by Jane Jamison
She wasn’t sure if she blacked out. All she remembered after that was hearing a wolf’s howl. The eerie moan of it crept into her skin and stayed with her. Yet instead of making her afraid, the sound seeped into her, becoming part of her, empowering her. She closed her eyes and gave into the sensations overtaking every part of her being.
* * * *
When she awakened, she was free of the chain and lying on top of a bed in a different bedroom than before. She sat up, clutching the comforter to her body, stunned to find herself alone.
Where were they?
“Charlie? Jesse?”
To her dismay, it was Lisa-May who poked her head around the door. “Hey, you’re back with us.”
“Where are Charlie and Jesse?”
“Oh. They’re downstairs fixing you a tray of food. They stayed with you for the past hour, holding you while you rested.” She sighed. “It’s so romantic how they take care of you.”
She didn’t blame the girl for thinking that way. They were the perfect blend of raw masculine magnetism and loving boyfriends.
“But then they figured you’d be hungry when you woke up.” Lisa-May lowered her gaze to the floor. “Um, they say you worked up quite an appetite.”
The warmth that hit her cheeks had her looking away. She was glad the young girl hadn’t been among those watching. That would’ve been like doing it in front of her little sister. “I guess.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, Carolina.”
She met Lisa-May’s eyes. “I’m not. I wasn’t. Although, I guess I am a little with you.”
She shrugged. “From what I heard, you made quite the impression. They wouldn’t dare because you’re Charlie’s and Jesse’s, but I bet most of the men still haven’t stopped thinking about you. And at least half of the women are jealous.”
“Oh, hell. That’s not what I was going for.”
“You wanted to show that awful man, the one who killed Queen and Milo, that you’re not afraid of him. Am I right?”
She was surprised and pleased that Lisa-May understood. “Exactly.”
“And you did.”
“Do you think the others knew? They don’t think I’m a slut or anything, do they?”
The young girl laughed. “Hardly. Do you think that chain from the ceiling was put there just for you?”
“Oh. I didn’t think about that. I guess not, huh?”
“Nope.” Lisa-May put her hand on top of hers. “Now stop worrying about what the others think. You’re one of us now.”
Carolina rested against the pillow Lisa-May propped behind her back. One of them? She wasn’t sure what that meant, but as long as it meant she was a part of Charlie’s and Jesse’s lives, then it was a good thing.
* * * *
Kruger couldn’t wait much longer. Since the beheading of their precious horse, Queen, the pack had closed ranks around the bitch. He hadn’t planned to kill that stupid half-wit Milo, but when the ape had gotten between him and her bedroom, he hadn’t had any choice. Not that he’d minded. Killing was always a pleasurable activity.
He’d chosen Carolina to exact his revenge because she was human and an easy target. But after her defiance during the exhibitionist show she’d given, he’d found he’d wanted to kill her even more. Lisa-May had confirmed the fact that she’d done it to show him that he didn’t matter, that he wasn’t a threat. The audacity of her bold defiance infuriated him. He wouldn’t take that from any woman, human or werewolf.
Any other woman might’ve thought it degrading, but he’d seen the fierceness on her face, the set of her jaw, the determination to shove her beauty and her strength in his face. He doubted she’d seen him secluded on one of the couches hidden behind a large potted plant, but he’d known she’d done it for his benefit. She’d given him a challenge he couldn’t refuse. She’d gone from being a way to get back at Wyatt, Stone, and Rae to an adversary he had to defeat.
The bitch is going to pay.
But how would he extract his justice when he couldn’t get her alone? Charlie and Jesse never left the whore’s side. Their inner wolves were on the ready, evident in the tense way they moved, in their hard stares that studied each man like he was an enemy instead of a pack member. Although they didn’t shift in front of her, everyone could sense their inner beasts crouched and ready to attack. They were her two personal guards, unwilling to trust anyone else in that role. As such, they hadn’t left the house since taking her back from the communal room. He doubted they ever would until they thought the bitch was safe.
He closed his eyes, once more reliving the moment he’d hung the horse’s head from the light fixture. Standing over her bed, he could’ve taken her, fucked her, then slit her throat. Part of him had hungered for it, but he was stronger than that. He wanted more time with her, time to make her see how foolish she’d been to goad him. And yet it had taken every bit of his control to keep from grabbing her hair, fucking her from behind, and listening to her cries of sexual elation turn into sobs of mercy. She’d tempted him, her glorious mane of hair spread over the pillow, one breast peeking out from under the blanket, stretching the flimsy nightgown she wore. His cock had pushed at his jeans as it did now, urging him to take what he so rightfully deserved.
Shifting from one foot to the other, he swept away the memory of her long, sleek legs sticking out from under the covers. No, it wouldn’t do to get caught with a hard-on. Not with so many of the pack walking around the place.
Perhaps he’d made a mistake in cutting off the horse’s head and putting it in the bitch’s bedroom. But it had given him immeasurable pleasure to hear the screams coming from the house. Besides, the riskier his goal became, the more exciting it was to pull off. And pull it off he would.
He opened his eyes, leaned against the bunkhouse, and watched men come and go from the main house. Each one had to pass by a guard, but for the most part, the guards didn’t delay anyone. They were such fools. How would they stop the pack from going about their business when they had no clue which one of them was the attacker? When they couldn’t tell friend from foe?
Nothing they could do would stop him. The number of guards they placed wouldn’t matter. When he was ready, the little wolf would come to him. He chuckled, pleased with how well his plan was going. The stupid little whore who loved him would set everything in motion, and the human bitch would finally pay for what the pack had done. She was one of them now, making his reward even sweeter. Later, once Wyatt, Stone, and Rae had returned to Two Forks, he’d have a second, tastier revenge.
It’s time.
He lifted his attention to the window nearest him. His little wolf, the one he’d taken so much care to train and bring under his spell, watched him, waiting for his orders. He smiled, putting on the loving expression that always made her face shine with joy.
Bitches are so fucking stupid.
But that worked to his advantage. He nodded, giving her the signal. Then, taking care to keep his movements casual, he pushed away from the wall and made his way into the woods.
Chapter Nine
It was a dream. It had to be.
Carolina came awake, reliving that awful morning and the sight of Queen’s ghastly head hanging from the ceiling. But it wasn’t a dream. It had really happened.
Yet for once, it wasn’t the dream that had startled her out of her deep sleep.
Jesse and Charlie were already out of the bed and pulling on their jeans at the pounding on her bedroom door.
“What is it?” She didn’t want to ask, didn’t want an answer, would’ve preferred to keep her men with her, safe in the bedroom.
“Stay where you are.” Jesse tugged on his shirt as he crossed to the door and flung it open. Charlie came up behind him, blocking her view.
Pounded. He pounded on the door. That means it’s bad. No one pounds on a door with good news.
She pulled her knees to her chest and clutched the cover as though it was a life preserver and she was a drowning woman. Although she strain
ed to hear, she couldn’t make out what they said. If the situation were reversed, Charlie and Jesse would’ve heard him even from that distance. Not for the first time she wondered how everyone else in the house could have such sensitive hearing when she didn’t.
When Jesse closed the door and faced her alongside his brother, she knew she was right. It was bad. Real bad.
“What’s going on?”
They came to her sides where they’d been every minute since that terrible morning.
“Babe, please trust us.”
It was worse than she thought. “What now?”
The men she loved exchanged an intense look. Jesse took her hand. “It’s Lisa-May.”
She felt the color drain from her face and her stomach clench. She’d misunderstood them. That had to be it. Yet as hard as she tried to embrace denial, she couldn’t. “Is she…”
She couldn’t say the word. Speaking it out loud would make it all too true.
“Dead? No.” The struggle to find the right words was on Charlie’s face. “At least, we don’t know that for sure.”
She turned the cover loose and grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin. “Then what?”
He pulled her hand off him. Lines of red boasted spots of blood. “Lisa-May’s missing. They’ve searched for her, but no one can find her.”
She gritted her teeth, fighting the wave of nausea that swept over her. “And Joey? Doesn’t he know where she is?”
“He hasn’t seen her since last night.”
“And he’s just now setting up the alarm?”
“He said she’s been staying out late a lot lately. Said he’d heard rumors that she’s been meeting up with a boyfriend, but since she hadn’t said anything to him, he hadn’t believed them. He went to bed and didn’t realize she never came home last night until he checked on her for breakfast. The poor kid’s out of his mind with worry.”
“You have to find her. Please.”
“We will, sugar.” Jesse stood, his jaw set. “We’re going to look for her now. You stay put and don’t leave this room.”
“No.” She threw off the cover. “I want to help, too. What if whoever came after me took her? It’s me he’s after. Maybe I can take her place.”
Jesse grabbed her arms and held her tight. “No. You can’t. We can’t hunt for her and worry about your safety at the same time. You have to stay here where it’s safe. Do you understand me?”
“He’s right, babe.” Charlie’s tone was husky, filled with urgency. “Do as we say so we concentrate on finding her.”
“But I have to help. It’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. We don’t even know if she’s in trouble.”
“Yes, we do.” She wouldn’t let them shield her. “Some crazy bastard is doing this.”
Jesse thrust her down on the edge of the bed. “No, we don’t. Maybe she’s having a fling. Maybe she went for a run. We don’t know anything yet. Until we do, you have to promise us you’ll stay here. Lock your door and don’t let anyone in. I mean that. Not one person comes in here until we get back. I don’t care who it is. No one. Promise.”
She couldn’t stand the idea of not looking for Lisa-May. If anything happened to the girl, she’d never forgive herself. But first she had to appease the men. Otherwise, they’d never leave her side. “I promise.”
“Good.” Jesse crushed his mouth to hers. His kiss was needy, craving more time.
Would it be their last kiss?
She leaned into it, her own yearning to feel his arms around her burning at her skin. The kiss ended too soon. Instead, all she could do was watch them leave. And wait for her chance.
* * * *
The longest hour of Carolina’s life came and went. But at least the wait had given her time to think. She wanted to believe that Lisa-May wasn’t in danger and the least she could do was check the places where the girl might meet a boyfriend. If someone hadn’t taken Lisa-May by force, where would she have gone?
The answer had taken a while to break free of the tangle of thoughts in her mind, but once it did, it made sense. If Lisa-May wanted to share time with a male friend, away from the others and in a special place, she had no doubt that the young girl would’ve set out for her secret pond. Whether she’d gone last night or maybe that morning was a question, but the pond was the best place to start her search.
She should tell the guard standing outside her bedroom. Then he could get another ranch hand to relay the information to the search parties. Yet if she did, she’d get stuck in the room, waiting. Still, going alone didn’t make sense. What if her hope was false and Lisa-May had been taken against her will? What if she was hurt? Would she know how to help her? No, as much as she hated it, she had to tell. If she was very convincing, she might get the guard to take her along to spread the information.
Taking hold of the doorknob, she opened her door and was surprised when she didn’t find anyone in the hall guarding her room. A tickle of fear wound its way around her spine. Had he taken a quick break to use the restroom?
“Hello?” She wished she’d asked the name of the guard before the men had gone. “Is anyone here?”
Go back inside the room and lock the door.
Listening to her gut would’ve been the sensible thing to do, but she couldn’t. What if the guard was injured and needing help? What if she went back inside her room and hid like a frightened child when she could’ve helped him?
She stepped into the hall, careful to keep as quiet as she could. The doors along the hallway were either already opened or locked so she doubted he was in any of those. She knocked once on the bathroom door and heard nothing. Coming to the landing, she checked the foyer below, expecting to see another guard. Once more, she was surprised to find the place empty.
Something is wrong. Get back inside your room.
This time, she heeded her instinct and started to back up.
“Ms. Carolina?”
She sucked in a breath, peered over the railing, then let it out at the sight of Bill Winton.
Shit. Why’d it have to be him? “Bill? Where is everyone?”
His frown deepened. “I was about to ask you the same question.”
“So there’s no one else in the house? What about Ms. Millicent?” Would she have gone to search for Lisa-May, too?
“She went into town early this morning. Ms. Carolina, I’m sorry about what happened to Queen. She was a beautiful horse, and I know you fell in love with her the second you saw her.”
Unwanted tears sprang to her eyes. “And poor Milo. That was the real tragedy.”
He blinked. “Yes, yes. Poor Milo. He was a good guy.”
He hadn’t even thought about Milo. Instead, he’d focused on the horse. Her gut twisted over, again telling her that she was in danger and needed to get back to the safety of her room.
“Carolina, I think maybe you’d better come down here with me.”
What happened to calling her Ms. Carolina? It was most likely a slip of the tongue. Or was it intentional, as though the dynamic between them had shifted?
“I don’t think so. I’m going back to my room.”
“That’s not a good idea.” He moved to the bottom of the steps. “Now that you’ve come out, someone else could’ve slipped inside your room without you hearing them. Naw, it’s better if you come downstairs and stick with me.”
He had a point. And if it had been anyone other than Bill, she would’ve had no problem joining him. But why not Bill? He’d done nothing to deserve her suspicion. Nothing except give her a bad case of jittery nerves.
She’d already gone that far. She might as well keep going.
“I think I might know where Lisa-May could’ve gone.”
He tilted his head, interest flashing across his face. “Is that right? Where?”
“I was just coming down to tell the guard so he could alert the search parties.”
He nodded, encouraging her to go on. “That’s a good idea. Come on down. You
can tell Lucas, and we’ll send him to tell the others.”
“So Lucas is here?” Although she’d never spoken directly to the big brute of a man, she’d seen him with Charlie and Jesse, laughing and joking around. They’d said he was a standup kind of guy. She’d thought he looked like a teddy bear come to life with his protruding belly, his bushy beard and mustache, and his shoulder-length curly brown hair.
“Yeah. He’s on guard out back.” He waved her down. “Let’s go tell him.” He patted his pockets. “I don’t have my phone with me, but Lucas can call the others.”
She hesitated again, but she had to tell someone. If Bill relayed her idea, then she’d still be stuck on the landing not knowing which way to go. Back to her room or downstairs with him. She glanced back down the hallway as a noise floated on the air. Had it come from her room?
“Okay.” She hurried down the stairs, paused next to him, then rushed toward the back door. The hallway that led to the kitchen, then on to the back door had never seemed so long.
She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she made it to the door with Bill right behind her. She smiled at him more from relief than anything else and pushed the door open.
Lucas lay strewn across the steps, his bloodied body twisting in agony. It was Lucas, yet it wasn’t.
She gaped in horror at his contorted, deformed body. His face had elongated, his mouth changing into a strange mix of face and snout. His ears were pointed and had dark fur running along the outer ridges. His hands, although human-looking, had long, pointed fingernails. Nails that were more claw-like than human. Fur ran around his neck, forming a collar. His eyes, full of amber, flashed as he lifted his head.
“Oh, shit.” Her whisper hurt her throat as it closed up, strangling her speech. She stepped back, bumping into Bill. Swinging around, she opened her mouth to warn him and froze as terror hit her again.
Bill’s eyes blazed amber. Fangs slipped over his lower lip as he pulled his mouth back into a half snarl, half smile. “What’s the matter, bitch? Wolf got your tongue?”