Awakening: Montana Wolves, Book 2 (9 page)

She forced tears to well in her eyes, hoping she looked pitiful while she bit back her anger. Maybe if he could see her as a human being, like him…

His hand shook slightly, and his voice took on an edge of hysteria as he spoke. “I wish people would stop saying that to me. I don’t need a doctor. I
am
a doctor.  And you are a monster. A clever one, I’ll give you that, but a monster nonetheless. Now, you and I are going to get to know each other a little better. I’d hoped you would cooperate, hoped maybe you would even want me to try to cure you, but if you won’t be nice…”

He walked toward her, pulling a wicked looking needle from his pocket.

As Wheeler moved toward her, Chandra knew she had no choice. She had to risk changing as she could not—
would not
—allow him to drug her and perform God knows what grisly experiments on her.

Hoping buy herself a moment or two with shock value, she burst into wolf form in an instant, steeling herself for the pain in her wrists and ankles.

Three of the four shackles gave way. The fourth was still on her right hind leg, stuck tight, above the joint. She rolled to her side desperate to get out of the submissive position she was in and stood on the bed using her three good legs. A low growl worked its way from deep in her throat. 

The doctor had stopped mid-stride and stared in awe. “Amazing. I knew it. I
knew
it!” He lowered the needle, putting it back into his pocket, and instead aimed the gun at her. “I was going to give you something mild this time, but I can see that isn’t going to work.” He closed one eye and fixed her in his sights.

She would not allow him to render her helpless again. Chandra steeled herself and wrenched her body hard to the side just as she heard the gun go off. The bone in her hind leg snapped, and she howled in pain. Fighting through the agony, she pulled her limp, malleable leg from the chain.

She looked up to see him struggling to get another cartridge into the gun and set up for second shot, but she wasted no time. His wild eyes met hers, and she leaped from the bed, snarling as her jaws closed over his gun-wielding arm like a steel trap. He screamed, and the gun clattered to the floor.

A sharp sting in her side registered through the fury, and she looked down in despair to see the doctor’s needle protruding from between her ribs.

She’d gambled and failed. Not only was she helpless, she’d also exposed her pack to a madman. She should have let him kill her.

As her vision grew blurry, she reached for Jax one last time before slipping into oblivion.

Run. Pack everyone up and get out of Pray. He’s coming.

I’m so sorry.

Jax held his nose firmly to the ground as he moved through the forest. The pack had spread out over a three-mile area around where Sara had been killed and were in constant mental contact with one another. No one had caught Chandra’s scent yet, and they were preparing to move to another section of woods when a sound caught his attention

He pricked his ears, listening intently, opening his thoughts, and pressing outward for Chandra. Again, nothing. He had been trying to reconnect with her since they left Amber’s house, and he was terrified because he had received no response. He held onto the hope that she was sedated again or somehow distracted.

He wouldn’t allow himself to think of the alternative.

A sound came then, and this time it was clear. Chandra, barking and snarling. His heart leaped. He turned to the noise and broke into a run, sending out the call to his pack-mates.

They had found her.

So sorry.

Chandra’s weakened thoughts blasted into his consciousness only to fade away an instant later. Jax let out a long, mournful howl as pain lanced his heart. Could fate be so cruel as to take her from him when they were so close?

He covered the last few yards to the old, rickety door and launched himself into it, smashing it to pieces as he entered the cabin. He followed her scent to the bedroom and charged inside.

Chandra lay motionless on the floor, her face covered in blood. Heart in his throat, he ran to her side, sniffing and licking her face tenderly. Not her blood. She was breathing, he realized with relief. He scanned her body quickly for injuries and noted her leg twisted at an awkward angle. Painful but not life threatening.

The rest of the pack entered the room and surrounded her, snuffling and licking her gently. His overwhelming relief was eclipsed by ice-cold fury as he scented the human male. Jax met Liam’s eyes.

Get her home. I’ll be there shortly.

The alpha’s response rang in his head.
We go together
.

Fuck that.

I appreciate the concern, but I’m doing this alone. If I need you, I’ll call.

Without waiting for a reply, he padded forward, intent on the hunt, the beat of his animal heart the only sound he could hear. As the scent of blood grew stronger, so did his rage. It pulsed through him like a giant, seething beast, all consuming. This monster of a man would pay for hurting Chandra, and Sara’s death would finally be avenged. Then maybe he could forgive himself for not being there when she’d needed him most. And, just maybe, he would be deserving of happiness again.

A subtle movement caught his attention.  Narrowing keen eyes, he spotted him.

Crouched low behind a bush was the man who had killed Sara, the man who had hurt Chandra, the focus of every shred of anger and pain in his battered heart. His vision blurred into a haze of red. All conscious thought fled as he allowed the wolf to dominate, eclipsing every last bit of humanity in him.

Letting loose a feral snarl, he launched into the air, clearing the twenty feet that separated him from his prey, and a terrible scream echoed through the darkening forest.

***

Chandra awoke to a warm sponge being dragged across her skin. It was lovely. She sighed contentedly as gentle hands pulled a freshly laundered t-shirt over her head.

She gasped and came awake with a start, sitting up quickly. She was rewarded with a pounding in her head that took her breath away as everything came rushing back to her.

“Jax?”

“I’m here, Chan, I’m right here,” he said, reaching out to grab her hand.

“You found me,” she croaked, looking into his warm, brown eyes. “And you saved me.”

“I found you, babe, but
you
saved you. The bastard had taken off bleeding like a stuck pig by the time I got there. You were great.” There was a note of pride in his voice that warmed her from the inside out.

“Is he…?”

“He won’t ever hurt anyone ever again,” he said with a grim smile.

Relief flashed through her, but it was tempered with grief. “Thank you. Jax, about Sara, I’m so very sorry. What he did to her…” Her eyes filled with tears. 

“I’m the one who’s sorry. I put you at risk…all of you. And if something happened to you-” He broke off, leaned close and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Get some rest. We can talk in the morning.”

She flexed her right leg and was relieved to feel it was almost healed and only caused her a twinge of discomfort.

She lay back onto the pillow, still exhausted and drained from the combination of drugs, adrenaline, and the effort it took to heal. Still, she fought sleep. “And Amber? Is Amber okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. She’s here at the house for tonight. I think she’s still in shock. Billy is watching her. We have some decisions to make there. She saw some things she shouldn’t have, and you know how some of the other packs deal with shit like that. If they find out-” He broke off and shook his head. “You know what? That’s for another day. For now, everything is good. Great, even. You’re alive and home, and I don’t give a flying fuck about anything else.”

“Home. Yes,” she mumbled, her eyelids fluttering one last time before the lure of sleep grew too strong and pulled her slowly under.

When she awoke again, hours later, for a moment she didn’t know where she was, and fear gripped her. Taking a slow, deep breath, she calmed herself. Everything was okay. She was home, in her bed.

And Jax was still with her.

His strong arms tightened around her waist. She turned to face him, returning his embrace.

“Hey, there,” he said, his voice husky from sleep.

“Hey, yourself.”

“Feeling better?”

“Yup.” She tested her ankle again and nodded. “Almost like new.”

She began to pull away, suddenly conscious of the fact that she was treating him like her mate. He hadn’t signed on for that, and she wasn’t going to embarrass herself by being the needy woman smothering him just because he’d saved her.

Jax held her fast. “Where are you going?” he asked, sweeping his hand down to her hip, anchoring her close.

“Mmm,” she sighed and fought the urge to rub against him.

“You’re asking for trouble making noises like that.”

Her pulse spiked at the thought of such trouble, and she gave into her urge, arching toward him. After all they’d been through, she wanted…no, needed to feel alive. To feel the joy and freedom that being with Jax would bring. Maybe one more time wouldn’t hurt.

Hell, who was she kidding? Giving him up was going to kill her no matter when she did it. She might take this moment and use it to wipe away the memories of the night before and replace them with something beautiful.

She groaned as the hard length rode her hip and she leaned forward, inhaling his delicious, musky scent.

“Chan, are you sure you’re okay for this?”

“Yes. Oh yes.”

She let her eyes drift closed as he leaned in to kiss her. His mouth met hers, hot and hungry, as she let her hand drift down his back, kneading his taut muscles.

“You feel so good,” she murmured into his mouth. She pushed him away then, pressing him back into the mattress. She slung her leg over his hips and straddled him, slowly lowering herself until she could feel his thickening erection through the thin cloth the separated them.

Reaching down, she grasped the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head in one swift motion, baring herself to his hungry gaze.

“Oh, Chan,” he groaned, reaching up and cupping her breasts in his hands.

Chandra arched her back, whimpering as he caressed hardening nipples. Her hips began to rock against his as he pinched and teased.

He looked down at her and said through gritted teeth, “You probably want to stop doing that.”

He pulled her down toward him and flicked her nipple with his tongue, then drew it into his hot mouth. Hers hips pulsed faster against his, almost of their own accord.

Jax turned his attention to her other breast as his hand snaked slowly down her side, tripping lightly over her hip. The other hand slid between her thighs and, splaying his open palm over the cloth of her panties, he squeezed. Heat rushed to her core as she trembled above him.

With the flick of his wrist, her panties were gone, replaced by his warm, hard hand. He covered her moist heat and slid a finger deep inside. Her body tensing as he flexed rhythmically.

She pulled away, determined to have him all. Reaching between them, she cupped his swollen cock in her hand, lifting him to press against her. He probed, his thick length finding its mark. Flexing his hips, he pushed into her until he was seated fully. She tried to make it last, to savor the sensation, but she was overwhelmed. Her body clenched around him over and over as he worked his hips relentlessly. First long and slow, then faster, until she began to cry out.

Shuddering over him, her body exploded, gripping his cock tight as the waves crashed over her. He stiffened beneath her, holding her hips tight in his hands as he surged forward one last time, his cock pulsing and jerking inside her as he came.

His face was still buried in her neck, his breathing heavy, when he mumbled something.

“What?” she gasped, still trying to catch her breath as she pulled away.

He stared up into her face and pulled her close again, brushing his lips against her cheek. “I said I think love you, Chan.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest. He cared for her, sure, she knew that, especially after last night. But love? An ember of hope flickered to life within her. She shook her head, refusing to give into it until she was sure. She didn’t think she could take the pain if it was nothing more than pillow talk. “I thought you-”

He held up a hand and cut her off. “I know what I said before,” he admitted, “but after we made love yesterday, I felt so happy, so complete. I wanted to talk to you once I got my head together, but you were gone. Then, when I thought I lost you—” He broke off, closing his eyes. “I’m lying. I don’t think I love you. I know I do. We can take it slow. Work Ryan into the idea bit by bit. But now that I have you, I never want to let you go. Tell me you’ll at least think about it. When we’ve had some distance from this shit storm.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cupped his face in her hands. “I don’t need to think about it. I’m pretty sure I loved you the moment I walked through the door.”

He let out a low growl of satisfaction, and squeezed her against him. “I was so blinded by guilt and sadness, I couldn’t see it. Even when I started falling for you, I fought it because it felt like a betrayal. But now I know that there is nothing in the world Sara would have wanted more than for me to have found you. She would’ve loved you and she would be so grateful for what you’ve done for me and Ryan. We have a second chance at happiness.”

Chandra buried her face in his neck and cried, but this time, her tears were ones of joy. She’d left her pack in search of a place to belong. She’d never imagined she’d find a little family all her own, here in the wolf pack of Pray.