Bound to the Prime (Bound to the Pack, #3) (4 page)

The silhouettes of mountains were off in the distance, visible only as massive shadows against the starry sky. I was impressed in spite of myself. In any other situation this would be paradise, a dream vacation.

Right now it was just the end of the road.

Troy parked in front of the broad stairs leading up to the front door and leapt out of the truck, startling me with his speed. But he simply turned around and grabbed most of the baggage behind his seat however. I silently gave thanks to that brief jolt as some of my tiredness receded.

Getting out of the truck my self I took in the view. The cool night air felt good on my face as soft gusts of wind blew my hair every which way. It was warmer than I thought it would be, not warm by any stretch, but warmer.

Troy came around the front of the truck and walked up the stairs with his hands full of the things he had packed. I followed, not bothering to carry anything myself and feeling a small rush at the tiny victory.

I'd make him bring everything in himself.

It was petty and small, but right then I knew it would be one of the ways I would fight back until I found an opportunity to escape. If he thought he would 'date' me I'd make sure I was the bitchiest little princess he had ever met.

When I followed him into the main room and he turned on the lights I was again taken aback by the majesty of the place. The main room was enormous, larger than my entire apartment building, let alone my apartment.

Troy left the bags by the door and made his way towards one of the multiple fireplaces where he knelt down and quickly had a fire roaring. The large space was soon filled with a soft warmth as he made his way around and had all of the fires crackling quietly on their hearths.

The comfort of the room quickly got to me and I was yawning again as I stood where I had entered the cabin. My eyelids began to feel as if weights had been put on them, it was all I could do to squint. I slowly made my way towards one of the couches in front of the largest fire and sat down.

I immediately regretted the decision.

Sinking down into the plush couch my jaw cracked yet again in a wide yawn, strong enough that my body shook. I knew then that I wasn't going to be able to get back up from my seat.

My stomach growled angrily and I thought it was odd for some reason, though I couldn't place why. My mind began to drift as I heard Troy going back outside, likely to get the rest of the bags.

"Wake up!" Troy's yell was inches from my face and I felt him shaking me.

My stomach roared as I sat up slowly on the couch. When had I laid down? Troy leaned away, watching me warily.

"You wouldn't wake up." His voice held concern, but his eyes were still predatory and didn't match his tone.

"Food," I whispered softly as my stomach gave another earth shaking rumble. I felt unbelievably weak.

"I will take care of you. I am your alpha now." Troy smiled his creepy smile but didn't move an inch.

"If you're going to take care of me then get me some goddamn food! A lot of it! I'm having another episode, remember the first?" I was hoping my tone would have him off and running. I desperately needed food.

He watched me for a stretched out moment before nodding and standing. I sat feebly and listened to him rummaging around in the bags before making his way back towards me.

Terror filled me when he came around into view. He hadn't brought me food, he'd brought some bondage restraints.

Too weak to put up much of a struggle I soon found myself trussed up and immobile on the couch, tears flowing uncontrollably as Troy looked into my eyes and stroked my hair. I shuddered endlessly at the vile touch and he just smiled.

"Don't be sad love, we'll get plenty of use out of these after I get back. Plenty." His twisted mind had somehow taken my tears of revulsion and terror as tears of sadness that he had to leave. "I need to run down to the store and get our supplies. I know how much of an appetite you have."

He caressed the restraints as he stood, looking down at me and smiling his creepy smile below his dead eyes. "And I know how hungry you get too." His wink at his horrible attempt at humor made the situation just that much worse.

I listened to his footsteps as he strode away, leaving the cabin. Once the sounds of the pickup had receded as he drove away I began to struggle in earnest against my bonds. I was far too weak however.

Panting with the exertion, weak with hunger, the exhaustion washed over me again in ever increasing waves. My last thought before blackness overwhelmed me was that I had to escape quickly. Time was short.

Time was very short.

M
y endless well of energy disappeared abruptly in the pre-dawn light. Suddenly every step was a monumental effort, every breath a desperate gasp for air, and Ian's weight on my back seemed to be dragging me down.

And I was moving uncontrollably fast.

Using every last bit of willpower and strength I could muster I kept myself upright as I managed to slow to a stop. Ian slid forward, nearly falling off, before I collapsed to the ground feeling as if I had done exactly what I had done.

Run several hundred miles non-stop.

Ian climbed down and stepped over my forelegs to look into my eyes. "Are you alright lad?" His face was painted with the concern he was obviously feeling.

Breathing in deeply I braced myself and began to shift. The usual sounds of bones reforming came, but for the first time in my life the shift wasn't a comfortable stretch. It was nearly unbearable pain. Forcing my way through the torment a soft whimper escaped me, turning to grunts of pain as my wolfish maw became a human mouth.

Transformation complete I rolled onto my back and lay on the snow beneath me, letting the cold sooth the pain. Everything hurt in ways I had never experienced, or even heard of. Even my eyes were watering in the faint starlight above.

"Liam?" Ian's face blocked out the stars as he leaned in over me. "I don't see any injuries, but that shift was definitely wrong."

"I'm fine," I hoped the words were true, they needed to be.

"I highly doubt that," he snorted and stood back as I sat up slowly. "You're definitely stubborn though. Want to tell me what the hell just happened?"

Shaking my head I stood, legs trembling slightly, and began to stretch out my muscles, much like Ian had done hours before. I was exhausted, hungry, and every inch of me felt as if I had taken it past the breaking point.

And had kept going for hours.

"I just need to rest a bit, I will be ready to continue shortly." And I would, whether or not I actually was.

"A bit? You look like you need to rest for a week." Ian stood back, arms folded across his chest as he watched me stretch with a critical eye. "Nothing seems broken at least."

"It is irrelevant, we will continue." I finished stretching and leaned down to pick up our bundled clothes, wincing at the movement.

Ian watched me a moment before nodding and taking his own items from the bundle. In that brief moment I saw something in his eyes I had never expected to see from the old alpha.

Respect.

"So we continue," Ian spoke as he dressed. "What's the plan beyond that?"

"We look for the next town and find a shifter." I finished tying my boots and stood, waiting for Ian to finish dressing.

"We go to a town?" He spoke as he dressed, "Why?"

"We both need food and rest, neither of us is in any condition to hunt, and searching for a suitably large shelter for me would take too long." I began walking down the trail, muscles screaming in protest at first, but quieting as they warmed from the exertion.

"Huh. That's actually pretty solid reasoning, color me impressed." Ian said from just behind as we continued on down the trail.

"As you said the other day, size and strength are good, but I need to start using my head."

"I'm just glad to see your head on your shoulders instead of up your own ass." Ian chuckled, "I honestly thought you had it buried so far up there it was lost to the world." A few weeks ago those words would have enraged me, now I knew them for the truth.

"I grew up," I spoke just loudly enough to be heard over the snow crunching beneath our feet. My mind filled with the image of Jen's smiling face and the unreal force of her raw emotions.

I knew I wouldn't be able to protect her from everything, life was full of trials and tribulations, and she would definitely be angry at me if I tried. She was hardly a delicate flower needing a guard. We had only been together a few short weeks though and, come hell or high water, I would get her back.

"She'll be fine lad," Ian spoke firmly, voice drifting across my thoughts. "Don't question that for a moment. This will all be over soon enough and be nothing more than a bad memory." I sighed but knew he was right, doubt would only make things worse and had no place here.

We continued on in silence as the eastern sky began to lighten with the oncoming dawn. Shortly before the sun would show it's leading edge above the horizon fortune smiled upon us. Ahead and below we could see the steady brightness of street lights.

A town was only a few short miles away.

***

"T
hank you," I said to our hostess as she cleared away the remnants of our meal.

Finding a local shifter had been relievingly easy. Michael's house had been right up against the path leading down from the Appalachian Trail, he had even been awake and outside, having just returned from an early morning hunt. The venison had been delicious.

Even more fortuitous was that Michael and his family were of our clan, wolves. They recognized Ian and I for what we were: two hungry and tired traveling alphas. I had never been treated with such reverence.

In a frenzy of motion Michael, and his bond mate Rachel, had prepared us a meal and given us their own bed for a short nap. It was as if they felt there wasn't enough they could do to make us feel comfortable and welcome here.

"Would you like more?" Michael asked for the fourth time, Rachel poised on the balls of her feet, eyes wide and ready to bolt in any direction to fetch whatever we asked them for.

"No, we are quite well, thank you." I answered firmly, putting a smile on to show we really were fine. Ian glanced quickly at me, a slightly harried look in his eyes. He normally stayed away from even our own tribe, he was far from comfortable here.

"Oh. Ok." Rachel seemed positively crestfallen for a moment before she lit up like the sun. "I'll go check on your phone!" I suppressed a sigh as she rushed into another room, Michael's smile following her as she left.

"It's charged!" Her voice was high pitched in excitement from the other room and a moment later she ran back into the kitchen. She held the phone reverently as she handed it to me, her hands trembling slightly as I took it from her. She could barely meet my eyes.

"Thank you." I looked to Ian and stood. He followed my lead and stood as well, uncharacteristically quick and awkward.

"Are you leaving so soon? Are you sure there isn't anything more we could get for you?" Michael asked, his wife again poised to run at our whims.

"No, you have both been most hospitable, but our time is sadly limited and we must be on our way." I looked to Ian and cocked my head towards the door. He wasted no time and practically flew outside as I thanked our hosts one last time before moving to join him.

"Wait!" Rachel's voice was on the verge of panic as she exploded into movement. Faster than I could process she had bundled up the remaining venison,b a sizeable portion, in a compact package and was attempting to hand it to me. Her eyes were averted again.

"This is your kill, we do not need to take it from you." Rachel's arms began to shake slightly as I spoke.

"Please! It's your! It's the least we can do!" Michael's voice was a bizarre combination of attempting to assure me and trying to calm his bond mate.

Sighing inwardly yet again I took the bundle from the now quivering Rachel, who panted slightly as she stepped back quickly. Michael stepped nervously between her and I and smiled weakly, Rachel deflating in relief at what she probably saw as the bravest thing her mate had ever done. It might actually have been.

"Thank you again." I nodded at the package and walked outside to join Ian. An awed 'We hosted alphas...' reached my ears as the door closed behind me. I could almost hear the tears in her voice.

Shaking my head as I reached Ian I held up the bundle. "The rest of the deer." Ian looked at the package, then back at the house, eyes still a little wide and somewhat shaken.

"Best we get out of sight before they come after us to give their home too." Ian began to hike back up the path, quickly. "I'm not entirely sure they were of our clan, regardless of the scent. They were far more deer than wolf."

I held up the bundle again, "One of their cousins perhaps?"

Ian snorted a laugh. "They probably bumped into each other in a clearing and it was a fifty-fifty shot as to which would die of fright. I'd have put my bet on the deer surviving."

I grinned at Ian's back as he lead the way further up the hills until the shifter's house was lost to the trees.

"Hold a minute, we should check the phone and see if Kris has called." I stopped and fished the phone out of my pocket as Ian came back to stand beside me.

Sadly, between the two of us we still couldn't figure the device out. On the verge of going back to ask Michael or Rachel, we were that desperate, I managed to get to Kristen's messages.

"Please enter your PIN to proceed," the soft female voice spoke from the phone.

"Hello? We don't have any pins." I hoped we could just get her to let us hear Kris's messages. Unfortunately, no matter what I asked of her she just kept repeating herself.

"Maybe she can't hear us?" I asked, frustrated at the lack of progress.

"I think it may be the phone asking for whatever it is," Ian sighed and looked towards the trail. "Best keep on then."

"Agreed. I'll keep the phone on as well, in case Kris tries to call." I followed after Ian, pressing various buttons on the phone more out of frustration than anything else. And then it caught my eye, a phone number with a label above it.