Page 14 of Targeted By Love

“Fuck.”

I wandered back into the bedroom and put my ear to the door. Voices. They were still out there.

Just because I’d kick myself if I didn’t, I tried the handle. It didn’t budge. Maybe I could’ve tried harder, but what would that accomplish? If I pissed my captors off, they’d be more likely to harm me. At least now I was safe-ish. Unharmed, at least.

I paced the room until I heard someone mention me, or at least that was who I assumed they were talking about.

“Still up,” they said.

Faking sleep was a better plan than this. Possibly. It was the only one I had. If they checked on me, maybe it would relax them enough to give me a chance of escape.

I climbed into the bed, making sure that I bounced a bit more forcefully so they would hear the bed creak. Just as I settled in, the door opened.

One of the men—not Maynard.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “but I need to tie you up, because I’ve met people like you and they tend to be wily, always on the lookoutfor how to escape.” At least he sounded like he half gave a shit about my wellbeing. That was something.

There was a growl in the hallway. The wolf. That wolf was here.

“Fine,” the man barked, backing out of the room. “But if he gets out, the blood’s on your hands.”

The blood. My blood? Maynard’s blood? Any blood was too much blood, but the thought of Maynard being hurt because of me…

No. I’d make sure that didn’t happen. I’d get help.

The door shut again, but before it closed completely, a wolf slipped inside. Only it wasn’t the wolf from before—it was slightly larger and yet, somehow less scary.

I waited for the fear to come, to make me scream and run like it had before.

But it didn’t. For the first time since all of this started, I felt… safe.

What the fuck?

The wild beast crept in slowly, watching me. Still, no terror ran through my veins. Instead, I needed to force myself not to pat the bed and ask him to join me like he was a freaking pet dog. What was wrong with me? Maybe they pumped drugs in here and I was imagining all of this. That was a thing, right?

This didn’t feel like a drug-induced haze or a dream or a head injury from a fall I didn’t remember happening. This felt real.

“You won’t hurt me, will you?” I whispered, afraid to move. Afraid he would leave.

I could’ve sworn he shook his head, but I blinked and he was in the same exact position he’d been in. That was until he turned toward the door.

It hurt. Seeing him about to leave freaking hurt. I didn’t know what came over me, but I sat up and whispered, “Wait. Please don’t—please don’t disappear.”

He turned back, watching my face with his head tilted slightly.

“I—I don’t understand it. I don’t. But I… I feel safe with you. Please stay. You’re not like the other one.”

The wolf pushed the door closed, jumped up on the bed, and crawled up beside me.

I closed my eyes and listened to him breathe, knowing I needed to say something, but the words evaded me. And what would I even say? It wasn’t like the beast could understand me. Instead, I counted his breaths, and as sleep overtook me I thought, “Maynard is here. All is well.”

9

MAYNARD

A tantalizing scent needled me, telling me to wake up and not waste a minute of the day. But I’d snatched little sleep during the night, even though my beast was in his fur and wrapped around whatever the delicious aroma was coming from.

My sleep-befuddled brain clawed its way to consciousness. My wolf was awake, saying he’d never been to sleep, and how could I snooze when we were cuddling our mate!