He nodded to Aiden and went to the tree nearest to the attic. He wanted to see what was inside. He grabbed the lowest branches of the pine and started up, climbing swiftly and easily, barely disturbing the pine needles. He climbed quickly, up and up, the branches thick and sturdy. After about twenty feet he paused, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small set of binoculars, just enough to bring the window into sharp focus. He squinted. His jaw clenched. Was that...? No, it couldn't be....
A flush of heat ran over him. Oh, it was. And he was pissed.
* * * *
Jaime pressed back against the wall, cringing under the scant blanket that the woman had tossed to her. Tabari stood closer to her, the chain in his hand, as though he actually thought he was going to put it around her neck.
“Get the fuck away from me!” Jaime screamed, kicking her feet out at him, then shrieking as he tried to grab her foot. The blanket slipped — she was a split second away from flashing the room with her breasts, but she pulled it up in time, her cheeks bright red. The man's eyes glinted, dark crystals in the orange lamplight.
“If you would just hold still, this would be so much easier,” Tabari grunted, glaring at her. He made a grab for her wrists, but she scrambled sideways, barely eluding his swipe.
“Don't bruise her!” the woman growled. Jaime wondered where she fit into the picture. A Beta? She smelled like it. She had thrown her a blanket out of some kind of decency — yet so far the woman remained distant and cold, watching her with glittering black eyes. There was something lifeless and cruel in the twist of her lips, but Jaime couldn't place it, only that she could smell the hate on her. Jealousy? “Magnus will have her untouched.”
“Then why don't you try to get this on her, Debora?” Tabari snarled, gnashing his teeth. The wolves' energy was running high, their feral sides especially prominent this close to the full moon. The air was dense and thick with tension. Jaime felt her wolf-moon like a pounding fever, a desperate monster surging with each heartbeat, making her whole body pulse. She wasn't terrified of being chained — she was terrified of losing control, of what the feel of flesh might do to her, especially male flesh. Why did she have to be naked? Why did her body have to feel so heavy and sensitized?
“It gets easier with age,” the woman said suddenly, giving her a sharp look. She knew of Jaime's condition — who couldn't? It was as obvious on her as her lack of clothing. “The first one is always the worst.”
Jaime had trouble believing that. She wasn't about to trust anything this woman — Debora — said.
The comment distracted her long enough for Tabari to make a lunge. She shrieked, falling backward, but not before the steel ring went around her neck, clicking in place. It was cold and hard, rough against her neck, making her wince. She immediately retaliated, clawing out and screaming, trying to bite the man's arm off — but Tabari grabbed the chain at her neck and yanked her backwards, sending her crashing to the ground. She hit hard, the wind knocked out of her, gasping for breath.
Sprawling helplessly on the cold floor, she saw Tabari's eyes suddenly darken, becoming hooded and intense. He glanced down at her body... she realized suddenly that the blanket had fallen down, exposing her, the sight causing his fangs to elongate. She could see the heavy rise and fall of his chest; his hands clenching and unclenching. She grimaced, turning away, waiting for his touch. She could do nothing— her body called to him naturally and she couldn't fight it. She wanted to be touched....
He lifted his other hand towards her. It hovered above her breast, hesitating in the air, and then slowly....
Smash!
“AAH!” Jaime screamed, jolting away from him.
Glass shattered on the floor, unexpected, sudden. A large rock went skittering across the room, slamming into the far wall. For a moment Jaime stared at it, the entire room silent, everyone equally shocked. Her eyes traveled to the glass on the floor, and then slowly to the window, realization dawning... had someone thrown it through the bars? Jaime stared in amazement, but Tabari reacted much faster, leaping to his feet and diving to the window. He stared out, eyes wild.
“Dammit!” he yelled, then ran for the door. “It's him! That bastard!”
Jaime already knew who he meant. She couldn't help the smug grin that suddenly came over her face, bringing a burst of warmth to her chest. Sirus was here. He had come for her. She doubted he would be able to break her out... he would be a fool to try... but he knew where she was. It was enough.
“Wipe that smirk off your face!” Debora snapped, glaring at her. She stalked across the floor, heels clicking against the wood, eyes narrowed. “You think you're lucky, having a lifemate? Well he's going to be dead soon, and you're going to be fucking Magnus the Gray.”
Jaime felt like she had been slapped in the face. She glared up at the woman, barring her teeth. “Whatever, bitch. Why don't you go fuck him yourself?”
The woman raised an eyebrow, her face pulling into a scowl. “Maybe you should watch your tongue, pup,” she hissed. “Accidents do happen.”
Jaime smirked again, knowing she had hit a soft spot... This woman was Magnus' Beta and she assumed a lover as well. But not good enough to be an Alpha — not up to Magnus' standards? Definitely jealousy. She couldn't imagine anyone actually wanting Magnus the Gray... unless she was as cruel and rotten as he was.
It made a whole lot of sense. Jaime grinned tauntingly. “Maybe I will fuck him. Maybe I'll do it real good and slow and you can watch.”
“Bitch!” the woman stepped forward, her hand snapping to one side. Crack! Her palm hit Jaime's cheek with enough force to send her crashing sideways, the taste of blood in her mouth. She slammed into the floor, hitting hard, smacking her head against the floor. For a moment she stars. She cried out, her jaw throbbing.
When she could focus again, her head was against the floor and she saw the woman's heels click-clicking away. Debora paused at the stairs leading down from the attic, turning to look at her, a sneer on her lips. “You're just his tool. You can become Alpha, but I'll never follow you.” She growled and turned away. The door clicked shut. Jaime heard the metal grate close on the other side.
* * * *
“No, you idiot!” Aiden cried out, breaking Sirus' focus. He lost his balance and fell awkwardly to the ground, landing with a clumsy thud in the bushes. He leapt to his feet and shook off the pine needles.
“What the hell-!” he started, only to have Aiden grab him and start shoving him through the trees, dragging him into a fast run.
“With all due respect, chief, what the fuck are you thinking?” Aiden demanded. “You just broke their window! Now they know we're here! We've lost the element of surprise!”
“We never had the element of surprise,” he grunted, glaring at the back of Aiden's head. Didn't he understand? That bastard had been about to touch his lifemate. Sirus felt his blood boil all over again, the rush of fire consuming his system, of uncontrollable rage. He wanted Tabari's blood — craved it.
He tried to drag himself away from Aiden's grip, turning back to the house. “Let go, I'm not finished yet-”
“Finished with what? Do you hear yourself? You're gonna get killed, and that ain't happenin', not on my watch!”
“Dammit, Aiden-”
“You mean thank you!”
Sirus shut up. He could attack Aiden, drop his friend to the ground with a single hit to the back of the head, and go back for that Tabari jackass... but his companion had a point, and their ties went deep, deeper than even the average Alpha and Beta. Maybe he was right. Maybe he had a point.
Sirus stopped resisting and focused on leaving less of a trail. The distant shouts of voices reached him, drifting through the darkness, barely touching on his hearing. He bit his lip after a moment, a sudden wave of nausea overcoming him as a ripple of blackness moved through his consciousness. He stumbled suddenly, catching himself on a tree, holding a hand to his head. “Fuck!”
“Sirus!” Aiden grunted, coming to a scattered
halt. “What-!”
“It's... fuck, it's nothing,” Sirus growled, forcing himself to shake his head, to keep running. What the hell had that been? It took him a moment to realize he hadn't slept in almost three days.
The shouting started again, closer now. They were being followed. They reached the fence and found the bush where they had cut the opening, and slipped through, both moving quickly and assisting the other with well-practiced moves. Then they continued to sprint, running with cold precision. The woods flew past him, leaves brushing his face, and Sirus winced, feeling that ripple of darkness move across his mind again, across his eyes. His steps wavered.
Aiden didn't say anything, but met his gaze. Then he spoke quietly, easily—“Sirus, we're not on a mission. We don't need to kill anyone. We're not getting paid for this. Let's get back to the hotel and rest.”
“I'm leaving her behind,” he said quietly, between thick breaths.
“We're coming back tomorrow. No worries.”
He nodded, clenching his fists, willing the memories to retreat. Now was not the time to exhaust himself. Save that frenzy for the full moon, for the fight between him and that bastard who was after his mate.
“Oh yes, we're coming back,” he growled.
Chapter 17
Jaime slept on the cold floor that night, sore and shivering in the corner. She was awakened by the mid-morning sun, but she forced herself to retreat back to unconsciousness, figuring that sleep was much better than remaining awake. She probably could have spent all day like that, too, except that just as the early afternoon light started to slant through her windows....
Cla-click. Bam! The heavy wooden door flung open and smacked against its hinges, startling her awake. She blinked, trying to clear her blurry eyes.
Two figures climbed into the room, both women. She recognized Debora after a moment, sitting up fully, feeling the weight of the heavy chain pull at her neck. She winced, her throat sore. She had tried Changing into her wolf form several times the previous night, but the iron clasp had remained firm, and she'd been unable to slip out of it. Now she stared at the black-haired woman as she directed the girl next to her.
“Here, take her down and bathe her, and clothe her in this,” she ordered, tossing a white, short dress to the young woman. She appeared to be a maid, though Jaime could smell that she was a werewolf. The new girl looked at her with large brown eyes, her blond hair swept back in a high pony-tail. “Magnus wants to dine with his new mate.”
“Fuck that!” Jaime snapped, snarling.
Debora ignored her. “Oh, and Christine, use extra soap. This entire attic stinks. You might want to hose it down.” She gave Jaime a solid stare before turning and leaving down the steps. “And don't even think about running away, little bitch. I've got this entire hall crowded with wolves. You won't make it ten feet.”
Jaime didn't doubt it — she could hear the shifting of weight on the floorboards beneath her, the grunts and movements of the others. Males by their smell, watching the entrance to the attic, probably hoping she would try to escape so they could get their hands on her. Since noon had passed she had physically felt her hormones intensify. Her arousal was more acute, but even worse, she was feeling less and less control over her wolf-senses. Her eyes were sharper, her teeth elongated, her hearing crisp and precise. It was as though the wolf was bleeding out, seeping from her pores, trying to take over in any way possible. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. With each passing hour, she felt as though the beast was growing just beneath her skin, ready to sink its teeth into something, to howl and roar and race through the forest....
She had to get a hold of herself. At this rate, by the time midnight struck she would be helpless, a tiny human trapped in the body of a raging beast.
The girl sensed the strange energy coming off of her and seemed hesitant to approach. Jaime rolled her eyes.
“Look, I want a bath just as badly as you need to give me one,” she grumbled. It was either this or resist, and there didn't seem to be much to accomplish by staying in a cold attic all day. At least this way she could look for some method of escape. “Just throw me the dress and show me where the bathroom is. I'll take care of the rest myself.”
She had thought the girl seemed timid, but when she spoke, her voice was icy and short. “We will escort you as you deserve,” she said darkly. “I am not your friend.” Then she turned to the exit in the floor and called out, “Chase? Jared? Bring in the leash.”
Jaime watched, wide-eyed, as two werewolves climbed the stairs. One held a long, sturdy looking chain. The other had heavy-duty gloves on, which appeared bite proof... probably wearing them in case she Changed. Jaime could already recognize what was going on. So they weren't planning on letting her roam free. Not at all. She would be held hostage in the most humiliating way....
She barred her teeth, spitting at them. “Fuck you!” she growled. “I'm not some animal, I can walk on my own! I don't need chains!”
“That is for Magnus to decide,” the girl sneered. Jaime stared for a moment, speechless, then launched across the room, roaring and swiping at the girl with clawed fingers. The chain tightened at her neck, choking her, but she struggled against it, trying to rip off the girl's face. The blanket slipped, but she didn't care. The girl stumbled back several feet, obviously shocked, and screamed, “Get her! Hold her down! Put that leash on — fuck!”
The man with the gloves grabbed her from behind, and Jaime writhed, trying to sink her elongated fangs into his arm, but the thick gloves made it impossible. The other man gripped her hard by the neck, and together they wrestled her to the ground, holding her down as the second wolf clasped a chain leash to the iron collar. She howled, kicking and growling, hitting at them with everything she had, trying to gouge an eye out—
They grabbed her hands, pinning them behind her, wrapping them quickly with duct tape. Damn, she hadn't thought of that, and she was too weak to fight off two males. Still, the strength of her wolf-moon was making her skin burn, her muscles flex and contort, screaming to burst free, to lash out and break through the chains, see who had the power to take her as a mate....
But it was too late. They leapt off of her at the same time, leaving her to writhe on the floor until the girl threw the blanket over her. Something about being covered by the cloth distracted her, calmed the frenzy inside so she could breathe freely, the wolf pulling back slightly, allowing her to reason. She panted, sweating, staring up at the wolves. The two men were entranced, eyes dilated and intense, neither hiding the bulges in their pants. The girl, however, looked horrified. Jaime wondered if she had experienced her first wolf-moon yet. She looked young.
After another minute, the girl walked carefully to her side, pinching the blanket and helping her sit up. Now that the female werewolf had seen the extent of her nearing wolf-moon, she seemed to have more sympathy. She glared at the two men as they moved in to lift her, any excuse to touch.
“She can stand on her own!” she growled, and helped Jaime enough to get her feet under her.
She stood carefully, thankful that someone was holding the blanket around her, even if it was an enemy. Of course a woman would understand.
Jaime was done struggling — no use losing control and going wild, especially with her hands tied behind her. If she Changed she would probably break her arms. She was led down the stairs and through the hallway, one man holding the leash as the girl strode behind her, guiding her with gentle tugs on the blanket. Jaime held her head high, ignoring the leers she received from the four men standing in the hallway. Only one didn't spare her a glance, focusing instead on the young woman escorting her, giving her a searching look.
They walked down the short hallway, tan carpet with white walls, and turned abruptly into a door on the right. The light was already on. The woman took the chain leash from the men before they could enter the room and made shooing motions with her arms. “The other females will help. Just stand outside the door. Make sure there are p
eople outside in case she tries to jump out the window.”
One of the men grunted, sounding more annoyed than anything, and turned to leave. The other took up post outside the door, joined by one of the wolves from the hallway. Jaime turned to the bathroom, not knowing what she expected, but definitely not the gleaming white-and-gold tile, the jacuzzi-sized tub laid into the floor, or the stacks of fuzzy towels in every direction. A fogged-glass window let weak afternoon light into the room.
The woman let the blanket fall but didn't unhook the leash, attaching it instead to a towel rack. Jaime wanted to tell her that the flimsy metal wouldn't hold her, but she didn't bother — she wasn't going anywhere. There were too many guards. Maybe a bath wasn't so bad, given the situation....
“Hey, you forgot my hands,” she said, as the young woman went to check the temperature of the water. “I'm tied up. I can't bathe like this!”
The lady didn't respond, but continued with the tub, then she nodded to the water. “Get in.”
“Huh?”
There was a tap at the door. “Come in!” she called, and the door opened, two women entering with soap and wash cloths. Jaime's mouth fell open.
“You're kidding!” she groaned, glaring at them. “If you think I'm going to let you touch me-!”
“Oh please, we're all women here,” the blond said, rolling her eyes. Jaime felt her face flush as one of the girls knelt by the top of the tub, a thin brunette with short pixie hair. The wolf grinned up at her, a look that somehow wasn't friendly. She hated the smell of Magnus' pack, the subtle stench that clung to their clothes and skin. She wondered how many of them had fucked the Alpha. What they all thought of the situation. It made her want to puke.