by Molly Prince
I was surprised to see the door handle turn before I had even finished my sentence. The guard must have been right outside.
“Carrie? Carrie my name is…”
This was it. My moment of truth. As soon as he took his first step into the room, I swung with all my strength. The lamp careened into the side of his head, impacting with a dull thud. I was expecting the guard to collapse unconscious on the floor. That’s what always happened in movies. Instead, he cried out in pain and turned to face me.
“Aw fuck. What the fuck? Fuck that hurt.”
He was dressed head to toe in ridiculous camouflage gear. Another one of Edward’s guards, but this one wasn’t a shifter. His face was badly bruised, one fairly fresh black eye and one extremely fresh, lamp inflicted cut above the other. He placed his hand to it and winced in pain.
“Shit. Dammit. Carrie, my name is Kent. I’m here to…”
I didn’t know what to do so I hit him again. This time he went down and stayed down.
- X -
The cabin was deserted and I was able to descend the stairs unchallenged. I had to find James and get out of here before Kent (as if that was his real name) woke up and alerted Edward’s other minions to the fact that I had escaped.
There was definitely something going on outside in front of the cabin. For a second I was torn. Part of me, the safe, sensible, danger averse part, thought I should head out the back and make a run for it. James could take care of himself and, if he couldn’t, I was more likely to be a liability than an asset.
But I couldn’t do it. Whatever happened, we needed to be together. I realized that now. For the last month I’d been living a lie. Going through the motions of picking up the pieces and getting on with my life, despite the fact that, deep down inside, I knew I could never live without him. The idea that we should ever be apart just felt wrong.
I made my way to the door to see what was going on.
“Oh.”
James was fighting a bear.
A big bear.
The bear was winning.
I felt the sting of tears in my eyes as I began to well up. Oh my poor baby. What have they done to you? My mighty alpha wolf was battered and bruised. His fur matted and stained with blood. But he fought on.
He lowered his head and charged, snapping at one of the bear’s rear legs. But he was too slow and the bear, despite its size, was too fast. James skidded to a halt and tried to change direction, but his legs went out from under him and he lost his footing, crashing to the ground with an anguished yelp.
No. Oh no.
The bear raised itself on its hind legs, towering above him as he tried to get back to his feet. And then it was gone, replaced by a naked Edward. James shifted back to human form as well. The contrast between the two of them was sickening. James was bruised, battered and bleeding. Edward had barely worked up a sweat.
“You win OK. You win… just let her go. Please.”
Edward swung a kick and I heard the breath go out of James as it connected with his ribs.
“I can’t let her go… you still don’t get it. He went looking for the best of us. The fastest. The strongest. The smartest. And when he found us, he stripped away everything that made us human. He stripped it away with pain and tragedy and fire. He took away everything we held dear, so all that was left was the animal within. And then he rebuilt us in his image. He made us desperate. He turned us into weapons. We had to lose everything so he could make us the best that we could be.”
Edward kicked James again and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from crying out.
“And for the best of us, the best of the best, a prize. The prize. Her.”
What? What the hell was Paddington Fucking Bear on about?
“I can’t let her go because she’s what we’re fighting for. She’s what you’re going to die for, because ’m stronger than you.”
KICK
“I’m faster than you.”
KICK
“I’m smarter than…”
“NO!” I screamed, “leave him alone. You win. You can have me. We can have dinner, go for a walk in the woods, whatever the hell you want. Just leave him alone.”
Edward paused and turned from James to me as he considered my offer. But he clearly had the upper hand. I was in no position to bargain for James’ life.
“I don’t think so.”
As he pulled his leg back for another kick James shifted and lunged for Edward’s exposed ankle. There was a sickening crunch as his powerful jaws clamped down and tore a massive chunk of flesh, bone and god-knows-what else out of it.
Edward screamed, more in rage than in pain. A scream that turned into a mighty bellowing raw as he shifted back into bear form. But almost instantly his ankle gave way, unable to support the massive weight it was being asked to.
He hit the ground with a thud and now it was James who had the upper hand. He used speed and mobility to his advantage. Darting within range to nip and claw at Edward’s massive immobile form and darting away before he could cuff him with his huge paw.
When Edward shifted back, he groaned in pain. His body covered in cuts and scratches, one foot a bloody mess as blood poured out of the wound at his ankle.
“Well,” he grinned, “if you're going to fight dirty then fuck it. Kill him!”
He called to his guards, his pet wolves that watched from the shadows. They came padding forwards from the trees and my heart sunk. Despite gaining the upper-hand with Edward, James wasn’t in any kind of state to take on another wolf. Let alone four… no make that five… of them.
“Do it you dumb fucking wolves. FINISH HIM!”
But the wolves kept coming. Eight… nine… ten… They formed a semicircle around the two injured men, heads low, their golden eyes shining in the dusk.
Edward coughed, then started laughing. It was a desperate haunting sound that burst out from between painful gurgling breaths. At first I was confused. I didn’t understand what was happening, but then I smelt it. I smelt something more than family. A bond deeper than blood. I smelt a pack.
James had brought friends. Lots of friends. They’d taken care of the guards while James and Edward fought.
They shifted and I was surprised to see it was Dan who led them. In the month since I’d seen James exile him, the young man had grown-up, and filled out. There was a strength there that I hadn’t seen before. A commanding presence that suited him.
I wondered what had changed him and then I saw an unfamiliar woman standing beside him. There was a story there, I was sure. She was a gorgeous woman, a shifter mate, who looked at him with the sort of adoration that made my heart ache. The sort of look that reminded me of the way I felt about James.
James!
I ran to him and fell to my knees in the blood-soaked mud.
“Oh James, what did he do to you?”
He grinned at me. Through blood and dirt he grinned that infuriating, ridiculous grin that turned my poor broken and beaten wolf into the most gorgeous creature on the face of the earth. He grinned at me and I fell in love all over again.
- X -
Chapter 9: Carrie
No matter how long I spent in the company of shifters, I didn’t think I would ever get used to the whole nudity thing. It was all well and good to be standing around, patting backs and congratulating each other for a well-timed rescue mission, but all the bare flesh was a bit much. I wouldn’t be caught dead exposing my bits, wobbly or otherwise, to such a large group of people.
Friendly hands helped James and I to our feet and Darla launched herself at me. Embracing me like a long-lost sister. I squirmed a little, as the contact made my heart beat a little faster and I felt an unexpected twinge of desire. It’s the shock, I decided, nothing to do with her warm, sexy little body, it’s just the shock.
I reached for James, and breathed a sigh of relief as he embraced me and I felt safe and secure in his powerful, masculine arms. Darla gave me a cheeky wink and went to join the others who were securing the pris
oners.
“Oh no. Don’t worry about me… I’m fine,” said Kent as he stumbled out of the cabin clutching a nasty wound on his forehead. I learned later, to my guilt and dismay, that the man I had assaulted with a lamp, twice, in my escape attempt had actually been there to rescue me. Kent was actually on Team James and now sported two black eyes for his troubles. He was not impressed.
“You neglected to tell me about your backup plan,” said an obviously disgruntled Kent.
James shrugged and I felt him wince as the motion tugged at one of his many injuries.
“You have your secrets, I have mine. I wasn’t sure they’d make it in time. They had a lot of ground to cover.”
Kent nodded, “fair enough,” and then tilted his head towards the prone and bloodied Edward who seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness. “How much did he tell you?”
“Some… but not everything.”
A look passed between them. Something dark. Something that I wanted no part of. But whatever it was could wait. Everything else could wait. I had secrets of my own. Secrets I had to decide if I wanted to share with the man that I loved. Those too could wait.
“I think James needs to lie down for a bit before you debrief him or whatever it is you’re planning on doing to him.”
James turned to face me, “I think I’m OK. It was never as bad as it looked, I was trying to lull him into a false…”
“Oh yes, I’m sure getting beaten black and blue was all part of the plan, but for now I really think you need to take a moment…”
“We have to secure the perim…”
“To lie down or maybe have…”
“And then figure out how we’re going to get…”
“Have a nice long shower.”
“Get everyone back to… oh… oh right. Maybe I do need to lie down for a while. You’ve been through a lot as well. A terrible ordeal,” he said as he finally got the hint.
“Terrible.”
“And perhaps you could do with a shower too?”
Kent threw up his arms in disgust, “Oh for goodness sake. I’ll deal with the prisoners. There’s a transport on the way. The pack can take care of themselves. Just get in there and do whatever it is you need to do to get it out of your system and come and find me when you’ve stopped talking in the worlds most obvious code and acting like lovesick teenagers.”
- X -
“So…”
“So?”
“Do you think maybe you could put some clothes on or something so we can have an actual conversation like normal people.”
James shrugged, “I’m fine. You could always take your clothes off if you feel uncomfortable.”
I stepped towards him, heat and sexual energy radiated from his gorgeous, but battered, body. It actually felt a little empowering, me dressed and him naked. I stood in front of him, up close and personal. My t-shirt clad breasts pushed hard against his chest as I lazily stroked his stomach and thighs, making sure I didn’t touch his manhood.
A hiss of pleasure escaped from between his lips, “Carrie…”
Before he could reach for me, I turned and walked back across the room. I pulled out a chair and sat, “you were saying?”
He was already at half-mast, his rapidly stiffening penis jutting lewdly outward. Bobbing and twitching as if searching for more contact. Definitely empowering! I was enjoying watching him squirm.
He rolled his eyes, “fine, I’ll go and find some clothes.”
As much as I wanted to drop to my knees in front of him and worship that magnificent beast between his legs, we did need to talk.
He returned clad in a pair of neat linen trousers and nothing else. The wounds on his torso were already beginning to heal, all except for the terrible burn over his shoulder. His delicious bare chest was still a distraction, but it would have to do.
“I told you I’d come for you.”
“Yeah. Yeah, you did. But I was kind of thinking along the lines of showing up at work one day with an apology and a bunch of flowers. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Kidnapping. Bears. Visions.”
“Visions?”
I waved the question away. It could wait.
I chewed my lip, unsure how to proceed. I wanted him. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything in the world. But I wanted all of him. I couldn’t live in the shadow of his pack, past or present. As much as my body yearned for his touch whenever I was in his presence, I needed something in return. Something beyond the physical.
The silence grew uncomfortable and I began to feel the familiar sensation of tears forming at the corner of my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. Crying made me weak. I wanted to be strong. My stomach lurched when James turned towards the window and stared out into the dusk. He couldn’t face me.
“When the fire came I lost everything. I lost everything and I was alone. I did things, terrible things. I did terrible things for terrible people. I did these things because we’re not supposed to be alone. It’s hard to explain, but I need you to understand. An alpha without a pack, with no responsibilities and nothing to anchor him, is pure ego, terrible and dangerous.
“I need that. I need a pack. Without one I’ll end up like…”
Edward.
I took a deep breath and felt it catch in my chest. I understood. I understood why he had to chose the pack over me. It hurt. It would always hurt, but I understood.
“Oh James. I… I get it. You can’t help what you are. You need them as much as they need you. I won’t… I won’t stand in the way of that.”
When he turned to face me he had tears in his eyes. I don’t think I’d appreciated quite how hard this was for him. This wasn’t an easy call for him to make. I wasn’t the only one who was hurting.
And then he grinned.
“What?”
“You don’t get it.”
“I… what?”
“You… I… I need a pack. Something to protect. Something to fight for. Something to devote myself to unconditionally. It’s you, Carrie. You’re my pack. I’d been lost for so long and then I found you and suddenly I had a reason to live. I don’t want to be alone anymore Carrie.”
The room was spinning and I was glad I was sitting down.
“But you… but they…”
“They’re not my pack Carrie, they never were. They’d just lost their way and needed a hand. I don’t run with them in my dreams. I never have. Since I met you I’ve dreamed of no one else. You’re my pack.”
You’re my pack.
It wasn’t just the words, but the way he said it. For a man who seemed to be so strong, there was an uncharacteristic hint of desperation. He didn’t just want me, he needed me. Despite his strength there was a fragility there. He was scared. Scared I’d say no. Scared he’d be alone again.
There were still unanswered questions about the future. About how we would make this work. But the knowledge that he needed me as much as I needed him, made all the difference. The future wasn’t something I’d have to figure out. It was something we could figure out together.
He was waiting for me to say something, but I was speechless.
“I..” Love you? But it was more than love. What he was offering me was so much more than love. More than I could ever have imagined love could be. So in response to the most heartfelt and emotional declaration of devotion I had ever heard I just… kind of shrugged and muttered something vaguely positive.
But I didn’t need to say anything. He could feel it. He could smell it.
Yes. Yes, I’ll be your pack. Yes, you can fight for me, you can protect me. Don’t be scared, you won’t be alone again. Now get your tight little alpha-wolf butt over here and claim me.
And then James: my man, my wolf, my alpha; did just that.
I sat on the couch, returning his infectious grin, as he bent low and scooped me up. I failed to suppress a girlish squeal of surprise and delight as I was enveloped in his powerful arms and lifted in the air. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his
torso and prayed that he didn’t overbalance and topple over.
I felt nervous and giddy, like a teenager on a big date. For the longest time we just looked into each other’s eyes. His still fascinated me, an icy blue dotted with flecks of gold. I couldn’t hold his gaze for long and had to keep looking elsewhere as I nervously chewed on my bottom lip.
I felt like laughing and I wasn’t sure why. Relief perhaps? Relief that my ordeal was over. Although I wasn’t sure if the ordeal in question was my abduction or simply the time I had spent without this man in my life.
And then he kissed me.
Is it worth trying to describe it? Some kisses just transcend the physical and emotional connection they represent. It was the sort of kiss I sighed wistfully at when I’d see it in a movie, knowing that it would never be like that for me. Held aloft in the arms of the sort of man that I never dreamed could love a girl like me.
It was the sort of kiss every woman deserved… but how often do we really get what we deserve?
I squealed again as James swung me round and I hung on for dear life. He was showing off now, I felt as light as a feather and I loved every minute of it. There had always been a nervous intensity to our relationship. The brief time we had spent together had been amazing, but exhausting. But now… I just felt free.
James’ spiralling embrace led to the kitchen, where he unceremoniously deposited me on the counter.
“I think you should take off those trousers.”
“On… off… make up your mind woman.”
I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms and lifted my shirt over my head.
“Hmm, would you like me to carry you upstairs?”
“I don’t care. I just want you to carry me.”
James looked confused as I began the difficult and extremely undignified process of shimmying out of the rest of my clothes while perched on a kitchen counter.
“Oh? Ohhhhhh.”
When the big dope finally got it, he couldn’t get out of his trousers fast enough. In his rush to disrobe he got a foot stuck in his trouser leg, which led to a comical interlude of muttered swearing, hopping and knocking askew furniture. For a moment I got to enjoy the rare pleasure of not being the clumsiest person in the room.