The last thing Leif seemed to want to do was let Elsa go. For any reason. But he also appeared to recognize he was weakening. It was all he could do to keep up with John as he led them through the maze of trees and traps. Even though he only saw a few, he could sense the danger all around. Elsa knew because he constantly stopped, sniffing the air when a breeze wafted through the trees. He’d mutter a curse then get going again.
“Stay right behind me,” he ordered Elsa. “Keep your hand on my back or my hip. If you let go—”
“I won’t. Now go before we lose them.”
They continued for at least another hour. Elsa wasn’t sure she could keep going by the time they finally stopped. Unfortunately, she didn’t dare say anything. Leif hadn’t so much as glanced back at her, but she’d not taken her hand from the waistband of his pants. She had no doubt he’d take her to task should she disobey him in this.
“How much farther?” one of the men dragging Jorak along asked, huffing out the question, obviously winded.
“Another hour,” John said without hesitation. “We’ll reach the first camp and can afford a rest. With any luck, we can rest throughout the day. There is little sunlight able to penetrate the dense canopy, but there should be enough to help you all heal. Maybe not all the way, but enough to make the second leg of the trek.”
One more hour. Elsa could do this. Somehow, she had to. Setting the child on his feet, she shook out her arms. Leif scowled at her over his shoulder before turning away from her altogether.
She’d sought out John and Beth the second she got her children away from the chancellor’s men, knowing her only hope was to free Leif and pray he would still get her and the children off world. If he refused to take her, she was willing to beg him to take Surriah and Jaccob with him if he vowed to treat them decently. The couple had refused at first, then relented when they researched the facility in question. The rumors of the atrocities going on there were enough to convince them to give the raid a try. They knew they’d encounter a few shifter adults, but finding the children had thrown them. No way in hell they would leave until every corner of that facility had been searched. What Leif didn’t know and what John hadn’t taken time to explain was there had never been any discussion of leaving anyone alive in that facility. All prisoners were to be rescued. Everyone else would die.
Leif sagged against a tree, still scanning the night for threats. What he intended to do, she had no idea. All she knew was they couldn’t get to the rest point soon enough. Leif needed tending to, as did Jorak. If the other man was even still alive.
Which brought up another question. She’d left Jorak with her children the night they’d been taken. She’d thought Jorak had either not been able to protect them or had betrayed her. While she had no problem believing the man would betray a human he disliked, by taking her children, he’d given
her
little choice but to betray Leif. Had he intended exactly that? Had it been Jorak’s way of betraying Leif yet seeming to keep his hands clean? That she couldn’t see. Though she knew little about the man, Elsa trusted her instincts. And Jorak wouldn’t be in Leif’s elite guard—captain, she thought he’d said—unless he was completely loyal. So what had happened? She had to know the answer before they reached the final camp where Surriah and Jaccob waited for her.
Their rest was brief, the next hour’s trek hard going and fast. Several times, she wanted to beg John to stop, but Leif didn’t let her near the other man so it had been impossible. No way would she ask Leif for help. Besides, the big man looked as if he were about to fall over. Where once she believed he might have scooped her up and carried her himself, now he’d likely delight in her weakness. Instead, she simply clutched the little boy to her in an effort to keep them both warm and to make sure the child was safe during the long, perilous journey.
Several times, John signaled them to a halt while he scouted ahead. Sometimes he simply had them crouch in the brush while he waited, seeming to listen for something only he could hear. Elsa was so numb from cold and fatigue she blindly followed. Leif, however, didn’t. No matter how obviously tired he was, how weak from injury, he still kept alert, scanning the interior of the forest as much as he could, listening just as intently as John. Likely, Leif’s senses were much better than John’s. Her suspicion was confirmed when she noticed Leif relaxing several seconds before John would get them moving again.
“They’ve either not checked in with the facility yet or they’re massing their forces for an all-out attack,” John confirmed with Leif when they stopped again for a brief rest. “We may make it to the caves without incident.”
“Don’t count on it,” Leif responded, clutching his side as he heaved in a labored breath when they stopped once more in a small clearing. Sunlight did filter through the trees, just like John had said. They couldn’t afford to stay long though. Not nearly as long as they needed to. “There is a small force to the southwest moving slowly but steadily. Now would be a good time to tell me the plan so I can help you keep your trails and camps hidden.”
John gave him a hard look. “I’d ask if you’re sure, but I’ve been down this road too many times. If a wolf says you’re being followed, then you’d better watch your back. There are two more checkpoints before we reach the caves. I can take the long way through an additional three stops, but if they’re able to track us, all we’re doing is delaying the inevitable.”
“Track…” Leif muttered. “They’re too far away to be able to see us, and I’ve been making sure any signs we’ve been here have been erased or covered.” He gave John a long look. “Is it possible they’ve put a tracking device in one of us?”
John shook his head without hesitation. “Even if they did, we’ve set up a network of signal jammers in these woods. They could track the general location by looking for the signal loss, but our territory covers miles, some of it beyond the wall into the wasteland. Unless they knew exactly what they were looking for, they’d never find the caves or the last two checkpoints.”
“This one and the last wouldn’t have been hard to find,” Leif observed. “How are the others different?”
“These are merely a way for us to be assured we’re not being followed, or, if we are, to be assured our pursuers are far enough away to miss us entering the next two checkpoints. Even then, the first camp is designed to misdirect anyone who finds it. After the last camp, everything is underground until we reach the actual cave set.”
“And if the entrance to the caves is discovered?” Leif stood straighter, but he kept his hand clamped over his side, even the threat of battle not enough to make him completely ignore the pain.
“There is only one entrance, and it was buried during the wars,” John assured. “Only those in our very small sect know how to gain entry. We’ve been liberating people through these tunnels for more than three generations because we know how to protect the territory. That is the one thing on this journey I’m always sure of.”
Finally satisfied, Leif nodded, slumping slightly. Automatically, his gaze found Elsa’s, and his body stiffened. With a scowl, he snagged her arm again. There would definitely be bruises. All in all, though, Elsa supposed she’d earned them. She hadn’t had a chance to explain to Leif, and every time she thought about it, he seemed to read her mind and gave her a look that said, “I don’t want to hear it.” It was probably just as well. They didn’t have time for the discussion this would take, and Leif needed rest. Elsa knew very little about shifters in general, but she knew he was hurting. He’d heal quickly, but it still took time.
“We need a place we can rest for at least a day,” Leif said in a hushed whisper to John. “Especially Jorak. He won’t make it much farther in this condition.”
John nodded. “There is a place already prepared.”
Leif’s gaze flickered, his eyes flashing that intense, eerie blue. “Really? What exactly have you…prepared?”
“Just know that I
know
and will do my best to provide what I can for your people to be strong again.”
“What are you trying to do?” Elsa could see the mistrust on Leif’s face as he spoke, narrowing his eyes at John. It didn’t take a genius to figure that one out. Leif definitely had trust issues after this fiasco. Which was to be expected. Hell, he was a king. She doubted he gave his trust lightly, or at all in most cases.
“I lead a group of people committed to freeing every slave we can. We help them escape either back to their own world or to a different part of ours.”
“And what do you expect in return? I doubt you do this out of the goodness of your heart.” Leif sneered.
“We do it because it’s the right thing to do,” John replied, steadily meeting Leif’s gaze. “The only thing I want is for you to not get recaptured. If you are, they’ll likely torture you for information about us, and we’d rather they not know about people like Beth. She and others like her risk their lives infiltrating these types of facilities and places like the catacombs where the gladiators live.”
“You can’t tell me that every single person in an obviously extensive network is as selfless as that. I won’t believe you.”
“They’re not. Everyone has their own reasons. Beth is looking for her husband, a cat who was taken over a year ago. Though she fears him dead, she still looks everywhere for him. If by doing that she can free others, she’s more than willing to do so.”
Leif was silent for long moments, regarding the man with those intense eyes. “We need the sun. For as long as you can.”
“Another couple of hours and we’ll be able to rest. You’ve all made it this far. Make it just a little longer.”
True to his word, the human called a halt in just over two hours. The march had been long and hard, as well as physically and mentally exhausting. Leif continued to scent humans to the southwest, though the smell was fainter and fainter the farther they went. Perhaps John was correct in his assessment of their defenses. He still didn’t completely trust the human, but at least he’d been direct with Leif thus far.
Now, they lay exhausted in a cavern deep in the ground. Surprisingly, an area of artificial sunlight had been set up in an area near the camp. Instead of the warm gold Leif associated with the sun, these lights were an eerie blue. Kind of like his eyes when he was enraged. Bedrolls and first-aid supplies were stacked neatly in organized piles as if the place had been used many times over. The lamps radiated warmth in a concentrated burst, more potent even than Den’s sun. The closer Leif got to them, the stronger he felt. With any luck, they’d all be completely healed after a day in this oasis.
And still he didn’t let Elsa out of his grasp. His instinct was to wrap her up in his arms as he slept, so that was exactly what he would do. She might not like it, but he honestly didn’t care what she wanted at this point. She was his, had accepted the claim he’d promised to give. By the gods, it was about time she acted like it. He hadn’t missed she no longer wore the diadem he’d given her. Was she ashamed of the very bond he craved?
“Where is the circlet,” he demanded once he’d seen the other shifters fed and settled comfortably.
“I—I packed it for safekeeping. It’s with Jaccob and Surriah at the final camp.”
“So, you
are
ashamed of the bond between us.” He sneered. “Too bad. You’ve been claimed in front of my elite guard. For me to renounce my claim on you would be to show a weakness in the form of bad judgment. I refuse to admit that.”
“Leif, I—”
“Silence!” His roar seemed to echo off the walls of the cavern, causing everyone to quiet and look at him with alarm. Unfortunately, Leif was past the point of caring whether or not he had an audience. “You betrayed me at the first opportunity! What would you suggest I think about all this?”
“I don’t know. Probably nothing less than what you already think.” Elsa had trouble meeting his gaze. “I wronged you,” she finally said. “I won’t even try to deny it. The only thing I will say is that I wouldn’t have if I’d had any other choice.”
Whatever Leif had expected her to say, that was exactly the wrong thing. Rage erupted inside him hotter than anything he’d ever felt in his life. Shoving her against the rock wall by her neck, Leif fought the urge to squeeze until the life left her. Killing his future queen wouldn’t be any better than forsaking her. Much. Either way, not only would his people question his judgment, but he’d never be whole again. And right now, there was a big, gaping emptiness in his gut. His heart.
“There’s always a choice!” he yelled at her, needing to roar to the ceiling until the whole cavern came crashing down around them. “You could have come to me!
Should
have come to me!” Leif released her, running a hand through his hair in agitation. “Elsa, I would have helped you with anything, any situation. No matter what it was.”
“My children were involved,” she managed, her voice a husky whisper from where he’d nearly strangled her. “I felt I had no choice. I trusted you were strong enough to hold out until I came for you.”
Leif snorted. “Always your children.
For them,
you agreed to wed me.
For them
you betrayed me. Which is it, Elsa? Do you want me? Or do you simply want me dead?” The bitter words tumbled out before he could censor them, not caring that the entire party was witnessing their fight. “At least come up with a different excuse.”
“Look,” she said, finally seeming to have reached her limit. “I left Jorak protecting my children when I came to you that day. The next thing I know, they’re in the hands of the chancellor. I had no idea if Jorak had turned them over for his own means or if you’d told him to let it happen so you didn’t have to take care of two human children!”
The accusation hit him like a slap in the face. Worse, unless he missed his guess, she didn’t believe any of it.
“Well, I suppose it’s just your bad luck it wasn’t Jorak or me who did this to your family.
If
your family was even kidnapped. I find myself questioning anything and everything you’ve ever told me.”
Now,
she
looked like
he’d
slapped
her
. “You think I’d lie about something like that?”
“Well I certainly never thought you’d deliver me into the hands of sadistic madmen! Whatever your reasons, you put my entire people at risk. I’m their king! They could continue on without me, but they’d likely engage your people in a war that would annihilate both sides! Your people would die! Mine would devolve into madness!” Both of them were breathing hard. Dimly, Leif was aware all eyes were on him, that he was railing at Elsa at the top of his lungs. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes glistened with unshed tears but she held it together.
Like a true wolf queen…
He shook the thought away. She would
never
be his queen in truth. Leif was still torn about taking her to Denwulf at all. He could simply end her for the betrayal. The message would be mixed, but he could live with seeming to be lacking in judgment where women were concerned but strong enough to punish even his future queen. Unfortunately, he found himself wanting to believe her story. Jorak still hadn’t been able to tell him how he came to be in that prison. If all went well, he would be able to give Leif a full account by the next moon rising. Jorak would likely need at least two days to recover, even with this enhanced if artificial sunlight. Until then, he’d hold off making any decisions.
It didn’t mean he was going to treat her as if she were innocent, though. His wolf nature demanded he punish her. Not in the way she likely expected, though.
“Until Jorak wakes, you’re at my mercy. You will do what I say, when I say it until he wakes and confirms your innocence, or I feel you have served your sentence for everything that was done to me.” She nodded, but Leif gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “But if he tells me you’re guilty of betraying me with malice, your life will be forfeit.”
Elsa briefly closed her eyes, but nodded in resignation. Likely because she knew she had no choice in the matter and that he wouldn’t listen to anything she said anyway.
Once satisfied she was cowed for the moment, Leif ripped the edge off her tunic at the bottom. Then he tied her hands behind her, securing her bindings with a length of rope in the supply pile.
“I’m not going to try to run, Leif,” she said softly. “There’s no need—”
“No,” he snarled. “There is no need. But it makes me
feel
better. I was chained to a gurney nearly the entire time I was in that wretched place. Be glad I don’t treat you in a like manner. At least you’ll be able to move around, if on a limited basis.”
“Of course,” she said, lowering her head. Leif hated that it pained him to see her so defeated, so resigned. He had to give her credit. She didn’t try to talk her way out of her predicament. Simply accepted what he told her he was going to dish out. That alone was the only reason he found the tiniest spark of hope they might salvage this thing between them.
Tying her lead to a metal rack imbedded in the rock, he set about making his own pallet. He needed sleep under the healing rays provided. Unlike Jorak, he’d be nearly healed by the evening. Then perhaps he’d be better able to rein in his anger toward Elsa. The battle wolf he’d held at bay for so long now prowled inside him, clawing to be released to protect him from the pain he felt.
Once he lay down, though, sleep wouldn’t come. His gaze and thoughts strayed to Elsa’s forlorn form sitting on the cold rocky ground, her back to him. Did her slim shoulders tremble? Was she…crying? Gods, he hoped not. There was a need to punish her, to exact revenge for everything he’d suffered, but he hated causing her pain, no matter how much he thought she deserved it.
Several long minutes passed with no relief for either of them. Elsa still slumped miserably against the cave wall; Leif lay in equal misery on a relatively soft pallet. With a sigh, he stood, going to her. She stiffened, but didn’t turn to face him or acknowledge him in any other way. Leif undid the rope from the post, then urged her to his bed. He tied the rope around his own ankle before tucking her back to his front and pulling the blanket over her. He needed as much of his skin as possible soaking up the healing rays if he were to heal.
“What are you doing?” She sounded more than a little apprehensive.
“Whatever I want,” he replied, but only settled her against him as best he could with her hands behind her. “Whenever I want.”
Leif sighed with the rightness of having her in his arms again. Under any circumstances. She was the woman he’d chosen for himself, the woman fate said he could be happiest with. Had fate seen what she would do to him?
Before he realized what he was doing, he found himself rubbing his face against hers for comfort. Which infuriated him as much as it soothed him. A contradiction if ever there was one.
“No matter what you did, no matter how much I should hate you, I still find myself drawn to you,” he whispered at her ear. “I can’t go back on my word to take you as my queen, but I can’t let you have that responsibility either. Not after you betrayed me. You will be my wife in name only, since I can’t trust you fully. I’ll care for your young ones, but they will not be my heirs. Any heirs you
do
give me will be raised away from you.” He thought she’d protest at that, but she said nothing. Her breath hitched, and he thought she bit back a sob, but she said nothing. “I’ll keep my end of the bargain you made with me. But you will never know the life you could have had as my beloved wife and queen.”
Leif had no idea why he spoke so harshly to her. Even in his whispered voice, he knew he was being cruel telling her this. Hell, he wasn’t even certain he’d be able to follow through with any of it. Likely, his line would end with him because he knew he’d never be able to fully part her from her offspring. That would make him no better than the humans who kept his people prisoner. Perhaps he said it because he knew he’d never be able to carry out his threat. Perhaps he wanted her to think the worst because he knew there was no way he’d ever fully disengage his heart from her, no matter that it would be the smart thing to do. He wanted her to be as confused and hurt as he was, and this was the only way he could think of to do it.
“But make no mistake, you
will
be my wife. You will learn to please me in everything. I may seek lovers outside our union, but you will not. You’ll only know pleasure when I decide to give it, how I decide to give it…and
where
I decide to give it.”
Leif had her wrapped tightly in his arms, one arm over her breasts while the other one lay over her belly. Now, he slid his hand up her torso to cup one small breast in his palm. Instantly, the nipple pebbled under his caress, as if straining for his touch.
“Leif…”
“Be silent!” he hissed. “You’re at my mercy, mine to do with as I will!”
Elsa’s soft body trembled in his arms, her breathing deep and rapid. A perverse thrill went through him at the thought of what he was about to do. How far would she let him go before she protested? Not that he’d care. Leif would do anything and everything he wanted to her. No matter they were in a cavern full of people. It was best she realize exactly what her place would be and accept it now, before they got to Denwulf.
Again, he squeezed her breast, kneading it through the material of her tunic. She wore no bra so it was impossible for him not to slide his hand under her top to find her flesh. Leif could well imagine the plump blackberry peaks stiffening under his fingers. Gods knew he’d dreamt about it often enough in the preceding days. In his mind, he’d bitten those luscious nipples to the point of pain, watched in sickening fascination as she cried out with a mixture of pleasure and torment. He’d fantasized about taking her to the point of ecstasy only to intensify the pain so that she fell from that crest without release.
“If you knew all the things I’ve done to torment your little body in my mind since my imprisonment, you’d try to run away screaming. You would get nowhere, but you’d still try.”
“You want to hurt me?”