The sound of the office door opening made them both look up to see Tim enter. A grin played on his face.
“They would love nothing more than to run interference with the cops. So you’d best make sure you get your ass out of there before seven tomorrow night,” Tim said.
“Thanks.”
“No problem, but you need to keep up your end of the deal and bring a breeder into the pack,” he said and then left.
Caleb took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d planned it to be. Although, if he did nothing, Kitty would end up dead and more than likely he and Kaiden would take the fall for it.
“Go on, Caleb, you can do this,” his mother told him with pride in her eyes. She’d wanted grandchildren so desperately, but until now, neither he nor his brother had found their mate.
* * * *
She’d worked her wrists hard trying to get them free. Blood trickled down her arms. She cried out as she pulled down harder and the metal bit into her flesh a little more as her thin wrists slipped a smidge farther through the handcuffs. The searing pain was nauseating. She took several deep breaths before twisting and pulling down, and with a small scream into her gag, her arms flopped onto the bed.
Laying there she caught her breath before tugging the gag from her face. She tumbled out of the bed and grabbed the phone, but found the house line was dead. She didn’t bother taking the time to wrap her injured wrists before running downstairs. Her jacket was in the basement and her boots she’d seen in the kitchen. Something was going to happen tomorrow, and she didn’t think Gregory was about to let her live to tell the cops what had happened. No matter what her kinder abductor told her.
Cautiously, she reached the back door. She listened and prayed he hadn’t returned. She’d heard a car leave but not return. She quickly stepped outside and peered around into the late night. She couldn’t see any vehicles in the drive. Unsure of what to do now she stood looking all around. The moon was full. It lit the snow-covered area. The old farmhouse sat in a large open area surrounded by woods along three sides. A huge field was off to the left. That’s the way she’d run and nearly drowned her first night there.
If she took the road, she’d run the risk of being found by her kidnappers. But if she made for the woods, she could get lost. She looked for anything to give her an idea of where she was. Kitty saw blinking red lights far off to the right. The radio towers…she only needed to head toward those and she’d find people. It was in an industrial park just before the mountains. From there they looked far away, but it was her safest bet, and she ran off toward them.
By the time she’d lost sight of the house her hands and feet were frozen. She had no socks to put on and her winter boots really weren’t made for walking up to her bum in snow. She tucked her hands under her arms as she walked to try to keep them warm. It only helped a little. The woods were very dark, and Kitty was soon stumbling and falling over. She slowed her pace, taking her time, feeling her way as she walked in what she hoped was the right direction.
Time passed, and she was numb to the core. Her nose and cheeks felt as if tiny pins were stuck all through them, and she shivered. She was so tired and cold, every step was a laborious act. If she stopped she’d not get back up. She thought about her folks, how much she missed her father and mother, and how her grandmother had had wanted her to go on the trip so badly. Kitty had had the chick pox and had to stay home with Nigel to take care of her.
Kitty hoped if she died, she’d at least get to see them again, that there was a place one went after death and was reunited with their loved ones. Tears were on her cheeks as she felt the heartache and loneliness. Maybe she should have stayed at the farmhouse then she wouldn’t be alone when she died. Her handsome kidnapper would at least be with her in the end, she thought.
She stepped into a tree and blinked wildly. Her eyes had closed and she’d drifted as she’d walked. She staggered back a few steps, but her legs were weak. Oh no, she thought as she slumped to the ground. Get up, girl. Come on now, get up. She screamed at herself. Her legs burned as she managed to stand and then as took a few more steps before she collapsed. She was tired and lay in the snow. All she wanted was to fall asleep.
“Sleep now, little one, we’re with you,” she heard her grandmother whisper as her eyes fluttered closed.
* * * *
Kaiden looked at his Uncle Tim with more than just shock at what he’d explained of Caleb’s plan.
“A breeder,” Kaiden said a bit too loudly.
“He says she’s the one,” Tim replied.
“But how the hell would he know.” Kaiden had always assumed it would be him who would find his brother’s and his mate.
“Trust me, when you find the one you know it instinctively. It’s a primal thing.”
“You want him to bite her?”
“I told him he has to. It’s part of the deal.”
“She could die from it.”
“I know the risks, so does he, but it’s what needs to be done or she’ll die trying to have your babies.” There was a sad hint to Tim’s voice.
Kaiden’s mom had told them about Diana. She’d been Tim’s girlfriend. He’d been too afraid to turn her when they’d been younger. When they’d found out she was pregnant it was then too late to try. Her human body rejected the fetus, causing an extreme type of toxemia. She and the baby had died. That was thirty years ago, and although Tim had had lots of women come and go, he’d never had a mate again.
Fear now washed over Kaiden. Caleb had found their mate, would change her, and he hadn’t even laid eyes on her yet. What if she died? What if he never got the chance to even meet her face-to-face.
“Tell him to wait.” Kaiden growled.
“Excuse me?” Tim asked, glaring at him. He wasn’t used to anyone talking to him in such a tone.
“Tell him to wait. I want to meet her. I need this, Tim. If she dies before I get the chance…” He let the words trail.
“All right, Kaiden, but it needs to be done before either of you mate with her. Do I make myself clear?” The alpha’s pheromones filled the air. Tim made the demand as alpha, not his uncle.
* * * *
Caleb smelled the blood the second he opened the door. He saw several droplets on the floor, and his heart lurched. He raced up the stairs and then burst into the bedroom. Bloody cuffs dangled from the empty bed. By the looks of them and the bed, she was bleeding bad enough to need medical attention. He saw the phone hanging from its cord. She’d tried to call for help, and smelling the air, he knew no one else had been in there with her. As he ran outside it didn’t take him long to find her escape route.
Caleb ran after her trail as he entered the woods. He used his more heightened senses to keep track of it in the snow. He moved faster than a mundane man could, and he was quickly getting closer as her scent became stronger. The drops of blood in the snow aided his sense of smell. He should have cuffed her ankles to the bed, he thought, and then this wouldn’t be happening again.
Cresting a small hill, he froze at the sight before him. Curled up in the snow, unmoving, was Kitty. The fleeting sound of a woman’s disembodied voice singing a lullaby echoed ever so softly in the air around her. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he rushed to Kitty’s side. Turning her over, he checked her pulse, and to his relief, he found it beating. He scooped her up into his arms and rushed back toward the farmhouse with the feeling of something watching him, fading away as he left the spot he’d found her.
He carried her inside and then stripped her out of her cold wet clothes again. Caleb washed her up and bandaged her wrists. They would heal, but would most likely leave nasty scars. Brushing the hair from her eyes, he was relieved to have found her in time. He tucked the blanket around her naked body after he cuffed her ankle to the footboard. Just in case he never got the chance again, he leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. Soft, silky and warm, her lips felt like heaven caressing his. The brief touch was like a shot in
the heart, and he wanted so much more than just one kiss.
He’d planned on sleeping in the chair, but instead he crawled in under the blankets beside her and held her close. Caleb wanted to protect her, keep her safe and make love to her. He needed to get her someplace out of harm’s way from his partners and then he could bite her. She’d be his mate. He just had to try to explain it to her first. However, he didn’t think it would go over entirely well. Especially when she learned about Kaiden. As sleep stole him away, his thoughts were on them as mates, running as werewolves in the woods.
* * * *
As his eyes fluttered open, he found a head resting on his chest and a warm body curled up half on top him. His arm was wrapped around her, holding her close. Nothing had ever felt so right in his life. Caleb’s hand rested on the naked flesh of her back. The heat radiating from hers on his inner thigh was more than a little arousing. She sighed softly in her sleep, and as he attempted to move, she stirred, caressing the hard bulge in the front of his pants. The feeling sent a shock wave of pleasure coursing over him.
He swallowed and tried not to push himself against the hand resting on his hard-on. Kitty stirred again and this time her sighing stopped. She became a little stiff as she raised her hand very slowly off his crotch. Her head moved and she looked up at him. Her face turned a bright red as she stared him in the eyes.
“You need to stop running away,” he said. His voice was very thick and husky.
Her embarrassment at touching him in her sleep didn’t seem to fade, and she looked so shy and innocent. He had to fight the feeling to take her into his arms and do more than just hold her as he had been.
“What happened? How did you find me again?” she asked.
Caleb slid out from under the blankets and grabbed her extra set of clothing from the bag on the floor. “Get dressed,” he said, tossing them at her.
“Please…if you let me go, I can help you.” She clutched the clothing, but made no move to put them on.
“Kitty, do what I tell you to. Now get dressed.” He looked at the clock. It was past lunch time.
“Please…I don’t want to die.” Tears welled up in her eyes as her small frame trembled.
“Look, you need to do what I say when I say and you’ll be okay,” he said, trying to get her to calm down.
“He’s not going to let me live. You know that. He’s going to kill me!” She sobbed as he sat and tenderly pulled her into his arms.
Caleb held her close, kissing her head. He wanted nothing more than to take her from there now and hide her away someplace safe. His brother, however, depended on him seeing this through. As Kitty calmed down he knew she’d run again because she still didn’t trust him.
“Come on. Get dressed.” He tugged the blankets off her feet before undoing her restraints.
“Will you at least tell me your name?” She sniffled.
“Caleb.” He watched her as she got dressed under the blankets.
Chapter Seven
She thought the name suited him nicely, and as she sat eating her supper, he drank a beer at the other end of the table, staring at his phone messages. When she’d awakened earlier, she’d had her hand on his privates. The large hard bulge told her he was more than a little attracted to her, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she felt so attracted to him as well.
“Caleb, can I ask you something?” she ventured. He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. His intense gray-eyed gaze held hers, and she felt her face turn red.
“Yeah, but I may not answer it.”
“How did you find me in the blizzard, and how did you get me out of the ice?” She still hadn’t figured that one out.
He stared at her and took another drink of his beer before he pushed his food away.
“Look, it’s not important is it? I found you and you’re still alive, right?” He asked almost as if it were a top-secret thing.
“Can I ask why you won’t just let me help you?” She tried again. If she could get him to let her help then maybe he’d let her go.
“Look, Kitty, if I don’t do this my way then I’m not going to be able to protect you, and I have to see this through or my brother is going to rot in jail.”
“Caleb—”
The sound of a vehicle approaching made him quickly stand and pull his ski mask on over his face.
“Damn it, they’re early.” He growled.
“Please, Caleb—”
“Don’t use my name in front of them. Just sit there and don’t say a damn word, okay?” he ordered. She heard a hint of fear in his voice.
“But…” She fell silent with the glare he gave her. She heard the door open and her heart raced.
“She’s in the kitchen. You might want your masks on,” Caleb said.
“It’s too late for those.” Gregory said from behind her in the doorway, and she whipped her head around to see him and Anthony Henderson.
Gregory looked at her. The deep purple bite mark on his bottom lip was very noticeable. Kitty’s heart raced as his gaze trailed over her.
“What a waste,” he mumbled, tossing a set of keys on the table before walking over to the fridge and taking out a beer.
“You bastard.” She seethed, and Caleb shot her a hard look.
“Katarina, you need to calm down,” Anthony said as he stepped over and put a hand on her shoulder.
Caleb’s gray eyes shone eerily for a moment, and his jaw clenched as soon as the man touched her.
“Get your hand off me,” she snapped, unsure of what was going on with Caleb.
“Your phone should be ringing any moment,” Gregory said.
“Why?”
“He’s on his way to the bar now.”
“Good,” Caleb said and moved back to the table and grabbed his cell phone.
“You just need to hold up your end of the bargain,” Gregory said as he looked at her.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Are you sure you can do it?” Her heart leapt into her throat.
Caleb glared at him and was about to say something, but his phone rang. His face became a little less tense as he talked to whoever was on the other end and then he looked at Kitty as he hung up.
“All right, let’s do this.”
“I want to be alone with her for a bit first,” Gregory said and moved toward her.
“Please no!” She looked right at Caleb, but his eyes told her nothing.
“Why?” Henderson asked.
“That’s none of your concern. Give me a half hour, then we can do this,” Gregory said as his finger traced over her trembling bottom lip.
“Trites, that’s the stupidest idea you’ve had so far,” Caleb said with a grunt.
“Look, I’m the one in charge of this, and I want to be alone with her first. So why don’t you go watch TV or something,” he said. Anthony walked toward the living room, looking a bit shocked.
Kitty was going to have a panic attack. Caleb said he wouldn’t let Gregory hurt her, that he’d protect her. Now as Gregory stood a few steps away from her, Caleb said nothing, did nothing, and her tears rolled down her cheeks.
“We don’t have time for you to get your dick wet, Trites.” Caleb snarled.
“Look if I want to fu—”
“They would find your DNA on her body, idiot,” Caleb said.
“They have to find her body first, and I’d think you’d make sure there isn’t much to find after you kill her.” Gregory grinned as he said it.
She stared wild-eyed at Caleb. He’d kill her, not Gregory, and by the way they talked, it was already all planned out. He wasn’t going to protect her, save her or make sure they didn’t hurt her, because he was the one who would be pulling the trigger.
“If you really want to risk getting caught and losing all that money, be my guest and take her for a ride. But if you ask me, that kind of money would buy a lot of women,” Caleb said. She felt sick.
Gregory didn’t move, didn’t say anything. He just stared at
Caleb long and hard, seeming to be absorbing the other man’s words.
“Well, what’s it going to be? I need to do this soon?” Caleb demanded.
“All right, just do it and hurry up,” Gregory said as he ran his finger through her hair.
“Let’s go.” Caleb pulled her from the chair and led her to the basement door.
“Please don’t do this. I’ll give you whatever you want. I won’t tell anyone, I swear, please.” She pleaded between sobs.
He pushed her through the doors, and she really tumbled down the stairs. He opened a door and forced her to walk inside. At gunpoint he made her cuff herself to a pipe. Her screams were quickly silenced as he stuffed a rag into her mouth and gently caressed her hair. Caleb gave her a soft kiss to her forehead, then stepped back from her and raised the gun.
“Oh, Kitty, I’m so sorry about all of this,” he said.
* * * *
The loud bang of the gun had reverberated through the house and still rang in his ears as Caleb walked up the stairs. His jaw was set tight and his mind numb. Both men looked at him, and Henderson vomited. Caleb cocked his head at the man.
“I had to do the hard part, you two can dispose of her,” he said and calmly as he walked to the fridge and then cracked open a beer.
“That wasn’t part of the plan,” Gregory said
“It is now. I’m not doing all the dirty work on this job, boys.”
“I…I don’t think I can… I mean…oh, my god.” Henderson looked sick again.
“Here, you’ll need these,” Caleb said and tossed a box of garbage bags at them.
“Come on, Anthony. We need to get this over with,” Trites said. He pushed the visibly shocked man toward the stairs.
Caleb followed them down, and when Gregory opened the door and looked inside his face looked shocked. Caleb pulled his gun out of the holster.
“All right, boys, get in.” He growled as both men turned to look at him in surprised shock as he pointed the .45 at them.
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