Sold To The Werewolf: A Wolf Shifter Biker Romantic Suspense (3 page)

J
ane sat
in the hospital room with Charlie, his little fingers tapping at the screen of her phone as he played a game. She couldn’t get the image of his little body, covered in countless bruises, out of her mind. Charlie couldn’t tell her where the bruises came from but they horrified her, especially the ones on his back. Then there were all of the little red dots on his arms and chest. What had caused all of that? At last a doctor came in and sat down to talk to Charlie.

“So, little fella, can you tell me anything about these bruises and what’s going on with you?” The red headed woman asked. She was very pleasant and Jane and Charlie liked her immediately. “I’m Dr. Evans, I’ll be looking after you for a while. You can talk to me.”

Charlie grinned at her. “You’re very pretty.”

“Oh, a charmer already.” She winked at Jane then went back to Charlie. “About these bruises?”

“I don’t know they just showed up the other day. I keep getting more. And my elbow hurts. I don’t feel real good either, I’m tired.” He said, going back to his game.

“Alright. We’re going to take some of your blood out of the IV Charlie and we might have to keep you here for a few days. I promise lots of ice cream and your own remote to the TV. How does that sound?”

“Awesome! Can Jane have ice cream too? She works so hard, she deserves buckets-full!” Charlie asked, excited and not caring about grammar.

“Sure she can. I’m going to send in a nurse to get the blood and talk to your sister outside for a minute. Just hit your buzzer if you need anything.”

Jane followed the doctor out, her smile immediately disappearing as she saw the doctor’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Jane cried.

“I think Charlie is very ill Jane. He’s almost certainly got leukemia, we just need to find out for sure and determine what kind. He needs you to be strong. I’ve read your story in the paper and I know you’ve been strong already but your brother is going to need a lot of strength, Jane. A lot.” The doctor held her hand out as Jane’s knees wobbled.

“And those bruises? What’s so important about those?” Jane latched onto the question to bring her back from the urge to faint.

“Those are typical of the disease. That’s what has me almost convinced, those bruises. Let us get started on these tests and we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be back as soon as I know something concrete. Maybe before then.” Dr. Evans squeezed Jane’s elbow before walking away.

Charlie was brave, even saying how cool it was to watch his blood fill the tubes. Jane watched him, the now familiar numb state keeping her from falling apart. Charlie knew something was up and tried to be brave for Jane. He made a game out of everything and kept teasing Jane to make her smile. But the little boy knew something was wrong, he could see it in her eyes, the tears she was trying so hard not to shed. He finally lay down to nap, his own worry sapping what little strength he had left.

Jane watched him sleep then went out to call work and Dodie. She also went to the ladies room to cry in peace, letting the sobs tear through her once more. Alone in a bathroom, crying once more, Jane sobbed out her pain and fear to the unresponsive walls.

Jane finally pulled herself together and went to check on Charlie. Dodie was there waiting for her and she took Jane into her arms. Dodie wasn’t a huge woman but she was fluffy and Jane felt as though she was being embraced by a pillow. Of an even height, the two women were built similarly, but Dodie was prettier, Jane thought. Dodie let Jane have a moment then pulled her out of the room.

“Let’s get you fed, then we can talk, Cher. Come on.” Dodie could see the absolute terror on Jane’s face and knew it was bad. Whatever was wrong with Charlie was very bad.

Hospital food was never pleasant but Jane couldn’t taste it, she only ate to keep Dodie off of her case. Once she’d finished the foam cup of tea and polished off some gumbo with a toasted cheese sandwich Dodie finally let her speak.

“They think it's leukemia.” Jane put it bluntly, leaving no room for quibbling about perhaps it was something else.

Dodie swore then covered her mouth, looking around in embarrassment at the people that had looked over at her. She took Jane’s hand and squeezed it. That earned more disapproving looks from the elderly women at a table across from them so Dodie dropped Jane’s hand and sighed loudly. She wasn’t good at this acting “normal” gig, that’s why she usually stayed to herself. People were far too judgmental for her taste.

“What do we do then?” She finally asked, sitting on her hands and clamping her lips shut.

“We wait for the doctor to come back, for now. She’s fairly certain of the diagnosis. Then we plan the attack I guess. Isn’t that what they do with cancer, attack it?” Jane’s hands fluttered over the table, as if to show how lost she was.

They went back up to Charlie’s room and settled in for a long wait. Jane dozed for a little while and Dodie stepped out to go get both of them some food once the sun went down. Charlie had woken up and asked for a milkshake from a fast food restaurant and Aunt Dodie was going to give him whatever he asked for. She knew what Jane would want so she left her to rest.

They were all eating when the doctor finally came in with the test results. She looked far too grim for Jane’s liking.

She sat on Charlie’s bed, by his feet and looked at them all. Then she looked at Charlie.

“Charlie, do you know what cancer is?” She asked quietly.

“Yes. Sort of. I’ve heard the grownups talking about it and seen it on TV and stuff. I don’t know what it does but I know it can make you real sick.” He looked at the doctor with fear in his eyes. Jane’s heart broke when his voice started to shake and she went to sit beside him on the bed.

Dodie went to the other side of Charlie’s bed and sat with him, her admiration for the boy growing as he took the news far better than either she or his sister did.

“What you have is called leukemia, it’s a cancer of your blood system to put it simply. The organs that make your blood and bone marrow are sick and that makes you sick, in turn. If we don’t stop it the sickness is only going to get worse. We’ll do all we can to stop it though Charlie. Do you have any questions?” Dr. Evans looked at all three people sat on the bed with her.

Jane was too stunned, Dodie wasn’t sure what to ask, but Charlie had one question that needed answering.

“Am I going to die? We just lost our parents. I can’t leave Jane on her own. I just can’t. You have to fix me Doctor.” Charlie reached desperately at the doctor, his fear overwhelming him. It was fear for his sister, though, not for himself.

“We’ll do all we can to stop that, Charlie. I promise.” The doctor turned her head away quickly but Jane caught the sheen of tears in the woman’s eyes.

His doctor had compassion at least. Jane had no idea how this was all going to work but she’d learned a lot since her parents had died. Fate wasn’t kind but people could be. Dodie was a rock she knew she could depend on. Taking a deep breath she asked her own question.

“Will he have to stay in the hospital?” She hoped his Medicaid would cover all of this.

“For a while yes. And when we start treatment he’ll be in a ward where we can control the environment.” Dr. Evans told her.

“Right.” Jane took a deep breath, feeling like she was sinking under a wave of grief, worry, and fear. She looked over at Dodie and knew she wouldn’t be alone, not totally but what was she to do?

Jane desperately wished her parents were still alive, still there to make all of the decisions she was having to make, and to be here for Charlie. Jane was exhausted and felt like her energy had been drained away before she’d even built up a supply.

“Look this is always a big shock, even when it is suspected. We aren’t going to have an exact plan in place for a few hours. I suggest we start with transferring Charlie to the children’s ward, get him settled in, and then we can talk about everything. You won’t be able to think of questions for a while and I’ll be around any time, just have me paged.” The doctor left with a reassuring smile.

Jane didn’t feel as though the woman had been rude, just sensible and she appreciated that. She needed sensible right now. For a moment her cheeks flamed as she remembered her night with Zare. No, she probably shouldn’t be making decisions at the moment, not after that fiasco but she was all Charlie had. Time to buck up and be a hero, for Charlie.

From that point on Jane’s life became visiting Charlie in the hospital, calling doctors and nurses, working, and working on fundraisers. Charlie’s insurance covered some of his care but there were things Medicaid refused to pay for. If there was a cheaper way, even if the outcome was less positive, then they would only pay for the cheaper alternative. She still had to pay for a lot of Charlie’s medicines, the non-medical items he needed, and the bills at home. Through all of this Jane continued to work.

She kept her head down, staying in her own private world at work. A world where she set out the things she had to do the next day while dealing with groping customers and trays full of drinks. She didn’t let her work ethic slip, she just disengaged from what was happening. She didn’t talk to Zare over the next month, nothing more than the trivialities you had to discuss with customers.

Her boss and the other girls knew what was going on and supported her as much as they could, switching shifts when she needed it and letting her pick up extra shifts when she could. Jane was grateful for the help but her world was fading away in the hospital. Charlie’s treatments had destroyed his immune system and he was fading away. He even looked like a ghost sometimes. His brown hair was gone, his pink healthy skin had turned almost translucent, and his eyes were just voids.

He never complained though. Jane was proud of how brave he was being and they spent many nights talking about what they’d do when he was better. Jane promised she’d do whatever it took to make him better. But the medicine wasn’t working; she could see it in the doctor’s eyes and Charlie’s face. He was getting worse, not better.

“Jane! Phone call!” Patty, one of the waitresses called out to Jane as she brought back a tray full of empty shot glasses.

Jane felt her heart fall to her feet and ran to the phone. It could only be about Charlie, nobody else would call her at work.

“Hello?” She breathed into the phone, suddenly panting in fear.

“Jane, we need you here. Please come right away.” The doctor’s voice shook as she spoke and Jane’s nerves screamed a little more.

“What’s wrong?” She demanded to know, needing something.

“One of his lines got an infection and turned septic. We’ve put him in a coma to give his body a chance to fight the infection. He’s not doing well.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Jane hung up the phone, told Patty what was wrong, endured the wasted moments for a hug, and ran out to her car. She pleaded with fate, God, whoever might be listening to let Charlie still be breathing when she got to the hospital.

“
W
hat can I get you
, Zare?” Patty looked up at the very tall man that always made her shiver. She might be an older woman but she could still appreciate a fine looking man and Zare was one of the finest.

“What’s up with Jane?” He asked, settling at a barstool.

“Interested, Cher?” The woman asked, handing over a glass of his usual scotch.

“Maybe. What’s going on?” He took the glass, sipping the fiery liquid. He enjoyed the burn as Patty started talking.

“Her kid brother is sick, Cher, cancer. Has it real bad. He’s in a coma now, got some kind of infection or something so they put him under to help him fight it.”

“Damn.” He stated simply. It was all he had to say.

“Yeah. It's bad for her and that little boy. Their parents just died, now this. She’d got it rough, yeah, a lot rougher than some of these other women in here selling their souls for a pill. She’s a good girl that Jane. You could do worse.” Patty looked over at Zare with a deep look, telling him far more than he’d asked. Her amber eyes fell as Zare looked into them and she turned to another customer.

“Yeah, Jane is a good girl.” Zare finished his drink and went out of the bar. He was meeting some of his clan tonight, they had a shipment coming in from Texas and they’d all be heading out in the boats soon enough. He needed to know more about Jane first though.

He sent out a call for one of his clan to find out which hospital the boy was in and when they called back with the room number he started his bike and headed over. This couldn’t wait. He’d let his second in command take over for the night.

Zare found the floor and quietly walked to the little boy’s room. He looked in to see Charlie, pale and lifeless in the bed, Jane weeping over his hands. Both of the boys hands were taped up, IV lines running to several bags on each side of his bed. Damn, that poor kid, he thought to himself as he watched quietly from the doorway. And so unnecessary.

Zare knew what he had to do then.

J
ane rested
in one of those uncomfortable hospital chairs that they refer to as a convertible bed. Jane was certain the designer snickered as they created it, possibly thinking they could sell it to a BDSM club as a torture device if the hospitals didn’t buy it. It had been a week and Charlie was still fighting. The infection was improving but the cancer refused to budge, much like this chair the hospital staff insisted doubled as a bed.

She stared at her little brother, made tinier by his battle, and wondered what happened next. The doctor said he needed some new kind of treatment and the insurance wouldn’t cover it because it was too expensive. The insurance people said it was too experimental but they all knew it was just too expensive and when you’re poor you don’t get to make decisions about your own healthcare.

Jane tried to hold back a sob, knowing there was little she could do. Her one foray into getting paid had gone really, really well but she’d not been able to take money for the experience. She’d only been able to do that because she’d been watching Zare, fighting her attraction to him, and had finally given in. She couldn’t do
that
with men for money, not men she didn’t know. Jane shuddered and put her fist in her mouth to hold back the tears.

Dodie walked in and hugged her friend when Jane stood.

“Anything?” Dodie asked, her voice quiet and calm. Her eyes held a sliver of hope but that was crushed when Jane shook her head.

“No, and the insurance won’t pay for anything other than what he’s getting now.”

“We’ll find a way.” Dodie promised, taking Jane’s place in the seat. “Go home, get a shower, get a nap, and then go to work. I’m here for the day. Amy’s coming later to take my place, and then you can come after work. I know you will.”

Jane gave her friend a grateful smile and picked up her things. She went to Charlie, running a finger down his cheek before she left. She didn’t want to touch him too much, not when his immune system was so compromised. She made sure the nurses knew she was leaving and that Amy was on the visitors list, then went out into the warm afternoon air. She paused for a moment, inhaling deeply to calm her nerves before she drove home.

After a shower and a power nap Jane headed into work, her mind on autopilot once more. She had to pull her shorts down as she slid out of her car seat and wondered how long she’d wear this kind of “uniform” before she found a job that required her brain, not her ass, for the money she earned.

Pushing through the front doors she felt the thumping bass of the music like a wall that she’d become used to bumping into. Looking around she knew it was going to be a good night for tips. There were two different pool leagues in the bar that night and Zare was playing on his team already.

The man turned out to be a master pool player, well known throughout the state for his skills on a table. Jane watched him for a moment as he stretched out over the table, his fingers placed delicately on the table. She knew how dexterous those fingers were and she remembered how they’d played over her body. Her cheeks flamed and, as though her thoughts had prodded him, he looked up into her eyes, heat instantly filling their depths.

Jane inhaled sharply, her heartbeat suddenly racing as he gave her a slow wink and took his shot. Jane heard the ball fall into its pocket but didn’t see it. His gaze had pinned her in place. Jane could suddenly hear the song pounding into her ears and thought, yeah, she needed him now, most definitely. To forget her fears, her worry, her sadness for just ten minutes would be great.

Zare stood up and broke the spell though and Jane chided herself. It wasn’t that she wanted to forget Charlie, she thought as she went into the back and dumped her stuff in a closet, it was that she wanted to forget the pain for a moment. She had taken on the role of mother and Charlie was her world but she desperately needed a moment without pain. She watched some of the other women in the place and knew there was other ways to numb herself but didn’t want those ways. She’d be fine, she told herself, as she put on an apron that only covered her hips, and walked out behind the bar.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Patty called out, pouring up several shots at once. “It’s insane!”

Jane grinned at the older woman and went to work, taking drink orders, passing out bottles, and taking payments. She lost herself in the mad dash of bartending and was soon in a zone of her own. She helped Patty catch up then went out to take food orders. Four hours later Jane was still in her own zone but struggling to stay there. Four hours of ignoring offers of sex for drugs, skirting tables and customers, dodging groping palms aimed at her bottom, and appeasing increasingly drunk customers was taking its toll. She was heading back to the bar, the floor slick with spilled drinks and who knew what else when someone moved unexpectedly and she dropped an entire tray full of shot glasses when she swerved to miss them.

“Oh shit, sorry Cher!” The drunk man garbled out. “Let me help you.”

He bent over, spilling his entire beer over her head and down her shirt. Jane jumped back from her crouched position and shrieked as the cold liquid soaked her. She fell back, her hand finding a shard of glass and she screamed again.

“Patty!” Jane heard Zare calling as he came to her. He picked her up from the floor and pulled her up in his arms, carrying her to the backroom.

Jane saw some of the regulars dash to clean up the glass and Patty came out with a broom. Jane hid her face in Zare’s shoulder and held her hand out, blood dripping down her slashed palm.

“That’s pretty nasty, darlin’, let’s have a look at it.” Zare said as he sat her down in a chair.

Jane was holding back the tears, fighting to keep them behind her eyelids, but one slipped through. When Zare reached up from where he knelt in front of her and wiped it away with a gentle murmur Jane lost it. She sobbed, holding her hands out as she bent at the waist. She knew the people out in the bar could probably hear her, even over the noise in that area, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t be strong anymore.

Z
are watched
Jane as she let go of her tears and his heart melted. Sure, he needed a wife to appease his clan, but he’d chosen Jane for a reason to begin with, she was strong, capable, the kind of partner he wanted in life. She wasn’t sitting around waiting on someone to take care of her; she went out and did it herself. Knowing she needed someone to care for her and she was still so tough, she’d cracked.

“Let me help you, Jane.” He murmured to her as he stroked her back, soothing her with his touch.

“Oh, it just needs some bandages, my hand will be fine.” She said as she sat up, wiping at her face with a towel he handed her. “I’ll be fine, really.”

He placed another towel around her hand, staunching the blood for now and smiled.

“I didn’t mean that. I have an offer to make you. It will take you away from here, from this life of struggle.”

“Oh, you’re my genie in a bottle are you?” Jane scoffed with a grin of her own.

“Not quite a genie, no, but I can help. Let me talk to Patty then we’ll bandage your hand up and get you out of here for the night.” He stood but Jane called him back.

“Don’t! I need the money. I can’t lose a few hours wages, I can’t.” She said desperately.

“I’ll pay you those hours, plus some. Come ride with me.” He smiled at her for a moment, his heart thumping in his chest as she decided. He was surprised he actually felt apprehension over what she’d decide.

Zare watched her thoughts flicking over her face, her indecision, her denial, and then a smile as she clearly decided that she needed a moment of her own.

“Alright, genie, let’s see what you got!” Jane had made a decision; she hoped it wouldn’t cost her the job.

Zare knew she needed a break, a moment to herself without the stresses of her day and hoped giving her a ride on his bike would help her when he dropped the bomb in her lap that he was about to unload on her.

He ran in to let Patty know he was taking Jane home, came back in and wrapped some gauze and bandages around her hand, noting the cut wasn’t very deep, and pulled her by her other hand out to the parking lot. He felt his phone vibrating as he handed her a helmet and checked it to see that the shipment had been moved out to the Bayou behind his house, all in code of course, and smiled happily.

Business was going to plan and Jane was going for a ride with him. He’d been confused when she didn’t even acknowledge his presence the day after their tryst but a talk with Patty had revealed the problem. He’d bided his time, hoping she’d turn to him but she’d stood strong on her own until tonight. He had a plan, he wasn’t sure it was the best plan in the world, but he was hoping it would work.

Zare helped Jane get the helmet on when he realized the bandages were keeping her from closing her hand properly, the cut in her palm making the bandage awkward, and fought the urge to lean down and kiss her. She was cute but tempting in his helmet, her face smiling up at him as her head wobbled until she became used to the weight.

“I’ve never been on one of these before.” She revealed, and he felt his heart melt again.

“You’re going to love this. I promise.” He pecked her on the nose to appease his burning urges and helped her get on.

He climbed on himself and started the bike. He heard her gasp as the engine came to life with a loud roar and a vibrating purr.

“All you have to do is hang on and go with the tilt of the bike. Don’t get jumpy or lean in too much, but don’t fight the urge to lean a little. You’ll get the hang of it quickly.” Zare told her as he put his own helmet on. He settled down onto the bike and went to work. It was time to make Jane fall in love with the bike.

J
ane let
her hands settle at his waist and she felt how very powerful he was even though his clothes. Lean muscle and flesh met the touch of her hands and her thighs. She’d never been so intimately close to a person while being driven around and it was a novel sensation. As he drove them into the darkness of unlit streets, the warm air rushing over and around them, Jane felt herself begin to relax.

She’d been thinking about that night she’d spent with him since he offered to take her out of the bar, and when she’d felt the vibration of the bike a pleased responding purr had started in her chest. But as the ride went on she settled in, and let the drone of the engine and Zare’s reassuring presence lull her into a quiet place.

Jane had worried that she’d turn into some kind of horny monster on the back of the bike but instead she fell into a place where she had thoughts but they didn’t matter. She was one with the bike, with Zare, and with the wind. She’d found a peaceful place where nothing could intrude and she clung to Zare as she let her troubles melt away for the moment. She’d feel guilty if she could but in that moment, with only a single headlamp to light their way, she was in her own world and she could be selfish for a little while.

Jane felt her brain clearing and her body relax, her breathing slowing down, and her heart rate settling down to a normal pace she hadn’t felt since she’d first taken Charlie to the doctor. This was peace and she understood now why so many people fell in love with this lifestyle. She was free for the moment, for the time that the wheels thrummed on the road and the engine roared through the night.

Jane was surprised when they pulled up to her house and she realized they’d been riding for an hour. And Zare was speaking words at her as soon as he turned the engine off. She knew because she could feel his chest rumbling but the words just didn’t register. She snuggled into him some more, her arms wrapping more tightly around his waist.

She heard him chuckle before he stepped away. Zare helped her down from the bike and Jane pulled him over onto her garden swing. A gift from a friend the swing had almost become her refuge when she came home from work. She’d often swing in it for a bit before she went inside. She was still buzzing from the ride and she wasn’t ready to go in yet. Here under the moon reality still couldn’t intrude and Zare might kiss her.

She rested her head against his shoulder and this time when he started to speak the words finally made sense. As the words sank in she sat up and gaped at Zare.

“You want me to marry you? What the hell for?” She asked, staring at him in shocked amazement.

“For my own reasons, I need a wife. Quickly. You need money to take care of your brother. I wouldn’t make any demands of you but that you always maintain the integrity of who we are, who I am, and my family. No flagrant affairs, no bad behavior, just stay who you are and make sure the world believes you are my wife. I’d like us to actually make an attempt at a real marriage but your plate is rather full at the moment.”

“I’m so lost.” Jane said, sitting up on the swing, forcing the motion to stop suddenly.

“I need a wife Jane. I’m willing to pay whatever it takes to give your brother what he needs and to take care of you both for the rest of your lives in return for your loyalty and promise to always act as my true wife in the public eye.” He wasn’t meeting her eyes but she could see he was nervous in the way his booted feet tapped on the ground and his hands kept going up to run through his hair.

“No, you can’t be serious, Zare. That’s ridiculous. People don’t participate in marriages of convenience anymore, it just…oh my, I can’t believe this.” She stood and started to pace around the small yard.

“I am very serious Jane. Look, think about it. I’ll have it all drawn up in a pre-nup. if you want. Give me a call when you’ve thought about it and let me know. I’ll have your car brought over later. I’m going to go and let you think on it. But please, do think about it Jane. I know it sounds like a joke but I would never joke about this. Too much is at stake. Call me, alright? Even if it’s to say no.” Zare bent down to kiss her cheek, sending sparks through Jane’s cheek, before he hopped on his bike and drove away.

Jane stared after him, wondering what had just happened and if she’d gone insane somehow. Marrying Zare, and all of his money if rumors were to be believed, would take away all of her problems. But what was she getting herself into, marrying a man like that? She’d heard the rumors about drugs, about the criminal aspects of Zare’s “business”, and about the bike gang. But if he really had all of that money he could afford Charlie’s treatment. And Charlie meant everything to her. She was willing to sell herself if Zare was serious and it meant saving Charlie. She knew she didn’t need time to think and pulled out her phone as she went into her home, scrolling through her contact list until she found Zare’s number.