Sassy Ever After: Wise Sass Mates (Kindle Worlds Novella) (8 page)

B
ianca trembled in her bonds
.

Zach had brought her back to his basement apartment and tied her up with a thin, but surprisingly strong nylon rope.

Now he paced the floor in front of her, the fluorescent overhead lights shining in his dark hair and making his cheekbones look sharper than ever.

At least he’d had the decency to put on a pair of jeans so she didn’t have to stare at his package.

The nerve. He probably thought Bianca was shaking with fear. He was wrong.

She was shivering with rage.

And something else as well. Her whole body had that feeling she sometimes got at night, where she couldn’t keep her legs still.

“Where is the
treasure
?” Zach demanded for about the hundredth time.

“I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about,” Bianca answered, enunciating each syllable carefully as if she were talking to a kindergarten class, although she imagined most kindergarten classes went a little lighter on the f-bombs.

“Then why were you breaking into that house?” he asked.

“We wanted to get the journal, it’s an important historical document,” she told him.

“You don’t break into places to get historical documents,” he said.

“
You
don’t break into places to get historical documents,” she corrected him sweetly.

“Where’s the goddamned treasure?” he yelled, his face marred with fury.

How could she have ever thought he was handsome?

“What makes you think there’s any treasure?” she asked.

“Angus Wolfe said so. He was drunk at the Seven Veils and he was yelling about it. I had to bring him outside so he didn’t tell the whole world,” Zach said.

“What exactly did he say?” Bianca asked.

“He said he had found something in the files, something that would lead to treasure, the most remarkable discovery of our time,” Zach said.

Bianca gasped, realizing that Wolfe
had
meant the journal. Only someone as stupid as Zach Greenfield would think he meant literal treasure.

“What?” Zach asked.

“Nothing, that’s just… amazing,” Bianca said.

If she told him there was no treasure, she wasn’t sure what he might do.

She hoped he wouldn’t kill her.

“Zach, what are you going to do with me?” she asked.

“I’m going to find out where my fucking treasure is,” he said.

“No, I mean, once you find it. Then what?” she asked.

Zach knelt by her side.

She looked purposefully away from him, but he brought his hand under her chin and tuned her to face him.

His eyes were burning yellow.

“Then, my little piglet, you’re going to have the night of your dreams. Anderson might have marked you but I’m going to cover his bite with mine. You’re the luckiest girl in Blue Creek, Bianca Silver. You’re going to cook my meals and suck my cock every night for the rest of your life,” he said with a sneer.

Bianca fought the urge to vomit.

“Y-you don’t even like me,” she stammered.

He pressed her hand to his crotch. Beneath his jeans, a monstrous erection strained for her hand.

“I don’t have to like you. I just have to want you,” he told her. “You’re a disgusting little know-it-all, but I’ve always wanted you. And now you’re mine.”

A strange sound filled her ears.

It was as if she had been submerged in water, and she was listening to a building on the shore being demolished.

Bianca’s vision blurred around the edges.

And her sense of smell expanded beyond anything she had ever imagined before.

She could smell what Zach had eaten for breakfast through the light sweat on his forehead. She could smell the fabric softener in his jeans, the acrid flavor of her own fear, and the mold in the walls of the basement room.

“Ohhh,” the sound of the air rushing out of Zach Greenfield’s lungs was like a symphony of repulsiveness.

Without really thinking about it, Bianca lunged at his neck and bit down hard.

Her teeth sunk into his skin like a fork popping the casing of a well done sausage, and her jaw locked down on the tendons that connected his head to his spine.

Zach tried to wriggle away, but she leapt on top of him.

Only then did she register the fact that she had paws instead of hands.

That was why the ropes weren’t holding her anymore.

She had shifted.

Bianca was a wolf.

A pain in her own neck alerted her to the fact that her enemy had a weapon. Her knife. He shoved it repeatedly into her, until she saw red before her eyes, but still she hung on.

The sound from Zach devolved into a gurgling coo that jangled in her sensitive ears, so Bianca shook him like a rag doll to stop the horrid sound.

Another scent joined the mix - this one warm and lovely, like a wood fire on a chilly winter night.

A moment later, the window above them broke open and a silvery shape leapt in.

Bianca dropped her enemy to greet her mate.

Blood flowed from her neck and muzzle and dripped onto the floor below. She stood proudly. Her mate would see that she was brave. He would be so pleased with her.

But as he rose into a man, she smelled the anguish on him.

“Oh god, Bianca, I’m sorry,” he whispered.

The words bounced around in her head, meaningless in her confusion. In her wolf form, she understood his body language better. It spoke of shame and sorrow.

Bianca whined and lowered herself to the ground. Something beneath her moved. She realized belatedly that it was her own tail, tucked between her legs.

I
an sat
on a chair beside the bed in the girls’ big mid-century modern house on Forest Lane, morning sunlight streaming through the big window.

Addison was at the hospital with Mei, who was getting stitches and pain relief after her attack.

Meanwhile, Bianca had been asleep for hours. As soon as she’d passed out, she had shifted back to her human form.

Unfortunately that made it harder for her to heal.

Her bleeding had stopped but she was still out cold.

Ian had brought her back to the house where her friends were staying. If she wasn’t up by 8 AM, he would have to bring her to the hospital and risk them discovering that she was a shifter.

“Bianca, my angel, please, please come back to me,” he whispered.

She slept on, her lashes kissing her pale cheeks.

She looked so young. She
was
so young.

His heart ached.

Why had he ruined everything?

He knew now that Zach Greenfield had invited Bianca to the scenting ceremony. It wasn’t her choice to come looking for Ian. It wasn’t his choice to pull her into his lifestyle.

He’d been so happy, so hopeful for their future.

But the way she had cowered before him in her beautiful white wolf form was terrible. She was unhappy. And he couldn’t bear it.

“Please, darling, if you won’t come back to me, just shift. Shift once more so that you can heal. I’ll leave you alone. You’ll never have to see me again,” he promised her, though his wolf howled in his chest.

She sighed.

Then suddenly, she was melting into the sheets.

And before his eyes, a beautiful white wolf slept on.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her silken ear.

Satisfied that she would at least be physically okay, he dozed off in the chair at last.

When Addison came home with Mei, he excused himself and went back to his house.

It tore his heart to leave Bianca, but he had promised. And some part of her had heard him and honored her end of the pact.

He drove home slowly. Flashes of harsh sunlight stabbed into the car from between the overhanging trees, as if he were driving through strobe lights at a dance club, when he’d rather be at a funeral.

He wondered at the purpose of his good job and pretty house now. Wondered what he was supposed to do with the sea of love that still threatened to overflow his heart.

B
ianca held
her hands over her eyes.

Though the last few days had been darker than any she’d ever known, she was grateful to her friends for trying to cheer her up.

“Okay, you can open them,” Mei shouted.

Bianca opened her eyes and then grinned.

“Guys, wow,” she said.

She was back in her own third floor apartment. But it looked nothing like the trashed mess it had been when she’d last seen it.

The cozy little flat was clean again, and her furniture was all right side up and arranged properly.

But now there was so much more. There were throw pillows and blankets, plants and curtains.

Best of all, there was a canvas print over the mantel - a blown up picture of the three of them from spring break, smiling in front of the tent they had managed to raise together on their camping trip.

“It’s amazing. It’s… it’s totally amazing,” she breathed.

“We love you, Bianca. It’s been hard, and we know you want your space, but we want you to know that we adore you and we’ll be here for you,” Addison said in her soft voice.

They all flopped down on the sofa.

“So, what now?” Mei asked. “Popcorn and a movie?”

Bianca wanted to be excited, she really did.

But somehow, since Ian had disappeared, she felt like all the light was out of the world, as if her very soul were missing.

She would have called such sentiments melodramatic, if they weren’t so true.

The worst part was, she didn’t even know why he had left.

She presumed it was likely because she had brutally attacked another member of his pack, but she wasn’t sure what else she should have done.

Maybe if she had more experience being a wolf, then she would have found another way out. But she didn’t.

And he hadn’t even given her the chance to explain. He’d just left.

It certainly didn’t leave her in the mood for a movie night.

The doorbell rang before she had time to think of an excuse.

The girls all looked at each other in confusion. Bianca had been staying with them during her recovery. She’d only spent one night in this apartment since they’d arrived, so she hardly expected guests.

Her heart leapt in her chest, hoping it would be Ian.

“I’ll get it,” Addison said, dashing off before either of the others could get up.

Bianca was disappointed before she even returned. She knew another shifter had joined them. But it wasn’t her mate.

Addison came in leading a slight blonde woman with bright blue eyes.

“This is Mrs. Wolfe, the pack alpha sent her to talk with you,” Addison said.

“It’s Barbara, honey. Please don’t get up,” the lady said kindly. “After what you went through we figured another man bursting down your door was the last thing you needed. I’m here to catch you up.”

“Um, thank you,” Bianca said.

“First of all, you did a number on Zachary Greenfield, you should be very proud of yourself. For a newborn shifter you knocked it out of the park, kiddo. Unfortunately, you didn’t quite take him all the way out, so he shifted, and now he’s very nearly healed. He’s before the pack council now. If he survives that, he’ll be taken into police custody.
If
,” Barbara emphasized, smiling at Bianca like she’d won the lottery.

A shiver went down Bianca’s spine.

“Secondly, you’re probably wondering what happened with the house you broke into. As a matter of fact, the Peterson’s owed my husband a favor, so they have decided not to press charges,” she said sternly. “But I hope you don’t make a habit of this kind of thing.”

Bianca had been so lost in her own grief she hadn’t even thought about the consequences of the break-in. But she could tell by the relief on her friends’ faces that they had not forgotten.

“We won’t,” she assured Mrs. Wolfe. “I promise.”

“Good. By the way, the journal you found not only supported your friend’s theory about President Jackson, but it also contained accounts of several other shifters of note, famous personalities who were mated into their gift, but for one reason or another didn’t want to have their status recorded in the official Historical Files. Truly the journal is a treasure trove of information. We are deeply grateful to you for finding it.

“We were also grateful to know about my nephew Angus’s ‘accident.’ It turns out Zach put a silver bracelet on him,” she said, her voice cold. “As soon as it was removed he was able to shift and heal properly. He’ll be by to thank you himself sooner or later, though he’ll likely thank you for saving the journal before he thanks you for saving his life.”

Barbara chuckled.

Bianca gave Addison a meaningful look. She knew her friend was so committed to historical documents, that she’d likely do the same in Angus’s position.

“Finally,” Barbara continued, “you’re now not only a resident of Blue Creek, but also a shifter. So it’s my honor to officially welcome you to the pack. We know you’re still recovering but I expect you’ll stop by the house to meet my family and have supper with us as soon as you’re up to it.” Barbara smiled. “My girls would like you, I think.”

“I thought you only had one daughter,” Bianca said.

“Oh, my boys have been busy, so I’ve got girls now too - daughters-in-law,” Barbara smiled, her eyes twinkling.

There was a pause, during which Bianca smiled, and Barbara patted her knee.

“Speaking of which,” Barbara continued, “there is the matter of Ian Anderson.”

She paused again, letting his name hang in the air.

Bianca fought back her tears, the lump in her throat too big to swallow.

“He’s a good man,” Barbara told Bianca sternly. “He’s loved you for a long time. Is there a reason you’ve rejected him?”

“Re-rejected him?” Bianca echoed in confusion.

“He called the school this morning,” Barbara said. “Told them to call in a long-term substitute teacher. He’s completely crushed, Bianca. I know he’s older than you, but I wish you would give him a chance.”

“He-he left me. He doesn’t want me anymore. I haven’t seen him since that night…” Bianca couldn’t continue.

“Is this true?” Barbara spun around to ask Addison and Mei, her blue eyes blazing.

“Yes, ma’am,” Mei replied.

Barbara was on her feet instantly, pacing the room.

“Young people. So adorable but so foolish. It’s another stupid misunderstanding, but this one could have had terrible consequences,” she muttered. “And
you
, Bianca. You were supposed to be so smart.”

“I’m sorry,” Bianca said helplessly.

She heard Addison clear her throat.

Crap.

Fuck that stupid no-apology thing.

“No, darling, you did nothing wrong. And if you kids weren’t so foolish there’d be nothing for me to do.”

Barbara stopped, perching back on the couch and meeting Bianca’s gaze.

“Do you love him?” the older woman asked.

“Yes,” Bianca nodded, hoping her seriousness came through.

“Then reach out to him,” Barbara said.

“Like, through our mate bond?” Bianca asked, wondering how that worked.

Barbara threw her head back and laughed.

“I meant with a phone, but you can try the mate bond thing, go on.”

Bianca smiled sheepishly.

But she closed her eyes and called to him anyway. Couldn’t hurt to try.

Nothing happened.

She closed her eyes and tried again.

Ian
, she said into the darkness.

Nothing.

But Bianca was not taking no for an answer.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and pictured her mate: fur of silver, eyes of gold.

Come back to me,
she begged.

There was a tug on her heart, as if it were attached to a leash.

Then nothing.

She opened her eyes.

Mei and Addison were studying her aptly. Barbara was smiling.

“Is he coming, honey?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’d better call him on the phone,” Bianca said sheepishly.

“We’ll give you some privacy to do that,” Barbara said immediately. “Come on girls, let’s go get a milkshake.”

Bianca sat in silence for a moment.

Then she slid her phone out of her pocket and stared at it, bracing herself.

Barbara had said Ian loved her. But was it true? Or had he changed his mind?

She pulled up his contact and was about to press
call
when the doorbell rang again.

The girls had probably forgotten something and they were just ringing the bell to let her know they were coming up, so they didn’t accidentally eavesdrop on her conversation.

But when she didn’t hear footsteps on the stairs, Bianca put her phone back in her pocket and headed down to the porch.