however. As soon as she’d hit puberty, it had gotten progressively worse.
All the innuendos, all the put-downs, the nasty comments mumbled behind her back. She’d accepted them all, knowing it was her own failure for being the only mixie in the family. She’d left home as soon as she’d been able to, relocating thousands of miles away where no one knew her. Where no one knew she was a shifter, just another faceless woman in the crowd.
She’d thrived on the anonymity, however. Blossoming, finding her wings, a job, friends. She’d had it all, and now Jay wanted her to say goodbye to her hard-won life. Who did he think he was?
Our mate , the lioness replied inside her. We need to go to him!
Alexa shook her head and forced her feet to stay put. She’d said she’d stay here. He counted on her. She might not like the way he ordered her around, but she also knew he was doing it because he thought it was for the best. Part of her also understood why he wanted her to move in with him. After all, they were mated now. That’s what mated couples did.
God, she really had to stop thinking. Rolling her eyes at herself, she turned around…only to stop short when something skittered on the driveway behind her. She stilled, waiting to hear if she heard the noise again.
Nothing.
Just the sound of the wind brushing the leaves of the trees lined up the street.
Relaxing her stance, she grabbed the door handle. An arm wrapped around her throat from behind, cutting off her air. She chocked, her hands automatically trying to dislodge it. Her fingers dug into the thickly muscled arm under her chin, but it wasn’t enough. She partially shifted and felt her nails pierce the man’s skin.
He roared in displeasure and accentuated the pressure. Black spots appeared in her vision, her breath coming out too slowly for her to do more than just stand there and wait.
No! Her lioness growled. Fight!
Alexa wavered, but she did manage to send her booted foot slamming into her attacker’s shin. He yelped but didn’t let go. His scent grew stronger, as if his emotions were getting out of control. That’s when she recognized him.
Anger sparked bright inside her. A final burst of energy made her slam her elbow back into his paunchy stomach. He snapped and covered her nose with his other hand. Unable to breathe any longer, she fought against his hold. Seconds later, her world turned black.
Chapter Fourteen
Alexa came back to herself slowly. Even before her lioness started talking to her, she knew she’d been drugged. Her limbs felt heavy, her breathing choppy. She couldn’t open her eyes or move her hands. Panic surged inside her. Only the thought of her mate stopped her from giving in to it.
Jay...
Jay would find her. She had to trust him. She had to.
Her heartbeat slowed down a little, and she forced herself to lie there and listen. Beep beeps. The faint sound of a pump. There were machines all around her; she would bet on it.
“I know you’re awake, whelp.” She tensed as the dreaded voice whispered in her ear. “Now that you’re properly tied up, we can start with the procedure.”
He must have reduced the drugs invading her system because she could feel the fog that had surrounded her gradually lessen. She blinked. It took her a few tries, but she finally managed to open her eyes. Bright lights made her close them almost instantly.
He laughed, almost maniacally, somewhere to her left.
Her lioness sharing some of her strength, she tried again and almost cried out when she noticed where she was. It was a surgical room. Her fingers tensed, but he’d been right. She was cuffed to the bed. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t run away and hide. Her feet were in stirrups, her legs wide open. A sudden realization came over her.
He was going to do it again. Implant that thing in her, hiding her lioness from the world once more.
No! she roared inside her, scraping her nails against her insides.
Alexa gasped
All the innuendos, all the put-downs, the nasty comments mumbled behind her back. She’d accepted them all, knowing it was her own failure for being the only mixie in the family. She’d left home as soon as she’d been able to, relocating thousands of miles away where no one knew her. Where no one knew she was a shifter, just another faceless woman in the crowd.
She’d thrived on the anonymity, however. Blossoming, finding her wings, a job, friends. She’d had it all, and now Jay wanted her to say goodbye to her hard-won life. Who did he think he was?
Our mate , the lioness replied inside her. We need to go to him!
Alexa shook her head and forced her feet to stay put. She’d said she’d stay here. He counted on her. She might not like the way he ordered her around, but she also knew he was doing it because he thought it was for the best. Part of her also understood why he wanted her to move in with him. After all, they were mated now. That’s what mated couples did.
God, she really had to stop thinking. Rolling her eyes at herself, she turned around…only to stop short when something skittered on the driveway behind her. She stilled, waiting to hear if she heard the noise again.
Nothing.
Just the sound of the wind brushing the leaves of the trees lined up the street.
Relaxing her stance, she grabbed the door handle. An arm wrapped around her throat from behind, cutting off her air. She chocked, her hands automatically trying to dislodge it. Her fingers dug into the thickly muscled arm under her chin, but it wasn’t enough. She partially shifted and felt her nails pierce the man’s skin.
He roared in displeasure and accentuated the pressure. Black spots appeared in her vision, her breath coming out too slowly for her to do more than just stand there and wait.
No! Her lioness growled. Fight!
Alexa wavered, but she did manage to send her booted foot slamming into her attacker’s shin. He yelped but didn’t let go. His scent grew stronger, as if his emotions were getting out of control. That’s when she recognized him.
Anger sparked bright inside her. A final burst of energy made her slam her elbow back into his paunchy stomach. He snapped and covered her nose with his other hand. Unable to breathe any longer, she fought against his hold. Seconds later, her world turned black.
Chapter Fourteen
Alexa came back to herself slowly. Even before her lioness started talking to her, she knew she’d been drugged. Her limbs felt heavy, her breathing choppy. She couldn’t open her eyes or move her hands. Panic surged inside her. Only the thought of her mate stopped her from giving in to it.
Jay...
Jay would find her. She had to trust him. She had to.
Her heartbeat slowed down a little, and she forced herself to lie there and listen. Beep beeps. The faint sound of a pump. There were machines all around her; she would bet on it.
“I know you’re awake, whelp.” She tensed as the dreaded voice whispered in her ear. “Now that you’re properly tied up, we can start with the procedure.”
He must have reduced the drugs invading her system because she could feel the fog that had surrounded her gradually lessen. She blinked. It took her a few tries, but she finally managed to open her eyes. Bright lights made her close them almost instantly.
He laughed, almost maniacally, somewhere to her left.
Her lioness sharing some of her strength, she tried again and almost cried out when she noticed where she was. It was a surgical room. Her fingers tensed, but he’d been right. She was cuffed to the bed. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t run away and hide. Her feet were in stirrups, her legs wide open. A sudden realization came over her.
He was going to do it again. Implant that thing in her, hiding her lioness from the world once more.
No! she roared inside her, scraping her nails against her insides.
Alexa gasped
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