A/N: So, just thought I should mention something. A couple of surprises are going to be appearing in the next few chapters. Don't hate me for what they are! Appearances and reactions (or seeming lack there-of) are not what they appear!
XXX
'Wake up,'
Salem sighed heavily as the voice of her wolf fitted through her head gently, like a forgotten memory. There, but in a way also not.
'It is time to wake up.'
The voice was getting louder, and a tinge of annoyance rang through the growling that was making itself present in the recesses of her brain.
'Wake up! Can you not scent the air? Smell the oddeties of this place? Can you not hear the heartbeats of people around us? We are somewhere new, and we are surrounded!'
Salem's eyes bolted open, her heart feeling as though it would fly from her chest with how fast it was going. Her wolf was right, she thought as she catalogued the room around her. The soft comforter was like nothing she had ever slept with, nor was she used to sleeping in such a soft bed. The clothing she wore was not hers, and from the make of it looked as though it would be expensive. The scents in this room were slightly familiar, though not. An undertone of a knee-shaking delicious smell had her pausing for a moment,, before shaking her head and moving slowly to the side of the lush bed.
Looking on the bedside table, the girl noticed a few more strange objects leading her to believe she was now in a hotel room. Her wolf growled at the unusual surroundings, her ears pinned back and her tail curled under. The animal was right, new things had never equated to good for them before...
Silently making her way to the door, a thump behind her made Salem chance a glance back. She saw the balcony door slowly sliding open, and rapidly opened the door in her hands, nearly bolting down the hallway in nothing more than a male's shirt and boxers.
She closed her eyes and shook her head as she came to a stop, trying to gain her bearings. Obviously she wasn't in too much danger if she was in a public place, her mind mumbled. Sighing, she turned a corner and was about to start running when she came into what felt like a brick wall and landed on her rear. Salem looked up. And up. And up.
Her face paled as she recognized the male before her, his shaggy black hair shading one of his eyes from view. And what eyes they were, their bright green reminding her of the perfect tone of a gem she had once seen. His form was tall, taller than most. He must have been well over 6' tall, she surmised. Strangely enough his height wasn't what impressed her either. It was his build, which would make any male from a gym envious. Not because he was bulked up, oh no. It was because the muscles that she could see, and the body he had, spoke of lethality, of power.
Swallowing hard, she scooted herself back rapidly as he slowly lowered himself.
"It's alright,' he began, his voice sliding over her skin. "You'll come to no harm from me, little one."
Oh, wrong thing to say.
Salem stared, a slight marring of her brow the only indication of her annoyance at the insult she had been given. Little one? Really? She stood up, granted she was about a foot shorter than he was, and growled. She may be a bit smaller than he was but she doubted he could best her if it came down to it. Stepping closer, the girl was about to lay into him when she froze.
Her eyes dilated slightly, and her mouth hung open a little, her pants barely heard as she inhaled the most delectable scent she had ever encountered before in her life. Hints of sandlewood mixed with a toe-curling deep musk that made her want to drool all overtoned by the warmth and smoothness of a purely masculine smell. It was like sitting on a porch in the woods, holding a steaming mocha, while curled up on a man's lap.
Looking up slowly, she watched as his eyes seemed to search the deepest parts of her soul, seemingly waiting.
"Who are you, and why have you followed me for so long?"
Her words broke the tension that had begun to built, and Nick winced inwardly. Even her voice was sensual. When his wolf had come into contact with the tantalizing scent months ago, it seemed that the being that held it was its obsession. The scent that was now rolling off in heated waves of this gorgeous, fair creature before him that his alpha blood heated and sped up for.
He stared down into her icy eyes for a few more seconds before replying, breathing in more of the mouth-watering addiction around him that spoke of summer dips in a cool river, a field of wild roses, and some kind of a spice that reminded him of the smell of the air before lightning hit.
"Why wouldn't I want to figure out how a rogue got so far into my packlands before being noticed?" His words barely rang with truth, not wanting to frighten her so early in their relationship. There was no way he wanted to have to chase his little mate down again. Especially not when he finally had her within arm's reach.
His eyes drifted down over her lithe form, taking in her narrow waist that tapered down into what must have once been voluptuous hips, over her lean and well made legs, then back up over her scrawny stomach, well-pronounced bust, and settled on her pouting lips. They must have been fashioned for a male, because just the sight of the had his body tightening in need.
'She is ours, but she is not well.'
He sighed at his wolf's words.
'Our mate has been without the care of a pack for a long time. She has no health to her, her skin is too pale, her body thinned from hunger. We cannot let this happen!'
The growl that ended the words echoed his own, and he stepped closer to him. "I do not regret finding out such a splendid female was the cause of my disbelief," he continued, brushing a strand of her hair. "Now why were you on my lands, and why have you been running for so long?"
Her silvery eyes ringed with a near indigo blue widened, her full lashes thick around them. Why did she seem surprised, he mused while trying to get his thoughts out of improper places.
"Why wouldn't I run when I have a seemingly vicious wolf and two lackeys chasing me from town to town, bed to bed, always snarling and snapping at my heels?"
He winced. When a mate ran it never did an inner wolf good. Anger and fear were predominant emotions, obviously. "We would never have harmed you," he stated simply. She crossed her thin arms and huffed.
"I didn't know that then, nor do I know it for a fact now. All I know is that because of you I have a-" she stopped, then looked down at her leg. She marveled at the bruising around it, but more likely than not was wondering at the fact that the bone seemed to have set and healed itself. Had she been without her natural abilities for so long, he wondered. Or did she not know of the increased senses and healing factor that two mates brought about in each other. For that matter, how did she not have a clue why one mate would chase another?
Salem trembled, not knowing how this was possible. Her leg should have been broken for at least another day. Tender longer than that. But all she felt now was a slight sensitivity to too much weight, and nothing else. She patted her ribs and stared wide-eyed at the male before her. There was absolutely no way. She felt virtually no pull. Attraction? Yes. Did his scent make her want to lap at his skin like a kitten at cream? Yes. But there was no real pull towards him, at least none that had her wanting to sink her canines into his neck and proclaim "Mine" for all the world to hear.
Her wolf slowly whimpered, her ears perked forward and her eyes glittering curiously. Okay. No pull from her. Even though her wolf was obviously enamored with this male, she wasn't. Not really. At least... not too much.
She froze when she felt power tingle over her skin, and looked up in shock at his next words and what was undertoned beneath them.
"Return to the room so you can rest, I'll not chase you any more."
This prick was an alpha! And not just any alpha, an overbearing one at that! Salem chuckled darkly and crossed her arms once more, earning a shocked stare from this male. "What is your name, oh gracious alpha? I like to know the names of the guys I whup. An alpha tone? Really?"
She watched his body tense up at the perceived threat, then just as fast relax. Curiosity seemed to spark his eyes, making them shimmer like a young pup's would. "How?" he asked.
She grinned without any humor. "I'm a freak of nature, that's how," was all she said.
Nick wanted to laugh at the young female before him. His alpha inside had no effect on her, he realized with pleased shock. Even his usually dour would perked its ears up in curiosity at this young female, his whimpers at being ignored forgotten. Usually when two mates meet, their wolfs instinctively form the first bond. The humans create the second (and usually at the same time the third) bonds. So when her wolf hadn't immediately submitted and bonded with his, the heartbroken beast had taken to lamenting its sad fate of being forgotten or ignored.
'Hush,' he told it, smiling. 'She just can't hear you loudly enough yet.'
The fact that she seemed like a puzzle intrigued him. "I'm sorry, but none of that will be happening today. I don't usually let myself be beaten. Even by tempting little wolves such as yourself."
Her glare only deepened, before slowly becoming hazy. Her eyes glassed over as her knees gave out. Horror raced through him as he caught her form against him. He didn't even know a name to call her as he shook her shoulder, terrified as to what was happening. Stilling for a moment, he listened. Her heart, beating too fast he realized as he picked her up and carried her within the confines of his room once more.
Seems the little wolf's body couldn't handle the emotions she had running through it. And no wonder. Malnutrutioned, starved it seemed, overworked from healing... It was a wonder she had made it this long. He dialed room service and ordered as many things as he could think up for food and drink to be delivered, then sat by her bed, brushing strands of hair from her gaunt cheeks as he begged her to wake up.
Izaac stepped in, then froze. "How's she doing," he asked.
"Not well," was the reply. "Call the pack physician, we're moving her there tonight. She's in too delicate of a state to wait for him to come to us."