CHAPTER FOUR

Visions of blood dripping from her mouth clouded her thoughts. She was chained, beaten and naked in a concrete cell that reeked of urine and feces. Yanking her wrists forward, blinding pain racked her body; the unyielding cuffs bit into her skin. Screaming at the top of her lungs; no one came. Cold and alone, she sat in the dark and waited for death, praying her torment would come to an end soon.

The only memory she’d had was a recurring nightmare. Samantha woke in a cold sweat, terrorized, like she had every night since she’d been rescued. Realizing that she was outside at the cabin, she jumped up out of the chair. Goddammit. I fell asleep outside.

“Great. I’ll probably have a thousand bites all over me,” she said aloud to herself. Samantha started rubbing her arms and legs, checking her skin for bumps. “Hmm….candle must’ve worked.”

As she turned to blow out the citronella candle, she heard a branch break. She froze and looked out into the darkness. Eyes. She breathed slowly, willing herself to relax. She was only a few feet from the house; she could make it inside. But instead of moving inside the house, she stepped forward out of curiosity. Maybe there was an animal in the woods. A deer?  Eyes flashed again, and she stifled the urge to scream. Reaching behind her, her fingers blindly fumbled for the door handle. She felt something…a switch.

“I will not be afraid,” she whispered to herself. No, she’d had enough of being scared. And she was sick and tired of feeling as though she was a field mouse waiting for the hawk to strike. She was a grown woman and could handle whatever was in the woods. She was in the mountains after all. There is nothing to fear.

She blew out a breath and flipped the switch. Light flooded the edges of the forest, and she spotted what she thought was a dog. A dog? What the hell? Samantha loved dogs, but there was something strange about the very large mongrel standing between the trees. The dog’s eyes glowed a deep amber, and its fur was midnight-black. It almost looks like a…wolf?

No, that couldn’t be. There hadn’t been a report of a wolf in Pennsylvania for over twenty years. Bears, yes. Coyote, yes. Wolf, no. So logically, it must be a dog, she told herself. Maybe it was a breed that looked like a wolf - an Alaskan Malamute or a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog? She steeled her nerves; a dog she could handle.

Samantha slowly moved forward, walking down the stairs. If the dog was lost, he might have a collar and tag. She held out her hand, palm up and spoke to him in a high voice as if she was speaking to a baby. “Hey doggy? Whatcha doin’ out here in my woods all by yourself? Are you lost, baby?” The dog calmly sat staring at her as if he understood what she was saying.

She approached carefully, sensing the animal was uninjured and not aggressive. “Come here, boy. It’s okay. Are you hungry?” She blew little kisses towards him as if he was a ten pound Shih Tzu. “Come on, now. Don’t be afraid.”

She stilled as the large dog stalked towards her. Why the hell couldn’t she have just gone inside the freakin’ cabin? Okay, I can do this. Samantha lowered herself toward the ground so she appeared smaller to the animal. Once again, she offered her hand to it.

The dog loped over to Samantha and lay in front of her. She reached forward, letting him sniff her hand, and then proceeded to rub his head and ears. “That’s a good boy. Oh yes, who’s a good dog? You’re a good dog.” She praised him as she caressed his soft fur.

“Now how did you get in the woods, doggy? I’ve got some food in the house. Are you hungry?” Samantha asked. The dog tilted his head and yipped.

“Okay, then. Let’s go inside. Come on. Maybe there’s rope inside to make you a leash. I’ll help find your owner…” As she turned to try to lead him into the house, she glanced back. Where is the dog?

“Hey doggy, where’d ya go?” Samantha called. Out of the darkness, a gorgeous, very naked male walked out of the trees. “What the hell?” Samantha screamed and ran as fast as she could towards the cabin.

Large hands grabbed her arms, holding her frozen. Oh God, not again. This cannot be happening to me.

“Settle down, petite sorcière. It’s okay. You’re safe with me.” Tristan had expected that the little witch would not react warmly to his arrival. Her fear permeated his senses. He needed to calm her without revealing that Luca had sent him. He was hoping that he could have gone unspotted. Damn that branch. Once she saw him, he couldn’t resist walking up to her. Getting a good rub down was a benefit of pretending he was a dog, but there was no way he was letting her leash him. Shifting to human was his next best plan.

“I’m Tristan. Ilsbeth sent me,” he assured her.

Samantha exhaled a deep breath, relaxing into his hold. “Ilsbeth? Why?” She looked up to study his face and then her eyes roamed down to his groin and back up again. Her face flushed. “Oh my God. You. You’re naked. You’re a…a wolf,” she whispered, hardly believing the words she spoke.

“Yes on both counts. Now unless you plan on stripping down with me, it’s hardly fair that I stay naked for your pleasure. Let’s go inside, and we can talk.” He winked and opened the sliding glass door, gesturing for her to go in.

Stunned by his flirtatious nature, Samantha walked inside. She struggled to understand why Ilsbeth would send a wolf to her in Pennsylvania. “Tristan, please, I don’t understand. Why would Ilsbeth send you here? I’m perfectly safe. Is she okay?”

Tristan made himself at home, grabbing a throw blanket off the couch and wrapping it around his waist. Samantha could not help but stare; his tanned, six-pack abs looked like she could bounce a quarter off of them. He was well over six feet tall, and ruggedly handsome. He looked like a California surfer with his platinum blonde hair brushing his shoulders.

And while she found him attractive, she felt a dull ache in her chest. The knowledge of what she may or may not have done at Sangre Dulce ate at her. She doubted she’d be attracted to anyone in a sexual way for a very long time.

Tristan sat down on the large Italian-leather sofa. He felt sorry for the girl. She had no idea what kind of danger she was in or that she was going back to New Orleans tomorrow. And worst of all, she didn’t know Luca was on his way. He thought that he should at least attempt to soften her up for Luca. Perhaps he should plant a few seeds that would make the soon-to-be happenings a little more palatable.

“Petite sorcière, I am Alpha of this area, so I know everything that happens here. And everyone who comes into my territory does what I say. Do you follow me? I want to explain a few things to you…explain why Ilsbeth sent me. Now sit,” he ordered as he patted the loveseat adjacent to him.

As if she had a damn choice in the matter. She walked over and sat rigidly in the chair. She glared at him, her pensive lips sealed in a tight line.

“Now that’s better, mon cher. Please understand a few important things. First of all, know that you are safe with me. I won’t let anyone have at you. And the reason I am assuring you of your safety brings me to my second point. There is no other way to put this; you are still very much in danger. We have reason to believe that they were after you.” Tristan could see Samantha’s face blanch with fright. He reached over and put his hand on her knee.

“Look at me, Samantha,” he commanded.

She silently complied.

“Remember what I said first. I will protect you.”

“But…” she interrupted.

“Samantha, I was there that day when we rescued you from Asgear. I know what they did to you. Now, I don’t know you very well but if you are tough enough to survive what was done to you, you can survive this. You’re not alone.”

She wanted to believe him but the images of Asgear beating her bloody flashed through her mind. She could not survive again. She glanced over at the front door and fought the urge to run away. He said he’d protect her. She took a deep breath, willing herself to relax long enough to hear him out. She needed to know why they thought she was still in danger.

“I need to know. Who’s after me? I mean, Asgear is dead. What could anyone possibly want from me? They say I’m a witch but apparently I can’t do that either. If you’ve spoken to Ilsbeth then you know that I’ve felt nothing, done nothing…magically. If I really do have magic in me, I’m a sorry excuse for a witch. Honestly, I just want out of this nightmare. That’s why I came here. I need to get away from all that craziness.” She put her face in her hands, sighed and fought back a sob; she refused to cry one more tear over what Asgear had done to her.

Tristan took her hands in his, sending waves of calming power over her. “I don’t know who took Luca or why they wanted you. But Kade and Sydney are working on it right now. In the meantime, I’ll keep you safe. In the morning….well, we’ll cross that bridge tomorrow. Now, how about I get you something to drink. A brandy?”

Samantha silently regarded Tristan, feeling numbness wash over her body.

“Okay, you don’t need to say anything. Just sit. I’ll be back.” Tristan rose and strode across the room, quickly finding a bottle of whiskey in one of the cabinets. Close enough. At least they had something to drink. From across the room, he could hear her heart racing, probably from both fear and anger. Fuck, if he had told her she was going back to New Orleans tomorrow, she’d probably pass out. No, he’d leave that little doozy for Luca.

After Tristan handed Samantha a glass, she took a long, strong pull of the golden liquid. Immediately, she had a coughing fit, raising her hands to signal she was all right. Composing herself, she regarded the Alpha sitting in front of her. “Little rough, huh, Tristan? You know what, wolf? I have no intention of being a victim again. No fucking way. If one of Asgear’s flunkies is coming after me, they aren’t taking me alive again,” she resolved.

“Now that’s the spirit, ma petite sorcière,” Tristan replied.

“Petite sorcière?” Samantha questioned.

“Ah yes. Little witch. That is who you are now. Whether you feel your power or not, it's there. I can literally smell the magic emanating off your skin.”

“Yeah well, maybe all that is true, but I couldn’t create one little spark when I was at the coven. Couldn’t even light a candle. Some witch I am. I’ll tell you this for nothing, I am way better at computers than all this mumbo jumbo that supposedly lurks within me. You know, I was good at something, really good at it. Now, I’m afraid I can’t even go back to that,” she huffed.

“When this is all over, Samantha, you can start anew. There are lots of supernaturals in the area. I can help you find a computer job in the Philadelphia area with folks who understand…who know who you are and what you are.” He smiled, taking another swig of the whiskey.

Samantha’s head was spinning. He thought she should go work for supernaturals? Get real. So not happening, Alpha wolf. She rolled her eyes, and threw back her head, resting it on the sofa.

“Thanks for the offer. But that isn’t happening any time soon. I took a leave of absence from my job, so I could get my head together. Heal. And that is exactly what I plan to do. Then I’m going back to my boring, so not magical life. And I can’t wait.” She placed her empty glass on the end table. She continued talking, determined not to let fear overcome her. “Listen, since there’s nothing I can really do at this point if someone breaks in, I’m taking your word that you’ll protect me. So here’s the plan. I’m going to go over to the kitchen, find a big knife and take it to bed with me. I’m overwhelmed, angry and generally unhappy right now.” She gestured to the sofa. “The sofa is all yours, Alpha. Talk to you in the morning.”

With those words, she strode into the kitchen, selected the biggest sharpest chef knife she could find and walked down the hall towards her bedroom. Sure, she was afraid. But she was not about to get kidnapped again without a knockdown, drag-out fight. She undressed, throwing on a comfortable cami, and climbed into the freshly lined bed. Reaching over, she placed the knife carefully under her pillow, in easy reach if she needed it, and closed her eyes, praying the nightmares wouldn’t come.

A loud knock resounded throughout the cabin’s wooden interior. Tristan strode over to the door, throw still around his hips, and opened it. From outside, Luca glared at Tristan, noticing he was wearing next to nothing.

“What?” Tristan asked. He shrugged his shoulders, walked back over to the couch and stretched out, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

Luca followed after him, shutting the door. “What? Really, wolf? I asked you to watch her, not give her a male review.”

Tristan laughed. “Hey man, I can’t help it if the ladies like to see my goods. Besides, I’m a wolf. Can’t exactly carry clothes with me.”

Luca sat down and let out a huge sigh. “Okay, just tell me now. Where is she? And why aren’t you furry?”

“She was asleep outside on the porch. So I watched and waited. When she woke up, she heard something and flipped on the floodlights. Don’t worry, though. She’s handled the wolf fairly well. And I can’t lie, Luca, the woman gives a good rub,” he joked. He jerked his head towards the hallway. “Samantha’s sleeping.”

“Well, I do appreciate you coming up here to guard her. Tomorrow, we’ll return to New Orleans. The jet is ready to go.” Luca would be relieved once they were back home.

Tristan smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, about that. You know, you might want to wait a few days before taking her back. Maybe give her a day or two. Get to know her more, earn her trust.”

“What the hell, Tristan? Are you kidding me?”

“No, mon ami. I’m dead serious. Just listen. The girl’s been through a lot. I talked to her tonight, made her understand how she’s still in danger. But you’ve got to ease her into going back. She doesn’t even know you’re alive.”

“Not happening. We’re going back tomorrow. She’ll have to deal with it. Look, I’m not a therapist or a babysitter. Do I feel a slight sense of responsibility for the witch? Yes, but only because Kade initially put her into my charge.” Luca knew that there might be another reason for why he felt he needed to keep the girl safe, but he wasn’t going to share.

Tristan’s face tightened and his eyes narrowed. His friend did not seem to hear what he was saying. “Luca. Try to remember what happened to her and what that might’ve been like for her. I know it’s been a long time for you, but try to remember what it’s like to be human. The girl was drugged, bespelled, beaten, possibly raped, and to top off her shit sandwich, she can barely remember anything but lying naked in a prison cell. Oh, and let us not forget her being told she’s a witch, one who can’t seem to conjure up a clue, and whose entire life as she knows it is about to come to an end. Can’t you see? It's too damn much,” Tristan pleaded.

Luca rubbed his eyes, thinking through Tristan’s argument. He didn’t want to stay here. This was supposed to be a simple trip. Fly up to Philadelphia, get witch, return to New Orleans. Easy peasy. Not. But Luca could not deny the empathy he felt for the little witch who tugged at his heartstrings. Aside from dragging her kicking and screaming back to the jet, it would be easier if he could get her to agree to go home with him. If that failed, kicking and screaming was always an option.

“Okay. I’ll talk to her and stay here for one day…tops. She’ll be waking soon, and I should have all day to talk reason into the human.” He hated when Tristan was right, but knew he needed to go easy on her. “On our way back, I’ll stop at your club to feed. If I stay around her more than a day, I’m pretty sure I would be tempted to taste her. And that’s the very last thing I need or she needs. I very much doubt she’d willingly donate her blood.” He shook his head as he imagined asking her to let him bite her. She’d probably freak the hell out and try to escape yet again. No, he’d wait to feed at Tristan’s club to keep things nice and smooth. Complications were something he was trying very hard to avoid.

“Yeah, I don’t think it would go over too well if you asked her to be your donor. Awkward.” Tristan laughed. He stood and removed the blanket, unaffected by his nudity, and walked over to the back door.

Luca averted his eyes in an effort not to look at him. It was a good thing the naked wolf was leaving. The thought that Tristan had displayed his generously endowed body to Samantha flew in his head and caused his stomach to clench in anger. Did he just feel jealous? No, that couldn’t be possible. He quickly stifled his emotion, not wanting Tristan to sense his feelings.

“Remember Luca, go easy on the female. She’ll come round. See you in a day or so.” As Tristan shut the sliding glass door, he appeared to seamlessly change into his black wolf, and loped out of sight.