“Skyler Andrews is one of my Inner Circle. He’s a trusted advisor but he’s also a court jester.” There was a deep fondness in Andreas’s words.
Skyler approached her and knelt at her feet. “Welcome, Alpha. My life for yours.” He looked up into her face and grinned. “God, you’re beautiful.” Kari wanted to laugh at his irreverence but she remembered these were not her friends. They’d kidnapped her and thought they were werewolves.
“Watch it,” growled Andreas.
Kari’s body tightened with fear. The growling thing was really scary. They sounded a lot like wolves when they did it. Her imagination was running away from her. Forcing herself to be calm, she reminded herself that she had to control her fear or she’d never get out of there.
Finally the last to be introduced came into the room and wouldn’t meet her eyes. Andreas frowned and everyone got very still. “This is my cousin Michael. He’s the one who changed you.”
Michael approached, and whether or not Kari wanted to believe the werewolf story, she was still freaked by anyone who wished her ill. She drew back.
“Please, please don’t be frightened,” Michael said softly. “I’m sorry. I was just supposed to be watching you, keeping you safe. But you ran. Your fear came over me and I lost control. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Yep, that’s enough for one day. Kari stood, and her napkin floated to the ground as she did. “I’d like to go back to my cell now.” Andreas started to rise but she held out a hand to ward him off. “No, Phillip can take me.”
Andreas looked hurt but nodded to Phillip, who held out his arm for her. She took it, grateful to get out of the room and away from them all. She didn’t respond to any of their good-nights.
After watching them take the stairs, Sean turned back to his brother. “Don’t be upset, Andreas. You did kidnap the girl. She’s freaked.” Sean took a sip of wine and continued to eat his dinner.
“She is something else though. You have a good match there,” Skye added. “She’ll see on Saturday and then she’ll know. She’ll come around. She’ll even forgive fucknuts over there.” He nodded toward Michael, who looked forlorn.
“He’d better hope so,” Laurent growled.
Andreas had a good heart and had only wanted to give his cousin a chance. But Michael’s very minimal control of his wolf was a problem. The attack on Kari hadn’t been the first big mistake he’d made. They all knew it.
* * *
Phillip led Kari to the door of her room. Holding it open for her, he gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be out here if you need me. Sometime—probably around two or so—Laurent will take over for me so I can sleep. He’s a good guy too. Just knock if you need anything. And I mean anything. Warm milk, a beer, someone to play cards with, an extra blanket. Whatever. I won’t tell you not to be scared. I know you are. You don’t know us from Adam and here you’ve been fed a very outlandish line but honestly, look inside of yourself. Trust that. You’ll know that none of us means you harm—not even Michael—and what we are saying, outrageous as it seems, is true.”
“You’re all werewolves then?” Kari asked, eyebrow up.
“Yep. You’ll see Saturday. Hell, they’ll probably run tonight so you might even hear them. Nothing to fear, though. I’m out here and no one wants to hurt or scare you. Now, get some rest.”
It looked like he wanted to hug her and give her a kiss but he only patted her arm, and she felt tenderness for him. Until she heard the lock click behind her.
“Stockholm syndrome,” she mumbled.
Chilly, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. It was cold in the house. Rooting through her dresser drawers, she found some sweats, wool socks and a sweatshirt. She had to figure a way to get out of there and to a town of some sort. But she was damn tired. She decided to nap and then work out what to do once she woke up.
She’d set her internal clock for about 3 a.m. and after a fitful bout of sleep, got up quietly. Silently putting on her sneakers, she eased toward the door. Ever so carefully she reached out and tried the knob. Locked. She’d expected that but it still came as a disappointment. She went into her bathroom and rustled around a bit through her things until she located a bobby pin and a brooch to use for picking the lock.
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 elemen
tal 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 alway
s 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.”