Saving Grace (10 page)

Grace had recovered from the bump on the head she received when she slipped in the shower. Roman was so worried about her he’d splintered the door and the dresser busting through.

It was difficult to be around Roman since she’d bitten him. All of his conflicting emotions and concerns flooded her mind constantly. She was glad it was the day she drove Tiffany off to college.

After turning the three Lycans into females and then the witch announcing she was a Princess, there was no way in hell Roman would let her go anywhere without some sort of protection. But she was driving in broad daylight, not creeping down a dark alley. She left him a note and snuck out to fulfill her promise to Tiffany.

“Grace,” Tiffany’s voice was filled with concern. “You really need to urge him to bond back with you. One way bonds are heartbreaking for Lycans. It’s not healthy.”

She only nodded. She wasn’t in a hurry to get bitten. Truth was she didn’t mean to bite him. She wasn’t even aware of what she was doing until after it was done. And now her wolf was satisfied and lazy, not communicating with her much on the subject. It made her feel more alone than ever.

*

“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Colin shot out of his chair.

Roman fisted his hands in his hair. “I mean she left me a note—a fucking note, that she was taking Tiffany to school alone.” He rubbed his forehead, plagued with anxiety. “I should have watched her closer. She was so mad at me last night. I should have seen this coming.”

“I’m driving. We’re going to the college ourselves to escort her back. She can’t go off on adventures, for Christ’s Sake!” Colin put his palm on Roman’s shoulder and pushed him to the door. “Let’s just pray we get there before anyone else.”

*

“Tiffany, college can be a difficult adjustment for humans, so I’m fairly certain it’s going to be just as hard for you, if not worse.” She recalled the countless nights, wondering why she couldn’t make more friends than just Barb; Barbara Robertson, her one and only close friend in college.

Realizing she hadn’t emailed Barb who had moved to California when she accepted a new position at her Law Firm left her with a guilty conscious. They were closer friends than that, and she was responsible for letting the relationship fall to the wayside when she found out who she was. But she did have a logical reason for letting it slid, what if Barb knew something was off? She’d been trained on interrogating witnesses. This was one of the reason’s she put off writing her. Fear Barb would know if she were lying. What if Barb found out she wasn’t human? Would she have to kill her? Would the pack? All these unanswered questions lead her to back away from a friend she adore for five years.

Tiffany’s soft voice dragged her thoughts back to the moment. “I know. It’s the first time I’ve been away from the pack. The anxiety is sort of killing me already.”

“I’m only a phone call away.” She reached over and patted her hand hoping to alleviate her building fears. “A few hours in the car and I can be here. I devised a schedule with Roman. You will come on the first weekend of every month. One of the pack members will come and pick you up. Okay?”

Tiffany nodded but the frown on her face said that she was anything but comfortable with the situation. She may have been excited about the prospect of college, but her trepidation was written all over her worried face.

“Once a month is okay, I guess.” Her quiet voice contained a hint of relief.

She continually looked in the rearview. Roman and Colin were probably over exaggerating the risk, right? She didn’t see anyone following her, but memories of the strange man at the mall keep coming to mine. Most likely it was only a coincidence he kept popping up in the same places she and Tiffany were at. It was a mall after all. Not a lot of choices.

But Jagger had freaked her out. Her stomach turned sour at the very thought of him. Her wolf had detected the danger and so did she.

Maybe, one second thought, she shouldn’t have snuck out like a defiant teen.

“I’m going to miss having you around.” Trying to ignore the nagging feeling in her gut, she forced a smile at Tiffany, who was nervous for a very different reason.

After getting Tiffany set up in her dorm, the two decided to have lunch before she’d make the long trek home.

It was then she had that unfamiliar tingle between her shoulder blades. Another Lycan was near. Did Roman track her down?

She sniffed the air. She didn’t detect his familiar woodsy aroma. She smelled something different, metallic.

“What’s wrong?” Tiffany asked as she lowered her sandwich from her mouth.

Grace shrugged. “Feeling guilty about Roman, that’s all.”

Laughing, Tiffany dropped half an uneaten sandwich. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ve heard about some really brutal bondings. The wolves in us get wound up. It happens.”

Scanning the diner, Grace looked for any signs of someone watching them, most of the patrons seemed involved in their own lunch. Was she becoming paranoid? Again?

“Come on. Time for you to get back.” Tiffany jumped up and headed to the exit as she quickly dropped a twenty on the table. Grace was nearly at the car by the time Tiffany hit the door. She rushed to catch up. Once at the car, they hugged each other and said their goodbyes. “Remember, a phone call and I’ll be here.”

Tiffany nodded. “I’ll miss you, Grace. Thank you so much for making this happen.” A tear ran down her cheek as she gave her another clinging hug.

*

Colin and Roman stood at the entrance to Tiffany’s dorm.

“Are you like, her gay dad’s or something?”

Roman looked at the girl with one side of her head shaved and the other a bright shade of pink. Her green eyes were heavy lidded.

“No, but we are family. Do you know where she is?” Colin smiled at the girl.

She huffed and waved her hand. “It’s like lunchtime, dude. They were probably starving.” She put her headphones on, clearly done with the conversation.

Rubbing his face, plagued with frustration, Roman groaned. “I think I saw a diner across the entrance from the school grounds. Grace would probably go there.”

*

Grace pulled away from yet another
one last hug
before she finally climbed in the car and hit the Interstate. The sun was starting to set, casting a beautiful orange glow across the sky. It made her heart sink. She’d been gone all day. Roman had probably found the note and tried to call. She glanced down at her phone, which she’d left off, knowing he’d probably blow the thing up.
It can wait until I get back.
She was in no hurry for an altercation.

She was lost in thought as she set the cruise control to the speed limit. She’d have to talk to Roman about the bite, and how she lost control. She didn’t want to have the conversation, even though she was the one who insisted they’d have a discussion prior to any bonding taking place. She’d have to swallow her pride. Prior to the party, she had started realizing her feelings for him—then she became angry—too angry for the situation.

Her actions hadn’t made any sense to her and she could only assume Roman was twice as confused. She wondered if her wolf wasn’t tired of her dragging her feet with Roman. Growing frustrated with Roman for his actions at the part was one thing, but she had blown it way out of proportion. She was ashamed at how she had acted and sneaking out only served to exacerbate her stress.

Grace jumped as a loud
ping
came from the front quarter panel. Her body tensed as she leaned forward and listened for another noise.

Ding. Pow. Flap, flap, flap.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Then front tire blew. Her heart slammed in her chest and she smashed on the brakes and tried to keep the car from spiraling out of control. The surge of adrenaline had every extremity shaking. “Oh God!” she cried out as she tried to tighten her shaking hands on the steering wheel and pull hard as she could to the right to get off on to the shoulder. She spotted the off ramp and pulled as hard as she could and managed to get off the interstate.

The
flap, flap, flap
of the shredded tire continued as the car limped down an off ramp. Once she got the car safely on the shoulder of the off ramp, she threw the car into park. Her hands shook and she turned off they key, her legs still bouncing out of control.

She climbed out, cautious of any other cars that might be leaving the interstate. She walked around the car to see a flat, nearly shredded front tire on the passenger side.

“Dammit!” She slapped the hood. She’d have to call Roman. That meant a thorough ass-chewing before she could even form her thoughts.

A van pulled up behind her and two men got out. The sleazy looking guy strolled up tapping a tire-iron into the palm of his other hand. His rough-guy looks did little to settle her frayed nerves right now, but the other one seemed normal when a friendly smile sliced across his face.

Oh man, rescued!

“Having a little trouble?” The guy with the tire iron asked as he approached. Her instinct told her not to let them any closer, but she was in such a predicament she didn’t know what choice she had.

“Blew a tire,” she said looking at the flat again. But something was off. She scanned a gaze up higher, as Mister Smiles moved in behind her, she assumed to get his own look at her situation. There was a hole in the quarter panel. A perfectly round one…a bullet. The sudden warmth of someone being too close behind her made her look up in time to see the black bag as it lowered over her head. She swung her arms, trying to connect with someone—anyone. She couldn’t see, but it didn’t matter, her attempt to shift was instantly stopped as a metal collar clamped around her neck. Feeling an immediate drain on her energy she was unable to fight off her abductors as one of them heaved up and threw her over his shoulder.

She balled up her fists together and swung down hard on the man’s back.

“Ow! Fuck!” he groaned.

“Hey there.” The sound of concern edged the new voice she heard. Someone other than the two kidnappers she’d seen was coming to her aid.

“What’s going on?”

“Help!” she continued hitting and trying to kick as she screamed. “I’m being kidnapped!”

Another voice laughed. “Don’t worry, sir. She’s a patient who has escaped. Her parents paid us to retrieve her and take her back to the hospital, so she can receive treatment.”

“They lie! My parents are dead! Call 911! Call 911,” she screamed until a hard thump knocked the wind right out of her. She was thrown into what she thought was probably the van and the door slammed shut.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Grace screamed as she kicked the wall of whatever vehicle she was in.

The door at the front of the vehicle opened and slammed closed. The clank of the tire iron hitting the floor of the van told her where she was, and it wasn’t in the hands of her rescuer.

“You’re ours now, Princess.” A male voice, the one who had been holding her, said from the front of the vehicle.

“I’m going to kill every last one of you mother fuckers!”

She heard laughter. She counted three male voices laughing.
Real fucking funny. You won’t think it’s funny when I rip your throats out.

“We can’t shift.”

Why not?
She asked her wolf. She could feel the sting of tears welling up in her eyes.

“Grace! I can’t come out. I feel tired. I don’t know what they did to us, but I can’t shift us.”

Once I regain my energy I will!
She reached up to try to take the bag off, but couldn’t. It was secured with something plastic, like a zip tie. She tried to tear holes in the fabric, but could not manage.

She tried not to panic. She knew exactly who had taken her. She knew what they’d planned for her. Worse, she had no way of letting anyone know. She hadn’t completed the bond with Roman, who wouldn’t even grow worried for a few hours.

She’d left everything in the car. Her cell was in her purse.
Katarina! Katarina!
She screamed inside her mind.
Katarina, help!

All she could do was hope and pray she was reaching the vampire. The sun was still out. Barely, but even then, would Katarina know where to find her once the sunlight wasn’t an issue?

Grace had no idea how long she’d been in the van when it finally came to a halt. Two men dragged her out. She heard something snip then the black veil was lifted. She blinked a few times. The grounds were lit by a large bonfire. Standing in front of her was Jagger and the three Lycans she turned from male to female.

Grace’s stomach turned.

“Welcome Princess.”

His voice was eerie with a hidden threat, sending a chill throughout her body.
Oh Roman, where are you?
She wanted to handle herself,
thought
she could handle herself. But she needed help. She needed her mate in the worst way right now. Roman would have protected her if she would have let him.
Why was I so stupid? Why didn’t I listen to you?