How much have I really changed? I’m still keeping her from her family. She’ll never truly be happy until that problem is dealt with. Groaning aloud in frustration, he ran his hand over his face. His head flew up as the scent of strawberries came into the hall.
“Ryan,” Chloe beamed, rushing towards him. Despite the fact that his identical twin was standing right beside him, there was no hesitation in her step as she walked into his arms, pulling his head down for a kiss that shook him to the very core. He pulled away slowly, reluctantly and forced a smile onto his face for her sake. “Breakfast is almost done,” she purred before turning to Sebastian. “Is everyone ready?”
“As requested we’re all waiting for breakfast in the dining room, all that’s missing is the food.”
“It’ll be out any minute now I promise.”
“Okay, I’ll just leave you two to it then.” He smiled warmly at the couple before walking back the way he’d come.
Ryan’s grip on Chloe tightened as he made a decision he was sure he would someday regret. Entwining their fingers, he pulled her down the halls into a secluded room. Her body shivered slightly in response to his actions. He had done this before, taking her from something else that required her attention and pulling her into a darkened room before proceeding to love her senseless. She was already growing wet at the mere memory. This time however, he didn’t take her into his arms, kiss her until she was breathless, touch her body until she was desperate for him before sinking into her wet heat. He paced in front of her, an action she was becoming familiar with. He was thinking about something, trying to come to a decision. She waited patiently; there was no rushing him when he was like this.
“Angel?”
“Yes.”
“Are you happy here?”
“Of course I am.” Her arms easily pulled him against her and she inhaled deeply. “I’ve got you, why wouldn’t I be happy?”
Good question.
“Why did you ask me that Ryan? Aren’t you happy?”
“I’m more than happy Chloe. The word isn’t good enough to describe how I feel with you here. I’m more euphoric than happy.”
“Good, then let’s go. The guys in the kitchen have probably taken breakfast out already. Your family is waiting.”
She pulled against him but he shackled her wrist within his hand, stopping her in her tracks. She looked at him, confusion swirling in the depths of her violet eyes. “They can wait. This is important.”
“You’re scaring me Ryan. What’s going on?”
“Do you miss them angel?”
“Miss who Ryan? Stop talking in riddles. Whatever it is, just tell me.”
“Your family. Do you miss them?”
She sighed, relieved that his questions weren’t related to something more serious. “Of course I miss them Ryan. They’re my family and I love them.”
He pulled her back against him, holding her tight. “Will you stay with me?”
“Of course I’ll stay with you Ryan. I love you remember?”
“Would you stay with me even if they didn’t want you to?”
She sighed exasperated against his chest. “Ryan, my family can be a little overbearing sometimes, well…no more overbearing than you are,” she chuckled trying to lighten the sombre mood. “But they want the best for me and that’s you. Why would they try to separate us?”
Because they want to kill me, his mind automatically supplied.
“Even if they didn’t want us to be together, it wouldn’t matter. I’m a grown woman, I make my own decisions and I choose to stay with you. We’re mates after all and mates don’t separate, ever.”
It was the answer he was looking for. “Do you remember when you first got here I told you that I wouldn’t keep you from your family forever?” No matter how much it pains me to even think about letting them breathe the same air as you. She nodded. “If you want to, really, really want to, you can call them.” The words were torn from his throat and he sincerely hoped she turned him down.
She lifted her face; smiling as though he’d just offered her the moon and his heart fell. “Really? You’ll let me call them? Ryan, thank you.”
“It’s only if you really want to. Don’t call them if you don’t feel like it.”
“Of course I want to. When can I call?”
I might as well get this over and done with quickly. “Now if you want.” Pulling away from the warmth of her body, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone, placing the small device in her hand. Her eyes darted towards his, checking for confirmation. He nodded though it pained him.
Her fingers were quick as she dialled, the familiar number flying easily into the phone. Tapping her foot against the ground, she waited impatiently for someone to answer.
“What!” The anger in her normally calm brother’s voice shocked her into silence for a moment. “If you’ve got nothing to say then take a hike. Don’t call this number ever again.”
“Hey, hey, hey, calm down Daniel. I thought you might have missed your only sister after being gone for a few weeks but apparently that isn’t true. If this is the reception I get for calling, then fine, I won’t do it again. Bye.”
“Chloe?” he gasped shocked. “Chloe, is that you?”
“Do you have another sister somewhere? Who else would it be Dan? If you’re expecting a call then I’ll just hang up.”
Her joke wasn’t well received. “Don’t you dare hang up on me. Dad!” he called out. “Dad! Come here, Chloe’s on the phone.”
Harry’s booming voice was the next one she heard. “Chloe are you okay? Has he hurt you? Where are you? You don't understand just how worried we've been. We've been going out of our minds knowing that a wolf has you and not knowing just where you were or what was happening to you.”
“Calm down dad,” she laughed.
“Chloe, this is serious. A werewolf, a monster, had you as his captive. You must have escaped, tell us where you are so we can come and get you.”
She scowled at the terms her dad was using to refer to Ryan, ashamed that when she’d first arrived she’d used the same words to describe the wolves. “Firstly dad, Ryan isn’t a monster.”
“So that’s the name of the werewolf that took you.”
She saw no point in denying it. “Yes. He’s a good man.”
Harry snorted in disbelief. “You’re too kind for your own good. You’ve just admitted that he’s a werewolf not a man. Wolves are vicious, blood thirsty creatures that wouldn’t hesitate to tear your head from your shoulders and feast on your corpse. How can you not see that?”
“Secondly,” she continued, ignoring her father’s hurtful words. “The very idea that Ryan could hurt me is laughable. On that matter he’s more than a good man. He’s a saint. He protects me dad, from anything and everything.”
Ryan couldn’t have been more proud than he was in that moment. Despite her family’s flagrant disapproval, she was defending him, them, at every turn. He reached for her, caressing her cheek before clasping her hand in silent support.
“I protect you Chloe. This family protects you,” he snarled. “Do you know how worried we’ve been? For all you claim he’s a good man, he still kidnapped you and don’t tell me he didn’t, I have a witness that will attest to the fact that he did and you tried to run away. What happened between then and now? People don’t just start defending their kidnappers which leads me to believe that nothing has really changed.” A vicious snarl slipped past Ryan’s lips at the mere idea, his fangs becoming increasingly prominent the longer Harry spoke. His relationship with Chloe had progressed in leaps and bounds since that first day they’d met, there was no need to remind her of how they had started.
“It’s okay Ryan, calm down. What exactly are you saying dad?”
“He’s threatening you isn’t he? Trying to convince us you want to stay with him so that we’ll give up searching for you. It isn’t going to happen mutt. She belongs with us! You hear me? She belongs with her family not a monst
er.”
“Dad, stop it. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I know exactly what I’m saying Chloe. We can’t see you. For all we know you could be mottled with bruises, peppered with stab wounds, covered in bites, slowly turning into one of them.”
A blush crept to her cheeks at her father’s words. He was partially right. She was bruised, the imprint of Ryan’s fingers still showing against her skin from when he’d claimed her, the force of his grip almost painful. She had been prepared to scold him for the bruises but the horrified look on his face when he’d seen them in the bright light of day had told her that he was punishing himself enough. Since then, whenever they made love he treated her with the utmost care as though she were made out of glass. At least most of the time, her mind purred, remembering the few times she’d managed to break his grip over his control, the coupling that followed so frantic and wild she never noticed the bruising grip he had on her until the next day when the evidence began to show. She had been bitten but she wore the mark like a badge of honour, sorely regretting the fact that she couldn’t mark him in return. The skin around the bite reacted with extreme pleasure as soon as Ryan touched it sending bolts of electricity directly to her core. She shivered slightly at the memory. But stabbed? The very idea was laughable, even when he was trying to punish her he never caused her physical harm.
“Dad, Ryan isn’t threatening me. In fact, he’s the one that suggested I call you guys. I’m going to tell you exactly what I told him. I’m a grown woman, I make my own decisions and I choose to be with him.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Christian screamed.
“You don’t know the terrible things he’s capable of. He’ll probably kill you in a mad fit of rage. It’s not safe to be with him.”
Ryan had had enough. He snatched the phone from Chloe unprepared to let her family’s vile words be heard any longer. “That’s it,” he snarled. “I’ve had enough of this. I let my mate speak to you because she missed you and this is what you have to say to her? I don’t know how you treat your women but our mates are treated like the treasures they are. I’ve never intentionally hurt Chloe and I never will.”
“What about unintentionally mutt? You’re a lot stronger than her, can you honestly tell me that that strength hasn’t hurt her?”
Silence followed Harry’s harsh questions. Her father was right, he had hurt her, several times, bruising and chafing her soft skin. She brushed off the bruises created by their passionate encounters, they healed quickly now that their lives were linked but he was always aware of the damage he caused. He tried hard to be gentle with her but there were moments when he and his wolf merged and the coupling became wild, his handling of her body less that completely careful.
“Ryan, let me talk to him. I can calm him down.”
He handed the phone back to her. “Dad, I swear, Ryan hasn’t hurt me. He treats me with more care than you can even imagine.”
“I’m sorry Chloe but I find that hard to believe. The only way I could even consider believing what you’re saying is if I saw you myself. If what you’re saying is true and this wolf is such a good man then have him bring you home. Let us see for yourself that you’re fine.” Give us the chance to catch him and if we can’t do that then we’ll kill him, put him out of his misery and then maybe you’ll start to see sense.
She gulped, turning pleading eyes on Ryan. He shook his head frantically, no, but as he stared into her stunning violet eyes, he could feel the instinct stirring within him, demanding that he give her what she wanted.
I should have known better. What made me think this phone call business was a good idea? It wasn’t. But how can I say no to her? He already knew the answer to that question. He couldn’t.
Chapter Forty Four
“Ryan, I don’t see why we couldn’t have had this meeting at home,” Chloe groaned, sliding down his body to put her feet on once familiar ground.
The trip back to her familial home had been short in comparison to her abrupt departure. Ryan had run the entire distance without any help, stunning her with just how fast he could move. He’d held her tightly against his chest the whole way as though he feared that he would lose her if his grip slackened in the least. Standing in the park she’d practically grown up in should have given her a sense of comfort but instead she felt a worrying feeling of foreboding. Something was going to go wrong, she could feel it and she wished desperately that she knew what it was.
“I told you angel, I refuse to let hunters know where we live. I won’t endanger the clans’ survival. Besides, I might have promised not to hurt your family but if others saw them, they might kill them.” Just like I wish I could.
“My family isn’t dangerous Ryan. There’s been a huge misunderstanding.”
He snorted in disbelief. Her father’s words had condemned him in Ryan’s eyes. Only a hunter would know of the existence of werewolves. How much evidence did his mate need before she could believe what was right in front of her eyes? “I know you don’t see them the same way that I do but promise me angel, promise me you won’t tell them where we are. I mean it, not even the slightest inkling. Not a right or a left, not a north or a south, nothing.
“Fine,” she sighed. “I won’t say anything.”
“Good, then I can rest easy. Here, take this.” He pressed his mobile into her palm. “Call me when you’re done and I’ll come get you. If I don’t hear from you in an hour, I’m coming for you and I won’t be peaceful about it so make sure you call.”
“You’re leaving?” she asked, visibly shocked at the prospect of Ryan’s imminent departure.
“Yeah, I don’t want to intrude on your family reunion.” There’s only so much my wolf will be willing to take before I pounce on them and rip their heads off. No, it’s better to keep our exposure time to a minimum that way I can keep my promise to you. “Remember, even if you lose the phone or for some reason can’t dial the number, just shout for me and I’ll come running, no matter where you are.” She smiled at his words. “Call them angel.”
Nodding, she dialled Jonathan's mobile, he was her most reliable brother, the one most likely to answer quickly. In less than two rings, his deep voice was on the other end of the line. “Hello,” she croaked. She felt a slight pressure against her lips, her body shivering in response to the all too brief contact and then Ryan was gone. She missed him already.
“Chloe is that you? Chloe, are you okay? Please answer me.”
“Huh? What’s the matter with you?”
“You went quiet for a minute, I thought the wolf had done something.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, Ryan doesn’t hurt me. He even brought me down to see you guys but if this is how you’re going to behave I’ll get him to come back and pick me up.”
“Where are you?”
“In the park,” she sighed in resignation, “you know, the one mum used to bring us to when we were younger.”
“We’ll be there in two minutes. Don’t go anywhere.” The line went dead.
I suppose they have a right to be worried, she mused, sitting down on one of the many benches in the park. I was technically kidnapped, anything could have happened to me. A lot has happened to me but I wouldn’t change a minute of it. I really do love that man, I hope my family can see that.
“Chloe!” Christian’s relieved voice sang through the air before his arms wrapped themselves around her, lifting her from the seat. More hands came into play as her family passed her between themselves, hugging her so tightly that air was becoming a problem.
She wheezed, “That’s enough guys.” If Ryan saw this, he’d go wild. Maybe it’s for the best that he left. The stray thought brought a smile to her face. “Give me a chance to breathe.”
Finally allowed some breathing space, she took a step back, looking over the familiar faces. “I’ve missed you guys.” She took each one into a gentle embrace.
“Where did he take you?” Daniel demanded, his
usually calm voice harsh.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Where did he take you Chloe?” Her father repeated, his voice stern as though expecting her immediate compliance.
“I’m not going to tell you. Ryan made me promise not to tell you anything, not even the direction we travelled from. I’m not going to tell you.”
Jonathan looked at her aghast, shocked by her refusal to cooperate. “We’re your family Chloe. Tell us.”
Ryan’s family too, her mind muttered rebelliously but she chose to keep that little bombshell to herself for the moment. She wanted to wait until her family believed that Ryan wasn’t a threat to her before she told them that she’d essentially married the man in their absence. She tightened the scarf around her neck, keeping the intimate mark hidden from their sight. “It doesn’t matter how many times you ask me, the answer is always going to be the same. No. I’m really disappointed in you guys, you haven’t seen me in weeks and all you can think to ask me is where I’ve been? If it’s that important maybe I should just go back there.”
“Come with me,” Harry stated, his voice brokering no room for compromise.
Grabbing her wrist tightly, he pulled her from the park and led her into his car. Her brothers piled in around her, surrounding her on all sides before Harry turned the engine on and drove away from the park. Her heart stuttered for a moment, questions filling her mind. What’s going on? Why do they all look so serious? Where are we going? Will Ryan still be able to find me? As soon as her mind asked the last question, her heart calmed. Her family wasn’t going to hurt her and Ryan would be able to find her anywhere. She knew it; after all, he’d told her enough times. The drive was conducted in a tense silence and as the scenery changed around her, Chloe’s heart sunk for an all-together different reason.
It had been a long time since the five of them as a whole family had visited her mother’s grave and she was distinctly aware of her empty hands. She had nothing to bring her mother except for news. So much had happened since she’d last seen her. Despite the sombre surroundings, Chloe smiled. Her mother had been a true romantic and had often regaled her with stories of how her and her father had fallen in love in two short months. Chloe had done the same, her whirlwind romance with Ryan making her fall in love with the man in less than half the time. Her mother would be proud. She gently fingered his mark beneath her scarf. When she called him, she would introduce him to her mother.
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