The Pride

by Patricia Morse

  “Where’s Grizz? Isn’t he going to be joining us today?” I inquired innocently.

  “Grizzly won’t be joining us today, Eveliene.” The voice sent chills up and down my spine. I snapped around to see what once was Jacks standing in the open doorway. Cam and Lenny both pushed me behind them, using their bodies to shield me from Link’s fanatical violet eyes. I couldn’t see him from behind my fellas. Being short just plain sucks! I looked towards Thane, who was still staring off into the distance.

  “It’s alright gentleman, I mean my dearest Eveliene no harm. I have only respectable intentions towards our fair blue-eyed damsel. Dr. Ganyon, perhaps you can take our overly protective male guests elsewhere for a moment. I’d like a moment alone to catch up with Eveliene.”

  Cam and Lenny were standing their ground. I could hear the low pitched guttural growls beginning to emanate from their bellies.

  “I’ll be alright guys. We’re all on the same team now, right? There’s nothing to fear.” I couldn’t hide the tremors in my voice, but I was at ease knowing Thane wouldn’t take them too far from me.

  Thane finally stopped staring into space, and obediently escorted Cam and Lenny away from me. Cam turned, giving me a long worried look before the door closed blocking him from my view. Link looked the part of the ever threatening mad man. His shoulder length black hair was slicked back into a sleek ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was so pale, almost ghostly. His eyes were so dark that the pupils were nearly indiscernible from the irises. He wore a royal blue linen shirt and black trousers, attempting a casual, evil look. I stiffened as he approached me with his arms open.

  “Ma petite gateaux, how I’ve missed you. I’m pleased to see you are so well protected.”

  He was trying to be sincere, but his words seemed condescending. I backed up into the railing of the terrace avoiding his touch. I could feel the rage pooling up from my gut. I was literally seeing red. “Little cupcake? How dare you Jacks! You have no right to call me that!”

  He stopped, his head tipped inquisitively towards the sky. He inhaled deeply through his nose and closed his eyes as if trying to find the right words. When he opened his eyes, the whites of his eyes had turned to deep pools of black. I could feel my heart beating faster at the sight of his maniacal eyes, yet I stood my ground.

  “Jacks is dead, Eveliene. He died the night I was born. Never, ever use that name in my presence again! Understood?” His voice was dead and flat, almost a growl.

  I was still full of wrath and ready for the fight. “How dare you? How dare you become angry with me! You cut me off, Jacks! Do you remember that, Jacks?” It was you, Jacks, who pretended that our love was nothing, that I was nothing. I was being sarcastic, trying to see how far I could push. “You left ME! You left our honeymoon bed, and never returned. It was YOU who didn’t even have the sense to call me, YOUR WIFE, to tell me you were alright!” I was shouting at the top of my lungs now. Years of pent up hostility were pouring out faster than my mind could control. “I spent endless days trying to find you. Countless hours searching the internet, your favorite haunts, all of your properties. I traversed the globe searching for someone who didn’t care enough about me to be found. I loved you with my heart and soul, Jacks, and you found a way to turn my love to pure hate. My heart, Jacks, is nothing more than an icy tomb. There is nothing, Jacks, nothing you can do to me now that is any worse than the pain you have already caused me.

  I had pushed too far. With lightning speed he pounced on top of me grabbing my face and slamming my head into the hard brick floor of the terrace. His face was so close I could smell the blood on his breath.

  “You’ll do well to mind your manners, ma petite fille. I have generously spared the lives of you and your friends, but my mind can be easily changed. You seem ever fond of, what do you call him, Cam? Perhaps you are in need of a demonstration of my power.”

  “Need? I don’t need you! I need nothing from you.” I was no longer listening or comprehending anything he said. I was being controlled by my wrath and my need for vengeance. I wriggled under his weight causing him to apply more pressure on my face and hips.

  “Aah but my darling girl, you do. You admitted yourself, that your beautiful heart is frozen, perhaps I should see for myself.”

  A crazed look overtook his face as he harshly pressed his lips to mine. I desperately attempted to push him away. He bit down forcefully on my bottom lip and began sucking the traces of blood that were rushing to the surface with every quickening beat of my heart. With a surge of adrenaline, I pushed him off of me and leapt to my feet. My reflexes quickened, I grabbed the pitcher of ice water from the table and smashed it into the side of his head as he lunged for me once again. He stumbled backwards, giving me the millisecond I needed. I swiftly jumped from the terrace to the ground two stories below. I could hear his menacing laughter behind me as I hopped the fence to the horse pasture and made a beeline for the barn.

  “Eveliene, Ma Petite, come back!” He continued to laugh maniacally. “The line between love and hate grows ever thinner. You’ll be back my love! You will need me once again. I will see to it!”

  His crazy laughter and rage filled voice drifted away as I burst through the doors of the large, red barn. Oh God, what had I done. I lost control! I never lose control of my emotions. It always leads to more trouble. The barn was lined with empty hay filled stalls for the horses. I climbed a ladder at the back of the barn and found a quiet corner of the loft to collect my thoughts. Cam and Lenny were going to have to take care of themselves for the moment while I found a place to bury my feelings and lock them away again.

  Chapter 27

  Alpha Male

  Evie

  Thane poked his head up through the opening to the loft. I was curled up into a ball in the corner with my knees pressed to my chest and my head resting upon them, pretending to not notice his awesome presence.

  “Eveliene, I know you can sense me. I can smell your misery from the horse pasture.”

  I gazed at him with my red tearstained eyes. I wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hands and started to get up.

  “No Evie, please stay seated. May I join you?”

  I fluffed out some of the hay I had been sitting on, making a nice comfy nest for him to perch. He crouched down next to me, wiping away a stray tear before gracefully positioning himself in the seat I’d made for him. He kept his legs out in front of him while leaning the weight of his torso on the wooden barn wall. He stretched his hand to me.

  “Evie, come, rest your head on my shoulder.”

  I did as he instructed, scooting closer to him and placing my head upon his massive chiseled chest. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and squeezed me tightly before giving me a gentle kiss on top of my head.

  “Eveliene.” His voice was soft and sincere. “It’s time for you to let go.”

  “But..” It was all I got out before he placed a gentle finger to my lips.

  “You, my dear, have been strong for everyone. You’ve had to be. You were strong for me when I thought I’d lost Lexie forever. You were strong for your family when you knew they were in danger. You’ve sacrificed your freedom, to make sure everyone you love is safe, while neglecting to keep yourself safe. Hell, Evie! You were worried about Cam and Lenny, two amply strong men I might add, you were concerned about their well being while you were nearly being crushed to death by a power ridden underling. Then just a few moments ago, fearing for all of our safety once again, you placed yourself between Link and your family, all to keep them safe. When are you going to stop trying to be so strong, and let somebody else take the reins? Evie, I can be strong enough for all of us. I’m sure Cam and Lenny are capable as well. You just need to allow us to be the men we want to be for you.”

  He was looking intensely at me. I could feel his eyes piercing the top of my skull. I innocently looked up into his eyes, and did my best to smile. “Thane, I can’t let anyone else take the reins.”

  “Why no
t, sweetheart? Even if it’s just for a few minutes, let someone else be in control.”

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “If I let others have control, then they will just screw things up. It’s a woman thing.”

  “No, Evie, it’s a control freak thing. How can you allow yourself to be hurt over and over again, to protect men who can take care of themselves?”

  “Haven’t you heard Thane? Men are incapable of taking care of themselves. Don’t you know why God gave women maternal instincts?”

  “Why? To be total masochists?

  “No silly! He gave them to women so the women could try to keep the men from doing stupid things, but most importantly so the women wouldn’t kill the men when they did the stupid things anyways.”

  Thane shook his head all the while chuckling.

  “I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. That’s a plus. I’m sorry if Link harmed you in any way.”

  “It was my fault, Thane. I pushed him. I wanted to see how far I could push. I see he’s gained quite a temper. I guess a little bit of power does change people.”

  “Evie, it isn’t the power that changed him. Link was correct about one thing. Jacks is dead. Link has pushed his memories of Jacks so far back into his subconscious; I don’t know that Jacks even exists anymore. The second that Bengal DNA took hold, Jacks died. We lost that easy going, fun loving, and quirky guy. Now we have a stark raving mad lunatic inhabiting his body. I can’t even imagine how difficult and confusing this must be for you. He’s dead, yet you were never able to bury him.”

  “I’ll have my chance to bury him still, Thane. Mark my words; I will see to it that Jacks or Link, whatever he is, will die. No human or half-breed will ever suffer at his hands again!”

  Thane lifted my chin so I was looking directly at him. I could see the fire dancing in his deep blue eyes. Before I could think, he had his lips pressed to mine. He lifted me on top of his lap so I was straddling his legs. I held his face in my hands, pressing my lips harder into his. His massive hands slid up the back of my sweater. As we broke for a breath he snatched the sweater and chemise from my body and tossed it into the hay. I slid his turtle neck sweater over his head, and threw it onto the top of my sweater. He leaned into me, his well muscled arms reaching around my back, his hands cupping my shoulders. He began kissing my ear lobes and neck before grabbing the back of my neck and forcing my lips to meet his again. My head was spinning; I was having trouble forming a clear thought, but I was trying. Instinct and emotion had taken over. Instinct and emotions are what got me into this mess in the first place. I opened my eyes. My hands were pressed against his rock hard chest. I pushed back with my arms, almost throwing myself to the other side of the loft.

  “Thane, I’m sorry. This is wrong.”

  “You just can’t let yourself go for one moment, can you?”

  I could hear the frustration in his voice. “This isn’t about control

  Dr. Ganyon. This is about professionalism. We are colleagues, and we have a very important mission ahead of us. Letting emotions get in the way could jeopardize that mission.” I was trying to sound forceful as I exhaled raggedly, my pulse still quickening.

  Thane shook his head, threw his hands up in the air and growled before pouncing on top of me. “It’s just sex, Evie! Mating, coitus, intercourse! Whatever in the hell you want to call it. It doesn’t have to be emotional. It doesn’t have to jeopardize our mission.”

  “Mating? Seriously Thane, mating? Are you my alpha male now? Do you need to have your way with every half-breed woman now to prove your manliness?” I scowled at him and growled instinctively.

  “Do you know what the alpha male lion does to his lionesses that do not obey him?”

  “Holy Cripes! You do think you’re the alpha of this pride! Thane, I have no alpha.”

  “I was created from an alpha, Evie! I am an alpha! A general, if you must.”

  “Seriously, get the hell off of me, Ganyon! You’re one hell’uva doctor, but you’re definitely not a general. You suck at strategy.” I was seeing red again and my voice was gravely with anger.

  Ganyon snickered smugly, and looked deeply into my eyes. “As if hanging out in a cushy F-18 cockpit makes you a good strategist?” He was practically growling into my ear.

  “It makes me a heck of a lot more qualified than a man who hung out in an air conditioned medical tent all day while war raged on around him.” I gave him a shove as he removed his weight from his body. “Look, we could go on all day about who is more qualified to lead, but at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team. Alpha or not, we’re all connected Thane.”

  I watched him cautiously as he pulled his sweater back over his head. He picked up my shirts and walked over to me, carefully crouching to meet my eyes as he handed me my clothes. He silently walked to the ladder and jumped down to the first floor. I was still trying to sort everything out when I heard a commotion coming from the front lawn. I sprang up, brushed the hay from my body, and threw my sweater on, leaving the chemise behind. I leapt from the loft as Thane had done and dashed through the horse pasture. Ganyon, Link, and my three fellas were already there watching. The dread and shock my body felt as my eyes saw her brought me to a dead stop. Lexie was literally being dragged across the lawn by her ankles. Her wrists and ankles were bound by what appeared to be thick metal wires. She had duct tape across her mouth. I could see the fear emanating from her large green eyes. I made it to Lenny just in time to grab him from running to her aid.

  “Len, she’ll be fine. We’re here if they begin to harm her in any way.” I whispered quietly into his ear as I held his hand. I could see the anguish in Cam’s eyes. He too was fighting the urge to untie his sister and run away with her. Link approached Lexie, and we all held our breath. He callously ripped the duct tape from her lips, leaving a nasty red welt. He gently stroked her hair before slapping her across the jaw. I had to dig my heels into the dirt to hold Lenny back. He nearly ripped his own arm out of the socket before Cam placed his big arm across Lenny’s chest halting his forward movement. Thane approached Link quietly from the ranks, and Lexie shot him an icy, hate filled glare. Link ordered his men to untie Lexie’s ankles. The men who dragged her onto the lawn, hoisted her up into the air and carried her to an old oak tree in the middle of the yard. A chain was attached to her wrist shackles, thrown over the highest branch of the oak tree, and she was lifted several feet off the ground, where she was to remain until Link decided she could come down. Link turned to face the crowd that had gathered.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, my kitten has returned for her wedding day.” Cheers erupted from the masses of half-breeds surrounding the tree. “However, there will be no wedding tomorrow. This lioness has proved to be unworthy of being your queen.” The half-breed army broke out into waves of boos and hisses. “No need to worry though my friends. You’ll still get a chance to wear your tuxedos. Instead of a wedding, tomorrow you will attend her funeral!”

  Another wave of cheers exploded from the hybrid minions. Lexie was swinging madly back and forth in the tree. Cam had to tackle Lenny to keep him hidden within the ranks, as he was fighting to burst through and rescue Lexie. Knowing that Cam had Lenny under control, I quietly made my way through the crowd of large, beefy men. Thane was standing emotionless near the truck that had transported Lexie. For a brief second I was able to make eye contact, but he just looked away. Damn! I needed him to help me figure out how to get her down from that tree, and out of this country. The roaring crowd once again fell silent as another vehicle approached. I was staring at Thane, when I was harshly grabbed by the arm and brought center stage with Link. I cringed at his cold unfeeling touch. Link, still holding tightly onto my arm placed his lips near my ear.

  “My darling, our next gift is arriving. Watch with me to see what my men have found.”

  He held me tightly against him, his fingers digging into my shoulders. I did my best not to wretch. I was going to play the obedient servant this time.

&nb
sp; “Link, how did you find her?” I faked my best look of admiration.

  “It was easy, darling. Her scent was picked up at a truck stop very near to here. It took my men less than an hour to find her campsite. Even more delicious was that her trail from the campsite led straight to the perimeter of our little property. She was apprehended, and now she will be prosecuted for the crimes she has committed.”

  Before I could protest, the mass of snarling hybrids parted to let the roaring truck enter our strange gathering. The driver, whom I recognized as being Drake, jumped from the truck. He glared at me before addressing Link.

  “Sire, I think you’ll be pleased with what I’ve found.”

  Sire? Sire? Did he seriously just address Link as sire? Apparently Drake was doing his best to get back into Link’s good graces. Drake lifted the tonneau cover as his passenger dropped the gate of the truck. He hopped into the bed of the truck, joined by the unknown soldier he was transporting. Each of them lifted a large crossbow and threw it to the ground. Drake tossed out a bag of arrows. Link was growing impatient.

  “Drake, I hope you have more for me than a few items of hunting equipment.”

  “I do sire.” Drake and his partner lifted an unconscious man who was bound and gagged from the bed of the truck. They tossed him to the ground like a sack of garbage. He hit with a thud. His body rolled to the side, and I heard a tiny moan escape from his lungs. Lexie began swinging wildly back and forth, screaming for mercy. Link eased his grasp on my shoulders and pushed me to the side.

  “Wake him up. I want a better look at this gift you’ve brought me.”

  Drake began slapping the John Doe in the face repeatedly. “Wake up Loser! Wake up!” He was screaming wildly whipping the crowd back into a frenzy.