Page 7 of Stolen Choices

“I’m sorry,” she apologized to nobody in particular before heading out of her room and down the stairs.

Apart from the noises of sex coming from the various rooms, the house was dark and quiet, especially on the bottom floor. Kas normally worked late in his office, but the light was off when she opened the door to check if he was there. She flipped on the light and grabbed the keys to one of the cabins from a board hanging on his wall. She was about to leave the room when she remembered she needed to leave him a note, telling him where she was going. Finding a sheet of paper and pen on the desk, she scribbled down a quick message

You were right. The pressure has built up. I need a few days away to clear my head. I’ve taken the keys to cabin number five. I’ll be out there. Call me if you need me. Katia xx

She placed the pen down on top of the note and went back to the door. Picking up her bag, she turned the light out and disappeared into the cool night air in search of some peace and respite. She had to get her head straight, and this was the only way. The pack needed her for the fight, and she would be there at their side. But first, she had to beat her demons.

Chapter Four

Jackson was determined to carry out Nuka’s orders to the best of his ability, having seen Ciaran’s magical replay of the death of his parents. There were always casualties of war, and Katia would be one of them.

He shook his head—it still hurt, and he didn’t know why. He could only suppose it was the effect of the magic Ciaran had used to create the vision of his mother and father. It was enough to give anyone a headache, seeing the worst moment of their life repeated in front of them. He’d complete this task and go for a good run. That would help to get all the emotional thoughts out of his head. But how he was going to capture Katia was another matter? The Glacial Blood pack members had rarely left their mansion during the last week and never after dark. He’d seen Katia a few times, hunting alone and with Tyler and Zain, but it was too risky to grab her during daylight.

It was late now, though. It was almost midnight, and he’d been standing in the cold, making plans for the last hour. Thankfully he didn’t have to travel by car. All he had to do was call Ciaran, and the druid transported him magically…moremagic! No wonder his head was completely messed up. His luck was in, it seemed. He watched Katia emerge from the mansion, and best of all, his target was alone. She looked carefully around her, so Jackson merged back into the shadows. Her nose twitched trying to sniff out any threats, but Jackson was unconcerned. He’d been told by Ciaran that yet more magic had removed his scent. Most shifters were worried about humans taking over the world, but at that moment, Jackson was more worried about magic than anything else.

He followed closely behind Katia as she made her way through the forest and headed toward where Jackson knew the cabins were. He’d explored most of the lands while trying to think of a way to capture Katia, so he knew his way around. The Glacial Blood park was actually very beautiful. Nuka’s lands were farther north and more harshly frozen, but Kas’ territory was full of greenery and sparkling blue lakes. If only the older twin shared Nuka’s view regarding the need to destroy all humans, then Jackson could consider living here. Maybe he’d ask in the future when the war was finally over.

Katia came to a stop at the door of one of the cabins. Jackson crept closer to her, and just before she put her key in the door, he lunged at her and pulled her tightly into his arms. She screamed and tried to dislodge him. Jackson knew her first reaction would be to shift and attack, so when her hands started to change into paws, he called upon Ciaran. The druid was always awake, so in the next second, Jackson and his prisoner had disappeared from the Glacial Blood lands and reappeared in Nuka’s mansion.

Katia continued to transform, so Jackson did the same. They faced-off against each other as wild animals. Her tigress a little smaller than his sleek black panther. He growled and bared his teeth. Katia did the same.

“What do you want?” she projected her voice into his head.

“A debt has to be repaid,” Jackson growled back, and they started to circle each other, looking for an opening to attack. Katia was an excellent fighter, but he’d been brought up scrapping ever since Nuka had taken him in. He was better by far. Eventually, Katia unintentionally gave him the opportunity he was looking for, and he pounced. He knocked her down, and using his superior weight to keep her in place, his mouth instinctively wrapped around her jaw as she struggled underneath. Her claws flailed wildly in the air, trying to scratch him.

“I hope you’re not marking the merchandise, Jackson.” Nuka’s voice came from behind them as his alpha entered the room. “Ciaran, do something about it.”

Jackson felt Katia’s body change back to human below him. He lifted himself off her and returned to his human form as well.

“That’s better.” Nuka stepped forward and peered at Katia.

The tigress remained on the floor, naked. Jackson moved aside, retrieved his clothes, and put them back on. He then picked up a blanket from a nearby cabinet and threw it at her. She hissed at him before turning her attention back to Nuka.

“What dastardly plan are you up to now, Nuka?”

The polar bear shifter laughed at her as Jackson stood back and crossed his arms over his broad chest, watching what was happening.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Nuka hissed at her before turning back to face Ciaran. “Put her in a cage. There’s nothing we can do tonight. We’ll wait until the morning when the others are awake. I need my beauty sleep.”

Ciaran waved his hand and a magical cage descended around Katia.

“More like you’ve got Lynx in your bed and intend to fuck her for the umpteenth time tonight!” the tigress shifter exclaimed.

Ciaran raised an eyebrow at Katia’s comment, and Jackson couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lynx. Nuka’s tendencies were rather sado-masochist in the bedroom. The female shifter would be hurting if Nuka had taken her several times already. It wasn’t his place to comment on it, though, even if he didn’t like it. His task was to follow orders and ensure the plan to destroy the humans succeeded. That was all.

“Jackson,” Nuka called him forward. “Watch her. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.” Nuka’s lip curled up into a mischievous smirk. “Don’t you do anything stupid either. I get her first.”

Katia let out a whimper, but Jackson ignored it. A debt had to be repaid, and she was the way they’d get the herbs that were needed to enhance Ciaran’s magic.

Nuka and Ciaran left. Jackson pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and placed it near the cage before walking over to the bookshelf and retrieving a book from it. If he was on guard duty, he might as well do something interesting while sitting around. He didn’t think the tigress, currently glaring daggers at him, was going to be scintillating company.

He sat down on the chair and started reading.

“Did you deliberately choose that book?” Katia asked him.

He looked at the cover. Shit! Its title was ‘Stolen’.

“Not really.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Grabbed the first one I laid my hands on.”