Breeding Cycle (11 page)

From beside her, Alison’s eyes fluttered then blinked several times before opening. "What happened?"

"Shh," Sarina said, "look. We have help." Alison looked outside of the car to see a full on fight taking place. Hard blows were traded between the guards. Their helpers were big, muscular men. One in particular who wore his dirty blonde hair pulled back looked purely lethal. He snapped a guards wrist with a hard turn of his hand, then leaned to the side and planted a kick so hard into the guard's gut, the man spit up blood.

The blonde man turned back to the car and shouted, "Go!"

Sarina didn't wait any longer. Her hands shook so hard it took her three tries to get the keys from Alison and start the car. She threw the car into reverse and barreled down the driveway.

It wasn't until they were a safe distance away, that either one of them spoke.

"Who were those men?" Her voice was a scratchy whisper barely heard above the purr of the engine.

"I don't know, but I'm glad you're ok. I was scared shitless. They hit you, and then you weren't moving. God, Ali, I was so scared."

Alison's eyes watered and tears fell down her face. "One second I was running and the next I was being knocked to the ground. I'm sorry. I don't know why I’m crying. Everything went black like that," she said, snapping her fingers. "Where did those guys come from?"

"The forest. I must say, they had good timing though if they had come five minutes earlier it would have been better. Something did seem familiar about them, but I can't think straight. I feel like my mind's going a million miles a second." She checked the review mirror and sighed in relief when no one was behind them.

"It's probably the adrenaline," Alison said. "Maybe we should stop somewhere. A hotel or something."

Sarina bit her lip. "I don't know. I have no idea how to do any of this. I just need to get Vane. He'll protect us, both of us, Ali. I promise."

Alison nodded, her gaze falling to the quickly passing scenery. "Oh, I almost forgot. I couldn't find out where he lives exactly. No one in my family knew and none of my friends did either. But they know of him, said he's a good Alpha who leads a strong pack."

Sarina smiled softly. "Thank you. Thank you for everything. If it weren’t for you, then I wouldn’t have gotten out of there. I'd be marrying that prick Prince Conlin on Saturday." She shivered in disgust at the thought. "Oh, and your fake coughing was pure awesomeness. Really, it hurt my throat just watching you hack away."

Alison laughed but it came out strained and hoarse. "Mine too, thanks."

Sarina snickered. "What do you say we go get my man?"

"Let's."

Chapter 20

"God, I can't believe we finally made it here." Sarina sighed and tried to roll the painful knot in her neck away. After making their way back to her father’s cabin, they hid Alison's car off the road in the tree line. Hopefully no one would notice it. Sarina knew that her father's men would be looking for her, and she knew they would look for her at Vane's, but the longer she held them off her trail, the better.

Sarina and Alison trekked through the forest. Sarina didn't honestly know which way he lived, but she found a large footprint facing north and decided to try that way. If she'd come sooner, then she might have still been able to track his scent. And he smelled so good, too, like new earth and sweaty man.

Some hours later, Alison groaned next to her. "Are we there yet? My legs feel like jello."

Sarina laughed at her friend, her first real, free laugh since the whole ordeal started. It felt good, like a light was turned on inside her. "I know mine do too. But, I think we're close. I can smell it."

Alison tipped her face to the side and sniffed at the air delicately as if she was afraid she might smell something bad. "Yeah, I suppose. I smell lykaens. I guess any lykaen not working for your father or Prince Asshole would be nice. Maybe they could spare some food, too. I'm starving."

Sarina's smile faltered at the reminder of the prince. "It wasn’t your fault, Ali. None of it.”

Alison nodded quickly and looked away. The prince had really done a number on her. Her face had been so swollen after the beating he gave her it looked like a baseball was sitting on her eye.

"It was never your fault. I never even saw it coming and it’s my job to watch for assholes like him. He was just that good, Alison. I just want you to know that I love you, Ali, and I'd listen to your most gruesome tales if it would alleviate the pain."

"I know." Alison gasped and pointed excitedly at something in the distance. "Lights! I see lights. Yes! It's civilization. Let's go!" She sprinted off towards the light and Sarina followed.

It didn't take long before they broke through the dewy tree line and stood beside a cabin. The cabin wasn't nearly as large as the one her father owned, but it was a sturdy two story that looked exactly like the kind of home Vane would have. Rustic, masculine, simple.

She stopped in her tracks, surprised at her line of thinking. I've never thought poorly against father, yet in the last week, I've wished more harmful things on him than I have anyone. A part of her felt a sharp pang of guilt at disobeying her father, but another, lighter side, surged with bright happiness.

"Let's see who lives here. If we're lucky, it's your man. Can you smell him?" Alison walked along the side of the house, jumping to try to peer into the windows. She cursed her short height.

Sarina closed her eyes and gently awakened her beast, when she opened her eyes, she could smell everything. She inhaled and brought in a variety of scents and odors, the fresh smell of grass and trees blended with the wood of the cabin. The beast inside her inhaled for her, scenting a female and several males, and there underneath those scents was earthy, delicious male.

"Vane!" Sarina sprinted around the house and up the stairs to the front door, her fist banging rapidly on the door. "Vane!” She didn’t care that she was screaming. "Vane it's me!" She heard movement in the house and her stomach tightened with anticipation, her breath fell in bursts.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a beautiful woman with chin-length hair and bangs. Sarina's heart plummeted to the floor like a brick. She stumbled back in disbelief. Hurt like she’d never felt before ripped through her heart.

The woman started forward, her hand raised, but Alison saved her. "Don't touch her!" The woman glared at her but didn't move any further.

The woman ground her teeth before speaking in a voice so husky, so sexy it hurt to hear. "I'm Vera Kategan. Vane's sister." Like soothing aloe on a burn, her words alleviated her bloody heart piece by piece.

"Oh.” God she felt dumb.

The woman lips curled into a half smile. "Come on in. Sarina is it?" At Sarina's nod, she stepped aside and waved them in.

At Sarina's questioning gaze, Vera faltered for a moment. "Oh, right, Vane. Well, he's in jail right now. Don't worry though; he shouldn't be in there too long. The charges were all, well
mostly,
bogus anyways. The pack lawyer is taking care of it. He's supposed to call me with news of any changes. You girls look like a hot mess. Where'd you come from anyways?" She looked around as if searching for a car.

Sarina grimaced and took a seat in front of a brick fireplace. The fire wasn't lit, but there were logs in the hearth and it smelled nice and woodsy. "I escaped from my father. He was going to marry me off to Prince Asshole—I mean Prince Conlin—on Saturday. He wouldn't allow me to see Vane. Why is he in jail? What happened?"

The woman arched a shapely eyebrow. "Your own father was going to what? Trade you, sell you?"

Sarina nodded. “Sell me. This whole thing is so crazy. I've never seen my father like this. It's as though whatever string that held me to him has snapped.” A sudden thought hit her. She had seen him like this once before. When she was twelve. The only other time she’d seen that murderous look in his eyes, towards her mother.

Vera looked contemplative then her eyes widened. "Prince Conlin, isn't he that woman-abusing piece of shit?" Sarina nodded. "I would love to take a piece out of his skin. To think that he's survived pack law. I don't know how he does it really, even with his power. With all the girls he's supposedly beaten, even if only one of them is true it should be enough to carry out pack justice."

Sarina looked sharply at Vera and cleared her throat delicately. Then turned to find her friend's face flushed red.

"Alison?"

"No, it’s fine. I dated Conlin two years ago. I thought he was so handsome. He is really, that can't be denied. We got alone really well. He made me feel so beautiful. A little bit into our relationship, he started getting weird. When I tried to break up with him, he attacked me." She laughed but the sound was bitter and hoarse.

"What's wrong with your voice?"

Sarina chuckled and retold the story of their escape including the two strange men who came in at the last second. "Wait, wait, wait. What did these men look like? Did one of them have short, black hair and the other long, blonde hair probably in a ponytail?"

"Actually, yes," Sarina’s eyes widened with surprise. Vera leaned back in her chair and crossed legs.

"Those are my brothers, Roman and Darien. I must say, I'm not surprised to hear they were out there. Vane probably ordered them to keep watch over you once he went to jail. Good thinking, too. No offense, but I'd like to spend five minutes alone with your father with nothing but a baseball bat. Don't look so surprised, I'm the vicious type, what can I say?"

The phone shrilled and Vera jumped up to get it. "Hello? Oh yeah, well, I might have some good news for you then." She winked at Sarina. "I have your girl here. Uh oh, he hung up. I guess he's on his way then." Her laugh sounded more naughty than good.

Sarina looked down at her dirty clothes. Even her shirt was torn in several places where some nasty bushes got her, and her hair was a crazy mess.

"Do you think I could use the shower?"

"Of course. Besides, this place is more yours than mine anyways." At Sarina's questioning look, Vera rolled her eyes, somehow managing to look elegant while doing it. "You're Vane's old lady now, and this is his place. I was just waiting for the call in case they needed something else. There's a shower in Vane's bedroom. Go up the stairs and it's the first door on the right. There's a spare, if you'd like to clean up too, Alison. It's straight back on the left."

Sarina was already scooting towards the stairs. "That would be wonderful, thank you." She and Alison made a dash for the bathrooms.

"By the way, if there's no conditioner or clean towels then it's not my fault!" Vera shouted.

Chapter 21

Sarina rinsed the last of the shampoo out of her hair. Vera was right. Vane didn't have any conditioner, though she couldn't say she was surprised. How the man managed to have such silky soft hair without it was a mystery she planned to find out. Her hands trembled slightly and she squeezed her hair under the hot spray of water.

 
 
 
 
 
 
God, she was so nervous, which was crazy. She wanted to see him so badly, but her body didn't care. Her stomach was tight and twisted with nerves and her heart refused to slow down. She felt like she did at her first job interview—excited and nervous.

A part of her wondered if he'd still be attracted to her without her breeding cycle. She whacked her head against the shower wall, hating herself and her doubt. It was stupid, she knew that, but it wouldn't go away. What if the pheromones made him say he wanted to bond with her? What if their beasts weren't meant for each other?

But I feel it too, remember? And she did feel it, as strongly as a magnet to a steel bar. The pull to him was inexorable, inescapable, and intoxicating.

His hands made her burn hotter than her darkest fantasy; his mouth made her wetter than any of her own foreplay ever did, and his eyes made her tremble with their sincerity and passion. There were no lies in his eyes, no half-truths, or dismissals like in her father’s. He was just Vane.

The bathroom door opened and shut, breaking her out of her thoughts. She wrapped her arm around her chest and reached for the curtain. Then she smelled him.
Vane.
She couldn't get to him fast enough. She half tore the curtain in her haste. He stood there in flesh and blood, all real, and just as handsome as she remembered. They simply stared at each other, drinking each other in like they were dying of thirst.

"Vane!" She leapt on to him. He caught her easily, wrapping her legs around him. They exploded at each other in hot, open-mouth kisses. Two lost lovers reunited. She pressed kisses over his face, and his hands touched her everywhere he could reach. Neither of them cared that she was drenching his clothes. Their lips caught and held each other on muffled groans. Their tongues slid wetly, thrusting and sucking as soft hands traced muscles and strong hands cupped curves.

He broke away from her mouth first and buried his head in her neck, breathing deeply then scattering hot kisses down her neck, across her lips. "Sarina, Sarina, Sarina. God, I missed you,
lumara
."