Abandoned (4 page)

Allison blew on her first bite and moaned around the spoonful as she tasted the simple canned soup. It was just as she remembered. The chicken soup her mother always fixed when she was sick as a child. “I don’t know how I can be of much help. I don’t have any idea what my captor had planned.”

“What was his name?”

“I don’t even know that. He never said and he rarely spoke to me.”

“Did he say you were his mate?”

“No.” Allison shook her head and then took another bite. “He said I was a test subject. For what I don’t know, but he injected me with some strange drugs about once a week.”

Ashley nodded. “So did Damon.”

“They made me tired, and after a while I didn’t care. I thought he was keeping me docile.”

“So you spent an entire year in a cabin in the middle of nowhere never seeing anyone except one man who didn’t speak to you?”

Allison shook her head. “Not exactly. But I might as well have. Several times other men came to the cabin.” She set her spoon down, her hand shaking violently as she told Ashley what happened to her. “They would put me out with some different drugs and then transport me blindfolded to another location for a few days. It was very strange. Like a hospital, except I only ever saw men in white coats briefly when I was lucid enough. Most of the time I slept during those episodes. I can’t remember much about it.”

“They moved you someplace else and then took you back to the cabin?”

Allison nodded. “I was scared out of my mind yesterday when the military showed up for fear they’d been sent to transport me to that facility again. Jesus. That place made me nervous.”

Ashley furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip. “God.”

“Yeah. I think they were using me for some sort of experiment. But I don’t know anything else.”

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Go ahead.” Allison set the spoon down and looked at Ashley’s troubled face, her brow furrowed, her lip caught between her teeth.

“I’m guessing you never got pregnant. How often did he—” Ashley cut herself off, not finishing the sentence.

Allison’s eyes went wide. She shook her head and reached across the counter to take Ashley’s hand in hers. “He never raped me.”
Oh God. Is that what happened to Ashley?
Allison was right. Her fate was much less severe than Ashley’s.

“Oh wow. Thank God.” Ashley turned away, drawing her hand from Allison’s until she faced the sink.

Allison watched the back of her head, knowing she was pulling herself together and fighting demons only she could know about.

“I’m sorry,” Allison said.

Ashley turned back to face her. Her eyes were wet. “It’s okay. I’m making progress every day. I’m so glad you didn’t endure the same.”

Allison glanced down, realizing something she should have noticed when she first arrived, and would have if she hadn’t been so distracted. “You’re pregnant.”

“Yes.” Ashley beamed now and patted her belly. “Not far along. Evan and I are so excited. I didn’t think I could have children.”

“Congratulations.” Allison smiled back and then sobered. “It must be hard after all those years…”

“At first it seemed impossible. I fought the call to mate with Evan for months. I thought I was too damaged for him, and I went through a long period of agoraphobia and wouldn’t let anyone touch me. But as soon as I gave up the battle against nature, it all fell into place. Nothing with Evan is anything like what I went through with Damon, so our reality doesn’t draw me into the past.”

“That’s good. I hope I meet someone that special one day.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Daniel Spencer ran through the back door of his family’s home in Northwest Texas, letting the screen door slam behind him.

His mother stood at the kitchen counter beating eggs. She shook her head as Daniel kissed her cheek. “When are you going to learn to let that door shut softly?”

“Never, Mom.” He grinned and grabbed a biscuit from the plate behind his mom.

She swatted at his hand with her free one. “Those are for breakfast.”

“And I’m ready for breakfast. I’m starving.”

“If you didn’t run so far so early in the morning, you wouldn’t be so hungry.” She raised an eyebrow.

Daniel plopped down in a chair at the table and poured a glass of orange juice from the carafe. “When I joined the North American Reserves, they didn’t intend for me to sleep late and sit around all day, Mom.”

“I know. But I worry about how much you work out. It’s unhealthy.”

“I’m fine.” He rolled his eyes. “I love the solitude. It’s so peaceful and quiet out there early in the morning. Besides, I have to stay fit.”

She padded over to the table and pinched his biceps, or tried to. “There isn’t an ounce of fat on you. I’d say you’re fit enough. NAR is lucky to have you.” She grinned. “Go take a shower while I finish here. We have to get moving. People will arrive soon.”

Daniel stood and took a deep breath. He was proud of his parents for stepping up and taking in twelve women who needed a place to convalesce after captivity. And he knew the dude ranch his family owned would work miracles toward their recovery, but he was also concerned about the safety of his parents, siblings, and now even a sister-in-law and baby.

He left the room and headed for the hall bathroom to clean up. He had his own place on the ranch now, a cabin he’d built this spring about a half mile down the road on his parents’ property. But he ate almost all his meals with the family. His younger brothers, Scott and Jerrod, still lived in the main house. His older brother, Drake, had moved out years ago and also lived on the property in his own home with his mate, Kenzie, and their new baby, Aaron.

When Daniel reemerged in the kitchen, the house was bustling. The noise level always increased several decibels when his youngest brother, Jerrod, only twelve years old, awoke. The boy was a pistol, and he never stopped chattering.

At twenty-six, Daniel was in the best physical shape he’d ever been in. When he’d applied to join NAR almost a year ago, his parents had been leery. But he was dedicated to the safety of the shifter population, and his family had relaxed in their concern. His mother usually furrowed her brow when the subject of his commitment came up, but the pride on his father’s face made up for it. Some serious shit seemed to be brewing among the shifter population, and Daniel felt a deep loyalty toward the protection of his species.

Scott had been talking about enlisting lately also. Daniel knew it was only a matter of time. It made his mother very nervous.

“What time will people start arriving?” Daniel asked as he filled his plate and took a spot at the table.

His father, Jerome, sat at the head of the table holding his usual cup of coffee and waiting for the commotion to die down before eating. With three male offspring still living in the house, he had to know his limbs were in danger if he reached into the fray. “The first woman is arriving shortly. Her name is Allison Watkins. Evan and Ashley Harmon are bringing her from St. Louis. They drove in the night. The rest will be trickling in during the day.”

“How old are these women?” Daniel asked as he shoveled scrambled eggs into his mouth. His stomach was growling
,
even though he’d inhaled that biscuit before showering.

“Allison is twenty-five. The rest range in age from twenty to twenty-eight.”

“Such a close age range.” Daniel had not known much about this situation until recently. He’d joined the Reserves right after The Gathering last year, but anything related to this strange rift in the shifter world had been kept quite secret until a select group of NAR had been brought on board. He still worked on his family’s dude ranch most of the month, but he traveled every other weekend to train with other members of NAR. In centuries of existence, the wolf shifter population had never had such a mobilized military organization. They’d always maintained small groups in every region to keep the peace among their people, but nothing of this size. And it was growing. Concerns were rising. When he trained with the other shifters, he could feel the change in atmosphere among his superiors.

Fear. Distrust. Anger.

Daniel was fully aware something huge was about to occur. Even if other shifters, including his own family, chose to pretend things couldn’t possibly be that bad. He knew with certainty now that they’d rescued so many women from captivity there was a deep-rooted conspiracy in the works. There was no telling how bad the situation was yet, but Daniel intended to be on the right side of the law when the shit hit the fan, protecting not only his family but their entire population’s way of life.

Needing some time away from the commotion of his family, Daniel pushed away from the table. “I’m going to go check on the cabins, make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.”

His mother smiled at him with a knowing look that told him she knew he was making excuses to escape the craziness of the noisy family.

“I’ll be back in a while.” Daniel kissed his mother on the cheek and left to head for a quiet zone. He checked the first few cabins, finding them in perfect shape and then made his way to the stables.

The last stall in the barn held Sadie, Daniel’s personal favorite. He rode her whenever he had a chance, at least three times a week. It was hard to find time in the busiest seasons, but he at least visited her every day to escape, connect, and regroup.

He could talk to her
,
and she seemed to understand him. He leaned into her as he brushed her
,
and she took away the weight of the world. He whispered in her ear, “Some women are coming to visit, Sadie.”

Her ears twitched.

“Why am I antsy?” Of course it was a big deal having twelve kidnapped women come to the ranch to regroup, but there was more. For some reason his senses were on high alert
,
as though something was in the air. Not just the women. Something else was about to happen. A tingling in his spine kept him on edge.

Some people said they could tell when it was going to rain or snow by an ache in their hip or a pain in their leg. Daniel felt like that now. It wasn’t weather that was headed his way, but something bigger.

He knew people would start arriving at any moment, but he needed to relieve some stress. In a flash he decided to go for a ride. He grabbed his saddle and led Sadie from the stall in record time. Without turning toward the main house to check for new cars, he headed to the back pasture and took off.

Whatever was bothering him would surely loosen up after a good run.

•●•

Allison stepped from the car and stretched her legs, reaching for her toes, knees locked, back arched. She’d spent two long nights riding in cars.

The screen door on the front porch opened and a woman emerged. She smiled as she approached. Allison glanced at Ashley and then Evan, the kind couple from St. Louis who had escorted her to Texas. They were both watching the blonde woman as she reached them.

“Hello.” She extended a hand to Ashley first. “I’m Natalie Spencer. My husband, Jerome, and I own Spencer Ranch. Welcome.”

“Thank you. I’m Ashley. And this is my mate, Evan.” She pointed at Evan as he rounded the car. “And this is Allison Watkins.” She nodded toward Allison just behind her.

Allison loved Natalie immediately. The warmth in her eyes as she reached for Allison made her almost cry. Her own mother would be here shortly, but in the meantime she could tell Natalie would be a wonderful support system. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Please, call me Natalie.” She tucked Allison’s hand under her arm and led them back toward the house. “Come on inside. You three must be exhausted.”

Ashley and Evan followed.

The house was inviting as they entered through the front door. Even the squeak of the front screen made Allison smile. Visions of a stereotypical farm house filled her mind. And this fantastic place fit the bill.

“Sit.” Natalie motioned to the living room. “Let me get you something to drink.” She headed for the attached kitchen area and returned moments later with a tray of lemonade and several glasses.

Allison relaxed into the couch cushions, her mouth watering. “I can’t remember when I’ve had lemonade.” A peace washed over her in this home. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but she was more comfortable than she could ever remember.