I sipped the water and slowly walked the halls. After the pain had faded from my back, I regretted my words. I roamed, slightly lost, and hoped to find Luke, but I didn’t see him anywhere.
We were at a stalemate. He wanted to wait, and I desperately needed to Claim him now. Neither of us wanted to bend. Well, I’d been willing to bend by selecting someone else, temporarily. But he didn’t like that idea either. I needed a way to convince him to help me before it was too late. He didn’t seem to understand the risks. The attack on the way here showed the desperation of the Urbat. What would they do next? I needed to Claim Luke to calm the dreams so I could focus on their real message. It would also make it easier for him to find me if they took me. If I were completely honest with myself, I just wanted to Claim him because he was mine. Done. Forget the Urbat. Forget the whole the-world-will-burn crap. I just wanted Luke. I sighed. But I couldn’t just forget everything. Elder Joshua concerned me. Having the pack of Urbat pull back concerned me. Why hadn’t they attacked? There had to be something more, something bigger going on that I hadn’t yet figured out. And I needed to, fast.
A few more steps, and I recognized where I was. The door to the padded room stood before me. Closed, but I didn’t care. I needed help. Maybe the Elders could help me force Luke’s hand. I opened it, surprising Nana, Grey, Sam, and a new guy.
“Oh,” I mumbled. “Sorry.” I moved to close the door but Nana stopped me.
“It’s all right, Bethi. Come in. This is Elder Joshua. We were just discussing you.”
The Urbat Elder. He watched me closely, and I made sure to keep my face a blank mask. Having him here was better. We could keep an eye on him. I again wished there was a way to control him.
Inspiration struck. Finally! Luck was on my side.
Closing the door, I smiled pathetically at the group. “Sorry for interrupting. Nana, what’s your policy on killing potential Mates?”
Nana looked concerned, Grey amused, and Sam curious. Joshua’s reaction was just as I’d hoped. Cautious. Trying to figure me out.
“It’s Luke,” I said to Nana. “He’s being completely stubborn about my age, and I think I’m going to hurt him pretty soon.”
Grey actually laughed. Nana smiled in understanding.
“Do you have time to take a break and help me talk some sense into him?” I asked her. I knew there was no talking sense into him. He’d already explained he didn’t have a pack leader because he didn’t want to be forced to follow rules. Elders only enforced laws. I just needed to talk to her in private, away from the other Elders.
“Certainly,” she agreed standing. “I’ll return promptly,” she assured the rest.
Anticipation made my head spin. I wrapped my arm through Nana’s and leaned on her for support as we walked the halls. I’d found a way to stop my dreams, a way to forestall the next Urbat attack, a way to keep tabs on Joshua, and maybe a way to force Luke to hold still so I could Claim him.
I planned to Claim Joshua temporarily. Sure there would be risks. Luke would be both furious and hurt with my solution. Joshua would have the ability to find me wherever I went as long as we were Claimed. But the benefits outweighed the risks. Joshua would be driven to protect me. Even from his own kind.
The real problem was getting Joshua to let me bite him. I needed to get him alone, play it carefully, and hope Luke would forgive me afterward.
“Can you tell Luke to meet us in our room?”
“Already done,” she assured me.
The door opened before we reached it. Luke stood there waiting.
Nana preceded me. His eyes tracked my progress as I shuffled through the door. My heart beat heavily, and I suffered a moment of doubt. His declaration of what I meant to him, all the times he’d come after me…If I did this, it would do more than hurt him. I wanted to go to him, wrap my arms around his waist, and hold him tight. But I knew he wouldn’t let me. His resistance to us as a couple was the whole problem. I’d lived too many short lives. I wasn’t about to let any opportunity pass by in this one. I would solve our problem for us. I just hoped he wouldn’t hate me afterwards.
“’Bout time you’re where you should be,” I grumbled struggling with the guilt that filled me. As I passed him, he reached out, his fingers tracing the shell of my ear and tucking back a loose strand of hair. I forced my feet to keep moving.
“Now,” Nana started, sitting on the couch and waiting for Luke to close the door and join us. “What is the problem here?”
Luke stood beside my chair, his hands tucked casually in his pockets. He glanced at me with a clear question in his eyes. Oh, the games I played.
“Before we start is it possible for you not to share this with the rest of the Elders? I know you have a special connection with them and everything,” I glanced at Luke quickly, playing into my hesitation, “but I really don’t want anyone else knowing this. I mean you can tell if someone is close enough to hear, too, right?”
“Of course. For the moment, we have privacy. And I won’t share the details of private conversations unless I ask first.”
“Do you swear?”
“I do.”
“Fine. Nothing is shared from this point forward unless you ask me.” I sat across from her. “I lied,” I said flatly. “Oh, Luke really is annoying me with his whole Puritan attitude,” I assured her when she glanced at him. “I lied about something else. Rather, I didn’t tell you everything. But for a very good reason. Now, I need you to trust me.” I smiled. “Funny asking for trust after admitting to a lie,” I said with a shrug. I took a deep breath, reached for Nana’s hand and stared into her eyes so she would see and feel the truth of what I had to say. “Joshua is not one of you. He’s an Urbat.” Her eyebrows rose in question, but I hurried to explain. “I couldn’t say anything before because I hadn’t figured out what to do about it, but I have a plan now.”
“What’s an Urbat?”
“The Urbat are a cousin to the werewolf. Not quite the same, but very close. There’s more, but we don’t have the time or the privacy to get into it.”
She sat quiet for a moment. I knew she had many questions for me, but hoped she wouldn’t push for more.
“What do you plan to do?” she asked finally.
I sat back with a slight smile. “That’s where I need your trust. I can’t tell you yet because it depends on Joshua believing me and you. I’m a great liar to your kind. I know the tricks. Scent. Heart rate. All that stuff. If you can’t lie, I need you to stay here. If you can lie, I need you to back me up.”
“I don’t understand,” Nana said slowly.
“We need to go back in that room, tell them Luke won’t let me Claim him, which is the truth by the way, and I’ll explain to the room why I need to Claim someone. If…when Joshua offers a solution, I want us to go along with it.”
“What do you think he’ll offer?” she asked.
“Something that will lead me away from here and to my other potential Mate.”
Luke growled from behind me.
“No one asked you,” I said not looking at him. “I won’t go, of course,” I said to Nana.
“Will whatever you plan put you or the pack in danger?”
I gave a dry laugh. “I’ve been in danger since I started having those dreams. What I plan shouldn’t make it worse. As far as the pack goes, that’s what I’m trying to protect.”
Another dream started tugging at me, and I rose to my feet, cringing at the pain in my stomach. “I swear I have the perfect plan, Nana. All I need is your support and trust.”
“I would feel more comfortable if you shared your plan first.”
“Me too,” Luke added. His voice was laced with concern and sprinkled with suspicion.
I was already shaking my head. “Sorry. If I do that, you’ll both try talking me out of it because you don’t understand everything.” She opened her mouth. “And I don’t have time to explain it all. We need to start this quickly. Joshua is a huge threat that can’t be dealt with through reasoning or a drawn-out fight.”
Nana nodded and stood. “I’ll give you my support.”
Luke made to follow Nana and me, but I stopped him with a raised hand. “No, Luke.”
He flicked a glance at Nana. “I will keep her safe,” she promised him.
My heart thumped heavily, and I fought to keep a perfectly straight face when his suspicious gaze fell on me again. “What are you planning?” he asked stepping close.
His fingers tangled in my hair, and he leaned in, nuzzling my hair aside so his lips rested near my ear. Shivers ran down my arms, and my eyes closed.
“You smell like sweet pears and cinnamon,” he whispered. “The last time you smelled like this you left me at the laundromat waiting for a burger.”
My insides froze and my mind told me to push him away. My arms rose to his chest, but not fast enough. Not before he did the unexpected. His tongue darted out, and he lightly licked the edge of my ear. I went stupid. Forgot how to talk. Forgot how to move. I forgot how to breathe. Darn the man.
“Are you running again, Bethi?”
I struggled to gather my wits. His questioning, boyish look helped bring back a little clarity. He was scared, I realized. “I will come back here when I’m done,” I managed to say. My internal-self was chanting “more kisses, more kisses!” at the top of its lungs so I couldn’t be sure my words came out coherently.
Luke stepped back, his uncertainty clear on his face. “Watch her closely, Winifred. She’s up to something.”
“Of course I am,” I said indignantly. “I already said that.”
His lips twitched, and a full smile lit his face. It melted my insides, which made me nervous. He might not forgive me for this.
Containing my doubts, I left the apartment. Nana followed me quietly.
We let ourselves into the padded room, once again stopping conversation.
“Is everything all right?” Sam asked Nana.
She held out a chair for me. “Bethi, sit. You’re looking pale again.” She turned to Sam. “I’ll let Bethi explain.”
Clever Nana.
I gave her my best wobbly smile. It wasn’t hard. All I had to do was think of Luke’s reaction if my plan actually worked.
“Okay,” I said with a deep breath. “Like I said, Luke found me a couple of weeks ago. I’d run away from home because of those dreams I mentioned.” I met everyone’s eyes briefly. Elder Joshua nodded for me to continue, so I guessed the Elders had recapped my last conversation for him. “Anyway, I wanted to run away from Luke, too, after he showed me what he was, but the dreams weren’t so bad with Luke around. And he kept me safe, you know?”
They all watched me, waiting for me to get to the point.
“But he only makes the dreams better when he’s next to me. And he keeps leaving,” I said with true annoyance. I took another deep breath, carefully planning my words as I flattened my palms on the table. “I don’t want these dreams anymore. I don’t care about puzzles or their stupid pieces. They don’t make any sense and they’re scary. Terrifying. I think it would help me if I Claimed someone.”
I uncurled my fingers with effort. The subject annoyed me to the point that I’d fisted my hands.
“I asked Luke, but he told me I was too young. I almost had Paul convinced to let me Claim him, but Luke showed up and scared him away.”
Grey gave me an indulgent smile as if to say “of course, he would scare the boy away.”
“If Luke won’t Claim me, I’m asking for your help to find me someone who will and to keep Luke out of it.” Because I don’t want him hurt, I silently added.
No one made a sound. Nana kept her face perfectly straight, but I could still see her surprise. In fact, all of their faces registered different states of shock. Joshua’s also held a note of thoughtful concern.
“Does Luke know you’ve come to us?” he asked.
“Luke knows I’m talking to you guys, but I didn’t exactly tell him why.”
“I thought you wanted us to help you figure these dreams out,” Sam said, finally finding his voice.
“No, I wanted to know why I was having them. After this last one, I don’t care anymore. I just want them to stop. Will you help me?” I looked around the table and didn’t see much approval. Nana looked like she was having an internal struggle. No doubt she was regretting her promise to support me. “Please.”
Nana sighed. “If Luke is denying your Claim, you have a right to request Introductions.” She didn’t sound happy about it, but she was going along with it.
Silence wrapped around the occupants of the room. I waited, keeping calm, meeting everyone’s eyes. I could see the discomfort growing in Grey. Sam looked seriously troubled. Nana looked just a tad angry. I couldn’t blame her. She probably felt betrayed on Luke’s behalf. Joshua though, kept his eyes on the table, deep in thought.
Finally, he broke the silence. “We should consider this carefully before we move forward with anything.”
Good.
“If he is waiting for her to mature,” he glanced at me and gave me an apologetic smile, “then it is possible he will challenge whomever she Claims. We don’t want to be reduced to chaos when there are so many other elements concerning us.”
Meaning the recent attack. I kept my face neutral.
“Joshua’s correct,” Sam agreed. Grey nodded. They all looked relieved.
“What does that mean for me?” I asked, pushing.
Joshua sighed regretfully. “It means we too are asking for your patience. We need to ensure we are doing what is best for the pack.”
Playing my role, I scowled. “Fine. But my patience is limited. I can already feel another dream gathering. I’ll give you an hour to decide, or I’m going to jump on the next unMated I see and start biting.”
Standing quickly, I fled out the door as if angry and almost ran into Luke. Thankfully, I’d been wearing my I’m-annoyed-and-leaving face and not my ha-ha-you-fool face. He caught my arms so I wouldn’t bump into him and pulled back, his eyes searching my face. The hall was empty except for us.
“I thought you were waiting in the room,” I said.
“I didn’t actually think you’d come back,” he commented letting go of my arms.
“I told you I would.” How could a man be so annoying yet so endearing?
A corner of his mouth tilted up in a half-smile, and he threaded his fingers through mine. We walked back to the apartment in silence. Though my mouth was quiet, my mind was not. He didn’t just hold my hand, he held my heart. I really started to doubt my wisdom. What a joke. Me. Wisdom.
He opened the apartment door for me. I eased onto the couch and closed my eyes.
The cushions next to me dipped as he sat beside me. His arm curved around my shoulders, and he pulled me to his side. “You look tired.”
“I’m always tired.” Hopefully not much longer though.
Pressed into his warm side, I relaxed and the dreams swirled. Thankfully, less than a minute later, someone knocked on the door.
Luke eased me from his side to answer it. Sam stood in the entry. “Luke, we would like to speak with you.” His voice held regret. Luke glanced at me, seeking my permission to leave my side.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him.
He walked out with Sam, and I waited for the main player, lightly touching the knife still strapped to my leg. As I anticipated, another knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” I called.
Joshua opened the door with a smile. “Bethi, hello.” He closed the door. “We are breaking the news to Luke now. Actually, we are isolating him to give others a fair chance. We called a few candidates to the woods just outside the Compound if you would come with me.”
“Perfect,” I agreed, not bothering to contain my happiness. Joshua watched me closely as I stood. The stitches pulled when I tried to straighten so a cringe wasn’t hard to fake. “I’m not sure I’ll make it that far.”
He frowned slightly, considering me before stepping close. “If you’ll allow me, I’ll carry you.”
“Thank you.”
He bent down, placed an arm behind my knees and my back, and with a quick move, he lifted me into his arms. I settled high with my arm around his shoulders.
“Joshua, I should warn you. There’s another dream coming on and I’m not sure how long I’ll…” I lightly sighed and dropped my head on his shoulder. I should have been in theater. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay awake.”
There was no dream, at least, not one that I couldn’t resist. The light scent of his shaving cream filled my nose. Underneath that, I could smell the real Joshua. Woods, sky, and mud. It held no appeal to me whatsoever.
“Don’t worry,” he assured me, turning toward the door.
I nodded my head, the movement bringing me closer to his neck. All my attempts with Luke had taught me something. Don’t dart in until you were sure he couldn’t get a hand up fast enough. Joshua didn’t see it coming. I ducked in and bit him hard before we made it to the door.
He gasped, a mix of pleasure and fear. I wiped my mouth on his suit jacket. Ew. His taste was worse than his smell.
The arm supporting my legs slackened, and I loosened my arms around his neck, fearing for my stitches. The blade I had strapped to my leg was trapped between us. His eyes met mine as my legs slowly slid to the floor. The arm at my back kept me pinned as he searched my face. Panic flared within me, but it was not my own. I waited patiently for him to sort through what I had just done.
“What did you do?” he finally managed. Apparently, he couldn’t sort through it on his own.
“I caused you a mess of trouble,” I admitted, keeping control of my emotions. I suppressed my smug joy and my own concern, giving him no indication through our link what I might be thinking. “We both know whoever you had waiting wasn’t right for me. Luke would have been right if he’d been willing. I need someone strong enough to protect me. To keep me safe during the storm that’s coming this way.”
His gaze dipped to my mouth. His hands brushed up and down my arms. The shock of my unexpected Claim was wearing off. The calculated look crept back into his eyes. Desire flared through our link. Dangerous territory. This was the part of the plan that had caused me the most concern. I knew I’d be safe from the other Urbat now, but how did I keep myself safe from him? I’d hoped Nana wouldn’t let him out of her sight.
The door burst open, and Luke strode in. Fire lit his eyes as he took in Joshua’s hold on my arms. Nana, Sam, and Grey walked in behind him.
“Joshua?” Sam said as he took in the scene.
“I Claimed him,” I said softly. The Elders needed to know. All part of the plan. But watching Luke and the pain that flared in his eyes hurt. I couldn’t keep the remorse from welling up within me. Joshua growled in response, and dropped his hands so he could stand in front of me.
“As an Elder, you are not permitted to Claim,” Grey said with anger in his voice. “You broke your oath to hold the interest of the pack above your own interests.” Grey paused, his anger giving way to confusion. “How are you still alive?”
Joshua twitched as if in pain, and his growl grew louder. The tenuous link he’d had to the werewolves had just been irrevocably severed. I held myself still. He was alive because he wasn’t one of them, and wasn’t bound by their rules. I’d anticipated his reaction going one of two ways. Joshua could go crazy realizing his cover was blown and try to attack the rest, or he could realize the precariousness of his dilemma.
“As you are well aware, we are not able to Claim any of these girls. She Claimed me.” A low growl remained in his voice, but I felt a surge of relief that he chose to talk, not attack. “I will hold that Claim.”
All eyes in the room swung to me. Luke’s pain showed through his gaze.
I gave a quick nod, answering the unspoken question. I would hold my Claim to Joshua as long as he didn’t try for more or try to hurt Luke. Not yet ready to get into the whole “why” of it, I eased my hand to the blade at my side. Not drawing it, but ready to as I eyed Joshua’s back.
“Joshua, does this mean you are no longer able to communicate with the pack?” I asked innocently.
He turned to look at me over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing on me fractionally.
“He shouldn’t even be alive,” Grey restated.
“Yes, yes,” I said, waving away his concern and keeping my eyes on Joshua. I still saw Grey’s surprised reaction and Luke’s transformation. He went from wounded ex to suspicious friend. It gave me hope for us.
Joshua’s frown grew. He took a slow deep breath. His suspicion flooded me. “I feel…something from you. Not happiness exactly. You’re trying to keep your emotions from me. Why?”
I answered with a small smile. “Have you told your leader what happened? You know he won’t let you keep me.”
Joshua’s eyes flared wide, and he growled. I couldn’t quite tell if the growl was at me or at the thought of losing me. I’d counted on his possessive nature and really hoped it was the latter.
“Thomas already knows,” Sam’s voice rang with authority.
Joshua’s hands curled into fists, but I noted his nails elongating.
“Not Thomas,” I said with a shake of my head. “His Urbat leader.” Nana glanced down for a moment, and I had the feeling she was doing some silent communicating with Sam and Grey.
“So, Joshua, have you told him? We need to know how soon they will be coming to take me and kill you.”
He roared a cry of frustration and anguish. I knew he’d just realized his inevitable death sentence from both sides. Only his connection to me kept him safe for the moment.
Luke’s skin rippled in response to his outburst.
“We need to take it down a notch, guys,” I said raising my hands. “This human’s way too easy to break, and neither of you would like that.”
Joshua struggled with himself. Grey placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder. I could see the two of them having a silent conversation. Luke noticeably calmed, but he still struggled to contain his shift.
“Let’s recap for everyone who doesn’t know what’s going on,” I said softly, unsure if Joshua had thought of everything. “By Claiming you, I stripped you of your Elder privileges, blew your cover with this pack, and voided your usefulness here in the eyes of your Urbat leader. In addition, I’ve made you his target since he will not allow you to keep me. After all, I feel no connection with you that would help sway any decisions that I might need to make. There’s really nowhere safe for you right now.” Joshua straightened his stance, a sudden seriousness exploding onto his expression.
He took a slow, deep breath. “Why not just have them,” he nodded at the Elders, “kill me right away? Why Claim me?”
“If they had killed you, you would have sent one last message to your leader. It probably would have started an attack and cost countless lives.”
“What makes you think I didn’t already send a message?” he asked softly, his eyes lightly skimming my face.
“To protect me. I’m yours, right?” His eyes softened at my words. “You don’t want to lose me. Plus, you’d forfeit your life by doing so. Like I said, they won’t let you keep me.” I took a step back from Joshua. Luke’s tremors hadn’t stopped since he’d walked through the door, and I didn’t want to ignite that bomb waiting to go off.
Joshua’s eyes tracked me. I felt his yearning. He wanted me close. He wanted to touch me. I wondered if Luke felt for me even a fraction of what Joshua felt. If he did, how did he keep saying no?
“He underestimated you,” Joshua said softly.
I knew he meant his leader. “Your kind usually does,” I agreed. And still I always died.
“So how do you see this ending?”
“That depends on how many are waiting out there to meet me,” I said, reminding Joshua of his original intent when he entered the room.
His lips curled. “Three.”
I nodded slowly, thinking. Only three. A discreet number easy to slip in and take me. A perfect number to obliterate. I needed to keep the room at peace, and Joshua on my side for a bit longer.
Meeting Nana’s eyes I said, “I don’t want a Mating challenge.”
Luke growled. “It is my right.”
“Shush,” I said, keeping my eyes on Nana.
She looked troubled by my words. I could see her weighing my safety and the pack’s safety. By keeping Joshua linked to me the pack would be safe, but would I? Joshua would soon realize the only way to save himself would be to mate with me and create an unbreakable bond. Hopefully, Nana wouldn’t see that just yet. Finally, she reluctantly nodded her agreement.
Luke growled, and Joshua laughed.
“Like Joshua said, I need to think about how this should end. I don’t want bloodshed. That’s why I Claimed Joshua. To avoid just that.” I moved to touch Joshua’s arm, tamping down my revulsion.
“Joshua, I’d like to meet with the Elders and figure out how we can leave here without dying.”
He purred with satisfaction and in a quick move, wrapped his arms around me in a hug, pressing me tight against his body. My stitches pulled and I made a small noise. Oblivious, he leaned in and nuzzled my neck. I fought not to gag.
“Moron, you’re hurting her,” Luke growled, taking a step toward me.
Over Joshua’s shoulder, I watched Grey clamp down on one of Luke’s arms and Sam the other. They held him back as his body flexed in a constant state of shifting. I couldn’t tell if his wolf form was coming or going.
“Please, Joshua. He’s right. You’re hurting me. I was cut recently.”
Joshua still didn’t pull back. His hot breath warmed my neck a second before his tongue laved it, just below the ear Luke had kissed not long ago. Joshua was marking me, wiping away Luke’s scent. Not good. I could feel his desire rising again.
“Nana,” I called in a slight panic.
“Joshua,” Nana warned. “She is in no shape for what you’re thinking. Stop now, or for her safety I will stop you.”
He laughed, a rumble I felt in my own chest since we were pressed so close. But he did ease back. “Soon,” he whispered, ducking down to meet my gaze. “They can’t stop a Claimed pair,” he promised, his hand drifting to my belly. His fingers traced the stitches through my shirt. “A few days will see us truly together.”
I nodded slowly as if agreeing while trying to keep the tremors from my body. He smiled in return and released me. I couldn’t look at Luke. I wanted a shower.
Nana held her hand out to me. I clasped it tightly and left the room with her. I hoped they knew to keep an eye on Joshua. He wouldn’t leave without me. I’d ensured that when I Claimed him. But, I didn’t want him near Luke.
