Marked By The Wolf, page 15
“You shot him!” she yelled at Catie.
“I didn’t mean to.” Her sister was distraught. “The gun just went off.”
“You shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place.”
Whirling around, Lisa hurried back down the ladder and into the cramped guard room where Ross had fallen. It wasn’t the man she found, however, but his wolf. Bleeding heavily from a shoulder wound, he lay unmoving. His clothes hung in tatters from his frame, torn apart as he shifted suddenly. His phone lay on the floor, smashed to pieces.
“Ross,” Lisa urged. “Come on, Ross, wake up.”
No response. Not even a flicker.
“Holy shit!” Catie appeared by her side. “He is a shifter.”
“Yes, he is, and he’s hurt. We need to get help.”
“Or we could get the hell out of here. I’ll get you somewhere safe.”
Her little sister who looked so young and helpless in her skinny jeans and garish pink puffer jacket was offering to take her to safety. Lisa needed only a second to think about it before dismissing the idea. She could never leave Ross injured and alone. Putting her hand beneath his middle, she tried to lift him. As she’d feared, he weighed a ton.
“You have to get help,” she told Catie.
“Okay.” Catie took her phone out of her pocket. “I’ll call Mark.”
Lisa snatched the phone from her.
“No, you fucking won’t. You can’t trust him, Catie.” She opened the phone’s keypad and realized she didn’t know the numbers for any of the MacDonald cousins. “Shit. You’re going to have to go for help.”
“I don’t know...”
“Do as I ask, or I will never speak to you again,” Lisa snarled.
Hurt flashed across her sister’s face.
“Okay, what do you need me to do?”
“Take Ross’s car. It’s at the foot of the hill. Drive to the farmhouse and get help. Ask for Neil or Duncan.”
“What if I get lost?”
“The car’s pointed in the direction you need to go in. Just follow the road around until you come to a house.” Lisa was grateful Ross had given her that tour of the estate. Her sister looked unsure of herself. “Catie, it’s not fucking rocket science. Even you can manage to fetch help.”
Tears welled in Catie’s eyes, but an apology would have to wait.
“Get moving!” she yelled.
As her sister ran from the room, Lisa turned back to Ross. He was losing a lot of blood. She had to figure out a way to help him, and fast.
* * *
Time slowed to a snail’s pace as Lisa waited for help to arrive. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to keep warm. She’d taken her coat off and draped it over Ross, figuring he needed it more than she did. Now her teeth were chattering and she wished she could snuggle up close to him, but he was too badly injured. She’d removed the remnants of his clothing and used his torn shirt to make a temporary bandage. The blood had seeped right through it and she didn’t know what else to do. He hadn’t moved at all, but he was still breathing, slow and steady. That had to be a good sign.
She was staring to think Catie might have run out on her. It couldn’t possibly be taking this long to fetch help. Tears pricked her eyes and she began to slide into despair when she heard a shout.
“Lisa, where are you, lass?”
“Up here!”
She heaved a breath of relief as Neil came into the room. He crouched over Ross and pulled her coat off him to take a look at his wounds.
“Shit. She really did shoot him.”
“Where is she?” Lisa asked as Neil continued to examine Ross.
“Left her with Duncan. She was hysterical.”
It was probably best not to have her underfoot, then. It was an unkind thought, but Lisa couldn’t help it. Right now, she wanted to strangle Catie with her bare hands. She watched as Neil took his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
“Anna,” he said a moment later. “We need you at the farmhouse. Bring a medical kit. Don’t tell Finn.”
“Anna?” Lisa asked when he ended the call.
“Aye, she’s handy with a needle and thread.”
His tone was too light for Lisa’s liking. Did he not realize how serious this was? He must have noticed her glowering as he sighed heavily.
“She patches up all our wounds. She’ll fix him.”
Lisa could only hope that was true.
“Okay, but how do we get him out of here? Can you carry him?”
Neil arched an eyebrow at her as if the question had been ridiculous.
“It’d be easier if he hadn’t shifted, but I can manage.”
Lisa stood back and watched as Neil lifted Ross with apparent ease, supporting him under the chest and bottom.
“I’ll go down first,” Neil told her. “If I fall, I don’t want to land on you.”
He gave her a wink to show he didn’t think it was likely to happen and started off down the stairs. He had to go down sideways where the staircase was narrower, but never looked in danger of losing his footing. Lisa followed, struggling to keep up, but Neil didn’t slow his pace. When he got out of the building, he strode off across the courtyard with Lisa running behind.
As she hurried down the hill behind him, Lisa slipped on the wet grass and tumbled most of the way down the slope. She scrambled to her feet and joined Neil at the rear of Ross’s car.
“You alright, lass?”
She’d probably bruised her hip but given the state Ross was in, it didn’t seem important.
“I’m fine.”
“Good. I need you to fold the back seats down for me. He’ll not fit otherwise.”
“How do I...”
“There’s a button at the top of the seat. Press it down and push the seat forward.”
Lisa scrambled into the trunk and did as he asked. Then she clambered into the passenger seat and waited for Neil. He joined her a moment later and drove like a maniac along the bumpy track. Ross let out a pitiful whine, the first sound she’d heard from him since he lost consciousness. Lisa glanced back at him, stricken by the thought he was suffering.
“It’s a good sign,” Neil assured her. “If he’s feeling pain, it means he’s not too far gone.”
“I hope that’s true.”
When they arrived at the farmhouse, she stood well back as Duncan came and helped Neil carry Ross into the house. They took him upstairs to a bedroom and set him down carefully on the king-sized bed.
“Where’s Catie?” Lisa asked Duncan as they waited for Anna to arrive.
“She thought it best if she stayed out of your way for a while. I’ve put her in Neil’s bedroom.”
Lisa nodded and silence fell. The usual topics for polite chitchat seemed inappropriate.
“Why did he shift?” she asked eventually. “He was a man when he fell and a wolf when he landed.”
“It was probably involuntary,” Duncan replied. “He wouldn’t have had enough control to keep his wolf at bay.”
“You have to constantly keep your wolves in check? Isn’t that exhausting?”
“It’s second nature,” Neil told her. “It’s harder around a full moon, but most of the time it’s a piece of cake.”
Lisa wasn’t sure she’d ever grasp how this shifter thing worked but she supposed she didn’t have to. Accepting that Ross was both man and beast, and that neither would harm her, was enough.
A car pulled up outside and Neil stepped out into the corridor.
“We’re upstairs!” he yelled as the front door opened.
There were quick footsteps and Anna came into the room, carrying a large bag of medical supplies. She hurried to the bed and cast an anxious glance over Ross.
“What happened?”
“He was shot,” Lisa told her, “and then he fell about fifteen feet onto a stone floor.”
“You didn’t tell me that.” Neil shot her a look of reproof. “You could have mentioned it before I moved him.”
Lisa hadn’t even considered that moving him might do more harm than good. Tears sprang to her eyes and she couldn’t hold back.
“I’m sorry,” she wailed. “I didn’t think.”
“It’s alright, lass.” Neil put an arm around her, and she found herself leaning into him for comfort.
She watched as Anna ran her hands carefully over Ross’s body and peeled back the makeshift bandage Lisa had covered his wound with. She blew out a deep breath and turned to the others.
“Right.” The brisk efficiency in her manner comforted Lisa. “Duncan, I need you to stick around and help me. If he wakes before I’m finished, he’s going to be a handful. You two, get out of here and let me work.”
Reluctant as she was to leave Ross’s side, Lisa knew she’d only get in the way if she stayed. She let Neil lead her from the room. He took her down to the kitchen and sat her at the table. He poured her a shot of whisky and she knocked it back in one go. Unused to hard liquor, she shuddered as it burned the back of her throat. Neil poured her another and took a seat opposite her.
“Ross will be fine,” he assured her. “He’s strong and we heal quicker than most.”
“He’d better. I need him.”
As the truth of those words struck her, Lisa downed her second shot and waved her glass at Neil. It was only midafternoon, but she didn’t care. Neil hesitated and then filled the glass halfway. Lisa huffed out a breath as she thought about what Maddie had said earlier.
“That was some fucking test,” she mumbled before draining her glass again.
“What’s that?” Neil asked as he picked up the whisky bottle and gave her yet another refill.
“Maddie told me I needed some unexpected event to give me a jolt.” She could see Neil had no idea what she was talking about. “To help me see things clearly. Ross getting hurt was the jolt.”
“I see, and do you see things clearly?”
“Oh, yes,” Lisa replied.
She knew it with absolute certainty now. She wanted to be with Ross. The urge to stand by his side was stronger than she could ever have thought possible. She was ready to commit to their fledgling relationship. Now all she needed was for him to get better so she could tell him that.
Chapter Seventeen
Barely covered by a black leather dress, her cute little bottom wiggled as she walked across the room. She looked back over and grinned. She was just begging to be spanked. He watched, pulse racing as she positioned herself over the bench and waited for him to bind her. He fastened sturdy leather cuffs around her wrists and ankles, checking and double-checking they were secure.
“Do you know why you’re being punished?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ve been a very bad girl.”
He reached out and ran a finger over the bottom he would fuck once the punishment was over.
“What did you do?”
“I disobeyed you, sir.”
“That’s right. You put yourself in danger.”
He picked up the cane from the table next to the bench, enjoying the way his naughty little mate tensed as he swished it through the air.
“Six should be enough,” he said. “Six lovely red stripes across your creamy bottom. I want you to count.”
She wriggled and he knew she was as eager as he was to begin. He drew the cane back and struck her hard across those beautiful butt cheeks. She squealed and clenched her fists.
“One,” she said.
He brought the cane down on her bottom once more and she shrieked a little louder this time. Already her skin was turning a pretty shade of pink.
“Two,” she said on a rush of breath.
He delivered the next three blows in quick succession and she screamed out the numbers each time. He put the back of his hand against the crimson flesh of her bottom and found it red hot. His cock strained against his pants.
For the final stroke, he drew his arm back farther. His shoulder pained him, and he grimaced. Then he brought the cane down hard across the tops of her thighs. She screamed and writhed on the bench. When she settled she barely managed to whisper the number six.
She slumped against the bench and sobbed but he could smell her arousal. He gathered up some of her feminine juices and smeared them across her cute little asshole.
“Beg me to fuck you,” he commanded.
“Fuck me, Ross,” she said. “Please, Ross.”
“What did you call me?”
“Ross,” she said again, but she sounded different.
“Ross.” The voice was definitely not the same. “Ross, wake up.”
Groaning, he peeled open his eyes to find Anna standing over him, a look of concern on her face.
“I was dreaming,” he complained.
“And talking in your sleep, unfortunately.”
Ross hated to think what she’d heard. His dream definitely hadn’t been suitable for public consumption. He tried to sit up and immediately fell back onto the mattress. He felt like he’d been run over by a truck, but he doubted that would hurt this much. Every part of him ached but the sensation of being bruised all over was nothing compared with the horrendous burning in his shoulder. He let Anna help him sit up and scanned his surroundings. The room was familiar, but it wasn’t his.
“You’re at Neil’s place,” Anna explained.
“Okay,” he said slowly. “What time is it?”
The drapes were closed, the only light coming from a lamp on the nightstand.
“Just past midnight.”
He remembered having lunch and then being in his office. That was in the early afternoon, so he’d obviously lost a fair bit of time.
“How did I get here?”
“Neil brought you here.”
Ross frowned. He closed his eyes and tried to piece together what happened. Fragments of memory came back to him.
“I was at the castle. I got shot.”
“That’s right,” Anna said. “And then for good measure you tumbled through the roof. You shifted as you fell. I think that saved you.”
Now he knew why he was in such agony. The pain radiating along his back told him he hadn’t landed on his feet.
“When did I shift back?”
“About an hour ago. I think that’s a good sign.”
Anna was probably right. It took a certain amount of control to maintain his human form and if he was strong enough to do that, it seemed likely he was starting to heal.
“What about Lisa? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She’s downstairs.”
Ross threw his head back and sighed in relief. Lisa had the ideal opportunity to run and she hadn’t taken it. That had to mean something.
“Let me check your dressings and then I’ll get her for you.”
“No, leave it. I need to see her.”
Anna didn’t look happy, but she nodded anyway. As she turned to leave, Ross reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Thanks for taking care of me.”
“I’d say any time, but I never want to go through this again.” Anna wiped away a fat tear from her cheek. “I’ll go get Lisa for you.”
As she left the room, Ross tried to sit up a little straighter. He didn’t want Lisa to see him as weak. He heard her footsteps thundering up the stairs and along the corridor. A smile played at the corner of his mouth. She was eager to see him.
The door crashed open and Lisa ran into the room. She came to a screeching halt, her arms thrown out as though she was about to embrace him and suddenly remembered herself. She dropped to her knees by his side and laid her head on his hand. Her tears wet his skin and he laid his free hand on her back to soothe her.
“I was just dreaming about you, sweetheart.” He sniffed the air. “You didn’t smell like a distillery, though.”
“I had a drink with Neil.”
Ross raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him with flushed cheeks and glassy eyes.
“Or maybe six or seven,” she admitted.
Taking it as a sign she’d been worried about him, Ross smiled indulgently and decided to ignore the fact she’d got drunk with his flirtatious cousin.
“How drunk are you?”
“Not drunk enough to shag an invalid, if that’s what you’re hoping for.” She took a deep, juddering breath. “I need to tell you something, Ross. I don’t love you.”
That might have hurt if she hadn’t squeezed his hand and carried on speaking.
“I like you a lot and I know I’ll grow to love you. I mean, you’re annoying as hell with your need for control and we will fall out if you don’t let me go back to work soon but I like your body, a lot.” She ran her hand along his forearm. “Especially your arms. I like your arms.” Apparently realizing she was rambling, she exhaled slowly. “But what I’m saying is I want to be with you. I’m yours. But you are annoying.”
“Wow, you’re a chatty drunk.” Ross found her unfiltered raving quite endearing. “Did you mean it, about being mine?”
“You know what they say, in whisky veritas.”
“Shouldn’t that be vino?”
Lisa shrugged. “Your cousin doesn’t have wine but, yes, everything I said was true.”
“Especially the bit about me being annoying?”
“Yes, especially that.”
“Because you know I’m only going to get worse now you’ve accepted our bond.”
“I know.” Lisa flashed him a look of resignation as she pushed herself up off her knees. “I should go. You need your rest.”
He felt a tug in his chest at the thought of her leaving. He patted the empty space beside him.
“Sleep here. There’s plenty of room.”
“You’re hurt.”
Ross waved his hand dismissively.
“Ach, it’s a scratch.”
“It’s a bloody huge hole in your shoulder,” Lisa corrected, “and you fell from a great height. I’m surprised every bone in your body didn’t shatter.”
Lisa reached out and touched his face, her thumb caressing his cheek. An unreadable expression formed on her face as she looked at him. Something passed between them, an unspoken understanding that they belonged to each other. Then Lisa smiled, breaking the spell. She moved around to the other side of the bed and lay on top of the covers, not bothering to remove her clothing or shoes.
