Moonsong (22 page)

“Amelie…” The word came out with a menacing growl that made Millie jump as her grandmother’s hands shifted to claws, scoring the great wooden desk under her grip. “Go… upstairs… now. Don’t make me take steps… I don’t wish to hurt you.” But the look in her eyes made Millie doubt that, because at that moment Adele looked like she wanted to hurt her very much.

Hand on the knob, Amelia nodded, but as soon as she was through the door she turned and ran for the front door. Screw her belongings; she had to get out! She managed to get the door open only a few inches before it crashed shut again by the heavy thud of a fur covered body launching itself in front of her.

The grey wolf stared her down, lips drawn back to reveal wickedly sharp teeth, advancing slowly with a menacing growl. The intent was clear, and Millie had no choice but to back up a step and then another, herded towards the stairs like an animal. Frantic with the need to escape, Millie’s head whipped from side to side as she tried to gauge whether or not she could make it into the kitchen and out the back door or into the parlor or even the bathroom; anything that would keep her out of the path of those canines, but even as the thoughts ran through her mind, she knew it was useless to even try.

Stumbling when her heel came up against the bottom step, Millie took a faltering step up, praying the wolf wouldn’t follow her all the way up. If she could get to a window, maybe she could climb down somehow? But her grandmother seemed completely fixated on getting Millie to her room, following step by step until they reached the second floor and backing her into the bedroom.

Almost grateful for that sanctuary now, Amelia shut the door in the wolf’s face, eager to be away from those jaws even if it meant her imprisonment. What she needed was time to think. The sound of a key turning in the lock came to her and instinctively she tried the doorknob, but it was locked up tight. “Great, just great…” How had things gotten so screwed up so fast?

Immediately going to the window, she thrust it open, head sticking out to look for some other way out, but the nearest tree was much too far from the side of the house for even the most athletic person to risk jumping. The trim beneath her window was too narrow to support her scaling the side of the house either if she got desperate enough to try it.

She was trapped.

With a longing look to the woods, she willed Cutter to come. Sooner or later he’d figure out something was wrong, wouldn’t he? Not quite sure how much time had passed; she huddled by the window until the sun slipped over the mountains, blanketing the property in utter darkness with no moon in the night sky.

Eyes trained on the tree line, hoping for some sign of him, Amelia stared until she started to doze off. The rattle of the key startled her out of the daze and she remembered Adele’s words about sending Chase to ‘end this charade’. Just thinking about what he intended to do was enough to make her back away from the door, searching frantically for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Instead of the broad muscular form appearing at the door, Scarlett’s bright curls could be seen in the darkness. “Millie?”

“Thank God, Scarlett, you gotta let me out of here,” Millie rushed forward to the door, intending to sweep past her. Instead Scarlett slipped inside and shut the door firmly behind her, snapping on the light, her face very, very pale.

“I can’t let you go, Millie. I’m so sorry, but Gran…” she swallowed uncomfortably. “I can’t let you out, I don’t know what she might do,” she added miserably.

“How long does she think she can keep me cooped up in here? As soon as Cutter figures out something’s wrong he’ll come for me.” Amelia felt it in her bones.

“It’ll be too late by then,” Scarlett replied barely above a whisper, drawing Millie deeper into the room and away from the door. “She’s planning something. I don’t know what exactly, but she sent Chase out to fetch some of the others. By the time Cutter comes, he won’t be able to get near you.”

“So, they’ll guard me here indefinitely? That can’t be her solution to this; eventually someone will notice I’m missing. Even if Cutter can’t get to me on his own then, he’ll bring the Sheriff, won’t he?”

“Who do you think got the Sheriff elected to his position?” Scarlett gave her a pointed look. “They won’t do anything, they’re too afraid of Adele and the power she wields in this valley.”

“Then you’ve got to go for help,” Millie said decisively. “If you can’t let me out and we can’t call Cutter to get him here sooner, you’ve got to slip out and warn him. Let him know what’s going on,” she pleaded with her cousin.

“I don’t know, if Adele finds out…”

“Please Scarlett, you can’t let them do this to me. You know it’s wrong, I can tell you do. Please… I know you wanted things to work out between Chase and me, but… you can’t help who you love.”

Scarlett darted a nervous look to the door. “Take this key, lock the door from the inside. Don’t try and leave. I’m warning you; she’ll know it instantly and you’ll condemn us both. Promise me you’ll sit tight until I get back?” she implored her.

Millie accepted the old fashioned key, the metal cool against her skin as her fingers wrapped around it. “I promise,” she nodded solemnly, moving to the door to lock it after Scarlett but to her surprise, the blonde went to the window, starting to strip off her clothes. “What are you doing?”

“This is the only way I can leave unnoticed. Adele will think I’m in here consoling you, trying to sway you into accepting Chase before the mating ceremony tonight.”

“There’s a ceremony planned for tonight?” Millie squeaked.

Scarlett nodded, shimmying out of her clothes to stand nude before her cousin, unaffected by her state of undress. “It’s what makes the most sense based on who she’s called to gather tonight. I think she plans to force you to choose Chase tonight before Cutter can interfere.”

“That’s insane, I’ll never do it.”

“She’s running out of options. Look, keep the door locked up tight, if anyone comes to check on you… pretend you’re crying or something, but don’t do anything to make them try and open the door,” she advised, swinging pale legs out onto the windowsill.

“But… we’re on the second floor,” Millie tried to protest, moving towards the window.

“No problem,” Scarlett flashed a neat row of teeth in a confident smile. “I’ll be back as soon as I can with the cavalry,” she promised, launching herself out the window head first as though she was diving into a pool of water.

With a gasp Millie lunged for the window in time to see Scarlett’s form shimmer and blur mid jump as she shifted into a light tan colored wolf, landing gracefully with barely a stumble before she was off like a shot across the property for the trees, the darkened sky affording her some cover. “Hurry…” Millie whispered, staring after the wolf until it disappeared from view.

Chapter Twenty-One

Cutter’s patience was wearing thin.

It was far past time when Amelia should have arrived, even if she’d stopped to pack up everything but the kitchen sink. After the sun dipped below the horizon, he considered going to fetch her but indecision kept him doing little more than pacing back and forth like a caged animal in his small living room.

What if she’d changed her mind?

It was a big decision, and they hadn’t really talked much about the future, living from day to day. If Chase hadn’t forced his hand would they have taken such a big step?

Cutter knew he wanted her beside him. Day in and day out, not for a few stolen moments or a public greeting in a coffee shop; peace and quiet be damned. For the first time in years he started to think about a future beyond the cabin and his sculptures. It was both exciting and terrifying to contemplate going back to the house in town; such terrible memories plagued his time there.

But it was foolish to waste a perfectly good house over bad memories that only had as much power over him as he gave them, and he couldn’t ask Amelia to live in the cabin with him. It was barely livable for one man who was used to roughing it. Sure, it would be a romantic getaway for a weekend every now and again, but as a permanent residence she would surely miss the comforts of a normal house.

What if the conversation with Adele hadn’t gone as expected? What if she’d been able to sway Amelia’s heart against him? What if Amelia decided she couldn’t love a broken down man like him after all?

Pausing to light the oil lamps, Cutter froze as he heard someone approaching, but the footfalls sounded completely wrong. They sounded…

He threw open the door, staring in shock at the naked blonde girl standing on his doorstep, shivering in the cold winter night now that she was without her fur. Without saying a word, he stepped away from the door. Picking up an ancient quilt from the back of the little sofa, he offered the covering, respectfully keeping his eyes downcast, in acute discomfort.

Scarlett wrapped it around her body and stepped inside out of the wind, still trying to catch her breath after the brisk run in the night air. “I came as soon… as I could, Millie… needs you. Grandmother…”

“Something happened to Amelia?” All manner of unpleasant thoughts sifted through his mind, each one worse than the last. “What did she do to her? No never mind that, where is she, at the house?”

Scarlett nodded, “Under lock and key. She’s safe for the moment, but I think Grandmother plans on forcing her to accept Chase as her mate. She sent for Briar and some of the other pack members.”

Fuck. That wasn’t good at all.
While he was confident he could take on Chase and even his former Alpha, the more shifters they added to her side the weaker his position became.

His first instinct was to shift to all fours and run the shortest, most direct path to the LaRoche house. But once arriving there, he’d be at a disadvantage and he wasn’t sure he could get Amelia to come with him in wolf form without being able to talk to her. In the end he grabbed up his keys and headed for the dark SUV parked outside. It might take a few minutes longer, but then he’d have a way to get her back home again too. “You want a ride?” he asked more as an afterthought, already heading out the door.

“No, I’ll cut through the woods and meet you there.”

A short nod was his only response before he was called back by the girl. “Cutter?” Impatient to be off, he turned back, every muscle in his body poised to move again as soon as she released him. “Take good care of her, okay? Don’t make me regret going against my family.”

“I will,” he said simply. “Thanks for coming to get me.” Knowing what it must be costing her, it spoke volumes about her loyalty to her cousin.

“I didn’t do this for you, I did it for her.” Scarlett gave him a faint smile and then the quilt pooled at her feet as she shifted, loping off through the woods.

The dark SUV swung into the LaRoche driveway, where every light blazed like a beacon in the night. There was no chance he’d be able to approach the house unnoticed, so Cutter didn’t even bother to try. Instead he strode right up to the front door and banged on it loudly; ignoring the doorbell for the more immediate satisfaction of pounding.

Expecting Chase to launch at his throat at any second, it was Adele herself who answered the door, haughty and disapproving as the last time he’d spoken to her. “I’ve come for my mate,” he stated simply, deliberately refusing to give her the obeisance she was due.

“She isn’t your mate yet, no matter what promises were exchanged between you. You know as well as I do, it’s not formal until the union has been blessed,” Adele gave him a smug smile.

“Formal or not, she’s the mate of my heart, and I’ve come to collect her. Will you let me pass?” A smile curved her lips as she stood back and opened the door wider, allowing him entrance into her home. Distrusting her sudden capitulation, Cutter slipped past her cautiously, approaching the stairs. “Amelia?” his voice thundered.

Millie came flying down the stairs, eyes red rimmed from crying. “Cutter!” she called out at seeing him waiting for her. His attention shifted to her for only a second as he held out his arm to draw her close before it returned to his opponent, wary of what would come next.

Adele watched them for a moment, untouched by the display of emotion. “As you say, she is the mate of your heart,” she said finally. Cutter’s nod was given, his eyes unable to leave Amelia’s face in that instant, wondering if she understood what he was declaring. “Did you not also say that about your wife?” Adele’s voice became sharper, causing Millie’s attention to shift.

“Ex-wife,” Cutter returned flatly. “I was young, she turned out to be not who I thought she was.”

“And yet, you are still mated to her…”

“Abandonment is grounds for divorce in any court of law, you can’t argue that Adele. She and I were through years ago, you know that.” What was she up to exactly? He glanced down to read Amelia’s face for signs of distress but found only puzzlement there.

Cutter willed himself not to give in to the frustration that mounted when she took that tone with him; she had every reason to be angry. “I honestly didn’t think it was that big of a deal, she hasn’t been a part of my life for a long, long time,” he softened his voice. “Amelia, for the longest time I’ve been dead inside. When she says that we mate for life, that part is true. But I’m not that man anymore; the young man who married that woman doesn’t exist any longer.”