Mandy's Story (5 page)

“
No.”

His hand tightened fractionally and
restricted her airway. She didn’t panic or fight him. “The
combination.”

She tried to speak, so he loosened his
hand. She gave a small cough. “I’m not giving you the combination.
Go ahead and kill me.”

They were at an impasse and they both
knew it. Even if he was capable of killing her, it wouldn’t get him
out of the cage. His hand left her throat and traveled over her
cheek up to her hairline. He ran his fingers through the hair above
her ear and lowered his voice even more, “I don’t want you, Mandy.
I’ll never be your mate and I’ll never make love to you. Stockholm
syndrome will do you no good. There is someone out there for you,
but it’s not me.”

His hand rested on her cheek and he
felt a tear slide against his finger. His voice was barely above a
whisper, “Someone will think you’re beautiful and want to make
babies with you. You will be the perfect mate for a wolf. My body
reacts like it would with any female, but I have no desire to have
sex with you. You’ve lost this war, Mandy.”

Her tears fell in earnest, but he
refused to show pity. He let her go and watched her run from the
truck, her sobs no longer held in, and then the front door of the
cabin slammed shut. He sat down in the cage and waited.

***

Mandy ran to the bedroom, threw herself
on the bed, and cried until there were no tears left. Her broken
heart would never mend. She couldn’t believe he didn’t love her
even a tiny bit. Why did her wolf choose him for mate if he
couldn’t fulfill the bond? It made no sense, and she was now
destined for life without a mate. Once her wolf chose, it was
impossible to sever the feeling unless one of them died. She was
not a quitter, but life would be much simpler if there was a
convent for broken mate bonds.

She stood up and looked at herself in
the mirror. Her face flushed from crying, her nose bright red—her
breasts too small and her hair too mousy. No wonder he couldn’t
love her. There was no way she could return to her pack. She never
quite fit in and now it would only be worse. If she released Honey
from the cage, he’d force her to return home. She began
straightening the cabin, working on autopilot, and then undressed
completely, her mind set. Grabbing what she needed, she walked out
the door and crossed to the truck. Honey looked up and for the
first time she saw a reaction that wasn’t anger. Disbelief and then
horror shown in his eyes, but she refused to back down. She lifted
the gun.

“
Mandy, you don’t want to
do this.” His hand came up.

“
This is exactly what I
want.” She fired. He tried to turn, but it didn’t matter where the
dart hit him, it only needed to puncture the skin, and it did. He
gave a quizzical look and pulled out the spent tranquilizer. She
shot him again, but he didn’t have time to reach for this one, his
legs could no longer hold him up.

“
You bitch.” He
fell.

She waited a few minutes to be sure he
was out and then calmly walked to the door and used the combination
on the lock. The key still rested inside the cage. She turned and
walked into the trees. Her feet quickened as she made her way
further into the forest and then she fazed to wolf and began
running.

Chapter Eight

Mandy ran past the river and kept
going. She would live as wolf, forget the rest of the world, and
just survive—her broken heart would never heal. There was nowhere
for her to go, no one who understood her needs. She didn’t want to
live with the Northwest pack any longer. Seeing her sister so happy
would drive her insane. She knew she was selfish, but she didn’t
care.

Eventually her pace slowed. The moon
was high in the sky, and exhaustion overwhelmed her. She finally
came to a fallen tree and slithered between the branches. She
pulled her tail around her body and curled into the tightest ball
she could manage. Sleep finally descended over her worn-out
mind.

She awoke several hours later. The moon
was lower and daylight would soon be streaking over the mountain.
She continued to feel incredibly tired, but forced herself to run
again. The trees cleared slightly and a rocky area gave way to
large boulders. Her nimble frame managed the incline. Right before
she made a leap to a rock a few feet away, a loud metallic clang
sounded and at that exact moment excruciating pain shot through her
ankle. Her wolf let out a high-pitched howl as she fell to the
ground. Through her pain, she saw the steel-jawed trap secured
tightly to her foot. Her wolf form gave way to human and her hands
went to her ankle. Blood pooled below her leg, and using every bit
of strength she possessed, she managed to pry the sharp teeth of
the trap apart. She lay back, breathing hard, trying not to
cry.

The low grumbling voice momentarily
snapped her from the pain. “Well, guys, what do we have here? It
stinks like a dog and it’s stupid enough to get caught in a wolf
trap. It must be one of Nicolas’ pack that escaped when we killed
the rest of those sniveling mutts.”

Mandy stared at three enemy cats, and
wondered if her life could get any worse.

***

Honey came awake slowly, a splitting
headache pounding across his temples. Darkness continued to pour
into the back of the truck. He had no idea what time it was. That
damn she-wolf shot him with a tranquilizer gun, but why? He moved
his hand slightly and felt the key at his fingertips. Standing on
shaky legs, he let his beastkind eyes adjust to the darkness, and
then looked at his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the
lock pulled in the opposite direction than he’d left it. He turned
the key in the lock and it made a small clicking sound.

He opened the door, grabbed the gallon
of water, tilted the jug back, and started drinking. There was
maybe two inches remaining when he finally quenched his thirst.
Leaving the truck, he gazed at his surroundings without a clue
where he was. His heavy footsteps took him to the cabin and he
opened the door. Silence. He walked around the interior for several
minutes and then noticed the note on the kitchen
counter.

Dear Honey,

All I ask is that you
forgive me. The keys are in the truck with money in the glove
compartment. It’s enough to see you home. Have a happy life. I will
never forget you.

Mandy

He didn’t think she had a car, but the
cabin was deserted. A backpack sat on the floor by the door and
when he peered inside, he noticed her personal items. The bag also
smelled like her, along with the rest of the cabin. If she thought
he was leaving without her, she was crazy. He needed to return her
safely to her family. He’d wait until she returned.

He walked over to the open cupboard and
grabbed several cans of chili. Finding a can opener, he removed the
tops and then ate the unappetizing contents cold. He finished off
the gallon of water, refilled it, and continued drinking. His next
stop was the shower. He washed his hair and scrubbed his body.
Leaving the bathroom, he felt much better, but paced around the
room, too restless to sit down. His headache was now a slight throb
and he began wondering if she was coming back. He looked outside.
It was still dark, but he had a nagging feeling that he needed to
find that cursed wolf.

Ten minutes later, he decided to sniff
her out. He walked outside and shifted. His bear nose picked up her
scent almost immediately. His large furry body gained speed and
traveled at a steady gait. It felt wonderful to stretch his legs
and run. Staying cooped up in the small cage had been unbearable.
He’d gladly take out his captivity on her shapely ass like
promised.

One hour turned into two before he
discovered where she slept. Her scent was strong and he couldn’t be
far behind at this point. He went another twenty minutes then
stopped when he heard a sharp cry; he’d really bust her ass if she
hurt herself. He walked slowly, but then the wind shifted and he
picked up a scent that put fear in his heart. Even tired, his bear
put on a burst of speed. He smelled cat.

***

They carried her squirming body down
off the boulders. Besides the cry that released from her throat
when one of them slapped her after she gave a kick with her
uninjured leg, she remained quiet. Finally, they laid her down in a
cleared section of forest floor and moved back.

“
What do you say, boys?
Let’s fuck her and then slit her throat? Cover her mouth,
Fawler.”

“
You son of a bitch. My
mate will kill you.” The pain in her leg was nothing compared to
the terror of what they planned. She struggled, but the stupid cat
Fawler managed to get his hand over her mouth. She bit down hard
and he yelled. Her cheek exploded in pain when he struck the side
of her head with his large fist. Her defiance changed Fawler’s
actions and he began systematically beating her senseless. She
welcomed the continued pain and dizziness. If she was lucky, she’d
be unconscious when they raped and killed her.

She felt pressure on her stomach, and
was barely able to make out, through her severely swollen eyelids,
a body sitting astride her and what felt like his large member
poking her belly.

“
Hold her legs. I get her
first.” The cat grunted, but it sounded far off as her brain
floated.

The pressure was there, and then it
disappeared. At that exact moment an incredible roar filled the
forest. A Kodiak bear attacked and the cat on top of her went
flying. Mandy managed to roll on her side, and through her pain saw
the cat’s head land several feet away. Honey turned and attacked
the other two cats. They didn’t have a chance, and warm blood
splattered her body, followed by the last screams either man would
ever make.

She blinked past the blood running
across her eyes; Honey’s bear was glorious. Her eyelids drifted
shut, but she felt Honey’s powerful arms cradle her close. She
breathed in his scent and managed to whisper one sentence before
her world went dark, “You should have let me die.”

Chapter Nine

The cat had beaten her face almost
beyond recognition. Honey checked her over closely and discovered
her damaged ankle and possibly a broken arm. He didn’t even
consider not calling his liege.

“
I need you,
Dmitri.”

The vampire appeared at his side,
quickly taking in the bloody corpses. He then turned his attention
to Mandy. After a low whistle he said, “Her sister and
brother-in-law will kill you.”

“
And you think I haven’t
considered that? They can get in line—my father will most likely
kill me first.” He tried to tamp down on his anger. Dmitri had a
hair trigger and Mandy needed his help.

Dmitri, deathly still, as only a
vampire could be, ground out, “No matter the proof, I didn’t
believe you kidnapped her. How could you be so stupid?”

“
Well thank you, my liege.
Unfortunately, your trust was well deserved because this vexatious
she-wolf kidnapped me.”

Silence met this pronouncement and
Honey looked up at the vampire standing above him with the first
rays of sunlight coming over the horizon. “Well then… maybe for a
change… you’ve met your match.” The corners of Dmitri’s lips tipped
up.

If Mandy hadn’t been in his arms, he’d
have decked the vamp. Well, he’d have tried and then died, but the
thought of doing it was momentarily satisfactory.

“
Are you bringing her
home?” Dmitri asked.

“
We have a few things to
work out and then I’ll decide what to do.”

“
Fair enough. I’ve barely
managed to keep Brandt and Emily from searching our property. I
think Cheri keeps them away so they don’t start another war. It’s
been decent entertainment to see how far I can push them. I’ll hold
them back for at least another week.”

Honey looked around. “I hate to ask,
but where the hell are we?” He knew he’d be the butt of jokes for
years.

“
You’re on Nicolas’
property, but a long way from the destroyed remains of the main
house. Your she-wolf must have visited here before. The sun is
coming up, so if you don’t mind, I think I’ll help her now.” Dmitri
lifted her arm and struck quickly, taking blood and replacing it
with enzymes that would begin healing her injuries. The vampire let
go of her arm and licked his lips. “So much sweeter than bear. I’ve
had a few wolves before.”

A growl left Honey’s throat and Dmitri
disappeared with a laugh.

The walk back to the cabin took hours.
Mandy never stirred. The vampire’s bite would let her sleep through
much of the healing, so Honey used the time to think. Mandy left
him with few choices, but he was calling the shots now, and they
would be on his terms.

He pushed open the cabin door and
walked to the bed, laying his exasperating burden on the old quilt.
He then went into the kitchen and made enough food to satisfy his
bear-sized hunger. Several hours later, he heard her stir and
walked over to the bed. Her eyes opened then closed. Bruises marred
her face, but the swelling was almost gone.

He waited, but she didn’t open her eyes
again.

“
I know you’re
awake.”