mywolfprotector (21 page)

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her body, before gently setting her back down on her feet. She hung onto him limply as he grinned in satisfaction. Taylor knew he realized she'd been well and truly had.

Grabbing up a bar of soap, he arched an eyebrow at her. “Don't tell me you're worn out already, mate. The night is just beginning.”

Taylor held up her hand, wagging a finger at him. “Remember, I'm still human and not used to a male of such large proportions. I'd like to be able to walk tomorrow.”

He grinned, pretending defeat. “If you change your mind, you know I'm always willing and able

to get the job done.”

She grinned at his mock-contrite expression. “You're going to keep this going all night aren't you?”

He soaped his hands and moved them across her shoulders. “You better believe it,” he muttered

close to her ear.

“Be prepared to work hard for it,” she warned him, teasingly. “I plan on leading you on the

quite the chase.”

He eyed her. It was obvious he knew she enjoyed the game as much as he did. He would be able

to scent the excitement and arousal oozing out of her pores. His black eyes turned red as he said, “I'm a wolf, remember? There's nothing we enjoy better than a good chase.”

She winked at him, before replying throaty voice, “I know.” Her fingers trailed down his chest in invitation, slowly circling around each nipple. “In fact, I'm counting on it.”

* * * * *

Taylor woke up, stretching blissfully in the large, comfortable bed. With a smile, she opened her eyes, realizing two things immediately. The last of the numbing drugs were gone, as was Marrok. She was elated about the former, but slightly disappointed that he wasn't there. He had spoiled her to his presence. Rolling over, she discovered a single blood-red rose lying on the white surface of the pillow where his head had been.

Picking it up carefully to avoid the thorns, she brought it to her nose and inhaled its fragrance.

Marrok was romantic and loved to surprise her with small gifts like this one. She wondered where he had gotten it so early in the morning, and how soon he'd return.

The last ten days had only strengthened the bond between them. The love that she felt him was

so strong it was hard to ever imagine existing without him. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to. Fate had blessed her with this man.

Forcing herself out of bed, she made her way into the bathroom to begin her morning ablutions.

She was supposed to meet Carole Anne at the restaurant for lunch. Tonight was the full moon, and it was going to be a biggie with their extra guests.

Although Marrok wasn't officially back on guardian duty, he was actively involved with

anything to do with the research facilities. So far, they hadn't discovered any additional ones. As much as she hoped there weren't anymore, it was hard to imagine that Hell's Pit had been the only one. The pack needed him now more than ever. She didn't resent the time he had to spend working to resolve an issue that affected all of them.

Finishing up her morning preparations, she walked into the living room area. Automatically, she checked the wall clock, stunned to realize it was later than expected. She'd have to rush to meet Carole Anne on time.

Hurriedly, she made her way to the front door. A wave of dizziness washed over her, nearly

bringing her to her knees. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she swallowed hard. Nausea was churning in her stomach, almost strong enough to send her back to the bathroom.

After a moment it passed, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Running a hand along her forehead, she was surprised to discover it covered with sweat. She stared at it, puzzled, before shrugging it off. She'd probably picked up whatever was going around.

Viruses and colds didn't affect werewolves, so they generally weren't found in a werewolf

community. With so many visitors, though, she supposed anything was possible. Marrok made an

excellent teacher when it came to pack life. They'd spent many evenings simply talking, so she had learned a lot.

Leaving the house, she made her way to the restaurant. Carole Anne had guaranteed her they

would have a spot. She hoped so. Waiting in a long line was something she'd rather avoid today.

Several residents spoke to her as she walked along the sidewalk. News of the compromising

position they'd been caught in had spread quickly throughout the pack, but the excitement had died out just as fast. Marrok had explained why. Public sex wasn't a big deal among the wolves, but
finding him
having it was newsworthy to the pack.

Taylor wasn't sure if it was that, or the fact that he'd threatened to beat up anyone that

embarrassed her over it. Either way, the problem had been nipped in the bud. Nobody even cracked a grin when she walked into a room.

She walked to the door of the restaurant, feeling a bit tired and winded. It wasn't from lack of food, though. It seemed like she was increasing in size each week. Good food, combined with a mate that enjoyed her more voluptuous form, didn't make for dieting.

Mr. Davies stood at the door. He opened it as she neared, smiling widely at her in greeting.

“Good day, Taylor,” he said, cordially. “The queen is waiting for you. I'll take you to her table.”

Taylor smiled graciously as she followed him. He was always formal when it came to Carole

Anne and Alexander. The restaurant was large, but not so large she needed the escort. She'd seen Carole Anne immediately, but didn't let on. If it made the older werewolf happy to be so formal, who was she to spoil it?

Carole Anne spotted her, waving in her direction with a huge grin. “I'm so sorry if I'm late,” she told her sheepishly, as she sat down. “I'm not sure what's wrong with me today.”

Carole Anne winked at her. “I know what's wrong with you. You have a big, strapping, male in

your bed, and he's wearing you down.” She chuckled. “Mine is welcome to wear me down anytime he feels up to the challenge... Which is often.”

Taylor blushed, but had to laugh. Carole Anne was outspoken, and it was refreshing. “I'm glad

you understand.”

“Of course! What does my husband have your mate into today?”

Taylor shrugged. “I actually don't know. He was gone by the time I woke up.”

The waitress arrived to take their orders. She didn't hang around to chat. The restaurant was

bursting at the seams, and she looked a bit frazzled. Mr. Davies seemed to be thrilled with the extra business. It gave him a chance to visit with all his customers, renewing old acquaintances and making new ones.

Taylor rubbed at her forehead, the voices of the patrons louder than usual. It felt like a hammer was beating at her skull. She forced herself to ask, “Have the guardians discovered anything new?”

Carole Anne looked serious at her question. “A lot actually, but no new facilities. Did you know that underneath the mesa, they basically had created their very own underground interstate? There are large tunnels leading as far as Mexico and California. It's no wonder the pack there had no idea it even existed. There was really no need for anyone to enter or leave in that area, at least above ground.”

Taylor sighed. “If they did it there, they could do it anywhere.”

“I agree. A group of guardians are tapping into the satellite. There going to go over the entire globe with a fine-toothed comb in the hopes of picking up something suspicious.”

“A satellite?”

Carole Anne shot her a sheepish grin. “I'm sorry, Taylor. I forgot that you wouldn't have known about it. A satellite is basically a type of machinery in outer space. It can detect anything on the surface of the earth. I've also been told that they can zoom in and see even the tiniest items on the ground. They are advanced enough to reveal things underneath the surface of the earth, as well.”

Taylor whistled, amazed that technology had come so far. “That's amazing.”

“You haven't seen anything, yet,” she quipped back. “Wait until you discover the support

lingerie available now. If a woman wants to, she can perk her breasts up to her chin, and her stomach to her rear, with the right lingerie.”

Taylor shook her head in bemusement. It sounded painful.

The waitress returned with their drinks. Her mouth was extremely dry, her entire head

pounding. Maybe she wasn't drinking enough fluids. She grabbed her glass with a trembling hand, latching onto the straw.

Carole Anne watched her with a worried expression as she finished it all. “You know, Taylor,

you are kind of pale today. Maybe you should let Doctor Sanders take a look at you.”

“I'll be okay. I think I've just had too many late nights, lately.” Forcing a smile, she asked,

“Have the guardians had any luck establishing who is behind the facilities?”

“The New Mexico pack found a database on one of the hard drives they were able to save from

the fires. They believe that only the ones on the list really know about the facility, or at least, what's really happening inside of them. Alexander mentioned something about it being privately funded. At that point, he lost me.”

Carole Anne's expression grew ruthless as she continued, “I just want it stopped. Anything that endangers my husband is going too far. I never really lived until I met that man, and I couldn't imagine trying to without him. Alexander is my entire life. I fully support his efforts, and all that he's doing to put a stop to it. The sooner the better.”

Taylor nodded in agreement, fighting a new wave of dizziness. The room spun as the restaurant

closed in on her. Not wanting to concern the other woman, she fought it, sipping the refill the waitress laid down on the table.

Carole Anne waved through the window at Alexander, who was standing across the street

speaking with a group of guardians. He stared back at her for a long moment, his expression filled with so much love and heat that even Taylor felt it. Carole Anne finally broke away, turning back to Taylor with a dreamy sigh.

“Where was I?” she asked Taylor, sipping at her drink. Her brow furrowed. “Oh, I remember

now. The guardians also found out that something similar has been going on since the early 1900's. One of the biggest arguments against the existence of supernaturals has always been that nobody provided a body. That hasn't been by accident.”

Taylor blinked, before asking woozily, “What do you mean?”

“The same organization responsible for these abductions of our people have monitored society

vigilantly for any supernatural sightings. Somehow, they have always managed to find and remove any bodies before the general public learned about it it. This has held true for every creature, from aliens to Bigfoot. A network has to have a pretty wide reach to accomplish something like that.”

A sharp pain shot through Taylor's chest, powerful enough to take her breath away. It was

immediately followed by a rapid gallop, preventing her from taking in any air. The world spun

viciously as fear shot through her. Struggling to stand up, she managed to make it to her feet, right before a thick, black cloud descended upon her.

“Help me,” she gasped out, a split second before losing consciousness. Her forehead hit the

wooden surface of the table, with enough force to crack it. Unaware of anything more, Taylor collapsed on the tile floor.

Another patron screamed, the sound ear-splitting in the silence. Carole Anne jumped up,

knocking her chair to the ground. “Get Doctor Sanders, fast,” she ordered the guardian behind her. He quickly took off.

Alexander heard the scream, seeing the panicked look on his wife's face from across the street.

Immediately, he ran to the restaurant, the group of guardians following him.

The werwolves in the restaurant were horrified to see Marrok's mate lying on the ground. All of them liked the easygoing female, and respected her for the years she'd spent in captivity. She was strong but kind, always looking to help others.

Carole Anne dropped to her knees next to her, rolling her over easily with the strength of her wolf. Taylor's face was completely blanched of all color, with the exception of the blood gushing from her wound. She checked her pulse, her expression frightened when she realized Taylor didn't even have one.

“One of you light a fire under Doctor Sander's ass,
now
,” she demanded, starting CPR on Taylor. “I don't care if you have to drag him out. Get him over here.” It was lucky that Carole Anne knew how to perform it. None of the other werewolves in the building did. They didn't have any need for it.

Alexander ran in, his blue eyes wild as he summed up the situation. “Somebody find Marrok,”

he shouted, dropping to his knees, next to Carole Anne. His expression was filled with horror and shock at the scene in front of him, worried that Taylor could possibly be dying. “And make it damned fast, unless you want to be the one to face him and tell him his mate is dead.” Half the room ran for the door.

Tears ran down Carole Anne's face. “Put the heel of your hand over her forehead, Alexander,

and use your other hand under her chin to keep her head tilted back. I'm going to try to blow some air into her.”

Leaning over Taylor's prone body, Carole Anne gently pinched her nose shut with her thumb

and forefinger. She sealed her mouth to hers, releasing two slow breaths into Taylor's body with enough gentle force to make her chest rise.

Without hesitation, Carole Anne began the chest compressions again. “I'm losing her,

Alexander,” she sobbed out, bitterly. “She survived all those years of captivity just to have her mate for such a short time and die in our fucking restaurant.”

Doctor Sanders ran into the restaurant, followed by two of his assistants. They carried a

stretcher between them. The crowd parted immediately, allowing him through. His face paled when he saw Taylor's condition. He dropped down on the floor next to them, quickly checking her pulse as he asked, “What happened to her?”

“I'm not sure,” Carole Anne replied. “She came in and acted like she wasn't feeling well. She