Chapter 11
CICELY
“Let’s go back,” I say.
Linc looks over his shoulder at me in the back seat. “It hasn’t even been ten minutes.”
“Well duh. You think I want you taking me for ice cream? I want to go back now that he’s likely shifted. He’s restrained and wearing the mask. We’ve got the weapons. I want to test things.”
“Fuck,” he mutters.
“How will we know if we don’t test things?” I ask.
“She’s right,” Tyson says.
“Mm hm,” Mase agrees.
“There’s no way it’s a fair test if his new mate is surrounded by three alphas. You guys know that!” Linc argues.
“Then don’t come with me,” I retort.
“Absolutely not,” Linc denies.
“I’ll keep you on speaker, a phone in my pocket, and you stay a few minutes away in the car.”
“Too risky,” he snaps.
“We won’t know unless we try,” I fire back.
“She’s right,” Tyson says.
Linc is fuming.
“Lincoln, this is my decision to make. I’m not yours to protect.”
I see pain flash in his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“I’m not gonna suddenly stop giving a shit about you, no matter who you’re mated to.”
“Same, Linc. Honestly.”
He sighs.
I add, “I need to know. I need to see how his wolf reacts to me up close now that I’m wearing his mark.”
I’m also planning to shift but have no plans to reveal this. I feel like maybe he’ll react differently to my wolf, especially given how he reacted across the river when my wolf barked at him.
“Let’s bring her back,” Mason says.
“Fuck!” Linc slaps the steering wheel before grabbing it in a death-grip.
I reach up and squeeze his shoulder. “Lincoln, I appreciate you worrying about me. Worrying about him. Everything inside me is telling me I need to do this, need to know. If not now, when?”
“When the coven can give us information, Sis. Veronica Young is coming to lay hands on him and see what information she gets. She could see things that help the coven formulate a spell or a potion or get Cat and Blakely onto something for healing this. You’re rushing this shit and that’s not wise.”
“When is she getting here?”
“Tomorrow, sometime.”
I don’t want to wait. I want to see how his wolf reacts to me and to my wolf.
“If she wants to test things, we should let her,” Tyson says.
“Agreed,” Mase immediately says. “Stay just outside, open the outer door and leave the barred door closed, fully armed and ready to book it, this vehicle behind you with us three in it. We’ll keep the windows closed but you’ve got us on speaker.”
“Deal.”
The SUV squeals to a stop and Linc takes his frustration out on the gas pedal, bringing us back.
***
Mason’s phone is on speaker in my pocket, I’ve got weapons in each hand, and I’ve opened the outer door and can see inside.
Jared’s wolf is beyond menacing back there, amber eyes with those slit pupils pointed at me, the growl reverberating through every cell in me.
His body is in a stance that shows he’d pounce if not for the taut chains restraining him.
The mask is tight around his face, and his face is bleeding a little.
I think he’s been pawing at the mask with his claws.
Right now, he couldn’t bite if he wanted to. And he looks like he wants to.
“Hey,” I say. “I’m Cicely. I’m your mate.” I pull my hair over one shoulder to show him my mark. “You did that.” I caress it and it sends sensations through me.
He blinks and I’m wondering if I’m getting through, if he recognizes anything about me.
“Do you want to meet my wolf again? See if you recognize me now that I wear your mark?”
More growling. Deeper, louder growling.
“No!” I hear from the phone in my pocket. “Absofuckinglutely not, Sis. You hear me?” That’s Linc.
Jared’s wolf sits, like he’s waiting, like he understands.
Oh my gosh.
I put my forehead to the bars and say, “He sat. I think he understands me. I just want to see. He can’t get out.”
I set the weapons down on either side of me and can hear them cussing me out through the phone in my pocket. It’s all three of them, not just Linc.
I whip my clothes off while Jared’s wolf waits, looking like a statue. A statue of a hellhound, mind you, but he’s not growling, he’s just watching me.
After shifting, I stand and wait.
He’s sniffing the air. Does he recognize my wolf?
Suddenly, he goes ballistic, growling, pulling on those restraints. He wants at me and not to nuzzle me, nor to sniff me before mounting me. He wants my blood. And I don’t just know it from his stance, something inside me knows it. Is it part of the mate connection?
An image flashes in my mind of his wolf ripping my wolf’s throat to shreds.
My heart stutters and I back up and quickly shift back.
“Jared, are you in there?” I ask, my voice shaky.
More growling. I stare straight into his eyes. “I’m not your enemy. I’m your mate. Don’t you recognize my scent?”
More growling, his eyes are devoid of emotion. He’s not my mate; he’s nothing but a predator that wants to rip everything to shreds. I don’t just see it; I’m sure I feel it.
“Okay then. Understood,” I say softly to him before I speak into the phone. “I’m on my way back, boys.”
I quickly put my clothes on and listlessly lift the weapons and walk away from the angry snarling and snapping as well as the noisy clanking of the restraints being tugged on until I get to Linc’s Bronco.
Linc’s expression has softened. “Babe…” he says, gruffly. He pities me.
“I’m going to catch a couple hours of sleep,” I say, sadness oozing from my words while I hand Mase his phone.
“It was worth a try,” Mase says with kindness.
“Veronica Young is coming,” Tyson assures. “She’ll lay hands on him. See what she can see from that.”
“Amie has your cell. I’ll run it back, leave it on the step. Call us if you need anything,” Mase says.
I nod, feeling bone tired.
“Give him space,” Linc instructs and I don’t bother to argue or say anything in response.
He goes on, “When Mase comes back with your phone he’ll have a trail cam and install it over the door.
The surveillance team will be watching it to make sure he doesn’t escape.
We’ll have an alpha and beta duo parked up on the trail with weapons so they can be here in under two minutes if they get a call or see anything on surveillance that merits rushing in. ”
I’m not surprised they’ve set this up. But I say nothing.
“Cicely?” he calls.
I can’t have a conversation, I can’t listen to another word right now, so I wave and wordlessly go back to the camper and climb inside.
I wait until they’ve pulled away before I let the tears fall. They flow and flow as I undress to get into the shower and let the hot water pelt my skin for a good minute before it suddenly halts. The water tank must be empty.