Van, Becca - Taming Olivia [Terra-form 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (13 page)

“There are many unattached females on your Earth?” Bradford asked with avid interest.

“Yes.”

“Tell me how you got here to Terra-form, and maybe I will think about letting you go.”

Olivia spent the next fifteen to twenty minutes telling Bradford about her experience when she had traveled from one plane of Earth to the next. Bradford asked her so many questions, prying every little bit of information out of her. She was beginning to get a headache. She couldn’t stop the yawn that formed but covered her mouth quickly, not wanting to anger him by making him think she was bored. Even though she was. The last thing she needed was for him to sling her over his shoulder and take off with her again. The longer they stayed still, the more chance her mates would have of catching up with them and rescuing her. She hoped they didn’t think she’d tried to run again.

“Can you remember where you converged on Terra-form?” Bradford asked, his stance aggressive. His hips were thrust forward, his arms crossed over his chest. She hoped he wasn’t going to come on to her again. He seemed to have his beast under control once he’d listened to her explain her arrival and asked her in-depth questions. She had no idea what had calmed him, but as long as he kept himself under control, she didn’t really care.

“Uh, well, I wish I could, but my sense of direction is terrible,” Olivia answered, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

Olivia’s eyed him with trepidation when Bradford stalked toward her. He reached out, grasped a handful of her hair, and tilted her head back so she was looking at him.

“If you’re lying, I will not be happy, and if I find out you are lying, you won’t like the consequences either.” Bradford growled.

“I’m not. I promise. I get lost in that mansion of a place all the time. Ask anyone,” Olivia wailed.

“Now that would be a bit difficult, since there is no one around to ask. Don’t think I won’t find out, though. I always find out the truth.”

“I. Am. Not. Lying,” Olivia said through clenched teeth. Now she was getting downright pissed off. No one questioned her, especially a stranger who had had the gall to kidnap her. “Back off, you bastard.”

“Hm, so much indignation. Do your mates know how to deal with you?”

“What? Fuck you. Let me go,” Olivia commanded.

She was surprised when Bradford released the hold on her hair. The move was so unexpected she stumbled and fell on her ass. She stared at Bradford warily, getting to her feet as she dusted off her butt.

“I’ve had enough of your macho shit. I’m leaving,” Olivia stated then turned and stomped away.

Bradford’s laughter halted her in her tracks. She looked back over her shoulder and scowled at him. “What the fuck is so funny?”

“You’ve just proved your statement correct. You’re going the wrong way.”

“Fuck you.” Olivia scowled. She just turned her head back to the front and kept walking. She didn’t care where she ended up, as long as it was away from this asshole.

Olivia screamed as her world turned upside down. She landed over a broad, hard shoulder with a loud
oomph
. It took her several moments to get her breath back, and when she did she screamed at the top of her lungs, pounding on Bradford’s back for all she was worth. What pissed her off more was the fact he didn’t even seem to notice her struggles.

Chapter Thirteen

“Where the fuck is she?” Cedric roared, his beast trying to take over.

“The last time she was seen, she was in the garden. Let’s see if we can get her scent. You don’t think she tried to run again, do you?” Hugh asked.

“No, she’s been taken. Come over here. Her scent is strongest at the hammock, but it’s intermingled with an unfamiliar scent.” Tony growled.

Cedric felt the hair on his nape stand on end as Tony struggled with his beast. He sniffed around the area, breathing in their mate’s scent. The distinctive aroma of an unfamiliar male made him growl and hiss along with Tony.

“Bear,” Cedric managed to spit out before his beast took over. He let his animal have control and saw his brother and friend change forms as well. He bounded off through the gardens and into the forest as he followed their mate’s and the strange bear’s scents. He felt his muscles ripple as he ran faster and harder than he ever had before. Three furious, raucous roars echoed throughout the forest. Cedric and his brother and friend were calling for backup and he knew they wouldn’t have to ask for help twice. They were hunting, and no one was going to get in the way of getting their mate back.

* * * *

“Hey, where are we? This place looks familiar,” Olivia stated from her perch over Bradford’s shoulder. She’d resigned herself to the fact she wouldn’t be walking anywhere. She propped her head up on her hand, her elbow sticking into Bradford’s muscled shoulder. She hoped her bony elbow was hurting him.

Bradford stopped walking, removed Olivia from his shoulder, and placed her on her feet.

“What do you mean this place looks familiar?”

“Well, it looks like where I came in. Where I found myself on Terra-form for the first time,” Olivia stated, looking around her. “You know what? I think it is. See that track? I’m sure that is where I first saw the bear staring at me and April scared the shit out me when she walked right up to the bear and hugged it.”

“Hm, well I suppose it could be, but you can’t be really sure, can you? Your sense of direction is terrible.”

“Ha ha, yeah, laugh at the dumb female. I can’t help it, you know. I don’t know why I have so much trouble remembering where I’m going or where I came from.”

“I’m not trying to insult you, Olivia. I just want you to be really sure this is where you came in,” Bradford stated earnestly.

“Well, I don’t think I’ll ever be really sure, but that looks like the tree April’s Panther guys were lounging in. I remember the branch was twisted and gnarled nearly the same as that one. I doubt we’ll ever know for sure. Not unless you ask one of my mates, or the Alphas from the panther clan.”

“Not going to happen. If they get within ten feet of me, I’m dead.”

“Why did you have to kidnap me? I mean, I know what it’s like to be alone, to be lonely, but I’ve never hurt anyone else because of it. You didn’t have to take me away from my home.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just, I’ve been alone for so long. I think I went a little crazy,” Bradford admitted.

“Well, maybe you could just let me go home now. If you point me in the right direction, I can make my way back,” Olivia said, her eyes squinting in hopefulness.

“You’d be lost within ten paces, Olivia. I can’t leave you out here to roam around by yourself. It’s too dangerous. I’ll just have to take you back and face the consequences of my actions. At least I’ll be with my family again. It’s said the Goddess’s home is a beautiful place to be.”

“No. I’m not letting you die because of me,” Olivia stated, hands planted on her hips.

“None of this is your fault, female. I made my own problems. I will deal with my actions like a warrior.”

“Oh, for God’s sake. Spare me from the arrogance and pride of a male,” Olivia muttered. “Look, you and I both know my mates will be out looking for me. Why not just leave me here and go home? You’ll be safe from the wrath of my mates, which will make me happy. I’ll be safe once they get here and take me back home.”

“I can’t just leave you here. Another shifter species could find you, and then you could be in real trouble,” Bradford replied with another heavy sigh.

“Look, I just don’t want…What the hell?” Olivia squeaked as the air around them began to pulse with electricity.

Bradford leapt in front of Olivia, pushing her behind him as the air ten feet away from them began to shimmer. Olivia peaked around Bradford’s waist and stared in awe as little blue electric lights pulsed and began to converge into a ball. The sphere got larger and larger. Olivia stared in awe as the orb of blue converged into one large, glowing globe and then faded away. Standing in its place was a tall, voluptuous redhead. Her eyes looked unfocused, and her mouth was gaping open. She stared around her in awe, as if she were in a dream. Olivia watched as the woman raised a hand to her arm and pinched herself. She must have pinched hard, because she yelped in pain. The female’s eyes slid to Bradford and widened in shock. Olivia could see the heat she sent Bradford’s way from her hiding place behind him. Bradford’s bearlike roar made her and the strange woman jump.

“Mine,” Bradford yelled after he finished roaring then leapt the distance between him and the strange woman, slung her over his shoulder, and took off.

Olivia stood, her mouth gaping as she watched Bradford sling the woman over his shoulder. The woman hadn’t made a sound, and Olivia wondered if she had passed out. The two disappeared from sight. She fought back a giggle. That poor woman didn’t stand a chance. Olivia realized she was once again all alone and had no way to get back home. She sighed and sat down beneath a large tree. All she could do was wait.

* * * *

He doubled back. He’s heading to where we found Olivia when she first arrived on Terra-form. Wonder what he’s up to?
Cedric asked his brother and his friend.

I don’t know but I don’t like it,
Tony replied.

What if she’s convinced him to help her leave?
Hugh asked.

I don’t know. I don’t think she will,
Tony answered.
She seemed pretty happy to me. But there is something going on in that hard head of hers. As soon as we find her, we get her back home and we ask her what’s going on. Agreed?

Agreed,
Cedric and Hugh replied.

* * * *

Olivia was becoming worried that her mates wouldn’t find her before nightfall. The light was gradually fading from the sky, and the cacophony of animals and insects scurrying about made her nervous. She hated being out at night by herself, but she was even more scared since she was in a forest full of wild animals, men, and shape-shifters. Her breath hitched in her chest at every little sound and rustle of leaves. She wanted to be surrounded by her mates. Oh God. She was in love with them. Pain lanced through her chest, piercing her heart at the thought of being away from her mates. She wanted to be surrounded by their hard, masculine bodies. She wanted them to fill her every orifice and shower her with their love. She had no idea how they really felt about her, but they had vowed to protect and never hurt her. Surely they felt something for her other than a physical need to assuage their desire. The way they all looked at her with such hunger made her think that maybe, just possibly, they had some tender feelings toward her.

Olivia’s heart began to pound frantically against her rib cage as three loud roars echoed through the forest. She began to panic with nervous excitement. She just hoped those angry roars were her mates and not some other form of shape-shifter.

Chapter Fourteen

She’s close. Her scent is getting stronger,
Cedric stated.
Whoever took her has definitely brought her back to where she first arrived on Terra-form. If she has somehow managed to find her way back to her home planet of Earth, I am going to rip his fucking head from his shoulders. I don’t care who or what he is, he’s a dead bear-shifter.

Calm down, Cedric,
Tony stated.

Cedric felt relief course through him as he spotted Olivia sitting beneath a large tree. She looked as if she had been for a casual stroll in the forest, with not a care in the world.
You don’t want to scare our mate.

Oh, thank the Goddess. She looks so sweet sitting there. We know better though, don’t we? How are we going to handle this? Do we berate her or do we comfort her?
Hugh asked.

Why don’t we let Olivia take the lead? Let’s see what she has to say, and then we can deal with her after we find out what’s been going on,
Cedric suggested.

I agree. But if I don’t like what she tells us, she’s going over my knee.
Tony growled.

She’s going to be tortured all night long, as far as I’m concerned,
Hugh stated, a lascivious tone in his mental voice.

Let’s hear what she has to say first. We don’t want to jeopardize our relationship any more than it already is. I want her to give us her total commitment. I’m sick and tired of walking on eggshells around our mate. It’s time we told her how things are going to be. I don’t want her holding back from us anymore,
Cedric stated.