“Um, sorry, my friends just got a bit carried away.” He rubbed his hand across his chin, feeling the stubble and wished he’d taken time to shave.
“So I see,” she said as her friends giggled quietly while they checked out the table behind Ryden where Chris and John sat watching.
“Um, well, I was, um…” He stammered, feeling a bit ridiculous with the entire situation.
“Spit it out, hot stuff. I don’t bite.” Carlee looked at her friends, a huge smile on her face and then back at Ryden, who was still trying to figure out how to either ask her to dance or get out of the situation in which he found himself.
“Well,” he started, thinking he’d be better off just to blurt it out. “I was hoping you’d dance with me.” The words tumbled out in a rush, so quickly, he wondered if she even understood him.
“What took you so long? Sure, let’s dance.”
Shocked, he watched as she stood up, grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. Bodies parted to make way for them as the music suddenly changed from the high impact rock beat to something slow and easy.
Shit. Just my luck.
Sure he couldn’t get out of it, even if he wanted to. He pulled the tiny woman up against his larger frame and found she fit him perfectly.
“Um, my name’s Ryden.”
“Nice to meet you, Ryden. I’m Carlee.”
The shock of blonde hair lying across her cheek, made him think of the buttercups that grew around his home when he was a kid. Reaching up, he tucked it behind her ear. Time stood still as the two of them, oblivious to anyone else in the bar, danced through one song after another, not paying attention to the beat as neither seemed to be eager to break the contact. They talked and laughed, and finally, with very little encouragement, Carlee convinced him to take her home.
Jerking awake from a deep sleep, Ryden sat up, clutching at his chest, gasping for every breath. Something was wrong. He had no clue what it was, but every heartbeat made his chest feel as if it would explode. His body ached as if he had spent the last few hours in heavy combat. When the pain in his chest subsided after several minutes, the first face that came to mind was Carlee. He’d fallen asleep thinking of her and dismissed it as the reason why. Still, the uneasiness grew until he couldn’t shake the feeling of dread.
He growled as he jumped from the bed, pacing back and forth. He was on edge, unable to pinpoint the problem. He continued to rub his chest, thinking maybe it was something he ate for supper. Heartburn? Indigestion? Possibly, but it had never happened since his change. He guessed there was a first time for everything.
Trying to get back to sleep would probably be next to impossible, but he was determined. Lying back down, he tried in vain to relax. Tossing and turning, he became encased in the covers, feeling like a caterpillar wrapped in its cocoon. Finally, he gave up on sleeping. Still hurting in his chest, he untangled himself, pulled on his gym clothes and sneakers, and made his way down to the hotel workout room to run off some energy. Maybe he’d feel better and be able to rest after some exercise.
Ryden ran on the treadmill until his legs burned from the exertion. He crawled into bed again at 3 a.m. after a long, hot shower. He hoped the daylight would bring him a better outlook, but that feeling of disquiet was still there as the sun rose. The pain hadn’t subsided and seemed to have gotten worse. There were also constant thoughts of Carlee. If Ryden had tried to explain it to anyone, he wouldn’t have been able to find the words. It was totally beyond his understanding of anything he’d dealt with before. He wanted to pace; he was angry and irritated.
Finally, exhausted from lack of sleep, he called JT and asked if he could come out to his place for a run. “I gotta get out of this concrete jungle. I have never been this angry or close to losing it.”
“Careful, Ryden,” JT said. “Sure, come on out and let’s go for a run.”
Ryden hung up the phone, packed his few belongings and got in his Mustang. The only thing keeping him from actually enjoying the drive out to JT’s wooded property was the constant pain in his chest and the fear that something was terribly wrong.
With the pedal to the metal, he made the usual one-hour drive out to JT’s cabin in the woods in record time. He paid little attention to the beautiful mountain countryside, more intent on the drive and keeping his wolf under control until he could safely shift.
JT was waiting for him in the front yard already stripped down and eager to run. Ryden’s voice on the phone spoke volumes about his mental state. The concern was evident on JT’s face when Ryden quickly got out of his car and began to undress right away.
“Ry, easy, man. Just breathe.”
The change was already taking place, his face shifting, claws extending from now-blunt fingers as he shredded his shirt in his attempt to get it off. Pants followed next, and he kicked his boots off before he burst out of them completely. Before JT could even connect with his own wolf and let him loose, Ryden was down on all fours, hair sprouting everywhere as he raised a shout, his human voice shifting into the howl of his wolf. Following Ryden’s lead, JT shifted and joined his brother as they ran across the field and into the deep woods to hunt.
Anger radiated through the wolf as he took off at a dead run, not caring if his brother joined him or not. He needed to get away, to try and understand what was happening to him. Why was the man in pain when there shouldn’t be any? Was it the female? What was wrong?
So many questions weaved in and out of the wolf’s mind leaving him with even more. What he knew for sure was the man’s refusal to accept the female as his mate agitated the wolf. He wanted her for his own, but until the man realized she was theirs and claimed her, the wolf would have to wait. His patience was wearing thin, and the waiting wouldn’t continue for much longer.
He ran for miles, not stopping until he was panting for breath and exhausted. Behind him, he could hear the footfalls of his brother as he approached. He snarled at his packmate as a warning to stay back and give him space. His brother dipped his head in submission and averted his eyes.
With his nose to the air, the wolf sniffed, trying to locate prey. The hunt, a fresh kill and another run would help him feel better, and he eagerly ran in the direction of a fully mature buck as it loped through the woods, unaware of what lay hidden just beyond his vision.
With slow, silent steps, the wolf stalked his prey while his brother lingered behind, watching, ready to assist in the capture and takedown at the first signal from his Alpha, but not participating. Both wolves were careful to stay downwind, not wanting to alert the prey to their presence. The buck would provide a generous meal for them both. The buck scraped his large horns up and down the trunk of a small tree, marking his territory. Just then, the wind shifted, carrying the wolves’ scent toward the buck. His head came up as he stomped his feet and gave a grunt of warning before he took off at a dead run through the dense forest, leaping over dead trees and brush with ease.
The chase was on, and the Alpha wolf reveled in it as he ran hard for his prey, just as agile in avoiding the very things the deer attempted to put in his path by the direction he took. Large trees and bramble were no match for the much larger wolf and he barreled through as if it were nothing. With a giant leap, the wolf landed on his prey’s back, causing the buck to fall to the ground as the wolf’s powerful jaws bit down hard on the back of his neck, breaking the bones.
Blood pulsed from the wounds as he ripped into the carcass, eating until his hunger was sated. His brother moved closer and patiently awaited his Alpha's permission to eat his fill. His hunger now sated, the Alpha moved away, allowing the other to eat his fill before they headed back.
Both now satisfied and tired, they ran back to the cabin at a much slower pace. They detoured around to a stream for a fresh drink of water and to clean the blood from their fur. As they both arrived back at the cabin, shifting began, as the humans regained control of the bodies…
Ryden was exhausted but somewhat more relaxed, the pain in his
chest having eased a bit but still not gone. JT watched from the porch as he and Ryden dressed. Worry was evident on his face as he saw Ryden tense from what he assumed was pain.
“Hey, you okay?”
Ryden’s head came up looking as if he’d forgotten where he was and who was with him, then relaxed as he picked up his boots and carried them to the front porch steps to put them on. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just needed to run off some steam. Thanks for letting me come up.”
“Of course, Ry, you know you’re always welcome here. You wanna come in for some coffee or a few beers? Maybe a shower?” JT motioned toward the door for Ryden to follow, but his friend shook his head.
“No thanks, I need to get back. Something’s…yeah, I just need to go. Thanks again, man.”
And with that, he stood, and walked back to his car and drove away.
Chapter Seven
The first sound she was aware of was a steady beeping. Attempting to move, she moaned in pain as she tried to remember what the hell happened. She was going to have dinner with G at her place. He was making dinner. Sex with G was definitely not a rodeo sport and had never left her feeling sore and abused. Her heart began to race as the memories of that night slowly fell into place. She had to get out. She had to move. She was trapped. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as the memory played in her mind. They were going out for dessert. She remembered the alley, the beating, the feel of his fists as they pummeled her.
God, it wasn’t a dream. G really did this.
A gentle caress of her thigh, a soft voice, “Just rest, hon.” Something warm began to spread through her veins, and her thoughts faded along with the pain.
She had no idea how long it was before she was able to think clearly. The beeping sound continued, and Carlee wondered if they had computers in heaven. She attempted to move, but found it was a struggle just to breathe.
A gentle hand came to rest against her shoulder, a calm soft voice. “Carlee, easy, hon, you’re in the ICU. You need to stay calm this time. I don’t want to have to put you back out. From your last reaction, I take it you remember what happened, but don’t you worry. You’re going to be just fine. You’re a lucky lady.”
“This doesn’t feel very lucky.” Her throat hurt as she spoke. She tried to force her eyes to open but there was only a slit of vision as she tried to look to the nurse. She closed them, attempting to hold back the hot tears as the memories came rushing back. She told herself that waking up in the ICU was unquestionably better than not waking up at all.
Days passed, and she drifted in and out of consciousness. Every movement brought excruciating pain. Her only visitors had been the police asking questions. There was no way she was telling them anything. G’s connections within the Bureau were unknown to her. She would simply lay low until she figured out what the hell was going on. The police believed her story about not remembering anything of the incident. They left after they assured her they would catch whoever was responsible.
After a week in the ICU she had improved enough to move up to a regular floor. She had been up and sitting in a chair, but every movement made it feel as if she was going to come apart. She clutched a pillow against her stomach. The large row of staples that now created a track down her stomach would always be a reminder of how close she came to death. Life without a spleen was livable for her. What made her heart nearly stop was the thought of something happening to Kyle, and G’s threat. It would be six months to a year before she would be allowed to give blood. She had to pray that she healed fast and that Kyle was somewhere out there and healthy.
She had been back in bed and resting, and the morphine was finally starting to do its job at keeping away the worst of the pain. Inhaling deeply in her sleep, she smelled it—G’s cologne. It was strong as ever and smelled like musky pine forest. She didn’t need to open her eyes to know that he was there. Despite her racing heart she forced herself to lie quiet, and listen to the footsteps as they came closer. She was pretty sure G was with someone else.
She didn’t die a week ago and had no plans on dying today. She could hear two sets of footsteps; he wasn’t alone. Shifting her fingers, she pulled the IV tubing into her hand and squeezed it closed. She only hoped the stupid thing would beep before G had a chance to do whatever he had planned. She let her eyes open just a crack to see the needle in his hand as he approached. He was about to inject something into the IV tubing when the machine finally began to beep. She thanked her lucky stars the nurse must have been close by since she came into the room immediately. It was nearly impossible to keep her eyes closed with G so near.
As he leaned down, her heart raced and her chest ached knowing he was so close. Carlee wanted to scream but knew what the results of that would be.
His voice was soft as he whispered in her ear. “This is just a friendly reminder. There is nowhere you can go, nowhere you can ever hide that I can’t find you. It has been hell putting up with you. But, honestly I guess I shouldn’t complain. I get to torture you for the rest of your life, or at least until you’re no longer any use. Then I get to watch you die.”
“I’m sorry gentlemen, visiting hours are over. You will have to come back tomorrow.” The nurse’s voice was firm as she entered the room, walking over to adjust the buttons on the IV.
G was calm and kissed the top of her head as he put the needle back into his jacket pocket. ”Sorry,We just wanted to make sure she was okay. We work together and we’ve all been worried about her.” He turned and smiled at Carlee, “I’ll be back soon, Carlee; that’s a promise.”
That was one date Carlee had no intention of keeping. She hated to involve anyone else in her mess but had no choice. She used the phone on the table to call the only person she could think of, Sarah.
Sarah was really the only friend from college Carlee had kept in touch with. When Sarah answered, Carlee explained about the mugging, giving only the details necessary before she asked if Sarah could grab her some clothes, a hat and shoes, and bring them to the hospital. In less than a half hour Sarah came rushing through the door.
“You’re fuckin’ kidding me, right? There is no way you should be going home, you look like shit.” Sarah came to stand beside Carlee.
“Hey you know how insurance companies are. If you aren’t dyin’, you’re not stayin’.” Carlee tried to play it off. She was sending up prayers that they didn’t get caught. “Those the clothes?”
Sarah went to work helping Carlee change into street clothes. “Shit Carlee, you look like you went through twelve rounds of boxing. Your dad is fuckin’ loaded. He could pay for you to stay a few extra days. Suck it up and ask him already.”
Sarah held up a hand before Carlee could respond, “I know, Major Asshole isn’t going to lift a finger, as usual. We will just leave it that they better catch the bastard that did this. Did you get a good look at him?”
Carlee tried not to cry as she dressed. Glad that Sarah had the foresight to bring sweats and a large tee shirt. “I remember being hit but really didn’t see them. The police couldn’t find anything in the alley so I’m pretty sure they won’t be catching anyone.”
“Leave it to Baltimore’s finest. At least let me stick around and give you a ride.” There was almost a hiss of anger in her voice.
“Thanks but, G is coming to pick me up when he finishes with a case. I just wanted to be ready when he gets here. One more favor? How about five bucks before you take off so I can hit Starbucks on the way out.” Hating to lie to one of the few friends she had, Carlee knew she had no choice if she wanted to keep Sarah uninvolved.
Sarah started to move forward to give Carlee a hug before thinking better of it. “You know if you need anything girl, you just need to call.”
Carlee settled into the bed after Sarah left and waited. It was the middle of the night, the halls were quiet, and lights had been dimmed when she made her move. She stifled her cries as she rolled from the bed and turned off the IV pump, grabbing the gauze and tape before she removed the IV. Even
breathing hurt, but she had to force herself to push past the pain and move on.
It was the voice in her head that kept her feet moving. You can do this Carlee, you’re not wimping out now. Grasping the handrail she made her way down the hall to the elevators. She held her breath as the door opened and she stepped out. It wasn’t until she was sure G was nowhere to be seen that she finally began to breathe again and made her way out of the hospital.
Carlee had to go to her apartment. Her keys and credit cards were a necessity. There was no way she could get out of town without going there first. The bus driver asked no questions as she boarded. Keeping her hat pulled down, she paid the five bucks for the ride.
“Hurry up and take a seat before you fall out the door.”
The other passengers on the bus just stared as she got on and took a seat by the window. That is one nice thing about being in a big city. A person could look nearly dead or dying and no one would bother to ask any questions. No one would care enough to get involved.
At least the ride wasn’t too long, but when the bus came to a stop a block from her apartment, the ride suddenly seemed to be way too fast. What if someone was waiting at her apartment? What if they knew that she was gone from the hospital already? It wasn’t fear that rose up inside her, it was pure terror. She got the spare key from the potted plant next to the door and her hands shook as she fumbled with the lock.
Despite the pep talk going on in her head, her legs nearly collapsed beneath her. At the sound of the click and the lock sliding out of place, it took everything she had to turn the knob and open the door.
Closing her eyes, she forced herself to walk in. Her hands clenched over her stomach as she gagged at the smell of rotten food. She fought back tears. Crying only made her head hurt worse. She didn’t waste any time as she gathered her keys and purse. All she could think of was getting away, getting somewhere safe. The problem? She didn’t know where safe was.
Wolf’s Heart Page 4