A woman, or what looked like a woman, was curled in the back, naked, chained to the wall.
Dark hair fell over her face that lay on the wet floor, and her shivers told him she was near death. He smelled it, the sickness.
Bret growled back, unable to answer, and looked down at the rusted chain on the door. Looking around, he spied a long poker against the wall and grabbed it, the wolves and Travis silent behind him.
Letting him take the lead, Travis stood back as Bret worked on the lock. Minutes passed before it clicked, disengaging, and he threw the door open.
Rushing over to the woman, he worked on her locks and managed to snap her free.
Shivers racked her frame, and her body was hot to the touch, the fever raging through her.
“Let's get her out, now,” Travis growled.
Bret picked her up, her dark head rolling on his arm, and turned just as the three other wolves crouched down, the growls turning deadly.
Bret froze as Travis quickly shifted back, and his large, dark brown wolf got in line with the others, their red eyes on the flash of yellow and the footsteps coming from the stairway.
Bret tightened his grip on the woman and took a step back, his eyes narrowed on that flickering yellow light. His bear craved the fucker’s death, and he hated missing the chance to sink his teeth into the piece of trash, but he was going to leave it up to the wolves.
This time.
Boots hit the concrete, and the wolves growled. The rest happened in a blur. Shots fired, an agonized scream split the air as the black shadows of the wolves launched their bodies toward the man. The shots went wild as two wolves, Aiden and Patrick, latched onto the legs while Travis went for the throat.
One shot found its mark as Bret felt a flash of pain and grunted against the impact, his body jerking back. He crouched down, shielding the woman with his own body. Another shot and then silence.
Bret slowly stood up, holding the woman tightly as the wolves backed away from the crumpled and bloody form on the floor.
As one, they left the basement, and the men shifted back to their human forms by the trucks.
“Are you okay?” Travis asked, nodding to Bret as he grabbed his black shirt from the back seat. The rest of the men got dressed as well, and Travis took the woman while Bret did the same.
Gritting against the pain in his side as he pulled on his shirt, Bret nodded. “I'll live.”
Once dressed, he took the woman from Travis so he could drive, a look of concern in Travis’s eyes. Just because they were shifters didn't mean they were invincible. They could be killed just like everyone else.
“I'll be fine once I shift back and let the bear heal us both.”
They headed back, their mission complete for the moment, but they weren't done.
Not by far.
Chapter 13
The bastard was late.
Edward stood on the dock, growing more furious by the minute the longer he waited. Glancing at his watch for the third time, Edward scowled, pacing the length of the wooden slats over the water.
Where the fuck is he?
Donny Johnson was supposed to be at the dock by one in the morning with the merchandise, and it was now going on one forty-five with no Donny or the girl.
Nothing had been going right lately. He still didn’t have his wife, the last shipment had been raided by whoever was helping the bitch, and now this.
What the fuck is going on?
His contacts at the police department had let him know that no one had been in running their mouth, so for whatever reason, his wife had yet to set foot in the station, and that itself was shocking. He had expected her to do just that and had been ready, his men in place. In fact, they were still watching the station, and that was manpower that should have been unnecessary.
Edward tried the number again, but like the last five times, it went straight to voicemail, pissing him off even more. He was supposed to deliver the girl to a client in two hours, and so far, no girl. If he didn’t have her, he would have to issue a refund, and the failed transaction would hurt his reputation, not to mention piss off one of his major recurring buyers.
His cell rang, and he quickly answered it.
“Yeah?”
“Hey, boss, we found him and—”
“Put him on the fucking phone,” he growled.
“That's the thing, boss. He’s dead.”
“What do you mean dead?” he asked slowly, as if talking to a child.
“Boss, there's only pieces of him! It looks like a wild animal tore him up! There’s blood everywhere!”
“And the girl?”
“Gone. She ain't here.”
Fuck!
He hung up without another word, and his fingers tightened on the cell as he stared out across the water.
Turning, he stalked back toward his car parked a block away down an alley, his dark thoughts churning as he unlocked the doors and slid into the driver’s seat. He sat there for a minute, staring into the night.
Donny’s death didn't faze him. The asshole hadn't been able to accomplish anything beyond pissing him off. Simple tasks had been too much for the idiot.
Get his wife: failed.
Get the girl to the dock: failed.
The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. It shouldn't have been rocket science, damn it! They knew who was helping his wife and where they lived. In fact, Donny had managed to kill someone on their land. That there should have been a clear warning that he meant business. Any sane person would have told the woman to leave, but instead she was still there. And guarded like a fucking president! Donny had said he had even seen wolves near the house, leading Edward to correctly assume who was behind the man’s death.
With an angry twist, his engine roared to life, and he headed back to his mansion to make the dreaded call to his client.
Damn it to hell and back!
Nikki lay in bed, unable to sleep. Her mind wandered, the worry overtaking her, as so much could go wrong. Were they okay? Did they find Donny’s place? Just because they were shifters didn’t mean they were invincible, which they all seemed to forget a large portion of the time.
Shaking her head, she sighed and got out of bed.
It was going on five o'clock when she walked into the kitchen. She spied Sam sitting at the table and Vanessa at the sink. Nikki took the seat across from Sam and rested her chin in her hand.
“Ladies, they’ll be fine. Relax,” Zach said with a chuckle. He retreated to the living room and the TV, and Nikki stared after him. The big man didn’t seem worried at all, and she took a little comfort in that.
Sam eyed Vanessa standing with her back to her. “I’m worried about him too, Vanessa, about all of them, but scrubbing a hole in that pan won’t help anyone.”
Vanessa dropped the worn sponge and wiped her brow with the back of her soapy hand. “Why is it taking so long?”
“Do you think this is too long for them to be gone?” Nikki asked, lacing her hair between her fingers as she bit her lip in worry.
Vanessa sighed and turned from the sink, giving up on the pan. “It varies. I just thought they’d be back by now.” She grabbed a towel off the counter and leaned back. “He’ll be okay too, Nikki. Bret knows what he’s doing.”
Nikki nodded. She didn't mind admitting she was worried about Bret, regardless of him being a bear.
“So, you’re worried about all of them, Sam?” Vanessa said.
Sam shifted in her chair, a slight blush staining her cheeks. “Well, no. Not all of them.”
Vanessa raised her eyebrow and fought a smile as she turned back to the spotless pan.
Suddenly, they heard the front door open and raced to the living room in time to see the men return, Bret carrying a woman.
Nikki noticed the blood on Bret’s side, his black shirt soaked, and what little blood she had left her face as she paled.
“Bret! You’re hurt!”
Rushing to his side, he handed the w
oman off to Zach, who disappeared up the stairs. Vanessa had quickly kissed Travis before following Zach and Sam out of the room.
Bret glanced down at his side with a puzzled frown. “Yeah, maybe a little but—”
She didn’t let him finish as she grabbed his arm. She knew shifters healed fast, but there was so much blood. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs before you fall down! Shouldn’t you be in the hospital? You may be a bear, but you can die just like me!”
Bret let her lead him toward the stairs, and Nikki heard chuckling behind her. She turned to glare at the men’s amusement. “It’s not funny! He’s hurt!”
“Yeah, but he's already—”
“Tired,” Bret interrupted Noah quickly. “And weak,” he added, seeming to waver on his feet.
She thought she heard a scoff behind her, but when she looked, all she saw were innocent faces. After one more glare, they made it to the top of the stairs, and she headed past his room and went toward hers at the back of the house, knowing it would be quieter than his.
Once inside, she closed the door behind her, but Bret was already sitting down on her bed, a weird look on his handsome face.
She quickly got a bowl of water and a rag from the attached bathroom and sat down beside him, putting the bowl down at his feet.
“Lie down,” she ordered, wetting the rag in the warm water.
He did as he was told and lay down flat on his back across the bed.
Kneeling by his side, she missed his small smile as she began to peel the black shirt away from his wound. He helped her and took it off, causing her mouth to go dry. Trying to ignore his broad chest, she looked down and gasped, jerking back. Her eyes flew up to his face, and she encountered the amusement in their blue depths that she had seen on the other men’s faces.
“You’re not hurt!” she accused, glaring down at him.
He chuckled and crossed his arms behind his head, his forearms bunched as the muscles flexed. “Yes, I was shot, as you can obviously tell,” he said, nodding down to his side, but then he grinned up at her. “But bears heal fast.”
Growling, she started to get off the bed but gasped again when he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her down flat on top of him.
“Let me go, you jerk!” she shouted in his face. “I was worried!”
Still chuckling, he laid his large hands flat across her back and applied pressure, bringing her flush against him, her face mere inches from his own.
“I’m sorry about that,” he whispered as his gaze lowered to her mouth. “I couldn’t…resist.”
With that, he raised his head and kissed her.
Breathing heavily, her mouth opened on its own accord, their tongues tangling. Tilting her head, she moaned as her mouth opened wider, and he invaded with a more primitive push inside, stroking the inside of her cheek as he caressed her back.
With a gentle move, he spread her legs with his knees until she was lying between his own, his hardness against her stomach and growing harder and longer by the second.
“Nikki, I want you,” he whispered harshly before kissing her again.
Desire coursed through her, and she felt her panties grow wet. He must have been reading her mind because his hand left her back and traveled down to her thighs, coming around in between them and stroking her between her legs, her jeans even wet.
Gasping, she spread her legs even more, craving his hands.
With a swiftness that shocked her, she was suddenly beneath him and his hand in her pants, his fingers caressing her on the outside of her underwear.
“Tell me to stop,” he growled, his blue eyes meeting hers. “Tell me to stop, and I’ll stop.”
She couldn’t do it. She was shaking with anticipation, and he took her silence for what it was.
Acceptance.
His fingers pushed aside the opening of her underwear and slipped inside her moist heat, stroking the perfect nub.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back.
“Please.” She gasped. “Please.”
Nothing more. She couldn’t say anything more, and he quickly shed his pants and jerked hers off, throwing them across the room. Lying down on top of her but keeping his weight on his thick arms, he pushed inside, her opening growing and expanding with his size.
She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips, pushing him farther inside.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said through gritted teeth, beads of sweat on his forehead.
“You won’t. Now. I want you now.”
He didn’t need any more convincing as he pushed in farther until he couldn’t go anymore.
“Nikki…”
“Now, damn it.” She gasped, her hips moving up and down, her head back and forth on the pillow. “Please, Bret.” She didn’t understand the need, the passion she felt for him, but it was there, consuming her.
“Fuck.”
He pounded inside of her, hard, and her back bowed, his fullness hitting all the right spots.
“Mine,” he growled.
A split second later, she felt pain in her neck, but that just made her come harder as the world seemed to explode behind her closed eyes.
He collapsed on her, which didn’t help her ragged breathing, her heart pounding, and he quickly shifted to the side of her, throwing his leg and arm across her body.
Her eyes still closed, she felt his eyes on her.
“You’re mine, Nikki,” he whispered against her ear.
Her eyes popped open, and she gazed up at him.
He trailed a finger down the side of her neck, and her eyes widened when she saw the blood on his finger.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Apologetic, their eyes met, and she could have sworn she saw his bear smiling down at her.
“Why did you bite me?” she asked curiously, not really feeling the pain anymore. In fact, if she hadn’t thought it weird, she could almost have said the pain had made her come harder.
“My bear wanted you,” he said simply. “I want you. There’s a bond there that wasn’t there before.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be mad. She had wanted him too, wanted to be with him, but...
Voices drifting past her door had her stiffening as the rest of the world came back into play.
“Shit!” Jumping up, she ran to the bathroom for a quick shower. She didn’t know a lot about bears, but she knew of their excessive smell, and she had bear all over her.
By the time she returned to the bedroom, Bret was gone, but a piece of paper on the bed caught her eyes.
Reading it, she blushed.
Leaving you alone to shower in peace. Meet me downstairs
when you get done, but I’m looking forward to tonight.
Keep your window unlocked for me.
Bret
Remembering the woman he had been carrying when he had gotten home, Nikki quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.
Chapter 14
Downstairs, Bret wore a shit-eating grin on his face as he entered the kitchen, and the reactions from his pack mates sitting at the table varied. Sam looked happy for him but cautious. Travis raised a brow and narrowed his eyes. Zach, Noah, and Aiden grinned, and Vanessa didn't really have an expression beyond the small smile on her face, but she seemed happy for him.
“Don't hurt her, Bret. She's been through enough,” Sam said quietly just as just Nikki walked into the kitchen, a bright flush on her beautiful face.
He only had a split second before the reactions changed to astonishment as the scent of her was clear. Sex was one thing, but what he had done was something else, and they all knew it. He should have told her the shower wouldn't have done any good. His smell was forever imprinted on her, and he loved it.
She’s mine.
Nikki appeared a little uncertain as she looked around at the eyes on her. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Not a thing.”
“Everything is g
ood.”
The responses varied on that one as everyone just grinned at her.
She looked at him with a puzzled frown. “Do I have something on my face?” she demanded, her hands on her hips. She tried to act tough, but the flush deepened, turning into a blush.
“Nikki, you do realize what happened, don't you?” Sam asked, still cautious, but there was now a small smile on her face as she looked at her friend. “I did explain it to you years ago.”
Nikki looked at her, confused.
“You're mated to Bret now, sweetie.”
Nikki’s eyes widened. “What?” And then it hit her, and she turned to glare at Bret. “The bite!”
The red mark on her neck was visible to anyone with eyes, even if she hadn't smelled of him.
Now uncertainty hit him. He had thought she felt it too, the connection between them, but what if he had been wrong?
“Nikki,” he began, the uncertainty growing, but something in her eyes stopped him. Everyone else faded as his fear of rejection returned. He could have sworn…
“But...but I can't be mated! I'm still married!”
Taking a chance, he walked over to her and grabbed her hands fisted at her sides, everyone behind him silent.
“I love you, Nikki,” he said quietly, putting it all out there. If she rejected him, it would kill him, especially with the bond that was growing between them. More than anything, though, he wanted her to be happy, and if she wasn't happy with him…
The fear receded from her eyes as they softened and seemed to glow as she looked up at him.
“I love you,” he repeated after taking a deep breath. His heart pounding, everyone probably heard it, but he didn't care. All that mattered was the woman in front of him.
“Oh, Bret,” she whispered, her hands tightening on his. “I just need more time. Everything has happened so fast and…” She stopped, her throat working as she swallowed. “I just don't want to make another mistake,” she finished, whispering.
It wasn't the answer he had wanted, but it was something. Squeezing her hands one last time, he gave her a gentle smile before pulling back. “I know, darling. It's okay.”
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