Loved by The Alpha Wolf (The Lone Wolf Book 1)
Page 4
“There’s nothing in the kitchen,” he added, still searching. “Although I haven’t looked at the light fixtures yet.”
“What?” Davidson breathed, his eyes going from brother to brother. “You mean, someone is actually bugging my home?”
Ross turned to face him, keeping his expression serious. “It appears that way. After all, whoever took Jenny might want to make sure you cooperate.”
“Cooperate?” Davidson echoed, looking confused.
“With the note you received?” Connor suggested, although his lips twitched as he attempted to hide his smile.
Ross climbed on the table, ignoring Davidson’s murmur of protest, and inspected the light fixtures. Seeing Davidson’s eyes on him, he surreptitiously pulled out a small bug from under his watch strap.
“Ah ha!” he exclaimed, bending to show Davidson the bug. “You might want to think about who’s been in your house lately, Mr. Davidson. Someone you know is trying to hear everything you’re saying.”
Davidson swallowed, his eyes fixed on the bug in Ross’s hand.
“Let’s go,” Connor said, walking from the room. “We’ll need to inspect these.”
Ross nodded, slapping Mr. Davidson on the back in a gesture of camaraderie. "Listen, we'll do everything we can to find out who's put these in your home. We'll let you know the instant we find something."
Mr. Davidson nodded, appearing slightly numb. “Thank you,” he muttered, still staring at the bug Ross was putting into a small, sealed bag.
“And if you can get that note for us too,” Ross suggested, helpfully. “That would certainly give us more to work with.”
That seemed to snap Davidson out of his reverie.
“Yes, of course,” he replied at once. “I’ll certainly try my best. You know how the police can be!”
Ross let out a harsh laugh. “Yes, unfortunately, I do. Don’t worry, Mr. Davidson. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Jenny will be safe very soon, I can promise you.”
Grinning to himself, Ross met Ash and Connor in the hallway and they walked out of the house.
“Do you think he fell for it?” Sarah asked the moment they arrived. “Did you find her? Is she OK?”
Ross held up a hand, laughing at Sarah’s questions. “One at a time, Sarah,” he replied with a grin. “Yes, she’s fine. Frightened, but not hurt.”
“Oh, I was so worried,” Sarah sighed with relief. “I can’t stand the thought of a shifter being locked up.”
“Coffee and donuts?” Connor suggested, walking toward the coffee pot. “Don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry.”
Letting out a bark of laughter, Ross nodded. It was a long-running joke that they kept coffee and donuts in the office just like any good detective agency—when in reality they preferred something a little…bloodier.
“Steak later, maybe,” Ash growled, walking in behind them. “Or maybe a good rabbit or two.”
“There’s going to plenty time for hunting later,” Ross grimaced. “We’ve just got to get Jenny out of there first.”
Sarah bit her lip until they’d all got something to eat and sat.
“So, it is Jenny that’s there?”
“Yup,” Ross replied, taking a sip of his coffee. He frowned. “She said something about how Davidson brings her out when the ‘others’ are there.”
“Others?” she queried, looking from one to the other.
Ash shrugged. “Probably the other hunters,” he suggested. “We have no idea who they are, of course.”
“That’s why Jenny is so important,” Ross agreed. “Hopefully we can get her to identify them.”
Now chewing on her lip, Sarah turned her troubled eyes onto Thomas. “Do you think you’ll be able to find any of them?”
He shrugged, nonchalantly. “If she gives me a good enough description, Sarah.”
Ross trusted Thomas completely. He was pretty much a computer genius, able to find anything and almost anyone, given enough time. On top of that, he was their resident sketch artist. So long as Jenny had gotten a good look at the other hunters, Thomas would be able to come up with a decent likeness. Ross wasn’t worried about that in the slightest.
“She was pretty anxious about getting out of there,” Connor muttered with a shake of his head. “I thought the whole thing was going to implode at one point, Ross.”
Thinking back to how terrified she’d looked, Ross’s heart clenched. He’d wanted to take her away right there but had forced himself not to. It would have been dangerous for all of them if he had, but there had been something about her that had almost forced him to act. Then she had swallowed hard, lifted her chin, and done what he’d asked her to do, even though it was clearly the exact opposite of what she’d wanted. That made him proud of her in a strange way. He didn’t even know her!
“Only a few hours to go,” Sarah said softly, breaking into his thoughts. “I hope she can wait it out that long.”
"I hope so too," Ross murmured. They had to wait until Davidson had gone to bed—so at some point in the late evening. They'd agreed to be out there by 10 p.m., even though in his estimate that was still pretty early. Better to be early than too late. The last thing he wanted was for Jenny to make her way out, only for them not to be there waiting for her. She needed to be protected from the very first moment she stepped out of Davidson's house. And then they would need to run.
Chapter Seven
Jenny could barely get her breath, trying desperately not to cry. She couldn’t believe that the shifter she’d seen outside had literally just unlocked her door, only for him to tell her to go back inside and pretend nothing had changed.
Her heart slammed into her chest, and all of a sudden she was terrified that Davidson was going to come down and discover the unlocked door. Forcing herself to remember that Davidson never came down to the cellar after he’d put in her regular tray of food for the day, Jenny tried to take steadying breaths. The last thing she needed was to start panicking. Not now. Something itched between her shoulder blades.
Davidson had seemed like such a genuine, kind man. Jenny knew the unwritten rule about shifters not dating humans, but since she’d never really been part of a pack, it didn’t seem to matter so much. Her face went red with shame as she remembered how she’d let him take her to his house, with the intention of staying the night. It had only been then that she’d seen his true character. He’d pinned her arms behind her back, frogmarched her down the stairs, and thrown in into this locked room.
At first, Jenny had no idea what he was doing, her mind going crazy with ideas about why he was keeping her here—but then that had all become clear. Three days later, he'd taken her back up the stairs and there had been a shout of approval from another man the moment she'd appeared. Davidson and the other man had laughed as though she were some kind of circus animal. The only other figure, a woman, had stayed practically silent, her eyes unable to meet Jenny’s gaze.
Nausea had swirled in her stomach as she finally realized who these three people were: hunters.
Davidson had tried to get her to shift over and over, using whatever method hecould. There had been pain—a lot of pain—but nothing had made her shift, even though her wolf had snarled and growled, desperate to get out.
Jenny had fought against her animal, pressing it down in the knowledge that if she shifted, she'd be killed almost immediately. She could sense the urge in their blood, see the flaring of their eyes. It had been control the wolf in her or die. Thankfully, her wolf had settled itself, tolerating the hatred and abuse until the hunters had grown tired and pushed her back into her cellar.
The two men had tried again and again. It hadn’t worked.
Why Davidson wanted her, she didn’t know. Something about killing the shifters, he’d said one night when he’d drunk a little bit too much. He’d sat outside her door and gone on and on about how he hated her kind, how they were unnatural, and how he was going to make sure they were all wiped out eventually. She’d shivered and t
ried hard not to believe him.
Then he’d laughed about how he’d followed her once, how he’d seen her shift into her silver furred wolf, and how glad he’d been to finally have caught one. It had been the evil in his voice that had made her begin to shake, and she had never really stopped.
Trying to focus on Ross, the shifter who'd come to rescue her, seemed to drive all her thoughts about Davidson away. He'd been strong and powerful—very obviously an alpha. His gray eyes had looked into hers, and she'd believed that everything would be OK. He'd be waiting for her outside to take her to safety. All she had to do was be patient.
Each minute that passed was torture, knowing that her door was open and she could make her escape. Sitting on the thin mattress in the corner, Jenny took in one breath after another, willing darkness to fall outside—and for Davidson to stay upstairs.
Jenny woke with a start, pushing herself up on her elbows. Frustrated with herself, she rubbed her eyes, wishing she could scratch the itch between her shoulder blades. Getting to her feet, she walked toward the door.
Her stomach growled, but Jenny ignored it. Davidson gave her one tray a day with barely enough food on it to keep her going, but that was probably by design. He didn’t want her to have enough strength to escape.
Fool, Jenny thought to herself as her fingers curled around the edge of the door. Shifters have more strength than he knows.
It was completely dark in the cellar, but Jenny used all her other senses to help her find her way to the stairs. Following Ross’s scent had her climbing the stairs, reaching the top only a few minutes later.
Pausing, Jenny tried to listen for any sound of Davidson moving around but couldn’t hear anything but her own frantic heartbeat. Trying to calm herself again, she took a few moments to take in some deep breaths before pushing the door open.
Fear rippled up her spine, the wolf threatening to spring out of her skin at any moment—but Jenny pushed it down. She needed to be in her human form to get out. A wolf wasn’t exactly able to unlock doors and turn handles.
Moving as stealthily as she could, Jenny walked through the kitchen and along into the hallway. The entire house was in darkness. That had to be a good sign.
A sudden sound had her tensing at once, ducking down on instinct, only to realize that it was Davidson's snoring. Relief rolled through her. She wasn't going to be caught by him any time soon.
On tiptoe, she made her way to the front door, hoping that Ross had left it unlocked like he’d promised. Her sweaty palms slipped on the doorknob at first, but to her very great relief, the door swung open—only to creak loudly.
Jenny froze, blood pumping through her veins. The snoring stopped. Davidson was awake.
Frantic with panic, Jenny pulled the door shut, wincing at the creak it made on closing. Rushing down the steps, the wolf burst from her skin as she took the last few steps in one leap, desperate to escape from Davidson and his house.
This way.
Running toward the wolf standing only a few yards away, Jenny didn't even stop to look behind her. She had no idea whether Davidson had heard her and was now coming after them. Every fiber of her being was pushing her to run—and to run fast.
Stop.
Jenny turned to face the wolf next to her, recognizing him as the one she'd seen from the grate. Ross. He practically oozed authority, and she had no choice but to do what he wanted.
Following him into the shadows with Davidson’s house still in view, Jenny tried to control her instinct to run, forcing herself to lie belly down on the cold earth. Her breath came in pants, her mouth open as she drew in the cool night air.
We need to see if he followed you.
Jenny understood immediately but hated the wait. She wanted to be somewhere safe, somewhere hidden. Right now, she just felt too much out in the open.
Her eyes focused on the house, her ears pricked toward the house for any sound. No lights came on, no doors swung open. She half expected the front door to come crashing open and for Davidson to come out with a shotgun, but there was just silence.
A warm feeling crept over her as she lay beside to Ross. He was completely focused on what he was doing, his entire body quivering slightly as he trained all his senses on Davidson’s house. He was a leader, and Jenny immediately felt reassured. Here was someone she could trust, someone who would do everything to protect her. She’d known it from the moment she’d seen him, but now it hit her with such a forcefulness that it chased all her anxiety away.
When he turned around, she followed without question. Wherever he was leading her, she would go, fully trusting his authority. Was this what being part of a pack was all about? Jenny had never been in a pack before, choosing to wander alone most of the time, until she chose to settle down. Unfortunately, she'd chosen the wrong town to settle down in, considering Davidson had been right there the first time she'd gone out for a drink at the local pub. At the time, she'd thought he was just really into her, but now she realized it had all been a ruse.
Ross was nothing like that—she could tell. He wasn’t about to take her to safety only to turn her over to Davidson or make her find her own way out of this mess. Already she’d seen that he stuck to his word. He’d promised he’d find a way to keep the front door open for her, and it had been. He’d assured her she’d be free, and she was. Ross could be trusted.
He’s not woken up. Let’s go.
Flooded with relief, Jenny got up and followed Ross through the town, her paws making no sound on the earth as they made their way back toward the office.
The door to their offices swung open silently, although Jenny could smell someone there.
You can shift now, he said, glancing back at her with his luminous eyes. Sarah will show you the way.
A smiling woman opened another door and, without hesitating, Jenny went inside, pushing her human skin out and her wolf back down. She was free.
Chapter Eight
“Here,” Sarah said softly, handing Jenny some clothes. “I hope they fit.”
“Thank you,” Jenny mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed over her nakedness. Sarah didn’t seem put out though, turning her back as Jenny dressed.
“Got to be one of the downsides of being a shifter, huh?” she commented, with a chuckle. “There’s never any clothes around!”
Jenny smiled, pulling a T-shirt over her head. “Yeah, I guess so. Thank you for the clothes.” Something caught her between the shoulder blades, the scratchy feeling she’d become used to. Perhaps it was just the T-shirt’s tag.
Turning back around, Sarah smiled at her. “Not a problem. After what you’ve been through, it’s the least I can do.”
Hating the hot tears that suddenly rushed into her eyes, Jenny glanced away, trying to hold them back. “I’m so grateful Ross found me.”
Sarah lifted her eyebrow. “Yes, well, Davidson came across as suspicious, and Ross is pretty good with his instincts.”
“Davidson was here?” Jenny gasped, staring at Sarah. “What for?”
"We run a detective agency," Sarah explained, handing her a cup of steaming coffee and gesturing around the office. "Davidson claimed that you'd been kidnapped, but now we realize he was just using you as bait. Obviously, he knows there are shifters around and is trying to work out who they are."
“But then, I’ve led him right to you,” Jenny replied, panicking that Davidson was going to burst through the door at any moment. “You should have left me!”
Putting a hand on Jenny’s arm, Sarah tried to calm her down. “No, not at all,” she said softly. “Davidson’s spoken to a few different people in town, trying to work out who the shifters are. Ross made sure not to link your escape with them being in the house. In fact, they got Davidson to believe that his house is being bugged, just to throw him off guard. You don’t need to worry.”
Jenny tried to calm her breathing, taking in what Sarah was saying. She was aware she was still tense from what at happened, despite her new feelings of safety.
There was a sharp knock on the door, which Sarah went to open, gesturing that Jenny should sit down. Finding a comfortable chair, Jenny sat back, realizing for the first time just how weak she felt. It was probably a mixture of relief and fear since she was still worried about Davidson finding her somehow.
“Jenny,” said a deep voice. “It’s nice to meet you in person.”
She glanced up, her eyes widening as she took Ross in.
“I’m Ross,” he continued, reaching his hand out to shake hers. “I’m so glad we were able to get you out of there.”
Dark gray eyes looked into hers, making her shiver involuntarily. A mop of dark-brown, almost black, hair fell over his forehead, with just a spattering of stubble on his jawline.
“Thank you,” she murmured, taking his hand. Electricity shot up her arm as their fingers touched, and Jenny was sure she saw a flare of heat in his eyes. A strong jaw and powerful handshake just added to her first impression of a fiercely strong protector and defender. It was no wonder he was the pack leader. “I—I don’t know what else to say.”