Caged Heat (Black Meadow Pack) (11 page)

Sophia sighed. “Thank you. I’ve just never seen anything like you before. It’s your right to know why you can’t shift and, more importantly, how you came to have the shifter traits. Plus, we’ll want to know if your future offspring will be able to shift.”

Sam nodded. “Thanks. I do want to know.” She stood and walked out with Sophia.

They found Chase and Ry in the backyard on their stomachs while the kids played horsey and bounced on the men’s backs. Sam grinned and couldn’t help laughing when Selena pulled at Riel’s hair and giggled. He’d make a great father. Her womb clenched as if in agreement. It was time to get him back to the house and have her way with her mate. Shifter or not, he was hers, and they both knew it. The link between them had been tangible since the first time their gazes met.

While he drove them back to the house, her thoughts centered on getting him to admit how he felt for her. If he was waiting for her to make the choice, then she was waiting for him to open his mouth.

When they reached his house Nat had been sitting down on one of his front steps and waved at them. He parked and walked both women inside. Just as they entered his phone rang. Moments later he pulled Sam off to the side and into his arms.

“I need to go see Kane. He’s got some information and can’t get to me. Don’t leave the house. I’ll be back shortly, and then we need to talk.” He lowered his head and kissed her until all she knew was the firm stroking of his lips and the sexy invasion of his tongue in her mouth.

Once he left, Sam turned to Nat. Her friend grinned from ear to ear. “So…when’s the wedding?”

“You’re out of your mind.” Sam laughed. “And what are you doing here anyway?” Her heart told her all she needed was for Riel to admit he loved her and bite her, claiming her as his mate. If he happened to ask her to marry him then she’d say yes. What woman didn’t want to marry the man she loved? But her main concern was getting her mate to claim her.

Nat gave her a sheepish smile. “I came to get the copy of my birth certificate you always keep for me. I can’t find the key to my lock box. I need the copy for some stupid human resources paperwork at my new job. Why? I don’t know but they keep asking for it, and I don’t want to get into trouble making them wait any longer.”

That was the perfect opportunity for Sam to find the small trunk Ginny kept all the important personal papers in. Maybe she would be able to figure out how the strange shifter link had emerged in her life.

“Let me run over to the house, I have something I need to pick up anyway. Do me a favor and make me a sandwich, I’m starving. Ry and I ran out without getting a chance to eat.”

Nat waggled her brows. “Yeah. I can imagine what kept you so busy you didn’t get a chance to eat.” She laughed. “Go. I’ll have something by the time you get back.”

Guilt made her rush. Ry had told her to stay in his house, but she wasn’t going to be gone for long, and she really wanted to know who the shifter was in her family. She entered the house and ran up to Ginny’s room. Once inside she was overcome with sadness. She’d been avoiding Ginny’s room, knowing it would be difficult to handle. The soft gold and purple tones that decorated the room were Ginny’s favorite colors. Pictures of Sam through the years hung on the walls and sat on every surface in the room. Moisture gathered in her eyes, making her vision blurry.

Grief tore through her, roping around her heart and squeezing hard. She took a breath, and a sob escaped. Tears fell on her cheeks, and she wiped them with the back of her hand. Her heart ached for the woman who’d taught her right from wrong and to be the person she wanted to be. She’d loved her unconditionally. She’d never hear her grandmother’s soft Latin accent telling her to live her life to the fullest. She’d never hug her tiny frame or brush her short, raven bob. But worst of all, she’d never be able to tell her how much she loved her.

She choked on her sobs. Taking choppy breaths, she swallowed at the knot in her throat and sighed. If only she’d been back before Ginny had died, but it was too late to change the past. And Ginny would never have allowed her to. She’d tell her to move on and let go of whatever went wrong, learn from it, and use it to make better decisions in the future.

Steeling her spine, she stepped forward. Ginny had always told her not to cry for her when she died. She’d enjoyed her life and didn’t want anyone mourning her. It had been hard to do as Ginny asked the first few days when pain and loss had filled her heart. Now she had so much going on, she knew what Ginny meant when she told her to live her life the way she wanted to be remembered. All she wanted was to find one man who would love her and who she could love for the rest of her life. The image of Ry’s face filled her mind. She no longer had a doubt he was the right man for her, and she’d tell him as soon as he returned home.

She marched toward the large trunk at the end of Ginny’s bed. The latch came open, and she lifted the lid to find the small trunk she needed. Thank goodness Ginny never moved it to a new spot. Although small, the trunk was heavy. Breathless and panting, she ran back to Ry’s house. In her haste she left the front door of her house ajar, but she’d send Ry to close it for her later. When she got to the kitchen, she collapsed on a chair, placing the trunk on the large kitchen table.

Nat chuckled at Sam’s panting and brought her a glass of water. “Did you get my birth certificate copy?”

She cursed. She drank some water and stood slowly, taking her sweet time after having carried the heavy little trunk. “I’ll be right back.”

Out the door again, she walked back to her house, Natalia’s laughter floating from the kitchen. Grateful she’d left the front door open; she ran back up the stairs. She'd just walked into her bedroom when she was the squeaking of the floor made her stop in her tracks. A strange smell permeated in the air. She frowned and marched into her room to look for the reason behind the smell. Someone grabbed her from behind. Like manacles, two big arms held her in place while a black material was placed over her head. She screamed and kicked to no avail. The arms around her chest tightened until she was struggling to get air into her lungs.

She felt a painful piercing on her arm, which made her wince, followed by a burning sensation, and then the numbing of her arm. Oh god. She’d been injected with something. Whatever they’d given her worked quickly. Her muscles turned heavy, and her struggles sluggish. Weighed down by her unhelpful arms and legs, her efforts waned even when she tried to fight back. Her screams grew muffled, until they stopped altogether due to her oxygen-deprived lungs.

The arms, which she was sure belonged to a giant, hauled her up some steps and a massive body fell on a bed on top of her, pinning her down. The smell of male sweat, cigars, and whisky told her the person holding her down was a man. He wasn’t alone. While the man’s large body robbed her of the oxygen needed to stay alive, someone grabbed her feet. A coarse rope tangled around her legs until she couldn’t kick anymore. Her arms were jerked over her head and also bound in a painfully tight grip. Whatever was holding her arms down was cutting off the circulation in her wrists. She still couldn’t get enough air into her lungs with the man’s heavy body draped over her.

Every noise became enhanced. She heard the quiet whispers from one to the other. It took great effort to fight the drowsiness taking hold of her.

“That’s it.” The scratchy whisper sounded like a smoker that had a horribly dry throat.

“You’re sure.” The second voice wasn’t right. It sounded as if the person was trying to sound different on purpose.

“Yes. She can’t get out of these binds,” the scratchy voice whispered.

“OK. I’ll go set the fire and meet you in the car. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Shit. They were going to set the house on fire with her inside. She tugged at her arms to no avail. Every pull made her wince. Exhaustion dragged at her, and she blinked inside the covering. She shook her head from side to side until she was able to see light under the dark cloth. When the scent of smoke reached her, her blood turned to ice. Frantic, she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders until the cloth came off her head completely. She could now look around her room. Filling her lungs with air, she let out the loudest scream of her life, hoping someone would hear her.

Panic seized her when she saw flames licking at the doorframe to her bedroom. She was going to die. No! It was wrong. There had to be a way to get out. She tugged at her almost-numb legs and arms, but only chafed her wrists in the process. It took her a moment to realize she was screaming for Riel. Her mind had focused on him, seeking out the one man she knew would do anything to save her, as the room filled with smoke. With every scream she inhaled copious amounts of smoke. She coughed and breathed into her shoulder. Flames crawled into her room. Horror filled her as all the memories from her childhood were destroyed by the hungry blaze. Metal frames melted, photos turned to ash, and her lovely blue wood furniture all turned dark with the force of the fire eating its way through her room.

Smoke made her eyes water and her lungs burn. She couldn’t get air in. Every time she inhaled, her lungs screamed in agony, and she coughed in pain. The drug attempted to pull her to sleep and forget about breathing. White spots danced before her eyes, and her vision swam. The lack of oxygen made her lightheaded. A loud growl made her jerk her gaze to the door. A blurry Riel ran into the room, soaking wet. Determination lined his features, and concern was visible in his eyes. He moved up to her arms and beat at the wood until the rope came loose. She was still bound and trying to get air in. He picked her up and held her in his arms. The last thing she knew was her body flying through the air before darkness consumed her.

Chapter Seven

Riel dropped Sam’s limp body out of the window into Troy’s waiting arms. As soon as he caught her, Riel jumped, landing in a crouch. There had been no way he could have gone back out the door. The house was being consumed by the blazing inferno. He immediately ran over to Sam. They set her on the ground, and he felt for a pulse. She wasn’t breathing. He started CPR, tilting her head back and blowing air into her lungs. Nothing. His entire life narrowed down to getting her to breathe. If he didn’t achieve that, nothing else mattered.

“Breathe, baby.” He pumped her chest and blew into her lungs. “Please, Sam,” he begged and blew into her lungs again. He listened for her to take a breath and repeated the action.

Natalia’s soft cries, along with the crackling of the fire devouring the house, filled the air with rigid tension.

“Breathe, Sam. Breathe. I love you, sweetheart. Please breathe. Please.” He continued to blow and pump her chest without a response. Minute after minute passed without a response from Sam. He growled and roared at the injustice of it all. He’d just gotten her back. How could life be so cruel? He blew into her lungs again.

She coughed, and he almost collapsed in relief. Her pulse was weak, but he heard the faint wheezing of her body trying to get oxygen into her lungs.

Moments later an ambulance, the fire department, Kane, and Zeno arrived. Paramedics rushed over to Sam and placed an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. His gaze never strayed from Sam’s limp body. The two men placed her on a gurney and lifted her into the ambulance.

“To our clinic,” he instructed the shifter paramedics.

“Yes, sir.” They carefully lifted the gurney into the back of the ambulance.

He turned to find Kane and Zeno speaking to a fire department connection, while Troy held Nat. The couple quickly rushed forward.

Riel was not wasting time. “I’m going to the clinic with them.”

Nat’s nodded, tears streaming down her face. “We’ll follow behind you.”

Raven was waiting for them at the entrance when they arrived.

Sam was rushed to the intensive care unit for severe smoke inhalation. She was hooked up to a heart monitor and an oxygen tank. His gut clenched when he heard her cough, a dry, painful sound that broke his heart.

Raven patted his arm. “She’ll be fine. I understand you gave her CPR and breathed air into her lungs?”

Riel shook his head. If only she knew. “I did.”

Raven smiled sadly. “I understand. We’ll take good care of her. Why don’t you wait outside while we monitor her, and once we’re done you can come sit by her.”

The thought of leaving her made his heart hurt, but he knew they had a job to do. He stared at Raven in the eyes. “I’ll be outside. Call me if anything changes.”

Troy and Nat sat in the waiting room along with Kane and Zeno. Minutes later Sophia and Chase showed up. Sophia threw herself into Riel’s arms in one of her sisterly displays of love.

“I’m so sorry. Is she OK?” Her concern was palpable, and Riel appreciated her for it. Chase gave him a brotherly hug and curled an arm around Sophia’s waist.

Riel swallowed against the sand dunes residing in his throat. “She will be. She’d stopped breathing, but I gave her CPR and she’s holding strong.”

Chase nodded and squeezed Sophia into his side. “What happened?”

Natalia sniffed through her tears. “I can tell you.” She stepped forward. “More or less.”

Everyone turned to her, and Riel wondered how the hell he’d left Sam for what must have been just a few moments only to come back and find her tied up inside a burning house.

“When Ry dropped her off I told her I needed the copy of my birth certificate she has always held for me. She said she needed to get something at her house anyway. She walked out saying she would be right back. She went to the house and came back with a small trunk. When we realized she’d forgotten my document, she ran back. After I made her sandwich, I noticed she didn’t come back as quickly as the first time. I ran out only to find the house engulfed in flames. I called Troy, and when I was talking to him Ry showed up.”

Riel picked it up from there. “The house is gone. I was lucky to get her out in time.” Agony lanced his chest when he thought of what could’ve happened had he not gone back. Something had nagged at him to return, and so he’d turned around before reaching Kane.