Page 49 of Saved By the Wolf

“I was walking to work when I was kidnapped,” I said simply, then stopped for a second as I thought about the connotations behind that word.

“Are you okay?” Becca whispered. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, I just realized saying the word kidnapped out loud really makes a difference in how I think of the situation. It makes it real, you know? That probably doesn’t make any sense.”

“I’m a lawyer, remember? Words have meaning, and they’re even stronger when spoken aloud.”

I looked at Becca and nodded. “You understand.”

“I do.”

I gave her a hug. “I’m so lucky to have you as a friend.”

“We’re family. We’re all each other have. So, what happened after they took you?”

“I was locked in a cell with Miti. They kidnapped her while trying to take the keys to my apartment.”

“They came to the apartment?” Becca looked horrified.

“Yes . . . I hadn’t made that connection.”

“You were a bit traumatized at the time, so I don’t blame you. Do you know if they got your keys?”

“You know what? I don’t know. I never asked.” I sighed. There was so much I could have done.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That sigh,” Becca said firmly. “You’re second-guessing yourself, and I won’t have it.”

“Oh,” I laughed. “You know me too well.”

“I sure do, and I know you’re blaming yourself right now for not doing more.” To distract me, she continued with her questioning. “How did you two escape?”

This was the part where I fudged the story. Luc had told me last night about Rocco’s surveillance results, and how he had decided to be the one to go to the apartment by the hospital. So I said to Becca, “Not much else to it. Luc came and saved the day.”

“Oh yeah, Brandon said Luc was headed to the apartment. I’m so glad he did!”

“Yeah, he knocked out the guards and was able to get us out of there before anyone else showed up.” That sounded plausible, right? She didn’t need to know that there were multiple guards and that a wolf shifter saved the day.

“Thank goodness. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” And I was especially glad she went for that ending.

I had been thinking on and off about what I had seen in the cell. My bruises and torn-out hair were proof that I was really there, that last night had actually happened. So that meant Miti’s transformation was real too, right? And what Luc had said—that they were all family—meant that he and the rest of them were wolf shifters too. Now I’d had some time to digest the news, it felt surreal. But I couldn’t deny what I’d seen in that cell, or how brawny the men in Luc’s family were, including the way they behaved with their growling and protective behavior. My eyes widened at the truth—his familywerewolf shifters!

Becca had started the next episode of Friends, and I decided that now was not the time to dive into more memories of last night. There was always tomorrow to think on that further.

Jill

I stayedin bed for one more day, but on the third day, I was getting so antsy that Luc and Julian, the human doctor the pack had adopted, agreed that I was okay to go back to work.

Ray was so happy to see me, and I had to say the feeling was mutual. We made floral arrangements while chatting the whole morning. I couldn’t have been happier.

During my lunch break, I walked over to my creek, as I liked to call it. I sat on the log and listened to the birds and the tinkling stream as it flowed by. A sharp snap came from across the stream, startling me. I opened my eyes to see the same wolf from before looking back at me. His white fur was glistening in the light, and the black tips of his ears were pointed toward me. He lay down with his paws crossed in front of him, his brown eyes warm and welcoming . . . much like a man I knew. He looked like a sphinx, regal and powerful.

“I was wondering if I’d see you again,” I said. “A lot has happened since we last met.”