Still annoyed with Michael, Allison shoved her nose in a book and said nothing. She tried to enjoy her reading, but it was impossible with the thoughts of her captivity still lingering about like a choking fog.
About an hour after Michael stormed out, Luke arrived sweating and out of breath. He slammed the door behind him and locked it quickly, glancing out the window anxiously.
“What’s wrong?” Logan asked, jumping to his feet immediately.
“They followed me,” Luke answered breathlessly.
“What? Are you sure?” Logan asked.
“Of course I’m sure!” Luke shouted. “One of them got me.” Luke lifted his shirt to reveal a nasty looking wound over his left ribcage that appeared to be a row of several vicious claw marks.
“Oh, my God!” Allison gasped, running to Luke’s side and trying to survey the damage. “Here, let me look at it.”
“It’s fine,” Luke said, letting his shirt drop.
“Luke, it looked…”
“I said it’s fine!” Luke snapped at her.
She jumped back and frowned at him. “It looks terrible.”
“It’ll heal in a few minutes,” he argued.
“A few… minutes?” she gasped.
“We heal fast,” Logan interjected.
“Apparently…” Allison muttered.
Luke was still staring out the window, his eyes scanning the trees as he lifted the curtain aside.
“Go get Michael,” Luke demanded.
“But he’s…” Logan tried to argue.
“Do it!” Logan snapped harshly.
Logan quickly dashed out of the room. A few moments later, a groggy Michael stumbled red-eyed, but remarkably alert through the door.
“What’s going on?” Michael demanded, pushing the curtain aside and peeking out.
“They followed me home,” Luke said. “I tried to shake ‘em, but they wounded me. I’m not sure I managed to lose ‘em. I’m sorry.”
“You’re gonna be if they find her,” Michael snarled.
Allison’s heart was pounding savagely in her chest. She backed away from the door slowly, bumping into the chair and causing a loud shriek as the legs skidded across the floor. Michael was startled, and he turned to face her.
“Watch where you’re going!” he snapped.
She opened her mouth to spit something back at him, but seeing the genuine concern on his face, she quickly closed it again and slipped meekly into the chair, grasping the arms tightly. Michael’s attention quickly turned back toward the window.
“What should we do?” Logan asked, his muscles quivering with tension.
“Logan, get her to the safe room,” Michael growled. When Logan did not immediately respond, he snapped, “Now!”
Allison’s heart jumped, and she sprang to her feet. Logan placed his hand on her back and gently pushed her toward the kitchen. She allowed herself to be pushed along, though a dirty kitchen with tiles falling from the walls, past a flimsy wooden door, and down a rickety wooden staircase. The steps creaked loudly as they descended. At the bottom of the stairs, they stopped outside a thick metal door set into a concrete wall. Logan gripped the metal handle and pulled.
“Get in,” Logan demanded.
Allison hesitated briefly, but then stepped into near pitch-black darkness. Logan entered behind her, and she heard a loud screech and a clang as the massive door closed behind them. Logan flicked a switch on the wall and a dim light filled the room from a bulb suspended from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows about the room.
“What is this place?” Allison asked, her eyes flitting about.
“Safe room,” Logan answered. “
“What’s it used for?” she wanted to know.
“Umm… it’s a long story,” he told her. “Probably best you don’t know.”
She shivered as a number of scenarios rushed through her mind. She lowered herself slowly onto the edge of a sparse cot and began to chew her fingernails. She watched through a swath of hair as Logan paced the floor anxiously.
“Do you think they’re alright?” she asked.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Logan answered a bit too quickly.
Allison gnawed more furiously at her fingernails. Her heart was thudding frantically in her chest.
“Look, why don’t you lie down and get some rest?” Logan suggested.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m fine, Logan.”
“I can hear your heartbeat,” he said. “You’re not fine. Just lie down and get some sleep. They can’t get in here.”
Allison sighed, but she complied. She lied down on the squeaky cot and tried her best to relax. Her heart continued to thump wildly, and she began to tremble. A few moments later, Logan sat gently beside her. His hand rested carefully on her shoulder.
“Allison?” he asked softly.
She looked up at him, and his expression was one of gentle concern.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
His arms wrapped her in a strong, protective embrace. She found herself melting into it, burying her face into his warm chest. Her hands fell against his skin, and her heart fluttered erratically for a few moments, and then began to calm.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Logan vowed. “I promise.”
Allison felt her muscles begin to relax slightly. Her eyelids were heavy, and she was only barely aware that her breathing was slowing down. Soon, she fell blissfully into a peaceful slumber.
Chapter Three
Bang! The sound jolted Allison upright in bed. Her eyes quickly traveled toward the source of the sound. She gasped, and jumped to her feet, rushing toward the door.
Michael, bloodied and gasping, hung limply from Luke’s shoulder. Allison lifted his arm around her shoulders and helped Luke guide him to a nearby cot. He collapsed heavily onto it.
“What happened?” Allison demanded, surveying Michael’s wounds.
“We had an altercation, but they’re gone, now,” Luke explained.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Michael is in considerably better condition than they are,” Luke said.
Allison shivered and asked, “Will he be alright?”
“Yeah, he’ll live,” Luke said.
Allison peered down at Michael as he lay nearly unconscious on the cot. His skin was mottled with bruises and blood, and a few open wounds seethed angrily. He muttered something weakly, and his head rolled from side to side. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and trickled down into his dark hair.
“Do you have any washcloths down here?” Allison asked.
“Uh… I think so,” Logan answered.
“Can you bring me one? And a bowl of cold water?”
“Okay,” Logan said.
In a moment, Logan handed her a clean, white washcloth and a large bowl of water. She placed the bowl on the concrete floor and dipped the cloth into it, wringing it out. Then she wiped the sweat away from Michael’s face. He continued to mutter incoherently, and his breath was ragged and gasping.
“Are you sure he’ll be alright?” Allison demanded.
“I’ve seen worse,” Luke insisted. “Give it a bit and he’ll heal.”
Allison was largely unconvinced. She continued to wipe Michael’s forehead, and he began to shiver with fever. She moved the cool cloth across his torso, attempting to cool him down.
Soon, she noticed some of the nastier wounds looked a little less angry, and a few of the smaller ones had disappeared entirely. Her tense muscles began to relax and she breathed a sigh of relief.
At some point later, Allison jolted awake. The room was dark, but a tiny shaft of light peeked under a door and illuminated things faintly. For a moment, she was disoriented. Then she realized she’d fallen asleep kneeling in the floor beside Michael with her head on his abdomen.
Her eyes traveled upward, and he was looking down at her with a smug grin on his face. She scrambled backward immediately, her f
ace flushing deeply as Michael chuckled at her.
“So I hear you were worried about me,” he snickered.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” she spat. “I was worried about my neighbor’s dog when he got hit by a car, too.” She paused, and then added with a sneer, “And I don’t even like dogs.”
He suppressed a laugh and raised one eyebrow at her. Her eyes narrowed into cat-like slits and she glared at him stormily.
“Now, now,” Michael teased. “No need to get all grouchy like that.”
Allison ignored him and her eyes scanned the room looking for Luke and Logan.
“They’ve gone,” Michael informed her. “They’re upstairs keeping watch.”
“Oh, fine,” she retorted, rolling her eyes dramatically. “They’re keeping a lookout up there when the beast I really need to be protected from is down here.”
Michael’s grin disappeared, and he suddenly looked wounded.
“Are you forgetting what happened earlier?” he snapped, bolting straight upright in bed and jabbing an accusatory finger in her direction. “I didn’t get into a bar fight over a pool table! I fought to protect you!”
“Well don’t do me any favors!” she shouted, scrambling to her feet.
“Fine! You want to leave? Go! Just go!” he shouted, pointing toward the door.
In a huff, she spun on her heels and began to stomp toward the door with every intention of taking her chances with the other pack. Just as she reached for the door, it slammed, and Michael wedged himself between her and the exit. Her eyes were confronted with his chest as it heaved mightily with ragged breath, and her eyes traveled upward, expecting to see his face seething with rage. Instead, his eyes were soft with concern.
“I thought you told me to go.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“You don’t want me to stay.”
“I need you to stay.”
For a moment, Allison’s lip quivered. Her heart began to race erratically in her chest. Her mind reeled as she tried to decide whether to try to push past him and flee or give in to…
…and then his lips were on hers. She closed her eyes and felt his arms close around her. His lips were firm and rigid, demanding. Her mind screamed out at her to resist, to slap him, to shout at him. How dare he? But the rest of her wanted nothing more than to surrender. Her lips parted slightly, almost involuntarily, and she felt his tongue slip between them. It was soft, teasing. Warmth began to spread over her body, and she went limp in his embrace.
For a moment, reality seized her. She barely knew him, and he was an incorrigible cad. He’d been rude and arrogant, and she was angry. She pushed her arms between them and tried to wrench herself free of his grasp. His muscles tensed and his grasp tightened. His body turned slightly and pushed her roughly against the wall with a thud as he pushed his tongue deeper into her mouth. A gasp rose in her throat, and then she was overcome with passion.
Her hands traveled up his bare chest and wound around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Her fingers tangled in his short, dark hair, and she wrapped one of her legs around him. Michael pulled away from the kiss to take a deep, gasping breath, and then his lips closed over hers again. She caught a glimpse of his face in that moment. It looked wild, as though he were a caged animal experiencing his first taste of freedom in ages.
His body pressed urgently against hers – so urgently it was almost terrifying. Yet the thrill of his kiss and his passion quelled any fear. Her boyfriend had never been so passionate. No one had ever been so passionate. This was unlike anything she’d ever experienced – anything she’d ever even imagined.
Michael’s right hand traveled slowly around her body and caressed her cheek. It traveled slowly down her face to her neck, sending chills of pleasure over her body. She felt her nipples stiffen and she gasped aloud.
Footsteps began to pound on the stairs above, and they instantly flew apart. Michael jumped backward, his jaw gritted tightly as he took deep, ragged breaths. His fists clenched viciously beside him, and his eyes shot her a warning as his chest rose and fell savagely.
Luke poked his head into the room, a look of concern on his face. His eyes traveled up and down Allison, and then traveled over to Michael.
“Everything okay down here?” he asked cautiously.
“Yeah, why?” Michael asked, his voice breaking slightly. He cleared his throat.
Luke glanced back at Allison with one eyebrow raised. She crossed her arms defiantly in front of her body and tossed her hair over her shoulder, averting her eyes away from his gaze. He turned back to Michael.
“I could hear your heartbeats all the way upstairs,” Luke insisted. “What’s going on?”
Michael opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Allison sensed an urgency in him, and she quickly sprang to action.
“He was being a jerk, like usual,” she snapped, sending a vicious glare toward Michael. “What did you expect when you left me alone with this arrogant prick?”
“Arrogant prick?” Michael shouted. “Why you ungrateful little…”
“Hey, hey!” Luke interjected. “Settle down! I can’t leave you two for a second!”
Luke grabbed Allison’s arm and started to usher her up the stairs.
“Hey!” Michael yelled, stomping up the stairs after them. “Where the hell do you think you’re taking her?”
“Upstairs,” Luke answered, still guiding her along. “You two need to be separated.”
Michael grabbed her other arm and yanked, nearly sending Allison tumbling down on top of him.
“Oh, no you’re not!” Michael snapped. “We can’t risk it!”
Luke tightened his grip on her arm and snarled, “Well I can’t leave her downstairs with you and your temper!”
“My temper? You think I’d hurt her?” Michael shouted viciously.
Logan appeared at the top of the stairs and asked anxiously, “Everything okay?”
“Stay out of it!” Michael and Luke both growled at him, and Logan’s body quivered almost imperceptibly as though he wanted to cower away.
Allison twisted herself out of both their grasps. She was shaking with rage, and her eyes were narrowed again.
“Stop fighting!” she shouted. “Look, I’m fine downstairs! Michael’s a dickhead, but he’s not hurting me!”
She whirled around and stomped angrily down the stairs, throwing herself down onto one of the cots and crossing her arms angrily in front of her.
“You’re a jerk,” Luke grumbled at Michael.
“Get back upstairs and keep watch, now,” Michael snarled.
Luke started to object, but after seeing the seriousness on Michael’s face, decided it was better not to press the subject. Soon, his stomping footsteps disappeared upstairs.
Michael slammed the door behind him and leaned against it with his eyes closed. He took a slow, deep breath.
“What was all that about?” Allison asked quietly.
“Nothing.”
“Michael, Luke was practically…”
“I said it was nothing!” Michael snapped.
Allison glared at him, but she turned away and stared at the wall as though the crack in the concrete was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. Her mind was covered in a thick cloud of confusion, and she didn’t want him to see the tears that had begun to sting her eyes. She sat and waited for an apology.
“You should get some sleep,” Michael said. “It’s gonna be a long night.”
Allison heard him roughly fall onto another cot, and she hastily got under the covers and closed her eyes. Her mind raced with fury and her face burned with rage. She was fuming angry that she’d allowed herself to be swept away by him. What a pig!
Chapter Four
When Allison woke up, she noticed Michael was no longer in the room. Instead, Logan sat in a chair in the corner reading. He noticed she was awake and smiled warmly.
“Did you have a good sleep?” he asked.
“I suppose.”
“Are you hungry? Do you need anything?”
“No.”
His smile faded slightly, and his eyes shifted back down to his book.
“Logan, can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” he answered, closing his book and leaning forward.
“It’s… well, can I trust you not to mention this to Michael or Luke?”
He gulped and shifted his eyes uncomfortably toward the door as though he were afraid someone might overhear.
“Um… sure,” he said reluctantly.
“I wouldn’t even mention this, but… well, I don’t have anyone else to talk to, obviously, and… and I really need to figure this out.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
“Okay, last night Luke barged in on us, right?”
Logan nodded.
“Well, I told him Michael and I were arguing.”
“Yeah. That was no big surprise. You do that a lot.”
“Well, we weren’t exactly arguing.”
Logan just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
“We were… kissing.”
Logan’s expression didn’t change, but the look in his eyes certainly did. They became glassy and expressionless, devoid of emotion, yet somehow not.
“Logan?”
“Michael kissed you?”
“Yes.”
Logan gulped.
“How… why…” he gulped again. “You don’t…”
“Logan, what’s wrong?” Allison asked, noting the fact that his ears were reddening and his forehead was knotting into a mass of wrinkles.
“You don’t know what this means,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“What are you talking about?”
“He can’t… it’s… it’s not allowed,” Logan whispered, his eyes surveying the door anxiously. “If Luke finds out…”
“What does Luke have to do with this?” Allison demanded.
“Shh!” Logan hissed. “You don’t understand pack law! A mate belongs to the entire pack. No one, not even the Alpha, can go behind the others’ backs like that!”
“Belongs… I’m sorry, Logan, I don’t belong to anyone,” Allison said frankly. “I’m a human being, not a… a… a book or-or-or… a hamburger!”
Mated to the Pack Page 3