Taking Nicole (Vegas Mates Series)(#4) (7 page)

She stepped from the shed clothing and moved toward him, but he backed away. The fire had gone from his eyes and she could feel his fear. It clawed at him, pulling him further and further away from her.

“Don’t go,” she pleaded.

“If we do this our scents will start to link. I can’t. They’ll kill Sasha out of spite and then make you watch as they kill me.”

Her heart clenched, pain searing through her chest at the thought of losing him. She cried and sank to the floor.

He disappeared through the bedroom door and her tears began to pour.

Tears for her pain.
 

Tears for his that he wouldn’t let himself shed.

Tears for her mother, who’d lost her true mate so many years ago.
 

Aaron was only pulling away from the bond. She couldn’t imagine the horrifying pain of losing him completely. Her mother had been strong to live with such torment for so many years without it consuming her. Nicole could feel her wolf’s rage boiling deep inside already.

Aaron spoke the truth.
 

She didn’t doubt for a second that her grandparents would spare his sister or him from a painful death if they learned of her transgressions. She walked over to the vanity and sat down. The tears had melted her makeup and now she looked like a creepy ghost from a horror movie—bloodshot eyes, running mascara and eyeliner, and perfectly coifed hair.

I need him.

“I know, sweetie.”

I can’t get us out of here unless he helps me. He has to risk something. Can’t he feel how much it’s going to hurt?

“Of course he can. You’re not the only one connected to the mate bond.”

Will you sleep for me tonight? I just want to fade away for a while.

Her magick fluttered across her skin and her wolf came forward. A gray wolf with golden glowing eyes stared back at her from the mirror.

Thank you.

“Get some rest. I’ll be here if anything happens.”

She pulled herself back into the corner of her mind and let the wolf consciousness take over. Sleep came easily once she released her body to her wolf’s care. Some would say, especially after what happened with her mother, that she gave her wolf too much control, but in her mind it was only fair. They were a team.

An equal partnership.

Maybe if her mom had talked with her wolf more instead of shutting her out, the wolf would never have stolen control.

A light rap on the door preceded it opening. Tempe and Lena’s scent filled the room. Nicole’s wolf stretched and hopped down from the bed, regarding them quietly. Nicole’s consciousness was still sleeping soundly. The wolf had every intention of letting her stay there as long as needed. In the meantime, she needed a run—desperately.

“Nicole?” Tempe called from the other side of the room.

Footsteps padded across the carpet toward her. She dove under the bed and waited, stealing quick glances at the bedroom door. One of them would eventually open it and then she could make her break. She
needed
to get out. Her muscles trembled with excitement.

Lena walked to the door and put a hand on the knob. “Where is she? The guard said no one has been in or out since Aaron retired last night.”

Tempe sighed. “Maybe she’s in the bath. Ask him if he heard anything strange last night. I’ll check in here.”

Lena pulled the bedroom door wide and questioned the guard. Apparently, their mate asked a werewolf to cover for him this evening.
“Good. Maybe this bond is affecting him more than he’s letting on.”

She shot out from under the bed and between the two people in the doorway, both shouting curses at her fleeing, four-legged form. Her tongue lolled out and she flew down the hallway at full speed. Aaron had said there were stairs at the end of the hall, but this hallway had to be at least a quarter-mile long.

“Stop!” A deep male voice shouted from behind her.

She paused and looked back. The unfamiliar guard was stripping down.
“Shit!”
She lunged forward again, determined to find some grass to run on before that lug caught up with her.

Hey ... what’re we doing?
Nicole’s consciousness awakened and reached forward.

“Morning, sunshine. We are taking a run!”

From something or to something?

“Both!”
Her wolf yipped and lunged down a flight of stairs five at a time.

Nicole laughed inwardly and sat back, enjoying the excursion.
Go for it.

“I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Not in the least. We aren’t naked in front of everyone, so I don’t see a problem.

They reached the bottom of the stairwell. Another hallway stretched back the way they’d come. The only other choice was through a large door on the right with an exit sign glaring above it conspicuously.

Door.

“Yep.”

Nicole shifted to human form, pulled the latch on the door, and pushed it open. Bright sunlight filled the alcove and she didn’t wait another millisecond before shifting back.

Her wolf lunged forward with the power and stamina of her royal blood and raced across the concrete drive and walkways until grass and dirt was all she could feel beneath her paws. Taking in a deep breath, she barked, excited to be free, even if it would only last a few minutes. She raced up the hillside and rolled in the long grass. It felt so good to let go.

The mate bond tingled and she swung her head around to stare down at the palace. Her grandmother was standing next to Tempe near the door where she’d escaped. The wolf who’d been chasing her stalked up the hill, snarling.

She barked and shook her head, ears flapping noisily. It wasn’t like she was leaving. It was a run—a sorely needed stretch for her animal half. If she didn’t run at least once a day, her wolf got antsy and she got jittery, like an overdose of caffeine had been pumped into her bloodstream. The magick bubbled and surged, begging to be released.

He shifted in front of her and shouted. “Change back! You would shame us all for a few moments of silliness.” Her ears took in his words, but her eyes saw the pain he’d suffered. Years of scars crisscrossed his body. Some were decades old and some were probably only a few weeks.

Shame? How is running in animal form shameful? Don’t these people know they’re shifters, too? When do they run?

“I don’t think they do.”

She barked at the guard again and shook her head again.

A large female wolf was on top of her moments later, jaws snapping close to her neck. She whined and lay on the ground, baring her neck to the large black wolf standing over her. The animal reminded her of her mom’s wolf.

Grandmother.

She shifted and trembled. “I just needed to run. I wasn’t leaving.”

The black wolf changed in front of her and her grandmother stood over her, glaring down angrily.

“Your behavior is completely unacceptable. You don’t ever leave this palace without a guard.” The older woman bent down and pulled Nicole to her feet by her hair.

She winced, but refused to cry out.

“Stand there and witness what your foolishness will cost him.”

Cost him? What?
She stood frozen, horrified as the unfamiliar guard knelt before her grandmother without a word. Carlotta moved to stand behind him, running her fingers along his taut muscles. She stroked his shoulders and face before taking a firm hold on his chin with one hand and his forehead with the other.

Nicole’s lip trembled. She started to shake her head back and forth. “No. No. Grandmother. No. Please. I won’t ever leave without a guard again. Please!” She screamed through the sickening snap of his neck and turned away to vomit. But nothing came up. She dry-heaved a few more times before she could catch her breath.

Carlotta snapped her fingers. Nicole fought to slow her breathing and her racing pulse. Tempe came running with two robes. She handed the first to Carlotta and then moved closer, handing the other to Nicole.

Nicole accepted the covering and wrapped herself in it tightly.

Tempe fled the hillside and Nicole wished she was going with her, but a sickening feeling said her grandmother wasn’t quite finished.

“Follow me.” Carlotta’s voice was colder than ice and sharper than any weapon.

She plodded quietly behind her grandmother to a large building behind the palace. It resembled a barn, but it was made of metal. Carlotta fiddled with a screen next to a large, steel door. She pushed a button and spoke into a pad.

“Aaron, come here.”

Nicole bit her lip to keep from screaming. Her body trembled and her stomach turned again. Carlotta wouldn’t kill him too, would she? He’d warned her it would come down on all of them. She just hadn’t realized how serious it was. But Carlotta hadn’t hurt Tempe ... yet. What was she going to do to Aaron?
 

I can’t lose him. I can’t. What have I done?

Her wolf was silent, but she could feel their joined fear and it terrified her.

The heavy door creaked and screeched. Aaron emerged from the dark, bringing with him the vile stench of feces and rot. His eyes widened when she met his gaze and he fell to his knees in front of Carlotta.

***

“Mistress.”

“You left your charge with another and it cost him his life.”

A moan tore from his throat as he followed Carlotta’s gaze to the hillside. Two young guards were struggling to carry Henrick’s body.
No.
He looked back at Nicole. She was naked beneath her robe, trembling, pale; her eyes were bloodshot from crying. It may have been her fault, but it hadn’t been on purpose. Nicole wielded a sharp tongue and rebelled against authority, but she would never have purposefully acted out if she’d known the consequences.

Carlotta was cruel and would punish harshly for even the smallest offense to make a point. Nicole didn’t know the rules of society here. It was so different in America. All the shifters were different, even those who were still loyal to the Council. Life had more value where she’d grown up. Life here was forfeit to whoever owned you.

“I beg your forgiveness, Mistress. It will not happen again.”

“Oh, I know it won’t. Go to the post.”

He flinched and held back a scream of frustration. His leopard yowled, pacing just below the surface. It was everything he could do to keep his claws hidden.

“Yes, Mistress,” he gritted through clenched teeth.

He stood and walked a few yards to the large post standing to the right of the building. The old wood post was stained with the blood of years of punishments. He was no stranger to its torture, but he’d hoped to avoid ever touching it again. That wish was denied.

He turned back toward Nicole when she cried out.

“Grandmother, please. It wasn’t his fault. It’s mine. I should be punished, not him.”

Carlotta’s syrupy sweet voice echoed through the courtyard. “Dear girl, I am punishing you. You have to watch.” She pointed to a box below the screen by the door. “Now, go get me the whip inside that chest.”

Sobs tore from Nicole’s body, but she did as she was told and fetched what he knew was a bullwhip from the chest. It wasn’t his first encounter with it and Carlotta was very adept with the weapon.

Nicole handed the whip over and fell to her knees beside her grandmother. He turned away slowly and hugged the post, waiting for the pain and wishing he could protect his mate from this horror. Watching Henrick die should’ve been enough punishment, but causing pain was Carlotta’s favorite pastime. Her husband Reginald could be harsh, too, but Carlotta took pleasure in the punishments.

The whistle of the whip heralded the shot of fire that tore down his back. He clenched his fists and his leopard screamed. His claws extended, digging deep into his palms. He couldn’t let her see. The punishment would only go on longer if she thought he was resisting in any way.

Nicole cried harder every time the whip struck, sending her grief and guilt and worry across the bond without even knowing it.
Damn
. Aaron struggled to maintain his composure. Pain sliced across his back and sides like fire-heated knives. His mind fell to a place where the pain dissipated and he could survive the torture. Through his years here, he’d felt the kiss of Carlotta’s whip on many occasions.

He tried to soothe Nicole through the bond, but her mind was singly on him.
She ... loved … him. No.
It couldn’t be love. She desired him. That he knew, but she couldn’t love him. He’d betrayed her by bringing her here.

“As long as you are both alive, it’s never too late.”

If he were her true mate, there was no happiness without each other. If he allowed her to go through with the ceremony and bond to another, her words would be true. They would both be miserable for their entire lives. Fate didn’t provide mates on a whim. He’d only heard legends of shifters who found another mate centuries after losing their first. Surviving a century knowing he’d abandoned her wasn’t a choice he could live with. He’d thought it was, but even his heart to heart with Sasha just this morning had proved him wrong.

The whip caught the edge of his neck and he hissed.
Damn bitch
. She always tried to find a way to pull him back into the pain. She knew he was able to block it out, and she whipped him harder because of it.

A pause came. The whir of the whip ceased and he released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He let his hand fall to his side, letting go of his death grip on the post. What was left of his t-shirt stuck painfully to the welts on his back and his pants clung, sticky with blood, to the backs of his legs.

“Since he was in charge of you, Nicole, you are in charge of him. Clean him up. You can get a close look at the pain you caused him.”

Another grief-filled sob wrenched from Nicole’s shuddering form. Her heart was much softer than she let on. He wished her no ill and Henrick wouldn’t have either. The two hundred-year-old wolf had no family and no one to live for. His mother had died in the cages a few months ago. Carlotta would have killed him soon anyway. They had no hold over him anymore. He’d already been planning his revenge, but it took time to inflict pain on people who were masters at it already.