James got an all-hands call alarm on his phone and rolled out of his temporary bed in the corner. He stood up as a man from his wolf form. He’d slept as wolf so neither of them would be tempted. Jess was snuggled under the covers. His wolf pushed to mate, but she was special. Their mating would be special. Tonight would be a night she would never forget. He and his boys had it planned down to the minute. The flowers, the candles, and the dinner were going to be spectacular like Jess. He dressed in his uniform in the dark and tried to be quiet, but when he looked over at her, she was watching him. He smiled at her.

“Can I make you breakfast?” Jess asked. “Or at least coffee?”

“No, I’ll grab it on the way. Something big is going on, and I’m not sure what yet. I got an all-hands call. Go back to sleep, baby.”

Jess was already rolling over and pulling her covers up. He came around the bed and kissed her chastely on the forehead. “I love you, sweetness.”

“Mmmhmm. No guns, right?” Jess murmured, and he smiled.

He didn’t answer because she was already asleep again. One more day and she was his. This goddess would be his in less than twelve hours. Sleeping near her and not touching her was the hardest thing he’d ever done, and the most painful. If he didn’t get inside of her soon his nuts would shrivel up and fall off. Best to be on the safe side, though. If he started he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. He smirked and crept out of the room, then let himself out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. He pushed the keyless remote on the SUV and climbed in, then headed for downtown. They’d been sleeping at her place, but most of her things were at the house waiting. She had a few clothes left in the apartment, just the essentials, and her toiletries. Everything would be moved later when he took her to dinner.

***

Jess tried to open her eyes, but they were so heavy. She felt as if she was floating, but her limbs wouldn’t move and her belly felt weird, a little sick. She drifted in and out and began to wonder how long it was since James left. She hoped he returned soon because something was very wrong with her.

Hours passed, maybe days for all she knew, but she could finally open her eyes—just slits—but where was she? This wasn’t her room, this wasn’t the new house, and she wasn’t in the hospital. This room was small and old. The paint was peeling in the corner over the door. It was mint green with beige behind it. The door looked like it was real wood and not one of the hollow ones that her apartment had. Jess tried to lift her hands and found they were tied down. Her feet as well. She started to panic, tried to get up and couldn’t. The door opened then, and Alex came in.

“Alex? What’s going on? I can’t move.”

“I know. I have you secured. It’s okay, don’t be afraid.” He ran a hand through his dark hair. “I left my piece out there so it wouldn’t scare you.” He reached for a table out of her eyeline and brought her a glass of orange juice with a straw. “Are you thirsty?”

Jess nodded.

Alex scooped an arm under her shoulders and helped her upright so she wouldn’t choke. He brought the straw to her lips and let her drink. She finished half of it. “I’m still deciding what to do with you. You don’t have to worry, though. I’ll take care of you.”

Jess looked around the room and down at herself. Her clothes were different.

“Did you dress me?” she whispered.

He nodded.

“Oh my God, you changed my clothes?”

Alex nodded again. “I had to. I gave you too much and you vomited on the clothes you were wearing. I tried not to look, I promise. My intentions are honorable.”

“Where is James? I want James.” Jess struggled to free herself.

“He isn’t here, and he doesn’t know where you are. He’s probably looking for you. Don’t hurt yourself. You can’t get free.” He shifted around and put the juice glass down, then settled her back into the pillows.

Her eyes were getting heavy. “What did you give me?” Her eyes slid closed.

“It won’t hurt you, and I still need to figure this out.”

Jess didn’t hear anything after that because the world went black.

***

James was frantic. Jess was missing, and it looked like she’d been taken. None of her clothing was gone, and the bed was left unmade. That was very un-Jess. She was neat and tidy always. It didn’t look as though she had breakfast either. His officers had done the forensic analyses of the apartment and found nothing. It was all off the books, of course, since she couldn’t be reported officially as missing for forty-eight hours. He was beginning to understand the panic he saw in people’s eyes when they came into the station to report a missing person. They, like him, knew something was very wrong, they couldn’t prove it, but they knew. How did you use your gut as evidence?

“Cap? I found something on the stairwell outside. Has Alex visited you here?”

“No.” James’s wolf fought to get out. “Why?” he snarled.

“I’ve got his prints on the railing outside. I just ran them through the computer and it came right back as his. Has he visited her, maybe when you weren’t around?” Freddy finished the last part on a whisper. He could see the internal struggle James was having. His eyes were amber and his breaths heavy, forced. James was trying to calm down. Alex had presented the biggest problem all along where Jess was concerned. He’d made it no secret that he wanted her. Jess showed him no interest, though, so why take her? James closed his eyes and blew out a breath.

“Where would he go?”

Freddy shrugged.

“If he hurts her…if he marks her…”

Freddy dropped a huge heavy hand on James’s shoulder. “I know, Cap, and we’re all with you. You have our full support and we’ve already voted that if you want him out of the pack, he’s out. If he lives, that is.” Freddy gave him half of a weary grin then turned to go. “I’m gonna follow up on something, then I’m back on it ASAP.”

James nodded. “Give Charlie my best.”

Freddy nodded and left him alone. James went to the bedroom and picked up her pillow then inhaled deeply. A silent sob shook him. To have her run from him was the hardest thing he’d ever faced up until now. He sat on the edge of the bed and drew deep breaths. If Alex took her, he would have had to touch the bed. They did cop work in here earlier. They’d looked for hairs, DNA evidence and fibers, but none of them had wolfed out.

James shifted into his wolf and put his nose to the ground. He sniffed the bed and caught Alex’s scent. He’d been here. He’d been in her bedroom, had touched her bed, and had touched her. Son of a bitch. Alex was a dead man. James would rip his throat out, then he would chew off his small parts. There was no use in following the obvious trail. He’d lifted her from the bed and carried her out, probably after he’d drugged her. God help them all. James hoped it wasn’t something addictive and that she was safe. He had to find her. He shifted back to his human form and pulled at his collar. His cell chirped, and he answered it.

“All known safe houses are clean, Cap.” It was Leland. “We’re still looking. Keep the faith.”

James muttered his thanks and locked the apartment door.

***

Jess tried to move and still couldn’t. Her muscles were so stiff that if she had an opportunity to get away, she wouldn’t be able to run. If he didn’t let her up she was going to wet herself. How long had she been here now? It seemed like the sun was high in the sky the last time she was awake, and now it seemed to be rising. Jess pulled at her restraints.

“Good, you’re up.”

“I need to pee.”

Alex nodded.

“Really bad.”

“Okay. Okay.” He unlocked the cuffs around her ankles then her wrists. “No funny business. You know I’m wolf, you won’t get far, and I will hurt you if I have to, clear?”

Jess nodded and rolled out of bed, nearly falling to her knees.

“Let me help you.” Alex lifted her easily and guided her to the bathroom. No window. Damn, she thought. Jess realized she was not wearing underwear, and gasped. She relieved herself for what seemed like hours.

“Can I brush my teeth?” she called through the door.

“Do whatever you like in there. You may shower, brush your teeth, and take care of your needs. I will wait out here. There is a new toothbrush and toiletries in the cabinet, and the towels are clean. It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”

Jess turned the shower on and locked the bathroom door. She knew the flimsy door wouldn’t keep a wolf out, but it made her feel better. Jess showered slowly, trying to get the circulation back into her muscles. She wondered how many days she’d lain there, drugged. James must be losing his mind. She needed to talk Alex out of whatever his plan was, whatever he meant to do her. She had to get him to take her home. She scrubbed her hair and rinsed, then washed herself. There were no weapons in here, no razor, not even a pair of tweezers. Jess finished up and got out, then dried herself.

“Alex?” she called. She heard him cross the room and come to try the locked door. “Are there fresh clothes, maybe some underwear, if you don’t mind?” Jess would remain civil, nice, even. If she was pleasant maybe, he would be nice, too.

“Wait there.” She heard his steps hurry from the room. Jess brushed her wet hair away from her face and brushed her teeth. She found deodorant and used it.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and she opened it a crack. He shoved clothes at her. A T-shirt, sweatpants, a bra, and panties—these were not her clothes. He hadn’t stopped to pack her a suitcase. He’d bought these. James would realize this, that none of her clothes were missing, and would know she hadn’t left on her own. She took the clothes and closed the door. She heard him cross to the bed and the mattress creaked. Jess dressed quickly and opened the door.

He stood.

“Can I not lie down for a while? I’m sore and I need to stretch my muscles. Please?” She gave him a wide-eyed look.

He nodded.

“I’m hungry, too. Do you have food?”

“Of course. Through the door to the right. Remember, I’m right behind you, and all of the doors are padlocked.”

Jess went out of the door and followed his directions. “I won’t try to escape, I promise,” she said over her shoulder. Finding the kitchen was easy since it was less than ten feet down a hall. This house was tiny and ancient. She guessed it was built at least fifty years ago and no one paid any mind to it since then. The fridge was stocked, and Jess looked her options over. The easiest thing would be a sandwich. She pulled the mustard and the ham out and put it on the counter. “Bread?”

He pointed.

“Do you want one?”

He smiled softly and nodded.

“Plates? Oh.” She saw the paper plates stacked in the corner and grabbed two. Jess laid out the bread and squirted the mustard on both pieces on each plate, then piled the ham on and topped it with the other piece of bread. “I guess it’s too much to ask to cut it in half, huh?”

He smirked.

Jess opened a top cabinet looking for a cup.

“On the counter beside the fridge.”

Jess turned and went to get a cup for herself then filled it with milk.

“Same for me.”

“I guess that answers my question of whether or not this will knock me out like the O.J.” She pushed his cup across the counter and sipped hers. It was the best glass of milk she’d ever had. Perfectly creamy and ice cold. She downed half of it. “How long to you plan to keep me here, Alex? I mean, what are your intentions?”

“I want to claim you as mine.” His eyes flashed, but she didn’t flinch or acknowledge it.

“I don’t want you, Alex,” she murmured gently. “I know that all of you guys are crazy about my scent or whatever, but let’s face it, there’s only one of you I want. James is the only man I’ll ever want.”

“You could learn to love another. He shouldn’t have done things the way he did.”

Jess chewed thoughtfully. “What do you mean?” She took another bite and watched him.

“Well, he claimed you as his and made us all back off. He has that right as an Alpha. Not where humans are concerned, however. That only applies where she-wolves are concerned. I checked the old laws and he can’t do that. We should’ve all had a shot and you should have had to choose.” He sipped his milk.

“Alex,” she said softly, and reached across the counter for his hand. She squeezed it gently. “I am a she-wolf, half anyway. My father was a wolf. I’ve never shifted, and my dad told my mom that I wouldn’t, but her newest husband says it can happen. He’s a bear-shifter and he told her that sometimes Halflings don’t shift until they mate. Once James claims me, then I may or may not shift. So you see, James had that right.”

“No, he didn’t. You are technically human until you shift, so not right.”

“You said the choice should be mine?”

He nodded.

“I choose James. I will always choose James. Even if you bite me right now, my heart belongs to James. I love him, Alex.”

Alex nodded and chewed.

“I’d like for you to take me home before things get out of hand. You know James will be angry, but he may not kill you if you return me safely, unharmed and unmarked. I’m not angry with you, Alex. I understand why you did this, but you must understand it will always be James.”

Alex put the rest of his uneaten sandwich down and exhaled loudly. “I know you’re right. I’m so sorry, Jessica. I don’t know why I do things sometimes. I go off half-cocked, and at the time it makes perfect sense, until it doesn’t.”

Jess took another bite, hoping that he was convinced and taking her home. Either way, she was hungry, and this was the best ham sandwich on the planet right now. “When we finish breakfast, I’ll take you back. Hopefully Cap will have some sympathy for a stupid wolf.”

Jess smiled and took another big bite.

All of the glass in the kitchen suddenly exploded at once, and huge wolves jumped in through the holes that were windows a minute ago. Jessica screamed and covered her face. Alex was at her side in a flash, shielding her from it. Neither of them knew what was going on because it happened so fast. Alex was tackled, and a giant brown wolf snarled down at him. “Come on, Freddy, get off.” Alex shoved at him, but Freddy didn’t move.

“Sweetheart.” James had her wrapped in his arms, but she struggled. “Jess, it’s me. Are you okay?”

“Don’t hurt him!” Jess cried.

“Don’t hurt him?!” James cupped her face gently with both hands. “Jessica, why are you defending him?” He was looking at both sides of her neck, she assumed, to check for a mark.

“James, he was kind to me. He didn’t hurt me. Don’t hurt him.”

James was dumbfounded.

“I know he kidnapped me and everything, but he didn’t hurt me.”

“Freddy, off,” James commanded the huge snarling wolf. The rest of them paced. “All of you, back off. Get out.”

The rest of the pack shifted into men as Jess watched. It fascinated her that they could do this amazing thing. It wasn’t anything like in the movies. It was more magical. They almost wavered or shimmered, she wasn’t sure of the word for it. Freddy and David jerked Alex to his feet. “You know he will be punished, right?”

Jess nodded. “And we discussed that. He understands that what he did was wrong, but I would like to vouch for him to stay in the pack. I don’t want him to be hurt physically or kicked out on my account. All of you wanted to chase me, and he knows that he went about it all wrong, but he didn’t hurt me and he didn’t mark me.” James growled low in his throat. “Oh stop that. I know you’re upset, but if you had made me yours sooner, this wouldn’t have happened. Also, he said that he researched old laws and that you were supposed to let me choose, James. If you’ll recall, I wasn’t very happy about you blocking my dates.”

James smirked and exhaled.

“He said that since I’m human you can’t pull that Alpha stuff on me.”

“What happened to my perfectly submissive mate?” James pulled her tight and kissed the top of her head.

“She found her backbone and she’s hanging on to it, so watch out, buddy.” Snickers sounded around the room. Jess went up on her toes and kissed him. James motioned to the pack to clear out. He pushed her into the counter and trapped her with his hands. “There’s a bed in the other room,” Jess said between kisses. “There’s…never mind.”

“There’s what?” James trailed kisses down her cheek and throat.

“Nothing, never mind. Let’s go home.”

James looked into her eyes for a moment and stalked off down the hall. He needed to see, had to know what had happened here.

Jess waited nervously knowing he would be livid and hoped he didn’t blow a gasket. She heard him before she saw him. “James?” She saw his wolf then, the big one with the wicked yellow eyes. He was angry. Jess went to her knees as he approached, trying to stay out of the broken glass. She didn’t know why she should get down to his level, just that it would be better if she did. She held out her arms to him, and he came close to sniff her. “I’m okay, I swear. He didn’t hurt me. Please.” Her chin wobbled, and James shifted back into himself. “I promise that I’m okay. Don’t hurt him, and try not to be angry. I’m all yours, okay?”

James pulled her tightly to him and lifted her into his arms as he stood.

“I love you.” He looked down at her, and she smiled. “It will kill me if anything happens to you.”

She nodded.

“I’m going to take you home and give you a long bubble bath. I don’t want a trace of this place on you.” He looked around sourly before stepping through the shattered patio door, his feet crunching as he went.

***

James paced the length of her apartment while she relaxed in the tub. He’d heated the water to the perfect temperature for her and added bubbles that were scented with jasmine. She’d insisted that she had just showered, but James could still scent that place and Alex on her. He’d insisted just as much that she soak. He couldn’t take her tonight. This night was tarnished by the kidnapping. He still wanted to give her the perfect mating.

She’d insisted a thousand times that she was fine, but he wasn’t. There was still Alex’s punishment to consider. Freddy had put him in cuffs and booked him before James or Jess knew about it. Freddy said that it was to protect him and the pack. His thought was that the punishment must be considered at length by the Alpha.

Jess didn’t want him kicked out or hurt, but there must be punishment, to set not only an example for the pack but for Alex. He couldn’t get off scot-free or he would continue to disobey. He may decide later to take her anyway, and James couldn’t have that.

What if at some point he grabbed another’s mate, or pup, for that matter? James wanted to be considerate of Jess’s feelings, wishes, desires, but James was the Alpha of this pack, and it fell to him to make the decision. Right or wrong, it was on his shoulders. James answered the knock at the door and paid the deliveryman from Joe’s down the street. He would sit Jess in his lap and feed her fettuccine alfredo with chicken and mushrooms by hand, and then there was a piece of tiramisu for dessert.

Jess was gone for four days and all she remembered eating was half of that damned ham sandwich he saw on the floor after they’d broken in. She said he’d given her some drugged orange juice, too. That son of a bitch. James snarled. Jess’s wishes may be ignored. James fought the shift, breathing hard and pacing heavily across the apartment.

“James?” Jess stood in the bedroom door in a long T-shirt. “Are you okay?” She came to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. “Please calm down, you’re shimmering.”

James closed his eyes and breathed her scent in deeply.

“I’m starved, what did you order? It smells like heaven.” Jess sniffed loudly.

He took her hand, grabbed the bag, and went to sit on the pink couch. She plopped down beside him and watched him unload the bag. The round tin with the plastic lid didn’t interest her nearly as much as the Styrofoam box. James saw her eyeing it, saw her trying to decide if she could get to it before him, and he smirked, then winked.

“After dinner, sweetness.”

She stuck her bottom lip out, then laughed when he smiled.

“Come here.” James pulled her into his lap and fed her by hand. She didn’t object. She had to know that he needed to take care of her. It was calming him, and calm was definitely better for both of them. Once she’d had her fill of the alfredo and would not accept another bite, he opened the dessert box. James groaned at the sounds she made for the mousse and swore that he would coax her body make more of those noises tomorrow night.

“Are we going to the new house after dinner?” Jess’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink.

He shook his head grimly.

“Okay,” she murmured.

He wasn’t in the right place emotionally to mark her, and she had to understand, but he was sure that she was disappointed. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was a new day, and tomorrow night he would claim her.