“Petite sorcière, I am Alpha of this area, so I know everything that happens here. And everyone who comes into my territory does what I say. Do you follow me? I want to explain a few things to you…explain why Ilsbeth sent me. Now sit,” he ordered as he patted the loveseat adjacent to him.
As if she had a damn choice in the matter. She walked over and sat rigidly in the chair. She glared at him, her pensive lips sealed in a tight line.
“Now that’s better, mon cher. Please understand a few important things. First of all, know that you are safe with me. I won’t let anyone have at you. And the reason I am assuring you of your safety brings me to my second point. There is no other way to put this; you are still very much in danger. We have reason to believe that they were after you.” Tristan could see Samantha’s face blanch with fright. He reached over and put his hand on her knee.
“Look at me, Samantha,” he commanded.
She silently complied.
“Remember what I said first. I will protect you.”
“But…” she interrupted.
“Samantha, I was there that day when we rescued you from Asgear. I know what they did to you. Now, I don’t know you very well but if you are tough enough to survive what was done to you, you can survive this. You’re not alone.”
She wanted to believe him but the images of Asgear beating her bloody flashed through her mind. She could not survive again. She glanced over at the front door and fought the urge to run away. He said he’d protect her. She took a deep breath, willing herself to relax long enough to hear him out. She needed to know why they thought she was still in danger.
“I need to know. Who’s after me? I mean, Asgear is dead. What could anyone possibly want from me? They say I’m a witch but apparently I can’t do that either. If you’ve spoken to Ilsbeth then you know that I’ve felt nothing, done nothing…magically. If I really do have magic in me, I’m a sorry excuse for a witch. Honestly, I just want out of this nightmare. That’s why I came here. I need to get away from all that craziness.” She put her face in her hands, sighed and fought back a sob; she refused to cry one more tear over what Asgear had done to her.
Tristan took her hands in his, sending waves of calming power over her. “I don’t know who took Luca or why they wanted you. But Kade and Sydney are working on it right now. In the meantime, I’ll keep you safe. In the morning….well, we’ll cross that bridge tomorrow. Now, how about I get you something to drink. A brandy?”
Samantha silently regarded Tristan, feeling numbness wash over her body.
“Okay, you don’t need to say anything. Just sit. I’ll be back.” Tristan rose and strode across the room, quickly finding a bottle of whiskey in one of the cabinets. Close enough. At least they had something to drink. From across the room, he could hear her heart racing, probably from both fear and anger. Fuck, if he had told her she was going back to New Orleans tomorrow, she’d probably pass out. No, he’d leave that little doozy for Luca.
After Tristan handed Samantha a glass, she took a long, strong pull of the golden liquid. Immediately, she had a coughing fit, raising her hands to signal she was all right. Composing herself, she regarded the Alpha sitting in front of her. “Little rough, huh, Tristan? You know what, wolf? I have no intention of being a victim again. No fucking way. If one of Asgear’s flunkies is coming after me, they aren’t taking me alive again,” she resolved.
“Now that’s the spirit, ma petite sorcière,” Tristan replied.
“Petite sorcière?” Samantha questioned.
“Ah yes. Little witch. That is who you are now. Whether you feel your power or not, it's there. I can literally smell the magic emanating off your skin.”
“Yeah well, maybe all that is true, but I couldn’t create one little spark when I was at the coven. Couldn’t even light a candle. Some witch I am. I’ll tell you this for nothing, I am way better at computers than all this mumbo jumbo that supposedly lurks within me. You know, I was good at something, really good at it. Now, I’m afraid I can’t even go back to that,” she huffed.
“When this is all over, Samantha, you can start anew. There are lots of supernaturals in the area. I can help you find a computer job in the Philadelphia area with folks who understand…who know who you are and what you are.” He smiled, taking another swig of the whiskey.
Samantha’s head was spinning. He thought she should go work for supernaturals? Get real. So not happening, Alpha wolf. She rolled her eyes, and threw back her head, resting it on the sofa.
“Thanks for the offer. But that isn’t happening any time soon. I took a leave of absence from my job, so I could get my head together. Heal. And that is exactly what I plan to do. Then I’m going back to my boring, so not magical life. And I can’t wait.” She placed her empty glass on the end table. She continued talking, determined not to let fear overcome her. “Listen, since there’s nothing I can really do at this point if someone breaks in, I’m taking your word that you’ll protect me. So here’s the plan. I’m going to go over to the kitchen, find a big knife and take it to bed with me. I’m overwhelmed, angry and generally unhappy right now.” She gestured to the sofa. “The sofa is all yours, Alpha. Talk to you in the morning.”
With those words, she strode into the kitchen, selected the biggest sharpest chef knife she could find and walked down the hall towards her bedroom. Sure, she was afraid. But she was not about to get kidnapped again without a knockdown, drag-out fight. She undressed, throwing on a comfortable cami, and climbed into the freshly lined bed. Reaching over, she placed the knife carefully under her pillow, in easy reach if she needed it, and closed her eyes, praying the nightmares wouldn’t come.
A loud knock resounded throughout the cabin’s wooden interior. Tristan strode over to the door, throw still around his hips, and opened it. From outside, Luca glared at Tristan, noticing he was wearing next to nothing.
“What?” Tristan asked. He shrugged his shoulders, walked back over to the couch and stretched out, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
Luca followed after him, shutting the door. “What? Really, wolf? I asked you to watch her, not give her a male review.”
Tristan laughed. “Hey man, I can’t help it if the ladies like to see my goods. Besides, I’m a wolf. Can’t exactly carry clothes with me.”
Luca sat down and let out a huge sigh. “Okay, just tell me now. Where is she? And why aren’t you furry?”
“She was asleep outside on the porch. So I watched and waited. When she woke up, she heard something and flipped on the floodlights. Don’t worry, though. She’s handled the wolf fairly well. And I can’t lie, Luca, the woman gives a good rub,” he joked. He jerked his head towards the hallway. “Samantha’s sleeping.”
“Well, I do appreciate you coming up here to guard her. Tomorrow, we’ll return to New Orleans. The jet is ready to go.” Luca would be relieved once they were back home.
Tristan smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, about that. You know, you might want to wait a few days before taking her back. Maybe give her a day or two. Get to know her more, earn her trust.”
“What the hell, Tristan? Are you kidding me?”
“No, mon ami. I’m dead serious. Just listen. The girl’s been through a lot. I talked to her tonight, made her understand how she’s still in danger. But you’ve got to ease her into going back. She doesn’t even know you’re alive.”