Tortured Soul

by Julia Laque

  God, he was such a shit. He tried to get the damn thing down, but then he focused on the soft arch of her foot peeking out from under the sheet and his cock nearly busted through his fly.

  Damn it!

  She didn't deserve this, any of this. She didn't deserve to be ripped from her bed, forced to stay here with him and endure his lusting after her. He tried, but it was becoming increasingly hard to be around her and not want to touch her.

  Evangeline let out a long breath and turned onto her back.

  He could stare at her face forever. Even in sleep she was mesmerizing.

  Stop it. Stop looking at her like that, you sick fuck. She saved your life and this is how you repay her?

  Adam turned to gaze out the window. Why had she saved him? Why had he needed saving? Animals had bitten him before, but his body never reacted the way it did last night. What sort of poison was it?

  The memory of her touching him sent tiny tremors down his back. Her hands were incredibly soft and small on him and her emotions were going haywire.

  When she touched him, he could sense all she was feeling as if he’d felt it himself. She was a torrid mess of depression combined with panic, adoration, and attraction for him. The attraction part threw him, but more importantly, how the hell had she healed him?

  As he’d lain there, he felt a soft vibration of some sort and then the pain was gone and it seemed as if his entire body was blanketed in a deep sense of tranquility.

  The feeling was nothing he'd ever experienced in his life. Werewolves were fast healers, but the poison was spreading as fast as wild fire inside him. His whole body was numb and he was losing consciousness before Evangeline restored him back to health.

  The wound on his shoulder had completely healed and when the gash had closed, the feeling lifted and he was back to normal, naked, with Evangeline slumped over his torso. Panic laced through him as he lifted her in his arms with ease, his eyes narrowed and fixated on her face as he carried her back to the cabin.

  Her ability must have taken a lot out of her, which made him feel a million times worse than he already did.

  He turned his head to check on her and froze.

  Evangeline's entrancing olive eyes were trained on him.

  His heart slammed in his chest. This woman was dangerous to him. He’d never reacted this way with any female, let alone a human.

  She continued to stare, sad and dazedly at him. The sun made her eyes sparkle and her hair gleam a lighter shade of red.

  He stood slowly, not wanting to alarm her, and remained near the window, a safe distance away from her.

  She spoke softly, her voice scratchy as she did. “How long was I out for?” Her chest rose up and down as she breathed, her delicate breast straining underneath her white, flimsy top.

  His mood was poignant now, because so was she. He couldn’t believe how in tune he was to her emotions. It was almost as strong as his pack members. He glanced out the window at the descending sun. “You’ve been asleep for almost two days. It’s about six in the evening, Friday.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever been out that long. I guess I needed the rest.”

  “Yeah…uh…can I get you anything, food or something to drink? Are you in pain?”

  She turned and it looked like she was contemplating the ceiling. “I am hungry, but I need something more than food right now.”

  Taking one step forward, he asked nervously, “What?”

  “A shower.”

  Adam let out a shaky breath. “Of course. I’ll go set up the bathroom for you. Just give me a minute.” He turned and left the room, going across the hallway to the only bathroom in the cabin. The showerhead was worth shit as he’d tried it earlier while Evangeline slept. So he turned the faucet on in the old fashion claw foot, porcelain tub and checked the water four or five times before plugging the drain.

  He made sure there was a clean towel for her and put it on the toilet so it was close to the tub, then picked it up and placed it on the hook on the door, thinking she might have to use the facilities.

  When he came back to the room, she was sitting up at the edge of the bed, bracing both her hands on either side of her thighs, head hanging down. Adam moved to her quickly, kneeling down in front of her. “Are you going to be sick?” he asked in a worried tone, noticing the slight sheen of perspiration on her forehead.

  “No. I just got dizzy trying to stand up.”

  “Oh. Just let me…”

  Evangeline looked him straight in the eye and he froze. Her expression made his heart slam and then crumple to the pit of his stomach. At once, he felt an extraordinary emotion and he knew whatever happened here on out, she must be protected.

  Evangeline Wolcott was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her eyes burned down to his very soul. Her head bent low, she stared at him, not with fear, but with determination and warning. She was silently telling him if he tried anything with her in her weakened state, she would rue the day she saved his life and so would he.

  Adam raised both hands before reaching her and spoke gravely. “I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry I got you involved in all of this, but we can deal with that later. Right now, all I want is for you to get better, so please, let me help you,” he finished, clenching his jaw as he waited, ignoring the fact he meant every word. He did not want to think about how much this girl’s well being mattered to him.

  Lowering her gaze, she nodded in resignation. Adam reached one arm around her back and the other under her knees. She must have been five foot seven inches with firm muscles from her years of dancing, but Adam was once again surprised how light she was in his arms as he lifted her off the bed.

  She winced.

  “Sorry, did I hurt you?” Adam paused, watching her.

  “No, it’s you. You’re hot!” she said accusingly.

  “Excuse me?” He was feeling even hotter around the ears right then.

  “I forgot your body temperature runs hotter than a human’s. It startled me, is all.”

  He smirked. “Sorry,” he said, walking toward the bathroom.

  “It’s not your fault.” She still smelled great and her scent was doing funny things to his head. Evangeline kept her head off his shoulder, but he knew she was struggling to hold it up. It made him move faster so she could rest her head in the tub.

  Once they reached the bathroom, he set her down on the toilet with the lid down so he could turn off the faucet. He checked the water one more time and addressed her, awkwardly. “Showerhead’s not working.” He pointed stupidly to the showerhead. “Do you think you can take it from here?”

  Her lips twitched in a slight smile. “I should be fine. I’ll just take my time.” She glanced over at the tiny round window. “And don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Adam looked at her shrewdly. “Just don’t hurt yourself, okay? Yell if you need anything.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.

  He went into the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat. When he opened the fridge he saw the items Jason had provided for them. There were bottles of water, a gallon of milk, eggs, slices of cheese and a loaf of white bread. In the freezer, there were four frozen pizzas. Hell, it was more than what he had in his own fridge. Adam grabbed one of the pizzas, placed it on the counter and set the oven to preheat.

  The cabin’s small kitchen had been renovated only a few times since it was built in the nineteenth century. Adam had the light fixtures, counter tops and cabinets redone in the eighties and put in new insulation and drywall. He’d also repainted and updated the appliances in ninety-six. Everything was pretty much white except for the green counter top running along the back wall.

  As he waited, he opened the cabinets to search for anything else. There were more bottles of water, cans of tuna and chili and four jars of peanut butter and four jars of grape jelly.

  Adam shook his head. Fucking Jason and his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It was a good thing Adam too
k his place or else Evangeline might have starved to death.

  He closed all the cupboards and threw the pizza in impatiently without waiting for the oven to preheat all the way. He walked into the living room, glancing only once at the bathroom door. He walked over to the sideboard and opened up the cabinet for something to do. There were two bottles of Johnny Walker Gold and about six bottles of Gran Patron Platinum. He was itching to open a bottle of tequila, but he wasn’t about to imbibe with Evangeline here.

  Adam knew how to hold his liquor, but these days with all the shit going on, he wasn’t about to test his limits with a scared girl in the house. After all, he wasn’t like his drunk of a father who didn’t give a rat’s ass who was nearby when he was on a drunken rampage.

  Adam shut the cabinet door and paced the room, listening to the sounds coming from the bathroom. He could hear the water sloshing in the tub as she moved around. At least she hadn’t fallen asleep.

  His phone beeped, indicating he had a text message. Reaching in his pocket for his phone, he checked the message from Jason. It read: Message was sent to the king. He should get it as soon as he wakes up. All the boys are on patrol.

  Adam nodded as he texted back. He wanted this over and done with. Cyrus Stewart could retaliate all he liked. He just wanted his sister back at home, safe and sound. Adam would deal with the repercussions of his actions later.

  Good. Send emissary at 5 AM. Stay out of sight and text me with updates.

  He was stuffing the phone in his pocket when he heard Evangeline. He paused to listen and heard her groan and then curse. He was at the door in an instant, barging in without even a knock.

  Evangeline jumped and shrieked as she covered her chest. The tub, except for her porcelain shoulders gleaming wet and silky, hid her entire body.

  “What are you doing?” she yelled.

  “I’m sorry. I heard you curse. I thought you hurt yourself. I’ll go.” Adam was shutting the door as he spoke, but she stopped him.

  “Wait,” she called out, distressed.

  Adam held the door half open, but kept his eyes focused on the tiled floor. “What is it?”

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “I can’t get up. I think my muscles are too relaxed now or something. I’m sure I can handle it once I’m out of the tub, but I can’t get up in this position…” Her voice broke off, frustrated.

  Adam walked into the bathroom and shut the door to keep the warm air in. “I told you to call me if you needed anything,” he said roughly as he grabbed the towel from the hook and threw it over his shoulder. He stepped to the tub, keeping his eyes leveled on her face and reached out to help her up.

  She jerked away from him. “Wait.” Her wide eyes met his. A flush filled her high cheekbones as she licked her succulent, wet lips. She had no idea how damn provocative her simple action was and he went hard instantly. Thank god he was hunched over. “Aren’t you going to close your eyes?”

  He snorted. “Then I won’t see what I’m grabbing. Besides, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

  “You haven’t seen me!” she said angrily, her eyes blazing.

  Yet, he thought.

  He shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? “Fine. I’ll close my eyes and you lead my hands, but if I knock you into the sink, it’s your own fault.”

  “Okay,” she uttered meekly.

  He closed his eyes and felt her pull his hands into the water and place them on her rib cage. She fit perfectly in his hands and he took his time lifting her out of the water, reluctant to let go of her sleek, soft skin.

  When he set her down, he let go unwillingly and grabbed the towel from his shoulder, holding it out to her with his eyes still shut.

  She took it from him. “Thank you. You can open your eyes now.”

  Evangeline stood before him with the beige towel wrapped around her torso, her hair dripping wet, sending droplets down her shoulders.

  This woman would be the death of him.

  Chapter Eight

  Cyrus stepped out of the master bathroom and into his luxury suite in the King’s Coven. He stood by the blazing fire as he dressed, pausing here and there to sip the espresso Girard had brought up.

  With a smirk, Cyrus buttoned up his shirt as he thought how he must get used to warming up his body temperature on a daily basis now. His bride will not like him plundering her in the evening with a hard cold member. Vampires were as cold as ice in the evening when they awoke, unless they fed the day before and unfortunately, he hadn’t.

  He was going to remedy that today, however. Cyrus was going to pay his fiancé a visit and complete their betrothal contract. Confidence surging through him, Cyrus thought of the many different things they could do once she was in his arms, with her blood coursing through his body.

  The little he’d tasted was enough to drive him wild. Never, in all his years, had he tasted anything like it. Evangeline was extraordinarily different from any woman he’d ever met. They hadn’t known each other long and he was looking forward to discovering all her traits, but there was something about her that intrigued him to no end. To be sure, she was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, but something else lurked beneath the surface. She was strong willed and resilient. Advantageous qualities for a queen, he thought languorously.

  Victor knocked on his door

  “Come in.” Cyrus was putting on his jacket as Victor came in and shut the door.

  “Your Grace—” Victor’s baritone started.

  Cyrus cut him off. “Tell Florena to get everyone in the dining room in ten. I just have a few things to go over. Make sure the Mercedes is clean. We’ll take it tonight.” He paused by his valet as he slid his 1933 gold Patek Philipe round his wrists. “What is it?” Victor was just standing there, his face ashen.

  “Your Grace, Florena received an email on the contact page of the home website. We don’t have to trace it because it’s pretty clear whom it’s from.” Victor held out a sheet of copy paper. “It was addressed to you.”

  Cyrus took the paper, curious as to why his manservant looked so on edge and read the short message in black ink:

  I have your bride.

  Release Serena Perez outside the gates at dawn or she dies. Leave the Wolcott’s out of it. This is between you and me.

  AP

  Cyrus’ face was motionless. He looked up at Victor. “Is this a joke?”

  “I don’t think so, Your Grace. Jane called her cell phone and no one picked up. She called the Wolcott’s too and they just said she wasn’t home. Didn’t give any details.”

  Cyrus was reading the note again, his head beginning to pound. As he read it a third time, realization sank in. This was no joke.

  “MOTHERFUCKER!” Cyrus crunched up the note and threw it across the room. His fangs bared. He stormed out of his room as he bellowed orders. “Get that piece of shit on the phone, right now. Send Florena and Girard to the Blacktail headquarters. I want Maxwell Jones here, like fucking yesterday. Do you hear me?” His shouts could be heard throughout the entire house. “Everyone in the dining room, NOW!”

  The entire coven reached the dining room at almost the same time, some teleporting and others speeding through the house with cups of coffee in hand or a newspaper.

  Jane ran in last, breathless as the king addressed them. Everyone was aware the Blacktail pack leader had taken Evangeline Wolcott. News traveled fast in the King’s Coven. “Do we have any idea where he could have taken her?” Cyrus asked, his fangs still out.

  Mary spoke up. “We can rule out Perez’s round house.” The octagonal house the alpha resided in was the Blacktail Fighter’s headquarters. She was right. It would have been way too obvious and risky to take her there.

  “Even if she was there, none of us would be able to step one foot on their grounds,” Armando, his financial advisor, put in. Werewolves, like vampires, protected their grounds like Fort Knox. If a vampire came near the pack leader’s home unannounced, they would find themselves facing a werewolf, a
wooden stick through the heart or a laser aimed at their necks.

  Florena was typing away on her laptop on the large table with an iPhone to her ear. She put the phone down and looked at him “The same message was left on the main voicemail. Sounds like Perez’s beta, Linus.”

  Victor hung up on his cell. “I only get voicemail at their headquarters.”

  “Can we track Perez’s cell?” Cyrus asked Florena.

  “I’ll try, but I doubt he took his own cell phone. He’s probably using a burner phone. That’s what we’d do.” She typed away as she spoke.

  “Why the fuck would we keep a stinking wolf here?” Girard asked as he lit a cigarette.

  Cyrus was quiet for a moment, his mind going a mile a minute. There was no sense sending Florena and Girard to the pack headquarters. He knew the two could handle themselves, but who knew what kind of trap lay in wait for them.

  Reeling, Cyrus paced the length of the table, hands on his hips. How the hell did Adam Perez know he was engaged to Evangeline? His coven wouldn’t dare tell a soul and he doubted the Wolcott’s were screaming it from the rooftops, and Evangeline only found out a few days ago… unless…

  “The little bitch!” he said through clenched teeth, halting his stride.

  They all turned to him in silence.

  Cyrus looked at Victor. “You and Girard are going to pay Mrs. Vance a little visit.” His voice was like ice.

  “Your Grace…” Jane stepped forward, a worried look on her face.

  “Jane, don’t start with me! She was spying on all of us for the Blacktails.”

  “But—” Jane began until Mary shot her a warning look. Cyrus was relieved she backed down, but Jane continued to look nervously at him.

  He concentrated on Victor and Girard. Don’t kill her, he told them both telepathically, but be creative. Go.

  They nodded in assent and left the room. Jane stared after them, wringing her hands.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose, furious. If he fucking touches Evangeline, it was going to be all out warfare in Wilmington. Where would the mutt take her? “This is ridiculous already. Florena, get that pussy beta’s cell number. I want to talk to him, personally. Mary, get Maxwell Jones here. I’m settling this shit once and for all.”