“Breathe,” she told him.
He glared at her. “Breathing is what started this.”
She shot him a look of exasperation. “Is that how Ryan smelled?”
He took another very small breath in. It was much stronger here, but it was the same scent. “Yeah,” he confirmed. “That’s it.”
Following the scent, they passed through a small area with trees and across a field to an old house. Boarded up, it seemed it had been unoccupied for a while, the weeds in the garden taking over.
“Can you smell anything?” Katie asked.
He stared at her, eyes watering. “I think my nose died. I may never smell anything ever again.” He sneezed.
“Me neither.” Katie sighed. “I guess we’ll have to do it the old fashioned way and actually look around.”
They looked around the house, looking for a way in. There was nothing, no signs that anyone had been inside. The nails on the boards were old and rusted, nobody had disturbed the house in some time. His heart sank.
“Felix.”
He turned to look at Katie. Her eyes were fixed on the garden, in particular on a large tree. One that contained a treehouse.
Reaching the tree, Felix climbed it, pushing open the trapdoor and peering around. There! A figure was huddled in the corner, lying on her side, arms and legs bound and a gag in her mouth. His nose hadn’t recovered yet, but he knew it wasn’t his mate. He could see blonde hair spilling out around her. Sara’s hair was brown.
“Kara?” he asked, pulling himself into the treehouse and going to her.
“Felix?” Katie called from outside. The treehouse wasn’t large enough for them both to enter. “Did you find someone?”
“I think it’s Kara,” he called back. He gently pulled the gag from the woman’s face. “It is Kara, right?”
The woman eyed him, her eyes wide and fearful. She shrank back, trying to put space between them.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, keeping his voice soothing. “I’m here to help. Your sister, Sara, is my mate.”
He moved to untie her, using his claws to slash through the material that bound her. The woman pulled herself up, rubbing at her wrists, still eyeing him warily.
“Do you need help to get down?” he asked, keeping as far back as the cramped space allowed.
She shook her head, but when she tried to stand, she fell, her legs refusing to take her weight after being tied up for so long.
“Come on, sweetheart,” he said, helping her to the trapdoor. “Katie,” he called down. “She’s going to need help getting out of here. Get ready to catch her.”
“Will do.”
He gently lowered her into Katie’s waiting arms and then followed her down to the ground. The woman sat, leaning against the tree, still rubbing at her wrists.
“Numb arms and legs?” he asked. They were sure to be useless if she’d been restrained all that time.
She nodded, still not speaking to them.
“Will you let me carry you?” he asked. They couldn’t stay here forever and there was no way he was leaving Sara’s sister alone.
Kara watched him, considering, but she didn’t have many options. Evidently, she realised that, as she reluctantly nodded at him.
He swung her into his arms, carrying her back the way they came. She didn’t fight him, but she didn’t relax into him either, holding herself rigid in his arms. Before long, they had reached the car and Felix settled her into the back seat.
“I’ll take you to the clinic to get checked out,” he told her. “Katie, can you call Tara and have her meet us there?”
“Yeah, already dialling,” Katie answered.
Felix drove, keeping one eye on the rear-view mirror, watching Sara’s sister. She sat with her eyes closed, arms wrapped around herself. He sighed with relief when they reached the clinic and handed Kara over to a doctor. Tara was waiting, Alex standing behind her with a hand on her shoulder, steady and supportive. They both followed the doctor as Felix collapsed into a chair.
“We found her, Felix,” Katie sighed, sitting next to him.
“Yeah, but we didn’t find Sara,” he reminded her. “And we have no idea where to even start looking.”
“Sara’s tough,” she pointed out. “She can look after herself.”
Alex joined them. “The doctor says she’s fine. A little cold and dehydrated. A bit cramped from being tied up. Nothing that won’t pass quickly.”
Felix nodded. “Any sign of Sara?”
Alex shook his head. “Kara isn’t talking much, but we’ll keep trying.” He paused. “Tara would like to see you.”
Pulling himself out of the chair, he made his way to Kara’s room. Tara sat by her side, holding her sister’s hand. When she saw him, she sprang up, throwing herself at Felix and hugging him tight. An Alex growl had him gently disengaging from her.
“Thank you, Felix,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “Kara is going to be fine, although she’d recover faster if she shifted.” She looked back at her sister.
Kara shook her head. “No shifting,” she said, her voice quiet.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Felix told her. “Did you see Sara at all?”
Kara shook her head. “No.”
Felix sighed.
“We’ll find her,” Alex assured him. “And we’ll find the asshole responsible for all of this.”
Not if Felix found him first. If he found Ryan, nobody else ever would. Except Katie. He’d be needing her shovel.
Chapter 18
For crying out loud. How hard was it to find your way out of one small wood? Apparently it was pretty bloody hard.
Sara’s stomach growled at her, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. She was already well aware of that fact. She hadn’t slept much either. Summer or not, it hadn’t been a warm night, and she had never been a fan of sleeping on the ground. Cold, hungry, and uncomfortable, the night had passed slowly, leaving Sara in an especially foul mood.
She trudged through the trees, not sure where she was going, but surely it was better than staying still. Nobody knew where she was, so they wouldn’t know where to look for her. Felix was going to be furious at her and she totally had it coming. Still, she’d face down his anger for the chance to be wrapped in his arms again.
Her legs ached, her feet hurt, pretty much every part of her was tired and sore. Using a rock, she scratched at a tree, marking it for future reference. If she could just walk in a straight line, she’d be out of here in no time. Sadly, that hadn’t worked yesterday when she’d walked in several circles. Dammit.
A noise up ahead alerted her that she wasn’t alone. As much as she desperately wanted to cry out for help, she forced herself to remain silent. She had no idea who was there. She watched, her eyes trained on the direction the sound had come from. A louder noise preceded a figure stepping out of the trees, his eyes widening in surprise. Ryan.
He grinned at her. “Well, well. Look who finally showed up.”
She stared at him, taking in the bruises to his face. Someone had handed his ass to him recently. Not Kara. Her sister wasn’t much of a fighter, even less so than Tara. No, Sara had always been the one with the temper.
“Where is Kara?” she demanded, surprising herself when she didn’t cower. Her polar bear snarled inside her head, surprising her for a moment. For the first time since their accidental mating, her polar bear was completely on board with hurting Ryan. The sense of freedom, of relief, was exhilarating.
“Not here,” Ryan said, shrugging. “Since you are here, I assume you’ve come to your senses.” He pulled off his shirt, revealing even more bruising. “May as well get started now. Once you give me a few cubs, you can go back to that lion of yours and have as many freaky hybrids as you like. I think four cubs ought to do it.”
She stared at him, revulsion crawling through her. There was no way she’d let him touch her. Not this time. Never again. Her bear roared its agr
eement.
“I’m not giving you anything,” she stated, shuddering a little as he removed his jeans.
He shrugged, unconcerned. “Then I’ll take it. Like I did before.”
“It won’t do you any good,” she said. “I’m on the Pill.” Totally not the point, but if it bought her time, she’d tell him anything.
“Then this time will be to remind you of what’s expected,” he said. He was already erect and eager. The sight of him had nausea rising in her throat. “You’ll be staying with me for a while. Eventually the effects of the Pill will wear off and then we can get down to business.” He took a step toward her.
This wasn’t happening, couldn’t be happening again. Panic clawed at her, demanding that she do something other than stand there frozen with fear.
When he reached for her, she snapped into action, claws bursting through her fingers and swiping across his face. He bellowed in pain, shoving her from him as he grabbed at his face. Glaring at her, his body began to contort. Oh hell, no. Ryan was bigger and stronger than her, but as humans she had a chance at holding him off, even if it was a slim chance. As polar bears? She was in trouble. She wanted to shift into her own polar bear to defend herself, but she resisted. As a male, his bear was much larger and more powerful than hers. She’d have no chance at all. If she stayed human, she’d have to hope that he’d resist the urge to kill her since it didn’t fit with his plans. Of course, if he was enraged enough, it wouldn’t matter. He’d kill first and then regret it later.
Not waiting for the rest of his shift, she turned and ran.
***
“It’s my turn to eat the bad guy!” Katie yelled.
“No, I get to eat him!” Ethan shouted back.
Felix watched as they argued. He really didn’t care who dealt with Ryan as long as Sara was okay. His lion grumbled at him, demanding that they hunt Ryan down and get their mate back. If only it was that simple. The truth was, he had no idea where to even begin looking.
He exchanged a glance with Alex. “Aren’t you going to stop that?”
Alex shrugged. “No. I figure that it keeps them busy and gives me a chance to get to Ryan first.”
Felix stared at him.
“What?” Alex asked. “Sara is my sister-in-law, so I figure this bad guy is mine.”
“Sara is my mate,” he pointed out. “Doesn’t that make Ryan mine to deal with?”
Alex grinned at him. “Only if you find him first.” He paused. “Besides, shouldn’t you break that up?” He flapped his hand in the general direction of Katie and Ethan. “Katie is your sister.”
Felix snorted. “I’d be more worried about Ethan. You’ve met Katie, right?”
Alex tilted his head. “Fair point. Still, as long as she doesn’t damage him too much, it’s not my problem.”
Sighing, Felix watched as Katie and Ethan shoved at each other, getting into an impromptu wrestling match.
“Where’s Tara?” he asked.
“Still with her sister at the clinic,” Alex said, his expression concerned. “Kara seems fine physically, but she’s really quiet and Tara’s worried.”
They fell silent as they watched Ethan and Katie bicker. Felix’s money was still on Katie.
His lion pushed at him, demanding that they do something. Anything. Unable to wait any longer, he got into his car and headed out to the woods. Maybe this time he’d get lucky and pick up her trail.
Once in the woods, he stripped and shifted, letting his lion take over, trusting that it would be better at picking up scents. A few times, he thought he’d caught Sara’s scent only for it to disappear almost immediately. Growling in frustration, he continued to search, determined to pick up her trail if he had to stay all day. It was unlikely that she was still here, but if he could follow her scent, he could find out where she went and start looking there. He didn’t want to think of the reasons why she hadn’t come back to him, hadn’t contacted him. Perhaps she was simply avoiding him because she thought he’d be angry. She’d be right. He was furious at her for running into danger without even telling him. Worse than the fury was the overwhelming fear.
There! He caught her scent, his lion settling a little as it washed over him. He followed his nose, noting that his mate’s path was erratic, travelling in circles, constantly looping around. Tension coiled within him as he also picked up a faint trace of male polar bear, Ryan. He had been in these woods too. Were they together?
He increased his pace, desperate to find his mate, to ensure her safety. Still the scent continued to move. He came across a small clearing where the scent was a little stronger, indicating that she had stayed here for longer. Thankfully there was no trace of Ryan. Whatever reason had her stopping here, she had been alone. The scent trail continued for some time, never seeming to end. How long had Sara been in these woods? Was it possible that she was still here? A faint noise had his ears pricking up. Someone was coming, running hard, bursting through the branches of trees. The wind changed, and he caught the scent of his mate, just as she burst into the clearing in front of him.
He noted the way she trembled with a mixture of fear and exhaustion, her skin flushed with her flight through the trees. She stared at him for a moment and then rushed toward him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his mane.
“Felix,” she sobbed, her arms tightening around him.
He shifted back into human form as she held him, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. Stroking her hair, he murmured to her, rocking her gently.
“I’m sorry,” Sara mumbled. “I couldn’t leave Kara with him. She’s not strong, Felix. I wasn’t going to hand myself over to him.” She pulled back a little to look at him. “I swear, Felix. I would never do that.” She looked down, a tear escaping and trailing down her face. Felix gently wiped it away with his thumb. “I hoped that he would have Kara nearby and that I could follow him back to where he kept her. Except I lost the trail, and then I got lost.”
“You got lost?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She nodded miserably. “I looked so hard for Kara and I couldn’t give up, but I didn’t pay enough attention to where I was going. When I tried to get home, I had no idea where I was going and I ended up wandering in circles. I spent the whole night out here and I’m so tired.” She sniffled. “I just wanted to go home to you and I didn’t know how to get there.”
He sighed. “Sara, I could have helped you if you’d just told me where you were going.”
“You would have tried to stop me.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll never know now. I certainly wouldn’t have let you do this all alone with nobody knowing where you were. You wouldn’t have been out here all night.”
She nodded, more tears running down her cheeks. Felix didn’t have the heart to scold her any more. He still wasn’t happy with her decision, but she was here in his arms and she was safe. Any arguments could come later when she was stronger.
“We need to get you home, sweetheart,” he said. “I could smell Ryan in the woods.”
Her shaking increased. “I saw him,” she said, her eyes wide with fear. “When he came at me, I clawed him and he started to shift into his polar bear. I didn’t stick around after that, but he’s probably still here somewhere.”
He stood, pulling Sara to her feet. “You okay to walk?” he asked.
She nodded, but she was swaying with exhaustion, her legs trembling, leaning on him for strength.
Felix shook his head. “No, you’re not.” He smiled at her. “Have you ever had a ride on a lion?”
“Not in lion form, no,” she said with a small smile.
“When I shift, climb on,” he told her. “Then hold on.” He crouched on the ground, letting his lion take over once more, feeling the strength wash through him. Turning, he looked at Sara.
Smiling, she reached out a hand and ran it through his mane, causing little tremors to wa
sh over him. He loved his mate’s touch, no matter which form either of them wore. Slowly and carefully, she climbed onto his back, her hands buried in his mane.
He began to walk, taking care not to dislodge her, making his way through the trees. All his attention was on his ears and nose, watching for any indications that Ryan may still be around. Their best chance was to avoid him. In human form, Felix knew that he was more than a match for him, but with Ryan shifted, Felix was at a disadvantage. His lion was strong, fierce, and protective, but polar bears were bigger and stronger. Even if Sara shifted too, he couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t get hurt. That was unacceptable. His first priority was getting Sara out of danger.
He could feel Sara lean forward, lying over his back now, her face buried in his mane.
“Thank you for finding me,” she whispered to him.
Trapped in his lion form, he couldn’t answer her. He would always look for her, always find her, no matter what.
Finally, they reached the spot where Felix had found his clothes. Shifting back, he dressed quickly and led Sara out of the woods to his car. He buckled her seatbelt for her and drove off. By now it was starting to get dark, the air getting cooler. She was asleep long before they reached his house.
Chapter 19
Warm. She was finally warm. Sara snuggled into the warm bed, enjoying the cosy warmth. Opening her eyes, she saw Felix’s bedroom. She was safe. Sitting up slowly, she looked around, noting that Felix wasn’t there. She could hear the murmur of voices from downstairs.
A glance at the clock showed that it was morning. It had been getting late when Felix had found her last night, and she’d been terrified that she’d have to spend another night outside. Instead, she’d slept through the night in a warm, comfortable bed with her mate.
She stumbled to the bathroom and took a warm shower, cleaning off the dirt and grime from the outdoors. She stared for a moment at Felix’s bewildering array of hair products before choosing one at random to wash her hair. Finally feeling human again, she got dried, wrapped a fluffy towel around herself, and headed back to the bedroom to find some clothes.
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