Authors: V.A. Dold
Rose had always reacted badly to being jabbed at, her horrible, abusive foster father had done that to her. A lot. She would NEVER be a victim again. She glared up from her place on the bed and growled, “move it or lose it.”
He looked startled
.
She snapped her teeth at his finger catching the tip before he pulled back.
“You bit me!” he roared as he wrapped his hands around her neck.
Shit, shouldn’t have done that.
She thought too late. Lack of oxygen caused an odd ringing in her ears. Her heart racing, she couldn’t catch her breath. Oh, God this was it.
Simon bounded up the back stairs, he couldn’t wait to hold his mate in his arms. “Rose, I’m home.” Silence greeted him. He searched every inch of the house, with each empty room his panic grew.
Rose? Where are you, baby?
She didn’t answer his telepathic call. Rose was gone. Disbelief racked him.
Why would she leave? She accepted me this morning. This is our ritual night.
It made zero sense, she had to be here somewhere.
He snatched his
cell phone from his pocket. “Anna, is Rose with you?”
“No, I left her at your house after we got home from the grocery store.”
“Did she mention needing to go anywhere else?”
“She was too scared to go anywhere after
Dark Hair showed up at the store.”
“WHAT! What happened? Did he touch her?” The plastic casing of the phone cracked in his grip.
“No, he ran out the back. Marcus went after him but he got away.”
“Would you call Stefan and Marcus, make sure she isn’t with them? I’ll call Dad and
Mom.”
“You got it,” he heard a click and dialed his parents. They hadn’t seen her all day. With
his heart hammering against his ribs he paced as he waited to hear from Anna.
His phone didn’t have the chance to finish its first ring. “Did you find her?”
“No, hun. They haven’t seen her either. I told them to meet us at your parent’s. Simon don’t take off on your own, we need to keep level heads and organize a search party.”
Helpless frustration felt like a knife piercing his heart. He flew out the door and raced to
the main house. Fear had him coated in sweat as he was forced to wait for everyone to gather. It felt like an eternity.
Worried murmurs and cursing began to fill the room.
He couldn’t stand it. He had turned toward the exit when a hand gently touched his arm.
“Simon,” Emma pleaded. “Please. You need to wait for the boys. You know better than to go after a predator blind without backup.”
“You can’t trespass on other packs’ property, son. Give us time to notify the alphas. They will help search for her. If you encroach on their territory without permission the situation will only get worse,” Isaac reasoned.
He snarled but capitulated.
Isaac signaled Emma for privacy. “Anna would you help me with a few things?” Emma asked.
He waited until Emma and Anna left the room before addressing Simon and Cade. “If your mother knew the threat level Travis
and his crew presented, neither of you would be leaving this house. Do not act rashly and cause your mother worry,” he commanded.
A few minutes later the women returned loaded with rolled maps. “Isaac, I brought the aerial maps of the entire area. I thought it might help in
coordinating the search.”
He kissed her cheek
. “You’re always a step ahead, my love.”
They took seats around the desk and flattened the maps to begin
planning as they waited for Marcus and Stefan.
As his remaining sons entered he stood, immediately capturing everyone’s attention. “
The dark haired assailant from the French Quarter was seen skulking around Rose again today and now she’s missing. He wasn’t seen on the property or scented but with Travis’s gifts that’s not surprising. Cade, I want you to command and lead the team.”
“No. I’
ll command the team.”
“Cade has always led us, Simon.”
“Not anymore, Dad, I’m in charge of this operation. If you can’t abide by that, I’ll call my guys from the unit and use them instead.”
“
Simon, I forbid you as your alpha to go off half cocked on your own.”
Simon charged snarling aggressively, neither he nor his wolf
would submit the leadership of this rescue and he sure as hell wasn’t waiting one more second. That psycho had his mate.
Isaac knocked him to the floor, pinning him in a submissive hold. “I understand your needs
, son, never doubt that, but if we are going to get her back unharmed we need to do this the smart way. Use your military training and discipline. We need you to have a clear, and level head.”
He held him pinned until Simon calmed, and then he offered his hand to help him up. Once Simon was standing he gathered him into a rib-cracking hug. The loving touch of his father and his alpha went a long way in calming him and his wolf.
Isaac let his breath out slowly. Simon had more right than any to lead Rose’s rescue. He also had military training on his side. He held Simon’s gaze. “I’m going to trust you to keep a rational head on your shoulders.” Releasing his son he addressed the room, “Simon will lead the rescue team.”
Cade’s voice rose
. “I’ll call Etienne. After the encounter in the Quarter he considers Rose a valued friend. If he isn’t notified he’ll take it personally.”
Anna pulled her phone from her pocket
. “I need to call Thomas and John, Rose is their second mother and they’ll insist on joining the search party. At the very least they will want to be here when you bring her home.”
“Simon, what do you want each of us to do?” Isaac asked
.
“Everyone make your calls, and then dress in black. Stealth is priority. If he knows we are coming he might hurt her. Mom, if there is anything you and Anna can do to hide us from Travis, I would appreciate it. Prepare for an extended search in the bayou. Travis can block your gifts so
we’ll be fighting as humans. That means guns and knives.” He directed his gaze at Cade and Anna. “I leave in thirty. I won’t delay any longer.”
“That’s not enough time for them to get here
,” Anna cried.
Simon simply looked at her, not blinking
. “I’m not waiting. I leave in thirty minutes.”
“She’s their second mother
,” she protested.
He turned his head slowly, looking at her with his cold, blue eyes. “She’s
MY mate.” His voice was flat, almost a monotone, but it carried weight and authority. He never raised his voice, but he was always heard. He spun on his heel and walked out the door.
Rose
?
Rose, I love you
.
Hang in there baby, I’m coming.
Nothing. Even in sleep she should have heard him. He knew Travis could block his telepathy with his mate but he had to keep trying. Apprehension rippled through his gut. Dragging in a breath, he tamped down his growing fear. He wouldn’t entertain a single thought of her injured or dead, that wasn’t an option.
Rose moaned as she regained consciousness, being choked until pass
ed out left a skull splitting headache. She didn’t need to experience that again in this lifetime. Her mouth was bone dry and her throat ached. The room didn’t have a mirror but she was sure there were bruises the exact shape of Travis’s hands on her neck.
The door was closed allowing her secrecy to appraise her situation. Gingerly she left the bed, praying it didn’t squeak or moan as her weight left it.
She froze when voices rose in the next room.
“Stop mooning over the bitch and get out there for your watch.”
“I’m going, but I’ll be close and if you go near her I’ll kill you.”
“You can try, mutt.”
A door slammed and more than one man laughed on the other side of her door. She remained frozen, waiting for the men to come after her but the door remained closed. There was a window in the corner and it looked large enough to fit through.
YES!
Her luck was holding, the glass pane was gone. She wouldn’t even have to open it to get out. As quietly as she could she moved the chair from the corner to under the window. She stepped onto it and a loud groan came from the rickety old chair. The door slammed open and she dove for the window. Almost through, she was lifting her other leg out when a hand grabbed her ankle. Balling her hands together she slammed down on the wrist exposed. He yelped and released her. She fell to the soft ground and scrambled for the tree line.
One man came through the window after her and another came through the door. She ran for the
cover of the forest. Travis appeared out of nowhere and stood between her and the other men. She rushed to the trees and let them swallow her. Not stopping she tried to put distance between herself and her kidnappers.
A fight could be heard in the distance. It sounded vicious and there was definitely more than only three guys out there.
Once undercover with a good half mile of bayou behind her, she breathed a little easier. She had to be smart about this and try to make a plan.
Okay, I have no idea where I am.
Maybe if I can get near the water I’ll recognize something from when we went to the bar?
She worked her way to the water’s edge and search up and down the canal. Nothing looked familiar. She slapped the billionth mosquito and eyed the water. She wasn’t sure if the dark shapes were alligators or submerged logs.
Best not to find out.
The location was picturesque but desolate. Though beautiful to look at, this island offered only terror and her closest hope for help was more than likely miles away through alligator infested water. Worse yet, Simon had no more idea where to find her than she had for the direction home.
I have no food, no water, no weapons and I’m lost in the swap. I’m so screwed. Okay, I’ve watched all the seasons of
Survivor, I can do this.
A twig snapped behind her and she dove for cover. She listened hard as she remained as quiet as she could. A growl came from fifty feet to her right. She looked left and thankfully it was high dry ground with a faint game trail. She slowly moved onto the trail and away from who ever had followed her. Just when she thought she was in the clear she heard the rhythmic pounding of paws in soft earth. They were coming!
Chapter 13
On the Run
Terror was a living and breathing presence. Fear took her well past the point of thinking rationally. She had no one to rely on but herself.
I need to get the heck out of here, before they locate me.
Running now, her only thought was
stay to high ground.
Whoever said watching TV was bad can bite me
. She knew from watching national geographic and Swamp People that in the bayou an island could be deceiving. Filled with spongy sinkholes, they were everywhere. And if you find one, you can kiss your ass goodbye. An unwary traveler could fall into one, but she was safer under cover than on a path. They were stalking her and might find her again, or be waiting in ambush. She was fairly certain Travis was in the heavy undergrowth.
Snakes were a very real issue, they were everywhere and some were deadly. Thank god for eighth grade science class, she could identify all five poisonous varieties. They will all bite you but not all will kill you.
It had been hours since she escaped. She wasn't sure when she’d lost them. Or maybe they were out there right now playing cat and mouse with her, she didn’t really know. He’s a shifter and could trail her by scent quite easily but her instinct to survive wouldn’t let her stop running even knowing it was fruitless.
The foul stench of stagnant water permeated the air.
Disoriented, she slowed, stumbling forward until she couldn't go any farther. She fell onto the first open dry ground she found. Rose lay, waiting for them to grab her, but as the seconds ticked by, she realized they must not be ready to end his sick game yet.
Exhausted, she tried to rise. She needed to find shelter not to mention food and water. She couldn't, her body just wouldn't cooperate. It was dangerous to sleep
on the open ground so she put everything she had into standing. Her only options were keep moving or find shelter.
The sun was going down and she seriously needed to find
a safe place for the night. She didn’t want to be in the open when the night creatures came out to play.
Nightfall was upon her and there was only a sliver of moon spilling across the swamp. In the darkness, the cypress trees looked macabre, as if they stretched long stick arms instead of branches. Grayish moss hanging like streamers looked like tattered clothes fluttering occasionally above the blackened water. The breeze barely stirred, making the muggy air barely breathable.
Stumbling forward, she broke through a line of brush to see salvation. A small cabin-style house materialized in front of her.