Were She Belongs (27 page)

“How does 300,000 volts feel?” he asked, laughing. All Lexi could do was lie there and wait until the pain and shakes wore off.

Closing her eyes, darkness overtook her.

* * * *

“Why the hell did you hit her with that shit?” Stratton asked as Vercoff laid her body down on the bed.

“I had no choice. She was going to run, and the prisoners were getting rowdy.” Vercoff gently placed a loose strand of hair back behind Lexi’s ear.

“Get your hands off of her. She’s mine!” Stratton shoved Vercoff out of the way and sat on the bed next to Lexi as she slept. He checked her pulse again to be sure the moron hadn’t accidentally killed her. Lexi was petite, and the weapon was only supposed to be used against weres or very large men.

Barvon entered the room. “Get out of here. You nearly destroyed everything.”

Stratton ignored the disturbance behind him as he stared at Lexi.

He caressed her forehead and then her cheek.

“She is lovely, isn’t she, Barvon?”

Barvon now stood beside the bed watching his alpha. “Yes, sir, she is extraordinary. I can see why you have worked so hard to find her.”

Stratton smiled.

“Be sure to keep all guards on watch. Although the Sinclairs shouldn’t know where we are, I wouldn’t underestimate their powers.

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Especially if the rumors are true that Feldman is with them.” Stratton brought Lexi’s fingertips to his lips before slowly sucking each digit, one by one, into his mouth. With his eyes closed, he moaned,

“Delicious,” then placed the palm of her hand against his chest and over his heart.

“Do you plan to take her now, sir, or will you wait until she wakes?” Barvon asked.

Stratton was silent a moment as he used his free hand to caress over Lexi’s curves. He sniffed the air, then growled low.

“I can smell them on her.”

“Do you want me to get the maids to bathe her, sir?”

He was silent a moment. The thought of bathing her himself made his beast anxious. As much as he wanted her awake and willing, the possibility of her committing consciously was null to none. However, if he told her that her men were dead and that he would kill the remaining members of their pack unless she committed to him, then he could sway her decision. Lexi had been full of surprises and spunk considering she had such a difficult life. Knowing she was out there living on the streets trying to survive and stay pure for him was torture in itself. Taking his time now was more difficult than he expected.

But he couldn’t claim her and impregnate her when she still smelled of them.

“Send for them now. I want her smelling heavenly and dressed accordingly for the ceremony.”

“Ceremony, sir?”

Stratton laid her hand back down on the bed, then let her long brown hair slide between his fingers. “Yes…ceremony. It will be official, so make sure Pragan is present.”

Barvon bowed his head. “Yes, sir. I will take care of it.” He quickly headed out of the room.

Stratton stayed beside Lexi as she slept. “I will provide you with everything you ever dreamed of, Lexi. You deserve a better life than
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what you have led. The finest jewels, the best clothes, and a house full of pups, hopefully males, to continue to reign and protect my throne.”

He leaned down and kissed her lips. His beast stirred, thirsty for more of her. He couldn’t resist kissing along her neck until he came across the obvious signs that she was mated to the triplets. His breathing increased to a rapid speed. He wanted them dead…all of them destroyed.

He heard the knock at the door and knew it had to be the maids.

“Open,” he stated as they entered the doorway, approaching from behind him. He rose from his position and moved out of the way.

“We will take care of everything, sir,” Isa stated, bowing her head.

He nodded before watching three maids carry Lexi into the bathroom.

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Lexi awoke to the sound of a hair dryer. She jumped from her seat, and two women grabbed for her. Dizziness overtook her as she fell back into the seat while trying to adjust her eyes.

She was in some sort of sitting room with a large mirror and vanity. It was like something out of a magazine. Instantly, the smell of jasmine hit her nostrils, and she knew she must have taken a shower, but she didn’t recall doing so. Panicking, she grabbed the girl’s wrist that was closest to her.

“What happened? Did he touch me?”

The young woman cringed, but immediately bowed her head.

“Talk to me!” Lexi demanded, but got no response. She looked toward the other one and then the young woman behind her styling her hair. She recognized her from the warehouse. She was Stratton’s.

Taking a deep breath, Lexi tried to calm down. It was obvious that the three women were some kind of servants to Stratton. Quickly she pulled her hands away and placed them on her lap.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m a little scared, that’s all. Can you tell me what happened?”

They stared at her wide-eyed and hesitant. The one fixing her hair moved forward but didn’t speak. She motioned for the others to continue dressing Lexi.

“She is so beautiful.”

Lexi heard the voice and immediately looked toward the woman in front of her with short brown hair.

“Please help me,” Lexi stated.

“Don’t say anything, Isa. Don’t say anything. He’ll kill us.”

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“Keep your mouth shut, and just do as the alpha said. I hope they
don’t speak to her.”

Lexi could hear the thoughts of all three women, but the one they called Isa was a concern for the other two. Isa had questions, and that might work to Lexi’s advantage.

“She is mated to someone else, so how can Stratton mate her,
too?”

“Just finish up and get out of here. You have a baby to worry
about.”

Bingo!
Lexi thought to herself, then prepared to engage Isa.

“The three of you are quite lovely. Are you servants to Stratton?”

They remained silent.

“Thank you for cleaning me up.”

Lexi tried to ignore the fact that they dressed her in a low-cut, clingy silk negligee. It was obvious Stratton planned on pushing himself on her. She needed to get out of there.

The two women began cleaning up the makeup and towels from around the room. Isa began attaching jewels to Lexi’s hair.

“If I promised you safety and a better life, would you help me escape?” Lexi whispered.

Isa stopped everything and stared at Lexi as if contemplating the offer for a second before returning to her task. Lexi was becoming frustrated. She had no idea how to get out of there without help. Then the thought hit her.

“I can help you, Isa.”

The woman swung her head toward Lexi in shock.

“How does she know my name?”

“I don’t belong here, Isa. I am mated to the Sinclair triplets, Saber, Andre, and Paul. Please help me, and I will help you.”

“Those men are fierce killers. How can she be mated to them and
now Stratton?”

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“Isa, I cannot let Stratton mate me, too. I need to get to my mates.

Please help me?” Lexi touched her hand, and Isa pulled away, staring at her.

“Don’t give in. Stratton promised to take care of me and the baby.

I can’t help her. There’ll be no one to take care of the baby.”

“Isa, listen to me, please. I know you’re scared, but my mates are on their way, and they will kill Stratton. You and your baby will be fine if you help me.”

“How do you know I have a baby?” Isa stepped away from Lexi.

“I am both were and fey.”

Isa was shocked. “Then how come you can’t use magic to escape?”

“I am new at this and only recently learned of my powers.

However, the spirits are guiding me. I believe that I was meant to come here and help many.”

“The prisoners and the ones in the dungeon below us?”

“What others?” Lexi asked.

“The wolves from Renmore…Stratton has held them prisoner for years. My mate is there.” Isa began to cry.

“Your baby’s father?”

“No.” Isa looked ashamed as she bowed her head. “Stratton has done many bad things. I am from a small pack with McFay blood.”

Lexi grabbed her hand. “I am your family. I come from McFay and Crimson as well. Do you know Sierra?”

“Oh my! Yes…but my mother married Kellmore, and Stratton wanted the bloodline after he killed my father and forced me to mate with him. But the bloodlines were weak. He said I was missing something. I have a baby girl, and she means nothing to him. He wanted a male.”

Isa continued to fill Lexi in on Stratton’s plans and told her where the prison was and how many weres had died over the years.

“Everything is going to be just fine.”

“I don’t think so, Lexi!”

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The sound of Stratton’s voice echoed in the room. Isa fell to the floor, and Lexi watched as another man grabbed her.

“Get her out of here, Barvon. Put her in the prison with the rest of the trash,” Stratton ordered, then stalked toward Lexi.

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“Saber, there’s just too much ground to cover. We’re going to
have to split up,”
Paul stated as they gave the orders for their men to surround the warehouse and connecting buildings.

“I feel her. I know she’s close by,”
Andre added, crouching down low between his brothers and the trees that covered the surrounding area. They got lucky tracking Stratton to this campground upstate.

Lexi’s description of the warehouse like the one from the city was wrong. However, looking around, it did appear identical. Luckily, their bond with their mate was strong.

“I think you’re right, Paul. Let’s split up, and whoever locates
Lexi and Stratton first goes in for the kill,”
Saber whispered.

They stared at one another a moment.

* * * *

“
Can you hear me?”
Lexi called to them, and all three responded.

“Yes!”

“I don’t have time. Please listen carefully. Stratton has a hidden
prison below ground. He has been holding wolves from the Renmore
pack since killing Kellmore. You must go save them.”

“No, Lexi, you’re our first priority,”
Saber growled.

“They are our people, too. We have members of my family, which
make them yours now,”
Lexi growled back through the link.

Stratton grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up and out of the chair. She screamed out in pain.

“Lexi! What is it?”
Paul demanded to know.

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“Stratton plans on mating me. Hurry and get the prisoners. Then
come to me. I’m being held in the—”

“Lexi?”
Andre called out, but received no answer.

* * * *

“Damn it. I can’t stand the thought of him touching her. We have
to split up. One goes after Lexi and Stratton, one goes with the pack
to release the prisoners, and one leads the raid on the other prison.

We have no choice, or we’ll lose too many good men,”
Saber stated as he looked over his brother Paul’s shoulder and saw the many wolves from his pack waiting for the order to kill.

“Saber, you go after Stratton. I’ll take a group and find this underground prison, and Andre, you help release those other prisoners, then head in to help Saber. I’m certain the prisoners will love to aid and assist in Stratton’s demise.”

They nodded, then tapped their fists together.

“Let’s do this!” Andre growled.

* * * *

“Barvon!” Stratton yelled as he pushed Lexi onto the bed.

She laid her hands out to stop herself from missing it and fell to the floor on her knees beside the bed.

Stratton removed his shirt.

Lexi swallowed hard. He was a large man, and the look in his eyes stated he always got what he wanted.

“Please tell me what I’m supposed to do. How can this happen? I
love my mates, and I only want to be with them.”
Lexi closed her eyes and wished the spirits would answer.

“Your mates love you, too. Be strong, and you will know what to
do. You have the power within you.”

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She heard the voice and remembered Bethany’s words. She also had a vision. It was of her and her mates in the woods as she took her were form. They had completed the bond, and she was pregnant with their pups. Lexi cried.

“Get up!” Stratton yelled at her as Pragan and Barvon entered the room. “This is it, Lexi. Your mates are dead. Pragan and Barvon have seen to it. If you want the others to live, you will not fight me on this.”

“They’re not dead! They’re alive,” she retorted, slowly getting up off the rug.

“They’re dead!”

She shook her head in denial.

“They are, Lexi. I am sorry to say that there is no more connection between you and your mates. Forget them, and stand beside Stratton as the spirits have intended.”

Lexi thought they were insane. They lied and actually expected her to believe them? Then she remembered that they didn’t know how powerful the bond was between her and her mates. She played dumb and began to cry.

The next thing she felt was Stratton’s arms go around her shoulders, and then she heard him whispering to her.

“It wasn’t meant to be, dear. But you are not alone. I will care for you, love you, and together we will rule the packs of this land,”

Stratton stated, then rubbed her hair and pulled her to him.

Instantly, she had a vision. Her men were defeating Stratton’s men. She could see them destroying the prisons, releasing the wolves, and battling the guards downstairs. Saber was leading the way. There were so many prisoners of McFay and Crimson blood that they overpowered Stratton’s men. They were free, and Isla was with her mate.