Bound to My Mate Ch. 07

Shawna's determination to see me able to fight back had left me looking a little worse for the wear.

"I got in a fight," I said examining my hands.

"That's not entirely believable. You're don't really strike me as a fighter. Tell them you and the drunken father were driving somewhere and had an accident, that's more realistic," he stated.

I nodded and went back to my earlier musings. Plainly, Will shared the pack's view of me.

We arrived to the clinic and parked. Seth and Robert heartily greeted several other people walking into the building. I had forgotten they had all been at working here for several weeks. Madonna, my old medical assistant, approached and threw her arms around me. I saw three sets of eyes turn yellow at the movement and the four in the Suburban started to get out.

"Oh - My - God, what happened to you?" she gushed as I tried to give everyone an 'it's okay' look. "I mean like one minute you are here, then you've quit, and then you're back part time. You have missed so much!" she finished as she pulled me toward the building. "And your hands, have you been fighting with someone or what?" she asked catching my wrist and examining it.

I launched into my lie and she bought it as did everyone else I told it to.

Almost everybody at the clinic was friendly and congenial with me like before. The only people that wouldn't come anywhere near me were the three that had warned me about wolves in the first place. I saw them shudder every time Robert, Seth, or Will passed by them.

"Under no circumstances," Will said when I told him I needed to talk to the women alone. "You will not endanger yourself at all on my watch. If you want to talk to them alone then ask Madonna for their phone numbers and call them tonight," he coyly offered as a compromise.

I did call the women that night. The conversations were short and the women seemed to relax over the phone. Only Ryana got nosy about anything specific.

"So he's mated you then, I saw the bite mark when you leaned over, all right" she said. "You have the mate bond?"

Remembering my instructions I gave what I hoped wasn't too much information while still keeping the conversation going.

"It doesn't work because I'm human," I answered her.

"Well, that's a shame. I'd heard with the bond mates could communicate telepathically," she said.

"Nope, doesn't work when you're human," I repeated praying she'd stop asking for details if I couldn't provide any. "I don't really understand all this wolf stuff, yet," I lied.

"Yeah, I heard they don't change humans that often. Is he going to change you?" she asked. It had completely escaped me how nosy this woman really was.

"Not yet, we're still talking about it," I told her.

"They do it on the full moon is what Gran told me, big ceremony and all. The moon is very important to the wolves," she said, "they derive power from it."

"I am so unsure," I told her. "You could be right, I just don't know."

"Well, I'm just glad you found someone," she said sighing. "Me, I'm still looking. I noticed those four waiting in the parking lot. They are definitely worth looking at, especially the tall one. What's his name?"

I was embarrassed I didn't know the names of my guard. They didn't ride with me or talk to me.

"Well, I might just have to introduce myself to them," she laughed. "If you say the wolves aren't all bad, it might just be time to make some new friends.

As I hung up the phone I was glad not only that I had reconnected with my friends at work, but maybe they'd gotten over some of their prejudices.

The next week fell into sort of a routine. Work at the clinic was a fun distraction from pack life, but I felt the tension from Joel every time I left the den. He was really not comfortable, but he let me go. I tried to reassure him because I felt exceptionally well guarded. Will, Robert, and Seth all managed to do their jobs at the clinic, yet surrounded me all day long.

I didn't tell Joel but I was quickly realizing my life would never be the same again. I could go to work and be a doctor a couple days a week, but knowing what else was out there made the job almost impossible. The idea of someone being cursed to death didn't seem so outrageous and I started to doubt my training.

As my human life got more jumbled, I was comfortable and relaxed at home with the pack. Shawna, Katrina, Sophia, and Jasmine were my constant companions. I spent hours with them in the gym or in the spacious apartment laughing and talking. I'd never had girlfriends I just hung out with like this.

"Are you afraid of us?" Sophia asked coyly one day as she braided my hair.

"Are you planning to do something horrible with my hair?" I asked her, not really sure where this was going.

"No, of course not, but there's this rumor you don't want to be like us because you're afraid is all," she said.

"That really isn't any of your business," Shawna said moving restlessly on the couch beside us.

"I'm not afraid of you four, but I am afraid to change. It just seems like it is normal for were wolves to be out of control and violent," I told them.

"Well, the Alpha is really stressed over the problems with the pack, so his wolf is probably really close to the surface these days," Jasmine mused. "We've never been that way with you and you spend tons of time with us."

"Okay, ladies," Shawna said sternly, "completely inappropriate to be discussing in their quarters and with his mate."

"I'm not offended, Shawna," I told her, "and I know the pack thinks I'm a big wimp. Just give me a little time, it is a lot to wrap my brain around."

"It would just be nice if we could go run together. He'd let you out to play more with us if he wasn't so scared you were going to be killed," Katrina said and rapidly bowed her head to Shawna's hard stare.

I tried to talk to them more about it, but Shawna had effectively shut them down. There were just certain things I assumed they weren't supposed to discuss with me. That was really a surprise, the wolves were usually very open.

Truth be told, I did understand Joel's strain. He spent long hours working and came back to me every night brooding. He was baseline upset and never did completely get relaxed.

The pack was a large extended family; they protected each other and trusted one another. He loved the pack members deeply and would willing fight to protect them. Yet, it was most certainly pack members that had taken me. In fact, he knew which wolves were involved but he couldn't find them.

He had sent teams every where the group was known to hang out and they were nowhere. Their involvement didn't surprise him; the five young wolves were troubled. Stories abounded of their abuse of those that were weaker than them. I shuddered thinking how lucky I was they didn't tear me to pieces.

The five rogues weren't really bright. The idea they had managed to keep themselves hidden was not entertained. Someone much smarter was mixed up with this and it went deeper than a couple violent degenerates. With this in mind pack security was at a high point and Joel's job was more than full time. He made time for me early in the morning or late at night, but I felt the stress coming from him.

Frequently after dinner we went on walks through the forest. Sometimes Joel went as a large black wolf other times he walked along with me in human form. He told me about all the wonderful places we could go if I could shift with him. He had spent years navigating the forest and knew the entirety of it like the back of his hand. I enjoyed hearing him talk about it, it seemed to relax him.

"I would love to run with you through these woods as a wolf," Joel told me. "There is so much out here the human senses just don't pick up."

I still just wasn't sure what to say to him. The idea of becoming a werewolf was terrifying. I was still desperately trying to hang on to being human for just a little while longer.

Despite my absence at work I was welcomed back wholly. The second week they even invited me to a lunch hour bridal shower for one of the Medical Assistants. I enjoyed going to the store and picking something out. I was so glad they had thought to have the party on a day I would be there.

The day of the party we decorated the break room festively before work. The head nurse arranged to have a drug representative volunteer to bring the food. When the cake arrived at noon time it was a real party atmosphere.

I walked towards the sounds of the party and left my food from the den on my desk. I'd seen the party food come in, along with some homemade specialties. I was not going to miss out. Will walked beside me looking highly disgruntled. He wasn't happy about my decision.

"He is the pack leader and your mate," Will hissed at me quietly. "He will not take well to you ignoring his direct orders. The Alpha here is not known for his leniency of rule breakers. My father made a point to explain that to me before I left home, he does not tolerate disrespect from anyone."

I rolled my eyes at him. "He doesn't own me, Will. You have some weird ideas about how relationships work."

"You aren't even trying to understand this," Will shot back at me as two of the front office staff careened past us toward the party.

We made it to the door of the break room without further incident, but were stopped by a laughing Bea.

"No boys allowed at a bridal shower!" she said crossing her arms across her chest.

Will looked hard at me, but didn't openly protest. The room was full of laughing women from the clinic, it hardly looked dangerous. I turned my back to Will and walked casually inside. Will's attitude was really starting to chafe. I hoped he would cool off during lunch.

Food and drink was magnanimously delivered to the men left to fend for themselves in the clinic. Ryana ran back in laughing after the delivery, 'At the least they didn't get pissy with her' I thought. The wolves did like good eats and the party food was excellent.

The presents ranged the gamut from useful to hilarious. The room was in a constant state of giggles from all the gag gifts. In the middle of unwrapping her third sex toy the bride - to - be slumped into her chair. All around me the women slumped down into their chairs. I gasped and ran to the closest woman feeling the steady thrum of her pulse under my fingers. I moved to feel Bea's pulse and a gun appeared in front of me. I looked up into Ryana's cold stare.

"Come," she commanded pushing me toward the emergency exit at the back of the clinic.

I went willingly just long enough for her to relax. With a quick move I turned and pulled the gun away from her. I restrained her and called out for help. She struggled but I had her in an iron grip.

The emergency door was yanked open and figure converged on us. He moved with lightening speed and backhanded me across my face. I literally saw stars for a moment. The gun fell uselessly to the floor and Ryana jerked herself away. Before I could regain my balance a large clawed hand grabbed me around the neck and flung me against the nearest wall. My head cracked painfully against the plaster and I was disoriented.

My bearings came back to me slowly as I was deposited and bound inside a van. It had been waiting with the motor running just outside the door. My senses were so jumbled from the series of hits I wasn't sure which direction we started moving.

Finally regaining some sense of balance I looked around. Five men in hoodies sat in the van with Ryana. They were still celebrating the victory over me. Their voices were eerily familiar.

"Don't forget she keeps a phone in her pocket," a voice in the back said. A chill ran straight up my spine and I knew these were the wolves that had me the first time.

Ryana found my phone and threw it outside the moving van.

"What about the mate bond?" one of the wolves from the front seat asked.

"It's there, all right, just like we need it to be," Ryana answered him, "but it doesn't work right because she's human."

I prayed the degenerates had never paid enough attention to know that wasn't true and I wasn't disappointed.

"Stupid Latro, taking a human for a mate," spat out one of my captors.

"I'll say," snorted Ryana, "when I'm done he'll be taking me for a mate. A witch is obviously better suited than a simple human to be a werewolf king's mate."

I gasped a little at that and tried to concentrate on the scenery whizzing by the van's window. I knew if I thought about it enough Joel would get my message and see where they were taking me.

"You want to be his mate?" I asked incredulously

"I couldn't care less about being his mate. What I want is access to the Latro fortunes and as an Alpha, I'll have everything I want. I won't be one of those meek little witches boiling up curses and getting paid in chickens!"

"How does taking me get you any closer to that?" I asked.

"Easy, stupid human, I'll just move your bond to me. He'll be loyal to me even as he watches me kill you!" She laughed and continued, "I have to admit I was furious when he started following you around like a bitch in heat. At first I thought him finally choosing a mate would ruin things for me, you know."

"Using one of Gran's old spell books I learned I could move the bond once it was intact as long as you weren't a wolf. I just had to get to you before he changed you at the full moon. Lucky me your little bodyguards liked my punch, even those stupid ones outside," she finished triumphantly.

Her interest in getting to know my guard took on a whole new meaning and I cringed. My guard wasn't coming to my rescue. I steeled myself, I was going to have to fight my way out of this mess. I stared out the window and calmed my breathing.

Ryana noticed my attention to our surroundings.

"Oh, don't worry about where you are going, all right," she said. "You'll never find your way back. Not that the sweet little doctor will have much left of her when I finish. Extracting something as powerful as the mate bond will probably destroy you," her grin was manic and her eyes were alight with powerful evil.

"You'll knock that stupid Latro off his high horse," one of the men from the back snorted. "Once you get rid of him and take Tabor as your Alpha male, we'll all be set."

They continued to talk about their plans for the pack once they got control of it. I got nauseated listening to them. They were planning to kill off the Alpha and most of the Betas, they would control the rest with magic. The entire plan sounded sick and wrong.

As we drove I saw less buildings and more trees. They had kept me on the floor, so all I could see were the tops of things passing outside the van windows. I could tell we were leaving the populated area and driving back toward the forest. At least that was the right direction to be traveling.

I tried to act as scared as I could, while still keeping my head cool. Keeping an eye on the scenery whizzing by I hoped what I was seeing was helpful for Joel. I had already moved the small metal key out of the back of my belt and into my right hand. I could be stripped at any time and I wanted to have my get of jail free card ready to use. If they left me anywhere I could get out I would.

"When do we do the ceremony?" asked a familiar voice from the front of the van.

"Midnight, I have set up the circle already outside the cabin," Ryana answered.

"Are you using Kook's cabin?" another voice behind me asked.

"You'll know where we're going when we get there all right!" she spat out.

We traveled in silence most of the rest of the way. It took forever. I tried to concentrate on what I was seeing outside, the rock faces were getting steeper and redder. My ears kept popping, so I assumed we were climbing. At one point I saw the trees all turned brown and the trunks were a shiny black, likely from a fire. Soon after we pulled off the main road. I bounced uncomfortably around on the metal floor of the van and prayed we would be some place I recognized.

Once the van stopped I was roughly pulled to my feet and walked up to a dilapidated cabin with a faded green door nestled in a thick stand of trees. The wind whipped us hard and I knew we were definitely higher up than we had been in town. The surrounding area just looked like forest to me though.

I was thrust none to kindly into a small room at the back of the cabin. It was empty and dirty. The only other exit, a window, had bars over it.

"After this we get to keep you, bitch," my captor spat out while twisting a nipple painfully. I whimpered a little and dropped my gaze submissively. The wolf seemed pleased with himself and sauntered out. I heard the lock click on the door from the other side.

'My training in all things wolf was paying off,' I thought warily. Now hopefully my survival training would be just as good.

I waited until I heard the howling fading outside and figured the dogs had gone for a run. I was able to see out the window and saw the van still sitting outside. Ryana was taking boxes of things out of the van and moving them around the other side of the house. Soon she came back and closed the door to the van having unloaded its contents.

I worked the handcuffs on my wrist like a pro while watching Ryana, after I saw her move around the side of the house for the last time I started to work on the door lock. It was the simple kind used in houses, so I didn't have much trouble with it. The house was quiet, I looked under the door and the main room seemed empty of people and wolves.

Slipping quietly out of my small room I jolted to see Ryana outside of a window on the other side of the house. She was setting things up for what I assumed was her ritual. As I crept out the front door she came around the corner of the building and saw me.

There was no pause, I jumped her and started to punch. I remembered the gun and knew I had to dispatch her quickly. She tried to block me, but I was faster and stronger. I heard bone crunch as I hit her nose and she fell back to the ground unmoving.

A faint howl sounded in the distance and I jumped up grabbing the gun from Ryana's waistband. I was no match for werewolves, especially five of them. I'd take any help I could get.

I had to get out of here fast. Rifling through Ryana's pockets I realized the keys to the van weren't on her. Checking the van I was disappointed they weren't there either. Another mournful howl, this one closer, got me to my feet and moving away from the cabin.

I had decided running to the road seemed my best chance. I was hardly well equipped to travel in the forest in dress clothes. I moved quickly from the house and went toward the tire tracks. They led into the trees and to the bumpy gravel road we came up on. I figured the dogs would stray away from the paved roads for their run and I had the best chance of being picked up this way.

My legs and chest were burning as I made it to the main highway. The sun was starting to set and the area was getting colder. I moved quickly along the road looking for something to give me a sense of direction. The highway looked deserted. There wasn't a car or a sign in sight.

In the distance I heard a horn start to go off frantically. I assumed Ryana was calling back her dogs. It struck me that I probably should have tied her up, but I quickly lost that thought.

Unnerved, I continued to run along the road and was soon running along the edge of a hill that dropped off sharply into a deep ravine. Thinking quickly, I took off my outer shirt and tied it tightly around a large rock at the edge of the road. I sat on the road and slid in the direction of the drop off leaving an imprint and my scent. Pushing with all my might I launched the bolder and my shirt down toward the valley floor. I took off as I heard it start to crash down.