at the ground.
“Which way did they go?”
“East,” the woman said, her voice dancing with unexpressed laughter. Jax could feel her eyes roaming him hungrily, and as if to confirm his suspicions, she grinned at him.
“You’re yummy. Want some dinner?”
Jax didn’t bother answering. He took off on his bike in the direction where Layne and Sam had gone.
“Come back soon!” the blonde called.
Jax growled to himself. At least he was close. And he had gotten a tip on where the girls were heading. They would be together soon and he would finally be able to stop worrying. That was all that really mattered. Even though he was so close to finding them at last, Jax had been getting a bad feeling and he wasn’t sure why. He pedaled for all he was worth, hoping to catch up with them before anything bad could happen.
***
“I know you’re anxious to get this over with but please, let me do this part alone,” Sam whispered.
Sam had been talking with some of the other people in the tr
ibe before they had left and had gathered information on where the group of green-tinged carriers of the virus had gone. They had been hot on the trail, and had left immediately with Sam whispering instructions in Layne’s ear as they made their way out of the tribe’s settlement.
Now, it was clear by the nauseating chemical smell that the carriers brought with them that they were close.
“I need one of them to voluntarily provide us with their blood,” Sam said, slipping a needle and a plastic hazardous chemicals bag from the backpack she was carrying. “And I don’t want you coming anywhere near this stuff.”
“But what if they attack you?”
“Are you kidding? We have a few bottles of beer left. You know they would give anything for a few seconds of relief. Most of them are ready to kill themselves. The only reason they haven’t yet is because some cult leader of theirs thinks the only way they can achieve forgiveness is through a penance of eternal suffering.”
“Uh...”
“Exactly. You’re not experienced with these people. I am. And it could hurt the baby. So we’ll just leave you here, you can make camp, and stay put until I come back.”
Layne dropped onto a fallen tree and pouted as Sam strutted nervously into the darkness of the forest. Before long, she heard Sam scream and Layne’s stomach dropped. Screw being a safe sitting duck. She was going to help her friend.
She took off running toward the commotion. There were three of the cursed ones. Two of them were holding Sam down on the ground and the third was standing over them, getting ready to strip his jeans off. Layne howled with rage and struck a blow on the back of the man’s head. He fell hard into the dirt. He was obviously already drunk and stayed put. The other two weren’t sure what to do. They were so out of it that it took them a few seconds to drop Sam’s arms and back away. Sam grabbed one of the men by the neck and knocked him to the ground as the other stumbled away, heading back the way he had come.
Sam was barely able to stick the needle in his arm and draw the blood before the man knocked the needle out of her hand and attacked her again. Layne tried to lunge forward and help her friend, but the man she had knocked onto the ground had a hold of her ankle. She tried to shake him off, but the man held tightly, a sickening sneer on his face.
He was surprisingly strong and she was brought to the ground. Soon, the green-tinged man was struggling with her, and both Sam and Layne found themselves unexpectedly fighting for their lives.
Chapter Fourteen
Jax paused his furious ride. Something in the distance caught his eye. Something glittering and familiar. He rode close to it and realized that it was Layne’s backpack. The silver keychain she had always kept on it, a little tree stump with a smiling face, was glittering in the sunlight. It had drawn his attention to their gear, left casually on the ground as if they had been about to make camp.
“Urmph!”
It was Layne’s voice, in an unmistakable struggle. Jax’s heart leapt to his throat and he jumped off the bike, running with all his might to the scene. He reached Layne first and kicked the man off of her. The man’s eyes were gaunt and empty, and although he smiled, there was no sign of joy in his face. Jax kicked him again, hard enough that it broke his neck. The man fell with a nauseating snap and Jax bounded over to Sam, who was having a struggle of her own.
“Jax,” she choked, just as the man gripped her around the throat. She was losing air quickly, and Jax wasn’t sure if he would make it in time to save her.
He didn’t have to. The man suddenly howled in pain and released Sam’s neck, bringing his hands up to his forehead. Jax glanced back at Layne. She was holding her slingshot at the ready and already firing another round of ammo into the man’s head. He turned around and tried to flee, but Jax finally caught up to him and knifed him in the back. Nobody was going to get away with hurting anybody in his tribe. And that’s all there was to it.
Jax went to Layne, unable to find the words to tell her how angry he was that she had left or how much he had missed her while she was gone. They embraced tightly, only to break apart when Sam cried out in agony.
Jax whipped around, sure that something had come back to continue the attack. But she was looking down at a broken needle on the ground.
“We really needed that,” she whispered. Sam’s eyes filled with tears and Layne ran toward her. “Stop! It’s contaminated.”
“But…”
Just then, another heart-wrenching little sob rang out and the three of them stopped what they were doing and listened.
“It’s coming from over there,” Layne whispered, walking toward it.
“Wait!” Sam cried. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. Let me.”
Jax walked carefully behind Sam as they ventured into the brush, and Sam cried out in shock. She lifted a small girl from the weeds where she’d been hiding. She couldn’t have been more than three years old. Her skin was an olive green color, but her face was precious and pure. Layne hadn’t seen anything so innocent since she’d found Gilly as a puppy.
“My mommy’s gone,” the child hiccupped. “And-and daddy won’t get up.”
Sam followed the girl’s chubby finger to where the corpse that had attacked Layne was sprawled on the ground.
“It’s going to be okay,” Sam said, nuzzling the little girl to her chest. “We’ll take care of you now.”
***
When they finally arrived back at the settlement, Tobi ran out of the house and embraced Sam, shocked but undeterred to find the sleeping child in Sam’s arms.
“You know that little house we were going to make in the shed?” Tobi asked, leading them to the back yard.
“Yeah,” Sam replied.
“Well, I finished it up. There was nothing else to do with all you assholes running off without me.”
Jax and Layne followed them and everybody let out a soft cry of appreciation when Tobi opened the door.
“This is perfect,” Sam whispered, holding Tobi’s face close to hers.
“So what’s with the kid?” Tobi asked, finally acknowledging the sleeping three-year-old.
“I might be wrong, but she could very well be the key to curing the virus,” Sam finally said.
Everybody stared at her in stunned silence.
“I need to work closely with her in here and keep her out of the house, away from Layne until I’m sure,” Sam continued. “I told her we would take care of her and I intend to honor that promise. She doesn’t know what’s going on. If her mother was normal, with the immunity, and her father was part of the cursed ones, her blood might be the secret to making our formula a success. And if not, well, I still need living blood from the infected to fight the virus.”
“So you mean…” Layne whispered.
“Yes,” Tobi said. “You’re going to save the world after all.”
Epilogue
The house was quiet without Tobi and Sam camped out in the living room. The only noise they could hear was Gilly as she rummaged around in the kitchen, looking for scraps of food.
“Do you think Gilly will be good with kids?” Layne asked Jax, rubbing her hand across his broad chest. They had been making love all night, acting like teenagers with the house to themselves for the first time.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Jax said. “I’m just worried she’ll be too soft to hurt anybody who is trying to hurt us.”
“We can take her out. Train her,” Layne said. “I know a thing or two about dogs.”
“I bet you do,” Jax said grinning, lifting her easily from her spot on the bed onto his abdomen. The warmth of her middle against his groin made him instantly hard again. He was worried he might be tiring Layne out, but to his surprise she was keeping up for him and matching his desire touch by touch.
Layne moaned in pleasure as he slipped inside of her once again, and she let him flip her to her back so that he could push himself in slowly and deeply. She loved the way it felt when he pried her open and their bodies became whole with on
e another.
Jax slipped himself out and inside once again and Layne closed her eyes in bliss. She had missed him, and there had been quite a few times she wasn’t sure that she would be able to see him again and feel the familiar safety of their homestead.
“You can be louder now,” Jax reminded her. The words washed over her and sent her over the edge, until her quick climax was gripping Jax tightly in its haunches. He hissed in pleasure and continued with his physical assault on her body, until both of them were close to climaxing again.
“I missed you,” Layne whispered, caressing Jax’s face. Seeing Aydin again had been a chilling reminder of a life she had chosen not to pursue. It had been the best choice not to follow Aydin to her doom. She had been able to find the perfect man, against all the odds.
“I love you,” Jax breathed, his eyes dark and sensual as he thrust himself deeply inside of her. They both moaned as his explosive climax shot inside of her, and he gripped Layne as her body quaked beneath him, until they were both finally done for the night.
“Never leave like that again,” Jax said, holding her hand tightly. “I’ll support you. I know you can take care of yourself. Just be honest with me, okay?”
“Okay,” Layne said, planting a lingering kiss on his lips. “Next time we save the world, you can come too.”
Jax grinned broadly at her and they both dissolved into laughter before finally their exhaustion took over and they fell asleep in each other’s arms. Everything was going to be okay.
THE END
The Story concludes in Book 5…available on Amazon…
Wolf Shifter Romance
Mated to the Highland Wolf