mywolfprotector (8 page)

“What's going to happen to us?” The realistic side of her knew that Marrok would never hurt

her, but the pain and fear repressed deep within her soul was too much to ignore. It overshadowed everything, never straying far from her conscious thoughts.

“Nothing bad,” he assured her, taking her thin hand in his. His palms were extremely warm, and her skin soaked it up. She blushed in response. “I know that you're scared, but please believe this one thing. I will never hurt you, nor will any of the wolves here. You're going to eat, rest, and recuperate.

When you're ready, we will discuss the rest.”

The jeep pulled into the driveway of a small home. It was as well-maintained as the other ones she'd seen, distanced quite a bit from the houses on each side of it. Marrok jumped out, landing on the pavement smoothly before lifting her out. With a nod at the other guardians, he led her up the brick walkway to the front door.

The door was opened by Alexander. Another man hovered behind him, staring at her as if he

were evaluating her. It was an expression Taylor knew well, and one she never wanted to see again.

Uncomfortable, she stopped and looked up at Marrok.

“This is our lead doctor here at Wolf Town,” he explained, gesturing for her to go in first. “His name is Doctor Sanders. Sometimes he's a major pain in the ass, but he means well.” The doctor bristled at his words.

Alexander smiled gently at Taylor. The wolves were able to smell the fear and uncertainty

within her, she was sure of it. Her heart raced when she heard the door shut behind them.

She spun around, her face blanched with fear as she stared at Marrok's chest. “Please leave the door open for awhile,” she told him, her voice trembling despite her attempts to control it. “I don't want to be closed up.”

“Of course,” he replied, reaching behind him to twist the knob easily. The door swung open, the sun hot against her face. The two men exchanged a look before Alexander looked down at her.

“We haven't got to meet officially yet, but my name is Alexander. I'm mated to Carole Anne.

She will be here shortly. Right now, she's seeing your friend settled.” He purposely pitched his voice to be light and friendly, wanting to be as nonthreatening as possible. Taylor appreciated the effort, although it was hard to do when you were built like the wolf version of a wrestler. He held out his hand to her, waiting for her to take it.

Taylor hesitantly shook his hand before withdrawing it as quickly as possible. She fought back the shiver of revulsion. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the tall man in front of her, but she couldn't stand the touch of any male. At least, any male but Marrok.

Even exhausted, traumatized, and scared, she was surprised to realize she wasn't repulsed by

him. In fact, the exact opposite was true. His touch was comforting, his nearness peaceful and calming.

She took a small step in his direction, pressing her body closer to his.

Marrok noticed her movement, his expression pleased that his mate was receptive to him. “She

needs food and drink. Can someone bring some over?” Her stomach rumbled loudly in response to his words, making the other wolves grin.

“You're going to have a feast delivered in about fifteen minutes,” Alexander assured him with a wry grin. “Homemade. Maggie is cooking up a storm in the manor house, and I've enlisted some

guardians to make deliveries.”

Doctor Sanders cleared his throat, holding up his black medical bag. “I need to do some blood

work on Taylor before she eats. It's the only way to know for sure what they've been using on her. I can also test her blood to see if she will have any long-term effects from her captivity.”

Taylor blanched, but she slowly nodded. For thirty years she'd been used as a human guinea pig, and her appearance was proof that her body had changed. Her body was fifty-six years old, but she looked like a woman in her mid-twenties. What other changes had the scientists caused?

“I'll agree, but under one condition. I want to know immediately when you find out something.

Don't sugarcoat it, and don't delay relaying it to me. This is my body, and I won't be poked and prodded by someone else's will again.”

Doctor Sanders nodded at her reassuringly, his eyes kind. “I'll see to it personally. You've been through a traumatic event. We want to do all we can to help.”

She slowly pulled the sleeves of her too-large shirt to her elbows. Marrok swallowed hard at the sight, a sound heard clearly by all. Taylor cringed in shame at the condition of her arms. She'd been manhandled, the truth revealed by the multitude of circular, fingertip bruises. Although she wasn't to blame, the proof of her treatment at the facility embarrassed her.

The air charged up with an invisible electricity as he growled low. His powerful frame trembled, the iris of his eyes flashing red. “Easy now,” Alexander warned, at the same time Taylor looked up at him. Her blue eyes were wide but unconcerned as she took in his face. It was the trust he glimpsed within the ocean-blue depths that stilled the wolf inside of him, quieting the demand to be set free.

Her stomach growled again as a wave of dizziness passed over her. She hadn't eaten since the

evening before, and like always, the portions had been minimal. She looked back at Doctor Sanders.

“Let's get this over with” she stated, her voice flat.

The midnight hours found Marrok pacing in the living room of the small house, adrenaline

coursing through his veins. Taylor was sound asleep in the master bedroom. Her rest wasn't peaceful, though. He'd already had to return back to her twice to soothe her through the nightmares living within her ravaged mind.

He felt helpless in the face of her pain, and he blamed himself. Guilt festered deep inside of soul, strong enough to nearly send him to his knees. All those years he'd spent in misery in his cabin, and she'd been so close him. How could he have not known?

He hadn't slept since the night they'd discovered her alive, but it didn't matter. His body was wound up too tightly to even consider resting. The option of running it off in wolf form wasn't even a consideration. Taylor needed him close by, and whatever she needed he would provide. No questions asked.

The knock on the door stopped him in his tracks. “Enter,” Marrok barked out, wondering what

new problems were in store for him. The doorknob twisted, the door opening to reveal Alexander and Carole Anne standing on the step. The two looked exhausted as they walked into the room.

“Good evening, Marrok. How is she?” Carole Anne asked sincerely, her green eyes calm and

concerned.

“As good as could be expected, I suppose.” In other words, not good, and the other two knew it.

“Thanks for asking.”

Alexander ran a hand tiredly through his hair. The strands were multicolored, much like his

wolf form. His Russian roots were thick in his voice when he said, “Against all the odds, Doc Sanders believes the original two escapees will make it. The one from last night seems to be well enough to talk again. I thought you might want to be there for it.”

Marrok looked back at the bed through the doorway, torn. He was a guardian. He needed to be

there, but yet he needed to be with his mate more.

Carole Anne stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “I'll sit with her while you're gone,” she told him, glancing into the room. “I'll call right away if there is any change, or if she wakes up. You can trust your mate with me, Marrok.”

He nodded, knowing the queen was sincere. He'd gotten to know her well the month before

when Alexander had nearly lost her. She had a heart of gold. Brave, strong, and loyal, she was the perfect mate to the lycan king.

With a last, lingering look at the bedroom he sighed and said, “I'll go with you.”

Alexander pulled his mate into his arms. He kissed her slowly and thoroughly, the love between them sincere and honest. The road had been rocky for the king and queen, but the rewards outweighed any hardships they'd experienced.

Marrok sighed sadly, moving to stand outside to give them privacy. His soul craved that type of love and devotion with the woman lying in the bed. He hoped the day would soon come when he could experience the same.

Alexander stepped outside, a satisfied smile on his lips as he shut the door. The other wolf was energized, the contact with his mate refueling him when nothing else could. “Sorry about that,” he said wryly as they walked to headquarters. “Carole Anne just can't get enough of me.”

Marrok scoffed, their long legs eating up the distance. It definitely hadn't looked one-sided to him. He remained quiet, though, his thoughts on his own mate.

Alexander looked at him and laughed softly before slapping him on the back. “We're all going

around acting dire, but the truth is we should be celebrating. We've rescued your mate, not to mention countless others. The lab has been destroyed. So far, none of the rescued wolves have died. There is hope here this night, my brother. We have to grab a hold of it with both hands and hold onto it tight. No matter what the future holds, for this night, we have had victory.”

“That's true,” Marrok agreed thoughtfully. “Do you think that was the only facility?”

Alexander shook his head, his aristocratic features darkening briefly. “I wish I could say

otherwise, but I'm afraid the humans probably have more like it. We are going to have to set up a special team, dedicated to investigating these matters. It's essential that we locate any others and get them shut down immediately. We can't allow something like this to continue, unchecked.”

“I agree. How many of those from last night are here?”

“About twenty right now, but we plan on receiving more. Wolf Town is the safest place for

them, especially the most injured.”

They reached headquarters. Marrok grabbed for the door, but Alexander stilled him with a hand

on his arm. “I just want you to know, Marrok, that we don't expect you to be on duty for any of this.

Your mate needs you right now, and you don't need to try to work her around your job. Take as much time as you need. I've got you cleared for the next month, but take longer if you want to. God knows, you've earned it.”

Marrok nodded. In the fifteen years he'd been here, he'd never taken any personal leave. “Thank you, My Liege.”

Alexander shook his head. “And enough with the king and liege stuff. As you well know, my

name is Alexander. I want you to use it. I consider you my friend and brother. We need no formalities between us.”

Connor pushed the door open and held it for the other two men to enter. He smiled at Marrok.

“Glad to see you made it back in one piece,” he said in an amused tone. “Where's your mate? I was hoping to meet her.”

Marrok growled, his lips pulling back in a snarl. “Hell no,” he growled out. “If I have it my

way, you'll never meet my mate.” Connor grinned in response.

Alexander shook his head, his expression a mixture of amusement and irritation. “Connor, leave Marrok alone. I don't blame him for wanting to keep his mate away from you. You have a knack for opening your mouth and inserting your whole damn leg. I'm still pissed about what you said when you met Carole Anne.”

Connor shrugged sheepishly before turning to lead them down the hallway. “The two wolves

from New Mexico are in conference room one. Ivan is here as well.”

Ivan was the former king and Alexander's grandfather, although he looked young enough to be

his older brother. Although retired, he still played a major role in the overseeing of the settlement, especially when Alexander was in St Louis running his international company. Ivan was widely

respected throughout the pack, his intelligence and wisdom quickly solving any problems that might pop up along the way. Marrok hoped the older man had a solution to the mess they were currently in.

They followed Connor into the conference room and quickly took a seat at the long table. The

injured wolves looked better since the last time he'd seen them. The scars across their bodies were still thick and bold, but hopefully time would help to lessen them. Marrok doubted they would ever fully go away, though. Even their amazing regenerative abilities couldn't always compensate for excessive, repeated injuries like these.

Everyone in the room was exhausted or injured, and it showed. The majority of the pack had

been awake since the news hit, and it wasn't over yet. A fresh team had flown out to collect more of the injured wolves in New Mexico, and they would return in a few hours. They wouldn't stop until their services were no longer needed. Werewolves took care of their own.

He looked back at the two sitting in front of them. The guardians needed information, and they needed it know. The risk of retaliation was strong, and it could possibly destroy an unprepared wolf pack. It was a dangerous time, and no matter how exhausted they all were, they had to have answers.

Alexander cleared his throat, jumping right in. “We are glad to see that you are recuperating.

You've sustained injuries that would have killed the average human, and even some wolves, so we won't keep you longer than we have to. When we are done, Connor will take you to a comfortable guest home. You're welcome to remain here as long as you need. Our door is open to you, in anyway you need. Just ask.”

They nodded in response.

Alexander leaned back in his seat and drummed his fingers on the glossy surface of the table.

“What are your names?”

The dark-haired man that had passed them Taylor's message spoke up first. “I'm Neal Edwards.

We are both from the North Dakota pack.”

Alexander looked at the other man. His face was still extremely bruised and swollen, his skin

ranging in color from yellow to purple. “Cody,” he rasped softly, but painfully. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Ivan cleared his throat, shuffling through a folder in front of him. “Before the two of you ended up here, we had no idea there were facilities like this in place. Do you know who is behind it? We know a Commander Carlos Sanchez was running it, but do you know who the brains of the operation is?”