Once Upon A Midnight Page 44

  There would be no escape this time.

  They deliberately steered her in the direction they wanted, though not the direction she expected. Lifting her head, Mina glanced around to see if she recognized any of the wolves who encircled her. None of them looked familiar.

  Outnumbered and unable to detect who they were, she had no choice but to continue on the path she was forced to take.

  To her left, a large silver wolf let out a deep howl, informing their Alpha she had been captured. When no return howl was issued, Mina could only assume he waited in human form. If it was Griffin who awaited her, he was surely waiting with a gun clutched between his meaty fingers.

  Hopefully, his aim is good. Mina let out another whimper at the thought of him taking her life. She wasn’t afraid to die. There were any number of noble causes she would gladly surrender her life to. The very idea of Griffin killing her made her growl.

  He would string her corpse up for the whole pack to see, then mount her parents and siblings beside her.

  Her heart pounded at the thought of the torture he would inflict on her baby sisters. Sorrow and regret coursed through her. I should have stayed to make sure they were safe. I should have never left.

  Chapter Two

  Rafe Erickson stepped off his back deck and into the light snow dusting the ground. His senses were on high alert, even in his human form. It was time for his nightly run with the males in the pack. The plan, just like any other night, was to do a quick patrol of their grounds, ensuring everything was quiet, as it should be.

  The men gathered in his yard in nothing more than jeans, T-shirts, and boots, waiting to stretch their legs. Every male in the pack looked forward to the evening run. It gave them the time they needed to unwind and let all of their human problems take a back seat, if only for a short time.

  The tension was higher than normal as Rafe glanced around at his men. Normally, they stood at ease, laughing and joking with one another. Tonight was different. They stood in formation, quiet and serious as they sniffed the frozen air. They too sensed something was amiss.

  Rafe sniffed the air, once, twice. Ah, there we go. Catching an unfamiliar scent was all he needed to bark out his command.

  “There’s an intruder on our lands. I want the rogue wolf found and brought to me. Now.”

  “You heard him, put your noses to the ground and get moving.” Rafe’s second, Lucas Jansen, issued his own directive for those who failed to immediately kick it into high gear.

  One by one, the men dropped to all fours as a shimmer of light quickly passed over each of their bodies. The chilling crack of shifting bones echoed through the quiet night. Rafe tried to contain his own shift as he watched his pack bolt off into the distance.

  “So much for our nightly run. Who do you think would be stupid enough to wander this far out in the middle of the night?” Lucas cracked his knuckles, itching to join the chase.

  Rafe crossed his thick arms over his chest. “I have no idea, but we’re about to find out.” He listened as howls confirmed the presence of an intruder—a female intruder.

  The pack had her surrounded, pushing her slowly to where Rafe and Lucas waited.

  “Shit, Rafe. This is bad. Whatever you do, don’t shift,” Lucas warned.

  “I know.” Rafe clenched his jaw as the faint scent of the female hit him, almost knocking him on his ass.

  Shifting was not an option.

  Through the centuries, many of the old wives’ tales floating around the pack grew to be instant survival guides when the information rang true time and time again.

  For the last three hundred and fifty years, every Alpha in Rafe’s pack had found his mate during Yule. According to the tale, the tradition would carry on for another four hundred years.

  Having no desire to have his mate forced upon him, Rafe steered clear of any new females. Especially during the holiday season. His destiny was his to control. Not something an old hag foretold a millennium ago.

  Pacing back and forth, impatience got the best of him. The sound of his boots crunching in the snow broke up the agony of the wait.

  For the past few weeks, the females in the pack tried to lure him with their scent, but none interested him. They never had, and likely never would.

  Fate decreed his female was not to be plucked from the ranks of Black Paw and that alone pissed him off. He wasn’t fond of outsiders and finding his mate from a rival pack was a major faux pas these days.

  Before the territorial wars started, it was a perfectly acceptable practice. Now—not so much.

  Rafe remembered the good ole days when mating with a female from another clan brought unity and survival for both packs as an alliance formed.

  Now, as humans and corporations scrambled to buy up more of their sacred lands, it left the remaining packs desperate to acquire new land. The territorial struggle was the catalyst for rival packs to twist the customary mating ritual into a means of advancement through a hostile takeover. He’d seen it happen repeatedly, and he’d be damned if someone tried to take his land out from under him.

  “They’re getting closer, less than a mile out. You sure you can handle this?”

  Rafe growled in response. Sure, he’d handle it. His limbs twitched as the female’s scent grew stronger with her approach. He had to contain himself long enough to find out who the hell she was and what she was doing wandering his lands in the middle of the night. All he needed to do after that was make it back inside his door before the shift happened, which would be easier said than done in his present state of mind.

  Whatever happened, Rafe could not be allowed to shift in front of the newcomer. Three days before Yule, the risk was too great. If he caught the scent of his mate in wolf form, it was said his mating instinct would take over, forcing him to mark her as his until the mating ceremony could be completed.

  He’d heard the stories a million times from his dad and grandpa. They trotted along in the woods and one day, BAM, their mate’s scent hit them like a ton of bricks. They couldn’t resist. The instinct was too great to ignore.

  The pack finally appeared in the clearing, with one lone wolf tucked securely in the middle. It was an effective way to make sure she didn’t escape. One by one, the circle surrounding the female began to open, giving Rafe a better view. He held his breath as he examined the stranger. When his lungs burned for oxygen, he sucked in a breath through his mouth, knowing her scent would cause his shift.

  The knowledge that his mate stood before him nearly knocked him on his ass.

  Mine.

  His muscles strained as he fought off the instinct to claim her. He was convinced she had been sent by a rival pack. Why else would she show up so close to Yule? Rafe was positive she was part of their ruse.

  He took an involuntary step forward, then another. Rafe felt a firm grip on his shoulder and wanted nothing more than to bite it off.

  “Easy, Rafe. You know she was sent in hopes of driving your mating instinct. You have to fight it,” Lucas tried to reason with him, but he’d have none of it.

  Her auburn fur appeared to be matted and wet in places, almost as if she were covered in blood. Rafe snarled at the indication of someone hurting his mate. Even if she had been sent to destroy him and steal his lands. Just then, Rafe noticed a thick silver collar encircling her neck, making it impossible for her to shift and speak to him.

  “Grab a pair of gloves. We need to get that collar off of her.”

  Lucas nodded and sprinted for the garage.

  The sooner Rafe removed the collar, the sooner he could breathe easier.

  He nodded for his pack to bring her closer. Rafe took two more steps toward the group. The surreal event unfolded so quickly, it would leave him flummoxed for a long time to come.

  A strong westerly breeze whipped past him, delivering the female’s scent. It assaulted his senses in ways that he’d never experienced: passion, desire, hunger, pain, strength, and something else, something ancient that he had only heard about in
stories. She was the one. His shift came faster than a blink, far faster than he could ever remember.

  Rafe leapt past the three front guards of his pack, landing directly in front of the female.

  My mate.

  It was the only thought his mind seemed capable of producing.

  His female turned her mesmerizing gaze upon his. Her ice-blue eyes were filled with a thousand lifetimes of sadness and despair. He drew in a long, deep breath, his muzzle twitching as he confirmed the presence of blood on her fur.

  There was no turning back. He couldn’t have, even if he would have tried. The instinct was too strong, pushing his next move.

  He circled around the female, cataloguing her injuries. Sizing up the best place to leave his mark.

  Rafe couldn’t remember the last time he had so little control over the actions of his wolf. Normally, beast and man worked seamlessly as one unit, seamlessly.

  With his mate standing only inches from him, his wolf could not, would not be bargained with. He denied Rafe’s request for more time to get to know the female. She was his and he would have her. That was all he needed to know. End of story.

  Without another thought, his mouth closed over the back of her neck, his fangs pierced her skin. When her blood hit his tongue, he knew his world had forever changed.

  Chapter Three

  Mina watched in disbelief as the Alpha bounded toward her in a full shift. She wanted to run, but felt paralyzed by his hypnotic stare. By the time her brain kicked into high gear, it was too late. His fangs were lodged deep in the delicate skin of her neck, branding her as his mate. It took Mina a few seconds to realize the howls filling the air were coming from her.

  Oh Goddess. No!

  She immediately threw a shield up in her mind, blocking her most intimate thoughts from him.

  How had she allowed this to happen? She had just escaped one crazed male to be marked by another. With Griffin, Mina knew what she would have been getting into. With the stranger standing before her, she had no idea what to expect.

  One thing was certain, the Fates had clearly decreed that she be mated. If she were in human form, she might laugh at the irony of the situation.

  The Alpha growled, warning away all who surrounded her. As they retreated, Mina contemplated making a run for it, but decided against it. Running would do her no good. No matter where she went, he would easily find her, thanks to his mating mark. Her attention snapped forward to the man running towards them.

  “Fuck! Rafe, what the hell have you done?” He ran a gloved hand through his messy hair. “The second I walked away you claimed her! Are you out of your fucking mind? She could be a spy from another pack for all you know.”

  The Alpha growled again, blocking her from the gloved man. Rumbles of anger slipped from his snout as he paced back and forth, his tail twitching in agitation.

  Mina watched as the Alpha’s hackles rose, daring the man with the gloves to make a move.

  The Alpha was one of the largest she had ever seen. He towered above her much smaller form. His hazel eyes met hers and for an instant, she felt weak at the knees, almost as if she might swoon…or it could have been from the loss of blood. Really, either could have been a possibility at that point.

  Mina once again wished for her human form, wanting nothing more than to run her fingers through his thick, gray fur to see if it was as soft as it looked.

  “Easy, Rafe. Let me get the collar off of her, then we’ll talk, okay?” The man cautiously inched closer.

  Mina immediately sat down, eager to get the godforsaken silver off her body.

  When the Alpha looked over at her, she whined, indicating it was all right for the man to approach.

  She felt herself swaying back and forth.

  Hold it together, girl. Just a little bit longer. You can do this.

  Her wounds, the stress of the night, and forcefully being marked for mating against her will…it all seemed to be catching up with her.

  I can’t show any weakness right now.

  The Alpha shifted back to human form, surprising Mina when he nodded his head, allowing the other man to approach.

  Oh holy hell.

  Never before had Mina observed such a specimen. While his wolf was an impressive beast, the man under the fur was even more glorious. The Alpha was the very epitome of sex on legs.

  Her eyes roamed freely over every inch of his naked splendor. His face looked as if it had been carved from the finest marble. Rope after rope of delicious muscle covered his powerful body. His legs were roughly the size of small tree trunks. Thick, dirty blond hair covered his head.

  Even in human form, he was much larger than she expected. She would guess his height to be a little over six feet.

  Pictures of what it would be like to snuggle next to him flew through Mina’s mind. Her fingers combed through the dusting of hair on his chest, their legs would intertwine. She would sigh contently while basking in the warmth his skin provided.

  Mina tried to look away, but her wolf would have none of it. Greedily, she continued staring, wanting to commit the image to memory.

  Even as a fresh wave of pain shot through Mina’s body, she held her gaze. A tiny whimper escaped as the gloved man pulled the collar tighter in an effort to release it.

  “Easy, Lucas.”

  The Alpha turned to speak to the man, giving her a glimpse of the tattoo covering his back. Intricately drawn lines twisted back and forth and from top to bottom, covering his back with a powerful majestic wolf. She wanted to study the runes in the lines, but he spun rapidly to face her once again.

  “I’m trying, boss, but this is on her really tight. It feels like her skin started to grow around it.”

  Mina was surprised by his next statement, as it was directed to her.

  “I’m sorry, little lady. Bear with me while I get this thing off of you.”

  Maybe it won’t be so bad here after all. Mina shook her head up and down, acknowledging his kindness, never once breaking eye contact with the Alpha, her Alpha.

  It was a desperate attempt to focus on something other than the pain shooting through her. If she could only speak, she’d tell them to rip the fucking thing off, skin and all. As it was, she couldn’t utter a single peep. Not as long as she remained in her wolf form.

  Lucas tugged on the silver collar. Her breath quickened; stars danced in front of her eyes as more pain than she ever dreamed of lacerated her body. Mina tried to retain her focus on the handsome Alpha standing inches away, scrutinizing the situation.

  What was his name again?

  If she could only keep her focus, even for a little longer, she might be able to figure out where the hell she was.

  Suddenly, the collar ripped free of her body. Deadly silver immediately stopped pumping through her system.

  No matter how hard she strained, she couldn’t retain her wolf form. Her injuries and the silver stripped her of her strength and majik.

  “Thank you.” Mina collapsed to the ground, panting as the full force of the injuries washed over her frail human self.

  Without enough majik to summon her clothes, she was left fully exposed for all to see. If an ounce of energy would have coursed through her body, she would have been mortified for her modest self. As it was, in her current state of mind, she didn’t give a rat’s ass that she laid there on display in front of a crowd of complete strangers.

  With the weakness of a newborn fawn, Mina tried in vain to muster the energy needed to stand, but her legs buckled the instant she put the slightest weight on them. On her knees, she held her head in shame at her weakened state, knowing the Alpha was within his right to kill her if he saw fit. Had she collapsed before Griffin, her life would be forfeit.

  Pack law decreed that only the strong survive. With the injuries covering her body, Mina was anything but.

  She had been malnourished, beaten, and abused at the hands of Griffin and his enforcers.

  Her majik was dangerously low. She felt her wolf slipping
away.

  Please Freyja, let this Alpha be one of honor, Mina prayed to the goddess. More than anything, she hoped the Alpha would take into account the severity of her visible wounds. Somehow, someway, she had to get back to her pack. Her family’s survival depended on it.

  Surprise flooded her when the Alpha bent down and scooped her up in his strong arms. The heat from his bare chest scorched her cold pale skin.

  She snuggled closer to him, drawing his heat into her body. He’s like my own personal heater. It was the last thought that passed through her mind as her head lolled to the side, finally surrendering to the darkness that threatened to yank her under.

  Chapter Four

  “Who do you think she is?” Lucas kept pace with Rafe as he quickened his stride, wanting to get the naked woman in his arms out of the cold.

  Adrenaline from finding and marking his mate surged through Rafe, making him forget his own state of undress.

  Rafe felt a lump form in his throat. “I have no idea, but we’ll find out as soon as she wakes up. Whoever she is, it looks like she had the hell beaten out of her.”

  Lucas shook his head in disgust. “Who would do this to her?”

  “I don’t know, but I plan on getting to the bottom of it.”

  Rafe knew pack life could be rough at times, but there was never any reason to mistreat a pack member. Even if she had broken a law within her own pack, justice should have been dealt swiftly.

  By the looks of his mate, she had been brutally beaten over an extended period of time. Cruelty of that nature ran contrary to every principle the packs lived and died by for centuries.

  Rafe logged each of her visible injuries again, getting more pissed off by the second.

  “She should be healed by now.” Rafe tried to keep the concern out of his voice, but failed.

  “We don’t know how long that silver was on her, boss. I’ve never seen anyone collapse like she did as soon as it was removed.”