“Baby, don’t be angry. When all this is over, we’ll come for you.” Levi reached to pull her close, and she slapped his hands away.
“Don’t call me ‘baby,’ and don’t touch me. If you think you can just use me until you decide I’m no longer convenient to have around and then send me on my way, think again!”
“You know we don’t mean it that way, Hope.”
Maybe all the recent revelations were too much for her. Or maybe she was losing her damned mind, but suddenly she felt close to tears—big, ugly, uncontrollable tears. “All I know is that I let my guard down with you two, and now you’re pushing me away.”
“You said you couldn’t be our mate. Remember that? You’ve said it all along. If that’s really how you felt, why are you so upset now?”
That made sense, which pissed her off even more. Nothing running through her head, none of what had happened to her since she’d arrived in Silver Spring made sense. She stood up. “I think I just need to be alone for a while. Don’t follow me.”
Hope headed toward the guestroom, pleased she’d managed to get away from him without embarrassing herself by crying. She closed the door behind her, locked it, and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up over her head. She knew exactly what was wrong with her, though she hadn’t filled them in yet. She did want Adam and Levi, not just for the night, not just until Sarah was happily joined to her men. She wanted them forever. They were hers now, and the thought of them giving up on her tore her apart. Everything they’d said all along was true. They were her mates. They belonged to her.
Chapter 7
“So?” Hope bristled with anticipation. Sarah had taken far longer than she’d expected with the pregnancy test, leaving Hope pacing outside the bathroom door.
“So…So, it was positive! I’m pregnant.” Sarah squealed, jumping up and down, grinning wildly.
Hope matched her decibel, wrapping her arms around her sister, overcome with joy. “God, I thought you were never coming out of there. It’s bad enough you made me wait a whole week for the verdict.”
“I know. Jackson and Wes have been at me to go ahead and take the pregnancy test, but I was so afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” Hope would have taken a test the instant she suspected a pregnancy.
“I don’t know. I guess I’ve been so happy, with you here and my men. And now that we’re finally getting joined. I’ve been afraid something would go wrong, and I guess I wanted to hold on to the idea that my life really could be this perfect for as long as possible.”
Hope laughed and shook her head. “You always were a little nutty. Seriously, though, I understand why you felt that way. What finally made you decide to go ahead and do it?”
Shrugging, Sarah sat on the bed and looked up at Hope. “I figured it was time to stop holding my breath, so to speak, and just live. With all the talk about war, you just never know what might happen.”
Joining her sister on the bed, Hope leaned over to wipe a tear from her cheek. Despite how upset and confused she’d felt over the last few days, her heart was full at the sight of Sarah crying tears of joy.
“I want you to be as happy as I am,” Sarah said through her tears.
“Let’s not talk about that. It’ll just bring you down.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s not even possible. I feel too high right now. Besides, my happiness won’t be complete until you’re joined with your men, too.”
“I doubt that’s going to happen.” She let out a rueful chuckle. “Adam barely talks to me, and when he does, he’s super polite, as if he doesn’t even know me. And Levi won’t stop apologizing for him. But I can’t even get Levi to change his mind about me staying. Nikki says not to worry, that most shifters can’t stand to be separated from their mates, but what if they’re not like most shifters?” Hope couldn’t sit still and popped up to resume her pacing. “I feel like I finally decided I wanted them, and then, bam! They’re slamming on the brakes. What if it’s not really my safety that made them change their minds? What if it’s really because I can’t give them babies?”
“Adam and Levi are two of the most honest men I have ever known. If they say it doesn’t matter, it does not matter to them. They’re just being overprotective. Sending you back home is one way to keep you safe, but it’s not the only way. From what I’ve been told, women and pups are so protected during battles that what they’re doing is overkill.”
“Jackson and Wes are just as protective of you. Why aren’t they trying to ship you off somewhere?”
Sarah sighed. “Well, it’s different for me. I’m one of them now. I wouldn’t necessarily be safe away from here. Ulric and his pack could come after me for leverage, or worse, some wolf out there could try to mate with me if I was on my own.”
“Really? That happens?” Hope was surprised. With so much talk of fate and destined mates, she’d figured that was the only way wolves got together.
“Well, yeah. Some people don’t hold out for their fated, and others have lost mates. We can join with anyone we choose. It’s just that the fated have an incredibly strong instinctual bond, and most shifters want that.”
“What happens if someone marries…er…joins with someone and then his fated comes along?”
“Honestly? Things can get pretty ugly. I’ve heard that some manage to make it work, but I’ve never seen it in action. I guess that’s not saying much, though. I haven’t been one of them for that long.”
“I wish I hadn’t fought them so much at first. If I’d just accepted it, they’d have claimed me by now, and they wouldn’t be able to send me away, either.”
She’d hated the idea at first, then she’d simply been afraid of becoming like them. But since she’d begun to fall for Adam and Levi, she couldn’t imagine going back to her normal life. The idea of leaving them, even temporarily, made her feel six kinds of hollow inside, and who knew how long the threat of war would last? It could all be over in months or she could spend years waiting for them to come for her. And that was if Adam planned to come after her at all. She believed Levi did, but Adam hadn’t made any such promises. “I can’t believe I let my chance with them slip away.”
“How could you have known? I mean, what human is just going to jump at the chance to be bitten and join all this weirdness? I sure didn’t. They chased me for months before I finally gave in.”
“We don’t have months.”
“Are they still sharing your bed?”
“I usually end up sleeping with Levi. Adam hasn’t touched me since the big announcement. I’ve tried giving Levi the cold shoulder, just because it makes me so angry that he’s on board with this, but it’s like I can’t stop myself.” She’d given in to her body’s desperate need for him more times than she was proud of. It was a near thing with Adam, too, and she’d found herself on the verge of barging into his room on more than one occasion. She’d only just managed to hold herself back, mostly because of her pride. She felt incredibly rejected.
“It’s the mate bond. He won’t be able to fight against it for long. Just be patient.”
“How am I supposed to be patient? I simultaneously want to slap him and fuck him at all times now.” It was crass but true. Hope sighed heavily, realizing how self-centered she sounded. “I’m sorry to talk so much about me. I’m thrilled for you, so let’s concentrate on that. When will you tell your men?”
They were deep into their discussion of all the possible ways Sarah could tell them, ranging from the romantic to the hilarious, when Sarah’s phone rang. She took one look at the caller ID and beamed. “Hey, big guy. Miss me already?”
Hope smiled and walked away to look out the window. It had been weird staying with Adam and Levi after their big announcement, but she’d refused to even consider staying at the lodge. She needed to be near them. Even now, after only being away from them for a couple of hours since breakfast, she looked forward to seeing them again. Despite the awkwardness with Adam, she’d rather be with them than not.
> Sarah’s gasp snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see her sister’s shocked face. “Sarah, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Wes. He’s hurt…He’s been in an accident.”
* * * *
“You’re crazy if you think I’m staying here. I have to go to him!”
Hope struggled to hold her sister back. She looked ready to tear through Adam and Levi to get to Wes.
Levi tried to reassure her. “Zion is already on his way to the site with a group of men, and Adam and I are leaving now. We only stopped to let you know we were going. The best place for you is here, where it’s safe. We don’t know what to expect out there.”
They’d tried reasoning with her for longer than Hope thought either of them wanted to, but Sarah was having none of it. And Hope couldn’t say she blamed her. Waiting for the news that someone you loved had died? Hope wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and clearly Sarah thought that was a possibility. “Sarah, it’s going to be okay.” They were empty words, but what else could she say?
“You don’t know that. No one knows that. Just…just…let go of me!” Sarah wrenched herself from Hope’s grip and flew at Adam where he stood, blocking the door. “Move out of my way, Adam. I’m not going to ask you again.”
“No, Sarah.” From his expression, Hope could see he was sympathetic but had no intention of letting her pass. “I’m not letting you go.”
The crack that split the air as Sarah slapped Adam made Hope jump. She didn’t know what she expected the big man to do, but he surprised her. Instead of reacting in anger, he grabbed Sarah in a fierce hug. “I know you’re upset and worried, but I promise you we will do everything possible to get Wes back here safely. Your men would never forgive me if I let you go out there and get hurt.”
“Listen to him, Sarah,” Levi said. “We’re wasting valuable time here, when we could be out making sure you get both of your men back in one piece.”
Adam, still hugging Sarah, looked at Hope over her shoulder. “You will stay here, one way or another. You’ll either calm down enough that we can walk out of here and know you are safe, or I’ll send men to guard you…both of you.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to do that. I’m calm now.” Sarah’s voice did sound more controlled. Adam stepped back and Sarah adjusted her clothing, suddenly, eerily calm. “Go, then. Bring my man back safe.”
“Stay with her,” Adam admonished Hope.
“Of course. Where else would I go at a time like this?”
The moment the men were out the door, Sarah grabbed her phone and her purse. “Let’s go.”
Hope didn’t have to ask where. “Are you sure, Sarah? You heard what they said.”
“I don’t have time to debate this with you. You’re either with me or you’re not. There’ll be guards outside this door any minute.”
“What? Adam said—”
“I know what he said, but he’s no fool. They’re on their way as we speak.”
There was nothing to think about. If it was her man, Hope knew where she’d want to be, and there was no way she’d let Sarah go without her.
* * * *
Hope pulled the car over to the side of the road at the end of a line of cars and emergency vehicles. As she’d passed the site of the most activity, she’d seen a guardrail torn away but hadn’t been able to spot much of anything else. The moment the car stopped, Sarah jumped out and raced back toward the scene. Hope raced after her, barely able to keep up and grateful Sarah hadn’t shifted into her four-legged self and shocked any human onlookers. Despite her fear for her mate, she still seemed conscious of the need to protect the clan’s secret. She’d almost made it to the guardrail and Hope grabbed for her, worried she would dive right over the edge, but a police officer caught her around the waist.
Mindlessly kicking and struggling, Sarah screamed at the officer. “Let me go! My man’s down there! Let go of me!”
Speaking in the same calm tones Adam had used earlier, the policeman pointed out an area near a cluster of police cars where she could wait. “We have everything under control, Sarah. We’ll get him out.” Only then did Hope recognize him as one of the police officers who’d come to Adam’s and Levi’s house after she’d first seen Adam shift. “I’m sorry. I understand how you must feel, but Zion and Grey are down there. So are the Black brothers. This is the safest place for you.”
“You don’t understand. If he dies and I don’t have the chance to say good-bye and tell him how much I love him…”
Officer Michaels shook his head, and Hope could clearly see the regret in his eyes. “You won’t get to say any of that if you fall down there, too. There’s too much debris, and it’s too steep. If there weren’t so many humans around and you could shift to make the descent, then… maybe.” He shrugged and raised his eyebrows at Hope.
“Come on, Sarah. Let’s let them do their job. They won’t be able to take care of him properly if we’re in the way.”
“I need to be with him.” Sarah lunged toward the guardrail again and Officer Michaels barely caught her this time.
“I don’t want to do it, Sarah, but if you won’t cooperate, I’ll lock you in my squad car.” He held her by the arms, speaking sternly.
Sarah’s expression was stormy and Hope thought she would continue to fight, but suddenly, the wind just seemed to go out of her. “Just tell me. Just tell me the truth. Is he dead?”
“From what I’ve heard over the radio, he’s pretty banged up, but he’s alive.”
Hope sighed, incredibly relieved for her sister. “Let’s go stand over there and wait. I’m sure it won’t be long before they have him out of there and you can talk to him.”
As it turned out, she was wrong, and it was hours later that the rescuers appeared at the opening in the guardrail and a cheer went up as the crowd caught sight of the man on the stretcher. His eyes were closed and he was covered in cuts and bruises. Blood was everywhere, but his loud moan of pain was proof that he lived.
Sarah rushed toward him, and this time no one stopped her. The men carried Wes to the waiting ambulance and she climbed in after him. The doors closed, the siren sounded, and the ambulance sped away before Hope had time to think about anything other than how glad she was Wes was alive.
“I told you to wait in River’s Bend.” Adam suddenly loomed over her, looking anything but understanding. “I told you it wasn’t safe to leave our territory.”
His commanding tone grated on her nerves, especially given the stress of the last few hours.
“He’s her mate. Did you really expect her to just sit around waiting? You had to know she’d do anything to get to him.” In her view, he hadn’t tried hard enough to keep Sarah in River’s Bend, and she wasn’t about to let him blame her for it.
“I sent guards.”
“They were too late.” They’d managed to slip out one of the lodge’s back doors. Hope had worried they wouldn’t be allowed to leave River’s Bend, but apparently, the guards had only been told to keep outsiders out, not to prevent anyone from leaving. She wasn’t sure they’d actually recognized who was in the car, anyway. Sarah had yelled at her to gun it, and the guards had scattered to get out of the way.
“And no one tried to stop you?” Adam looked hard at her, obviously finding that difficult to believe.
“We didn’t exactly give them a chance to.”
“Whose car did you come here in?”
“Sarah’s. It’s parked down there.” She held up the keys.
Adam snatched them. “Wait here. I have to talk to Levi. Then I’ll take you home.”
* * * *
The car was silent for much of the way back to River’s Bend. He wasn’t sure what kept her so quiet, but he was too angry for words. She’d put herself in danger. Who knew where the rapists were at that point? It had taken everything in him to tell her she’d have to leave after the joining, and he didn’t know how he would find the strength to follow through. But the thought of those men hurting her made him
crazy.
“Will they take him to a regular hospital?” She’d finally broken the silence.
“No, there’s a chance he would shift unconsciously and scare the shit out of the doctors. They’ll take him back to River’s Bend. Fortunately, both of the EMTs are clan members, so Grey and Zion can work it out.”
“Will he make it?”
“He’s hurt badly, but he’ll survive. We can’t cheat death, but we do heal rapidly. There’ll be a lot of pain as he heals, but he’ll be back in shape in about a week, especially with the healing herbs and medicines our doctors use.”
Hope sighed loudly, and Adam only then considered how worried she must have been. “I’m sorry. This must have been hard for you, too.” He reached over and put a hand on her leg, feeling a jolt when he touched her and fighting against the dual urge to pull the car off the road and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe.
“I’m sorry I left, but I had to help her. I couldn’t let her come out here alone, not knowing if he was dying or already dead.”
Silence descended on the car again. Maybe he shouldn’t have ordered them to wait at the lodge, but if he apologized for that, would she feel free to disobey him again? And would her disobedience get her hurt next time?
“Is that Levi behind us?”
Adam looked in the rearview mirror, realizing the headlights of the car behind them were getting closer and closer. “No.”
* * * *
The crash and grind of metal against metal caused Hope’s heart to race, and the screech of tires made her tense up and instinctively grab for something to hold onto, but it was the jerking, followed by the spinning of the car, that caused her to scream in terror. A strong arm reached across her, and she only barely registered that Adam held her as the car spun and eventually came to a noisy halt.
Claiming Hope [Wolves of River's Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 19