Chapter Nine
It had been a terrible night. Addison got up late and dragged herself into the shower and turned the water up to scalding, but no matter what she did she could still feel Ethan on her skin. As she soaped and lathered and scrubbed, her fears ran circles in her head, like a pup chasing his tail.
Could she do this?
She’d seen the dark side of the mating bond. Her stepfather was a dominant aggressive male who kept her mother in line so hard, it was tough to see where George’s personality ended and Stella’s began. Addison didn’t think there ever had been any love, but even if there were at some point, it was lost now.
Could her mating bond be different?
She’d seen the Wolfe family. Aric and his brothers with their mates. Sure they were dominant men—all alpha—but they also were nurturing loving mates. And that was something she desperately wanted—that sexy guy who could take charge but didn’t see a strong woman as a danger to his masculinity.
Could Ethan be that guy?
Turning off the water she stepped out onto the plush mat and wrapped herself in one of the hotel’s super-nice towels. She smiled. What she could get used to was luxury like this. At home, everything was bare bones. George made sure her mom squeezed the copper from every last penny. One of the things she was looking forward to in having her own apartment was a few luxuries. She didn’t need resort quality towels and a giant marble bathtub—although, that would be nice—but replacing worn out towels before they became thin enough to see through would be nice.
From what she’d seen Ethan didn’t have many luxuries. As far as she could tell he lived hand to mouth, busking on a street corner for his money. And he lived with those horrible men.
Addison shivered and turned the hair dryer up to high. The warm heat dried her hair and warmed up the bathroom. She aimed the nozzle at the mirror and chased away the steam, staring at her reflection in the cleared off space. She stared in the mirror at her face.
Could she go rogue? Would she have to in order to have Ethan? Was having a mate worth giving up everything? Her pack, her family, her very independence and maybe even lifestyle?
They hadn’t gone as far as the final mating bite, but already the thought of giving him up was painful. Could they go backwards from here, or was she tied to Ethan forever?
She shook her head at her reflection and stuck out her tongue. “Too many questions, girlie, and not enough answers. Enough already!” As she headed into the bedroom for her clothes, the phone rang.
“Hello?”
It was Trish on the line. “Hey, girl, I hear your stud-muffin is gone. How’s about we get together for some hot chocolate and croissants, and you can dish to your buddies?”
Gratitude rushed through her. She had such good friends. She didn’t need to agonize over all of this herself, they’d help her out.
“Absolutely. Meet you in the lobby in fifteen?”
“Cool. We’ll be there. Bring your coat, we’ll head to Snowflake so we don’t have to worry about too many shifters around.”
Trish hung up and Addison flew around the room getting herself together, her heart already lighter. She’d started off this weekend thinking she was going to figure out how to separate from her parents and get her own life. Now she had something much bigger to talk about—Ethan.
Make-up slap-dashed on, her long brown hair still not quite dried, dressed—with her coat and purse and winter boots—Addison made it to the lobby only five minutes late.
“There you are.” Trish waved. “Gabby, you lost the bet.”
“What bet?”
The other women exchanged glances. “Gabby thought it would take you at least another twenty minutes to get down here. Eve said ten. I had five minutes late, so I win.” The clear bell of Trish’s laughter ran through the lobby.
Addison smothered her laugh and gave them a pretend frown. “I’m not always late.”
“No, but you had a busy day yesterday, that’s for sure.”
“And a busy night,” Eve added with a sly smile.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
Trish sobered up. “I can tell from here. And if I can, so can the other shifters around. Let’s get moving.” She hustled the group out to the valet and handed over her keys to Barry.
“No problem Trish, I’ll be back in a flash.” He winked and ran off down the path to the parking lot and the girls were alone.
“Oh Trish, I’m such a mess.” Hot tears pushed up behind Addison’s eyes. She blinked them back. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Don’t stress. We’re here.” Trish gave her a big hug.
Gabby stepped up and joined them in their hug. “We may not get what’s going on, but we’ve got your back.”
“Don’t forget me.” Eve wrapped her arms around the other three women, squishing Addison between her friends.
Addison began to feel like maybe she could do this. Maybe her friends could help her straighten everything out. The mountain air was crisp and cool. The sky a bright blue. And she had the best friends anyone in the world could have. Gabby was right, they had her back.
“Okay, you’re squishing me.”
They were all laughing as they let go, separating from the hug.
Addison opened her mouth to thank them as a black SUV pulled up and Julian got out. She groaned. “Oh, no. Not him.”
She knew that no showering in the world would remove the scent of her mark. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed about it, but Julian, of all people. Really? Couldn’t it have been Trish’s brother? Or one of the Wolfe clan?
Julian strode around the corner of his car and frowned. “Where’s that fucking valet?” The light morning breeze shifted, and his nose twitched. His frown went nuclear and he spun around, growling. He spotted her and moved, closing the gap between them much quicker than Addison expected, his gloved fingers sinking into her arm. He shoved his face into hers, his eyes bulging, his pupils shrinking to tiny dots as he sniffed her skin. “Is that rogue I smell?”
“Back off Julian.” She pulled away, but his grip was too strong.
His face wrinkled up in disgust. “Your father said something was up.” He put some space between them but he didn’t let go. “Good thing we’d planned for something like this.” There was a ringing in his pocket. He took out a cell phone, slid his glove off, and answered it, putting the glove carefully back on. “Yes. They’re here. We’re a go.”
“What are you doing?” Addison stared at him. His scent had jumped with a sudden surge of adrenaline.
“I thought I was going to have to work hard to get you out here, but you’ve made it easy by being right where I need you.” He reached into his jacket with his other hand and took out a pistol with a long funny attachment on the barrel. Dragging her with him he blocked the view of the security cameras with his body and pointed it at her chest. “Open the door and get in.” He jerked his head at the SUV.
Addison swallowed. “Let me go, Julian.” Suddenly she felt too warm under her heavy sweater and as she stared at Julian and the gun, she started to sweat.
“Drop it, asshole.” Trish stepped in between Addison and the SUV, her upper lip curled into a snarl. “You won’t shoot her. You wouldn’t dare.”
“Fuck that.” Julian let go of Addison and shoved her hard.
She toppled into Trish, the two of them flailing for balance as they both hit the SUV door hard. By the time she’d untangled herself and found her feet, he’d grabbed Gabby. Holding her tight against the front of his body, he held the gun to her side and pulled the trigger.
There was a small pop. Gabby screamed, her body sagging low in Julian’s arms.
Addison froze in shock as Julian thrust Gabby’s heavy body at her, grabbing Eve instead. He pressed the gun into the blonde’s side and she whimpered.
“Now, do what I say, or I’ll kill this human too.” He grinned, the whites of his eyes flashing larger than the gleaming blue centers.
God, he’s getting off on this. Addison braced her legs and clutched Gabby’s dead weight to her. Gabby’s eyelids had closed and her normally light brown complexion had gone flat. The hot smell of blood hit her and bile rose in her throat.
Panic clawed inside her and she strained to keep control. “You’ve killed her.”
Her wolf wanted out. But she was wearing too many clothes, she’d be struggling with her coat and sweater. Even the strap of her purse would hamper her and by the time she’d shifted and managed to get free, Eve would be dead too.
“She’s not dead, stupid.” Julian’s eyes were cold. “ If you don’t get into the SUV I’ll shoot her again, and this time, it will be in the heart.” He nodded again at the SUV. “Now, get in.”
“You won’t get away with this.” Eve struggled in Julian’s arms. “They’ll know you took us.” Addison could smell her fear. A fierce wave of pride in her friend rose up inside her. Eve wasn’t the strongest of them, she didn’t have shifter strength, healing ability, or teeth and claws, but she was standing up to Julian just as if she did.
“Shut up, bitch.” Julian shoved the gun deep into Eve’s belly. She grunted, doubling over in pain. He jerked his chin at Addison. “Put that one on the floor and get in, or I shoot the other one. You have five seconds.”
Addison dragged Gabby over to the SUV. “Open the door, Trish.”
“Addison, we can’t.”
“Four, three…” There was a sadistic gleam in Julian’s eye.
“He’s going to shoot Eve, do you want her to die?” She glared at Trish. “And Gabby’s in trouble, we need to stop the bleeding.”
“Someone will come. We’re at a hotel, for chrissake.” Trish’s breath was coming fast. She moved her head from side to side, desperately scanning the parking lot, the portico, and the cold glass of the front doors. “Just give them a minute. They’ll be here.”
“We don’t have a minute!” Addison didn’t know what kind of distraction Julian had going on in the lodge, but if it was enough to pull everyone from the front of the hotel for this long, it likely meant it would last a bit longer. “Gabby doesn’t have the time.”
“Two…”
“No one’s coming, now help me and open that door.”
“Damn it!” Trish yanked the handle of the SUV and pulled it open.
Together they maneuvered Gabby inside, laying her on top of a pile of towels. It looked like Julian had planned for this, just like he’d said. Addison picked up a towel and pressed it to the wound in Gabby’s side.
“God, there’s so much blood. Are you sure she’s not dead?” Trish’s face was white under her freckles.
Addison checked Gabby’s pulse. “It’s weak. We have to stop the bleeding.” The door slammed behind them and she flinched. She darted a look outside the SUV. Still no one.
Julian opened the passenger side door and shoved Eve in. “Get in and slide over. You’re driving.”
Trish darted a look at the lodge. “Where is everyone?” she whispered to Addison.
“No one’s coming. Do you think I’m stupid? There’s more going on in the lodge than this little event. It’s amazing the cooperation a little money can buy. No, they’ll be busy for at least an hour sorting out that mess.”
The acrid smell of Eve’s fear made its way to Addison in the back as she crouched on the floor next to Gabby. “Who would help you with this?” she asked.
But he didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned over from the passenger side seat and jabbed the gun viciously into Eve’s side. “Now, if you don’t want to end up bleeding on the floor like your friend, then start the car and drive.”
As the SUV left the main portico she saw Trish’s friend, Barry the valet, coming back from the parking lot with Trish’s vehicle. Addison’s heart sank. If he’d only gotten here a few minutes earlier. Now, no one knew they’d been taken. No one at all.
“I’m worried about Gabby.” She exchanged glances with Trish. They were stuck. Had it been just the two of them, they might have fought him off. Even if they’d been shot, the chances were they would heal, but a human? She looked at Gabby’s pale face. Humans were weak and they didn’t have shifter healing. “She’s losing too much blood.”
“Here.” Julian reached under his seat and tossed a white backpack at her. “Patch her up.”
“She needs a hospital.”
“I don’t care if she needs to shit. We have a schedule to keep. Now shut your yap and fix her, or let her die. I don’t care.”
“Why are you doing this? You have to know this will screw you with the pack.”
“There are changes coming, big changes. I’m not the only wolf in the pack who thinks women have gotten too far above themselves. Do you know how many have had their chosen mates decide they don’t want them?” He growled. “Damn females.”
“But we don’t choose. It’s all pheromones and instinct. We can’t control the way we smell.”
“That’s what they want us to think, those fucking women. If that were true, don’t you think there would be less love matches? No, you women decide if you’re going to let your bodies make the decision. And those of us who get skipped time and time again, we’re fed up with it.” He snarled and jabbed the gun into Eve’s side. “Turn here.”
Addison didn’t like the feral gleam in his eye at Eve’s whimper.
They made the rest of the drive in silence, except for the occasional instruction from Julian to Eve. Addison could tell Trish was hyper alert to every turn they made, but Julian didn’t seem to care. And that worried her.
Finally they turned down a narrow dirt road. After a bumpy ten minute drive they pulled up at a rusted metal warehouse. Snow piled up on the driveway and Eve struggled to pull the SUV into the lot. They made their way nearly to the door and she turned off the car.
“Now get out,” Julian said. “And take her with you.”
Addison snagged the rest of the towels and the first aid kit. God only knew what was ahead of them. She and Trish picked up Gabby, one at her feet and one taking her shoulders. She moaned and her eyelids fluttered, but that was the only sign she was alive.
As she struggled with her friend’s body Addison thought of Ethan. Where was he? Was he okay? His face had been in such pain from her rejection but at the time, all she could think about was how scared she was of being in a mating bond. Now, she was scared of dying and never seeing him again. Or being able to tell him she was sorry.
Tears choked her. She swallowed them back as she entered the cold dark warehouse. No time for that now. First, they had to survive.