“You’re being stubborn.”
“You’re going to have to get used to it if you want to stay with me.”
He smiled at that, surprising her. “I’m glad that you’re finally thinking of our relationship in the long term. And just so you know, I have over two hundred years experience of being stubborn, so if you think you can beat me, you’re wrong.” With that he placed his arms under her, lifting her into his arms before reaching for her suitcase and holding it within his fingertips. “I think it might be for the best if you close your eyes.”
“Why?”
His smile widened before he sped off at such a speed that her eyes were instantly watering as air rushed into them. Yet instead of closing her eyes as he had requested, she was determined to keep them open. The world around them was a blur as he moved and the feeling was exhilarating. Her arms lifted to his neck with great difficulty as the wind tried to force them down but she managed to reach him and wrap them around him for additional purchase.
“Why I didn’t do this in the beginning instead of making you walk I don’t know. I’m sorry, it’s my fault that your ankle is in the state it’s in.” She didn’t respond to him, content to simply enjoy the feeling of the wind whipping around her body as he continued to run. “I think this is another thing we both enjoy Chloe. Once we get back to the clans I’ll take you running everyday.” Again she didn’t respond but he wasn’t offended, he could feel the sensations running through her and knew that she was just savouring the moment.
The slight jostling movement that Ryan made as he ran was soothing Chloe decided as she took in the brilliant blur of colours that passed her. Time passed in a blur just as quick as the surroundings and it eventually became a struggle to keep her eyes open. The warmth of Ryan’s body seeped into her, making her feel surprisingly secure despite the circumstances that surrounded their meeting. The steady beat of his heart against her ear was reassuring and calming. As he ran, he was unintentionally rocking her, the movement slight and gentle, pushing her further into the depths of sleep. Everything about him combined to ease her into unconsciousness and she was soon deeply sleeping. Glancing down at the sleeping beauty within his grasp, Ryan still felt it difficult to believe his luck. Though she was still hostile towards him, he could feel that once that small obstacle had been overcome, he would be happier than ever. The instinct was after all never wrong.
When Chloe next opened her eyes she was surprised to see that there were once again people, flowing around them. Apparently Ryan had managed to reach civilisation while she had slept. Her ankle was still throbbing and she was unexpectedly glad that Ryan had offered to carry her instead of insisting that she walk. His breathing was steady and there was no sign that he had run miles to reach their new destination, it appeared that he was justified in dismissing her concerns over him carrying her.
“Chloe, you’re awake. That’s good.”
It was still dark so she guessed she hadn’t been sleeping long and forced a small smile to her lips. “Yeah.”
“I should go and get you something to eat, you haven’t eaten all day and I can feel that you’re beginning to get hungry.”
In the short time they had been together she was quickly learning that it was wiser to simply agree with his plans. The alternative was an argument that she couldn’t win as he could simply use his great strength to overpower her into submission and so she nodded, feeling increasingly resigned to her fate. A small supermarket was easily visible amidst the bright lights of the city and Ryan strode towards it before Chloe’s soft voice commanded his attention.
“We can’t go in there like this Ryan,” she began. “It will only draw attention to us.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone Chloe, you’ll try to run from me.”
“I’ve twisted my ankle Ryan, I can’t stand up let alone run away. Look there’s a bench right outside of the store, just put me there and you’ll be able to see me when you’re inside, please.”
“You won’t try to run?” he pressed, moving across the road to stand in front of the bench.
“I won’t try to run.”
“Promise me Chloe.”
“I told you, I’m can’t go anywhere. Just give me a few minutes alone, in peace. My head is starting to really hurt with all that’s happened in the last 24 hours.”
“Okay love, I’ll leave you here.” He gently lowered her onto the hard material and placed her suitcase by her side. “I’ll be watching out for you from the window. Don’t let anything happen to you ok?” She nodded before allowing her head to fall heavily into her waiting palms. “I’ll get you something for that headache as well.” Ryan reassured, taking a moment to place a fleeting kiss against the soft strands of her hair.
Minutes seemed to pass as Chloe’s exhausted mind tried to catch up with itself, though in reality it had only been a few seconds. She had never felt so conflicted in her life. Ryan had kidnapped her, that was obvious, but he had done nothing to harm her and was instead treating her like the most precious person alive. He was a werewolf, a creature from myth, which meant that her family had been right and all these years they had been hunting him and those like him, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with that piece of information. Twenty-four hours of safety and comfort versus her entire lifetime and the belief system that her family had raised her in were at war and she wasn’t sure which side she wanted to win.
“I just want to go home,” she groaned, her voice low. “I just want to go home and pretend that none of this ever happened.”
“Excuse me miss?” She lifted her head her eyes wandering over the uniform she had been longing to see since this entire thing had begun. The policeman continued talking, asking her questions that despite being conflicted about the answers, she knew she would respond to. “Are you alright?”
Her head turned quickly to see that unsurprisingly Ryan was making his way back to her. “No sir, I’m not. I just want to go home. Can you help me?”
“Are you lost?”
“No sir, I’ve been kidnapped.”
Her words jolted him into ready awareness. “By whom? Is the person still around? Did they hurt you?”
“He hasn’t hurt me and he’s right here.” She pointed to Ryan who was now standing at her side, a look of disappointed betrayal etched on his face.
“Sir, the lady is accusing you of kidnapping, what do you have to say?”
He was silent a moment, trying to process what had just happened. True to her word, his mate had made no attempt to escape by moving but she had involved the authorities, which could make things difficult. It was on the tip of his mouth to lie, to tell the man in blue, that he had done no such thing but then violet eyes were turned on him, their vast depths swirling in confusion, her full mouth downturned in sadness. She spoke and he knew he was in trouble.
“Ryan, you kidnapped me, didn’t you?”
While he was willing to lie to the officer, the question had this time been directed at him from his mate, his beautiful, fiery Chloe and the instinct was rebelling against the idea of lying to her. I’m in so much trouble. He thought before responding to her question. “Firstly, here’s something for you to eat. I don’t want you getting ill.” He handed her a small bag and her mouth opened in shock. He was on the verge of getting arrested and his first priority was her wellbeing? It made no sense. “I told you that I would always be honest with you so in answer to your question, yes, yes I kidnapped you Chloe. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
The officer moved towards him and he knew, knew that while his answer had followed the dictates of the instinct that guided his kind, here in the human world there were going to be repercussions.
Chapter Nine
As soon as he had been escorted into the detention cell at the nearest police station, Ryan decided he didn’t like jail. It was as though they had condensed and concentrated all the things he disliked about cities and placed them into one small room with bars, a genuine cage. It was his own personal hell and judg
ing from the threatening growls that were reverberating around his mind, his wolf didn’t particularly like the change in location either. The only thing that was soothing his tortured mind was the knowledge that Chloe was nearby. She had clearly been taken to the same station as her scent was nearby. He wasn’t alone in the cell, there were a few other people within its confines but he didn’t pay them any attention as he began pacing in front of the bars. He regarded the steel for a moment, hatred blazing in his eyes. He knew with absolute certainty that he could easily escape from his cage, it would take a simple flexing of his muscles and he would be free. He was also very aware that it was against their laws. If he were to do such a thing it would bring unwanted attention to his people that they didn’t need.
While the hunters were few in number his people were well aware that humans didn’t cope well with differences. Werewolves had been alive just as long as humans had and had witnessed their history unfold with their own eyes. Whenever they had come across something different from them, the oddity had been greeted with suspicion, mistrust and violence. Werewolves were strong, but they were also drastically outnumbered. They couldn’t afford for the governments of the world to begin looking for them, it was best that their existence remained a thing of myth and legend. As long as that remained the case, they would only have to deal with the fanatical hunters and they were dealt with easy enough. So no, he couldn’t simply free himself in the quickest, most expedient manner, he was going to need help.
We don’t need help Ryan, his wolf snarled and he could feel it pacing the confines of his mind much in the way he was pacing the length of the room he was being contained within. We’ve done nothing wrong, these humans are mad to think otherwise. We were simply claiming our mate and protecting her from unsavoury influences. You don’t agree with what they’re saying do you?
Don’t be stupid, Ryan snapped in response. Chloe is my mate and it’s not as though we could have just left her there with that insane family and the woman doesn’t even seem to have the most basic common sense when it comes to her health and safety. She probably would have gotten herself killed if I just left her there. She refuses to eat properly and would have made herself sick if I didn’t intervene or someone with bad intentions would have broken into her house and seriously hurt her.
So what are you planning to do? They won’t keep her here forever and we’re stuck behind bars. If they try to take her away from here without us then I’ll fight you for control.
I get it, I get it. Just be quiet, I have a plan.
This had better be a good plan, one that involves leaving this place and wrapping our mate within our arms.
It’s better than your idea of just breaking out of here. Don’t worry, if I sense that they’re preparing to move Chloe, I’ll act.
Good, just as long as you’re aware of the alternative.
His wild pacing had attracted the attention of one of his fellow detainees and the large man had approached him. The stranger was bald, his wide body covered in thick muscles that rivalled his own in size while the majority of his ruddy skin was covered in an assortment of tattoos. He placed a heavy hand on Ryan’s shoulder stopping his pacing. Ryan turned to look at the man, noting that his face had several piercings before shrugging out of his grip.
“What do you want?” he growled, the low rumble of his voice carrying through the confined space. Though he wasn’t as heavily build at the behemoth of a man in front of him, Ryan was confident in his ability to take him on. There was nothing more dangerous than a cornered animal especially one that was protecting the thing closest to their heart.
“What is your problem?” the stranger demanded.
“My problem is that I don’t like cages. Step away from me before I’m forced to hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” The man laughed amused by the very thought before turning his attention back to Ryan. The sight of feral amber eyes glowing in the dark cell as they stared directly at him with the promise of violent retribution in their depths forced him to take a step back, his laughter dying.
Ryan allowed the small change to take place. While the man was human, the police were unlikely to believe the word of a criminal and if the scent that floated from his skin was accurate, he was a drunk criminal as well. Frightening this man didn’t pose a threat to his people and it soothed his wolf, something that he was in dire need of. “Don’t push me,” Ryan snarled. “I’m not in the mood for it.”
The stranger was saved from Ryan’s wrath by a police officer calling his name and beckoning him to the bars. “Which one of you is Ryan Sutherland?”
He allowed his eyes to flash amber a final time ensuring that the man understood that he wasn’t an opponent that was to be taken lightly before he approached the bars of his cell. “I’m Ryan Sutherland. Are you letting me go?” He was well aware that the likelihood of him simply being allowed to leave was practically non-existent. He was well versed in human law and understood that the acquisition of his mate and his attempts to return her to the safety of his clan had violated several of the more important ones. No, if the humans had their way he would be severely punished for something that he couldn’t bring himself to see as a crime.
“No. You get a phone call and then we’ll see about questioning you. You apparently confessed to some serious crimes.” The officer noted as he opened the doors of the cell and allowed Ryan to step out.
“I did. How’s Chloe?”
“Are you really in a position to be asking that?”
“I just need to know is she’s alright. She fell and sprained her ankle. Have you had a doctor come and look at her?”
“Acting all concerned isn’t going to help you. The phone is over there,” he said, pointing to a phone hanging on a wall. “I’ll be right over there.”
He nodded before stepping towards the phone and dialling a familiar number, it was time to call in his last unquestionable favour. The phone rung for a few moments before Sebastian answered it. His brother was laughing happily and as he could hear Erica's laughter in the background it wasn’t hard to guess why.
“Hello?” Sebastian chuckled.
“Sebastian, it’s Ryan.”
“Oh it’s you. I’ve had some people run down to Chloe’s apartment, her things should be here soon enough.”
“That isn’t why I called.”
The serious tone of Ryan’s voice quieted Sebastian's laughter. “What is it?”
“I’m calling in that second favour.”
“What do you need?”
“I’ve been arrested.”
“Arrested!” Sebastian bellowed, astounded that his brother had managed to embroil himself in such a situation.
“Yes, calm down.” He turned to briefly regard the officer that was watching him before allowing the change to wash over his vocal cords, adapting them into something less than human. He didn’t want to be overheard. The next time he spoke it was in low grunts and growls that were unintelligible to human ears. “I need you to come and break me out. Chloe is still here so if you’re quick, I can get out and take her with me. Can you manage it?”
The line was quiet for a while and then Sebastian spoke again. “Where are you exactly?”
“Not far from the clans,” he responded before relaying his exact location. The police officer was beginning to look at him strangely and Ryan knew that he didn’t have long to confirm Sebastian's participation.
“I think I can do this but I won’t be able to do this alone.”
“Do whatever you have to.”
“What exactly are you doing?” The officer asked as he approached Ryan. Apparently his curiosity had been piqued and he wanted to know exactly what was going on.
“The earliest I can be there is in half an hour and that’s if we go at it full pelt.” Sebastian informed him.
“Do it.”
“You’ll know when we’re there.” Sebastian informed his brother before abruptly ending the call.
The officer was still demanding
his attention and Ryan was finally free to give it to him, allowing his vocal cords to once again regain their human form. “Yes?”
“What were you doing?”
“Talking to my brother,” he answered simply.
“Not a lawyer?”
“I don’t want one.” There’s no need to involve more humans in this mess.
“Don’t you want legal representation?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I said no, I don’t want one.”
“Fine, it’s well within your rights to turn it down.” The officer informed him before placing his hand on Ryan’s shoulder and guiding him back to his cage.
****
It’s a very strange sensation, Chloe decided, not knowing exactly what you should be feeling. While she was aware that logically she should be feeling extraordinary relief, she couldn’t. Her mind was fixated on the look of betrayal on Ryan’s face and she was unable to move past that image, it seemed to be imprinted on her corneas. Once Ryan had confessed to the crime she had accused him of, he had been handcuffed by the officer she had spoken to. He hadn’t even struggled against the restraints though she knew that he could easily escape. The police officer had been alone and had to wait for back up to arrive to take Ryan away and while they had waited, he had fussed and insisted that she eat the food he had bought her. The food had all been pre-packaged so the officer saw no harm in her eating it if she wanted to but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She had instead stared into eyes the colour of rich honey expecting a sign of recrimination that had never arrived. Until the moment he had been led away there was nothing but understanding in the warm depths of his eyes as though he had already forgiven her for what she had done.
She had been brought to the police station after Ryan and had been shown into a small room, given a cup of coffee that she didn’t want and promptly left alone. No one had really spoken to her since they had brought her and Ryan to this place and so she had yet to make contact with her family and reassure them of what was going on. Though as they had said they were going hunting the last time she saw them, they might not even have noticed that she was missing. The thought was a sobering one. It’s probably best that they left me by myself, she concluded. Her mind seemed cloudy and confused. Ryan had kidnapped her and yet her body seemed to be craving him, missing the warmth that he gave off unintentionally, the earthy scent of him, the smooth baritone of his voice. My own family probably don’t know what’s happened to me, Ryan would know the instant something had happened to me. Stop this! She snapped, furious at the direction that her mind had led her to. He was a criminal and deserved to be punished didn’t he?
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