Heart of the Woolf (Woolf Series) (15 page)

* * * * *

Adrienne opened her eyes, aware of the parched feeling in her
throat. She looked around. The ceiling was white, the wall was white, and the
bed was unfamiliar. Weak sunlight streamed in through the curtained windows.
There was an antiseptic smell to the room that she remembered from another
time. The hospital. She croaked, “Water.”

She didn’t think that anyone was in the room with her, but a
feminine voice spoke up from somewhere near her feet. “You’re awake. Hold on,
girl, while I get you that water.”

A moment later, the strange woman approached the bed from the
right side and supported Adrienne’s head while she sipped the water from a
straw. “Slowly now, girl, that’s it. There.”

Adrienne lay back down, exhausted. She closed her eyes. She
heard the woman dragging over a stool to sit beside her bed.

“How are you feeling?”

Adrienne opened her eyes.

The woman was really a sight for sore eyes. Although there
were tiny lines on her face and a sprinkling of white among her short black
strands, beauty was still etched on her face, with her high cheekbones and
clearly defined features.

“Better.” Adrienne smiled a little. “Who are you? You
couldn’t be a nurse. You’re too elegant.”

“Oh, won’t James be amused when he hears that!” The woman
trilled. She leaned in confidingly. “He always says I’m old; now I know he’s
just jealous.” She smiled cheekily. “I’m Teresa, by the way. Jake’s mother.”

“Oh, Mrs. Wo-Woolf,” Adrienne stammered.

“Call me Teresa,” the woman said, her hands pressing firmly
on Adrienne’s. She added with a twinkle in her eye, “Or Mom, if it’s not too
early.”

Adrienne had never thought herself capable of blushing, but
she found herself heating up. She met Teresa’s eyes shyly. “I’m afraid it’s a
bit too early for that.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.” Teresa gave a mock sigh. “I’m
in despair of my children ever marrying. I have five, you know, and not one of
them shows any sign of settling down.”

“But you’re still young. Surely, you don’t want to have
grandchildren yet.” Adrienne found herself teasing her, trying to appeal to the
woman’s vain side.

“I’m a mother at heart, Adrienne.” Teresa patted Adrienne’s
hand. “I love the sounds of childish laughter and running feet. That’s why I
was so excited when Jake told me that you have a 10-year old brother; maybe you
can let him visit me sometime. I would so
love
to meet him.”

Adrienne’s eyes filled with tears. Teresa reminded her of her
own mother, who had passed away many years ago. Impulsively, she took Teresa’s
hand. “David would love you.”

“There, there. All that crying can’t be good for you.” Teresa
used a tissue and dried Adrienne’s tears with a gentle hand. “You’re just
starting to recover, you know.”

“How long have I been here?”

“You’ve been asleep for two whole days.” Teresa frowned. “We
were getting worried, but Tara said you were healing, that your body needed
time, and that sleep was the best for now.”

“Tara. She --” Adrienne hesitated, wondering if it was
her place to say anything. “She misses you all, you know.”

“Yes, I know.” Teresa’s voice was sad.

Adrienne decided not to pursue the topic. Anyway, she wasn’t
part of the family yet. She couldn’t deny, though, the great yearning that rose
in her at the thought of belonging to Jake. Now, more than ever, she was
determined to work things out with him. Nothing like a near-death experience to
bring things into the right perspective.

A deep, familiar voice came from the left side of the bed.
“Adrienne.”

Adrienne turned. Tears filled her eyes at the sight of his
beloved face. She opened her mouth, but no sound came. She tried again. “Jake.”
Her gaze touched lovingly on his clean-shaven face, noting his haunted eyes and
slightly gaunt face. “What happened to you?”

He moved and took over his mom’s place at her side. “You.” He
captured her hand in his fist and brought it to his mouth. His eyes looked
intensely into hers.

“I’m sorry.” She was so absorbed in looking at him that she
barely noticed what she was saying. She wasn’t even aware of Teresa leaving the
room, until the door clicked shut after her.

He shook his head. “Not your fault. If I hadn’t gone out that
door so fast, those guys wouldn’t have --”

“We couldn’t have known they were out to get me. If you had
stayed, maybe they would have captured you as well --”

“Capture a wolf?” An amused look crossed his face. “I’d like
to see anyone try.”

Adrienne thought about it and laughed. “You’re right.” She
turned serious. She searched the gray-brown depths of his eyes intently. “Jake,
I swear I wasn’t having sex with Lucien and Paul when you barged in on us. I
was angry with you, and I wanted to hurt you as much as you’ve hurt me. That’s
why I made it sound like you interrupted us in the middle of --”

“But you -- the three of you -- were lovers.” His
voice was quiet and devoid of emotion.

Chapter Twelve

“That was before the two of us.” Adrienne’s voice was equally
quiet. “I never intended to take up with them again. The sex was purely
physical, Jake, without the gut-wrenching emotions that tore me up inside when
I thought you had betrayed me.”

She waited for some declaration on his part, some avowal of
love, of affection, but she waited in vain.

“Betray you? Hurt you?” He looked confused. “When did I do
that? What did I do to make you so angry?”

Adrienne bit her lip and looked away. Telling him about it
was so shameful that she thought of lying. She’d failed to trust him, and
brought about a nearly catastrophic event. Yet if they were to build a
relationship, she had to be honest with him. She had to trust him now, to
understand and forgive her. She gathered her courage and turned back to him,
meeting his eyes. Her voice trembled. “I thought you were worming your way into
my affections, spying for my stepfather about where I hid David, and when you
had the information, you were going to betray me.”

A flash of pain crossed his face. His hand tightened on hers.
“Ah. I suppose I couldn’t blame you. After all, we don’t really know each other
very well.”

“I should have listened to my instincts; they were telling me
that I was totally wrong about you,” she confessed. “But logical person that I
am, I couldn’t disbelieve the evidence that I had before me.”

He threw her a sharp look. “Evidence?”

“I heard you talking to someone about the fact you’d found
out about David and how you’d have all the information once I was putty in your
hands and that you’d bring us both to him once you knew where --”

“Oh, that.” Jake laughed. “I was talking to my mother. I made
the mistake of telling her I was dating this girl who had a young brother. She
wouldn’t stop nagging until I promised to bring both of you to see her.”

“Oh.” So that’s how Teresa had known about David. Her mouth
tilted with an impish smile. “I do have to object about the putty comment.”

Jaked leaned close, eyes dark with intensity. “Maybe I’m
putty in yours.”

An urgent beat tugged at her heart, reminding her of one more
thing she had to clear up. “Jake ...” She hesitated.

He seemed to have read her thoughts, because his face went
taut. “I’m only sorry that I’m not enough --

“No.” She placed a finger swiftly over his lips. Her voice
held all the remorse within her. “Those were words of anger.”

His eyes looked searchingly into hers.

“You are more than enough for me. It’s just that -- the
lack is mine.” She needed to explain to Jake, to try and make him understand as
much as she was able to. “My past sexual encounters have made me the way I am,
Jake. I enjoy variety in bed, I enjoy having more than one man in my bed, but
as I’ve discovered, it is a variety that I can do without, if you cannot accept
it. You are enough for me, Jake. You fill all my needs.”

“Adrienne ...” Jake rested his forehead against their
joined hands for a few moments. Finally, he looked up, his expression somber.
“Life stopped for me when I sensed that you were in danger. I realized then
that I need you in my life; I need you as much as I need air to live. I’m
willing to try and compromise on -- on --” He swallowed.

She looked at him with tears blurring her sight. She knew
what it cost Jake to even say it and love for him rose up from deep within her.
She choked, “That’s enough for me, Jake. Your willingness to meet me
halfway -- it’s enough.”

“I almost lost it when I knew you were in trouble,” he
continued in a low voice. “If a wolf can’t even protect his mate --”

“Am I?” Her breath caught.

“In my heart, you are.” He nodded. “I knew it a long time
ago. But you have the choice, too.”

“Yes.” The moment she said the word, Adrienne felt peace
spread throughout her entire being. “You are my wolf-mate, and I am yours.” Her
voice broke on the last few words.
Jake.
She didn’t have to
think
it twice.

Jake’s warm lips touched hers and he kissed her with slow,
cherishing passion. His lips were trembling, and she knew that he was as
affected as she was. There was something about this moment that was sacred, this
pledging of their hearts, their whole lifetime to the other.

Jake lifted his head and smiled. “You do know that wolves
mate for life, don’t you?”

“Then that means I’m stuck with you?” The idea pleased her
very much.

He nodded.

She smiled, delighted. “What a great way to spend the next
fifty years.”

He started to smile back, but then his jaw tightened and the
beginnings of the smile faded. “That guy -- did he hurt you?”

Adrienne knew who he was talking about. She still felt sore
in certain places, but they would heal, in time. “A little, but nothing that
can’t be mended. You arrived just when I needed you most.” A thought struck
her. “How -- How did you know where I was?”

“Can you believe it?” A certain bemusement filled his face.
“Up till now, I couldn’t. Your voice-thought acted as a beacon for me to find
you.”

“Wow. That’s incredible.”

“Thank God you kept on calling me. If not, I don’t know
how --” His face twisted.

“I couldn’t stop.” She reached up to caress his cheek.
“Calling you was my only comfort.”

His hand tightened on hers.

A commotion at the door interrupted their conversation.
Adrienne couldn’t see who opened the door into her room, as it was blocked by a
wall of the washroom.

A strident female voice rang out. “And I told you time and
time again that it wasn’t Adrienne, but would you believe me? No! You had to go
and disturb our Human Resources people and now they’re wondering if Adrienne is
above board and --”

An equally harsh male voice interrupted, “Will you stop?!
You’ve been at it since I saw you standing along the road, waiting for a cab.
If it were not for the goodness of my heart, I wouldn’t even have offered you a
lift --”

“Offered me a lift?!”

The two of them were still out of the line of her sight, but
Adrienne recognized Marcy’s sarcastic voice. She didn’t know who Marcy’s male
companion was, though. Could it be Logan?

Marcy scoffed, “Ha! More like, you thought you were picking
up somebody for a lay. If I weren’t in such a hurry and with no sign of public
transport around, I wouldn’t even have considered hitchhiking --”

Adrienne glanced at Jake and caught him rolling his eyes. He
smiled at her slightly and spoke, lifting his voice so that he could be heard
over Marcy’s companion, who was speaking just then. “Guys, guys. This is a
hospital, you know, where sick people come to get well in
peace
and
quiet
?”

God, she loved this man’s sense of humor.

“I don’t see why that should be so. When they’re dead, they
will have all the peace and quiet they want.” Marcy shot back, coming into
sight. She squealed when she saw that Adrienne was awake and came over to hug
her tight.

The hug went straight to Adrienne’s heart, healing the rift
caused by Marcy’s suspected betrayal. As in Jake’s case, she should have known
that the friend who had stuck with her through all the turmoil she’d suffered
at work would never have betrayed their friendship.

Marcy stepped back. “You okay?”

Adrienne nodded, warmed by the worry in Marcy’s eyes. “Better
now.” Adrienne gestured toward the man who had appeared behind Marcy and was
now standing at the foot of the bed. “Who’s your boyfriend?”

Marcy snorted. “Hardly. That’s Jake’s elder brother, Jared.”

“I wasn’t aware you knew each other.” Jake looked from one to
the other.

“We don’t.” Jared shared similar features with Jake, but he
was taller and more muscularly built. Adrienne thought Jake possessed an
overpowering presence, but it was nothing compared to Jared’s. The man oozed
authority with his every gesture and stance.

“I was on my way home when I saw her by the roadside. She
seemed vaguely familiar, and that’s when I realized she worked for you. So,
being a good Samaritan --” He ignored the snort from Marcy. “-- I
stopped and offered her a lift.”

Jake still looked confused. “But that still doesn’t explain
how you know Marcy. When did you go to my office?”

“The last two days while you were busy taking care of
Adrienne, he came over once, ostensibly looking for you.” Marcy shot a dirty
look at Jared. “What he was really after was some information about Adrienne.
He stirred up a hornet’s nest over at HR.”

“What? I don’t understand.” The more Adrienne listened, the
more things got muddled. “Why were you asking about me?”

“I can’t go into the details of the case I’m working on.”
Jared sent her a brief, apologetic look from the foot of the bed. “But the gist
is that my client wanted me to find a girl who came from the United Kingdom.
The trail led to your company, and when I heard that you were from Edinburgh, I
thought you might be the one. That’s why I was snooping around in your HR
department.”