Runt of the Litter (8 page)

“It’s a high risk. This has never been done before.”

“I fucking hate this,” Jack said.

“She’s your mate?”

“Yes.”

“Are you willing to risk everything to help her?”

“You know I am.”

“Then I guess we’re going to have to try.” Paul
slapped him on the back walking into the barn.

Jack didn’t have a choice. He closed and locked the
door. “Is everyone gone?”

“Yes. We’re alone. No one is going to interrupt us.”

Removing his shirt, Jack grabbed the chains from the
center of the room while Paul touched Tori.

“Sorry, I was in the zone,” Tori said, removing the earbuds.
“What’s going on?”

“We’re going to try to call on your wolf,” Paul said.

He didn’t want to use these chains on her, but he
didn’t see a choice. Calling a sleeping wolf was dangerous, and they didn’t
know how she was going to respond to the call.

“Why the
chains?”

“For your
protection as much as ours.
If you try to
attack I don’t want to hurt you. Chaining you is the best solution. Paul’s a
human. We can’t risk him getting hurt. He doesn’t have our blood.”

“How do we know I’ll be able to heal?” Tori asked,
stepping close to him.

“We don’t, but we’re going to find out.”

“I’m scared.”

He cupped her cheek. “I’m here. If you don’t want to
do this, we won’t.”

“I’ve got to do it. You’ll be there, right?”

“I’m going to be the one to call on your wolf.”

She let out a breath. “Man, this seems so scary now.”
He watched her, and she presented her wrists to him. “Chain me up.” She
released a little laugh.

Jack didn’t laugh. Securing the cuffs around her
hands, he made sure she couldn’t get out of them.

“You’re not going to pull them tight.”

“I’m not going to torture you, Tori.” He stared into
her blue eyes, and his wolf came to the surface. Standing still in the recess
of his mind his wolf charged toward him, trying to get out.

Mate.

Mine.

Protect.

Love.

“Jack? What’s happening?”

She started to pant, taking deep breaths. Her chest
rose and fell.

“Jack?” Paul asked.

“Stay back, Paul. I don’t want you coming close. I’ve
only got so much control.” They were bending a shitload of pack laws by doing
this. “Tell me when to stop, Tori.”

“I can feel you, Jack.”

Closing his eyes, he allowed all of his senses to
open. When he opened his eyes he was looking through the eyes of his wolf, and
he saw her wolf. It was the strangest feeling in the world. He saw her wolf
caged within her, locked tight.

“Mine.” He growled the word out, reaching out for the
chains that held her. Wrapping his fingers around the metal he was about to
pull her free.

No! We’ve got to pull her out. Call to her wolf. Draw her out.

Jack fought with himself to do the right thing.

Slowly, his wolf calmed down, realizing they couldn’t
mate with her or help her yet. They were helping her by doing this.

“Jack? What’s happening?” Tori asked.

He was about to answer when she released a scream. It
was filled with pain and tearing apart every one of his senses. She dropped to
the floor with her head looking up screaming in agony.

Her wolf was scouring her claws along the cage, trying
to break free. Each time her claw struck the metal, Tori howled in pain.

“I can’t,” she said, gasping, crying out.

Jack’s wolf called to his mate, demanding she attack.
For so long Tori’s wolf had been locked in a cage, dormant with nothing to
fight for. They were making her fight, and in the process Tori’s body was
breaking apart, shattering.

He watched as she grabbed her head, dropping to the
floor.

Minutes passed—he didn’t know how much time until she
finally screamed for it to stop. The moment he heard those words, his wolf retreated,
curling up into a ball within his mind to tend his own shattered soul. Each
time he heard Tori scream in pain and knew he was the cause, was like taking
fifty lashes of the whip.

Dropping to the mat, he pulled Tori into his body,
holding her close. “I’ve got you. We don’t need to do that again.” He stroked
her soaking wet hair as she sobbed.

“I’ll go and run the bath,” Paul said.

He didn’t answer Paul. The man’s misery was easy to
sense in the air.

“I’ve got you.”

“It hurt, Jack. It hurt so much.”

“I know.”

“Did you see her? She’s never tried to do that
before.”

“It’s not a good thing.”

She turned to look at him. Her eyes were bloodshot as
she stared back at him. “We need to do this.”

“We may need to do this, but I don’t agree to it.” He
dropped a kiss to her head.

Getting to his feet, he lifted her up in his arms.
Jack couldn’t let her go. He needed to hold her tight against him and never let
her go.

“Do you think it’ll work?” she asked.

He carried her out of the barn, holding her close.

Take care of her.

Mate.

Love.

Protect.

“I don’t know.”

It better work. He didn’t know how he was going to
carry on with his life if it didn’t work.

Paul was waiting for them.

“Leave us,” Jack said. “She’s safe with me.”

“Okay.” He hesitated for several seconds before Jack
glared at him.

“I’m not going to do anything. Stop treating me
like
a monster.” He’d never abuse Tori’s trust. Being mates
meant far more than mere sex.

“I’m sorry.”

He waited for Paul to leave before walking into the
bathroom.

“He’s trying to help me, Jack.”

“I know, but I can’t stand this. You’re white as a
sheet, and it looks like you’ve lost fucking weight you didn’t need to lose.”

“I feel like I’m going to be sick.” He had just enough
time to get her to the toilet. Holding her hair back, he listened as she threw
up the casserole he’d made especially for her. This was killing him inside.

She heaved, and he rubbed her back. When she finished
she was shaking with the heaves.

“Crap, I feel like crap.”

He handed her some tissues to wipe her mouth.

“Don’t leave me, Jack.”

“I’m not going to leave you.” He kissed her head again
wishing he could take this pain away from her. Never had he felt so fucking
helpless.
Tori was
his, and he couldn’t make anything
better for her. What kind of mate was he?

“Don’t leave the bathroom either.”

“I can’t be here, Tori.”

“I’ve got underwear on, and it covers everything,
Jack. I trust you. Please, just hold me. Everything feels right when you hold
me.”

He should tell her no.

Just hold her. Nothing is going to happen.

Jack wasn’t even aroused. He didn’t get off on his
mate’s pain.

Stripping down to his boxer briefs, he helped Tori to
her underwear. Lifting her in the water, he settled down behind her, holding
her close, holding her, comforting her.

“This is nice,” she said.

“You’ve got vomit breath.” He reached for her
toothbrush, handing it to her along with a cup. “Brush your teeth.”

“When you find your mate, Jack, she’s going to be so
damned lucky to have you in her life.”

“Don’t talk about mates, Tori.”

“I hope I live long enough to know mine. I’m going to
love him with all my heart and soul.”

“I hope you live long enough as well.”

“Why?” she asked, brushing her teeth.

“Because I know he’s going to love you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He’s going to love you and know he’s the
luckiest son of a bitch in the pack. Those girls you were with in school, they
pale in comparison to your beauty.”

“You say the nicest things, Jack.”

“I mean them.” He grabbed the soap and started washing
her hair. “You’re going to make him so happy.”

You make me so happy, Tori. I love you so damned much, and I’m afraid.
I’m so fucking afraid that I’m going to lose you before you even know the
goddamned truth. I’m in pain here, baby. I’m in pain that you’re hurting and I
can’t do anything to stop it.

He didn’t say anything that he was thinking. Tori fell
asleep as he washed her. Jack didn’t touch her other than to wash her hair. He
picked her up, wrapping her in a towel, and he opened the door.

Paul was waiting.

“You should have left her.”

“If I did she would have fucking drowned. I didn’t
touch her. I’ve got more respect than that.” He carried his mate through to the
bedroom, placing her on the bed under the covers.

When he left the room, Paul was still waiting. “What?”

“How are you handling this?” Paul asked.

“What do you mean?”

“This is hurting Tori, but I didn’t give a thought to
how you’re handling it.”

“I’m doing fine.”

“But it’s killing you?”

“Yes. I need to get some air.” He didn’t put on any
extra clothes. Walking out of the house, he grabbed his cell phone from the
counter. Dialing Marshall’s number, he waited to hear his friend’s voice.

“Are you okay?” Marshall asked, answering the call
immediately.

“No, I’m really not okay. Have you found anything?”
Jack didn’t know how much longer he could handle this.

“We’ve not found anything, but Scarlett, she was
talking to me about something.”

“Tell me, Marshall. I’ll take crazy and fucking insane
right now.”

“Since our mating Scarlett has noticed a difference
within herself. She’s stronger, more alert. Her senses are not as sharp as a wolf’s,
but she’s connected to me. She knows I’m there.”

“So?”

“Well, what if you could mate with Tori?”

“I can’t. It’s against the rules. Paul has told me
that out of everything
that
Tori has learned, she
doesn’t know a single thing about mating. She knows of mates but not how it’s
done. I can’t do it, and how do you know it would work?”

“You’re a beta. If you mate with Tori and you’ve got
that connection, you may be able to help her through the transition.”

“I’ll be banished from the pack,” Jack said.

“Only if Tori
objects
to it.”

Jack stared up at the sky. “I’ve got to think about
this. I can’t just come out and tell her that we’re mates. It’ll scare her, and
she’ll panic, not to mention be pissed off that I’ve not told before now.”

“I can’t guarantee that it’ll work, but I thought
you’d like the chance to think it through. Jack, you don’t have to tell her in
order to mate.”

“Thank you.”

He closed his cell phone, staring up at the sky.

“What was that?” Paul asked.

“Marshall thinks if I mate with her the connection
between us would help her through.”

“Do you think it’s that simple?”

“I’ll be risking banishment from the pack unless Tori
agrees
.”

“Fuck, it’s a risk.”

“I know.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I really don’t know.” Staring up at the sky, Jack
knew he was going to do it. He’d do anything to help his mate. “I can’t risk
telling her.”

“Then don’t, at least not right now. If she knows,
it’ll put too much pressure on her. She’s told me she’s thankful she doesn’t
have a mate, Jack. Finding out the truth will destroy her.”

Jack wasn’t going to tell her. He didn’t know what he
was going to do.

Chapter Eight

“Where’s Jack?” Tori asked.

Paul was in the kitchen chopping up some fruit. “He’s
outside breaking up logs.”

“It was bad last night, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was bad.”

“I know you don’t approve of Jack being with me in the
bathroom.”

“It’s not like that at all, honey. Jack’s a little
older than you—”

“Please, save it. Jack wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.
I know him.” She touched Paul’s hand. “I’m going to go and see him. He really
struggled last night.”

“We all struggled last night. We’re not going to try
it for a couple of weeks.”

“I feel fine.”

“No, Tori, you don’t look fine.” He handed her a
sandwich. “Eat. You need to keep your strength up.”

She took the sandwich, biting into the bread on her
way out the door. The sun was beaming down and already swelteringly hot. She
found Jack in a pair of jeans that were cut off at the knee. He wasn’t wearing
a shirt as he raised an axe above his head. The pile of logs was off to his
side, and it didn’t look like there was any need for more.

“Hey,” she said.

He looked up at her.

“You look like shit.”

“Charming.
You stink like shit,” she said, taking a seat on the pile of logs that
was secured with rope. She finished the sandwich while she watched him.

“We can’t do that again,” Jack said.

“What? Bathe together.”

The axe split the wood in half sending it off in
either direction. “No.
Forcing your wolf.”

“But the bath is up for negotiation?”

“For fuck’s
sake, Tori, enough with the jokes.”

“Why? Because it got a little hard for you, Jack? We
all knew this was going to be difficult. Nothing’s changed.”

“Everything is changing, Tori. You don’t even see it.”
He dropped the axe, rubbing a hand down his face.

“I know this is hard for y—”

“You don’t know shit, Tori. This is dangerous. You
were screaming in agony. I’ll never forget the way you sounded.”

“Then walk away,” she said, standing up. She stormed
over toward him. Pressing a finger against his chest, she stared into his eyes.
“If it’s too much just walk away.”
She was breaking up
inside, and she didn’t understand why. When it came to Jack he made her feel
things that she didn’t even understand.

“You don’t understand what you’re telling me.”

“It’s easy, Jack. Just walk away.”

“I can’t.” He cupped her cheek, running his thumb
across her bottom lip. “I can’t just walk away from you. I’m here for however
long it takes.” He pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms.

She inhaled his spicy scent along with the pack. He
smelled perfect to her, like home.

Her wolf perked up, running her body against the bars
of the cage.

Mate.

Mine.

Jack growled. “Stop it, Tori.”

“I don’t know what’s happening.”

“Calm her down.”

Closing her eyes, she sensed her wolf about to strike
out at the cage to get out, to get to … what? Jack?

Confused, Tori stepped away, staring at Jack.

He was panting, and his eyes were
a
dark
amber.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Tori.
I’m not walking away from you, so don’t even think of asking.”

He reached for his shirt, wiping away the sweat across
his forehead.

“Spend the day with me,” she said.

“After last night you want to train again?”

“No, I want to spend the day with you without
training.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Please, Jack. I just want to have some fun.”

He stared at her for several moments.
“Fun?”

“Yes, fun.
Something to take my mind
off this.”
She pointed toward the barn. “Let’s go and have some fun.”

“I’ll talk to Paul.”

She watched him walk toward the house unable to take
her gaze off his ass. He had a very nice ass.

The time passed, and she couldn’t hear Jack or Paul
talking. At night she noticed they played music while they talked. She wasn’t
an idiot and knew they talked about her. The transition was getting closer with
every passing day, and with it the fear inside her was increasing.

The other day she’d talked to her parents, and they’d
been asking her how she felt. Even as she talked with them, she’d sensed the
fear in them as well. They were scared of losing her.

“What did he say?” she asked.

Jack was buttoning up a shirt. “He’s cool with it, but
he’s told me to keep my shirt on.”

She laughed. “Why? You look good without a shirt.”

He opened the door to the truck, and she took the hand
he offered. “That’s what I said.”

Tori couldn’t stop laughing as he climbed into the
truck. “I could just imagine Paul giving you the evil eye.”

“You’re calling him Paul now?”

“Yeah.
With you around it seems really strange to be calling him Uncle all the
time.” She settled down as he pulled out of the ranch heading toward town.
“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know. I figured we could just drive.”

“I’d like that.”

Opening the window, she leaned out loving the breeze
rushing over her. Neither of them spoke as he drove. She watched the scenery
change from the expanse of fields until they entered the edge of town. The
houses were a little smaller, and people were walking around the streets. She
smiled, watching them live their lives.

For a short time she wondered what it would be like to
be living life like them. They didn’t have any fear of their birthday or the
possible transition. She passed a couple who were wrapped in each other’s arms,
kissing passionately.

Releasing a sigh, she yearned for something like that,
something so powerful and consuming that it took her breath away.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Nothing.”
She didn’t want to tell him what was going on inside her head. It
sounded too childish even to her.

“You can tell me anything, Tori.”

“I know. There are some things I just want to keep to
myself. I know I can trust you with everything.”

He parked up outside of a salon.

“Why are we here?” she asked.

“I’m going to treat you to a spa day, and I’m going to
wait for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.
I’m going to wait outside in the waiting area while you pamper
yourself. You deserve it.”

“Jack, I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you would be nice.” He climbed out of the truck
before she got a chance to speak.

He’d surprised her.

She turned as he opened the door for her. “Come on.”

Jack took her hand leading the way inside. She stood
watching him, amazed as he organized
her an
appointment. At first the woman behind the counter tried to give him the
runaround. When he offered to pay double she was shocked.

“Can you afford this?”

“For you, I can afford anything.” He turned back to
the assistant. “Make sure she’s well taken care of.”

He took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “I’ll be right
here if you need me.”

“Jack, this is too much.”

“No, it’s just right. You need to relax.”

She followed the assistant toward a changing room.
Tori didn’t know what to say but she did know one thing, she was falling in
love with Jack, and that wasn’t fair of her. She couldn’t be with him, but her
feelings were getting harder to ignore. Part of her had always been in love
with Jack. Being the runt of the litter she’d tried to ignore the feelings he
inspired inside her. Nothing good could come of them together.

Just because nothing good could come of them together
didn’t stop her yearning for things to be different.

****

The months were hard for Jack after taking Tori to the
spa. She deserved the chance to treat herself, but it didn’t make the training
any less hard to bear. Throughout it all she fought like a hellcat, kicking and
screaming. He felt cruel with each training session. They called on her wolf
once a week saving it for a Friday night so she had the weekend to recover.

Jack watched her walk into school wishing there was
something he could do, anything. She was losing weight, and no matter how much
they were feeding her nothing seemed to stick with her.

Gritting his teeth he waited until she disappeared
into the school grounds before turning the truck around. She wasn’t drawing
attention to herself, and they’d not been called by the school for a lack of
nourishment. Jack had seen a difference in her clothes. The clothes she wore to
work out in were hanging off her frame.

Parking up outside of the ranch, he walked into the
kitchen to find Paul hanging up.

“Another dead
end.
The runt in this litter was killed in childbirth.
They didn’t get her to the hospital in time, and both the mother and baby
died.” He crossed off another lead they thought they had.

“She’s getting stronger and yet weaker. The complete
opposite of everything we’re trying to do.” Her senses were stronger, more
alert, but she was getting physically weaker. Her birthday was getting closer.

“The closer we get to the transition the effects are
taking its toll.”

“We’re not helping. Calling her wolf is slowly killing
her.” Jack slammed his fist against the wall. He welcomed any kind of pain
right now. His wolf was dying little by little with each passing week.

“I don’t know what else to suggest right now, Jack.
All of these leads, they’re drying up. I can’t help her.”

He turned to look at the older man. Paul’s shoulders
were slumped as he looked at the writing pad.

“We’re not giving up.”

“I’m not giving up,” Paul said. “I’m starting to think
I gave her the wrong kind of hope. I can’t help her. I can’t even turn into a
fucking wolf. I’ve ruined her last few months on this earth. Her parents should
slaughter me.”

Jack shook his head. “No, we’re not out of options
yet.”

“There’s only one, and like you said, it breaks the
rules of the pack.”

Tapping his fingers on the chair, Jack knew there
wasn’t any other choice. It was either break the rules of his pack for a chance
with his mate, or kill his mate. The options were against him.

“I can’t do it before the summer,” he said. “We’re
going back home, and the pack would know when I mated. I can’t tell her either.
We’ve run out of time to tell her. It’ll only upset and distract her, and I
need her to be focused. If she loses any of that focus right now, I could lose
her for good. I’m not willing to risk it right now. I’m being selfish right
now, but the less she
knows,
the fucking better.”

“You’re going to do it? Break
pack
rules?”

“Paul, we’re out of options. You’ve got to realize I’m
willing to risk and break every fucking rule in the book to make sure Tori
survives
.” Jack bit his lip as he started to think. “I can’t
do it right away.”

“When?”

“It’ll have to be after our last visit, a month before
her transition. I can’t do it any sooner.”

Paul let out a breath. “I know this isn’t what you
want to do.”

“I don’t want to have to think about being banished
from my pack. For Tori, it’ll be worth it.” Staring at the table, Jack moved
back. “I’ve got to make a phone call.”

Leaving the house, he stepped toward the barn. It was
a private barn, and he walked inside. The scent of Tori’s agony was still in
the air tearing him up inside. Pulling his cell phone out, he dialed Marshall’s
number.

“Hello,” Scarlett said.

“Hey, could you put Marshall on?”

“Sure.”

They didn’t linger over pleasantries.

“What’s up?” Marshall asked.

“I’m going to do it,” Jack said.

“Are you sure?”

“There’s no other choice. It’s the best solution we’ve
got.”

“Jack, this is serious. They could lock you up, banish
you, kill you,” Marshall said.

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Jack nodded.
“I know. I can’t, erm, we’re not going to do it until she’s at her transition.
No one can know, Marshall. I’m telling you to let you know what’s going on.”