Chapter 14
Ashleigh
“I can’t wait to try all the flavors!” Becca exclaimed and the musical sound of her giggling flittered around me. Her joyful mood was contagious, and I couldn’t help but laugh along with her.
“Which one is your favorite so far?” I asked and she skipped along, squeezing my hand tight as she pulled me forward on the sidewalk.
“The cotton candy one. No. Maybe cherry. Or blue raspberry,” she answered thoughtfully, and I giggled.
I’d taken her out for ice cream today and the shop owner had been amazingly sweet, even when Becca had wanted to try out seven different flavors before settling on a single scoop of three other ones she hadn’t even tasted.
I’d made sure to tip her well by the time we got to the register.
“Mom would have liked the strawberry one,” she said softly and I squeezed her hand tighter.
“I bet she would have,” I replied gently.
Becca was doing exceedingly well with Melissa and Sean.
They doted on her, spoiling her rotten at every turn as if she was their own.
She was excelling in school and was at the top of her class.
She was showing great promise and had already begun to grasp the concept of reading even though it was still pretty new for her.
Sometimes, she even insisted on reading them stories at night.
Earlier this afternoon, she’d even read one to me.
She had both good days and bad ones. Sometimes, she would struggle and miss her parents or wake up with nightmares, but those became less and less with the passage of time.
Melissa and Sean were great with her during those episodes, either playing hooky and spending the whole day with her or distracting her with something else.
She cried a few times, but she was consoled with a big hug until her tears dried.
It was a process and I knew it would get better eventually, but it was hard for her adoptive parents and for me and Elijah.
The two of them had been true to their word in allowing Elijah and me a place in the young girl’s life.
Occasionally, we’d take her overnight for sleepovers and other times I’d take her out to eat or to a movie.
The more time I spent with her, the more I realized that I would really love to have my own family someday.
I wanted that family to be with Elijah. One day, I hoped to carry his son or daughter in my belly.
I strode along the sidewalk with Becca’s hand in mine, thinking over the events of the past few weeks. I felt settled, like I’d finally accepted my new life here as the mate of the kingpin of the Rising Sun pack. Every day, I felt his love for me and mine grew for him.
He showered me with gifts, constantly surprising me with a piece of jewelry, a designer dress, a pair of one of a kind Jimmy Choos, and surprise bouquets of flowers to brighten up the chalet.
He took me out to fancy dinners constantly and made sure that I was never left wanting, whether it be for pleasure or pain or something else.
He’d spent an inordinate amount of time teaching me to defend myself.
I took to his lessons readily. I adored those sessions because he never went easy on me, and I understood why.
Someday, his training might save my life and if neither of us were serious about it, my overconfidence could cost me my life.
For the most part, I treated every session like it was the real thing.
That didn’t mean it was all serious. There were definite moments that were special between the two of us during those sessions.
I smiled wistfully. I liked his reward and punishment system very much.
I’d become fond of his desk simply because I’d been fucked over it endlessly.
I’m not sure how, but he’d gotten even better with his tongue in these past few weeks.
He had gotten to a point where he could suckle my clit for scarcely a few seconds, and I’d be ready to fall apart.
Occasionally, he’d make me ask for permission to come and when I didn’t sometimes, he’d spank my pussy as hard as he pleased, which just made me increasingly needy for his cock.
He’d make me beg for it and I always did.
The punishment cane was an interesting addition.
It made me feel naughty and needy and the whole routine of baring myself and asking him to punish me with it ran through my mind often.
I’d never admit it to him, but I sometimes made mistakes on purpose just so that he would use it.
The orgasms he gave me afterward always made it worth it.
Even now, the backs of my thighs were achy and welted.
Yesterday, I’d intentionally missed a cue.
I’m not sure if he knew, but he had been even more vicious than usual, doubling his usual six strokes to a full dozen with the cane before he spanked my pussy hard, plugged my bottom, and fucked me hard enough to make me cry while I came for him.
My heart swelled.
I sighed, trying to rein in my thoughts and focus on the little girl at my side.
She bounced as we rounded the corner and closed in on what was her new home.
It was a beautiful townhome that wasn’t far from the town center, which meant she was close to pretty much everything.
The door opened and Melissa waved to us from inside.
I let go of Becca’s hand and she skipped toward her adoptive mother, going on about how I’d bought her the best bowl of ice cream she’d ever had.
I loved hearing things like that.
“See you for dinner this weekend, Becca!” I called out and she blew me a kiss. My heart melted into a puddle of goo.
When she disappeared behind the door, I finally turned away and began walking back to the chalet.
The sun was setting, and the streets were beginning to grow dark.
It was in that weird place where the lampposts hadn’t turned on yet to illuminate the shadows.
I looked up at the sky and smiled, enjoying the way the stars were just starting to glimmer.
There was a scuffle behind me, and I stopped, turning around quickly.
There was nothing there. I searched the area carefully, sniffing the air and sensing nothing.
When I looked up, I saw a number of pigeons flying up into the sky.
I shrugged and shook my head at my edginess.
I’d startled them somehow, that’s all that had been.
I shook my head and continued on, anxious to get back to Elijah. He’d told me all about the suspected threat from my father and how they were planning an attack. Knowing that made me pretty uneasy. I wanted to return to the safe place that was his arms.
Maybe I’d even ask him to plug me tonight. I’d never told him, but I loved the orgasms he gave me when I was full of his cock and the toy at the same time. Those were quickly becoming some of my favorites.
With a heavy sigh, I rounded the corner.
Immediately, a cloud of steam enveloped me, and I coughed almost just as quickly.
My throat was suddenly on fire, flames licking down my throat until it settled deep in my lungs.
I struggled to breathe. At once, I knew that it wasn’t just water.
It was aerosolized wolfsbane. I screamed, trying to wipe the burning solution off my face and having no luck.
My skin sizzled and I screamed in agony.
A black bag was shoved over my head. Someone grabbed my arms and I tried to do my best to use the defense training Elijah had taught me to get myself out of it.
I didn’t know how many there were. He’d mainly taught me to fight one on one.
Right now, there were at least three large creatures making a grab at me.
One of them seized my left wrist. Another clutched at my right one.
I struggled hard enough that my muscles began to protest, but it wasn’t enough for me to break free.
One of them growled and I quickly scented the air. They were wolf shifters, which was why I didn’t sense them right away.
I snarled in return, renewing my struggles, but there were too many of them.
I kicked and tried to twist away from them, but they pinned my arms behind my back and tied them with rope.
I cried out when it touched my skin, realizing it was rope woven with silver thread. My flesh sizzled. I screamed for help.
Everything inside me was roaring with agony.
I don’t know whether it was just to keep me quiet or save me from the pain they’d brought on me, but someone forced a soaked cloth over my nose and mouth. I tried not to breathe, but someone punched me in the stomach, and I gasped as air flowed into my lungs anyway.
This was really bad.
The last thing I remembered was the sweet aroma of flowers before I passed out.
* * *
Fucking hell, my head hurt. I blinked, trying to make the terrible ache go away with sheer force of will. I sighed and stretched, stiffening immediately when the events of the night finally came back to me. I’d been taken and I didn’t yet know by who.
There were thick curtains on the window, but I could tell that it was well into the afternoon.
I sat up quickly, pushing my hands against the soft mattress beneath me.
I stared at my wrists, pink evidence of the rope that they’d tied me with still very apparent on my skin.
I rubbed at them absently, wincing a little at the stinging ache that came with even a gentle touch.
I looked around, chewing the inside of my cheek.
Where the fuck was I?
This wasn’t the chalet. Elijah’s scent was nowhere to be found.
My heart hurt worse than both my wrists and head combined.
I could feel that he was pretty far away and that was painful.
The tether that held us together was strained over that kind of distance and my whole body ached from it.
I pressed my palm over my heart, closing my eyes and taking several deep sobering breaths, trying to compose myself before I began to panic.