She was unprepared for what happened next. Riley inhaled sharply as the shifter moved at lightning speed. He landed two quick jabs to the abductor’s face. The full human hadn’t even reacted to the first punch before a third was landed to his gut.
The blue-eyed shifter stood completely still as the kidnapper’s body then caught up to speed. The man screamed out in pain as he flew back to the ground. He was soon rolling around on the dead leaves of the forest floor. His screams hurt Riley’s ears and she wished she could cover them with her hands.
The shorter man stared down at his friend before looking up wide-eyed at the brothers. “Please, let me go.”
The blue-eyed shifter turned toward him causally. It made the situation seem much tenser. The man stumbled backward. The shifter lifted his hand and the man fell to the ground and cowered, covering his face. Soon, money was raining down on him. The shifter had reached into his pocket and dropped several bills on the man.
He cautiously looked up before turning his attention to picking up the money. “Thank you. Thank you.”
His partner groaned loudly as he twisted on the ground. Riley was unsure if he would die or if he was simply still in great pain. She couldn’t care about that now, however. It was her future that was in jeopardy.
The abductor with the money stumbled to his feet before falling again. After a few attempts to stand, he finally ran off into the darkness. No honor among thieves. Riley looked back down at the man still twitching on the ground.
Her apparent Master’s voice soon had her attention, though. “Cut her loose.”
Chapter Three
Riley twisted against the ropes. “Let me go! I’m no one’s slave!”
She tried to get to her feet, but her legs were cramping. She pulled again on her wrists and the rope bit into her skin. Riley grunted in pain as two of the brothers neared her. The younger one with slightly messy hair bent down before her.
He placed a warm hand on her bare shoulder. Riley didn’t know if it was just the warmth or if the feeling was coming from him, but instant calm ran through her. She stopped moving and stared into his emerald eyes.
“I take it you know who we are.” His face was emotionless.
“Yes, shifters.”
The brother with blue eyes then knelt next to him. “Not just shifters. The Ward brothers.”
Riley shifted on her knees on the cold ground. “Yes, I know who you are.”
Her Master then walked up to stand behind his brothers. “Let’s go. We can do introductions once we get her somewhere warm. Can’t you two sense her discomfort?”
The youngest man tilted his head, still keeping eye contact with her. He was deep in thought and Riley wished she could hear his inner dialogue. Finally, the other shifter untied the rope. When her hands were free, she brought them around to her lap.
Pain radiated down her sore arms. Riley moaned again while leaning forward. She heard the brother who was standing growl. The sound seemed to bleed into her. Riley whimpered, partly from pain and partly in response to him.
The two men kneeling before her then stood. While still bent forward, she lifted her head to watch them slowly step backward a few steps. Then the blue glowing orb went out. It was pitch black in the forest again and a cold breeze ran over her skin.
“Hello?” She couldn’t see anything except a few outlines of trees. A slow panic tightened her chest.
Riley was unsure if she was allowed to get up or if she was supposed to wait on the cold ground. She sat up straighter and started to rub her wrists. They were raw and she whimpered softly. Suddenly movement caught her eye. Two things were strolling a few feet from her.
Shit. Wolves. Riley stopped moving, but her breathing sped up, causing her chest to rise and fall rapidly. Her eyes had adjusted some to the darkness so she could now barely make out two large, white wolves. They both paced back and forth in front of her.
Riley slowly inched back toward the tree for security. Another cold breeze blew through her long hair and she shivered, still watching the pacing animals. Where was the third brother? His voice then startled her. She jumped as he stepped forward, just in front of his brothers. He was still in his commanding human form.
“Riley, pet. I need to get you back to my home. Are we doing this the easy or hard way?”
What? These fucking shifters. “Easy way? What the hell? What about being kidnapped and brought to the forest sounds like the easy way?”
Riley put her hand on the tree behind her and started to push herself up. Her legs faltered and she fell forward. More pain ran through her as her legs stiffened from the cold and from being tied to the tree for so long. She inhaled sharply and tried to stand again.
“Fine. The hard way.” Her apparent Master stepped forward.
The next thing Riley new, he was grabbing her and pulling her toward his chest. She grunted loudly while trying to push him back. He was obviously too strong for her. He swiftly lifted her over his shoulder. Riley started to kick her legs in protest, but he didn’t slow his movements.
“Put me down! Seriously, I’m not your fucking property!”
He growled and tightened his grip on her. “Untrue.”
Riley huffed out an irritated breath as she raised her head just enough to see the two white wolves start to run off. She wondered if her Master was going to transform while holding her. He didn’t. He effortlessly carried her through the woods. After several minutes of twisting and kicking, Riley finally gave in to her fate and just laid still on his shoulder.
He never spoke to her. He carried her for what seemed like hours. Riley soon started to doze off. She was aware that this trip would be much faster as a four-legged animal. He wasn’t changing for her, she guessed. Was it for her comfort or for her level of fear? She didn’t know, but it was the first good feeling she had had about this man.
Riley was awoken suddenly when the man carrying her stopped walking and then she heard a large clicking noise. She twisted her body to see that they were at a log cabin. The man was opening the door. He carried her inside and Riley felt like she was in another dimension.
Chapter Four
The large, muscular man was soon setting her down onto a wooden chair. Riley started to stand but was instantly halted when two hands grabbed her arms. She turned to find the blue-eyed shifter, now back to human form, holding her wrists. She pulled on her arms, but her attention was soon drawn to her legs. The emerald-eyed brother was now before her, grabbing her ankles.
“Hey!” She pulled on all four of her limbs. “Let go of me.”
Her protest went unheeded. The men made quick work of tying her to the chair. Thankfully, they used strips of soft cloth so this was far more comfortable than being tied to the tree with the rough rope. Still, Riley was getting sick and tired of being manhandled.
The two stepped back from her when she was secured. Riley twisted and pulled on the chair. She grunted and exhaled a surrendering breath. Finally, she sat still, giving the men dirty looks.
“I’m getting pretty fucking sick of this. Untie me. Now!”
The brother who had carried her stepped in between the other men. “Quiet yourself.”
Riley opened her mouth to yell at him, but she stopped herself. She actually wanted to hear what he was going to say next. Plus, what was the point? She wasn’t getting out of here unless they wanted her to go.
“Thank you.” He nodded at her. “My name is Jordan. This is my brother Ryan.” He pointed at the blue-eyed man. “And this is Brody.” He then pointed at the longer haired man.
Jordan. His name already meant something to her. It was like a memory that she couldn’t fully recall. Riley said his name again in her mind and a small tingle started in her gut. What is with me?
Jordan folded his arms over his chest. “And you, my pet, are my slave.”
Riley twisted in the chair. She kicked her legs, but they had very little room to move with the cloth ties on them. She pulled on her arms. Same story. Her eyes rapid
ly looked from brother to brother. Ryan and Jordan both wore serious expressions. Brody, however, had a boyish smirk on his face.
“Look, I’m no one’s slave. Let me go. You can’t just keep me tied up forever.”
Jordan unfolded his arms and stepped closer to her. Riley held her breath, for a moment.
“Riley, you are my marked slave. You can’t change that.”
She again twisted in her chair. She knew what he said was the truth. Riley had known it all her life, but after her grandmother had passed, she had convinced herself that it was just a fairytale. It wasn’t, or else why would she be tied up, staring at triplet wolf shifters in the middle of the woods?
“Look, I don’t live by your rules. All right? Untie me.”
Brody snorted before running his hand through his hair.
Ryan shook his head before speaking. “Brother, we’re going to leave you to it. This is getting boring.”
The other two men started to turn away from them. Brody stopped just before they reached the door. He turned to look at her. “Oh, pet. Do yourself a favor and give in now. It will save you a lot of headaches.”
Ryan opened the door and both men stepped outside. As one brother slowly closed the door, Riley briefly saw the other brother shift. It was a beautiful and unnatural sight. She had a sudden, strange urge to rub her face in their fur. Riley closed her eyes and shook her head for a few seconds before looking back up at Jordan.
He clenched his jaw and slowly walked around her. Riley sat extremely still as he came to a stop right behind her. Jordan laid a hand on her shoulder and Riley closed her eyes again. He slowly ran his hand down her arm, causing her to shiver.
Jordan moved his hand back up and then slid it across the back of her neck. He pulled on the top of her tank top. She knew exactly what he was doing. He was looking for his mark and it was there. She had seen it in the mirror many times. Again, the older she got, the more she convinced herself that it was just a strange birthmark. It was far more than that, though.
Jordan exhaled a deep breath when he found it on her skin. At the base of her neck was his mark. If anyone else saw it, they might think it was a scar. It was a jagged line that was a rosy pink color. Jordan ran his hand over her skin and then stopped his fingers on her mark.
A spike of fear and anxiety ran up the back of her throat. Jordan growled behind her and she felt it then. Her body was connected to his. As Jordan’s fingers ran up and down the mark, it felt as if he was breathing for her. Riley felt he was controlling her body in a very subtle way.
It was too much for her. She jerked her body forward as far as the cloth straps would allow her to. Jordan’s hand came off her neck and she worried for a second that he’d be angry. Maybe he’d pull her back violently. He didn’t. Jordan took a deep breath before walking back around to face her.
He stared down at her with his stormy eyes. Riley wanted to look away. His gaze was too intense, but she didn’t want to show weakness so she stared back. Her heart felt as if it might beat right out of her chest as he held her stare.
Finally, Jordan took a small step back and started to pull his black shirt off. Riley wasn’t sure if this was for intimidation or if shifters simply ran hot. As soon as she saw his bare chest and abs, neither mattered.
He was a fine example of a human specimen. Jordan dropped his shirt and Riley continued to run her eyes over his body. He looked perfect, as far as she could see. Riley swallowed loudly without really meaning to. She flexed her hands against the arms of the chair as his muscles moved.
“Pet, I’m sure you already know that today I turned twenty-five, as did my brothers.”
Riley didn’t answer. She simply stared into his beautiful eyes.
“Shifters have one year from their Prime birthday to find and retrieve their slave. As you can tell, I’ve been counting the days. I’ve always known where you were and I didn’t want to wait even a day more than I had to.”
Riley exhaled while letting her eyes close. What the hell could she say to that? He didn’t seem like a man that would just walk away now. After a moment, she looked back at him.
“What happens after a year?”
The gray of his eyes darkened just a bit. “If a shifter hasn’t claimed his slave in the allotted timeframe then the mark fades and they may never be found.”
Riley had the urge to rub her neck where his mark colored her skin. A strange pride tried to surface before she stuffed it down.
“Look, you guys seem like ok guys, but this isn’t for me. I mean, I’m not simply going to roll over and be your slave because of some weird scar.”
Jordan’s reaction was immediate and dramatic. His nostrils flared and he leaned down into her face. He pinned her arms tightly against the chair. Riley squirmed under him. His stare was so deep it frightened her.
“Weird scar? Some shifters are doomed to a life without a slave of their own. Some are doomed to search in vain and live their life alone and miserable.”
Riley stared at him with wide-eyes. Should she feel pride over how much he wanted her? Should she be scared of it? He held the stare for several more seconds before standing and starting to pace.
Riley exhaled and looked down at the floor, thinking. What did she really have to go back to, anyway? No family. Her parents had died when she was young. Her grandmother had taken care of her since then, and she had died a year ago.
Riley had no husband, not even a serious boyfriend. She was even between jobs, at the moment. Was that the universe setting this all up?
She looked back at her bare, dirty feet. I’m almost the perfect person to kidnap. No one would notice I’m gone. Maybe I should want to be somewhere where I’m needed and desired.
Chapter Five
Jordan ran his hand through his hair. This wasn’t going the way he had dreamed about. Of course, he knew that being kidnapped and drug out to the woods would be jarring to her, but he had hoped that once they had connected that she’d fall for him much quicker.
He knew that she had felt the connection when he touched her marking. Riley had resisted it more than he had hoped, though. Was she just scared or did she really not want this? He turned to look at her. She was just as beautiful as he remembered.
Jordan had watched her from afar for years. Now she was here, in his home, and it wasn’t the magical event it should be. He sighed and walked over to the couch against the side wall of the living room. He grabbed a blanket that laid over the back.
He returned to Riley and laid the blanket over her shivering legs. He needed to clean her up, but he was worried about untying her. Would she bolt immediately? He tucked the blanket around her legs and they gradually stopped shaking. She stared up at him with her big, brown eyes. They looked so innocent. Would he destroy that?
“Thank you.” Her expression was flat.
Jordan moved his hand up to her face. Riley swiftly leaned away from his touch and he couldn’t hold onto his anger. He growled in frustration. At the same time, he stepped back from her and did the first thing that came to mind. Jordan turned toward a small coffee table and kicked it. It violently flipped over, causing a few books to fly across the floor.
Riley screamed behind him and he felt like shit instantly. Jordan stood there, his back to her, and just breathed. He had to make this work. He wouldn’t be happy without her. She was a part of his life and future, even if she didn’t know it yet.
Jordan then heard the worst sound he could. Riley was crying.
“Fuck.”
He slowly turned around and walked back to her. Her long brown hair was in her face as she stared at her lap. He watched a few tears fall from her face. Jordan didn’t know how to fix this. There weren’t a lot of manuals on how to make your slave respect and love you.
“Pet, I’m sorry. This…this just isn’t how I wanted your first night with me to go.”
Riley slowly lifted her head. Her tears had made tracks in the dust on her cheeks. He turned away from her and walked the few steps
to his kitchen. Jordan returned with a small, damp washcloth. He knelt before her and held it up, letting her see what he had first.
Jordan reached out toward her face but waited to see if she’d pull away again. Her tear-filled eyes flicked back and forth between the cloth and his face. Finally, she subtly leaned toward him. It was the first sign of trust she had showed and it meant more than it should to him.
Jordan very gently wiped her damp and dirty cheeks. After her face was clean, he reached down and wiped her left hand. As he moved on to wash her right hand, a soft moan came off her lips. He took this as another calming, trustful sign.
“Pet, yes, you are my slave, but I want a willing slave.”
She tilted her head to the side and for the first time tonight, a small smile played on her lips. He felt his heart stop for a second.
“A willing slave? That’s an oxymoron.”
He returned her smile and dropped the used washcloth. Jordan took hold of her hand and was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t try to pull it away.
“Riley, give me a week. Stay here willingly for a week and let me show you what my slave’s life would be. If you hate me after that, I won’t stop you from leaving.”
Saying those words had a deep pain in his stomach growing. Truthfully, he’d be better off dead if she left and never returned. Riley was his marked one and she was his only chance at happiness. He just hoped she’d feel the same way after a week with him.
She closed her eyes, causing a few last tears to run down her face. When she opened them, Jordan reached up and wiped the tears away with his fingers.
Riley slowly nodded her head. “One week.”
“One week.” One week to give you a lifetime.
Chapter Six
As Jordan started to untie her legs, Riley was already regretting agreeing to the one-week time frame. I’ll just sneak out when he goes to sleep. He smiled up at her as he moved on to releasing her arms. This had a bit of guilt starting to tighten her chest.
Jordan's Marked Mate [The Ward Brothers] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 2