Territory (26 page)

The simple statement was more chilling to her blood than the look she’d seen in his eyes at the café. She threw up her mental barrier, blocking him out. She’d heard enough.

Christ, he’s gonna kill me.
Kya panted as she continued her trek through town. Luckily, it was night and if the few teenagers she’d passed who had whistled at her and slapped their knees trying to get her to come to them were any indication, she was confident that anyone who saw her darting through the neighborhood would assume she was a dog.

Countless miles and an hour and a half later, Kya arrived at her destination. She scanned the grounds of the desolate self-storage facility yard before hopping into the bed of a nearby abandoned truck and vaulting over the fence.

Inside the fenced yard she shifted behind a row of storage units and, naked, she approached the locker she’d rented, cursing herself for not having begged Chloe or Briggs to teach her their ability to generate clothing with the shift to human form.

Kya punched her personalized pin number into the pad next to the lock and waited for the light to switch to green before yanking on the handle to noisily lift the door.

Shoving the door down behind her, she hit the light and found the suitcase she’d stowed within. She dressed quickly and pulled out a purse containing the I.D., cash, and toiletries she’d need for her trip. She shivered as she dug blindly through her purse until her hand closed around the hard square object she’d been searching for. Pulling out the pay-as-you-go cell phone, Kya flipped it open and dialed the taxi service she’d already pre-programmed.

Nice manners!
Kya scoffed at the phone. Shoving the phone back into her purse, Kya zipped up the suit case and rolled it to the door as she fidgeted nervously unsure whether or not to remain hiding inside or risk being seen outside.

Better to have the chance at running.
Kya bent and grabbed the handle, hauling the door up. She scanned the vacant yard before exiting the storage unit.

After forty minutes of nervous fidgeting and constant scanning of her surroundings, Kya was nearly ready to give up hope on the cab when she saw lights flashing in the distance. She ducked behind a line of storage sheds, not wanting to be revealed by the approaching headlights in case it wasn’t her cab. She hid in the shadow until she heard the slight squeak of breaks at the front gate and then a car door open and close.

Finally!
Kya stooped to pick up her suitcase and as she stepped out from behind the shed, her mouth and suitcase both fell. Brigg’s black truck was parked just outside the gate, motor running, lights on, with him nowhere in sight.

Kya’s heart hammered in her chest as she scanned the area, slowly and silently backing from the area. She listened for the slightest noise, ready to shift and run, but the rush of her own blood and the sound of her heart hammering were deafening.

She took a deep breath and was just about to pulse out with her powers to shift, when a steel hand clamped around her wrist and spun her around.

“Briggs!” Kya gasped.

Chapter
33

If his steely black eyes were any indication, he was pissed. “Going somewhere?” His eyes dropped to the suitcase at Kya’s feet.

She couldn’t deny it. They both knew she was running from him again. “Briggs, don’t do this.” Kya took a step back feebly attempting to pull her arm free. “We…I thought…we cleared this up at the cabin.”

“What I remember was a one sided conversation.”

“Briggs, please! You’re hurting me!” Kya tugged harder on her arm.

“Hurting
you
? Just what do you think
I’ve
been going through for the past two months? You may not be aware of this, but it physically pains mates to be separated for long periods of time.”

Kya twisted her arm in attempt to wrest her hand free of his vice-like grip. Briggs wouldn’t relent as he stepped closer and pulled her into his chest. He stood towering over her, his features growing darker by the minute.

“In case you’re not aware, I’m a wolf.” Briggs growled. “And in case no one’s ever told you, wolves mate for life.”

Kya sucked in a sharp breath, shaking her head as she looked up at him, her free hand shoving at the solid wall that was his chest. “But you said you didn’t want a mate. I was just freeing you from your obligation.”

“Sounds more like you were freeing yourself from
your
obligations.”

Now it was Kya’s turn to be angry. Her brows bunched over her thin nose and she frowned up at him. “My obligations? What are you talking about?”

Briggs’ lips twisted into a cruel smile as he leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers. “I’m talking about your obligation to be my mate. I’m talking about loyalty and trust. Did you honestly believe that I would just let you walk out on me after I’d claimed you in front of my family?”

Kya sobered, “Is that what this is about? You saving face to your family? Well get over it. I’m leaving!” Kya jerked her arm in attempt to free herself, but Briggs only held tighter. One arm clamping at the hollow of her back.

“You can hate me, you can scream at me, hell you can even hit me,” Briggs ground out between clenched teeth, “But you’ll never leave me again!”

Kya twisted her arm free frowning up at Briggs. As he finally released her, she stepped back rubbing her wrist. She dropped her eyes and lowered her voice, the fight leaving her. “I’m tired of running.”

“Then don’t.” His eyes drifted down to where she was rubbing her wrist and lingered there for a moment. Kya looked up and thought she saw regret flash in his eyes before he turned from her abruptly and ground out, “Get in the truck.”

When Kya didn’t move he turned to her scowling. “I’ve been chasing you for months and I haven’t slept in days. I can either influence you with my exhaustion and carry your unconscious body to the truck, or you can walk.”

Fuck!
Kya balled her hands into tight fists and after several tense moments strode angrily to the truck. Briggs picked up her suitcase and followed.

They rode in silence for several hours before Briggs finally slanted her a glance. Seeing a glisten in her eyes before she turned her head from him, his anger faded marginally.

“How did you find me?” Kya asked to the window.

“When you sleep, you unknowingly drop the barrier that usually keeps me out. Because you keep the barrier up most of the day, your subconscious has to digest all your thoughts at night. I just had to stay up while you slept, which has made it difficult to hunt you.”

Kya snorted, “Hunt me?”

“Yes,
hunt
you. I never imagined you be such formidable prey.”

Kya turned angry eyes on him. “Actually it’s not. Running is trying to get away from someone that’s chasing you. Leaving is just…leaving.”

Briggs’ scowl deepened, “Well now that you cleared that up.”

Kya threw her hands up. “Look, I don’t know what it is you want me to say. We were thrown together by hideous circumstances and we just happened to be mates. Neither of us wanted the obligation, so it only made sense that once we got everything…straightened out that we’d go our separate ways.”

Kya crossed her arms over chest and turned to frown out the window, watching as small drops began to splatter on the glass, the skies darkening the further north they drove. “If you remember,
I
was the one that asked Dell how we could turn it off.”

“I’m not talking about then.”

Oh God, don’t say it!

“I’m talking about the night we shared at the cabin.”

Kya’s cheeks stung with embarrassment and she shook her head, clenching her hands so tightly that her nails bit half crescents into her palms as she whispered, “I can’t believe you’re throwing that in my face. Funny thing is I don’t remember you saying ‘no’ either.”

“Look, I’m not throwing anything in your face,” Briggs countered quickly. “I’m just trying to point out that when you left me on the floor you said that you loved me, which leads me to believe that you’re not as eager to be free of our mate bonds as you’re pretending to be.”

“God, you know what? I’m done with this conversation.” Kya kicked her feet up onto the dash and scooted lower in her seat, tucking her chin into her shoulder. She could feel Briggs looking at her out of the corner of his eye, so she squared her shoulders more evenly with her window in an effort to avoid his gaze.

Kya sat up and stretched before pulling off her jacket and leaning over to curl up on the bench-seat, using her jacket as a blanket. It wasn’t lost on Briggs that she curled into a ball with her head close to his lap but not quite touching.

“Just do it.”

Briggs took a deep breath then Kya felt the overwhelming heat swamp her. It only took a second before his exhaustion claimed her and her eyes slid closed.

Kya’s sleep, though overwhelmingly exhausting, was restless. Finally caught and able to rest easy knowing that she was no longer being pursued, she fell into a slumber deeper than any she’d ever experienced.

She dreamt of Theron and Reiner. She dreamt of the torture she’d endured at their hands and running from them. A deep rumble like thunder stirred her from that dream and had her mind quickly transitioning to her life in North Carolina. The dream shifted from one scene to the other like ripples on water. When the ripples finally settled, she could see the soft grass, tromped down to form a small impression where she’d bedded down each night in the Carolina hills. It was night. She looked up and was startled to see a full moon. How had she lost track of an approaching full moon?

Kya approached her bed and suddenly realized she wasn’t in her wolf form, but still human. Her eyes shot up again to the moon hanging low, bright, and full in the black night sky.

She dropped her gaze, her features bunching with worry.
I should have changed. Why am I still human?
Looking down, she was distracted by a pool of creamy silken folds at her bare feet. Scanning down the length of her body, she saw that her petite frame was draped in a creamy form fitting satin gown. Two paper-thin straps held up the low-cut bodice the clung to her breasts, her warm honey colored skin a stark contrast to the cream-colored gown.

“My God you’re beautiful.”

Kya spun at the voice and was startled to find Briggs standing with her in the clearing.

His eyes traveled slowly down the length of her then just as slowly back up. He took in the way the satin gown flared in cascades from her hips. His eyes skimmed appreciatively over the mounds of her breasts peeking out of the bodice. Her dark brown hair was brushed to a gloss and fell in long soft waves on either side of her face. Her full pink lips sent a quiver of excitement shooting through Briggs before he tore his eyes from her mouth to meet her eyes.

The dark warm pools reflecting her confusion as her finely shaped brows knitted over her pixie nose. Kya shook her head in confusion, taking in the perfectly tailored black suit Briggs wore. The white shirt peeking out from underneath the dark jacket and black tie was accentuated by the brightness of the reflecting moon. His hair was brushed back, and even with the slight warm magnolia scented breeze that wafted between them not a single hair on his head was out of place. He smiled his appreciation of her, his even white teeth shining a bit menacingly in the darkness.

“What are you doing here?” Kya slowly backed away from his approaching form.

“I’ve missed you.” Briggs stated simply, slowly stalking her.

“I-I don’t think you should be here.” Kya kept backing up, lifting a hand to her temple in an effort to remember how and why she was in the Carolina hills.

“No,” Kya whimpered pushing at the wall of his chest, “I don’t remember.” She shoved at his chest, but he effortlessly bent and swung her up into his arms.

“It’s alright my love.” He bent to nuzzle her neck. “It’s our wedding day remember?”

Kya’s heart slammed into her chest as her belly dropped.

That can’t be true. This isn’t real.
Kya pulled back and starred up at Briggs, tears stinging the back of her eyes.
This isn’t Briggs. He doesn’t even smell the same.

As if conjured up by her thoughts Kya was swamped by the overwhelming scent she knew to be only his. The heady scent enveloped her making her light headed.

“It
is
me, and it is true. We are married. You are mine forever.”