The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town (85 page)

              The reached the crest of the ridge just in time to see the small, auburn colored wolf crash to the ground in an unconscious heap. A big man with rust colored hair quickly scooped her up, and a group of several other man began running after him as he sped in the other direction.

              Gabe and Adrian shared one last look, both knowing the odds of going up against a group of over ten shifters weren’t in their favor. But they had no choice but to follow. They had Jana.

              Before he shifted in wolf form, Gabriel glanced over his shoulder at the panting Adrian.

              “She’s ours, you know.” It was statement, rather than a question. Adrian just nodded.

“I know.”

              Within seconds two wolfs were flying across the scattered landscape, night hanging deep black and silent around them.

Chapter 6.

              Jana woke up slowly, her head pounding like a jackhammer and she opened her eyes only to slam them shut again. The morning light was like a spear, adding another layer of pain to the mass of bruises covering her body. Dalton had wasted no time getting her back to the pack. He and his thugs must have run full speed all night to get her back.

              She shifted slightly, barely stifling the moan that escaped as stiff muscles tried to work again, without much luck. With a sigh, she collapsed back down onto the thinly padded cot. Jana couldn’t remember much of the trip, but she did recall arriving just before dawn, being thrown into the trailer and locked in.

              The sound of a scrape at the door had her sitting up quickly, and immediately wishing she hadn’t when the entire room spun around. She placed her hands to her head, trying to ease the ache and looked up at the voice.

              “Here, drink this. It should help with that head of yours.” Jana went to reach out for the mug of cool liquid but stopped as they landed on familiar features. It was Gray. The wolf that had held her back the night her father had died. She pulled her hand away, shaking her head, squinting her eyes at the pain it caused.

              “No, I don’t want anything from you.”

              The big, older wolf made a sound of exasperation. “Look, Jana, I know you have a hard head, but even you might need something after a blow like that.” There was a look of pleading in his brown eyes as he offered her the cup again, and beneath that, guilt, strong and slick. Finally, she took it, gulping down the liquid, her throbbing head making the decision for her. She had to be able to think straight if she was going to get out of this mess alive.

              Gray started to back out of the small trailer, but stopped, turning back towards her. “I didn’t know he was going to beat you like that.” His raspy voice was unusually soft, and so, so sad, as if speaking through a memory long gone by.  “I never would have…Ach, I don’t have anything against you, that’s all I wanted to say. Your father, now, that’s a different story, but that’s settled.”

              “He’s dead. Dalton murdered him, and you all stood by and cheered!” She threw the glass down, shattering it on the wood paneled floor.

              “Now, listen. Dalton didn’t murder him, it was challenge, fair and–.”

              “A challenge! Fair? Where were the elders, Gray?” The memory of that night rose in her thoughts, seared into her brain. “and what about the trap, that pit? How was that fair? If it had been a true challenge, that never would have been allowed. The elders would have slit Dalton’s throat then and there for his trickery, his deceit and cowardice, and you know it!”

              But she was talking to his back. He pushed open the door, and fled, the sound of her accusations still ringing coldly in the air.

              Some time later, the lock turned again, the door pushed open as Dalton walked in. Jana had been sitting on the cot, her legs curled up around her, but as he entered she rose, automatically putting herself in the most defensible position in the cramped trailer.

              “Good, you’re awake. Gray said you were. How’s your head?” He asked the question with so much spite and glee it was obvious that he didn’t care, and in fact, hoped that it still hurt like hell. Which it did.

              Dalton stalked closer, inspecting the giant gash that had started to scab over on the top of her forehead.

              “You need to clean up before the elders get here.” He threw her a sac filled with clothes and some other things, soap, some makeup.

              “Why? I want them to see me like this, so they’ll know I’m telling the truth when I declare you a murder, and demand your execution. You should die for what you did to my father…”

              Her words were cut off with a ringing blow to her already bruised cheek. He grinned down at her, the expression one of pure joy as she gasped, holding a hand to her face. Jana glared at him.

              “The elders are coming because you and I are going to be mated.”

              “Hah!” She spit the word out before she could think better of it, and cringed when he raised his hand again. She hated herself for that. “That’ll never happen, Dalton. Not in a million years.”

              “No? I thought you might say that.” He pushed open the door, calling for Gray. The older wolf stepped into the trailer, looking haggard. He glanced at Jana, wincing slightly, and then straight at Dalton.

              “What is it?”

              “Sir. I told you to address me as ‘sir’.”

              Jana saw Gray grit his teeth before replying. “What is it…sir?”

              “That’s better,” Dalton said, and it sounded suspiciously like
good boy
. Gray stiffened his shoulders but didn’t say anything, just waited for his orders.

              “My future mate needs a little encouragement.” He paused, placing a meaty hand to his chin in mock thought, “Oh, I’ve got it! You know that little cub she always fawned over, Isaac? The little one with blond hair and big blue eyes, just like her own.”

Jana swallowed hard. She and Isaac had bonded when she had found him crying after being made fun of because of his eye color. Blue was the rarest color among wolfs, most were brown or amber, sometimes lighter or darker. She didn’t know what Dalton was planning, but her stomach still twisted painfully. She knew it wouldn’t be good, and she was right.

“And then, what.” Gray paused, swallowing hard, “Sir?”

“If she doesn’t agree to be my mate, then kill him.”

“NO!” Jana cried, her heart breaking as Gray, pale faced and sad eyed, turned and left the trailer to get Isaac. “You can’t”

“Yes, I can. You see, Jana. I’m alpha now. I can do whatever I want.”

“It doesn’t matter, you’re too late, anyways!” She growled the words at him, unthinking.

              “What do you mean,
too late
?”

              “You’re too late, Dalton! I’m already mated.” Jana collapsed against the wall with a harsh chuckle as she finally accepted the truth her wolf half had been trying to tell her all along. “I’ll never be yours.”

              “What!” He stormed forward, grabbing her hair in a painful gasp, her vision blurring when he pulled her back to her feet, sniffing at her. He let her go, and she slumped again as he took a hasty step back.

              “I can smell him on you! Who is it? Tell me!” His face flashed fire red before he stopped. “It doesn’t matter. You’re mine now. We’ll perform the ceremony in front of the elders, and you will go along with everything I say. Then the rest of the pack will have no choice but to follow me. You have to listen to me, Jana,” His voice was soft, quiet, and it terrified her. “or Isaac is dead. And it will be your fault. Do you understand me?”

              Dalton didn’t wait for an answer, just left her with one last warning to get cleaned up and dressed or he would come back and do it for her, and she wouldn’t like it one bit. Jana sighed, then went about washing off the now dried blood. The problem was, she believed him.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed, maybe an hour, maybe several, but eventually, Dalton came to collect her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out of the trailer. Jana squinted as her eyes adjusted to the painfully bright light.

              She had done what she could with the makeup, but there was no covering up the massive bruise starting to form on her forehead, or across her arms, legs and torso. Luckily, the dress he had given her was full length, and had long sleeves. It was pale cream, the color of fresh snow. The customary dress a bride wore for the mating ceremony that would bind together the lifeblood of two wolves forever.

              He jerked her forward, into the square and towards the rocky alcove that served as the sacred place of her pack. When new cubs were born, they were taken there to be initiated, and when old wolves died, that’s where the last rites would be spoken by the elders.

              Jana had racked her muddled brain for an answer, for any escape, but she couldn’t let him kill Isaac. He was just an innocent cub. She had to find another way out of this. She prayed for Adrian and Gabe, missing them desperately, afraid she would never see them again. She knew they were probably frantic after she disappeared. She should have listened to her instinct and stayed with them. Should never have left their sides.

              As they approached the alcove, Jana began to notice something. A stillness in the air as pack members began to circle around them, surrounding them until the entire pack was there, standing, watching, eerily silent.

              “My people!” Dalton shouted, smiling, unseeing. “Where are the elders? It’s time for this joyous occasion to begin!” He jerked Jana forward, pretending to be holding her up, “I have found my mate!”

              He glanced around at the still silent faces, his own smile beginning to fade as he finally sensed the tension hanging thick as honey in the air.

              “What is it? You should be cheering me. I’m your Alpha!” The last was shouted with an edge of rage that had several of the pack taking a step back. Suddenly, a voice sounded from the front, old and wizened.

              “You are not our Alpha, Dalton. You never were. You are corrupted!” He turned to face the Cora, the eldest, as she spoke again. Her voice sending waves of relief skittering through her.              

              “Release her!” Cora commanded, her voice as hard as steel.

              “No! I am the Alpha! I killed Colt Dubois in challenge. You do what I say!” Desperation tinged his voice, making Jana pull away but his hand was still latched onto her arm, his fingers digging deep enough to leave bruises. The least of what he had done to her. She jerked her arm again.

              “Let me go, Dalton. You’ve lost. Can’t you see that?” Jana taunted, struggling fiercely now as his grip tightened even more. He looked at her, his red rimmed yes daze, but then they filled with malicious intent as he stared at her.

              “If I’ve lost, princess, then so have you!” He snarled as he threw her to the ground, leaping on her. He was going to kill her; she could see it clearly in his eyes. They were mad, completely mad, and she wondered if he had ever been sane. She fought back savagely, just as her father taught her, using her size and speed to her advantage, and as she feinted to the right, he did just as she expected, taking her move for weakness.

              Surprise filled the bigger man’s eyes as she rolled with him, using his momentum against him until he was down on the ground on his back, dazed just long enough for her to grab a wickedly curved knife from the belt of someone in the crowd that had rushed in to help her.

              Jana appreciated it, but as she held the blade against Dalton’s throat, images of him killing her father replaying over and over in her mind, she had only one thought. Revenge.

              Hands gripping her, one at her shoulder and one at her wrist, stopped her. She looked up into the most beautiful faces, both staring down at her with identicall expressions of abating fear, and rising love.

              “You don’t have to do this, Jana.” Adrian’s voice reached her through her rage induced haze.

              “But, he killed my father. He stole everything away from me.”

              “No, he didn’t. Look around you.” Gabe gestured to the entire pack, standing there, ready and willing to risk their own lives to save her from Dalton. And also willing to let her mete out her own justice if she wanted it. Her friends, her family. Her pack. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away fiercely.

              “He deserves to die.”

              “Yes, he does,” Gabe said, “But you don’t deserve to have to live with the guilt and horror of taking another’s life.” Slowly, she turned her head, staring up at him, knowing he was talking about himself as much as her.

              The knife dropped to the ground with a metallic clang and before she knew what was happening, she was on her feet, Adrian and Gabe both restraining the still dazed Dalton. Is was like all the life was already gone from him, even though she hadn’t been the one to take it.