Chapter 15 – Run
Maeve
I woke on the sofa, curled into myself, and tangled in the blanket. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, telling me the storm had passed. Struggling into a sitting position, my eyes focused on the stone fireplace, which held a crackling fire.
I blinked, feeling sluggish and slow. I had run out of wood last night and… No …
“It was a dream,” I whispered to myself.
It had to be a dream.
A vision of Ronan floated through my mind, followed by memories of Angus and Jack. Angus had tried to convince me I was pregnant, and Jack tried to convince me I was his mate. They must think I’m a na?ve fool. Humans couldn’t feel the mate bond like shifters, but if I was Jack’s mate, surely there would be some sign or feeling that would draw me to Jack. He was handsome on the outside but ugly and cruel on the inside. The pompous ass had a fan club of women to pick from, yet he was still playing games with me after all these years.
“Maeve,” his voice startled me. Jack stood at the backdoor wearing nothing but gray sweats. He stepped into the kitchen holding a small white box in his large hand.
“Jack,” my voice trembled, though I tried to keep it strong.
“A’h hae something fer ye, lass,” he held out his hand, offering me the box—a home pregnancy test.
My heart hammered in my chest as I shook my head in denial. “I don’t need that.”
“Ye already know?”
Frozen in place, I glared at the box that could turn my life upside down. Rex was the only one I had ever been with. Even if the test was positive, I wasn’t his mate, and he couldn’t be with me.
“It’s not possible. I can’t be pregnant.”
“Even better,” he smirked. “Immaculate conception is nae unheard o’ amongst humans.”
“Wait… are you telling me that you want to be mated to a weak human?”
“Th’ Luna Queen is human, an she gave birth tae th’ strongest shifters o’ oor time. Now, A'm willin tae hae ye as mah mate an claim th’ pup as mine.”
“I’m not your mate, Jack Jameson, and even if I were, I’d reject you.”
“Then ye'll condem yerself tae death. Wi’oot th’ bond o’ a strong mate, most humans die birthin pups.”
I snatched the box from him, which felt like a heavy boulder in my hand. “You’re a real shit, you know that, Jack?”
“Ye’ll thank me,” he said. The twisted smile on his face made me want to vomit.
I closed and locked the bathroom door behind me. I knew I had nothing to worry about, but my reflection in the mirror said otherwise. Doubt seeped into my mind thinking about the restlessness and sickness I’ve been feeling lately. There was only one way to know for sure, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
It was likely a sick and cruel joke. Jack wanted to humiliate me. He wanted me tobelieve I was his mate.
I tore open the package, hovered over the toilet, and peed on the stick. When I was done, I placed the cap on the test and tossed it on the counter. This was ridiculous. Jack was probably out there laughing away at me. The air in the bathroom seemed to disappear, and a wave of dizzying nausea crashed over me. I pulled the window open, stuck my head out, and sucked in the fresh air. After a few more gulps of air, I turned back to the test that would prove what a lyin walloper Jack still was.
This could not be happening to me.
The test shook in my trembling hands, and I realized what I was looking at—two pink lines. I gripped the edge of the counter as the room spun.
Jack was right.
My mind was racing, but right now, my first priority is to get away from Jack. Somewhere deep inside, I knew he was crazy. I knew I wasn’t his mate. I needed to get to Alpha Hamish and explain what had happened… what Jack was trying to do.
I moved to the window and squeezed myself out as quietly as possible. My bare feet hit the cold, wet grass, and I ran as fast as I could to the woodland behind the house. It was my only chance to lose Jack and throw him off my scent. With any luck, I’d find another wolf who could mind-link Alpha Hamish for me.
My short legs continued to move as fast as ever, and my breath turned into short puffs. I may have some extra weight, but I wasn’t completely unfit. I weaved around the trees spread out in front of me, and refused to look back.
“Maeve!” I heard him call out and pushed myself harder.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind me, and fear shot through my veins. A sharp rock sliced the bottom of my foot, but I didn’t slow. I veered to the right, knowing the other side of this woodland led out to the main road. A shadow appeared beside me just as his strong arm wrapped around my waist, taking me to the ground. The force caused the air to rush out of my lungs, and my vision spun black.
Thrashing, I reached for the only weapon I could find and aimed at Jack’s head. His hand shot up and seized my wrist, causing me to drop the rock in my hand. Before I could react, I was on my back, and Jack was on top of me. I struggled, but it was futile. He had me pinned under his strong body, and his eyes held dark excitement.
“A’h love a fun game o’ chase,” he said, burying his nose in my neck to inhale my scent.
“Of course, it’s the preferred game of dogs,” I gritted back, and bucked my hips up, trying to get him off me, but Jack didn’t budge.
“A’h niver considered maself a chubby chaser, bit ye’ve changed mah mind.”
“Get off of me!” I demanded.
“Ye keep squirmin aroond like that an a’h wull nae be responsible fer mah dick.” His pelvis thrust against me, and I felt his hardness.
The look he gave me sent a shiver of disgust down my spine. I jerked again, hoping to lift my leg enough to kick him in the family jewels, but he was quick. I considered biting him, but he was a shifter and would no doubt deem that as foreplay.
“Jack, you’re not my mate, and this is not your pup,” I snapped, hoping to knock some sense into him.
“A’h wull claim ye, an brand ye wit mah scent, Maeve. Ye wull both be mine.”
“Brand me?” I tried to squirm away.
“Aye, Lass. Be a good girl, an a'll take care o’ ye.”
“Take care of me? Jack, you’re hurting me.”
“Resist me, Maeve, an a'll destroy all o’ yer tight wee holes wit mah cock. Dae ye understand?”
I opened my mouth to scream, hoping another shifter could hear me, but Jack covered my mouth before I got the chance to make a sound. The more I struggled, the more feral he became. The sound of ripping clothes made me freeze in shock. I grasped for his hand, but it was too late. The fabric fell away, exposing me. His eyes darkened with lust as they settled on my bare chest. It was cold, and I knew just what he would see.
He licked his lips. “A’h can feast on these a’ winter.”
His fingers reached for the tip of my nipple, squeezing softly. I scowled at him, and his hold tightened, pinching down hard. Pain blossomed with agonizing heat across my chest, and I yelped. I tried to push him off me again, but I was no match. Jack smiled like a predator, knowing I was helpless against him.
“He’ll kill you if he finds out,” I threatened.
“Who? Yer Alpha who didnae want ye?” He released my nipple, and I almost cried out in relief.
“Don’t touch me,” I hissed.
He shoved the torn fabric from my shirt into my mouth before he lowered his lips to my pebbled, aching nipple. He suckled and kissed it, as if trying to soothe the lingering pain he caused. Disgust roiled within me at his touch. There was no way in hell this bastard was my mate. Then, without warning, he flipped me onto my stomach and dropped his full weight on me.
“Come noo, Maeve. A’h dae nae want tae hurt ye.”
I turned my head to the sideso I could breathe. He didn’t want to hurt me, but he was perfectly fine forcing himself on me. He reached down and tore through my pajama pants and panties.
“Fuck, yer fat arse is amazin,” he groaned and pressed himself against me. “A’h can hardly wait tae bury maself in it.”
I spit the fabric out of my mouth. “What about Fiona?”
“A’h dae nae care aboot Fiona. She daes nae hae an arse like this.”
Jack pulled back, and I heard the tug of his pants. A thunderstorm of terror seized me, and I tried to scurry away from him quickly. He wrapped his hands around my ankles, and I wrapped mine around a tree trunk.
“Maeve,” he warned, trying to jerk me back, but I refused.
I clung to the tree for safety, knowing at any minute now, Jack would have his way with me. Enraged and helpless, I tried to kick him away from me, but he continued moving closer, unfazed. Desperately, I searched for a big stick or broken tree branch to use as a weapon.
A rustling sounded from high above, and I felt the vibration of the tree I was holding come to life. In a blur, something large swooped down and knocked Jack a few feet away from me. His pants were still down around his ankles, with his erection on display as he struggled to stand.
His eyes met mine, and his lips curled back, exposing his canines with a snarl. Another large green and brown blur swished down, and Jack sailed into another tree. Blood oozed from his forehead, and he made another attempt to stand.
I watched the third branch swirl and grow into a long vine. It lashed out and yanked him back against the tree trunk. The wooden rope wrapped around him slowly like a boa constrictor, and it was his turn to struggle. It squeezed the air from his lungs, and no amount of his brute strength could free him from its power. Alarm was vivid on his face, and it made me happy. His frantic eyes found me as the vine pulled tight around his neck. For a long moment, he just stared at me with contempt before he managed to gasp out one word.
“Cursed,” he whispered before his body went limp.
On shaky legs, I stepped away from the tree and looked around, desperately trying to understand what had happened. Any normal person would probably freak out at the sight of moving trees, but I had spent eight years at the Moon Realm with several elemental wolves. I’d seen trees come to life before, but I couldn’t understand why they had today.
Whatever it was, I needed to figure it out later. I knew enough to know that Jack wasn’t dead because I didn’t hear the howling cry of wolves when a pack bond was broken. Jack was still firmly tied in place with the thick tree vine, but it was a matter of time before he’d wake up and mind link someone to come free him. My first instinct was to run, but I wasn’t sure where I was running to.
A chilling wind reminded me I was standing out here naked, so I decided to return to the cabin. Racing back, I wondered if I should go to Alpha Hamish so he could give Jack an Alpha order to stay away from me. If Jack could scent the pup, then Alpha Hamish would, too. He would demand to know who the father is and then drag me back to New York.
I entered the cabin and locked the door, then went into the bathroom and closed the window I had escaped from. Rummaging around under the sink, I found the first-aid kid and quickly cleaned and wrapped my foot with gauze. I raced into the bedroom and put on a sweater, jeans, and black boots. This was my home, and I didn’t feel safe here. Fiona had a small flat in the city she shared with a roommate, and I just needed to get away for a night or two… until I could figure out what to do.
I groaned when I realized my cell phone was still dead. I shoved it and the charger in my purse. I stuffed a few clothing changes into my duffle bag, Nessie, an umbrella, and some essentials. The old grandfather clock in the corner told me the pack bus to Glasgow would leave in twenty-five minutes. Panic and adrenaline surged in my veins. If I hurried, I could make it before Jack woke up.
The bus was just getting ready to pull away when I reached the door. Old Mister McCarthy greeted me with a smile and opened the door.
“Thank you,” I smiled and clambered up the steps, trying to look normal.
Nearly two dozen shifters were taking the early bus into the city. I sat in the very back of the bus and silently prayed to the Moon Goddess that Jack would remain unconscious long enough for me to disappear. Then, I wondered if the Moon Goddess would even hear my prayer. I saw my reflection in the bus windowas a bitter smile formed. I had spent my entire life believing in the Goddess of shifters—a Goddess who didn’t care about me. Everything I believed in was alie.
The greenery of the trees and hills seemed to be endless as the bus pressed on to the lowlands. Jack would expect me to run off to Glasgow, and I started to doubt my decision to hide at Fiona’s. That would be the first place he’d look.
I could take a train from Glasgow to London, but London was neutral territory, and shifters from around the world conducted business out of London. There was a good chance someone could scent me… scent the pup.
Pup.
A baby.
Rex’s baby.
Pressing my hand to my chest, I tried to reconcile what was happening. My heartbeat finally settled to a normal pace, and all I could think about was the two pink lines. How the hell did this happen?
Rex would be leaving any day now on pack tours with his brother and cousins in hopes of finding their true mates. True mates produced rightful heirs, and I wasn’t his true mate. I debated calling Nan, then decided to call Brianna once my phone was charged. Saliva started pooling in my mouth, and I felt the urge to vomit.
“Get ahold of yourself, you silly girl ,” I mentally scolded myself.
Digging around in my purse for a napkin or mint, I found a forgotten business card at the bottom.
Dead Man’s Pint.