by Dana Archer
“And that includes taking her to doctors to evaluate her condition?”
Of course. Lena’s mood after he’d gotten off the phone with Kade made sense. Her protective instincts must’ve flared.
“Yes. If her mind is damaged, she’ll need to be evaluated.” The doctor in New York had a wonderful program established for rescued shifters involving pet therapy and music. For some kids it worked, for some it didn’t. Success depended on the shifter. He wouldn’t know what would help Molly or how much therapy she’d need until he spent time with her.
“I see.” Lena walked away without another word.
Her tone made him wary. “Where are you going?”
“To wash this stinky gunk off my face like you asked.”
“Hey.” He grasped her wrist, stopping her from climbing the stairs. “If you want to leave it on, then do so. I’ll survive.” He grinned. “It’ll give me an excuse to lock you to my side.”
“No. That won’t be very convenient. I’ll shower.”
She yanked her hand free and jogged up the stairs. He followed her to the bedroom. From the dresser, she pulled a pair of capris and another sleeveless turtleneck—black instead of red—and headed to the bathroom.
He grabbed the door before she closed it. “If you have any more of that coconut shampoo, you should use it. I liked how that smelled on you.”
“Got it. Coconut shampoo and unscented soap. Be out in a jiffy.”
He grinned. “Perfect. I’ll order us some pizzas for lunch.”
Devin waited a few minutes more, enjoying the sounds of her moving around the bathroom, but his stomach growled. He left Lena to her bath and went in search of a phone book.
Chapter 14
Lena clenched her hands so hard she left half-moon circles in her palm. She forced her fingers to relax before she drew blood. Devin would smell it and come barreling into the bathroom. If he did, she’d likely hurl the stupid coconut shampoo bottle at his head for being such a pompous jerk. She didn’t normally consider herself a violent person, but hurting the man prowling around her house sounded like a great idea. Except, he had the phone Gwen was supposed to text to.
Why hadn’t she? Worry for her sisters mixed with the frustration already churning her gut after overhearing Devin’s phone conversation.
He knew Colonel Malory. Believed him. Was going to hand Molly over to him for an evaluation.
Despite the fact that Devin had bitten her and confused her on every level, she’d trusted him where Molly was concerned. His worry for her had seemed genuine. Had it been a ploy to get information?
She pressed the heels of her palms to her burning eyes. Maybe Devin didn’t know Colonel Malory had sold Molly out. Her stepdad hadn’t suspected anything either.
Could she take that chance with a man who’d muddled her thoughts ever since she’d woken in bed with him? He’d already proven he would go back on his promises if his instincts were triggered. What would his primitive side feel when he met Molly? She was an anomaly. And…not quite right in the head. Then again, neither was Lena. Not anymore.
Since the accident, Lena had swung from one extreme to the other. One moment, she wanted to wrap herself around Devin and never let him go. The other, she wanted to run from him. The intense lust he stirred within her, the uncharacteristic possessiveness she felt toward him, and the overwhelming desire to please him didn’t help matters. Even with the wariness over her reaction to him, she still wanted to climb in bed with him.
What was wrong with her?
Eyes closed, she slid down the side of the shower and huddled on the tile floor. A jumble of emotions flowed through her. She couldn’t focus on any of them. The more she tried, the more her heart raced.
She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked. A memory flitted to her from the mess of thoughts bouncing in her head—Molly doing the same thing.
Lena focused on Molly’s image. The confusing emotions gripping her faded and determination settled over her. She embraced it. Wrapped it around her. Let it guide her.
Molly needed her.
Lena wouldn’t fail her baby sister. As much as she wanted to trust Devin, she couldn’t risk it. Once he had his hands on Molly, she wouldn’t be able to stop him from handing her over, not unless she told him why Molly couldn’t go to the evaluation center.
The Shifter Council had warned her family that all shifters, mortal and immortal, would fear Molly. View her as an abomination. Guilt churned Lena’s stomach for the doubt creeping into her mind, but the stakes were too high.
Lena recalled the conversations she’d had with Molly about what the scientists had done to her. Conjured the many pictures Molly had drawn to express herself when she hadn’t been able to make the right words come out. And remembered the promise she’d made to her stepdad—protect Molly at all costs.
As much as it pained her, she couldn’t take the chance Devin wouldn’t betray Molly, on purpose or by accident. Molly mattered more than anything.
That left only one choice, the one she’d been avoiding. She’d have to involve Vader, the wolf shifter who’d rescued Molly and the only other shifter aside from the Shifter Council who knew about Molly’s powers.
Lena squirted the coconut shampoo into her hand and scrubbed at her hair. She didn’t want to go to an ex-lover and ask for help. She avoided Vader as much as possible, but he’d gone to the Shifter Council and fought for Molly so that she could live a normal life with Lena’s family. He’d won on one condition—if, for any reason, Molly slipped into a recessive state, she was to be admitted into the confinement center for evaluation. No questions. No hesitation.
Because of what had been done to her, she was a walking time bomb…or so the great, wise shifter elders had claimed. Lena had scoffed at their ridiculous concern. After she’d sat Molly down and talked to her as if she was an adult, Molly had turned into the perfect child.
Lena had worried she’d scar Molly at first with the blunt facts of her fate if she didn’t meet the shifters’ expectations, but Lena had seen the annoyance on Molly’s face when people talked to her in the sing-song voice the counselors recommended they use on her. Lena’s tactics had worked, and the Shifter Council and Shifter Affairs had backed off, allowing Molly to remain with Lena’s family. Lena was glad. From what she’d heard, few people ever left the evaluation centers alive.
The problem with abused shifters was that not only did the person need counseling, so did their animals. Healing both person and beast proved close to impossible. Their animals didn’t respond to traditional methods of counseling and nobody had been able to find the magic trigger that calmed them. So the abused victims—like Molly—faced a lifetime of confinement or death if they couldn’t keep their animals under control. Neither option was acceptable.
Lena had to strike a deal with Vader, getting his promise to help them. And if he thought to double-cross her? She’d find a way to kill him even if she had to tie him up and chop off his head. No one threatened her family.
A bitter laugh crawled up her throat. Maybe she was a violent person after all. The thought didn’t bother her, not if it kept those she loved safe.
She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. The humid room smelled of coconut and cocoa butter, her favorite scents next to evergreen and moss. She inhaled and luxuriated in the soothing fragrances. The tension in her limbs eased. She let out a shaky breath. Another inhalation and the fragrant reminders of the outdoors filled her lungs.
Everything would be fine. She had a plan. Next to a detailed list, a mental strategy was the next best thing. And keeping her goal—protecting Molly—at the center of her mind allowed her to focus. As long as Devin didn’t touch or look at her, she’d be fine.
A heavy fist pounded on the bathroom door.
“We got your sister’s text, but it doesn’t make sense. It’s just a bunch of letters,” Devin announced through the closed door.
She smiled. Showtime.
“That’
s because it’s in code. Let me finish up, and I’ll come decipher it.”
She yanked on clothes and stepped out of the bathroom. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight that met her. Devin reclined on her bed, leaning against the headboard and looking decadently sexy. The edges of a button-down shirt hung open, displaying washboard abs and heavily muscled pecs. One leg was bent, the fabric of his jeans stretched tautly over tree-trunk-sized thighs.
Between one heartbeat and the next, her plan to run from him morphed into a consideration over how quickly she could get his clothes off. She steadied herself against the doorjamb.
She had to focus on Molly, making sure she was safe, not letting her wayward emotions control her.
The reminder helped. She straightened, but Devin made a hungry sound low in his throat, yanking her attention right back to him.
The muscles in his neck strained as he gripped the headboard hard enough to make the wood groan. Releasing the solid oak before it snapped, he sat up. His mouth-watering abs bunched with the move. Delicious. The man might turn her into a hot mess, but he was a sight to behold.
“You’re beautiful.”
Her cheeks warmed. She quickly dropped her gaze before she did something she’d regret, like fling herself at him. “Thanks. I put a little lotion on. It’s cocoa butter. I think you’ll like it.”
And why did she care? She was running as soon as she could.
The bed squeaked. She didn’t look at him. Her willpower wasn’t the greatest at the moment. It wouldn’t take much to convince her to change her mind about leaving him.
His bare feet came into view. With one long finger, he tipped up her chin and kissed her. His tongue twined with hers in a rolling thrust that was as invasive as sex. A rough sound of pleasure spilled from him to her. Hearing it sparked the need to please him. She slipped her fingers into his hair and held him close.
“You taste as good as you look,” he whispered against her lips before kissing her harder, deeper.
Desire surged. Her knees gave out. She never met the floor. The arm banded around her waist held her up as if her weight meant nothing to him. He slid his hand down to cup her backside. He used his hold to lift her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gave herself up to the decadent kiss, needing his touch.
He lowered her to the bed, covering her body with his. Despite their height differences, they fit together as if made for each other, his hips to hers and their mouths locked in passion. The reality of what they were doing hit her, though. Devin had done it again. Distracted them. And she’d been all too eager to go along.
Breaking the kiss, she pushed him back. “Gwen. Need to find my sisters.”
He cursed. “Right. Sisters then sex.”
She might not be able to indulge in Devin again, but she loved how he couldn’t string enough words together to form a sentence. He barely looked in control, chest rising and falling roughly. Dilated eyes focused on her lips and short fangs filled his mouth.
Pleased with her power over him, she trailed her finger down the center of his chest, the hair there light and unbelievably soft. He snagged her wrist, brought it to his mouth, and placed a scorching kiss to her palm.
“Can’t wait to love you. It’ll be the first of forever.”
Why did he have to sound so sincere when he said that? It made her question whether or not she was doing the right thing by running from him.
But, she couldn’t risk Molly, not for a man who confused her on every level, not for a man who’d said he’d hand Molly over…to be evaluated. Not for a man who’d proven he was ruled by his instincts.
She brushed her lips against his cheek and climbed off the bed. Her heart raced when she picked up the notepad from the desk. She stared at the jumble of letters, the secret language she and Gwen had developed when they were kids.
A cartoon has given them the idea. Their stepdad encouraged them by teaching them Morse code. Then her and Gwen’s imagination took over. They’d created a secret code even their stepdad couldn’t break. Or at least, he’d never gave them any indication he had. He’d told them he was proud of them. Lena would prove to him he’d be in this situation too. They would protect Molly. Failure wasn’t an option.
Plan B had Gwen picking a spot to lay low while they figured out what to do next. Not the greatest escape scenario. The couple of minutes they’d had together hadn’t offered the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of the choice. They’d had to act.
It looked like her baby sister was doing the best she could. Her heart swelled. Gwen rarely took charge of anything. She was a follower, not a leader.
Gwen had chosen to hide out in Alaska where their last remaining family member, their stepdad’s sister, Maggie, ran a lodge. Although it wasn’t the place Lena would’ve chosen, she could guess why Gwen had. Alaska was a neutral zone. No pride, clan, or wolf pack was allowed to claim it.
Actually, when she thought of it that way, it’d be the best place to hide. It might even be the best place to stay. Not at Maggie’s, though, somewhere farther north. There were villages up there that rarely saw outsiders.
“Well, where are they?” Devin asked.
“Virginia. We have a small cabin up in the woods.” The lie landed like a brick in her stomach.
“The Alexander pride used to live in Virginia.”
“Is that your pride?”
“Yes. We moved to West Virginia a few weeks ago. That’s where Molly’s sister was living. We didn’t want to uproot her.”
“Oh.” Doubt crept into her mind. If Devin’s family would go to that length for Megan, wouldn’t they do the same for Molly?
But he wanted to meet with Colonel Malory and have Molly evaluated. To see how far her condition has progressed. And when Molly refused to talk to him, he’d assume the worst.
“Give me the address. I’ll call Kade, and he’ll send some shifters out there.”
Her hands shook as she scribbled on the paper, fearing he’d scent her deception. He gave no indication he questioned her response or the violent trembling in her body. He took the paper and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.
“We’ll get them home safe. I promise.”
She forced a smile. “Okay.”
He was out the door before she finished speaking. She blew out a breath and put her plan into motion. She turned the stereo on to something sultry and gritty, hoping to mislead him into thinking she was merely waiting for him.
With that done, she grabbed her wallet and slipped out the backdoor. In a crouch, she hurried down the driveway, past the black sports car, then ran before she allowed her heart to rule her life.
Chapter 15
Gwen held the needle cover between her teeth and tapped the syringe against the side of her wrist to get the air bubbles out. Molly watched her without saying a word.
Gwen smiled, hoping to reassure her sister. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Our guide said it’s only a forty-five-minute drive to Maggie’s lodge. She’s expecting us and has a room already set up just for you. I told her how much you like homemade waffles so she’s promised to have a batch ready for when we get there.”
Molly blinked big pale-blue eyes at her. Over the time they had hidden on her boyfriend’s private boat, Gwen had tried everything to get her to talk. Nothing had worked. She honestly couldn’t blame Molly for being upset. So was Gwen.
Her stomach churned with the memory of what those lion shifters did to their parents. Gwen had stood at the top of the stairs, too far away to help, but Lena had shielded Molly’s eyes against the sight of their mother being attacked. Too bad she couldn’t have blocked out the screams or her stepfather’s bellows as he’d tried to fight his way to his wife’s side. When the shifters had unleashed their claws…
No, Gwen couldn’t think about it anymore. Those horrible minutes had sickened her. Only, they’d affected Molly more. Changed her. And Gwen hated seeing the deadened look in her little sister’s pretty eyes as a result.
She wiped Molly’s arm
with an alcohol pad, more to get the dirt off than for site prep, and injected the chemical that masked her cat’s scent. Gwen looked over their remaining supply and tried to stay calm. With the decreased dose she’d been using, they might have enough for another day. Once they were safely inside the lodge, Molly’s scent wouldn’t be as noticeable. Besides, it was the neutral zone. No shifters were allowed to live there.
Not bothering to put a bandage on since the little pinprick would heal completely in seconds, Gwen put the supplies away and helped Molly into her light jacket. Late summer in Alaska wasn’t exactly cold but compared to the eighty-degree weather they’d left behind, it was chilly.
Molly didn’t seem to mind the temperature, but stood still while Gwen fussed with the sleeves, rolling them so they didn’t cover her fingers. The too-long jacket was the only one they could find in the small store they’d stopped at in Anchorage.
Gwen grasped Molly’s hand, adjusted her heavy backpack, and slipped out of the bathroom.
Gwen grinned at their handsome guide. “We’re all ready.”
The blond hunk motioned toward a tall silver-haired man leaning against a dented SUV. “I’ve got to head back into town so Andy will take you out to Maggie’s place. He just started a couple of days ago, but he knows the way and has got your bags already loaded.” The guide smiled at her. “You’re in good hands.”
Molly’s grip tightened, squeezing Gwen’s fingers. Gwen met her sister’s eyes. The panic etched into them sped Gwen’s pulse.
“Do you have to go to the bathroom, after all?”
Molly nodded.
Once in the restroom, Gwen knelt and gripped Molly’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of speaking, Molly pulled a blue crayon from the side pocket of the bag and wrote one word on the wall.
Bear.
Dread landed hard in her gut, churning it until the small dinner they’d had threatened to come up.