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“Then she’s not going anywhere.” Lucas’s emphatic answer came without hesitation. “I lost her once before. I won’t do so again.”
This Kane could understand. He nodded. “Fine. I want to take her to my hometown. Leaning Tree, New York.”
From Lucas’s frown, it was clear he’d never heard of it. This was one of the reasons Kane had chosen the small town. “Is it Pack?”
“Mostly. It’s pretty remote, tucked away in the rolling Catskill Mountains. My entire family lives there—parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins.” He shrugged. “I haven’t been home in a few years. My parents own a resort—actually, it’s an old-fashioned motor court. With separate cabins. They’re pretty secluded and there’s only one road in and out. I’m thinking Lilly and I will stay there.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes. “You’ve got this all planned out, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Kane smiled and then rolled his shoulders, trying to release some of the knots he’d incurred on the long drive northwest. “I’m damn good at what I do. That’s why you called me, isn’t it?”
Instead of answering, Lucas pushed to his feet. He strode to the doorway and peered out into the den, his expression softening noticeably. “Blythe, could you come here for a minute? I need to get your opinion.”
Instantly, Blythe appeared, sweeping her silky, brownish-blond hair away from her face.
“Kane wants to take Lilly away,” Lucas said. “He feels he can keep her safer if he does.”
Blythe’s bright green gaze locked on her husband’s as they linked hands. She and Lucas appeared to communicate silently. Watching them, Kane pushed away a sharp stab of envy. Not everyone in the Pack was fortunate enough to find their mate like their wild cousins. Human Shape-shifters only mated once. Kane had been privileged to be present when Lucas and Blythe had realized they were meant for each other. Witnessing this had only increased Kane’s intense and private hunger to join with a mate of his own someday.
“How do you feel about that?” Blythe finally asked, a soft frown of worry creasing her smooth brow. Kane noted she didn’t ask whether Lucas felt Lilly would be safer somewhere else. She knew her husband well and understood how tightly Lucas wanted to hold on to the sister he’d believed to be dead fifteen years gone. Kane got this, too, but he knew what he wanted to do was ultimately the best way to keep Lilly safe.
Hands linked, Lucas and Blythe turned to face Kane. “Do you promise to keep us in the loop? We want frequent updates, texts and pictures, all of it, you know,” Blythe said.
“As much as I can,” Kane answered. “As long as it doesn’t compromise Lilly’s safety.”
Still Lucas hadn’t spoken. Kane waited, arms crossed. He needed to be sure he had Lucas’s 100-percent approval or his plan was a no-go.
Finally, Lucas gave a slow nod. “Fine. Let me get her and we’ll tell her now. When do you want to leave?”
“As soon as possible.”
Lucas jerked his chin and turned. Blythe’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Let me fetch her,” she said softly. “You and Kane need to present a united front in this.”
Though Lucas nodded, Kane saw Blythe’s comment perplexed him. Clearly he hadn’t considered the possibility that his sister wouldn’t go along with his plans.
A moment later, Blythe returned. Behind her came Lilly, a quiet wraith of a woman, strands of her long, honey-blond hair drifting around her shoulders as she moved. She slipped into the room, the graceful way she seemed to glide making Kane think of a dancer.
“You want me to what?” she said, as soon as Lucas finished explaining to her. Her bright blue eyes appeared to glow in her delicate oval face. “That makes no sense. Why would you think I’d want to take a trip with a man I barely remember?”
That stung, though Kane kept the same pleasant expression he always wore when around her. Since the first time he’d seen Lilly, emaciated and filthy, huddled in a heap of rags in a dark and dank cell, she’d haunted his every thought.
Lucas exchanged a glance with Blythe and Kane knew they were deciding whether or not to tell her the truth. While this wasn’t his call, at least not yet, he felt he had to make his position known. “I’m not going to lie,” he warned the other man, his arms still crossed. “I don’t see a reason to.”
“Lie?” Frowning, Lilly looked from Kane to Lucas and back again. “What are you talking about? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Judging from Lucas’s clenched jaw, he wasn’t happy. Yet when he spoke, his tone was soft and soothing. “We think a few of the doctors from Sanctuary are still at large.”
Suddenly, Lilly’s entire demeanor changed. Kane watched as all the animation disappeared from her face and she...shut down. That was the only way he could describe it. All the light simply vanished from her eyes.
“And you think they’re going to try and take me back.” Not even a question, she delivered the statement in a flat, emotionally dead voice.
Kane found himself aching to reach out and comfort her, but of course he couldn’t.
Having no such compunction, Blythe wrapped Lilly in her arms. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “We’ve got your back.”
Lilly stood like a statue, neither returning nor rejecting the embrace. Finally, she stepped away from Blythe and faced her brother. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We didn’t want to stress you. You’ve already been through so much.” Lucas’s voice broke as he tried to explain. Lilly continued to wait, her gaze unblinking, while Lucas struggled to find the right words to express his concern without completely terrifying her. A difficult task.
Finally, Kane took pity on him. “Your brother is worried about you. Rightly so. That’s why he asked me to come help. I promise, you’ll be safe with me,” he said, the certainty in his tone meant to let her know she needn’t be anxious.
“Will I?” Just like that, with one sweep of her eyes through impossibly long lashes, she let him know she’d rather stay. “No offense, but I think I’d rather take my chances here, with my brother and his family.”
Lucas shook his head, his gaze full of pain and regret. “That’s not an option, Lilly. Much as I’d like it to be.”
Lilly glanced from her brother to his new bride, and then toward the living room where a newly healed five-year-old watched television. Kane saw the moment the realization came to her. Both hurt and understanding flashed across her fragile features before she gave a wooden nod.
“I understand,” she said, her flat tone letting them know she’d retreated to that place inside herself that made her feel safe. “When do you need me to be ready?”
Steeling himself, Kane glanced at his watch. “How about in one hour?”
Ignoring the instant protests by both Lucas and Blythe—their voices merging together as they insisted Kane stay for dinner or better yet, the night—Lilly jerked her chin in a simple nod and glided out of the room.
Kane waited until she was gone before lifting his hand. “Enough.”
Just like that, they fell silent. “I’m leaving tonight. She’s getting ready. The sooner we get out of town, the better. I don’t want whoever is watching her to get a make on me or my vehicle.”
Blythe frowned. “You think they’re watching the house?”
Careful to appear casual, Kane gave a nonchalant shrug. “It’s possible. One thing I’ve learned over the years is to always expect the worst.”
Though Lucas nodded, agreeing with him, Blythe’s frown deepened. “If that’s the case, when they see you leaving with her, they’re going to follow.”
“I’ve already considered that.” Fishing in his backpack, he pulled out a plastic bag containing one of the wigs he’d purchased before leaving Texas. “Have her put this on. The color and style are similar to yours. Also, it’d help if you lend her one of your outfits. Something you wear often, that might be easily recognizable as yours.”
Accepting the wig, she finally graced him with a small smile. “You think you can make them believe Lilly is me.”
Again he shrugged. “People generally see what they want to see. They’ll have no reason to think otherwise. But to make certain, I’d like you to put on this.” Again he dug in his bag, bringing out a second wig. “This is as close as I could get to her hairstyle.”
Taking this wig, too, Blythe laughed, the musical sound making both Lucas and Kane smile. “You really have thought of everything.”
Still smiling at his wife, Lucas clapped him on the shoulder. “I told you he’s good.”
Before Blythe could respond, Lilly appeared in the doorway. “I’m ready,” she said quietly, holding a small overnight bag. Though she wore a determined look, she couldn’t manage to banish the trepidation in her eyes.
“Is that all you’re bringing?” Blythe crossed to her and took her arm. “Would you like me to help you pack a few more things?”
“No.” Lilly’s gaze found Kane’s. He felt a connection sizzling along his nerve endings. “I don’t need much,” she said.
He nodded. “And if she needs more, I can always buy something for her. Now,” he continued, his tone brisk. “The two of you go in the bathroom and change clothes and put on the wigs I got you.”
“What?” Lilly appeared thoroughly confused. “I don’t—”
Blythe took her arm, steering her in the right direction. “I’ll explain while we’re changing.”
After the two women had gone, Kane turned to find Lucas eyeing him. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her,” Kane said.
“You’d better.” Lucas’s harsh tone spoke of deep emotion. “I don’t want to lose her again.”
“You won’t.” Kane uttered the two words fiercely. They both knew he’d given an oath. Nothing would happen to Lilly Gideon while on his watch.
When the two women reappeared, he eyed them critically. Up close, he could tell that the wigs were cheaply made, but even through binoculars they’d do the trick. Blythe’s clothing hung on Lilly’s too-thin frame, but again, the disguise should serve its purpose.
“Are you ready?” Kane asked Lilly, holding out his hand.
Though she nodded, she stepped back rather than touch him. Which was okay, for now. Eventually, he hoped she’d trust him enough to welcome his touch.
And more, his inner voice whispered. He banished the thought as soon as it occurred to him. Life was messy enough without unnecessary complications.
* * *
Lilly waited until they were on the highway before speaking. “More than anything,” she said, sounding softer than she would have liked, “I wish I could be like everyone else.”
“Really?” A smile curved Kane’s hard slash of a mouth. “How’s that?”
She shrugged, hurriedly glancing away from him. “Normal.” Hesitating the space of a heartbeat, she resolutely continued. “Sane. I’m not, you know.”
Though he had to realize she was, in all fairness, trying to warn him, Kane didn’t appear concerned. His chiseled features still radiated masculine confidence, as if there was no problem she could throw his way that he couldn’t handle. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve been through a lot. You’re stronger than you think. Not too many women could have survived an ordeal like that.”
Rote words, the kind of meaningless phrases her therapist was fond of throwing around. The anger surging through Lilly startled and surprised her. “You don’t even know me.” Her even tone gave no hint of the resentment simmering just below the surface. She’d learned the hard way how to impose an icy self-control, to pretend a confidence she didn’t feel.
Even now, having finally gained both her freedom and her brother, she felt as if she walked under the shadow of her father’s madness. He’d hurt and abused her, all in the name of love. After fifteen years of living as his captive, trying to hang on to the rapidly diminishing spark that made up her inner self, she no longer knew how to interact with others. Especially not men. Most particularly men like Kane, the kind that embodied all that was male.
“You’ll be fine,” he said, smiling, looking like some dark angel who ought to frighten her, but instead intrigued her way too much.
“Don’t,” she ordered, the catch in her voice contradicting its sharpness. “Don’t patronize me.”
“I wasn’t,” he said firmly. “Believe me, Lilly Gideon. That’s the last thing I want to do with you.”
She didn’t dare ask him what the first was. Though she knew he didn’t do it on purpose, the underlying sensuality in his husky voice made her shiver. If that was, in fact, what sensuality sounded like. She, who knew everything about how to endure torture and experiments and pain, knew absolutely nothing about a healthy relationship between a man and a woman. The closeness she’d experienced with her brother and his wife had been her first experience in fifteen years with anything remotely resembling love.
If that’s what it was. With the ground constantly shifting under her feet, she didn’t feel certain about anything. After all, she’d just begun to feel comfortable around her new-found family, and now she was being sent away with a man she barely knew.
“For your own safety,” Kane said, making her start and wonder if she’d said what was in her head. She hoped not.
“Did I...?” she asked, waving her hand to indicate what she meant.
“Speak your thoughts aloud? No.” He shook his head. “But you didn’t have to. Believe me, Lucas loves you. He only wants to keep you safe.”
“I understand.” Again, she thought she sounded cool and confident, the opposite of how she felt. Everything about this man made her feel unsettled. Even the throaty rasp of his voice danced along her nerve endings like a silk edged sword soaked in fire.
How did one respond to that?
“What’s in this for you?” she asked, more to distract herself than any real curiosity.
Instead of answering, he laughed. While she stared at him with a weird mixture of annoyance and trepidation. “Not everyone is completely self-serving. Some of us do things because it’s the right thing to do.”
She wanted to ask him to explain this cryptic message, but wasn’t sure how. Instead, she turned and pretended an interest in the passing scenery.
He didn’t speak again, which should have relieved her. Instead, her discomfort grew, making her fight the urge to squirm in her seat. Finally, she gave in and glanced at him. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace safe.” Though he barely looked at her, one corner of his mouth lifted to take the sting off his words.
“How far away?” Again she had to quell her own uneasy restlessness. She hated—no, despised—this weakness within her. She’d felt unsafe for so long she’d begun to wonder if she even knew how to be strong. Even with her brother, she’d found herself jumping at the slightest sound and battling the urge to crawl into her bed and take refuge under the covers.
“Across the country. It’ll take us four days to get there, if we travel easy.”
Again she nodded, keeping her face expressionless while she wondered what the hell was wrong with her, that she could don a mask of normalcy while inside she struggled with a maelstrom of conflicting emotions.
“And then what?”
He cocked one eyebrow, looking devilish and dangerous and a thousand other things that all made her want to wrench open her door and leap from the vehicle. Only the knowledge that she’d promised her brother—sworn to Lucas that she’d let Kane keep her safe—made her stay in the car.
“Once we arrive at our destination, we’ll work on beginning to teach you to protect yourself.”
Even trying to understand his cryptic pronouncements fatigued her. In fact, weariness slammed her with a force nearly as strong as one of her father’s blows. Too exhausted to fight any longer, she relaxed and gave in to it, closing her eyes and willing herself to fall asleep.
Chapter 2
Kane nearly grinned as Lilly closed her eyes and pretended sleep, as if by doing so she could shut him out. Whether she liked it or not, and she’d made it quite clear she did not, they were going to be spending a lot of time together.
The first few miles were awkward, as Kane had suspected they’d be. He drove in silence, giving her the space he knew she needed, trying not to let her scent make him dizzy. Her breathing slowed and evened, and he realized she truly had dropped off to slumber. Oddly enough, he felt honored. The fact that she could do so meant she trusted him, even on a subconscious level.
Either that or, in her years of captivity, she’d learned to take her rest when she could.
Though he couldn’t get a read on her inner wolf, his own beast had gone into an adrenaline-fueled high alert. Kane couldn’t figure out why, unless it was reacting to Lilly’s unusual aura. The visible aura was the way all Shape-shifters identified their own kind. Most were a subtle glow of color, pleasing to the eye.
Not Lilly’s. Hers pulsed a violent purple, so dark it appeared black. Such an unnatural color, the Pack doctors had said, could mean madness or even...death. None of them had seen anything like it.
Naturally, this worried Lucas and Blythe. Now that Kane had seen it, he understood their concern. He hoped with time he could help Lilly regain her confidence and perhaps bring her fractured inner wolf some kind of healing.
She dozed for a little over an hour, giving him time to work on relaxing, as well. It surprised him, this antsy restless feeling. In his work for the Protectors, he’d been in lots of dangerous situations. He and his wolf had always been in accord—none of the warring between the two halves of himself, as he’d heard happened with others.
But now, when there was no apparent danger, at least at this exact moment, his inner beast couldn’t be calmed.
Finally, Lilly stirred. Stretching, she smiled sleepily and opened her eyes. When she speared him with her bright blue gaze, the catch in his heart nearly made him recoil. What the hell?
An instant later, when Lilly realized where she was and who she was with, her smile vanished. Turning away, she resumed staring straight ahead, her entire body stiff and tense.
