Suffering & Salvation (4 page)

The sound of something rubbing, like the brush of polyester against polyester, and the distinct smell of synthetic material, let her know that someone else had entered. Simi turned her head and glanced at the figure approaching, narrowing her eyes at what she saw.

A woman.

Tall, blonde and thin, the police officer stood in the doorway, wearing a uniform that was just a little too tight for Simi’s taste. And there it was…she could sense it, even within this carnage and hell, the bitch’s desire for Brand. For the man who was to be her mate. Hers, goddamnit!

She stepped around Brand, gritting her teeth, working her jaw. Protective as all get out, perhaps a bit insecure, Cougar let out a sound that was guttural more than anything, the most vocal her animal been in their thirty-five years together.
Mine.

The female officer jumped back, a quick inhale showing her true surprise. “I-I-I…” The woman stuttered, fear replacing desire within a few heartbeats.

Simi scented her. Another wolf, one that was close to going into heat. No, no, no. Simi wasn’t going to let this bitch get anywhere near Brand.

Simi, with Cougar urging her on, took a step toward the other female, then another, stalking her. Just then, thick arms wrapped around her waist from behind and she froze, the fun of the hunt quickly leaving her like a deflating balloon.

“Easy there, little cat. Easy.” He nuzzled just below her ear, nudging the wet tendrils of her hair aside to lick her skin. Calming, she tilted her head for him, encouraging his exploration, whimpering and squirming in his strong hold. Simi turned just her face, pressing her head against the side of his neck, and then opened her mouth, scratching her fangs against the delicate skin there.

Simi licked him in that spot, then whispered, “You’re mine. My mate. Can you feel the bond forming between us? I can.”

The body behind her, tall and lean, muscles covering every inch, stiffened. Followed by another stiffening of an altogether different sort. He cleared his throat, coughing. “Okay. Okay. Let’s get the mess sorted out so we can put all of this behind us.”

She didn’t answer, just kept licking his skin, savoring the taste of her would-be mate. Cougar was in heaven and wasn’t ready to stop.

Brand’s voice grew stern without any hint of true anger. “I mean it, Simi. Calm down.”

She growled and pulled her face from his neck, with Simi slowly tugging control back from Cougar. Taking a deep breath, she turned her face away from him. “Fine.”

“Better now? You scared those two away.”

She glanced toward the doorway and nodded, pleased to find it empty.

“Good.” He released her, gave her a light pat on her ass, then added, “I’m going to bring you something to wear. Wait here, okay?” She growled, not at his spanking, but at the thought of the other woman flirting with him.

The running, the fight to stay alive on the streets, coming to Satisfied, getting attacked by Malcolm…it was all starting to weigh down on her, causing her to behave more like beast than woman. She grabbed his arm as he brushed past her, holding him back, not wanting him to leave, the fear of him finding someone else suddenly lingering in her mind. She knew it was silly, but she couldn’t help it.

“Mine?” she asked, whimpering. Cougar wanted reassurance and Simi was right there with her.

“Shh…” Brand lifted her with ease and set her down on the countertop. “Now isn’t the time. But…damn if I’m not yours.” He leaned forward, a display of longing etched over the surface of his face, burying his head in the side of her neck, his teeth lightly scraping her skin. “Right there, Simi,” he groaned, “that’s where I’m going to mark you. When you’re ready, but not a moment before. Wolfie wants you, as do I. We both want to be yours.” His breath fanned over her skin when he sighed. “Now stay put,” he said with a teasing tone.

A shiver ran down her spine, desire spiking high and racing through her veins.

One more lick and then he pulled away. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

As if she would. She nodded and watched him leave, counting the moments until he returned.

The voices in the living room had quieted down. She heard Gavin and the blonde she’d scared the crap out of earlier speaking. Various noises, crinkling, shuffling, rustling, reached her ears along with a few grunts and groans. She imagined people moving Bear, removing him from the apartment so that the cleanup could start.

Brand soon returned with a bundle of clothing in tow. She hopped off the counter and stood on tired, shaky legs.

“Didn’t I ask you to stay put?”

Simi blushed and looked away, playacting as if she were sorry, nodding.

“I suppose this is what I have to look forward to? For forever?”

She glanced at his face and saw that he was grinning ear to ear. “
Yup,
” she teased, trying to get a rise out of him.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her nose. “Did you hear me? I said forever.”

She forced back her smile, then bit down on her lower lip so she wouldn’t give her excitement away.

 “Well, Ms. Headstrong…I’ll take it.” He yanked the towel away and dressed her with quick, efficient movements, pulling a shirt over her head, then helping her step into sweatpants. Thick, wool socks were placed on her feet before he wrapped her up in a large, winter jacket.

“There, all bundled up.” Another kiss on the nose, and then he swept her into his arms, carrying her through the apartment as if she weighed nothing.

“Where’re you taking me?”

“Shh…away from here. And before you ask, no. Everything’s being taken care of. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about any of this.”

Simi kept her eyes averted as they moved through the small apartment. All she kept thinking about was how she’d caused the carnage, but damn if she ever wanted to see it again. Brand’s comforting words sifted through her heavy mind, but try as she might, she couldn’t help but wonder why strangers were so quick to help her.

She buried her face against Brand’s chest when they stepped outside, the wind slicing through her clothing like a knife, chilling her to the core from one breath to the next. A few more steps and Simi was ensconced into an SUV, and the heater couldn’t blast hot air soon enough. She fastened her seatbelt, brought her knees up to her chest, then curled into a ball on the leather seat and pressed her forehead against the tops of her frigid legs.

Brand stroked the back of her head. “Okay?”

“Yeah.” She peeked out at him. “I feel like you’ll be asking me that for the rest of our lives. Thinking I’m broken…like I’ll never be done with gluing the pieces of me back together. And…and that you’ll be afraid of breaking me again.”

His features softened, care and concern directed at her, but she didn’t know how she was supposed to respond.

“Little one, you’ve been through a lot in your years and today is evidence of your hardship. It’s okay for a man to be worried. Especially if I’m your mate.”

He rubbed his thumb along her lower lip, and when her tongue suddenly snaked out for a quick taste, she froze in utter shock at her premature action. This was clearly not the time, but when Brand was just as quick to draw in a short breath, she relaxed a little, his response telling her exactly what she’d done to him.

“If I didn’t know you were a cat, I’d call you minx.” He shifted the car into “drive” and pulled into traffic. “When I know for sure you’re in a good place, I’ll stop asking. I worry. Men do that.”

“Especially mates.”

Brand’s smile practically lit up the truck. “Right.
Especially.
”

Simi rested her cheek against her knees, this time watching Brand as he navigated through the city streets, lights flickering past while they traveled to their destination. She didn’t pay much attention to where he was taking her, her safety now entrusted in the man at the wheel. The danger that had terrorized her was finally gone. Besides, she wasn’t alone anymore. Simi had Brand, Cougar had Wolf.

Realization dawned as her eyes weighed heavy: it was only a matter of time before Brand would need some answers. Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but he would want to know what events had led up to the killing.

* * *

When the vehicle stopped, she felt Brand gently shaking her awake. “Simi?”

“Hmm?” She wondered how long she’d been asleep.

“I’m going to pick you up and carry you in, okay?” She, nor Cougar, objected.

Before long, her seatbelt unclicked and Simi reached for him, curling into his warm body to shield her from the cold. Brand kissed her forehead and pulled her close, strong arms easily supporting her. The SUV’s door shut, she snuggled into him, face cradled against his neck, her cold nose breathing in the unique scent of her mate. Cougar let out a groggy purr and Simi agreed.

In moments, a door opened and closed, locks clicked into place, and annoying beeps quieted from what she assumed was a security system. She sighed against Brand, all comfy and safe. His chest rumbled, vibrating against her as he spoke, but she was too tired to figure out what he said. Everything was crashing down around her, on her, the heavy weight of sleep too difficult to fight against. So exhausted that she was ready to give in.

Then, Brand released her and she lost her hold, on reality, on her mate. She whimpered, fatigued muscles protesting her attempt to reach for him. “It’s okay, just settling you into bed.”

Soft cotton covered her, wrapping her in its warmth. But when Brand’s hands weren’t there anymore, Cougar pushed at Simi’s mind, nudging her back awake. “No, don’t go.”

“Hey, hey…shh. Just gonna get ready for bed. Can’t get in with you, not all grimy and bloody, little one. Give me ten minutes to wash off.”

Ten minutes. She supposed she and Cougar could wait that long. Not a minute longer. Snuffling, she burrowed into the soft sheets that smelled of her mate. Simi crawled toward the other side of the bed, chasing his essence. She wrapped herself around a pillow, hugging it to her chest, burying her face against the smooth surface, sighing in contentment.

Time ticked by, though she wasn’t sure just how much, but it wasn’t long before the bed dipped, and a body, warm and hard, slipped in behind her. Earth and animal surrounding her, their body heat worked to increase the potency of their scents. Warmer and warmer she grew, until sweat formed along her skin.

She huffed, “Hot…too hot.”

Simi tossed her portion of the blanket off and wiggled out of her sweatpants, then her socks, followed by her shirt. She exhaled a breath of relief as she threw her clothing aside.
Better.

She pulled the covers back over her and inched closer to Brand. Thankful for having met him, Simi found comfort when she backed herself into his warm body, stopping when she felt his face buried against the back her neck.

He rubbed his nose over her skin, inhaling, huffing, and then settled with a rumble. “Mine.”

Yeah, she was his. And he was hers. The timing of their meeting had caught her completely off-guard, but she was too tired to make sense of anything that had transpired today, least of all the hows and whys of having found her mate so quickly and unexpectedly.

If she weren’t so damn exhausted, Simi would like nothing more than to…

Not now, but maybe later. No, most definitely later…

Simi closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she was opening them to light streaming into the room, filling it with the sun’s golden glow.

Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around the room, body still, cautious. She was alone in a bed that had Brand’s unique smells all over it. Only he wasn’t there with her. Sensing no threat, she sprang up, realizing her nakedness for the first time since she’d awoken, her memory foggy on how she’d lost her clothes the night before. Then she remembered. And it wasn’t for the reason she would’ve liked.

 She smiled, a feeling of contentment washing over her. Even though they hadn’t yet mated, she knew that Brand was hers. She couldn’t explain it, but she and Cougar trusted the man, implicitly. Actually, she could. He was not only kind and caring, but he’d protected her without question. Then there was her instinct, her gut feeling. Cougar’s intuition that told her everything about him was right, regardless of the short time spent together.

Easing from bed, she padded to the window, absorbing the heat and marveling at the view before her. The backyard vast and its lawn manicured, the entire spread of land was surrounded by a high, concrete fence she presumed was well over eight feet tall. Beyond that protective barrier was a forest of trees, stretching tall and wide for as far as she could see. But what really caught her eye was a large pond, with plants and small trees lining its edge, and the inviting water within. Visually appealing, she was quite sure Cougar would freeze her ass off if she were to take a dip now. She sighed, just imagining how beautiful the scenery would be in the spring, with those plants and trees in full bloom.

No matter. Cougar still wanted to explore and run and play across the land.

Maybe…
But what if the house wasn’t Brand’s? She hated to assume, but he worked at the shelter, had a small apartment there, so how could he afford such a beautiful house built on this gorgeous piece of land? Well, she supposed the rest of the house was beautiful, if the look of the bedroom was to be any indication. Whoever the owner was, would they let her and Cougar play? Just a little? Did she need permission? She hated the way her mind worked sometimes, the way Malcolm had trained her to think. It bothered her to recall the past, but most of her life had revolved around Malcolm.

Turning away from the window, she hurried through washing and dressing, anxious to explore. After what had transpired the previous night, she felt somewhat rejuvenated. Though, it bothered her to think that much of the change in her mood had to be attributed to finally being free of Malcolm.

Wearing the same clothes Brand had dressed her in the day before, she made her way through the enormous house, walking silently on sock-clad feet. She followed the delicious scent of breakfast…of eggs, sausage, ham and bacon…dragging her along as if it were tied to her grumbling stomach. She trotted down the stairs, through a
very
formal dining room, then a corridor or two, until she pushed past a swinging door, and
voilà,
right into the kitchen. One that was roughly the size of Brand’s entire apartment at Satisfied. Maybe even bigger.