by Stacy Lee
“Are you ready?” Dare’s voice brings me from my inner ramblings. I look up from the book I hadn’t read a single page of and nod. He helps me from the chopper. We were using a field not far from my house as a landing spot. We walk to the edge and he lifts me over the barbwire fence before jumping it himself. A truck waits for us on the road and we walk to it hand in hand. He opens the door for me and I slide in next to a young looking man who I knew must be a few hundred years old. “Hello Remy. This is my mate, Marnie.” Dare introduces us with a smile.
“Pleasure, ma’am.” He draws out. I only nod. Being surrounded by so many good men my fears had waned but I was still standoffish with newcomers. I have gotten much better at touching Dare, but still shied away from everyone else. I finally explained to him my aversion to it. How after years of being called clumsy, worthless, useless, unlovable, untouchable, heavy handed, rough, and my personal favorite insult, ‘you wouldn’t know how to treat a man gently even if he beat the process into you’ --I never understood that contradiction-- you eventually started to believe it. Dare has repeatedly assured me Uncle was wrong.
He loved my touch. Every chance he gets he pulls my hands to his chest, thigh, arm, waist, neck, whatever he wants me to touch then praises me for it. If I hesitate he doesn’t let go till I am completely comfortable with my hands on him. All of this touching began innocently while fully clothed after I explained late one night why I still refused to caress him as he did me. Only recently has he ventured to more sacred areas in hopes of coaxing more intimate touching between us. I have to say his patience with me was paying off for him.
We proceed towards my house with the two carrying on in easy conversation. I ignore them as I reminisce over the last few years I lived in this small town. I’d had several good times here but I believe my life has taken a turn for the best with Dare. We’ve had several long talks getting to know each other over the last few weeks and we are much more alike than I originally thought. He was not only headstrong and controlling, he was funny, caring, liked old B-movies and horror shows and my favorite, he loved music from the late eighties to the early nineties. The man actually knew all the words to ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’. He had a game console with a karaoke type game on it and he could kick every ones butt on that song, even Cash, who did indeed sing like an angel.
When we pull up in front of my home, Dare helps me from the truck then leads me into the house. He searches to make sure we are alone before leaving to unload the boxes Remy brought along to pack my things in. It is a slow process that takes a few hours but by the time I’m done I have two piles of boxes, those going to Florida and those going to the Goodwill. It saddens me that the Goodwill pile is larger. I had no use for my mix matched garage sale furniture at Dare’s but my kitchen supplies were a must. The man still had very few dishes and adding mine to his supply would ensure Archer didn’t have to bring his own when Dustin came for dinner.
The last thing I pack is the darkroom and my photographs. Dare raves over several of them and asks if we can have them enlarged to hang on our walls. It fills me with pride that he would want to do this when up until now nothing hung on his walls. I couldn’t wait to take pictures of him and his brothers to give the place a family feel to it. I agree if that was what he liked I could enlarge anything he wanted. He grumbles he would send them off to be printed, that I didn’t need to be around the chemicals in my condition, I just wave him off. There was nothing dangerous unless I drank the stuff and I had no plans on doing that.
I gingerly place my camera and film in a smaller box and take it to the truck to put in front with me while the men move the furniture around inside. I lay the box on the seat then, seeing a pack of gum in the console, I reach forward to retrieve a piece before popping it into my mouth. It wouldn’t have any flavor but it kept my mouth busy while I pushed off the hunger. It had been too long but I didn’t want to eat in front of Remy.
“I was beginning to worry you never made it out of those woods, Naveen.” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end with Dirk’s familiar voice behind me. “You never responded to my emails. I have been worried sick about you. Where have you been for the last month?” I keep myself facing away from him. I couldn’t turn and let him see my protruding belly. He knows I was a virgin a month ago. This can be nothing but bad.
“I have been on vacation.” I say strongly. Not being able to see him ratchets up my fear. I hate having my back to him and not being able to see what’s coming. A throw back from having Uncle sneak up behind me for surprise attacks.
“Who else is in the house, Naveen? You aren’t here alone, are you?” I shake my head.
“My husband and a friend.” His sharp intake of air was to be expected. I want him rattled, maybe that way he would leave. He grabs my shoulder and spins me, his eyes going wide when he takes in my belly.
“What the hell is this?” His hand shakes, I take in the gun pointed at me and shutter in fear. I feel Dare’s concern at my fright and know things were about to get a whole lot worse.
“Dirk, if you don’t put the gun away I can’t help you. Dare is coming and if he sees that gun pointed at me he will kill you.” I state confidently. I had no doubt Dare would do just that. He has wanted him since he saw my dreams.
“Not if I kill him first.” He retorts. A low growl comes from behind me in the direction of the front door. Dirk looks up, his eyes widen in fear and he takes a step back from me. His hand changes targets, pointing the gun at Dare. Turning sideways I take in the imposing man that is my mate. He stands rigid on my front porch, six foot two of muscle and man, black hair pulled back away from his rugged face, only his emerald eyes moving, accessing the situation down to every little detail.
“Get in your car and leave, Dirk. This is the only chance you will get.” I plead with him. Instead of moving, he fires. The shot goes wide hitting the side of the house. In the blink of an eye Dare is in front of him holding the gun with one hand and Dirk by the neck with the other.
“The asshole who likes to rape women.” Dare grinds out barely holding onto his restraint.
“Dare, you can’t kill him. He’s….Um, normal.” I couldn’t say human, if Dare let him live he couldn’t know about us. That was a big if though.
“Go in the house, Marnie. Finish gathering your things. I will take care of this.” Dirk’s eyes widen as I turn and leave. It was a command, one I couldn’t and wouldn’t disobey. The pull to obey him had only grown stronger since The Change had completed. However, he had done as he said and kept the demands to a minimum when possible. Twice I had been able to tell him he was demanding when he should be asking. His words that he needed me to tell him had done the trick and allowed me to talk back at those times he specified. This time though, this time I would let him handle Dirk anyway he wanted. It was his right as my mate to take care of anyone who threatened me. I glance back one last time.
“Good bye, Dirk.” I say loudly enough for the human to hear before I disappear inside and shut the door.
****
I eye the man in my hands with hatred. This scrawny thing had tried to force himself on my mate. He had stripped her and held her down with intent to rape and kill her. He had a gun pointed at her and my child. The only thing stopping me from breaking his puny human neck was the fact that if he hadn’t done some of those things I wouldn’t have met her.
“What are you going to do to me?” He whines like an infant. No telling how many women have begged this man to stop, to let them live, to not hurt them. I wanted to hear him beg for his life.
“Up until this moment I thought if I ever saw you, I would kill you.” I say honestly, quietly.
“And now?” He cries.
“For some unknown reason Marnie doesn’t want you to die.” It was the only thing keeping him alive. The only thing that had me coming up with alternant plans. Like the one I had discussed with Archer last night.
“I don’t want to die. Please don’t hurt me. I’ll do anything yo
u ask just please, God, don’t kill me.” He begs. Begging was good.
“Answer me a question, be honest with me and I will think about letting you live.” He nods furiously. “How many?” His confusion is obvious. I roll my eyes at him. “How many woman have you tried to or have forced to fuck you. How many have you buried in those holes or left to rot somewhere. Do not lie or I will snap your neck before you finish the answer.” The deadly calm whisper surprises even me. Marnie hates this voice but normally when I’m this unnerved I can’t pull it off. The weasel in front of me eyes me carefully before trying to lie.
“Non….” My hand tightens cutting off his air.
“I really have no problem killing you. Shall we try one more time? How many?” His hands claw at my wrist trying to break my hold. I loosen only enough to allow his answer to pass his lips.
“Four.” He croaks out.
“Four you have raped or four you have killed?” I ask with a tight voice. He was a sick bastard.
“Four raped. Naveen was the first I was planning on killing. I knew she wouldn’t keep her mouth shut. I had known her for two years. She knew everything about me and would go to the police. She was my only one that wasn’t random.” He squeals. I want nothing more than to kill the man, instead I pull the phone from my pocket and call Archer.
“Hello?” He answers on the first ring.
“Your detective friend, can you have him to Marnie’s old address in five minutes?” He coughs before stuttering an answer.
“Did the asshole really show up?” He asks in disbelief. His friend had been looking for the man for a month. He had somehow stayed under the radar. But I knew if he saw movement at her house he would come to check it out. I hadn’t realized she had left without me till it was too late.
“Yes. I told you he would. The detective, Archer?” I needed this guy gone. Needed him as far away from Marnie as possible. As far away from me as possible, before I killed him.
“Yeah, I talked to him right after you landed, he is standing by around the corner.”
“He has five minutes before I kill the sick bastard.” The bastard in question cringes trying to get further away from me. He doesn’t.
“Consider it done.” The line goes dead. I shove it back in my pocket and look the man in the eye.
“You will tell the detective the truth. You will take whatever is recommended for jail time. If you don’t I will kill you. This detective is a friend and he will look the other way. You threatened my woman and by my laws I have every right to kill you. Only by the fact Marnie doesn’t want me to, are you walking away from this alive. So I suggest you enjoy prison. Or I can kill you now if you prefer.” He shakes his head as a car comes to a stop behind me. A tall man climbs from inside and strides towards me. Instantly I recognize the man as a Shifter. Possibly feline but maybe canine.
“Dare?” He asks, I nod. “I’m Shawn. I’ve known Archer a long time. I owe him a lot more than this assholes worth. Dustin said you’ve had a hard-on for this guy since he tried to rape your…um… wife. Is he going to cooperate or do I need to leave?” His thumbs are leisurely in his pockets as he leans against the truck. His mention of Dustin is his way of verifying he is feline. I hand him the gun I removed from Dirk which he tucks in his waistband.
“Talk.” I bite out to the asshole.
“I raped four random women. I tried to rape Naveen with plans to kill her. I will confess anyway you want and do whatever time you want just please take me away from this guy before he kills me.” Dirk begs. Shawn chuckles and takes Dirk from my grasp but not before he clicks ‘off’ on a recorder I hadn’t seen in his hand.
“You Beyers always make my job easier. Tell your brother we’re even.” Something flashes in the shifters eyes before he shakes it off. He grins then leads him to the car, leaving with a wave out the window. I take a deep breath before entering the house.
Marnie is sitting on the couch waiting when I enter. She is pale with dark circles under her eyes, the baby is taking more from her than she can supply. She looks up with curiosity in her eyes but she doesn’t ask. “I didn’t kill him. I turned him over to a Shifter who works on the local police force. He left alive, whether he makes it to the jail that way isn’t of my concern.” I say sitting down beside her. I don’t miss the relived sigh that escapes her.
“Thank you. I know he is bad but killing him is wrong. Besides that would be too easy on him. Dirk will not like prison.” I pull her into me not agreeing at all with her reasoning but letting her think I did. I would have never let a man walk away before Marnie.
“Are you ready to load this stuff?” She nods. “Alright, just stay here and let us lift it.” I rub my hand over my child with a smile. She purrs with the action, sinking back into her couch as if fully satisfied. Within seconds she’s asleep.
The baby was taking more out of her than normal but with her only surviving on blood we didn’t know what normal was. She seemed to sleep all the time and was hungry constantly. Over the last week alone she had gone from feeding every four hours to almost every hour. It had been almost five since she fed which was before we sat the chopper down here and I could feel how hungry she was but she refused to eat in front of Remy. Once we are on the chopper with the pilot she knew, Wren, would she eat. I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to do this in public, it had a tendency to turn on any male Patronus in the room or in hearing distance and she was easily embarrassed. With a sigh I push off the couch to get her things loaded so we could go.
I had already contacted Goodwill who would be by to pick up the rest of the stuff later today. I told them I would leave it all on the porch and they agreed. After packing her boxes and a single piece of furniture in the truck we move the rest of the furniture and remaining boxes to the porch. The last thing we move is the couch she is asleep on. Lifting her into my arms I place her in the truck before returning to move the couch outside. Once it’s done we pile back in and head to the chopper leaving her old life behind to start our life together. The thought pleases me to the point of grinning like a fool all the way there.
I lift Marnie into the chopper placing her on the seat before piling her boxes into the empty seats and floor. With only two boxes left I climb in letting Remy settle the last ones blocking my exit. He hands me the small box containing her camera and I tuck it beside me. With a ‘thanks’ and a wave he retreats to his truck leaving us to lift into the air.
“My camera?” I look down to her pale face to see her eyes riveted to the vein in my neck.
“Eat.” She doesn’t have to be told twice, latching on immediately with a sigh. “I have your camera right here.” I pat the box beside me and she hums in acceptance. Leveling out the power her feeding causes has become easier over the last few weeks, especially with how much she feeds right now. I have had to dispel it a few times when she was unable to get satisfied and ate more often than every hour. With each time she begins anew it tends to try to replenish and if I haven’t used any it makes my skin crawl like bugs are under it trying to get out. It was becoming ingrained in me to shove the power down as it flowed over my skin. I had also found a way to use it and practice with it. And no, it didn’t include apples flying at my head. I wasn’t prolific with it yet but I was at least able to control it now.
My phone rings prompting her to pull back. I place my hand on her head stopping her. “No. I can do both.” She giggle then continues as I answer Archer’s call. “Yes?” I hiss with her deep pull.
“If I didn’t know better I’d say you were trying to join the mile high club with the way your voice is so raspy, little brother.” He laughs.
“Marnie is hungry. I didn’t want to make her stop to talk to you. Deal with it. What’s the word?” I had been waiting for his call.
“The asshole has been signed, sealed and delivered. With his willing confession and refusal of a trial by jury he will be awarded ten years for each woman he assaulted and five for his attempt on Marnie. He named each woman and even gave the
police the driver’s license he had taken from each of them. They all were called in and positively identified him. Also sperm was collected with the first woman. It was a visual match. More reliable results will come later. The others waited too long before calling it in for any physical evidence other than bruises. He will be gone for forty-five years without the chance of parole. She is safe, brother.” The tension in my body drains with the news. Her eyes dart to mine and hold, tears sparkle but don’t fall. She heard him and knew it was over.
“Thank you for letting me know so quickly.” I breathe out.
“You’re welcome. I’m also calling to ask you to come straight to the conference room when you get back. I believe we have found a potential mate and need to discuss sending someone to fetch her.” My tension might have left, however Archer’s was running on high octane fuel at the moment. Marnie pulls back with surprise and concern darting through her.
“Where?” I tuck her under my arm and pull her close. I knew she was worried about the woman who would have to go through this just as she did with no knowledge prior to The Choosing. She couldn’t know what was happening or it might influence her choice.
“Believe it or not, Texas. Less than an hour away from the old compound, in Houston. One of Dustin’s felines spotted her. Taylor isn’t one of the Shifters we recently moved, he has lived in Houston for a while. He says she has the mark on the back of her neck. He even put himself into a position to make sure it wasn’t a tattoo before calling it in. He says it is definitely a birth mark.” Texas? We had been less than an hour from her for thirty years, depending on her age, and never knew it. Damn fate.