Coveted

by Stacey Brutger

  He handed over the vial. “Give me the key.”

  The bastard didn’t even bother to look at him as he rolled up his sleeve. “Not until I’ve confirm your blood works. If it’s acceptable, you’ll fill those bags. The chemicals in them should keep the blood viable long enough for me to restart my operation.”

  Jacob inserted the needle and hit the plunger. He grunted and collapsed to his knees as the drug sped through his system. A muffled scream ripped past his closed lips, the pain a side effect of healing too fast.

  Aiden glanced away to see bags with tubs hanging by the door.

  Five bags.

  Half of his blood.

  Under normal circumstances, his wolf would ensure his survival. After months of prison and continual poisoning, he’d grown weak. He just had to hang on long enough to free Shayla.

  If only one of them was going to survive, it would be her.

  Aiden was drawn back toward her cell, compelled to watch over her even if he could do nothing. But with each step, a bitter cold snaked around him. All the hair on his body rose.

  Symptoms he felt once before.

  Shayla had succeeded in opening the doors to the Frost World. His wolf lunged to the surface, enraged that she would risk her life that way when they’d nearly lost her the last time. He needed to move quickly if he wanted to save her from herself. He picked up the butterfly needle and hit the vein first try. Blood filled the first bag quickly.

  “You will not die on me. Hold on. I’m going to get you out of here.” Power infused his words. As if he’d finally broken through to her, Shayla began coughing, and Aiden crouched next to the bars.

  “Aiden?” Her beautiful blue eyes snapped open, looking vague and unfocused. Until her eyes landed on him and sharpened to a dangerous point. “You have to leave. They’ll be coming soon.”

  “I’m here. You can stop. Come back to me.”

  Shayla shook her head then winced, tugging at the collar as the metal bit into her throat. The pain seemed to sharpen her focus, and her eyes dropped to the long tubing running from his arm. Alarm gave her voice power. “Stop. You don’t need to do this. He won’t get away.”

  Aiden gave a short bark of laughter, easily able to push aside the compulsion in her voice. The first bag was filled, and he quickly changed them out. “Is that why you think I’m here? I don’t give a shit about vengeance. I’ll give him what he wants in exchange for your freedom.”

  “What about you?” Her voice was sharp. She leaned forward, ready to speak, when she lost her footing and plunged beneath the surface.

  “Shayla!” Aiden lunged toward the bars, his arm fully extended as he frantically combed through the water, straining for even a glimpse of her. Seconds passed, and Aiden swore his heart stopped.

  Then her face broke the surface.

  Aiden watched her struggle to breathe, never having felt helpless. He stayed pressed against the bars, ignoring the scent of his burning flesh. The tightness in his chest threatened to cut off his air supply. “Promise me, Shayla.”

  She weakly rested her face against the filthy wall. “Promise what?”

  He didn’t like the thready quality in her voice. “We leave here together.”

  Aiden couldn’t take his eyes away from her precious face, afraid that if he looked away for even a second that she’d disappear under the water and never resurface. Her answer took so long in coming that claws burst from the tips of his fingers.

  All she did was shake her head.

  The rain came down harder. Water was pouring out of her cell now. Her strength was waning.

  Drowning was a real threat, if hypothermia didn’t kill her first.

  “Do you still have that necklace?”

  Shayla gave a jerky nod.

  “The necklace chose you for a reason. It allows you to draw strength from the pack.” Aiden reluctantly backed away from the cell. He ignored his burns, the way they weren’t healing, and hooked up the third bag.

  “And most of them are grievously wounded. They need all their strength. I’ll be fine.”

  There was acceptance in her voice, as if she already made up her mind to give her life in exchange for his.

  “Aiden, you have to stop. Your wolves need you.”

  “The pack needs us both.” Emotions thickened his voice. “I need you. The pack can survive without me, but I can’t go on without you.”

  “Awww, ain’t that sweet.” The snide comment was ruined by Jacob’s obvious pain. He rested weakly against the door, panting with exertion. The jagged edges of his wounds had already closed, leaving behind lumps of twisted flesh. Muscles twitched in his jaw like centipedes were wiggling under the surface, and his skin smoothed out like clay. “Less talk, more blood. I’m sure none of us want to stay here any longer than necessary.”

  Aiden clenched and unclenched his hand, watching his blood flow into the bag. He avoided meeting Shayla’s gaze, not wanting to see her reaction. “I’ve always done what was expected of me. I’ve always put the pack first. Not this time.”

  “Why is this different?”

  Hearing her teeth chatter, he looked up, studying every nuance of her expression, his eyes caressing the face that had become so precious to him. And couldn’t read anything. Memories of his late wife rose between them, her disgust at being tied to a monster. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “Don’t you know?”

  Shayla mutely shook her head. The revulsion he expected, a beast baring his soul for a beautiful woman, never appeared. She watched him with her big blue eyes, so exhausted he wanted to gather her up against him.

  Unable to stomach her scrutiny, he reached down to change the next bag when the asshole spoke. “Those bags need to be completely full or the deal’s off.”

  Precious seconds passed agonizingly slow as he waited for it to finish filling. When he reached for the fourth bag, the world spun, darkening a little around the edges.

  He leaned heavily against the wall. He couldn’t pass out or they were both dead.

  “Tell me, Aiden.”

  “I want you for myself. I won’t let him win.”

  A wild laugh echoed in the hallway. “Isn’t that cute. The big bad wolf has a case of puppy love.”

  * * *

  Aiden’s declaration sent her heartbeat skyrocketing. Astonishment knocked her off center, and she nearly lost her precarious perch. She’d expected Aiden to stomp around. Snarl with rage. Instead, he was ominously silent.

  “Aiden?” She said his name softly.

  He tensed, his shoulders hunched, watching the water swirl around his shins. Her heart pounded in a frantic dance when he didn’t reply. “You love me.”

  He flinched, and a lump formed in her throat. He didn’t deny her words, but he wasn’t happy.

  “How long have you known?”

  Aiden shrugged, turning to change out the last bag. His movements were slow, very precise. “I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you. You looked miserable. You were soaked, muddy, your clothes clinging to your every curve. All I could think about was getting my hands on you. You had every right to run screaming from me, but you stupidly risked your life for mine.”

  He rested his back against the wall and slowly slid down, his arms propped up on his knees. He looked up at her finally, his eyes blazing with emotions. “I couldn’t let you go then, and I can’t let you go now.”

  The fragile emotion she’d buried deep, protected beneath layers of denial, crawled toward the surface. Telling him terrified her, but he deserved the truth. Shayla swallowed hard, the hope a painful thing. “You were right.”

  His brows furrowed in question.

  “I was thinking about love when I stumbled upon you.”

  His head snapped up. “Say it.”

  His voice was a demand, but she recognized the terror of wanting something so much you’re afraid to ask for it.

  “I love you.”

  Disbelief and yearning warred across his face, so painful that her breath hic
cupped in her chest. “I was raised with fairy tales about werewolves, and their all-consuming love for their mates. Even at the age of five, I knew I wanted that. No one could live up to my dreams.” Shayla ached to be in his arms. “Until you.”

  A rumbled rose from his chest, and he never once took his eyes from hers as his blood continued to drain. “I will get you out of here.”

  “How touching.” Jacob stared hungrily at the five bags of blood, casually swinging the key around his finger over the rushing water. “But we have a deal to complete.”

  Aiden yanked the needle from his arm, a drop of blood beading up on the puncture wound. He rolled to his knees and swayed, resorting to using the wall to pull himself to his feet. Blood whooshed in his ears, and he gritted his teeth against blacking out. He refused to show any weakness, refused to let Shayla down, not when she was so close to where he wanted her most.

  In his arms.

  His limbs felt heavy as he gathered the bags. He locked his knees and took a determined step forward, then another, until he stood before the bastard who’d hurt Shayla.

  Jacob didn’t know it yet, but he was a dead man.

  Aiden would see to it.

  Jacob stood in the center of the cell, his body all but vibrating, still riding high on the drug. He smiled boldly, the wounds on his face receded until they resembled wrinkles you’d get after sleeping too hard. “After another treatment or two, even the scars will be gone. I’ve never seen blood this strong.”

  Greed gleamed in his eyes, the edges of madness, and maybe a hint of addiction. He tossed a backpack from the cell, and Aiden fumbled to catch it, his coordination shot to hell.

  “Put the blood inside.”

  Aiden did as told, discreetly releasing his claws and puncturing as many bags as possible. The holes were tiny, so the leak wouldn’t be noticed until too late.

  The silence behind him bothered him. It was too quiet. “Give me the key.”

  “The backpack first. Pass it through the bars.”

  Aiden didn’t have the luxury of time to argue. He maneuvered the bag inside the cell. Before he could release his hold, the man lifted a cattle prod he’d had tucked behind him, hitting Aiden full in the chest. His convulsed, and crashed to his knees, his muscles twitching in agony.

  The cell door opened with a rusty creak, and the prongs lifted. The bag was tugged from his grip. Aiden glared and bared his teeth at the bastard. A snap of power lit the prongs, showing that it had been amped up for this special occasion. In his weakened state, another charge would knock him out, leaving Shayla to die alone. So instead of rending the man to shreds as his wolf urged, Aiden sat and waited like some damned mutt.

  “The key.”

  “This?” With a smile that was all malice, Jacob held up the key, then tossed it over his shoulder. It pinged off the wall and plopped into the swirling water. “Fetch.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Aiden launched himself forward with a roar. With a flick of his fingers, his claws bursting from the tips, and he slashed the bastard down the length of his back. Flesh peeled away from bone.

  Jacob flailed, screaming in pain. He crashed into the wall and fumbled to hold onto the bag. “I’m going to kill you, mutt!”

  Aiden ignored the threat and dove where he saw the key land, frantically sweeping his hands along the floor. Debris swirled in the water. A snap of electricity from the cattle prod caused him to tense, but Aiden didn’t turn. He had to get that key or everything would’ve been for nothing.

  “I’m going to enjoy knowing that you killed your woman.” Jacob sloshed closer.

  A thin piece of metal scraped against the tips of his fingers, and Aiden chased it around in desperation before finally pinning it down. He clutched the key and whirled with a snarl, his wolf ready to face the new threat.

  Water bubbled up around Jacob. The man swung the cattle pod like a sword, clutching his precious bag to his chest. “What the hell is that?”

  Dozens of howls echoed through the hall, and water surged toward them in a wave. Aiden quickly flattened himself against the wall. Jacob’s eyes widened as the swell continued to grow, and he turned to run. Aiden could see nothing in the wave, but every hair on his body stood on end.

  Shayla’s wraiths had arrived.

  Aiden turned away from revenge and charged toward Shayla.

  He’d always choose her.

  The key slipped easily into the lock. As the door opened, Aiden glanced back and saw water surge up, nearly enveloping Jacob. Cuts and slashes appeared on his body as though the current was full of razors. The air misted with blood, the water turning crimson.

  Jacob opened his mouth to scream but no sound emerged. He dropped to his hands and knees, scrambling to get away from the attack.

  Aiden turned away and rushed into the cell. With the first step, he was submerged in waist-high water that threatened to freeze off his man parts. The thin crust of ice shattered as he waded forward.

  “I’m here.” He lunged toward her, his hands shaking. Frost dusted her skin. The blue tinge of her lips worried him, and he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, the skin of her face like ice under his fingertips.

  Terror like nothing he’d ever known cut him down to the bone until he detected a faint warmth underneath.

  She was still in there.

  Gurgled shrieks came from the hall, the stark terror in the sounds chasing a shiver down his spine. The primitive side of his brain gave the signal to change, and he barely managed to sustain his human shape as he hunched protectively over Shayla.

  Then everything fell ominously silent.

  Eager to have her in his arms and reassure himself that she was safe, he grasped the thick pad of metal and gave a twist. Only half of the pins were in place, and they snapped one at a time. The corded muscles of his arms strained, the metal groaned in complaint, then twisted like toffee before finally coming apart. He peeled the collar away from her throat, growling under his breath to see the deep bruising and small cuts.

  Shayla turned into his touch, the first signs of consciousness.

  “Wake up for me, baby.”

  She pried open her eyes, her lids heavy. “Is it done? Is he gone?”

  “Yes.”

  Her hands were numb, the effort to uncurl her fingers felt like they were about to be snapped off. The bone slipped from her grip and drifted beneath the water to settle on the bottom.

  Aiden wrapped her in his arms and hugged her close. Warmth brushed along her skin, and she curled around him, the heat of him painfully delicious.

  “Take my warmth.”

  Shayla shook her head, barely a movement, so stiff she could almost hear the muscles cracking.

  “Do it.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, when his lips met hers. The kiss was slow, savoring, and burned through her like fire.

  “We’re created to be partners with the fae. We naturally run warm.” Then he smiled down at her with so much mischief that her breath caught. “Do what I say, otherwise, we’ll have to stay here, kissing, until we both burn.”

  From his expression, Shayla knew he’d do it, too. Warmth spilled through her at the thought of all the wicked things he could do with that mouth. With a shiver, Shayla clutched the necklace. Heat swept through her on contact, like being wrapped in a blanket of fire. After being so cold, she waited to feel the pain of returning to the land of the living.

  There was only pleasure.

  What shocked her more was that it came through their connection. It was all him. Simply the act of holding her close aroused him.

  The cold receded as she tightened her arms, reveling in the contact, soaking up his warmth. Aiden’s grip tightened, as if he’d never intended to let her go, and he carried her from the cell. Shayla shivered, thankful to be out of that room. “I adore castles, but I think I’ve had my fill of dungeons.”

  Aiden brushed his lips against the top of her head. “I don’t know. I’ve developed a certain fondness fo
r them.”

  Shayla blinked up at him in shock. After everything he’d been through, she never expected that answer. “Whatever for?”

  “It brought me you.”

  Oh, shit. It was said with such conviction that she trembled. Much more of that and she’d end up in a pool of mush at his feet.

  Not that the thought of kneeling in front of him didn’t give her a few ideas.

  Something must have shown on her face for she saw his throat bob. A playful rumbled vibrated in his chest, and he leaned over to nip at her neck. “Keep thinking like that and everyone will be able to see the effect you have on me.”

  Raw desire blasted through her, and she laughed at the picture they must present. She brushed her fingers against the light dusting of hair across his very naked chest, content to be in his arms as Aiden mounted the steps to the surface.

  “You can’t let them take me.” A frantic voice shouted from behind them. “Call off the dogs. I have money. I can pay. Just name it.”

  Aiden spun, tightening his arms around Shayla. No one was taking his woman from him now that he finally got her back in his arms.

  Jacob tripped in his haste, using his hands and feet to scramble toward them. He fumbled with a bag, clutching it to his chest as he cast a frantic glance over his shoulder. A menacing growl echoed through the tunnels, and the man fell flat on his face in the water.

  “Shayla?” Aiden nudged her.

  She shook her head. “Look behind him.”

  “What?” A yelp escaped Jacob. He launched clumsily to his feet and whirled.

  Caught up in the water lay a body.

  Jacob wandered closer, as if hypnotized by the sight. The corpse was mangled almost beyond recognition, but there was no doubt of the identity.

  It had not been a pretty death.

  “That’s not me.” Jacob backed away, shaking his head. “That’s not me.”

  A vicious snarl came from the cell they’d just left, and the shadow of a young wolf emerged, stalking forward on stiff legs. Jacob lurched, stumbling against the wall, the backpack falling from his hands. He backed away from the black beast that appeared to be more mist than anything.