Running in Fear Escaped (6 page)

She walked backward in confused steps and stared at the man before her. He had the same dark red hair. His emerald eyes gazed down at her, their eye color matched. He looked the same, expect a little older.

“Angel, it's me.” Her father, Guy Manz, stepped up to her and ran his hands through her short hair. “What happened to your hair?” he asked disapprovingly.

“It'd still be there if I hadn't had to hide for the past fifteen years. But, then again what would you know of my life? Since you never bothered to check on me or protect your little girl!” Jaycee growled and jumped back.

“Jaycee!” Dane spoke forcefully, but she refused to be admonished.

“What, you expect me to rush into his arms? He left me, and I had no one to protect me! Was it because I couldn't shift? Were you so disappointed in me that you left? Do you know what they did to me?” All the emotions of her past came tumbling right out. “Ten monsters raped your so-called little girl, daddy!”

Jaycee sank to the ground; tears ran down her face, and she glared at her father. Dane moved behind her and pulled her onto his lap. He held her and comforted her while her father crouched down in front of her.

“I didn't know.” His whisper offered little comfort to her. “I swear, I didn't know. They were supposed to watch over you. Angel, I promise I never meant to be gone so long. I found my true mate while I was gone. She wants to meet you so badly. You have a younger brother. He's eight now.”

Her muscles stiffened, bones cracked, her head fell back, and a howl rumbled up from deep inside her. “Who the hell cares!” The room turned red. Claws tore out of her skin on her hands, and fur covered her flesh. All the while, Dane held onto her tightly. Then she heard him speak in a worried tone.

“She shouldn't be able to change till the full moon! That's not until next week,” Dane yelled over her growl.

“Her anger is triggering the change. You need to concentrate, Jaycee, and slow your breathing. You can do this.”

Jaycee understood him, but she didn't want to listen to anything he said. She lunged at him.

Dane held onto her, preventing her from moving. “He's right, Jaycee. You can do it.”

Jaycee took a deep breath andJ concentrated, focusing on her shift. Dane released her, and she stood up to gaze at him. She turned over her hands, only to see them covered in red fur. Stepping awkwardly she walked to the full length mirror and gasped.

She was beautiful as a werewolf. Her short snout protruded from her face. The only thing that remained the same was her green eyes, which stared back at her. Small, pointy ears twitched, and her whiskers tickled her snout. Smiling, her sharp, pointy fangs protruded from her mouth when she noticed Dane in the background. He stood naked in his were form. She looked down his body and saw his huge cock sticking out at attention.

He cornered her up against the wall, turning her around, and shoved his shaft into her pussy. Out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed her father walk into the hallway, shutting the door.

Dane bit her neck, bringing her attention back to him. He held her in place. She wrapped her feet around his waist and dug her claws into his shoulders. Jaycee knew his beast was claiming his mate, and she loved it.

“You're mine! You're so beautiful. I've never seen a fiery red were,”
he spoke into her mind.

“
I need you, Dane.”

Jaycee's soul touched his, and they entwined together, connecting them for all time. She howled, and her body shook. Dane shoved one last time into her as his howl joined hers.

A mental connection with Dane's pack snapped into place in her mind. Jaycee was now their Alpha bitch.

A rush of emotions to protect her pack and her family swarmed her senses. Dane slowly released her and gazed down at her.

“Concentrate on your human form, and you'll change back. It won't hurt this time, and it will be quick.” Dane turned back into his human form. He stood there, naked, and watched her slowly change.

Within minutes the fur disappeared and her hands were clawless, her body normal again. She jumped into his arms and hugged him. For the first time in her life, she felt whole, part of something greater.

“It felt so amazing! I can shift, and you did it. Thank you,” she whispered, kissing his face all over. He laughed and held her tight. Her father's cough from the other side of the door brought her back to reality. Slowly, she lowered her legs, opened the door, and turned to face her father.

“I can understand your need to protect your pack now, and I can understand you needing to leave. But I still don't know if I can forgive you for leaving me at the hands of that thing. I needed you, and you weren't there for me. No one was.” Dane wrapped a robe around her body as she spoke.

Jaycee stepped forward and hugged her father. “I understand your motivation, but I'm not ready to meet your mate or my brother. It would be too much to know you had another family that didn't include me. I'm sorry.” She stepped back into her mate's arms; he wrapped them around her, embracing her.

“I'm truly sorry I wasn't there. I really believed your mother would protect you. I should have known something was wrong when I didn't hear anything from my source,” he lamented, a single tear dropping down his cheek.

Gaston came running into the room. “Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt, but we have a problem. It seems James, Curt and their men are gone. We don't know how or when, but everyone is gone. The only thing I can think of is someone has told them that the Council sent backup,” Gaston barked.

Jaycee watched her father's beast come out, accompanied by a howl of anger. “There has to be someone here who contacted them,” Guy, Jaycee's father, snarled.

“Well, I know it's not Gaston or Frank. They could have turned me over so many times,” Jaycee mumbled and walked to her closet. She grabbed another dress, since the last one lay in shreds on the floor.

“We know that, baby. And I know it's not Mark or Shelly,” Dane said as he jumped into his pants.

“If we split and all go our own ways, they're going to know. They'll wait and attack when we don't have the numbers to fight them. We need to establish a home base until we can confront them and take them out.” Her father paced back and forth. “Dane, your pack is well established, and, if I'm correct, all your pack will be at the monthly meeting in the next two days. I think we should make that our home base for now,” Guy stated and grabbed his phone.

“I'll place a call and have the rest of my men meet us at your home. I'm also bringing my mate and son,” he said, with a swift look at Jaycee. “I don't trust our enemies not to go after them, now that they know I'm alive.”

Anger and hurt swirled around in her as she listened to her father's concern for his new family.
He never thought of me when I was young.

Baby, now is not the time.
Dane moved into the closet behind her.
I know it hurts.
He hugged her from behind and nibbled on her neck.

Jaycee knew he was right. She listened to her father sprout out his orders.

“Gaston, I want you and Frank to come, too. Bring only the ones you trust. We'll have all the men we need there.” He walked out of the room as he began to place a call.

“Well, looks like it's time to leave again,” she said as she walked to the door with Gaston on her arm. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the evil grin on Danes face.

Don't worry, baby, I have some fun stuff at my home just for you. You can wear that nice little outfit I'm going to tuck into my truck. Do you want to bring those clothes in the closet with us?

Do you mean the big bad wolf would pack my clothes for me? No, I'll get them in a few minutes. I don't want anyone going through my things.

What are you hiding, my little wolf?

Jaycee walked into the kitchen, laughing, and noticed one of the men from last night. What was his name?

“Baby, this is Jesse. You met him last night,” Dane laughed.

Jaycee swatted his arm as it came across her hips when he grabbed her. Jesse put his cell phone in his pocket when Dane grabbed her. “So, when do we leave for your home?”

“We leave in two hours. Why don't you grab something to eat and go pack when you're done? Just remember when we get home that it's your home too, baby. And I get to inspect those bags for any goodies.” He swatted her bottom as she pushed away from him and dug into the fridge.

If you're lucky, I might let you see my goodies,
she laughed.

Honey, I've already seen your goodies, and I most definitely will inspect them again soon. Now as for your toys, I will have the great pleasure of trying out every one you have on you.

Don't you think you should be trying to find out who the informer is and not worrying about my toys?

Oh honey, I can do both. Didn't I mention I'm the big bad wolf?

Jaycee just stuffed a strawberry into her mouth when his words sank in. The berry flew out of her mouth and across the room. She laughed as the strawberry hit Dane on the back of the head. He slowly turned to her with a grin on his face.

“Do you need help eating too, baby?” Dane grinned.

Gaston and Frank burst out laughing, along with Jaycee. She turned to see her father, along with another female and a young boy, walk into the kitchen.

Jaycee gaze blurred, staring at her father and the woman before her. The laughing stopped. A little boy peeked out from behind her leg.

“Jaycee, I'd like you to meet my mate, Kate, and your brother, Sam.” A concerned look entered Guy's eyes. Her stomach tightened, a strange constriction took up residence in her throat, and, with great effort, she forced herself to breathe. She glanced at Dane.

I don't think I can do this.

Dane got up and walked around the counter, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “Yes you can, baby,” he whispered into her ear and nibbled on it.

“Are you really my sister?” the little boy asked.

She took another deep breath and walked around the kitchen counter. She stooped down to the boy's level.

“If you're his son, then I'm your sister,” she gulped.

Jaycee rose and glared at her father. “If you'll excuse me, I have to pack.” She started to walk out of the kitchen when she heard Kate speak. She glanced over her shoulder.

“Do you need any help packing?” Kate had followed her towards the door, her son close behind her.

She shrugged and kept walking towards the bedroom. She knew she should be civil to the lady since she would be staying with them, but her emotions were playing ping-pong with her right at that moment.

You're doing fine. Just take your time. She knows this is tough for you.

Thanks.
I know that when all this crap is done, I want a vacation. Maybe Key West. I hear they have this great club, called Pleasure and Pain, in Miami. Maybe I can talk Shelly into going. We could go shopping during the day and clubbing at night.
Jaycee smiled and walked into her bedroom.

After we finish this business and have our bonding ceremony. We'll go away, but there will be no clubs unless you are with me.

I would want to wear my outfit to a club. I've always wanted to go to a BDSM club.

No one in public will see you in that, baby, so get that out of your pretty little head. Now get packing and make sure you bring any toys with you.

What makes you think I would show you my toys?

“So, where would you like to start?” Kate asked, breaking off their shared conversation.

“I have three suitcases inside the closet there. The clothes in the closet are all going. I'll pack up the bathroom. Hey, Sam, if you look in the dresser by the bed you'll find some cool things to play with while we pack,” Jaycee yelled over her shoulder. She knew her Game Boy Advance was in there with some games he could play.

She opened up the cabinet under the sink and found her black leather case with her toys sitting there, open.
Weird. I didn't open this.
Jaycee grabbed it, her finger going inside the bag. A burning sensation ran up her arm, and she dropped the case. She fell backward onto her ass, holding her hand.

“Shit, what the hell?” Jaycee jumped up and turned on the faucet. Her hand burned, and it itched like crazy. Her hand started to swell and turn red.

“Jaycee, are you okay?” Kate came into the bathroom and stared down at her hand.

“It burns. I don't know what's wrong.” Tears rolled down her face, and her breath caught in her throat.

Dane burst into the bathroom, her father right behind him.

“I sensed your pain. What happened?” Dane whispered, holding onto her.

Kate grabbed her hand, inspecting it carefully. “This is an acid burn. Look at the blisters popping up. Jaycee, you need to shift to push the poison out of your hand. That's the only way it will heal right,” Kate said and looked up at Guy.

Jaycee felt dizzy, confused, but her wolf whined to come out.

“Shift, baby. You can do it.” Dane held her. The wolf took over, and she shifted. The pain lessened to nothing as the poison was pushed out of her skin. The burning and itching had stopped. The poison covered her fur and dripped harmlessly off her paw.

“Give me your hand, Jaycee.” Kate grabbed her hand carefully and wiped off the acid that still remained on the fur. “Good, you can shift back now.”

She looked down, took a big breath, and relaxed into Dane's arms, shifting back. Her clothes were once again in a pile on the floor. She grabbed a towel from behind Dane and wrapped it around her waist. “I swear I'm not going to have any clothes left if this keeps up.” She tried to laugh, but failed.

“You okay now? Where did acid come from, Jaycee?” She looked up into Dane's eyes and then onto the floor where her case lay. Everyone's eyes followed hers. Her father kneeled down to inspect the case, and heat traveled up her neck. In a moment she knew her face would be beet red.

Dane, those are my toys. I don't want my dad to see them.

Baby, your health is more important than embarrassment.

Jaycee watched her father carefully inspect the open bag. Acid had covered her toys, melting them into a pile of goo. Her father's angry eyes gazed up at her.

“It seems our traitor is in the house,” Guy snapped, and Dane's body begun to shake.

“We need to find this person before we leave. Gaston, I want everyone in the family room now!” Guy looked up over his shoulder and ordered.

Jaycee hadn't even noticed Gaston standing right outside the bathroom.

“Dane, you better help my daughter pack. We don't know what other kind of surprises might be waiting for her.”

Walking into the closet, she glanced at all her clothes and grabbed a simple dress to put on. Slipping it on, she grabbed one of her suitcases, only to have Dane snatch it out of her hand. At the sound of his hiss, she looked up at him.

His hand was wrapped around a King Brown Snake that he'd just picked out of the suitcase. She could see he'd snapped its neck. She'd seen pictures of them at one of her past jobs at the zoo. It was one of the top ten most venomous snakes in the world. Jaycee backed away from the thing even though it was dead.

“This has to stop. I'll have one of my men pack your things. Were lucky Kate didn't grab this bag,” Dane barked and walked out of the closet with her right behind him. Her father, Kate and Sam were waiting for them. Seeing the snake, her father snarled, his bones cracked and fur covered his body once again.

“Let's go. We have a meeting to attend. And be sure to bring the snake with you,” her father demanded and escorted his mate and son out the door towards the family room. Dane pulled her close, and they walked down the hallway together. She glanced at the snake, and a shiver ran up her spine.

“Dane, how are we going to find out who's doing this?” Jaycee walked into the room full of men.

“Watch how a Council Alpha finds our traitor,” Dane reassured, rubbing her back with his free hand. All the men filled the huge room and watched as her father paced back and forth, glaring at all of them.

“I have called you all here for a reason. We have a traitor among us, and, before we move, I want this person. As you all know, I am one of the National Council's Alphas and, with this, I have certain powers some of you might not be aware of. We'll find this traitor, now.”

Jaycee watched the men growl, their anger evident. Shelly slipped in next to her and took hold of her hand. Her father walked around the room, his mate and son surrounded by guards. Guy walked up to Dane and took the dead snake from him, showing it to everyone in the room.

“This was in my daughter's suitcase, along with acid on her personal belongings,” Guy growled.

Jaycee watched her father, still in his beast form, take the bag containing her case and sniff it. He laid down the bag after he put the snake in it and continued pacing back and forth.

Scanning the room, she noticed Jesse slowly edging towards the door. His eyes never left her father's. His shirt clung to his body; sweat poured off his face and rolled down his chest. Jaycee knew something wasn't right with him, and she elbowed Dane in the ribs. When he looked down at her, she motioned with her head at Jesse. He slowly moved his gaze and released her hand. He shifted in a matter of moments.

Dane jumped from her side to Jesse's and attacked him. They both hit the floor, Dane's teeth at his throat. Guy stalked over to where Dane and Jesse lay on the floor. He sniffed Jesse's hands and growled.

His fangs sank into Jesse's fur.

“Why?” She heard Dane growl through his teeth.

“You threw my sister away. She should have been Alpha bitch – not that slut!” Jesse growled and tried to struggle with Dane. Dane got up and shoved him towards Pierre and Mark. They held him tight, both of them in their beast form.

“She wasn't my mate. I told her long ago, and I thought she'd understood.” Dane snapped. “And I don't have to explain my business to anyone!”

“She loved you. Hell, you were with her until you smelled that bitch, and then you just threw her to the curb like trash,” Jesse spat out. His beast started to rise, but her father raised his hand, shoving it back into his body. She watched Jesse double over in pain.

“Take him to the basement, and see what you can find out!” Her father ordered his men.

“Dad, he has a cell phone in his pocket. The person he called might be programmed into the phone,” Jaycee informed her father.

“You were always a smart one.” He smiled proudly. Pierre pulled the cell phone from Jesse's pants, throwing it to Dane, who caught it mid-air. He opened the phone and scanned it, then shook his head. He brought it over and handed it to her.

“I don't know any of the numbers. Do you recognize any?” Dane asked. Jaycee scrolled through the outgoing phone numbers. She noticed two; one was James cell phone and the other, her mother's. Jaycee sucked in her breath, feeling like a horse had kicked her.

“How could she?” Jaycee trembled and handed the phone back to Dane.

“How could who, Jaycee? What's wrong?” Dane asked. His arms slid around her.

“My mother's cell phone number is in there, Dane,” she whispered into his chest. Growls filled the room. Jaycee just burrowed further into his chest, an emptiness sitting in the pit of her stomach. Once again, her mother had known everything and not come to her aid.

“God, Jaycee, I am so sorry! I never thought she'd do this to you,” Guy admitted, anguish in his voice. For the first time, a part of her relaxed around him. She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes.

“You didn't know. No one knew,” Jaycee whispered.

“I want to go to our home now. Please.” She pleaded with Dane and looked up into his eyes. He nodded, scooping her up into his arms, and carried her to his truck. Her father followed with Kate and Sam.

“Dane, I'm going to send Kate and Sam with you, along with half of my guards. I am going to personally question Jesse. I'll meet you back at your home with the rest of the group,” Guy informed him, and guided his mate and son into another vehicle behind theirs. Dane opened up the passenger side door, and she climbed in.

Pierre slid in after her and wrapped his arms around her, smelling her hair and resting his chin on her head. Dane opened the driver's side and hopped in.

Shelly, Mark and another guard got into the back of the truck.

Jaycee noticed Shelly watching the other guard out of the corner of her eye, and she smiled. So this was Shelly's mate. She eyed him: he was tall and well-built. He had long, dark hair, and it looked like his nose had been broken a few times from the way it formed.

Dane turned and lowered his mouth to hers. “You're going home, baby, for good,” he told her, and his kiss claimed her all over again.

Pierre hugged her tightly. She smiled up at him, and he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“We'll keep you safe. No one is going to mess with my playmate,” Pierre snarled, kissing her again, but this time on the lips. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and tasted her. His hands skimmed her breasts, resting on them while he played with her nipples. Lifting his head, his gaze roamed her face, then settled on her breast for a moment. His hands stayed where they were.

“So I don't understand something. Explain to me what my father is doing for the National Council?” Jaycee asked as she stared out at the snow-covered mountains.

“The National Council has ten Alphas that keep track of all the werewolves on the globe. Your father is one of those Alphas. From what he explained to me, his segment is the west side of the U.S., which includes my territory.”

“Okay, I understand that. But he's different than before, more powerful. It rolls off him when he's in his beast form,” Jaycee mused and laid her head back onto Pierre's arm.

“All of the Alphas at National have tremendous powers to help them control and hear the wolves under them. They know what is happening everywhere,” Dane stated as he mischievously slid his hand up her bare thigh.

“Concentrate on the road,” Jaycee giggled, trying to push his hand away, but Pierre grabbed her hands and held onto them. Dane continued what he was doing. She sighed, trying to relax, but it was hard as Dane's fingers slipped under her thong, the material ripping under his grip. He yanked it completely off her and brought it to his nose to inhale her scent.

She squirmed in her seat, his actions turning her on again. He pushed her thong into his coat pocket and once again traced up her leg to her pussy. His fingers brushed over clit before he pushed two of them into her wet folds. Mark moved up close to her, changing seats with the guard in the backseat. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the guard move closer to Shelly. His hand slipped around her shoulders while his head lowered for a kiss.

Mark slipped his arms around Jaycee, blocking her view of the backseat. He inched her blouse up, exposing her breasts to the three of them. Mark hissed. His hands traced over her breasts and squeezed them.

“God, you're lucky, Dane. She's beautiful and so responsive to touch,” Mark mumbled. Pierre nibbled on her neck while he held her still as Dane slid another finger into her pussy, stretching her further.

“What the hell are you guys doing to me…”Jaycee moaned. Her head rolled to one side of Pierre's chest.

“We're a very touchy people, Jaycee. You haven't been around a pack in years. You're going to have to get used to us touching you. Pierre, separate her legs more. I need more room for what I'm planning.” Dane gazed over at her for a moment.