A Wolf's Pride Read online

  Chapter Ten

  Detective Matthews leaned back against one of the walls of the interrogation room watching his suspect with curious eyes. The man sitting across from him seemed remarkably calm for someone who had been brought in on such serious charges. Kidnapping was a federal crime and if that wasn’t bad enough, he had compounded his crime by transporting the woman over several state lines, Ryan Sutherland was going to jail for a very long time if found to be guilty. As kidnapping was such a serious crime, it logically followed that he would have other, smaller crimes attached to his name but there was nothing. In all other ways the man seemed to be a model citizen, he had never even had a parking ticket. When he had first been given the case he had written it off as temporary insanity but then he had walked into the interrogation room and his opinion had immediately changed. If it had been a moment of madness, then he should have been exhibiting signs of nervousness, been apologetic or at the very least seem perturbed with the situation he was in. The man in front of him was so calm that if he didn’t know better detective Matthews might suspect that he was waiting for a dental appointment, not a questioning that could result in him going to jail.

  Matthews moved, sitting in the chair opposite the man, again taking note of Ryan’s relaxed posture. His arms were resting along the edge of the table, his nails gently tapping the metal surface. “So,” the detective began. “These are some very heavy charges you have racked up. Kidnapping, forcible transportation across state lines, assault and coercion. What do you have to say? You’ve already confessed so you might as well be honest so that we can take an accurate statement.”

  “I didn’t hurt Chloe,” Ryan growled. “I admit to all the others but I didn’t hurt Chloe.”

  “You seem unconcerned with having violated three very serious laws. The assault charge is the least of your concerns.”

  “I’ve done nothing wrong. I don’t follow your laws and by mine, everything that I’ve done is completely legal. The only one that would be broken on your list is the assault, which I’ve already said I didn’t do. Chloe fell when we were walking. Have you had someone had a look at her yet?”

  “She’s no longer your concern.” The detective’s voice was stern as he tried to impress the importance of what was going on to the man in front of him.

  “She’s my only concern,” Ryan instantly corrected.

  “It’s that attitude that got you into this mess. From your records you seemed to be a model citizen before this whole incident. I don’t know what made you do it but you have to realise that you’ve committed a crime.”

  It’s easy enough to be a model citizen when you live forever. Change your identity once every hundred years and nobody is any the wiser. And as soon as I get out of here you will never hear of me again. “By your rules, yes I have.”

  “Our rules are the only rules, Mr Sutherland. The faster you understand that the better.”

  “If you say so,” Ryan agreed though his tone of voice directly contradicted his words. He breathed deeply and as the scent of fellow wolves filled his nostrils he couldn’t help but smile. The smirk that appeared on his face did nothing to reassure the detective who could feel himself becoming increasingly angry with Ryan’s nonchalant attitude. Uncaring of what the detective was feeling, Ryan allowed his eyes to wander to the clock that hung from the wall. Forty minutes? Not bad Sebastian. His muscles tensed in preparation, he didn’t know what his brother was planning, they hadn’t had the time to discuss the specifics, but he had to be prepared for whatever it was.

  “Mr Sutherland, I would appreciate it if you would at least try to realise the gravity of your situation.” Ryan was silent, steadying his breaths to prepare for the inevitable escape, which only served to further agitate the detective.

  Whatever Matthews was going to say was cut off as darkness suddenly engulfed the room. Now, Ryan growled. While the darkness of the pitch black room was impregnable to human eyes, the same couldn’t be said of Ryan and he took the opportunity that his brother had established for him. Detective Matthews’ voice was loud as he protested his inability to see through the dark but Ryan quickly dismissed the man and his flailing arms as a distraction he couldn’t afford. Rising from the chair, he sped to the door with the speed that only one of his kind could manage. As the door opened without protest he realised what Sebastian had done. I’ve got to get Chloe quickly, these places must have back up generators. It’s a police station after all. He didn’t pause to stop as he ran along the corridors, sifting through the many scents until he discovered the enticing strawberry fragrance that was unique to his mate. She wasn’t far from him and for that fact he was grateful, he wasn’t sure how long he would have the benefit of the cover of darkness and he and his mate had to be far away from this place when the lights came back on.

  Approaching the room Chloe was in, he opened the door, immediately noting that she wasn’t alone. There were two other people within the small space but he put them to the back of his mind, intent on taking her from here and bringing her to the clans. It was a simple enough task to slip silently into the room and an even easier one to skim past the officers that were meant to be looking after his mate. The fact that she was standing only served to make his task easier and he crept up behind her. He pressed his hand against her mouth, preventing her from attracting attention should she try to scream. Her body instinctively stiffened and he could feel her readying herself for the attack. “Sshh love,” he whispered in her ear before wrapping an arm around her waist and easily lifting her shorter body from the ground. His grip was strong, but not so hard that she was hurt by it, concern for his mate’s safety automatically limiting his strength. Chloe safely in his arms, he sped from the room, moving faster as he pushed them towards the building’s exit. He could feel that time was growing short and the instinct aided him in escaping, allowing him to put on a momentary burst of speed that was far outside of his normal range of capabilities.

  It was blissfully dark outside, and he used the cover to conceal his escape and the inhuman speed at which he was moving. When power was eventually restored to the police station he and Chloe were nowhere to be found. He stopped only when they reached a park of average size, scenting that other wolves were nearby. Sliding her down his body, he allowed her feet to touch the ground, watching her carefully for any sight of pain.

  “Are you ok Chloe? Did they have someone come and have a look at your leg? Is it still painful?”

  Stumbling away from him, she carefully avoided putting weight on her still throbbing ankle. “What do you think you’re doing?” she snapped, any sympathy she might have had towards him vanishing at the re-emergence of his high handed behaviour.

  Ignoring her question, he narrowed in on the fact that she was still limping. “They didn’t have a doctor come and look at you?” he growled, angry at the ineptitude of the police in caring for his mate.

  “I was having my ankle checked over, right before you abducted me, again.”

  “I told you before Chloe, I’m never going to let you go. It’s you and me forever. It might seem strange but it’s true.”

  “How did you manage to pull the abduction off this time? We were in a police station for crying out loud. I shouldn’t have had to worry about being taken from a place that was filled with law enforcement.”

  “I had help,” he shrugged, closing the small distance she had created between them unwilling to allow anything to separate them again.

  “Who would help you commit a crime like this? Are they stupid or as just as crazy as you are?”

  “I’m going to own up and admit my part in this.” A new voice floated to her ears from over her shoulder and in her haste to discover who had spoken she spun quickly and would have fallen if not for Ryan’s steady arms. From the relative security of Ryan’s embrace, she watched as a man approached them.

  It didn’t take her long to realise that this was probably the brother Ryan had spoken to when they had still been in her apartment. The newcom
er was as tall as her self professed mate, with the same deep red hair though his was shorter and seemed to be styled in a more orderly fashion. Familiar brown eyes stared at her in assessment, scrutinising every inch of her frame. Although he was outwardly smiling, she could sense that there was something he instantly was wary of. “Sebastian?”

  His smile widened. “So you know who I am? That’s good. I’m going to assume you’re Chloe. We’re still in the process of moving your things but they should be at the estate in the next dew days.”

  “You do realise that you’re aiding and abetting a crime?” she demanded disregarding his comments.

  “Yes,” another voice answered, a body emerging from the darkness to stand beside Sebastian. “We’re well aware that to you this may be illegal, but from our perspective, things are different.”

  This newcomer was, if possible taller than Ryan and she struggled not to feel intimidated by his steel gaze as his stormy grey eyes bored into her. He acted as though he already disliked her and she couldn’t prevent a shiver of fear running through her body. His shoulders were as wide as Ryan’s though he seemed more heavily muscled and while Ryan’s strength had thus far been used with the sole intention of protecting her, she could easily imagine the newcomer using his strength against her. His black hair was so dark that it seemed to blend in with the night that surrounded them and she had a sinking feeling that if he chose to harm her she wouldn’t know it until it was too late.

  “Tobias,” Ryan growled. “Stop looking at her like that, you’re scaring her.” He pulled her closer to his body, whispering in her ear, “I’m sorry for my cousin’s behaviour. He’s been under a lot of pressure lately.”

  “You’re related to him?” she hissed, her voice low as she tried to keep the attention drawn to herself low.

  “Yes. Tobias, are you ok? You’re not normally this harsh to people you don’t know. Has something happened to Alex?”

  “No, she’s fine. She’s back at the estate where she belongs….” His voice trailed off as a pack of wolves ran towards them. Tobias’ shoulders tensed and Chloe squeaked in fear, he seemed if possible more dangerous than he had before.

  Her gaze was instantly drawn to the animals as they drew to a halt in front of them. She watched in morbid fascination as they began the process of transformation that Ryan had once shown her. The change was quick and soon there were another five people in their vicinity, four men and a single woman. The men were all tall, muscular and solidly built while the woman made Chloe cringe. She was physically everything that she was not. Tall, slim and to Chloe’s eyes beautiful. Long black hair fell down her back like a waterfall and Chloe couldn’t help but be entranced by the woman’s seductive movements as she walked towards Sebastian. Apparently she wasn’t the only one as when she took a moment to look at Ryan’s brother, he seemed just as fixated.

  “Erica,” Sebastian breathed as she reached him. Her hands stroked his torso, rising to his neck and pulling his head down to her own and pressing their lips together for a searing kiss.

  Diverting her attention from the intimate couple, she looked back towards Tobias to find that he and the four other men had moved away from them. His voice carried the distance that separated them and though she couldn’t make out each word he spoke, she got the general impression that he was angry and the thought didn’t sit well with her.

  “What’s going on Ryan?” She had always been curious, wanting to know exactly what was going on around her and this situation intrigued her as much as it terrified her.

  “I think that Alex has done something to upset my cousin. He’s never normally this insensitive towards strangers. ”

  “Alex? Who’s that?”

  “She’s his mate, our Queen. And judging by the fact that her guards are here, I’m going to guess that she isn’t where he left her. I don’t think he likes leaving her alone after what happened to her the last time he did. She was almost killed.”

  “Where is she then?”

  “Alex is on her way here.” The black haired woman answered. Having greeted her mate, she had made her way back to where Chloe was clutching Ryan’s arms tightly, increasingly overwhelmed by this new turn of events.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Erica, Sebastian's mate. Alex and I wanted to meet you so we set out after Tobias, Sebastian and some of the estate guards had left. It was fairly simple to follow them.”

  “Why would you want to meet me?”

  “Because you’re the newest member of our family,” Erica scoffed as though the question didn’t even merit answering.

  “Was this your idea sweetheart?” Sebastian questioned, remembering his mate’s penchant for getting into trouble and the situation at hand definitely seemed to be brewing into one that his mate was known for getting involved in. His hand gripped her side and pulled her against him, a subconscious move to protect her from the likely wrath of his cousin.

  “Actually, it was all Alex’s idea,” she smiled, confident that there would be no repercussions from her and Alex’s joint excursion. The idea had actually originated from both of them but they had agreed that it would be better if the idea was laid at her door. She was the Queen after all, nobody could question her decisions in the King’s absence.

  “She didn’t used to be like this,” Ryan commented. “But now, once she has her mind set on something it’s impossible to make her think differently I think that aunt Yvonne has taught her too well. The one I feel for is Tobias, she’s all set to take on the world but in her condition all she does it make him worry.”

  “Speak of the devil,” Sebastian laughed and Chloe turned within Ryan’s arms to see another pack of wolves approaching although this time there were two human figures amongst them. It was difficult to make out in the dark but she managed to make out the figure of a large man carrying a much smaller person. As the new wolves approached, Tobias returned to them, a frown etched onto his strong features. When they were close enough, Chloe could finally see the figure that had been carried amongst the wolves. The woman was small, caramel skinned with wildly curling brown hair and as she neared them, Chloe could hear her voice calling out to them.

  “Tobias,” Alex called out. Her voice was cheery though Chloe sincerely believed that if she could have seen the anger on Tobias’ face she wouldn’t have been so happy.

  As soon as they were close enough, Tobias moved, removing Alex from the arms of the guard he had assigned to her care and well being, pulling her against him. The idea that another male had been so close to her body had his wolf snarling within his mind and he had to agree with the wolf’s sentiments. “Xandria, what are you doing here?”

  “I came to see Ryan’s mate,” she laughed. “Put me down. I can still walk.”

  The gentle care with which Tobias lowered the woman to the ground surprised Chloe but as soon as Alex’s feet touched the ground it became clear why he had been so tender. Alex’s stomach was distended, the large bulge telling Chloe without words that she was pregnant. The large bump seemed too big for such a small woman and as she approached her, Chloe noted that she walked very carefully, each step measured and cautiously taken. It was rather amusing to see the man she had initially been afraid of trail behind the woman as though she could simply fall down at any moment, care and worry evident in his grey eyes.

  “Hi,” Alex grinned when she was in front of Chloe, bright green eyes practically glowing in the darkness. “I’m Alex.”

  “Hello, I’m Chloe,” she replied unwilling to be rude in the face of such politeness.

  “Good Chloe,” Ryan whispered into her ear, his warm breaths feathering over her ear and causing her to shiver slightly. “Don’t be rude to Alex. All these men around her are prepared to give their lives to protect her and if I know Tobias he’s probably told them to keep her safe from everything, threats and insults included.”

  “So you’re Ryan’s mate?” Alex asked happily.

  “I
’m Ryan’s nothing,” she replied simply and awaited Alex’s response.

  Alex chuckled, “I know that’s how you feel now, but things will change I promise.”

  “I have no intention of developing this relationship beyond kidnapper and victim.” She could hear Ryan wince loudly from behind her and she struggled not to feel sympathetic towards him.

  “I knew there was something going on,” Alex shouted triumphantly. “I just knew it. Everyone was getting so worked up, there had to be something more going on than you just bringing your mate home.”

  “It was sort of obvious that you guys were up to something especially when you refused to answer any questions about your brother,” Erica inserted, gently stroking Sebastian's forearm. “You should have just told us what was going on.”

  Taking note of the anxious look on Chloe’s face, Alex tried to reassure her. “I’m going to apologise on Ryan’s behalf for what he did to you. There seems to be a habit of kidnapping in this family.”

  “What?”

  “Well when I first moved to the estate, I remember accusing Tobias of kidnapping me and both Ryan and Sebastian of helping him.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Tobias groaned, resting his hand lightly on his mate’s stomach, his long fingers stroking the mound. “I get chills just thinking back to that time. I still have trouble understanding why you were so mad.” He noted the slight agitation that was thrumming through her and sought to head off an argument before it began. “But that’s all in the past, we don’t have to worry about it any more, we have more important things to focus on.” The fingers on her stomach splayed out protectively.