Читать книгу The Lost Wolf's Destiny - Karen Whiddon - Страница 9

Chapter 3

The next morning, after a fitful night trying to sleep, Blythe rose before dawn, craving coffee. The nightstand clock showed it was a little after five. A search of the room revealed no small coffeepot, like the ones in some hotels, so she reluctantly gave up on that idea.

Since Hailey was still sleeping, she moved quietly, aware her daughter needed all the rest she could get. The bad heart made Hailey tire quickly and suddenly. She’d collapsed a few times, unable to catch her breath. Each time that had happened, Blythe felt her own chest constrict, the horrible aching fear for Hailey, her frustration that she could do nothing to help her baby girl.

Crossing to the dresser, she took a T-shirt and undergarments, plus a pair of jeans. The idea that the clothing—all exactly the right size—had been purchased with her in mind, made her wonder. What if Jacob didn’t want guests to have their own things because he was trying to break the guests’ connections to the outside world?

As soon as she had the thought, she shied away from it. Her only concern had to be for any chance to heal Hailey.

Ah, well. She supposed this was their way of attempting to make her feel welcome.

Once inside the bathroom, she quietly closed the door and located a fluffy white towel. One thing she was learning about Jacob Gideon’s Sanctuary was that he didn’t skimp on luxuries.

Turning on the shower, she stepped under the hot spray with a sigh. The water felt good and she let herself relax.

Once she was clean, she dried herself off and brushed her teeth. She towel dried her hair as best she could, not wanting to use the blow-dryer that had been so thoughtfully provided, in case the noise woke Hailey.

She had a bit of her own makeup that she’d brought with her in her purse, so she applied that. Finally, she considered herself ready to face the day. Opening the door, she went to wake her daughter.

But the bed was empty. Hailey was gone.

Stunned, Blythe stood for a moment in shock. How could this be? She’d heard nothing, and surely Hailey would have screamed if some stranger had entered the room and taken her. Wouldn’t she?

Why? Why would anyone take her baby? What the hell had she done? She should never have come here.

Cursing under her breath, Blythe rushed to the door and tried the knob. Locked.

Damn them.

“Help!” she shouted, pounding on the door with her fists. “Help!”

But no one came. She hit the door until her fists were bruised. She kicked, pummeled and body slammed it, but the thick wood held.

Then she remembered the walkie-talkie. That girl—what was her name?—Ginger, had said to use it if she needed anything.

Scooping it up off the nightstand, Blythe flicked it on. “Ginger?” Her voice vibrated with barely contained fury. “Ginger, come in.”

Nothing but static answered her. Desperate now, she tried every channel, and when she received the same lack of response, she tried again. Her inner wolf snarled in fury.

She barely restrained herself from slamming the useless piece of equipment into the wall. Finally, she tossed it on the bed, crossed to the window and drew back the curtains. To her relief, there were no metal bars on the window. At least she wasn’t in that much of a cage.

But a closer examination revealed that the windows did not open. Effectively, she was trapped inside the room.

That was what they thought. Seething, she searched the room for a heavy object she could use to smash the glass. They’d taken her daughter. For what reason, she didn’t know, nor did it matter. The abduction, the locked room, the stupid walkie-talkie that didn’t work—none of it made sense.

But Hailey, Hailey. Even if they needed to take her somewhere alone to heal her, why would they steal her away like this, without consulting her mother?

Hefting the weight of the chair, which was too lightweight, she roamed the room, her blood humming with an adrenaline-fueled combination of fury and fear.

The lamp was also useless. She couldn’t lift the desk. No doubt her captors had thought of all this, planning the furnishing of the little cell carefully.

Then she spotted the mini refrigerator. Lifting it a few inches off the ground, she realized she might have to struggle to lift it, but since it was the heaviest thing she’d found, it would have to do.

Sliding it out from under the desk, she unplugged it, then hefted it in her arms and carried it over toward the window.

She braced herself and heaved the fridge at the window.

It hit, bounced back toward her and dropped to the floor, the door flying open and bottles of juice and water going everywhere. Blythe stepped over the mess. The window looked the same.

With maybe a tiny crack, a chip, where the edge of the mini fridge had hit.

Wondering if the noise would alert someone that she was trying to escape, she took the cheap, lightweight desk chair and wedged it under the door handle. It might not be good for breaking glass, but at least it would deter entry into the room for a little while. Because there was no way in hell she would let anyone stop her.

She had to save Hailey. No matter what.

Resolute, determined, she bent over, scooped the fridge up, and heaved it again, aiming roughly for the same spot.

Success! This time the window shattered.

But not neatly, not the way windows broke in movies. Instead, there was a ragged hole in the middle, with jagged shards of glass sticking out everywhere.

Carefully, she knocked them out until the window opening appeared both safe and large enough for her to climb through.

Heart still hammering in her chest, she peered out. And remembered that she was on the second floor. She’d have to climb out and let herself hang from the ledge and drop to the ground, hoping she didn’t break a leg or any other body part.

Climbing up, she scanned the outside area, trying to see in the predawn darkness beyond the glow cast from the outside landscaping lights.

As far as she could tell, no one was out there. But then, even if someone was, she would still do it. No way was she staying locked in the room while they had her baby.

Once she was free, she planned to change to wolf form and go hunting.

Knocking away the last remaining shards of glass, she gripped the windowsill, feeling slivers cut into her palm.

Slowly she swung her legs up and over, scrabbling for purchase on the stucco, until she hung all the way out, unsure exactly how far up she was from the ground.

Then she let go and fell.

* * *

In his wolf form, Lucas had spent hours cautiously roaming Sanctuary, keeping low to the ground and staying in the shadows. He saw no guards, no hint of heightened security. Letting his nose guide him, he followed the scents, almost netting a plump rabbit for his dinner, but he’d already eaten in the café.

Oddly enough, the only scents he detected were those of wildlife. Almost as if the people who lived within the luxurious stucco house never set foot outside.

This would not have surprised him. In fact, he wouldn’t be shocked at all to learn Jacob kept them all prisoners, or so brainwashed they didn’t take a single step anywhere without his approval.

The night had edged its way toward morning and the sky had begun to lighten. Lucas drew closer to the sprawling house. Sanctuary’s inhabitants still slept, and all remained quiet.

As he debated leaving so he could shift back to his human form, a light came on in a room on the second floor.

He froze, half expecting someone with a high-powered rifle to appear and start taking potshots at him.

Belly low to the ground, he backed up, keeping to the edge of the landscape lights, until he felt confident he couldn’t be seen.

The drapes remained drawn and nothing else happened. He’d just about started to lose interest when the curtains flew open and she stood there in plain view.

His heart skipped a beat. Her. The woman he’d come to rescue, the mother of the little girl. The one who was like him.

While he’d watched, she disappeared from view. Pulse racing, he waited, hoping she’d reappear. Instead, a few minutes later, she threw something at the glass, something large and heavy, obviously attempting to break it.

Lucas bared his teeth. Jacob must have locked her in. But she was getting out, using whatever means necessary to make an exit. Lucas approved.

The ever-present desert wind had ruffled his fur as he’d watched and waited, heart pounding in expectation. Again, she’d heaved something at the window. This time, the glass shattered. He’d held his breath while she picked the shards clean, climbed up on the windowsill and let herself hang. She let go a second later.

Watching closely, he’d felt relief when she climbed to her feet, apparently unhurt. He saw no sign of her child. What had happened to the little girl? Surely she wouldn’t just leave her there, would she?

She took a few steps toward him, obviously unable to see very well in the darkness. When she moved outside of the perimeter of landscape lights, she stopped and began shedding her clothes. What the...his heart stuttered. Had she already gone mad, after such a short time with Jacob?

Then she dropped to all fours, completely naked. Watching, he cocked his lupine head, puzzled. And then...and then...the air around her changed. A thousand tiny pinpricks of lights danced in the atmosphere, circling her, surrounding her. The hair on his back rose as he realized what he was witnessing.

He was watching her change.

The intimacy of the act was not lost on him. Thirty years old and he’d never seen another being go from human to wolf. This was by choice.

Others hunted in packs. Lucas hunted alone. Despite numerous invitations to join the huge, global Pack of Shape-shifters, he trusted no one. He’d declined and mostly they’d left him alone.

Exactly the way he preferred.

Now this. Was this how he’d appear to others? He’d never seen anything so amazing.

A moment later, the sparkling lights faded away and she stood in the darkness, muzzle raised to the sky, a wolf with a shining pelt of pure white. He sucked in his breath. Unusual, even he knew.

As his human self had reacted to her face, even on the television, his wolf self responded even more strongly to her in lupine form. He fought back the urge to bound over to her and begin the elaborate play that would mark the beginning of the mating ritual. Mating?

He’d have to let her know he was there, at least. If he was going to help this woman, he’d have to make her aware of his presence.

Moving quietly, carefully, he circled around, making sure he stood upwind of her, letting the breeze carry him to her sensitive nose. He could tell the instant she scented him—her entire body went still, ears pricked forward. And then she swung her head around and, with her superior lupine night vision, spotted him.

She growled, low in her throat, a warning.

To show her he was no threat, he did not move. Though he refused to adopt a submissive posture—he submitted to no one—he was careful not to make direct eye contact and he kept his head low.

Slowly, she circled around him, taking in his scent. He knew she’d be able to detect his human aspect, and would discern that he was not fully wolf, not a wild animal that had happened upon her by accident. No, she’d realize he was a Shape-shifter and had come here on purpose.

After she’d taken his measure at a distance of a few feet, she came closer. Her hackles were raised, though his had settled.

He let her get close, keeping his stance relaxed, neither threatening nor subservient, just friendly.

When she ran, at first he did not follow. But, when he realized she was heading for the front of Sanctuary, he knew he had to stop her.

Though she couldn’t open the door, there were windows. If she got inside as a wolf, they’d slaughter her. He understood she wanted to get to her daughter, but this was not the way. Unfortunately, he couldn’t speak and explain. Instead, he ran full out, slamming into her hard enough to send her flying.

Snarling, she leaped to her feet, going on the offensive. But rather than attacking him, she tried to dodge him in order to get past.

The sky continued to lighten. Soon, the sun would rise over the horizon, making them easy to pick off with a high-powered rifle. He knew this. Unfortunately, she did not.

They battled again and again. He, careful not to draw blood. She, not caring in her desperation. She came at him again and again. But he blocked her every time.

After a few moments of this, she spun away and ran in the opposite direction.

Stunned, at first he didn’t follow. Belatedly he realized she was running away from him, when he’d come all this way to save her.

He barely caught up with her. They crossed the boundary of the land, reached the road and she swerved. Running parallel to the street, she headed toward town. Soon she’d find where he’d parked his bike, hidden away from any headlights under some tumbleweeds and brush.

Had she thought this out, her escape? She had no clothes and when she changed back to human, she’d need something with which to cover herself. As a stark-naked female out in the wee hours of the morning, she would be placing herself in grave danger.

Any moment now, she’d be at the mound that hid his bike. He barked at her, once, a warning. To his surprise, she slowed her pace, first from an all-out run down to a lope, then a trot. And finally, she stopped and faced him.

When he caught up to her, he sat, keeping a few feet between them, not wanting to encroach on her space.

Shaking herself all over, as though removing water from her fur, she made a sound between a growl and a whine, and initiated the change back to human. Pausing for a second, aware he always changed back to a man fully aroused, Lucas did the same.

As soon as he was human again, he turned his back to her and crossed to his bike to retrieve his clothing. But before he could put it on, he heard her behind him and turned, shielding himself with his clothes.

“Who are you? I don’t have time for this.” Standing tall with her hands on her well-shaped hips, she vibrated with rage and seemed completely unashamed of her nakedness. Worse, she either didn’t see or didn’t care that when he’d shifted back to human, he was completely aroused. It was always this way with him. He didn’t know if this was normal among his kind, or if he was some sort of aberration. He’d never cared enough to find out.

Having the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen face him unclothed only made things worse. Holding his clothing in front of his arousal, he literally had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching out and yanking her to him.

“Are you with them?” she snarled. “Working for that damn Sanctuary? My daughter might be in danger. I’ve got to get her back.”

“I don’t work for them. I came to help you. I’m on your side,” he said, wincing at the cliché and wishing his voice sounded less husky and more authoritative.

“Are you? Then you’d better talk,” she ordered. “And quickly. I need help. Jacob Gideon has taken my daughter.”

“I thought he would.”

Scowling at him, she shook her head and began backing away. “You work for him, don’t you?”

“No.” He snarled the word. “But I’m well aware of what he’s like.”

“Do you have a phone?” she asked, holding out her hand. “I need to call the authorities and get them out here. I want my daughter and I want her now.”

“It’s not going to do any good,” he told her, realizing she wouldn’t believe him. “Here.” He tossed her his T-shirt. “Put this on and let me get dressed and then we’ll talk.”

Though she caught it easily, she made no move to pull it over her head. Instead, she stood glaring at him with suspicion.

Hell. With a shrug, he turned his back to her and yanked on his shorts and then his jeans, wincing as he tried to tug the zipper up over his swollen body. When he turned back, she still clutched his T-shirt, quietly watching him dress.

With a shrug, he uncovered the motorcycle.

When he’d finished, he looked up to find she finally wore his shirt. On her, it was as long as a minidress, covering her, though the thin cotton did little to hide her lush shape or her engorged nipples.

Damn. What the hell was wrong with him? What was it about this woman that made him want her so intensely?

He indicated his bike. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather have our discussion as far from here as possible. Pretty soon his goons are going to realize you’ve escaped and come looking. I’m thinking you don’t want to be found. At least, not yet.”

What he’d thought was calm rationality clearly enraged her. “Are you crazy? Since you were on the property, you must be one of Jacob’s men. What’d he do, tell you to persuade me to leave my daughter? I won’t.”

“You can’t get her back alone. Jacob has hundreds of loyal followers. They will stop you. In fact, they might hurt you. We need to go get reinforcements.”

“There’s no way I’m walking away and leaving Hailey in danger. Look, I just escaped. Jacob has no guards—at least none that I could see.”

The sun rose, bathing them with bright yellow light. Lucas winced. “Jacob is no fool. If he went through so much trouble to get your little girl, he’s not going to let you take her back without a battle. Look, I promise you I know what I’m talking about. I escaped from there once myself. If you go back on your own, they might kill you. And that would leave your kid with no one to fight for her. Is that what you want?”

She wavered, clearly not understanding. “I’d like to call the police. They’ll help me.”

“No, they won’t. Jacob has the entire town in his pocket. And I didn’t bring my cell with me.”

“What are you saying?” she cried, her narrowed gaze telling him she didn’t believe him. “You honestly expect me to just take your word and believe that there’s no hope?”

“Oh, there’s hope.” Once again, he indicated his motorcycle. “But you’re going to have to come with me. Evading capture is the only way you’re going to get your daughter back.”

Though she still appeared unconvinced, she finally dipped her chin in answer. “I don’t trust you,” she said. “But I’m going to go with you. At least until I can get reinforcements, like the sheriff’s department. Let’s go.”

He liked the way she made decisions quickly, without wasting precious time agonizing over the pros and cons.

Climbing on his bike, he motioned for her to get on behind him. Once she had, he tried like hell not to think about how she was naked underneath his T-shirt, and that the heat of her body pressing against him was only separated by cloth.

He turned the ignition and the Harley roared to life. The vibration against his already-aroused body made him clench his teeth.

“Hold on,” he told her, the wind carrying his words away. Once she’d wrapped her arms around his middle, he took off, heading for his motel and hoping like hell no one had seen them.

* * *

While they rode, Blythe tried to calm her rising panic. Not for herself, but for Hailey. She still didn’t understand why Jacob Gideon’s people had locked her in a room to begin with. And then stolen her daughter. Why take Hailey like that? He’d promised to heal her, not hurt her. And he’d done so publicly, which also made no sense.

On top of that, with her arms wrapped around the muscular chest of a large and dangerously handsome man, she had to wonder. Where had he come from? She had to consider the possibility that he worked for Jacob and had been sent to keep her away from her daughter.

Her companion drove the big motorcycle competently, but then he had the look of a man who knew how to do most everything well. Tall and well built, he moved with a grace that told her he was at home in his own body.

Still, for him to appear out of nowhere, just when she was making her escape... She had to wonder. Could he be trusted? Since she’d already made one huge error in judgment by trusting Jacob Gideon, she wasn’t sure she hadn’t just made another.

Reminding herself that he was Pack, like her, and therefore most likely on her side, helped slightly. With all the craziness that was going on, she might need the help of more of her own kind. The Pack had a group of people called the Pack Protectors. She might have to call on them to help save Hailey. After all, who knew what the faith healer had planned? She was certain whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Her panic began to build. Hailey needed certain medications. Would Jacob’s people remember to give them to her? She knew if she kept thinking along those lines, she’d be reduced to an ineffectual, panicked mess. She needed to try and remain as calm and clearheaded as possible if she wanted to succeed in rescuing her baby.

Finally, they coasted to a stop in front of an L-shaped, wooden motel that had seen better days. She took a deep breath. Hopping down from the bike, she pulled the large cotton T-shirt down and eyed him. “I asked you to take me to the sheriff’s office and you bring me to a motel. You’d better give me a damn good reason not to start screaming for help.”

Her passionate speech didn’t seem to faze him.

“I’m Lucas Kenyon,” he told her, the rumble of his deep voice oddly reassuring and dangerous at the same time. “Formerly Luke Gideon. And I promise I’ll explain everything.”

Stunned, she gaped at him. “But he said he had no children.”

“He would.” He grimaced.

“You’re his...son?”

“Not anymore.” Crossing to a room, he used his key and opened the door. “Come inside, please. I’ll tell you everything.”

She hesitated. She no longer trusted anyone with any connection whatsoever to Jacob Gideon, Pack or human. Especially his son.

“There’s a phone inside that you can use. I promise I won’t hurt you,” Lucas said, clearly misinterpreting the reason she wavered.

“I didn’t think you would,” she told him, pushing past him. “But I’m calling the sheriff before I listen to anything you have to say. I want my daughter back.”

Once she was inside, he closed the door behind her. “Go ahead and call,” he said. When she reached for the telephone on the nightstand, he grabbed a cell phone off the dresser. “Use this instead. He can’t trace you that way,” he told her, by way of explanation. “It’s disposable. I’ve got several others just like it.”

Accepting his phone, she eyed him and then she punched in 911. When a woman answered, Blythe tried to speak calmly, so she’d be clearly understood. “I need help. Jacob Gideon over at Sanctuary has taken my daughter. She’s only five. He took her without my permission.”

To her shock and disbelief, the operator chuckled. “You know, he just called in. He said you’d say something like that.”

Confused, Blythe looked at her companion. Although he couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, his expression appeared resigned. “I’m saying it because it’s true.”

“Oh, I know Jacob. He’d never do something like that. He told us there’d been a little misunderstanding.”

“This is not a misunderstanding,” Blythe interrupted. “He took my daughter. I need you people to help me get her back.”

The woman continued on as though Blythe hadn’t spoken.

“I know who you are. You’re the lady we saw on TV the other day. You brought your little girl here so Jacob could heal her. You just need to calm down and let him do his work.”

“Calm down?” Blythe could hear her voice rising as it began to dawn on her that she really was on her own. This Lucas was right. No one else was going to help her save Hailey. Still, she had to try. “Let me talk to your supervisor.”

She swore she could almost hear the woman shaking her head. “He won’t be in until later this morning. Around nine. You’ll have to call back then. Why don’t you just phone Jacob and give him a chance to explain? He told me to tell you it’s a big misunderstanding and that you should come back right away.”

“He told you?”

“Of course.” The woman sounded smug. “Everyone around these parts is on very good terms with Jacob Gideon. Go back. Talk to him.”

Go back? Give Jacob a call... This was surreal. Blythe looked up and saw from Lucas’s glum expression that this was exactly as he’d expected. Which meant...what? That he was in on it? Or that he was a really good judge of what Jacob Gideon would do.

Gripping the cell phone, her hand sweaty, she said the only thing she could think of. “I don’t have his phone number.”

“Let me give it to you.” Suddenly solicitous, the dispatcher rattled it off, which Blythe repeated out loud so Lucas could write it down on a small pad of paper beside the hotel phone.

Once she was certain he’d gotten it, stunned and feeling as if she’d been run over by a semitruck, Blythe ended the call.

She stared at the cell phone, suppressing the urge to fling it against the wall. “Hailey is dangerously ill.” Biting down on her fury, she spun to face him.

“I’m not sure what just happened,” she began, seething.

“I told you he has them all in his pocket,” Lucas said, his voice sounding both resigned and angry. “You’ll have to get help from far away from this area to find someone he hasn’t corrupted.”

As she continued to eye him, she couldn’t find even the slightest resemblance between this man and the preacher. Where Jacob was slender and average height, Lucas stood well over six feet with a muscular build. Even their facial structures were different. Jacob had meaty features, with a bulbous nose. Lucas’s were patrician, as if they’d been carved from marble.

“You say you’re his son,” she said, in a tone that was not quite believing. “Yet not only do you not resemble him in the slightest, but you sound like you don’t like him, either.”

He shook his head, his ruggedly handsome features impassive. “As I said, I’m not his son any longer. As far as I’m concerned, that part of me died fifteen years ago, when I escaped Sanctuary roughly the same way you did.”

Crud. Suddenly dizzy, Blythe sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t give a damn about you or your father, but you’d better tell me anything that will help me find a way to rescue my daughter.”