Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 (13 page)

He eased her into his arms and sat back against the headboard, cradling her to his chest. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend exactly what that kind of imprisonment would do to someone, what kind of abuse she had endured.

He put his thumb against her chin, gently pushing until she tilted her head back and looked at him. Her face was pale, but her expression was one of determination. She might look fragile, but he couldn’t imagine many males enduring what she had and coming out alive.

Her hand slowly came up and wrapped around his wrist. The contact soothed the angry wolf inside him. They sat there for a long time as they both assimilated what had just happened. It was James who broke the silence. “You were only a child, a teenager at best, which is still very much a child among our kind. We don’t reach adulthood until our early twenties.”

She nodded. “I think that’s why I can’t remember too much of what came before. Whenever I brought up the past, he’d…” She buried her face against his bare chest. “He’d beat me.”

James knew the man was dead. He had to be. Otherwise how would she have escaped? But that still didn’t keep him from wanting to exact some kind of revenge against him. The fact that he couldn’t only added to his anger and frustration.

As much as he didn’t want to know the rest, there was a question he had to ask, even though he already knew the truth. “Did he…” He swallowed hard, having a hard time forcing the words past his lips. “Did he rape you?”

“Not at first. But after a few years, when I was older.”

Anguish tore through him and tears pricked his eyes. The thought of this gentle creature at some man’s mercy for all those years was almost too much to bear. But since she obviously had, he could do no less.

He held her tight, wanting to erase those years from her mind, but knowing there was no way to make that happen. “It’s all right.” Her soft voice pulled him from his reverie. Her fingers that had been clinging so tight to him were now patting his chest, calming him. “I survived and I have the rest of my life.”

How had he ever for a moment thought this woman was fragile or weak? Her inner strength was greater than anyone he’d ever known. She’d not only survived her ordeal, but she was determined to put it behind her and to build a life for herself.

He had so many questions he still needed answers to. How had she made her first transition? And she had to have done so in order to know what a werewolf was. For a female to shift into her wolf form for the first time required a male werewolf and sexual relations for it to happen. It was Mother Nature’s way of ensuring the species mated and procreated. It might not be fair to the females but it was the way things were for them.

What happened to the male who’d first mated with her? Was he the one who’d held her captive? Everything inside him said no. She seemed to know next to nothing about their species. This was something else. Something more sinister.

Other questions surged forward. Was she a half-breed or a full-blooded werewolf? What did she remember about her family? What had happened to her captor? It wouldn’t do to assume he was dead. Maybe he’d gotten lax with security after all these years. Maybe he’d dropped dead of a heart attack due to old age. Thirty to forty years was a long time.

But there was something he needed to do before he asked any more questions.

Taking his time and giving her every opportunity to say no or to move away, James lowered his head toward her and brushed her forehead with his lips. Then he did the same with her temples, her eyelids, her pert little nose and her chin. Her breathing deepened, but she kept her eyes open, watching him.

“I think you are the bravest and most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he whispered as he rubbed his lips over hers. He barely made contact with her soft mouth, not wanting to push or crowd her. A bead of sweat rolled down his back as he struggled to maintain control. Not for anything in the world would he want to do anything that would upset Shelley or frighten her. Not when she’d already been through so much.

She deserved to be cherished and loved. And he was just the male to do it.

He stroked his tongue along the seam of her mouth and her lips parted ever so slightly. He dipped inside, not pushing, but merely tasting before slipping out again. He kept their kiss light and playful even though his head was pounding and his body aching for a deeper contact.

Finally, he eased back. His control was becoming more precarious with each passing second. He knew she had to feel his swollen dick poking into her side. There was no way she couldn’t.

They were both gasping for breath as they stared at one another. Shelley smiled and put her fingers to her lips. James swallowed a groan, wanting to suck on those lovely, slender fingers. His erection twitched uncomfortably.

“I’d never been kissed before yesterday.”

The sheer brutality under which she’d lived came crashing down upon him. He was at a loss for words. Unable to express the anger he felt on her behalf. Another part of him, the more primitive side, was thrilled that he’d been the first to kiss those sweet lips.

He cleared his throat. “Then I thank you for allowing me such a precious gift.”

Something niggled at the back of his brain, something she’d said back at the diner.
Call me Shelley
, she’d said. “Shelley isn’t your real name, is it?”

She stiffened and he was immediately sorry that he’d opened his mouth.

“I don’t know.” She surprised him. He really hadn’t expected her to answer him. “It’s the only name I know, yet it’s not quite right.”

He wrapped both his hands around her, holding her close to his heart. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll figure out where you come from. I won’t let you go until we find your rightful home.” What he didn’t say aloud was that he wanted her to make her home with him.

He had to ask the one question that needed answering. Even though he knew in his heart it was the truth, he needed her to confirm it. “Was your captor a bounty hunter?”

Shelley was emotionally exhausted by what had just transpired. She’d told James things that she’d never expected to tell another person. Maybe it was because she knew he was like her. He knew she was different, but he wasn’t disgusted by it at all.

Her lips still tingled from where he’d kissed her. She hadn’t thought that she’d ever kiss a man, let alone that she’d like it. And they’d certainly done a lot more than kiss.

Her body was warm from the heat radiating from him and she could feel the imprint of his erection against her side. He was very aroused, yet he’d done nothing about it. Tom certainly wouldn’t have hesitated. She shivered with revulsion and shoved that thought out of her head. Tom was dead and she never had to think about him again. Those days were over.

But in order to claim her future, she had to examine the past. She knew that now. And that started by answering all James’s questions, no matter how uncomfortable they made her.

“Bounty hunter? I’m not sure what you mean by that. He and his friends were hunters. They were always talking about catching prey and bagging wolves.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw and James briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were filled with raw determination and power. Energy radiated from him, like a vibration.

“Fucking bounty hunters had you for more than thirty years.” She realized he’d moved from beyond anger into fury. Yet, she didn’t fear him. She knew his rage was aimed at Tom and his buddies, not her.

Still, her heart pounded and her palms grew damp. She eased out of James’s arms. They tightened briefly before he let her go. Shelley crawled off the bed. James sat there with his head tilted back, his bare chest gleaming with sweat, his lungs pumping hard. His jean-clad legs shifted restlessly.

He couldn’t have been comfortable sleeping in them last night. She knew he’d done so for her sake and that made her lov—appreciate—that was the word she’d meant. She
appreciated
him all the more.

Her head swam. She’d almost said the “L” word. Even if it was in her own mind, it was scary. She couldn’t love him. She barely knew him.

That wasn’t quite true either. She knew him better than she’d ever known another male. She knew he was strong and courageous and fair. That he had a temper, but would never take it out on someone else. He was kind and generous and sexy as sin. A giving and caring lover. Someone she was coming to trust. Did trust, considering how much she’d told him this morning.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” James’s voice was low and calm.

There was pain in his eyes and it occurred to her that she’d hurt him by moving away from him. “You didn’t. Not really.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She was still wearing her thin dress with nothing underneath it.

She hurried to her clothing and bundled it into her arms. “I’m going to get dressed now.” Obviously. Still she felt she needed to say something. She turned to go to the bathroom before she said something even more stupid.

“This isn’t over, Shelley. We still have more to talk about.” She felt more than heard James come up behind her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and the warmth sank into her bones.

“I know. Just not now.” She was jittery, her stomach half-sick from thinking about the past. She needed a break before she went any further.

“Okay. You get ready and we’ll get some breakfast before we hit the road.” He released her and she glanced over her shoulder. He loomed behind her, large and fierce. His eyes flashed a darker golden before he turned away and headed to his duffle.

Shelley hurried into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She yanked her makeshift nightgown over her head and fumbled into her clothing. When she was fully dressed, she used the facilities and washed her face. Her brush was in the other room.

Feeling decidedly nervous, she left the dubious safety of the bathroom. James was fully dressed in jeans and a tight white T-shirt that hugged every muscle in his torso. He’d thrown a brown plaid shirt over it, leaving it open. His duffle was zipped and sitting on the bed.

“I’m almost ready.” She stuffed her dress into her bag of belongings and dragged the brush through her hair before pulling it back into a short ponytail and anchoring it with an elastic.

“No rush. We’ll make it home today.”

Home
. The word was foreign to Shelley. She couldn’t remember ever having one. She supposed she must have at some point. She’d obviously been living somewhere when Tom had taken her. His cabin was the only place she could remember and she’d never once called it home.

Shoving the brush into the bag, she closed it. James held her coat open for her and waited. She slid one arm into a sleeve and then the other and he eased it over her back. His fingers lingered, rubbing her nape. His lips brushed the top of her head before he stepped away.

He grabbed his coat, shouldered his duffle and opened the door. “Let’s go.”

Shelley grabbed the shopping bag with all her new clothing as well as the bag that held her other belongings. She stepped out into the hall, wondering what challenges and surprises today would bring.

Steve Macmillan answered his phone on the first ring, keeping his other hand on the wheel of his truck. “What have you got?” He was feeling mellow this morning. He’d hit a roadside bar and found a willing lady to take him home last night. She’d been blonde, stacked and wild in the sack. She also had a tight ass he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. He’d left her warm bed twenty-minutes ago after a quick fuck for the road. Not only had he gotten laid last night, he’d saved the money he would have had to spend on a motel.

All he needed now was coffee, food and information and he was set.

Red was already talking, so he listened, his mood growing darker with each word the man spoke. “Sawyer still ain’t been able to find out who the owner of that company is.”

“Then why are you calling me?”

“Now you know me better than that, Steve,” Red insisted. “I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t have something. That truck you saw was seen in the parking lot of a motel in North Carolina.”

Steve felt his good mood returning. “Tell me more, Red. Make me happy.”

Red chuckled. “I put out the word you were looking for this truck and Jessup phoned a few hours later. Seems he was on the road and just happened to stop at a motel last night.”

“Is he following them?” Steve’s heart began to beat faster. This could be a wild goose chase but he was willing to take that chance. There was something about the way the driver of that truck had moved. Coupled with the suspicious actions of the passenger and it was something he wanted to check out. He couldn’t shake the niggling suspicion that the woman in the passenger seat was familiar.

“Yup. Said he’s in his truck waiting for ’em to leave.” Red rattled off Jessup’s cell-phone number. “I gave him your number, but you can call him if you want. And Quinn is already in North Carolina. He said you weren’t checked into the motel last night.”

Steve smiled as he remembered the blond. “No, I got waylaid last night.”

“You want him to meet you somewhere?”

“Yeah.” Steve turned in at a fast-food place and gave Red the location. “I’m having breakfast before I hit the road. Have him meet me here.” He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the ignition. “If he’s not going to be able to get here within the next hour, have him call me.”

“Will do.”

Steve tucked his phone into his pocket and climbed out of his truck, locking it behind him. He hated leaving his weapons unattended, but he was parked close enough to keep a watch on them while he ate.

He was in the mood for pancakes. He might hate Shelley’s guts, but the bitch had made the best pancakes. Halfway across the parking lot, he suddenly stopped.

The woman from the truck. He’d finally figured out what was familiar about her. The quick glance he’d caught of her had reminded him of Shelley. She certainly had the same hair color. He was used to picturing her with her hair tied back, not down. It had thrown him off.

Probably coincidence. After all, what were the odds of him seeing a truck that had her as a passenger? Plus, what would Shelley be doing with that guy?