Authors: Lauren Dane
She walked back into the bedroom but heard voices outside the door. Quickly she jumped into the bed, pulling the blankets up just as the door opened a crack.
“Kari? Is everything all right?” Laurent whispered. “I can hear that you aren’t asleep.”
She snorted. “I went to the bathroom. Do I have to clear that with you or am I free to do that small thing?”
He laughed softly. “Sleep well. Let me know if you need anything,” he said and closed the door behind him. Hearing the
snick
of the lock, she cursed him. Him and Andreas Phinney and Dr. Kennedy. The whole lot of them.
* * *
She woke up as the sun was rising and stretched. The bedside clock read six forty-five. She was hungry but she’d decided to take all her meals in her room. She didn’t have any desire to go downstairs and enter into their shared delusion that she was a werewolf queen.
No, if she was going to be a prisoner, there was no need at all to be nice to them or mix with them any more than necessary.
When she walked out of the bathroom, Andreas was waiting for her, sitting in a chair near the door, reading the newspaper. With a shaft of sunshine glinting off that gorgeous honeyed hair, he looked more like an ad straight out of
Esquire
than a werewolf. His large, muscled form was handsome and positively mouthwatering in a soft blue button-down oxford shirt and khakis. Hell, he even wore gorgeous designer loafers. Werewolf, indeed. The man looked like casual, rich elegance personified. That now-familiar tightness hit her body as her nipples hardened. The betrayal of her body infuriated her. She tried not to breathe through her nose as it was clearly his cologne that affected her so deeply.
“So I take it werewolves don’t know how to knock?” She stood in the doorway wearing nothing more than a towel. She was annoyed by his presence and his damnable appeal.
He jerked up at her tone and stared, his lips slightly parted. He dragged his eyes in slow perusal from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Putting a hand on her hip, she glared at him. “Do I have spinach in my cleavage?”
“I apologize, Kari. I didn’t know you would come out here undressed. I’ll go and wait in the hall, shall I? When you’re dressed we can go downstairs together for breakfast.”
“Um, gee...” She paused theatrically, pretending to mull it over. “No. I don’t think so. I’m not having any meals with you, Mr. Phinney. If you insist on continuing this ridiculous criminal farce, I’ll have my meals here in my room.
Alone
.”
“Kari, how can you get to know us if you stay up here?” Agitation rode him. It warred with wanting to coddle her and smooth the way for her. He wanted her to be adjusted to the situation even though he knew it was irrational.
Her eyes widened. “Are you getting testy with me? Get to know you? My god! You are totally delusional! No! I don’t want to get to know you. I want you to let me go. I am
not
a werewolf. I am
not
your Mate or whatever you want to call it. I don’t want to be here. I’m not going to do anything to ease your conscience.”
Frustrated, Andreas rubbed his hands over his face. Truth was, he wasn’t used to being told no or having to deal with any real insubordination. He’d been a leader his whole life. People always deferred to him, or could at least be made to see the light. And certainly, he’d never experienced a woman turning his attentions away before. This woman was infuriating. She was staring the truth in the face and yet she refused to see it. Surely she could feel how right they were!
With an exasperated sigh, she spun on her heel and went back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. He heard her small movements as she got dressed. Despite her frustrating behavior he loved being near her, craved it. She smelled so good. Even through the citrus of the soap and shampoo she used, he could smell her elemental earthiness.
She had a fey quality about her. In a world of very large wolves, by comparison Kari was tiny. She couldn’t have stood at more than five and a half feet. Her heart-shaped face was framed with all of that beautiful, curling blond hair. Hair that cascaded down her back, stopping just shy of that incredible ass. Her eyes were unusual, a blue-green he’d never seen before. Pert nose and a luscious bottom lip he wanted to nibble on. Her body was curvy and voluptuous. Her breasts made his mouth water and his hands itch to touch her, palm her nipples. He wondered what she’d taste like.
Shifting uncomfortably, as the mere thought of her had made him rock-hard once again, he snorted. It figured that he’d get a Mate like her. The woman had a will of iron. Not one of the sweet, easy females that some of the others had, but this tiny, persnickety woman with the fiery temper. His lips curved up at the corners as he imagined what it would be like between them when they got naked the first time. She’d be passionate, he could tell that up-front.
The bathroom door yanked open and she stalked out. “You still here? Do werewolves have comprehension problems as well as an inability to knock and an appalling lack of manners?” She stood there, eyes flashing, feet apart, hands on her hips.
She really was magnificent. His hands itched to touch her as he took her in. “Kari, we’d love to get to know you, but if you want to eat here in your room this morning, I’ll have Anna prepare a tray and bring it up. You and I can eat together in here. I understand that it’s probably a bit overwhelming to see so many people you don’t know yet.” He sent her a charming smile, cocking his head.
Ooooh!
Shivers of delight ran through her as she watched his lips curve, saw his hair slide forward as he moved. Hot damn, the man was a fucking sex bomb. She felt like stomping her foot at the unfairness of having such a hot number be a total nutbag.
Snapping out of it, Kari straightened her back, hoped he didn’t see how hard her nipples were and narrowed her eyes at him. “What part of ‘alone’ didn’t you understand? I don’t want to do anything with you, Mr. Phinney.” She turned to the window, shutting out his appeal. “I’m hungry, so unless you wish to starve me, I’d appreciate it if I could eat soon.” She flopped onto the bed, picked up the book that Dr. Kennedy had left behind and started to read it, ignoring him. Or appearing to, anyway—her body was very much aware of his presence.
He continued to stand there, silently demanding that she look up at him. Instead she continued to act as if he wasn’t even there. Sighing with frustration, he turned to leave the room. “If that’s what you want, Kari,” he said shortly and shut and locked the door as he left.
“That’s ‘Ms. Warner’ to you, dog boy,” she muttered, giving the closed door the finger. With forced calm she concentrated on the book. She had to keep her composure and rest. She was going to try to get away again that night.
A few minutes later a knock sounded on the door. At her lack of an answer, a head poked in uncertainly. It was Skye bringing her breakfast. He tried to make small talk with her but she kept her resolve and kept her responses minimal. Giving him one last look, she turned away and began to eat while reading her book, effectively dismissing him.
* * *
Dr. Kennedy came by mid-morning to check her over. She brought a platter with cheese and crackers and fruit. “Anna wanted to be sure you had snacks on hand in case you got hungry.”
With a sigh, she sat on the bed beside Kari. “Listen, I know you’re angry, confused and frightened. And you have every right to be. But Andreas Phinney is a good person. He’s a leader. He’s courageous and strong but also compassionate and he loves you. Yes, I know that to your thinking he can’t possibly love you but he’s not human. In our world, once you find your Mate—your true Mate—that’s it. It’s chemical, biological. He loves you because you are his other half.
“No one is going to hurt you. We all care about you because you’re his Mate and our female Alpha. Essentially you’re our queen. I know you don’t believe any of this—I sure didn’t until I was changed. But it’s true and you’ll see that.” Standing up, she indicated a bag she’d brought in with her. “There are some magazines and a few paperbacks from the library here I thought you might want to look at. It’ll be a long week if you stay in here the whole time.”
“Do the people at Harborview know what a whackjob you are? Come on! I’ve tried to be civil. I’ve tried nicely asking to be let go. You’re a doctor, how can you go along with this? I’ve been kidnapped. I don’t want to be here. Just let me go. Help me get out of here and I won’t tell the cops anything.”
Elaine looked at her sadly. “I promise that you’ll know the truth soon and you’ll want to be here. No one will hurt you.”
Kari just stared, shaking her head. “You already did hurt me.”
Elaine looked as if she wanted to say more, but didn’t, leaving shortly after.
Kari took her lunch and dinner in her room, as well. She was bored out of her mind. She was at the point where she was seriously considering talking to Phillip. Maybe she could befriend him and get him to help her escape.
* * *
Andreas was miserable. He snapped at everyone and generally just felt sorry for himself. The separation from his Mate was driving his wolf into extreme agitation.
“Why won’t she come down!” he snarled at Sean over dinner. “Does she seriously mean to stay up there until Saturday? I should just go up there and bring her down. Bodily if I have to.”
Sean snorted. “Andreas, if you do that, it’ll only make things worse. I know that being rejected by a woman is a totally new experience for you and all, but deal with it. You know it’s only temporary.”
Laurent and Skye laughed until Andreas gave them both a dark look and the guffaws died down to the occasional snicker.
“Time, Andreas. Give her time,” Sean said dryly, secretly enjoying how this little woman had set Andreas’s well-ordered life on its ear.
Chapter Three
When Kari awakened, the light filtering through her windows was dim. The greenish backlight on her watch illuminated three forty-five. She slowly got out of bed and crept to her tennis shoes. She’d worn clothes to bed to be ready when the time came. She shoved her hair into a ponytail then went to the door and tried the knob.
Damn, still locked
. Sighing, she pulled out the bobby pin and brooch that had been in her toiletries bag. She and Jack had picked locks when they were younger to get food out of the locked cabinets of their aunt and uncle’s home. Shuddering at the memory, she shoved it down before she could think on it too closely.
It only took about three minutes of working before she heard the spring pop open. She grinned to herself—
you’d think werewolves would have more secure locks
. Slowly and carefully she opened the door, heaving a silent sigh of relief when it didn’t squeak.
Laurent slept in the chair outside the door. Creeping past him, she stood at the top of the stairs and peered down. Thankfully, no one appeared to be awake. Sticking to the sides of the stair treads to avoid any creaking, she held her breath until she stole across the great room and over to the front door. Once she’d quietly thrown the locks, she walked out into the night.
And suddenly she was free. Elated and apprehensive, she stood on the porch, alone and utterly without a clue as to where the heck she was. Sighting the long drive, she decided to follow it back out to the road. She hoped she’d be able to follow it back to civilization.
The jog back up the gravel drive took about half an hour. She didn’t want to overtax herself and was relieved to find she had a lot of energy. Still, she didn’t want to waste time, because although she’d put pillows in her bed and pulled up the covers, she knew they’d figure out she was gone sooner rather than later.
At last she reached the road. The question now was, right or left? She didn’t want to go deeper into nowhere but since she’d been unconscious when she arrived, she didn’t know which way they’d come in. Taking a deep breath, she decided that left was always a good choice and started to run down the road.
The post-witching-hour darkness was cold. There were no streetlights way out here but the starlight must have been pretty good because she was able to see well enough to run without falling.
After about an hour, she’d begun to wonder if she was ever going to find a town or even another house. Hearing something, she froze for a moment, straining her ears.
Yes!
It was a car coming from the opposite direction of the lodge. God, she might just get out of this yet. That was, if the car would stop for her instead of plowing into her. Who would expect to see anyone on the roadside in the middle of nowhere at five in the morning?
She stood in the center of the road and waved her hands, praying that they’d see her. A large blue Suburban came along—
yes,
it did see her—and pulled over.
Opening the door, the driver poked his head out as he called to her, “Miss? Are you all right?”
“I am now! I’ve been kidnapped! Could I please get a ride to the nearest town?”
The man got out of the car and came to her then, bringing a blanket that he wrapped around her. “Oh my god! Of course. Get in the car and I’ll take you.” He led her back to his car and helped her inside.
“Thank you so much.” Kari began to tremble with adrenaline. Teeth chattering, she ruthlessly held back tears of relief.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. No, they didn’t hurt me. They’re all just delusional.”
He pulled back onto the roadway and began to drive. “I’m Ryan Salinger.”
“Kari, Kari Warner. Thank you for helping me.”
“Kari, you said the people who took you were delusional. What did you mean?”
“You aren’t going to believe this but they think they’re werewolves. That I’m one too and apparently destined to be their queen.” She sighed. “My doctor drugged me. Kidnapped me from the hospital and brought me to some lodge. It’s all very confusing. God, I sound as delusional as they are.”
“It’s going to be all right, Kari. I know you’re scared but you’re okay now. Thank goodness I found you. Something could have happened tonight. You could have been hurt. You’re safe now.” He gestured at the stainless-steel Thermos in the center console. “There’s coffee in the Thermos. Want some?”
“Coffee? Oh that would be wonderful.”
He smiled at her and motioned to the floorboard. “There’re cups in that bag. Grab one for yourself and pour.”
Anticipating the warm-up, she quickly poured herself a cup and took a sip, happily discovering cream and sugar were already added. “Oh that hits the spot. I was so cold.”
“Good, I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he said as he turned down a gravel drive.
Shit
.
“Where are you going? Oh god, Ryan, this is the lodge.” Her stomach sank and she tried the door. It was locked.
“Kari, please. No one is going to hurt you. They’ve all been worried sick. Luckily I had my cell phone on. I don’t usually out here. Andreas called to tell me that you were missing and to be on the lookout for you. I’m so glad I found you and that you were okay.”
He stopped the car in front of the lodge and people started streaming out onto the deck and lawn.
Kari stifled tears of frustration. Ryan turned to her. “Kari, please don’t.”
“Don’t what!” Rage exploded through her. “You can’t keep me here. It’s illegal! Why are you doing this to me?”
Andreas approached the passenger side door and Ryan flipped the lock. “Kari, thank god you’re all right. You scared me to death.” He reached toward her to pull her out of the car and into his arms but she screamed into his face.
“Do not touch me! Keep your hands off!” She beat at him with her fists, kicking and flailing.
He backed up, waiting for her to get out, but she just sat there. She was done making this easy on them. She was going to be such a pain in the ass they’d willingly drive her to the next town and drop her off just to be rid of her.
Ryan reached out to touch her shoulder and she slapped him off. “You either!”
“Kari, what can I do to make you feel better?” Andreas reached out to her but stopped, hand in midair.
“You can let me go. You can let Ryan here drive me into the nearest town so that I can get home and back to my life. I promise I won’t even call the cops or anything. Please, just let me go.”
He looked pained. “Anything but that, Kari. You’re one of us. I can’t let you go. You could end up hurting yourself when you transform tomorrow night. You might even hurt someone else. You don’t want that, do you? To hurt someone unintentionally?”
“I. Am. Not. A. Werewolf. You. Are. Not. A. Werewolf. There. Are. No. Such. Things. As. Werewolves!” Each word got louder and more insistent.
Skye walked up to the side of the SUV, hands open, palms out, so she could see he was unarmed and posed no threat. “Andreas, show the poor girl already. She’s scared shitless. Let one of us transform so she can see.”
Groaning at his own stupidity, Andreas wanted to smack himself. Why on earth hadn’t that occurred to him before? He’d been so dumbstruck by her physical presence and his need to touch her and be with her, his normal logical abilities had been snuffed out. He nodded to Skye and looked back to Kari. “Kari, watch.”
Kari looked at Skye as he took off his clothes, handing them to Phillip. Naked?
Well, at least the delusion is an attractive one
, she thought as she watched the muscles that lined his body ripple with movement.
Crouching on all fours, he stretched his body and suddenly the electricity that she’d felt at the base of her spine when she’d been attacked by the dog came back. The fine hairs on her arms stood up, and the air crackled with power. Before her eyes, Skye’s smooth skin became lined with jet-black fur. His face lengthened and became a long muzzle.
Jesus H., he was a freaking werewolf. The one from her dream, she realized as she saw what was definitely a wolfish grin on his face.
“
Fuck
,” she whispered. “I should have never gone into that alley.”
Skye, the wolf—whatever he was, whoever he was—shook himself out and trotted toward her. Scrambling back with a panicked cry, she bumped into Ryan, who, she realized, was also one of them. Another freaked-out cry tore from her throat and she hurled her body into the far back row of seats, as far from them as she could get.
Elaine slowly approached the car and got into the passenger seat. Kneeling, facing Kari, she lowered her voice. “Kari, I know this is a lot to take in. As we’ve said—normally, we don’t do things this way. Andreas would have come to you in human form. Gotten to know you and eased you into our world. Michael made a mistake. He’s young. He let emotions get the best of him.
“Your teeth are chattering, Kari. I’m worried about you. Please, come inside. Eat something. Warm up. Let us talk to you about our history, our culture.
Your
history and culture.”
Kari blinked rapidly. This couldn’t be happening, but it was. If they were werewolves, then they were probably telling her the truth about her being one now too. At that admission, her fear melted back into rage.
“How could you do this to me? You didn’t even ask me!” She tried to open the back door to get out but it was locked. “Unlock this door!” she bellowed at Ryan, who threw the lock instantly.
Hopping out, she stomped over to Andreas. “Well?” she demanded, hands on her hips.
“Please, come inside. It’s cold out here. You’re shivering.”
She ground her teeth and stalked toward the front door, everyone giving her a wide berth. Thankfully, she sighted a roaring fire in the great room and headed over to it to warm up. The shock and the adrenaline were wearing off. She knew a system crash was imminent.
“Henry, can you please bring some coffee and pastries?” Andreas asked as he walked toward her. Grabbing a throw from the back of a couch, he reached out to hand it to her, staying back.
Wrapping the blanket around herself, she nodded her thanks and sat on the raised hearth.
Laurent gave her an admiring look. “Nice job with the lock.”
“My brother and I used to have to steal food from locked cabinets when we lived with my aunt and uncle after my parents died. We learned to pick locks then,” she said, chin up.
Laurent nodded. “Perhaps you’ll teach me sometime. It’s not a skill I’ve learned.”
She just looked at him, exasperated. “Look, I’m not trying to be hateful or anything but I’m
so
not down with this. While I’m willing to admit I believe you’re all werewolves and maybe even that I am now too, it doesn’t mean I’m moving in like happy freaking families or anything.”
Andreas sat down on the couch, very near her. So near his scent—that damnable cologne of his—enveloped her senses and she had to resist the urge to lean back and sigh happily.
Turning her body toward him, she took the mug of coffee that Anna held out to her and wrapped her fingers around it. “I’ve come inside. Tell me.”
“Kari,
belle loup
, I can’t apologize for making you into one of us. I
can
apologize for how it was done. It’s not our way. At least not in this country, in this century. We didn’t mean to have to kidnap you and hold you against your will. We didn’t want to scare you.”
“
Belle loup
?”
“Beautiful wolf. You will be, you know. Your fur will be golden. I can tell that now.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay, smooth talker. You’re still in deep shit. Keep talking.”
Skye laughed as he approached the fireplace, clothed and human again. Grabbing a cup of coffee from the tray, he sat on the floor as near to her as he could without scaring her.
“We need females—
loup de mère
.”
“What is it with all of the French? English please.”
“He means we need females who can carry on the lines. Mother wolves,” Phillip explained from the chair across from her.
“I speak French because I am French. My family is. This Clan is. Werewolves originated in France and China at around the same time.” Andreas’s deeply sensuous baritone stroked over her like a caress.
She exhaled sharply. The panic was back but what the hell? In for a penny, in for a pound. “Okaay. So why me?”
“Your ancestors have bred before. Have been changed and borne offspring. You have an Alpha in your family tree.”
“What?”
“Not every female can bear children successfully. We don’t know why that is. Our Clan is led by natural werewolves—those of us who were born as werewolves. This Clan could be thrown into upheaval if I don’t have sons. I’ve been looking for a Mate for twenty years, failing to find her. That is, until I was in Seattle at a conference and I saw you. Or rather, smelled you. We investigated you, and after looking into your background, I’m convinced you’re made to be my Mate.
La reine de loup
, the wolf queen to my wolf king.”
She stood up. “Wait a minute there, buster! Of all the arrogant... You stalked me and had me investigated? You made me into a werewolf so I could breed for you? Are you kidding me? All of this without even
asking
me! You have some nerve, king or not.” Now fully enraged, she folded her arms just under her breasts.
Andreas put his head in his hands, but not before getting a look at the breasts straining against her sweatshirt. “Why can’t you just accept this?”
“Andreas, if I may?” Elaine asked, seeing her Alpha’s frustration.
He groaned and nodded.
“Put at its most basic? Yes. Part of what you’ll do as a Mate—as our queen—will be to have children. But we didn’t make you just to breed for us. You’ll be our leader as Andreas is. You’ll rule the Pack and work in a national governing body for other Packs. It’s difficult to understand because things in the human world are different. The world of wolves isn’t so simple.”
“I am
not
a broodmare!”
“No, you aren’t.” Elaine grabbed her hand. “I was brought over six years ago. Bert, my Mate, and I have two children together. No one forced me. That’s not how we are. You are attracted to Andreas, aren’t you? Don’t lie. Not to me or yourself.”