Finally the haze of confusion cleared from Lilly’s brain. “Anna, I presume?”
Rather than answer, Anna issued another banshee wail and lunged at Lilly. Prepared this time for the attack, Lilly countered the intended blow, taking Anna down with one of her own. Landing on top of the female werewolf, Lilly pounded a fist into Anna’s nose. Another screech rang from Anna. Satisfied she’d gotten her point across that she wasn’t a cat to be tangled with, Lilly started to push to her feet. A searing pain splintered through her rib cage and she gasped, falling sideways again. Blinking back tears of pain, she watched helplessly as Anna struggled to her knees and pocketed the taser she’d zapped Lilly with. Reaching down, Anna snagged the hood of Lilly’s coat and hauled her toward the stairway.
Lilly barely registered the additional pain as her useless limbs were carted unceremoniously down the steps and toward her SUV. Anna propped her against the side of the vehicle and used the keys she’d swiped from the cabin door to free the lock. “Mind if I drive? Walking to my car might be too much for you.” Her shrill laugh grating, Anna hoisted Lilly into the passenger seat. Anna stooped and grabbed something she’d stashed beneath the vehicle. A second later she straightened, revealing the bundle of straps and bungee cords in her arms. Her motions brisk and efficient, she secured Lilly tightly in place.
While Anna walked to the other side of the Escape and situated herself behind the wheel, Lilly tried not to let fear get the better of her. If she wanted to find a way out of this surreal situation, she needed to keep her wits about her. “Where yous taking meh?” Her tongue felt thick and useless as she slurred the weak demand.
Rather than respond, Anna cranked up the volume on the radio. They drove for roughly twenty-five minutes before Anna pulled down a deserted stretch of road that hadn’t seen a plow in recent days. Apparently unconcerned with the possibility of getting stuck, Anna continued blazing her own trail until she came to a dead end. She stopped the vehicle and swung open her door.
Fear and panic spiked Lilly’s heart rate into triple time as she watched Anna tromping through the knee-deep snow toward her. After Anna tugged her wool hat lower over her ears, she wrenched the door open and zapped Lilly again with the taser. The fresh surge of pain that exploded throughout Lilly caused her to retch, but nothing came up.
Her lips twisting into a cold, cruel smile, Anna tossed the taser onto the driver’s seat before loosening the bungees securing Lilly. “Had to make sure you wouldn’t give me a fight.”
Wrapping her arms around Lilly’s limp body, Anna hauled her from the vehicle and wrestled her toward the edge of the road. A steep embankment led down to a heavily forested valley. Anna unceremoniously dumped Lilly onto the snow and rolled her over the side. Gravity took over, and Lilly slid through the thick powder, helpless to do anything to stop her chaotic tumbling. A tree trunk finally broke her fall. Dazed and winded, she wheezed for breath, her lungs burning with pain. She willed herself to move, but her useless limbs refused to cooperate.
The steady crunch of snow announced Anna’s approach. Lilly blinked up at the female werewolf. “Yous won’t get ’s’way with thish.”
“Oh believe me, I most definitely will. No one comes out here. Especially this time of year. By the time spring comes around, there won’t be much left of you to ID, beyond the pickings the bears and wolves leave behind.” Anna caught her stare and grinned evilly. “Don’t worry. I have no interest in eating you. Though I can’t say my brothers would feel the same.”
“Dante’ll look for me… He’ll find me, and when he doesh, he’ll kill you for thish.”
“Trust me, he’ll have no reason to suspect foul play. Especially since I plan to sink your car in the Au Sable River. Everyone will just assume you lost control in the snow and ended up succumbing to an unfortunate, watery death. They’ll never find your body, of course. Not that it matters.” Stooping, Anna grabbed Lilly by the hood again and dragged her deeper into the forest. Once they reached a section of fallen evergreens, Anna stopped and bound Lilly to one of the few upright birch trees with the strap and pair of bungees. Pulling her glove off with her teeth, Anna reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out a clear vial filled with a murky substance. Hunkering next to Lilly, she unscrewed the cap before forcing the bottle between Lilly’s lips.
Sputtering, Lilly tried to spit the nasty-tasting concoction out, but Anna slammed a hand over Lilly’s mouth, making her choke the liquid down. Tears of frustration and anguish leaked from the corners of Lilly’s eyes, earning a taunting laugh from Anna. “Alas, I didn’t poison you. Where would be the fun in that? No, that was merely a precaution to guarantee you’ll be unable to shift and find your way to safety before either the cold or the predators do you in.”
Anna hefted to her feet and brushed the snow from her knees. “Well, I really best get going before the sun sets. It’s going to be a wickedly chilly night you know.” Her own laugh resembling splinters of ice, Anna pivoted and disappeared through the dense copse of trees.
Shivering in fear, Lilly strained against her bindings. God, she’d been so stupid. And stubborn. If she’d given in and told Dante how she felt, none of this would be happening. She could be in his arms right now, instead of waiting to die.
Alone.
Chapter Fifteen
Dante’s fingers were surprisingly steady as he knotted his tie and glanced in his bathroom mirror. If anyone told him a week ago that he’d be getting ready for his own wedding and not experiencing the typical pre-ceremony jitters, he would have labeled them certifiably nuts. Then again, he never would have guessed in his wildest dreams he’d be punch-drunk in love with Lilly Prescott.
Yeah, the world was an insane place.
Grinning to himself, he tugged on his suit jacket and stepped from the room. The clock on his nightstand confirmed that it was almost nine thirty. Thank Christ they were doing an early ceremony. No way could he survive waiting even another hour to pledge the rest of his life to Lilly.
He just hoped like hell that a good night’s sleep had banished her fears and concerns about their future.
It’d about killed him to give her the space she’d needed yesterday, but he’d understood the necessity for it. Still, staying away from his mate when he’d ached to ease her worries and prove to her that he’d remain by her side, no matter what, had been one of the toughest things he’d ever forced himself to do.
Well, after today he’d never leave her side again.
With that affirmation burning in his gut, he snatched his keys from the kitchen island and headed outside to his pickup. After scraping the fresh layer of snow from the windshield, he hopped inside the cab and drove in the direction of Lilly’s cabin.
Bafflement and consternation battled for foremost supremacy as he stared at the empty spot where her SUV was usually parked. Had she already left for the ceremony site?
Deliberately ignoring the faint stirrings of doubt creeping in, he swung out of her driveway. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the Bowl ’N’ Brew. Judging from the amount of vehicles congesting the lot, the majority of his pack and a few other invited wedding guests had already arrived. He didn’t spot Lilly’s SUV. The niggle of worry worming through his insides intensified a fraction. Deliberately tuning out the sensation, he climbed from his truck and strode toward the bowling alley. Inside the building, he was greeted by boisterous catcalls and bone-crushing hugs from friends and relatives.
He spied Shane sidling toward him, a grin planted on his mug. “Lookie here, it’s the man of the hour.”