Chapter 29 FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY
My breath is caught in my throat in surprise. My eyes grow large in size. "They're all after me?"
"Yes," she nods. "Grog more than anyone."
His name sends shivers all over me and I gasp. No it can't be. The rogues are the bad people Doreen got mixed up with. I stand next to her and grab her arm.
"Was Grog among your kidnappers?"
"Grog? No, he has a mate; if you could even call her that. Amelia was stolen too. She was taken from her mate and forced to be with him. Her mate died at the hands of Grog."
"That's awful. Couldn't she escape with you?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "No, there was barely enough time for me to escape and she wouldn't leave without him anyway. The forced bond has made her love him even though she believes what he is doing is wrong."
"So she's kind of stuck," I quip.
"Yes. And I couldn't allow that to happen to me. Thankfully, Noah was captured before he was able to make it back to me and the rogues. Amelia borrowed Grog's phone and was able to send me a text telling me about Noah being taken before Grog himself could find out about it."
Suddenly everything begins to make sense to me. Of course it was Noah who held her captive. Why didn't I see it before? Doreen was the "her" he was talking about.
Oh no. Nausea quickly takes over and I have to sit back down. Just the thought of him being here, so close to her, makes me sick. She has to know about him.
"Are you okay?" she asks me worriedly.
"No," I say, shaking my head frantically. "And neither are you."
Confusion takes over her features.
"What? Why? What's wrong?"
"Noah...he's here. Alpha David, Samuel's friend, caught him on his land and brought him here. He's in the holding cells now. Grog and his rogues are the ones who killed Samuel's parents. He gave me a message for you too. He said he'll be seeing you again soon. You can count on it."
Doreen gasps and backs away from me until she hits the desk and jumps in surprise. "No. He can't be here. I just got away from him. He'll kill me now that he knows I left him. Grog has probably mind linked him and told him."
"I won't let that happen. He can't hurt you. He's locked up with too many guards surrounding him."
She drops to the floor in front of the desk and buries her face in her hands. "I'll never get away from him, will I?”
I stand up from the couch and rush to her and sit down in the floor too.
"I won't let him near you. He can't get out. He's not even near the house. He's in the holding cells in the woods, near the pack housing community. I can take you there if you want me to. You can see for yourself he's defenseless."
"No," she says franticly. "I can't see him now. It's too soon. He'll be so angry."
Doreen scared of a guy? This is a first for her. She was never scared of anything. She's one of the bravest people I know. Or was. He has truly broken her. She was held captive, violated, and beaten. That is enough to break anyone.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders again and pull her to her feet with me. "It's okay," I sooth. "You don't have to see him if you don't want to. No one is forcing you. I'll even request tighter security around him if that will make you feel better," I offer.
She nods. "Yes. It would."
"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up," I say, leading her from the room. "I'll talk to Samuel."
Samuel's face is livid by the time I finish explaining the situation to him. He looks like he can wolf out at any minute and that scares me. Not only is he upset about what went down with Doreen, but what gets him the most is how Grog plans to use me to get to him.
He clenches up his fists and sends one of them flying into a nearby tree in the secluded part of the woods we are in. I jump back from the impact of it and shriek at the loud crack that erupts throughout the forest. I stare at the split tree in complete and utter shock. I had no idea how strong he is.
When he sees the look of horror on my face his features soften and he takes a slow step toward me. Unconsciously I take a step back, but stop myself when I notice his movement. He frowns, but still proceeds toward me anyway. He gently places his hands on either side of my face when he is within distance and lowers his face to mine.
"I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to scare you. I just lost control."
"I know," I nod. "You just surprised me."
He sighs and brings our foreheads together. "I won't let anyone hurt you, you know. You're safe here."
"I know," I repeat.
I know Samuel would keep me safe. I can feel it. He won't let anyone he doesn't trust come near me. Protecting me is one of his top priorities. Since the claim, he has been much more attentive, caring and now protective. I'd be lying if I said I don't enjoy it. It feels nice to have someone want to take care of you. Though, I want to protect him just the same.
"I'll add more security around here and limit visitors to the holding cells. I think adding two more guards to the holding cells wouldn't be a bad idea either. And for now, I don't want you around that building unless I'm with you, okay?"
"Okay."I don't want to be there anyway. It will take everything in me not to kill Noah after what he has done to Doreen. It is unforgivable.
"I want to ask Doreen to join the pack. I'll need to ask Logan's father to give her permission to leave," I add.
Samuel pulls away from me, a grave look overtaking his features. His hands drop from my face. "I'll talk to him. You don't need to talk to your pathetic excuse of a pack anymore. Your ties with them are broken."
I debate internally whether to tell him about our former Alpha's request to see me.
Based on his current reaction, I am not sure if it is the best idea, or the right time. It would be wrong to keep secrets from my mate. I just can't do that to him.
"Logan's father asked to speak with me, through my parents," I confess. "I told them I'd go."
His response is a quick one. "No."
I sigh and run a hand through my loose blonde strands of hair. "I wasn't asking your permission, I was just informing you that I'm going to speak with him."
He takes a step toward me and grabs my shoulders in a tight hold. It isn't a painful one though just a little rough.
"You can't go back to them, Grace. My wolf won't allow it."
I scoff. "I'm not going back to them, Samuel. I'm only going because of my parents. I made a deal with my mom that I would speak to her Alpha if she and my dad would join our pack. With the rogues after me I don't think they're safe in my small pack. Who will protect them there? I think I can convince the Alpha to let Doreen and my parents go, but I have to talk to him for him to do that."
He releases me and lets out a frustrated groan. I half expect him to hit the cracked tree again in his frustration and finish it off, but to my surprise he doesn't. His hands roughly push though his hair as he turns from me and then sooner than I expected he calms down. He slowly faces me again when he is ready.
"Fine, we'll go together. I'm not about to let you go there alone. I don't trust that Pack. I'll gather some wolves to take with us. We'll leave two days from now when Luka is back. He's one of our best fighters in the pack. I'll need him, Kyle, Dominic and a few others to come along."
"Okay," I agree. "Do what you will. All I want are my parent's safety."
Quickly he takes my face in his hands again, his lips hovering over mine.
"Why do you defy me?" he asks gently.
I shrug. "It's who I am. I have to go with my gut and I need to talk to the Alpha. I'm not doing this just for the sake of doing it."
His warm breath fans across my face. "I know. I just wish you'd have asked me first before making plans yourself."
"You'd still have said no," I state.
"Maybe, but including you goes both ways. You have to include me in your decision making too," he replies.
I know he is right which makes me feel guilty. It is only fair I offer him the same courtesy he has given me.
"Fair enough," I nod. "I should have talked to you before making up my mind. I see that now. I'll try to keep that in mind before making any more decisions without you."
"Thank you," he mumbles against my lips when that connect with mine.
His kiss is soft and gentle. His tongue traces my bottom lip, leaving moisture behind it. I grin before opening up and allowing him in. I still can't comprehend my feeling for him just yet. They are all jumbled up inside me, mixed up with other conflicting emotions. I don't know if what I am feeling for him is real or solely the claim. Either way, being in his arms and having his lips on mine just feels so right. It confuses me.
A moan escaping my throat breaks me from his spell and brings me back to reality. I pull myself away from him and give him a short smile.
"Doreen is probably waiting for me. I should get back."
He nods. "Where is she staying?"
"I gave her the purple room that was to be mine, if that's okay. She needs it more than I do now. I'd like to go into town tomorrow and get some furnishings for it."
After the new information we have gained from Doreen today I am not sure he will ever let me off the property again, but I have to hope.
"I'd rather you wouldn't," he says.
"I know, but it needs to be done. I promise I won't go anywhere other than where I'm supposed to and I'll take as many wolves as you see fit for me to go with."
He raises an eyebrow at me in sheer surprise. "Really?"
"Yes. It's called a compromise. You give me what I want, and I give you what you want. That way we're both happy."
He takes my words into consideration shortly before visibly relaxing. A light smile tugs at the end of his mouth as he speaks. "Okay. Four wolves, two hours and just to get furniture. No one but you and Doreen goes."
I nod and smile. "Agreed."
Leaning in, I give him a quick peck on the lips and bound off toward the pack house feeling very accomplished. He can be very agreeable when he wants to be.
Doreen sits out on the terrace of my, would be, bedroom and stares out into the woods. She stays mostly quiet and only makes light conversation with me when she has to. Her feet are in the chair with her and her chin rests upon her knees. She looks so despondent it kills me.
"I like the room," she said blankly, still gazing at the woody scenery in front of her.
"Me too," I smile. "A few of us just finished painting it."
"It seems nice here. It's different. Not like our pack at all."
"This could be your pack too. Have you given any more thought about what I said?" I ask her.
She lifts her head from her knees and turns towards me. "I have. I'm just worried about what my parents will think. And I don't know if the Alpha will even let me leave. He's been looking for me, but I've kept up the barrier in my mind to prevent him from having any contact. He'd demand me back and I don't want to go. It doesn't feel like my home there anymore after all that has happened."
I nod. "That's understandable."
"I've kept my mind closed off since I was held by Noah to protect the pack. I know they'd come looking for me if they got a glimpse of what was in my mind and they'd get hurt. I couldn't risk that. My parents are still part of that pack. Our pack doesn't pick fights and to start now with a bunch of rogues would be a death wish."
"I know. They're dangerous, even to Samuel's pack."
"I do want to join,” she admits. "I want to be part of the pack. I think it would be a good change for me."
I smile at her, a feeling of joy overcoming me. "Okay. I'll work it out with Logan's father when we visit the pack in a couple of days."
"I'd like that," she says. And for the first time since she arrived here there is a faint smile on her face that makes me see that there is still hope for her yet. I won't let her lose herself anymore. I know if the roles were reversed she'd do the same for me. I have to
do the same for her in return.
"Good. Because I've missed my best friend."
"Me too."
We embrace each other, but deep down I feel some fear, some uncertainty.