Ace pulled some keys out of a kitchen drawer and handed them to Red. “There’s a house key on the same key ring as the Mustang key. The garage-door opener is clipped to the visor of the car. And the code…is your birthday. Month, day, and two-digit year.”
She gave him a startled look. “You made my birthday your code?”
He smiled at her. “I have no excuse not to remember your birthday.”
Ace leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, gave her hand a squeeze, and motioned for Rook to follow him. His Beta stopped long enough to give Red a nod and a smile. When they stepped out into the garage and the door was firmly closed, Ace faced Rook.
“Who is it?”
“Tate. Ian wouldn’t talk no matter what I did to him, but Pierce was happy enough to sing like a canary. Myra had agreed to help Tate escape, as long as he promised to get rid of Red permanently.”
Ace felt rage burn through him and his hands fisted at his sides. He’d had problems with Myra over the years. The wolf was insistent that she would make an ideal alpha’s mate. Ace had always brushed her off and told her to go bother someone else. It seemed that his spending time with Red had made the bitch desperate. The whole pack had known for years that Red was his mate. Myra had never made a threatening remark in regards to Red before this.
“Anyone talk to Myra’s friends?” Ace asked.
“Joya and Ratana haven’t seen her since yesterday. Lena left town two days ago and no one knows how to reach her.”
“So it’s possible she’s in on this and Myra is with Lena. Or she’s going to meet her with Tate. The question is, will they go after Red first?”
Rook rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly? Myra is a bit unstable right now. And Tate is going to be fucking pissed off and blame Red for what happened to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them went after Red before skipping town.”
“All right. Re-route Memphis. I want him to meet Red at Dr. Williams’s office. He doesn’t have to go in with her, but I want him to be her personal guard until this is over. Get Dalton to call Holden, Brooks, and Ennis. Tell them what’s happened and have them spread the word. I want it made perfectly clear that anyone in this pack found harboring either Myra or Tate will suffer dire consequences.”
Rook pulled his phone from his pocket along with his keys. He tossed the keys to Ace and started dialing.
One way or another, everything would be handled by the end of the day. No way was Ace going to let anyone threaten his mate and get away with it. He’d been merciful with Tate, Pierce, and Ian, and look where that had gotten him. No more Mr. Nice Wolf. Myra and Tate had just forfeited their lives, and if Lena was in on it, she’d die, too. There would be no mercy this time.
Chapter Seven
The Mustang purred to life when Red cranked the engine. She carefully backed out of the garage and drove down the winding driveway to the gate. She entered the code and waited as the gate slid open. Easing through it, she hung a right and headed toward Dr. Williams’s office. Ace had sent her a text after he’d left, letting her know her appointment time and where the doctor was located. The fact he hadn’t thought of it sooner told her that whatever he was dealing with was something big. She hoped he would be safe.
Halfway to the office, she noticed a large SUV following, all black with dark tinted windows. She didn’t think too much of it, until it took every turn she made. Red’s hands clenched and unclenched the steering wheel as she cast her eyes up at the rearview mirror again. When she parked in front of the doctor’s office, the vehicle pulled in behind her. She hit the door locks, terrified to get out of the car. She didn’t know what Ace had left to take care of, but it had sounded bad. Could this vehicle have something to do with it?
The SUV’s door opened and a booted foot stepped out. When the man hauled himself the rest of the way out of the vehicle, Red expelled a breath and released her pent-up nerves. It was just Memphis. She’d only dealt with him a few times at the library, but he’d always been courteous to her. If he’d followed her, Ace must have sent him.
Memphis strolled up to her car and tapped on her window. She lowered it a few inches.
“Everything okay, Ruby?” he asked.
“I’m fine, Memphis. You just scared me.”
“I’ll stay in the waiting room during your appointment, but my orders are to stick by you until Ace can return to your side. Think you can handle that?”
Red smiled. “That sounds fine, Memphis. I’ll feel safer with you around.”
She closed the window, popped the door locks, and got out. After setting the alarm, she entered the doctor’s office and signed in. There was a packet of papers she had to complete as a new patient. By the time she was finished, the doctor was ready for her.
Dr. Williams turned out to be a pleasant-looking man in his early fifties. His brown hair was neatly trimmed with a bit of silver at his temples. Kind brown eyes regarded her as she took a seat across from his desk. There was a sofa across the room and she wondered if he’d have her lie down on it. Isn’t that what you did in a shrink’s office? She’d never been to one before and had to base her assumptions on television, which probably wasn’t very accurate.
“Do you prefer Ruby or Red?” the doctor asked.
“Red is fine. Very few people call me Ruby.”
“I’d have expected you to have red hair with a nickname like that.” He smiled.
“It started with my grade school friend calling me Ruby Red. Then it was shortened to just Red. Even after she was gone, people kept calling me Red.”
“And who was this friend who went away?”
Red fidgeted. “She didn’t go away, precisely. I mean, she did, but…it wasn’t voluntary. She died of cancer when we were thirteen.”
A look of understanding and compassion filled his steady gaze. “You’re speaking of Rachel Murphy.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Dr. Williams smiled. “You don’t have to call me ‘sir’, Red. Most of my patients call me Dr. Joe.”
“Dr. Joe, I don’t know what Ace told you. I don’t even know where to start.”
The doctor leaned his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together. “Let’s not worry about what Ace said or didn’t say. Why don’t we start with why you wanted to come in today? Or if you aren’t comfortable talking about that right now, we can talk about anything. This doesn’t have to be our only visit, Red.”
“I don’t understand how this works,” she admitted.
“Why are you here, Red?”
“Ace thinks I’m bipolar.”
The doctor nodded. “All right. But since Ace doesn’t have a medical license, let’s reserve judgment for later, shall we? Let’s start out a little simpler. What do you hope to gain from this visit?”
Red wasn’t sure how to answer that question. She’d come here today because Ace thought she should, and she’d wanted help to feel better. Should she tell the doctor that?
“I have mood swings, really big ones. They sometimes hinder me from having a productive day and being able to adequately do my job.”
“Can you tell me a little more about that?” Dr. Joe prodded.
“Well, I can be sitting at my desk checking-in books and feel perfectly normal one minute and the next, I suddenly want to cry. Or sometimes I’ll be really happy about something, and by the time I’ve walked a few feet, I’m filled with anger, for no apparent reason.”
Dr. Joe picked up his pen and made some notes on the pad in front of him.
“How does it make you feel when you experience these quick transitions?” Dr. Joe asked.
“Helpless. And maybe a little scared, when the anger takes over. I sometimes feel like I’m filled with this uncontrollable rage and I say and do things I would never dream of doing. Things that are completely out of character for me.”
“Mm-hm. And what types of things might that be?”
“Well, I’ll throw things. Scream.”
The doctor made a few more notes.
“Have you ever tried to harm anyone when you’re in one of these rages?”
“No.”
“Would you care to elaborate?”
“I’ve wanted to. Especially when people were picking on me back in high school. It was almost like a red haze would settle in my vision, and my blood would be pounding so hard I could hear it pulsing in my ears. I’d shake uncontrollably.”
“And how did you handle the situation?” he asked, scribbling some more.
“I’d run away. I was terrified I would hurt someone, get into trouble, or maybe even go to jail.”
Dr. Joe set his pen down and leaned back in his chair.
“Why did you wait so long to seek help?”
Red shrugged. “I didn’t realize there was help. And even if I had, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. If Ace wasn’t paying for this visit, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Are the mood swings the only reason you’re here today? Or is there anything else you’d like to talk about?”
Red tensed. “What do you mean?”
Dr. Joe sighed. “Ace shouldn’t have said anything, but he’s worried about you. He told me that you were raped in high school. The alpha is concerned that you’ve never dealt with the emotions from that night. If you decide to talk about it, I’m here to listen. But if you don’t want to, we don’t have to.”
Red studied her hands a moment before lifting her gaze to meet Dr. Joe’s. “Do you think talking will help? I’ve already improved since being with Ace, even if it had only been a few days. I haven’t had a nightmare since our first night together.”
“That’s good. It means you trust him.”
Did she? She supposed she did on some level. But was it a deep enough trust to build a lasting relationship? Being claimed by the alpha was a serious commitment. There wouldn’t be a divorce if she decided she’d made a mistake, but at the same time, how often did Mother Nature screw up a pairing? In all her years in Burlison Heights, she’d never heard of a shifter pairing that ended in tragedy. All of the couples seemed really happy together.
“That seems to worry you,” he observed.
“I do trust him. I know I do. But I’m not sure I trust him enough to give him what he wants.”
“Is it something he wants or something he needs?” the doctor asked.
She’d never discussed Ace’s sexual preferences with him. Red had always assumed BDSM was a choice for him, that it was just something he enjoyed. But what if it was more than that? Did he need to be in control for some reason? Was there a past that haunted him like hers did?
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.
“Maybe you need to have a talk with Ace.” The doctor smiled. “I’m sure you’ve spent the past few days getting to know one another better, but I’m guessing it’s all been superficial. Perhaps it’s time to dig a little deeper? Maybe if you share your experience with him, he’ll open up about his past, too.”
Could she do that? It had been so long since she’d talked about that night. No one had believed her when she’d gone to the police. She’d even tried to tell her foster family. Deep inside, she knew that Ace was nothing like them, that he would believe her when she told him what happened. But getting the words past her lips wouldn’t be easy.
“You don’t have to, Red. It’s just something to think about. Ace can help you heal, if you’ll let him, and just maybe you can heal him, too.”
Red couldn’t even begin to imagine what Ace would need to heal from. He was larger than life, so in control, so…alpha. She couldn’t imagine anything ever knocking him down, much less haunting him over the years.
“You know something about him, don’t you?” she asked.
“Nothing he’s told me.”
“But you do know something.”
Dr. Joe nodded. “His mother was a patient of mine about fifteen years ago. She confided something to me that I’ve never told another soul. It’s not my story to share, Red. If you want to find out what your mate has been through, you’ll have to ask him. Just remember, he may look strong, nearly indestructible, but what drove him to be that way? Take you for instance. You’ve spent so much time protecting yourself that you haven’t let anyone get close, until now.”
“I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing.”
“It was your mind’s way of protecting you.”
Red may not have gotten anywhere as far as a diagnosis for the day that she knew of, but she had gained quite a bit of knowledge. Looking back over the years, she realized Dr. Joe was right. She’d been protecting herself by pushing everyone away. If she didn’t date anyone, didn’t let a guy get close, then he couldn’t hurt her. Did Ace have to be in control for a similar reason? Was it his way of holding himself back?
“I can see I’ve given you a lot to think about,” Dr. Joe said. “Why don’t you come back in a week and we’ll talk some more?”
“You think it will help?”
“I think we’re looking at two different situations with you. Your past with Sean and your mood swings. If we lay your past to rest, it will reduce your stress level and your mood swings may become more manageable. If they aren’t, then we’ll explore a little more and look at possible treatments.”
Red rose to her feet. “Thank you, Dr. Joe. Would the same time and day next week be okay? It’s my day off.”
He consulted his appointment book. “That will work out perfectly.”
He began penciling in her name as she exited his office. Memphis was lounging against the wall when she stepped into the waiting room. A glance at the clock on the wall showed she’d been in there over an hour. It hadn’t felt that long. It seemed like only minutes had passed.
“Ready to head back to the alpha’s house?”
She nodded.
“I’ll follow you. Ace has requested that I remain with you, even at the house, until he returns.”
“I’m sorry you’re stuck on babysitting duty.”
Memphis smiled a little. “You’re my alpha’s mate. There is no greater honor than to defend you, should it become necessary. Aside from Ace, you’re the most important member of the pack.”
“I’m not though. Not part of the pack.”
Memphis stared at her. Hard.
“He hasn’t claimed me yet.”
“He doesn’t have to. The moment he detected you were his mate, you became part of the pack. It isn’t a matter of if he’ll claim you but when he’ll claim you. Even when he was avoiding you, I had no doubt that he would get around to it sooner or later. If I’d known a little danger thrown your way would get him motivated, I’d have told him about that asswipe you dated in high school.”
Red paled.
“Didn’t you ever wonder why he hasn’t bothered you since returning from college?” Memphis asked.
“I figured he’d outgrown the need to torment me.”
A cold smile settled across Memphis’s lips. “It was explained to him, in detail, what would happen if he should cause you the least bit of physical or emotional stress.”
“If only I’d had you around seven years ago.” She smiled wistfully.
“I was here seven years ago, but I wasn’t in a good place. I’d just retired from the Marines when you were attacked. I wouldn’t have known about it except Sean bragged to the wrong person. Word got back to the pack.”
“But if the pack knew, why didn’t Ace do anything?”
“Because we kept it from him. Ace was heavy into the whole Dom/sub scene, in control over everything in his life. Then he got a whiff of you one day and everything changed. I know my alpha well enough to know that his control means everything to him. If I’d told him what happened to you, he’d have attacked Sean. That control he prides himself on would have snapped, and once the dust settled, we may have lost our alpha.”
“So you sacrificed me?” she asked, her eyes narrowed.
Memphis gave her a sad smile. “You were already broken by then, baby girl. Rook and I did what we cou
ld without letting the pack get too involved. When it got back to us that Sean was causing problems for you, the pack members who hung out with him began drifting away, taking some of his power with them. We didn’t launch an attack per se, but we did lessen his influence on those around him.”
Red fought back tears. “You knew. This whole time you knew what happened to me, that I was telling the truth. You could have done something!”
Memphis’s eyes hardened. “I did what I thought was right for the pack. You were too young for the alpha, and he was in no position to claim you. Not then.”
Red shoved past him, digging Ace’s keys out of her pocket. She’d thought Rook and Memphis were kind, decent men. She’d never guessed that they had known all along what had happened to her and had kept quiet. The Ace she knew could handle anything. If he’d known seven years ago what she’d been through, he would have stepped in. She knew he would have. He might have been too scared to claim her, too worried he wasn’t what she needed, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. She’d needed him then more than she’d ever needed anyone. Red just hadn’t realized at the time that she was waiting for someone.
Slamming the door of the Mustang, she cranked the engine and pulled away from the curb, tires squealing. Red glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Memphis slide into his SUV. Before he could catch up to her, she turned a corner, nearly on two tires, and sped away. She didn’t want to see him again, couldn’t handle looking at him knowing what she now knew.
Tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. Red lifted a hand to swipe at them and didn’t catch the black blur until it was too late. The sound of metal on metal filled her ears as another vehicle slammed into the driver’s-side door of the Mustang. She heard the metal give, and her body was shoved sideways. The car slid across the road, the tires squealing on the pavement as it began to spin. The wheels caught the curb and she felt the car tip, and then she was rolling down the embankment.
Red had forgotten to buckle her seat belt and she slammed around inside the car, her body bouncing around like a ping-pong ball. When the car stopped, it was upside-down and her body lay in a strange angle along the roof. Red felt blood trickle down her chin, but she hurt too much to move. She heard the sound of a car speeding away, and a moment later there were booted footsteps charging down the incline.
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