“Bailey, if you can hear me. I’m coming for you.”
Bailey
“Rise and shine,” a voice whispered in my ear.
I tried to open my eyes, but the sun was too bright. Judging by the smell, we were in a hotel room. The bed was soft, yet every single inch of my body ached.
“Open your eyes, Bailey.”
Groaning, my hands were still bound so I couldn’t rub my eyes. “Maret,” I hissed, knowing it had to be her.
Her laugh made me cringe. “Very good, little one. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Sorry I can’t say the same.” I opened my eyes and glared at her, struggling against my restraints. “Ryker! Can you hear me?”
“You’re not going anywhere, Bailey. And don’t try to use your link with Ryker, it’s not going to work. The spell I have on you mutes your magic. As far as anyone is concerned, you’re just an average human girl now. This way, no one can find you.”
Clenching my teeth, I tried to break free and couldn’t. “You must not be as strong as you think if you have to keep me tied up.”
Smile fading, she glared at me with her two tone eyes; one was green and the other brown. “I’ve heard about your smart mouth. The only thing that’ll get you here is a whole lot of trouble. Is that what you want?”
“I want my memories back, witch. You’re the one who took them from me. Give them back and I’ll cooperate.”
She studied me for a minute and then shook her head. “The memories had to go in order for our plan to work. Why do you want to remember, when it’d only cause you pain?”
“Because they’re mine. You had no right to take them,” I snapped.
Sighing, she set a duffel bag onto the bed and pulled out a white, silky dress. “That may be the case, but now I need to get you cleaned up and ready to go.”
“Why? Where are we?” I glanced over at the nightstand and got my answer when I saw the hotel stationary. Canada.
“You’re where you belong, Bailey. In another couple of hours, you’ll be with your family.”
I scoffed. “Fuck you and the Yukon pack. They’re not my family.”
“I’d like to see you tell Kade that. I suggest you get used to it because you’re going to have a long life with him once you complete the bond. The full moon is only six days away.”
“A lot can happen in six days,” I growled.
“That it can, but I’m not worried. We’re prepared.” She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me up. “Enough with the pleasantries. Right now, I have to get you in the shower. Kade will be waiting for you when we get back.” She ripped off my clothes before guiding me into the bathroom.
“What’s Kade doing now?”
Maret turned on the hot water and waved me in. I stood under it with my hands still bound behind my back. She answered as she washed me. “He’s out on a hunt with the pack, celebrating our victory. There’ll be a huge feast tonight in your honor. It’s my job to make you presentable.”
“If I’m the guest of honor, don’t you think it’d be rude to keep me tied up?”
Grinning wide, she finished cleaning me up and helped me out. “You won’t be bound tonight, my dear. I have other ways to subdue you.” Once she got me dressed and curled my hair, she pulled something out of her bag. I couldn’t see what it was, but I could feel the power emanating from it. She turned around and held a necklace in the air. “I think this will look lovely with your gorgeous blue eyes.”
Pain exploded inside my body and I couldn’t move. The only thing I could do was watch her approach me with an evil grin. The second she put it on me the pain stopped, and another bigger problem began. I had no clue what the hell I was going to do.
“How do you feel?” Maret asked.
I glowered at her and at the driver who peered at me through the rearview mirror; he was a wolf as well. “Peachy,” I replied sarcastically. I tried to reach for the necklace and couldn’t. It was like a force field surrounded it, blocking me.
“I told you I had other ways to make sure you don’t escape. At least this way, you don’t have your hands bound and you get to wear a pretty necklace.”
“What’s in it?” I felt weak and nothing at all like myself.
She snorted. “I can’t give away all my secrets. Basically, you should feel like a normal human girl. You’re not as strong, and you can’t shift. All of your wolf attributes are subdued while you wear that necklace.”
If I couldn’t take off the necklace, I was doomed. Without my strength, I was nothing; I wouldn’t be able to escape. Maret glanced out the car window with a triumphant smile on her face. “We’re almost home. Take a look.”
Reluctantly, I glanced out the window and saw nothing but a vacant road with forests all around. “I see trees,” I grumbled.
She laughed. “Exactly. Close your eyes and then open them back up.”
I closed them quickly and when I opened them, everything had changed. “Holy shit.”
She moved closer to the window. “It’s magnificent, isn’t it? To the unwelcome eye, we don’t exist. It’s how we stay hidden when we don’t want to be found.”
The driver turned down a side street and headed down a gravel road toward some cabins. There were a bunch of them with lots of other buildings. People were milling about. It looked like a small town.
“Did we just disappear behind an invisible wall or something?” I asked.
She nodded. “Only Yukon pack wolves can get through, unless we let someone in, like you. You’ll be one of us soon enough though.” The driver stopped the car in the middle of the town and got out. He opened the car door and helped Maret out first. She waved at the men standing guard before glancing inside the car. “Come on now. Kade’s waiting for you.”
Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Kade would be seeking vengeance for what I’d done to him. Licking my dry lips, I stepped out of the car, my heart beating achingly hard in my chest. All eyes were on me as I followed Maret to the largest house in town. She opened the door and ushered me inside.
“Welcome home, Bailey. I believe Kade’s upstairs. There’s also someone else who wants to see you as well. So don’t be too long. Dinner will be in an hour.”
“You’re leaving me here?”
“Why not? You can’t escape with that necklace on. And I don’t think Kade’s going to let you out of his sight. Better get used to it.” She walked out of the door and two men stood guard, blocking the way.
Fuck me.
“If only my brother could see you now.” Kade laughed. Frozen in place, I didn’t even want to look at him. He came up behind me and put his hands on my hips, turning me around. His blond hair was wet and he was naked. I wanted to rip his cock off and shove it down his throat, but I couldn’t do that being a weakling.
“He would see me, his mate,” I spat.
Chuckling, he grabbed the back of my neck, making me gasp. “Wrong, my dearest bitch, he’d see my mate. You’re mine now. Once Maret does her magic, you’ll be spreading those legs for me anytime I want. I might even have to videotape it and send it to my dear, sweet brother. Wouldn’t that be a mind fuck?”
“That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it,” I growled.
Squeezing my neck, he pulled me to him, his arms tight around my waist. “It will happen and the best part is, you’ll love it.” He opened his mouth and sank his teeth into my neck, marking me. I tried to fight him off and all he did was laugh at my futile attempt. When he pulled back, my blood was on his lips and he licked it off. “I haven’t forgotten that night you tried to kill me. One way or another, you will pay the price.”