by Khloe Wren
He ran back up the stairs, and taking them two at a time, quickly got himself dressed. She couldn't have gone far. He’d worked her over for a solid six hours. Damn it, the girl shouldn't even be conscious, let alone running around town. He'd probably find her passed out in his driveway or just down the road. He grabbed his keys and headed to the garage.
An hour later he pulled back in to his driveway. He hadn't been able to find a trace of her. His mind spinning from his rapid firing thoughts, he was in a near panic.
How the hell could she have gotten away from him?
She was his, damn it. He owned her.
She would be back. He would get her back.
He had to get her back.
Once his mind slowed down enough that he was under a moderate level of control, he headed into the house to pack a bag. He'd go on a little road trip. Finding his slave shouldn't be hard. How far could she have gone? She hadn't left his house in, what, five years now? Yeah, he'd find her tomorrow or maybe the next day...and when he did, she was going to be permanently chained. He would never let her go. She was his alone and her punishment for this little adventure was going to be brutal and one she would never, ever forget.
~ * ~
Kelly had been in the hospital for two days. Due to her injuries, they were keeping her heavily sedated so her body could heal. Dominic had rallied the cats, and they were taking shifts in guarding her. Dominic promised the little girl he would keep her protected, and he never broke a promise. Aside from that, it's what his kind did. Snow leopard shifters were essentially protectors. They were created to protect snow leopards from extinction by a couple of Tibetan monks long ago. The need to protect was soul deep in their entire breed. Nothing spoke to that part of them like a seriously abused innocent little girl--or a big hearted woman looking after the child. Adele had spent the last two days with Kelly, only leaving her side to attend to other emergencies.
She hadn't been out of the hospital.
Hadn't slept in a bed.
Hadn't eaten a proper meal.
Tonight that was changing. Dominic was taking care of his mate whether she wanted him to or not. She was looking paler each day and would get sick soon if she didn't start tending to her own needs and that was simply unacceptable.
Kit was on 'guard-cat' duty. She sat outside Kelly's door in the hospital hallway with her long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Her cherry red Doc Martins reflected the fluorescent lights. She had her arms crossed over her chest. Her tight black muscle shirt and dark denim jeans made her look every bit as dangerous as she was. She sat still as ice, but her eyes watched everything that happened around her. Dominic knew she wouldn't miss a thing, and if someone tried to get to Kelly, they would get a rough welcome. Dominic almost hoped the bastard would come and try to take Kelly. Then they could deal with it. They all would be breathing easier once the young girl was out of danger. Well, there was also the bonus of getting to watch Kit fight. That woman had moves alright. As she saw him approach, she unfolded herself from the chair, stood up and stretched--looking every bit the feline she was.
"That coffee for me, boss?" she asked with a grin.
"Hey, Kit, yep, it's all yours. Thought you could use a jolt of real stuff over the crappy hospital grade," he said as he handed over the take-out paper cup to Kit.
Kit lifted the lid, took a deep inhale and sighed.
"Now that's what I'm talking 'bout, real coffee."
As she started to drink it, Dominic asked, "You seen Adele? She still in with Kelly?"
Kit nodded as she swallowed her first mouthful. "Yep, she's still in there. You planning on removing her?"
"That was the plan. That woman has a heart the size of a mountain, but she's going to run herself into the ground if she doesn't start eating or sleeping properly soon."
"I hear you there. Clint's starting to worry about her health too." She fished a key out of her pocket and handed it to Dominic.
"Why don't you take her back to my place. Plenty of food there and you'll have more privacy than at yours."
"Thanks, Kit, you're a gem. You know if I took her back to mine, Mum would have her fed and rested alright, but I wouldn't get a damn look in at getting any alone time with her." He smirked; his mum would no doubt love to pamper her future daughter-in-law given half the chance.
Kit chuckled.
"Yeah, your mum is a doll, but she wouldn't help your chances of alone time with Adele one bit."
Leaving Kit to enjoy her little slice of coffee heaven, Dominic quietly opened the door into Kelly's room. He stopped in the doorway to take in the scene before him. Kelly lay unconscious in the bed, her pale skin a perfect match for the white sheets except for the bruising that colored about ninety percent of her exposed flesh. Her jet-black curly hair was a mess around her petite face and stood out against all the white. Even though she clearly looked unwell, she was looking a boatload better than when they found her. For one thing, her face looked relaxed and peaceful now. Like she knew she was safe and could focus on healing.
His gaze roamed over Adele, drinking her in. She sat in a chair next to the bed, holding Kelly's hand loosely with her head resting on the mattress next to it. She was sound asleep. Her hair was a mess, he assumed it had originally started out in a plait but now more of it was loose than in the hair tie. He didn't like that her cheeks looked sunken in or that her eyes had dark circles. He slowly walked up to Adele's side, crouched down by her. He gently ran the back of his knuckles across her cheek.
"Adele...c'mon, wake up beautiful. It's time to go."
Adele blinked and slowly raised her head. Dominic could tell she wasn't fully awake. She looked so sweet and sexy all sleep rumpled. He cupped her chin in his hand and she tilted her head into it. She nuzzled against him as she murmured, "My chaton," before kissing his palm then settling her head back down on the bed. Dominic couldn't help but grin, he'd been spending as much time as he could with her in her dreams, hoping that by hanging out with his leopard she would sleep better, be calmer and more relaxed during the day. She obviously liked his visits if she was dreaming of him even now when he wasn't creating the dream. That was a good sign; she had accepted him--as a leopard. He gently shook her shoulder.
"C'mon sleepy-head, you need to wake up so I can take you home."
~ * ~
Adele woke slowly from her dream. She had been cuddled up with her chaton. She had spent so much time with him over the last two days. It seemed whenever she closed her eyes, he was there. Someone was shaking her shoulder...yes, that's what had woken her, someone telling her something about home. She rolled her head to the side and opened an eye. Dominic. Of course it was Dominic. Who else would it be? He bent down, kissed her lightly on the cheek and nuzzled her with his nose. Hmmm, that felt so good...and familiar somehow, but she was too tired to focus on that at the moment.
She slowly sat up, stretched and looked down at Kelly. She was gaining color back into her skin. Slowly but surely her body was healing from her massive injuries. She had spoken yesterday with Kelly's assigned Child Protection Service Officer, Dierdre. She couldn't be found in the system. It was like she didn't exist, which meant she had no where to go. Adele felt very protective of the petit fille from the second she'd seen her, so she had offered to take care of Kelly on a permanent basis.
Deirdre told her that if she could get her own place and prove she could take care of her, then they would allow her temporary custody of Kelly once she was healed and released from the hospital. A lot would have to be done before permanent custody could be awarded to anyone. The first priority was to get her healthy. The feel of strong arms lifting her out of her seat jarred her from her runaway thoughts.
"Dominic, what are you doing? Put me down. Right now." She growled at him, with no real heat. She loved being in his arms, but she couldn't leave Kelly. She had to stay until Kelly was well. She'd promised.
"Adele, I'm taking you home where I am going to feed you then I'm going to tuc
k you into bed and watch over you to make sure you get a full night's sleep," Dominic told her in a firm voice.
"But I can't leave. What if she wakes up? What if someone comes for her?"
Adele could feel the panic rising in her and she started trembling in Dominic's firm embrace.
"I promised her."
"Adele. Look at me. I get that you promised Kelly. I get that you want to take care of her. But you can't do that if you get sick. You're burning yourself out, beautiful. You will be in no condition to look after her when she does wake up if you keep this up. Kit is on guard duty. She is right out side the door, and we'll leave it open. If Kelly so much as rolls over, Kit will be in here with her, okay? You know Kit. You know that no one will get to Kelly while she's here watching."
Adele knew Dominic was right, but she still struggled to leave her. Her mind was so muddled she couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Her spinning thoughts wore her out, but she could see by the look in Dominic's eyes she was never going to win this one so she accepted defeat, snuggled into his warm muscular chest then let herself drift off to sleep as he carried her away.
~ * ~
Dominic looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms. She was so strong but so fragile. He carried her from the room, stopping briefly to let Kit know to keep the door open and to make sure Kelly was not left alone in the unlikely event she woke up. He took his precious bundle out to his car and gently placed her in the front seat. He strapped her in and tilted the seat back so she wouldn't get uncomfortable by slumping forward. It only took five minutes to get from the hospital to Kit and Adele's place. She hadn't stirred once since he left the hospital; his poor mate was absolutely knackered.
He parked in the drive and went to open up the house first before coming back to collect Adele. He carried her into her room and laid her on the bed. He took her shoes and socks off first then glanced at the woman before him. She was so beautiful. He would love nothing more than to lay with her, holding her all night but that would scare her.
She had been at the hospital for so long that she'd changed from her clothes into baggy green hospital scrubs. He gently pulled the pants down over her slim waist and the gentle swell of her hips and thighs, over her perfect knees and slender calves, and off over her dainty feet. He then gently removed her top up over her rib cage and chest and gently pulled her arms through and lifted it off over her head. He left her in her flesh colored cotton knickers and sports bra. He smiled. His mate was so practical. He tucked the quilt around her body then took the tie from her hair, finger combed it out and smoothed the stray hairs from her face. Finally, he gave her a kiss on the forehead, whispered, "Good night my love," and left her to sleep.
Dominic watched as Adele shimmered into the dream, sitting on the picnic rug. She looked around her, seeming to examine the landscape in fine detail. He curled his lips in a grin; she was trying to work out in her mind if it was the same as the real one. Standing back, he allowed Adele a moment to herself. As Dominic padded over to her, she lowered her head and pressed her fingers into her temples. Before he reached her, he began to purr so she wouldn't be startled--and because he was happy to be near her again. He lightly brushed his face against the back of her neck and was rewarded with her feminine sigh. The way she tilted her head to the side, presenting her delicate skin to him, was an invitation he couldn't refuse. He lapped at her neck, his rough feline tongue picked up so much more of her taste than his human one. He couldn't wait until she knew about him so he could taste her fully in the real world, not a muted dream. He felt her body slacken, her stress drain away. As usual, once she was totally relaxed, she began to verbalize her thoughts for him. He never would have imagined it possible to learn so much about someone without him uttering a word.
"I have so much I need to do, chaton. Kelly needs a home, she needs to be loved and taken care of."
He lifted his head slightly as she twisted around. Adele hugged him close before she buried her nose in his fur. Oh yeah, he loved how she did this to him.
"I want to be the one who looks after her, but I need a place of my own. Deirdre, the Child Protection Officer, said I need to be 'stable' which means being in my own place where Kelly can have her own room and space. I'm sure Kit will help me sort it all out. But if she's helping me do that, she can't watch over Kelly. Who else can I trust with her?"
Who can she trust? Really? What was he? Invisible! He gently pulled back from her, waiting for her to look into his eyes. Then he lowered his gaze to the rug before looking back at her face. He repeated the process a couple of times until he saw her eyes brighten with understanding. Finally!
"Dominic? You want me to ask Dominic for help?"
Yes, he most certainly did. He nuzzled her cheek with a purr to let her know she understood him. She released a low sigh as he continued to nuzzle.
"I know he would help me, but it means letting him in. Trusting him. What if he hurts me? What if I let him close and he leaves?" Her pain filled whisper made his heart ache for her.
"Everyone my mother loved abandoned her then she abandoned me. Left me alone. Oh, chaton, I don't want to be on my own any more." He felt her tears seep through his fur onto his skin as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and let her emotions pour out. The ragged sound of her crying tore him up, he would never leave her. How on earth was he going to prove to her he would never hurt her? He gently nuzzled her neck and shoulder while he pondered the problem.
Dominic awoke to discover he'd wrapped Adele up in his arms as they'd slept. He'd stripped down to his boxer-briefs before he'd lain down next to Adele and pulled her into his dream. Her pain and sorrow was so strong he’d felt it in the real world; instinctively he'd drawn her close to him, unable to resist wrapping her up in his arms to comfort her.
How he wished she would open up to him in reality like she did in their dreams so he could help her. He couldn't believe how hard it was to not give himself away when he talked with her during the day. He'd planned on telling her everything at the lake, but she'd had enough trouble coping with the fact the field was real. He'd figured she would have totally flipped out if she found out the snow leopard was real too. Then Kelly stumbled in, and he hadn't been able to get much time with her, not that he minded given the circumstances. The way Adele cared for and protected Kelly spoke volumes about her heart and soul.
Adele rolled into him and pulled him from his thoughts. He looked down at her as she blinked up at him. Her eyes showed her confusion at finding him in her bed. He smiled gently at her as he traced his finger up the line of her nose, over her eyebrow, then down her cheekbone to her lower lip, which he proceeded to caress with his thumb.
He watched, trying hard not to chuckle as she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally mustered some words.
"What are...why are..." She wasn't really awake yet. Since he didn't have an easy answer for her and before she could finish her sentence, he cut her off by covering her mouth with his, devouring her with his lips and tongue. By the time he pulled back, they were both breathing heavily, his body on fire for her. He could smell her arousal and was soaring high with pleasure. He stroked her face and hair while he trailed light kisses over her jaw line up to her ear.
"Dominic. Please..." She breathed out on a shudder he felt through his whole body.
"Please what, beautiful? Tell me what you need." Dominic whispered in her ear before gently biting the lower edge between his teeth, feeling the wave of heat come out of her body as he did. He needed to hear that she wanted this, wanted him.
"I--I don't know what I need, Dominic. But please do something." She spoke between pants. He could see her eyes were glazed over with desire. She looked stunningly sexy. But as much as he wanted to lay here and drink in her beauty, he was also burning up and wanting another taste of his beautiful mate.
"My sweet Adele. Will you trust me to look after you?" He whispered smoothly into her ear before kissing his way down her neck and over her shoulder. He
held himself over her and watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, they looked serious. His desire was shelved while more serious thoughts dominated his mind. It worried him. Was she going to say no? If she did, he would respect her and leave--it would be the hardest thing he'd ever done, but he would. For her.
Locking her gaze onto his, she quietly spoke the sweetest words he'd ever heard.
"Yes, Dominic, I will trust you."
Dominic looked down in wonder and awe at his mate lying along side him. She'd just said yes, for real. Not just in his head this time but out loud. He couldn't help the huge grin that quickly spread over his face.
"Thank you, my sweet Adele. I promise I'll take good care of you. I'll never leave you. I promise."
He noticed her brow creasing in confusion. Damn, he shouldn't know about her fear of being left alone. Before she could ask him anything, he lowered himself over her, taking possession of her mouth until they were both breathless. His head reeled with his mate's scent surrounding him. Finally, his mate was in his arms where she belonged. He showered her in light kisses and licks, working his way down her body.
As he reached her breasts, she ran her hands into his hair then held him to her. He nuzzled his nose over her tight nipple through the smooth material of her sports bra, loving how she arched up into him. With her back now slightly raised off the bed, he lifted himself up just enough so he could run his hands up each side of her delicate rib cage, slowly taking her bra off, revealing one glorious inch of flesh after another as he went.
The second her lush breasts sprung free, he couldn't resist. He released the bra so it sat bunched up under her arms and palmed each breast. He groaned at how good they felt in his hands as he bent down to suckle her beautiful rosy nipples one after the other. He ran his thumb back and forth over the one that was not being ravaged by his lips and tongue. His heart soared as he heard her moan out his name in pleasure. She started to wriggle and move beneath him. He raised his head to see what she was trying to do.