Conquering Theana (19 page)

The
change came over her slowly as she reached for it, luxuriating in the roll of
fur under her skin, the snap and twist of bones as they rearranged to make her
stronger, faster, better. Her vision banded and warped until she was seeing more
clearly than even in her enhanced two-legged form. She could feel the air
running through her pelt, smell the night as if it were a living breathing
thing, and taste the atmosphere around her. She padded closer to the iron
railing guarding the porch from their room and yipped, signaling to her mates
that she was leaving. Rafael grunted tiredly, and Gregori chuckled, warming her
inside and out. She was mated. Free.
Cared for.
She
leapt over the railing, forgoing the stairs to work her muscles and hit the
ground at a dead run. When she'd lived among the humans she’d had to be careful
of letting her wolf free. Though humans did know of their existence, she could
still run the risk of being hurt by hunters who wouldn't know the difference
between a shifter and a real wolf. Or in danger of eating a silver bullet by
hunters who knew exactly what they were shooting. It was a fact of life. She
hadn't even realized how much she'd missed this freedom.

Each
pump of her legs pushed her faster through the night, other wolves howling to
her in greeting, or smiling as she passed with a hand up. She yipped in
greeting and veered off the main road into the woods. Her heart pounded,
elated. Every wolf loved to run, to be free. She was no different. The earth
was damp under her feet, her body light as she leapt over fallen logs with
ease. She heard the ripple of water, her ears twitching, as she rushed toward
her destination. She broke through the edge of the trees and tumbled into the
water, laughing inside. Her happy yips and yelps filled the air as she filtered
in and out of the lake, splashing in the cool depths, bending at times to take
a drink, and racing the waves she made back to the shore. She did it over and
over again, stretching her muscles, pushing herself, until her mind was clear.
Until wolf and woman became one.
It was why she ran at
night. Why she would never stop. In these priceless moments she was calm,
accepting, and didn't argue her fate. Her wolf was joyous to no longer be
alone. To have mates that she knew could best her, and protect her. To know she
would, one day, have cubs of her own, and add to the pack.
Theana
,
merged with the wolf, was just as happy, and didn't have time argue. She
wondered if this is what her mother had felt, loved by two men beyond
distraction, and knowing she would always be their cherished one.

The
thought soothed her frayed nerves. She would find a way to give into her mates
emotionally. She knew they were worth it. Once she got over herself and let
them in, she didn't think it would be a problem. So heartened she turned to get
out the water and get back to her men. She shook the water out of her coat, as
she climbed from the lake, breathing hard from her exertion. But a sound
stopped her. It wouldn't be odd for other wolves to come to the lake as well,
but the small sound alerted her, unnerved her for some reason. Most wolves
would have made noise, alerting any others of their presence. Much like she had
when entering the lake, they would have wanted any wolf to know they were
coming so they wouldn't see a challenge. Not that any other wolves would be
able to challenge her, other than her mates, but the matter was about respect.
No, the barely there sound of a twig snapping had her tensing, a growl rising
from her belly.

"So pretty.
So alone."
She heard the words waft
through the forest before four pairs of golden eyes became visible from the
edge of the woods.
Theana
bared her teeth, refusing
to backpedal in the face of a line of male wolves. She could smell them. They
had no drive of desire riding them, but she could sense their determination.
She couldn't speak in her wolf form, and she refused to switch to human form
and bare her body to them. Besides, she was stronger as a wolf. She listened,
waiting to see what was coming. She was so focused on
them,
however, that she didn't hear the wolves flanking her until it was too late.

A
wolf barreled into her side, and she roared, smelling Camden.
The nerve!
She twisted, her supple spine
propelling her over his back. She kicked with her back feet, her claws catching
his hind legs. But Camden was an alpha, trained in battle. While she may be
marginally stronger, he had training and skill behind his attack. He
rolled,
a move that was more human than wolf, and lunged as
soon as she stood once more. The other wolf, his beta she had no doubt, slammed
into her side, knocking the breath out of her. She stumbled, but kept her feet.
She snapped at him, her teeth barely catching her shoulder, the taste of blood
coating her tongue. To his credit he didn't cry out. He ripped away from her,
feigned left, and lunged again. She tried to back them up so she could break
free to the forest, but the wolves were working together.

The
four from the woods bounded from the trees, teeth bared, claws extended, and
leapt at her. She twisted, falling to her back, knowing it was risky, but
trying anything to make a space, and let one wolf land on her. She raked at him
with her claws and bit at him. She twisted, satisfied when she heard yelps of
pain, and pulled her way from under him. She didn't turn to see what damage
she'd done to the wolf. She hoped he died. She raced into the water, trying to
make it to the other side, but Camden bounded after her, gripping her flank in
his claws and dragging her back. His beta rushed forward with him, and gripped
the scruff of her neck. She whimpered, her strength failing her, as the
remaining wolves fell on her. Her muzzle went under water, and she couldn't
breathe, spitting and kicking her feet frantically to break the surface. The
wolves didn't move, just held her down until she felt her lungs were about to
burst and her vision swam with black spots. She heard a bark as if from far
away, her body going limp and strong arms banding around her. Camden, now in
human form, lifted her from the water, growling viciously at his wolves.

"If
you fucking drowned my mate I will kill you. I will rip you into so many pieces
there is no way you'd recover," he roared fiercely.
Mate?
Didn't he realize she was no longer his? That he never was
her mate. But the softness in his hands as they checked her heart, and ran over
the scrapes in her flank confused her. He'd attacked her, but now he was taking
care of her, ensuring that she was okay.

"You're
okay, Theana. Why would you fight me? Why?" he asked, and she heard the
confusion in his tone. She was too tired to fight him then as he lifted her all
the way from the water and took them out of the lake.

"Get
me a blanket," he ordered, and one was produced, seemingly out of thin
air. He wrapped her in it, chafing her pelt. Her wolf wasn't cold, just tired,
exceedingly tired, too tired, even to shift back, but the motions were oddly
soothing. She sighed, her head lolling to one side.

"I've
got you, baby. We're going to get out of here, and then I'll let you rest. I'm
sorry about what's going to happen next, but I have to, or Rafael will come for
you." Theana wondered what he meant, but couldn't ask. Then she felt the
prick of a needle in her neck.

Rafael! Gregori!
She screamed in her head, angered she'd thought so much of her
power that she hadn't called them earlier. But then darkness claimed her, and
she couldn't feel anything.

Chapter Thirteen

Rafael
shot out of bed, his body on fire, and his mind filled with terror. He'd never
been so afraid in his life. His heart hammered in his chest like a prisoner
fighting to gain freedom. Gregori was right behind him, racing from the room
and screaming for Theana. Rafael knew she wasn't in the house. He couldn't
smell her. He knew she'd gone for a run and that she'd been heading towards the
lake. She'd done it nightly, well when he and Gregori hadn't tuckered her out,
for exercise. He'd never worried about anyone hurting her within Seurri walls.
Anyone with a fucking nose would be able to smell that she was a mated female,
the alpha bitch of the strongest pack, making her the strongest female in
Seurri. No one would have dared challenge her, or so he thought.

Idiot
, he roared at himself, angered that he hadn't thought to go with
her. But he needed to find Tim. He'd appointed the young pup to watch over his
mate's comings and goings. A lot to put on a cub who already was managing his
house, but Rafael knew that Tim could handle it. If he hadn't mated and had the
possibility of having pups himself now he would have made Tim his apparent
heir. Now, though, they had more pressing matters on their hands, and a
definite ass-kicking to mete out. Rafael didn't even bother getting dressed.
The wolves of Seurri were used to coming and going naked. It was a part of the
heritage.

"Tim!"
he roared, waking up every one in the house, but he didn't give a damn. For a
few seconds he'd felt
Theana's
fear, and then he'd
been unceremoniously cut off. No matter what he tried he couldn't sense her
outside of knowing she still breathed. The knowledge, though, did little to
soothe him. If he couldn't sense her, then he wouldn't be able to find her. And
he had to.

"Tim,"
he screamed again.

"I'm
here, alpha," the young man said, racing around a corner into the kitchen.
He was panting.

"Where
were you?" Rafael questioned, Gregori coming to his side, his hair wild,
as if he'd forced his fingers through the strands roughly.

"
Theana
was taking too long to come back.
She
usually only runs for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half.
I raced
out to see if anything was the matter. Then I heard you calling for me and came
back as fast as I could," Tim answered, gasping for breath. For him to be
so tired his wolf must have been working overtime to get to the house, which
meant he'd been far out. Rafael knew to trust Tim's tracking skills. The pup
had a knack for finding things.

"What
did you see?" Gregori asked, before Rafael could say anything. He and
Rafael had practically raised the pup and knew his skills.

"I
followed the alpha bitch's tracks to about three-quarters through the woods.
There were six other tracks, very fresh, that stamped over hers," Tim said
then, and swallowed.

"What
is it, Tim?" Rafael asked, his heart sinking.
Wolves.
Wolves had attacked his mate.
His own people.
He
wanted to rage, tear into something,
someone
. They would pay.
Each and every one of them.
They would
pay
.
"What?" he
barked,
his patience slipping.

"They
were
Convel
wolves," Tim said, and Rafael cursed
a blue streak. He'd tried so hard to show
Theana
who
he really was, and perhaps, in his attempt to make sure she realized he was
nothing like Camden, a dominant male who wanted what he wanted and, obviously,
did anything to get it, he may have been too lenient. He should have killed
Camden. Should have buried him and taken his pack. If he had, this wouldn't
have happened. A wolf didn't have to kill another wolf to take their place as
alpha, only best them, but Rafael wasn't so sure Camden would have stopped at
just being beaten.

"Camden,"
Gregori growled, ripping Rafael from his thoughts.

"I
have no doubt. And he obviously has supporters," Rafael answered.

"But why?"
Tim asked.

"Does
it matter?" Gregori bit out. Tim, never one to back down from a fight when
he was on to something, didn't stop.

"It
may. He has to know that you and Rafael could rip him to pieces. And so do his
other wolves. The wolves that took up his side would know the same thing—that
the entire
Ulric
clan would go to get their alpha
bitch back. We love her already. Why would they betray us for Camden's wounded
pride?"

Rafael
hated to admit it, but the pup had a point. He may want to rip out of the house
and go find his mate, but he had to have a plan. Camden obviously thought, for
some reason, that he had a claim to
Theana
, and that
he was right in some way. Rafael had never known Camden to be malicious, even
if he was a little old school.
The sort to take-and-ask-later.
Rafael had always trusted him with his people's security, and Camden had never
shirked his duties, no matter how fierce the work. Rationally Rafael knew this,
but his wolf wanted revenge. He wanted blood.

"Did
he invoke mate claim on
Theana
?" Rafael thought
aloud then.

"We
never thought to ask," Gregori groaned. Mate claim, for a wolf, meant
that, though he wasn't sure that his chosen female was his true mate, he had
enough feeling, and his wolf drove him hard enough, to claim her. It wasn't
often done, as most of the time wolves found their mates and knew it the moment
they smelled them. It usually only happened if the female wolf didn't feel the
bond. Perhaps Camden had all the callings of a mate when it came to
Theana
, even if she hadn't felt the same. His wolf may have
seen her as the most viable female within his territory that he would accept,
and so settled on her. If that was the case, then he would believe he had the
right to have her. His wolf wouldn't let him give her up, no matter what.