Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  She shivered. Never had such derogatory words turned her insides out before. “Yes, Torben, please…”

  Picking her up, Torben set her in the Jeep then quickly moved around to his side and jumped in. He sped through the forest as if a demon was on his ass, and then slammed on the breaks skidding to a halt when they reached the cabin.

  By the time Aspen had exited the vehicle, Torben was by her side, throwing her over his shoulder and marching back towards the house.

  He threw open the door then kicked it closed. In two steps, he was at the bed and dropping Aspen down onto it before following suit. He kissed her possessively, running his hands over her body and through her hair. “Mine!”

  Aspen wasn’t sure what the hell she was doing; she just knew that it was the right thing to do. Running her hands up beneath his shirt, she ran her nails over the ridges of his body before shoving his shirt up over his head. He growled when she flicked her tongue over one of his nipples.

  Pinning her hands to the bed, Torben trailed kisses along her jaw and neck before working his way down her chest. He reached the bottom of her shirt and tore it from her body. Her breasts fell barren for his feasting eyes. “You are so beautiful.”

  Aspen shook with the need to be claimed. She arched her chest up in his direction quietly requesting his lips on her nipples. He obliged without question sucking her entire nipple into his mouth and making her cry out in pleasure.

  BANG! BANG! BANG!

  “Go away!” Torben growled.

  “Torben, it’s Caelan. Open the god damned door,” came the muffled reply.

  Aspen whimpered her protest when Torben rose from the bed. He walked over to the door but stopped before opening it to look at her, “Cover yourself up, sweetheart.”

  Reaching for the shirt she’d just been wearing, Aspen quickly redressed then nodded when she was ready.

  Torben flung open the door, “What!”

  Caelan took in his lack of clothing and Aspen’s tousled hair and grimaced, “Sorry, man, but we’re ready to head out to do some recon and need Aspen to come with us since she’s the only one who knows where to go.”

  Torben spun and grabbed his shirt off the floor, “She’s not going anywhere without me.”

  Caelan nodded, “I figured as much.”

  CHAPTER 14

  “The drive will take us about an hour and a half to two hours,” Caelan explained. “We will take three separate vehicles so that once we get to our destination, we can deviate and check out three possible entry points. Remember, this is recon only. No one is to try to breach the perimeter and retrieve Berend. Am I clear?”

  The group responded in the affirmative.

  Aspen stared at the group of bears that she was expected to lead back to her personal hell. There was Torben and Caelan, of course, but there were also three others that she’d never seen before.

  When she and Torben had stepped out of the cabin, Torben had made brief introductions. Like all the males of the den, these men were just as large; they simply varied in their physical appearances. Caesar was exactly what his name implied. His hair was jet black with eyes to match, and his skin was a deep olive color. Scott was a redhead with bright, blue eyes and skin almost as pale as snow, and lastly was Brae. His hair was a dirty-blonde color and his eyes a pale green with something a little darker than a five o’clock shadow gracing his face.

  After the quick instructions, the six loaded up in their respective vehicles and headed out.

  The drive was going to be the longest “short” trip Aspen had ever taken. She was glad that they were finally taking steps to retrieve Berend from his prison but terrified at the thought of having to step foot back in that place.

  Sensing her distress, Torben reached over and covered her hand with his, “You ok?”

  “Yeah, just a little nervous is all,” she smiled.

  He ran his finger down her cheek, “Don’t worry, Aspen, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  They reached their destination a little over two hours later parking the vehicles just far enough back so they wouldn’t be seen.

  Caelan spoke softly, “Alright, guys, let’s get in and out without being seen. Aspen, you ok to lead the way?”

  She nodded, “Yeah, I’m good. Just be careful. These people aren’t afraid to use a gun… of any kind.”

  “Roger that,” Brae growled.

  “Once we get to our meeting point, we’ll break off in teams of two. Brae, you’re with me,” Caelan instructed. “Let’s head out.”

  Moving swiftly, the team of six made their way to the outer perimeter of the compound. Caelan stopped them by holding his fist in the air. Looking to Scott and Caesar, he pointed east, looking to Torben and Aspen he pointed west and then indicated that he and Brae would head south. Everyone nodded. “One hour,” he mouthed.

  Taking Aspen’s hand, Torben moved them through the heavy brush of the forest trying to remain hidden enough to not be seen yet still scope out the area.

  Movement caught Torben’s eye as two guards walked the length of the fence.

  Hunkering down low, Torben brought Aspen close to his side and indicated silence by placing his finger over his lips. She nodded her understanding.

  When the coast was clear once more, Torben rose bringing Aspen with him. They reached the far corner of the compound then started making their way down it’s far west side.

  “Do you recognize any of the buildings?” Torben whispered.

  Aspen narrowed her eyes and pointed to a building in the center, “That building there was the one Berend and I ran out of.” She pointed to the area they were at earlier, “I hopped the fence over there.”

  “Any idea what the other buildings might be used for?” he asked.

  She shook her head, “No. The only people I ever saw were Berend and the doctors, and I never left my cage. So, if there was anyone else there I wouldn’t know.”

  They walked a little further until they found themselves in a clearing they weren’t expecting. That was when all hell broke loose.

  “It’s her! Subject 1 is alive!” Someone yelled.

  “Oh, no!” Aspen gasped.

  “Run!” Torben yelled.

  They ran back into the trees, but it was too late. Gunshots rang out splintering nearby trees as they ran. They were almost to the rendezvous point when she heard Torben groan. She turned around to find him lying on the ground, “Torben, no!”

  She spun around sliding to him on her knees. She ran her hands over his body searching for a bullet wound or tranq dart. When she found none, she rolled him over gently and gasped at the sight of all the blood on his chest and shoulder. She started lifting his shirt to inspect the damage when she heard the sound of someone running towards them.

  Jumping to her feet, she placed herself between Torben and whoever was coming their way, intent on defending her mate to the death if the need arose. As the sound came closer, she let a sharp growl rip from her throat in warning.

  The pace of their pursuer slowed to a cautious walk until Caesar appeared with his hands raised in supplication. “Calm down, little bear. I’m just here to help.”

  Aspen instantly deflated, “Help him, Caesar. He’s been shot!”

  Caesar approached and knelt down next to his den mate. He swore when he saw the damage. “We need to get him back to the Jeep, now!”

  “I can help you carry him,” she offered.

  He shook his head, “We’ve got this.” He whistled softly and received a soft whistle in return. Moments later, Scott emerged from the brush. “Come on, man, he’s hurt bad. We need to get the hell out of here.”

  Scott and Caesar lifted him gently and carried him back to the Jeep at a fast clip. Aspen wasn’t surprised when Caelan and Brae were already there.

  “What the hell happened?” Caelan asked, moving to help get Torben in the Jeep.

  We stumbled into a clearing and they recognized me and started shooting,” Aspen explained.

  Once Torben
was settled, Caelan turned to his bears and growled, “We’re out of here. I’ll drive back with Torben.”

  It seemed like mere seconds before they were on the road back to the den. Aspen tore at his shirt to inspect the damage. There was a large bullet hole not far from his heart. Feeling around the back, she swore when she found no exit wound.

  “How bad is it?” Caelan asked.

  “The bullet’s lodged in his chest, and he’s still bleeding pretty bad.”

  “You need to take it out, Aspen.”

  “What! I can’t do that. I’m a vet tech not a doctor.”

  “Well, sweetheart, you’re all he’s got till we can get him over to Misha.”

  Going green at the thought of having to stick her fingers into his flesh, Aspen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can do this,” she said, giving herself a little pep talk.

  “There should be a first aid kit underneath the seat,” Caelan informed her.

  Leaning over Torben, Aspen rummaged around beneath the seats until she found the box. Opening it, she pulled out some gauze, antibiotic ointment and a pair of plastic tweezers. “Here goes nothing,” she said, before pushing the tweezers into the wound.

  Torben grunted in pain as she searched for the bullet, but his eyes never opened. “I’m so sorry, baby, so sorry,” she whispered over and over again.

  She sighed when she felt the tweezers take hold of the bullet, “I’ve got it, Caelan!”

  “Great!” he praised. “We’re almost there.”

  As the bullet came out, so did the blood. “Shit, shit, shit!” She grabbed a bunch of gauze and packed it against his wound, but the blood was quickly soaking through.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I think they nicked an artery. I can’t stop the bleeding,” she cried.

  “God damn it,” he roared, as he sped into the clearing where Torben lived then slammed the vehicle to a halt.

  Misha burst out of the cabin, “How is he?”

  “I can’t stop the bleeding!”

  Moving out of the way, Aspen allowed Misha and Caelan to move Torben inside the cabin. He was placed on the bed, and Misha instantly went to work.

  CHAPTER 15

  It felt like hours before Misha finally moved away from Torben. Wiping a hand across his weary face, he said, “That’s all I can do. The rest is up to him.”

  Aspen stood on shaky legs, “I should tell his parents.”

  Misha waved her off, “I’ll take care of that.” He handed her his number, “Please call me if anything changes. It doesn’t matter how minute it may seem.”

  She nodded, “I will, I promise.”

  Misha leaned down and brushed a hand along his friend’s head, “Hang in there, buddy.”

  After Misha left, Aspen crawled on the bed and gently wrapped herself around Torben and cried softly into the sheet.

  ***

  Aspen woke sometime later to the feel of being shaken. She opened her eyes to find Torben having a seizure.

  She catapulted over the bed and grabbed the phone quickly dialing Misha’s number. He answered on the first ring, “What’s wrong?”

  “Seizure,” she replied, returning to the bed to make sure he didn’t fall off or hurt himself.

  “On my way.”

  He arrived in less than two minutes and set to working on Torben. When he’d done all he could do, he sat on the chair that Aspen had brought over to the bed and dropped his head in his hands.

  “Are you alright?” Aspen asked, softly.

  “I’m worried,” he replied honestly.

  Aspen looked at Torben and chewed her bottom lip between her teeth, “You don’t think he’s going to make it, do you?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure, but a seizure is never a good sign.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  Misha rose on a sigh, “I might suggest talking to him. Give him a reason to stay.”

  Aspen nodded, “I can do that.”

  “I’ll have Harlan and Gemma stop by later too… just in case…”

  The underlying meaning of Misha’s unfinished sentence hung heavy in the air.

  A little while later, Gemma and Harlan showed up. Aspen left the cabin to give them some time with their son. Shifting into her bear form, she lumbered around the cabin not sure what to do with herself but not really wanting to leave either. The thought of losing Torben hung heavy on her heart.

  She finally settled on the ground in front of the cabin staring at the door. She was hoping and praying that the door would open and Torben would come out.

  To her surprise, the door did open, but it wasn’t Torben that emerged, it was Harlan. He walked over to Aspen with one of Torben’s shirts in hand, “Would you mind shifting so we can talk?”

  Aspen nodded, rising to her feet. She shifted slowly and took the shirt Harlan held out to her, “Thank you.”

  He escorted her back over to the cabin so they could sit on the front steps. She waited for him to gather his thoughts. “I need to ask you a question.”

  “Alright.”

  “I apologize for how personal it is, but I need to know.” He sighed. “Do you love my son?”

  “Yes,” she replied without hesitation.

  “Have you told him that?”

  “No,” she admitted. “I wasn’t even sure what I felt for him was love until all this happened.”

  Harlan nodded, “I think that’s something he needs to hear right now, Aspen. I truly believe that is the one thing that could pull him back from the abyss.”

  Aspen stared at the ground. This was definitely not how she envisioned telling someone she loved them, but if it worked and he was back in her arms, wouldn’t that be worth it?

  She nodded, “I’ll do it. I’ll tell him.”

  Harlan smiled and gave her a one armed hug, “Thank you.”

  ***

  Gemma fussed over everyone for the rest of the day. When she wasn’t sitting over Torben, she was making huge amounts of food or baking, making sure that everyone had something to eat.

  When she and Harlan finally left for the day, Torben and Aspen were left with enough food to last them a week.

  Standing next to the bed, Aspen stared down at Torben. She reached down and brushed his hair with her hand before leaning forward and kissing him softly on the mouth.

  Hovering just above his lips, she whispered, “I’ve only just found you, Torben, please don’t leave me.” She kissed him again. “I love you.”

  Stepping away from him, she walked into the bathroom closing the door softly behind her.

  ***

  For the next two days, nothing changed. Torben remained a motionless shell on his bed. Misha kept insisting that he was stable, which was better than declining.

  It was late in the evening on the second night, and Aspen woke to the feel of something warm and heavy draped across her body. She reached up to feel whatever it was and touched human skin. She tried to rollover but couldn’t because the arm that was draped over her was curled tightly around her waist. “Torben?” she asked softly.

  He moved closer burying his nose in the hair at her neck, “You love me?”

  “What?”

  “You said you loved me. I heard you,” he whispered, his hot breath caressing her skin.

  She shivered, “I did.”

  “Did you mean it?’

  “Yes.”

  “Say it again.”

  “I love you.”

  “I need to claim you, Aspen.”

  “But your injuries…”

  “Are fine.”

  “Maybe we should wait till Misha clears you,” she insisted.

  “No,” he replied, biting down on her shoulder.

  Aspen cried out and it wasn’t from pain. Her body arched, as her nipples peaked and moisture pooled between her thighs.

  “Torben…” she pleaded.

  Pulling her back by the hip, Torben lifted her leg and entered her from behind. She was hot, tight and wet, and
the feeling made him growl happily.

  Keeping his teeth securely fastened to her shoulder, Torben began thrusting in and out of her body. Each time he withdrew, her body clamped down on him as if it intended to prevent his departure, yet squeezed him warmly upon re-entry.

  Aspen cried out with every thrust. She’d never been with someone of Torben’s caliber before. He was long and thick and more than filled her to capacity, and with every thrust, he brushed her womb making her cry out. Her body shook as her need for release became more urgent.

  Torben was relentless in his pursuits, and even as Aspen screamed her release to the rafters, he continued thrusting until he rung another release from her that left her body quivering around his cock. It was a feeling he savored, and one he hoped would never end as his body seized and he released his seed into her womb.

  Sighing, he relaxed, pulling her flush to his body and kissing his bite mark. “Are you alright?”

  She giggled, “Completely and utterly sated.”

  He burrowed down into the blankets squeezing her tightly, “I love you, Aspen.”

  She wiggled until he let her roll over then retightened his grip. She kissed his chest just to the left of the bandages. “I thought I’d lost you. I was so afraid thinking that I’d never get to see you again, that I’d never get to hold your hand or kiss your lips.” She held back a sob. “That I’d never get to tell you I love you because I was too late.”

  Torben hugged her kissing the top of her head. “It’s alright, Aspen. I’m still here and I promise you I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled back to brush away her tears then cupped her face and kissed her, “I didn’t need for you to tell me you love me, Aspen, I already knew. I’ve always known. Even when you denied profusely, I still knew.”

  “How could you possibly have known something that I didn’t even know?” she asked, sniffing.

  “Because we were made for each other,” he stated simply. “As your mate, I will always know the desires of your heart… even if you don’t.”

  Leaning up on her elbow, she pushed him down onto the bed and smiled, “Well, I guess it’s good that one of us knew what was going on.”