Mail-Order Bride [Taos Wolven Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (6 page)

The contact hurt her bare foot, but the high-pitched cry of the wolf prompted Dana to lash out with another kick. Fleur, having barely missed her first attack, moved out of the way, just before contact.

Even with the three of them fighting the strange animal off Amelie, the wolf managed to tear into the woman’s shoulder, drawing blood and gore from beneath the strange outfit she wore. Dana gagged at the sight.

Just when Dana was certain the beast would kill them all, another wolf appeared from nowhere and attacked. The animal didn’t attack Amelie as the other did, but focused its attention on the aggressor instead. The new wolf was bigger, stronger and soon overpowered the beast that mauled her newest friend.

The altercation soon ended when the larger wolf ripped the throat out of the other then looked up, still licking the blood from its mouth. Trotting to her, it tilted its head sideways as though trying to communicate.

Dana wanted to rush to Amelie as did Fleur, but something told her the wolf wanted her attention. Kneeling down, she looked the animal in the eyes. “Thank you for saving us.” She felt herself a fool for talking to an animal like this, but she also felt he deserved something for his trouble. She couldn’t bring herself to pat him on the head for fear of drawing back a nub where her hand and fingers should be. After all, she had just witnessed the raw power of this animal as it killed one of its own.

Swallowing thickly, Dana stood up and moved slowly toward her friends. She had to see how Amelie fared. A sharp tingling sensation shot down her spine when she turned her back on the animal. Spinning around, she gasped when she saw the other man from the train standing just where the wolf had been.

Looking down, she cast her gaze around for the animal, her brow furrowing as she searched. “Where did the wolf go?” She spun back around. “He was just here.” Dana clasped her hands in front of her stomach. Somewhere deep inside her, she knew the answer, but didn’t want to admit it, even to herself. Were they stuck here on a strange, flying ship full of monsters?

“What wolf?”

Dana sighed with relief. His expression convinced her he knew nothing of what she spoke. “There was a wolf. He…” Pausing, she pointed to the dead animal with a trembling hand. “He killed that wolf and just disappeared.”

Tarin stared at his mate for a moment and tried to think straight. God, she was beautiful, even with her hair that hideous, crappy brown color. Her green eyes sparkled at him as he took in her beauty, and he felt his cock harden.

He couldn’t wait to get her in bed. He wanted to taste her, to lay her down and eat her slick pussy until she screamed. Then and only then would he climb back up her lithe form and fuck her until she screamed again.

Dragging his gaze from Dana, Tarin looked over at the wolf he just killed, his expression grim. He knew he’d never liked that asshole. Kalb was always negative. He was a naysayer in almost everything they did. He should have known the fucker was an elitist.

Taking a deep breath, Tarin barely suppressed the growl that wanted to burst free from his chest. Not only was he angry at Kalb, he was angry at himself for not spotting the son of a bitch long ago. He sighed, wondering how many more elitists were on board waiting to kill the women when they least expected it.

“Well?” Dana stood staring at him as though waiting for something.

Oh, right, she’d asked a question about where his wolf had gone. Tarin shrugged. “I saw no one but you three and the dead wolf when I arrived, ma’am.” The lie slipped easily off Tarin’s tongue. He wanted to tell her what he was but thought better of it. The three women had just been traumatized and one needed medical assistance. He didn’t need any of them freaking out on him at this point.

He moved to a communication terminal and radioed medical for the second time that day. “Darin, I need another team sent down here to deck five, section fifteen.” He felt inadequate as a protector, a mate. The women should have been safe here.

“Another of our crewmembers?” Darin sounded shocked. Taking one wolf by surprise was hard enough, two or more should be impossible.

“No. It’s one of the women.” Tarin closed his eyes and shook his head. “Send a retrieval crew down with a body bag while you’re at it.”

“The retrieval crew will arrive in ten minutes. I’ll have Leesa there in about one. You may want to shelter them or answer questions later.”

Questions were the least of his worries. Right now they needed help for the woman, fast. Otherwise they may have to change her right now and that would be difficult without at least one mate to anchor her. She could go mad. He ignored the possibility that merely finding out about their kind could drive the woman over the edge.

“Just send her down here. I’ll answer questions if they arise.”

“As you wish, sir. She should be ready in a moment.”

“How is Lorcan doing?”

“It was touch-and-go for a bit, but he’s doing fine now. He should be up and about in a few minutes. He regained consciousness about ten minutes ago and told me the whole story. He’d already be with you if I didn’t have him strapped down. He wanted to help you kill that bastard, Kalb.” The other man chuckled. “In fact, he’s giving me death-to-you looks right now. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold him here without him chewing through the straps.”

“I wouldn’t keep him long enough to find out. You may find yourself launched into space through a decompression chamber.” Tarin chuckled. “Thank you for saving him.”

“You’re welcome. I think I’ll take your advice. The captain does
not
look pleased.”

Darin ended the conversation just as Leesa appeared in front of the women. Dana’s mouth dropped open with shock as the other woman fainted. The injured woman was already unconscious, which was probably for the best since the pain would have been too much for her to bear, otherwise. Her shoulder was nothing more than mangled muscle and protruding bone. It would probably be a miracle if she survived. She
was
human after all.

Leesa knelt beside the unconscious women and scanned them all, including Dana. “I should take these two to the medical bay,” she said, indicating the two who were out cold. “This one can stay with you. She’s had a bit of a shock, but she’s a strong one.” Leesa looked up at him and smiled. “You and the captain have chosen well. Congratulations.”

Tarin scowled at her. “Just take those two to the doctor and leave us to make our way back. If the captain is well, tell him where we are.”

Lowering her gaze to the floor in apology, Leesa nodded. “Yes, sir.” Turning her attention back to the two women, she spoke into a radio she carried with her. Soon, the three women shimmered and disappeared into nothingness.

Dana screamed. “Where did they go?” She spun around, looking for her companions. “And who is Kalb?”

“This is Kalb.” Tarin gave the dead wolf a kick. “He is an aberration—part of a group that calls themselves the elitists. Not all of us want to harm you.” Tarin moved to take her in his arms, but she backed away, her gaze wild with fear. “There is nothing to fear, Dana. Leesa has merely taken them to the medical bay to see the doctor. You heard us talking. Did you think we spoke in code?”

He knew this probably wasn’t the time to bait her, but she must overcome her fear some way, even if it meant he angered her to the point of arguing with him. He hoped she would fight and show him how strong she was.

When she narrowed her eyes and thinned her lips, Tarin wanted to smile, but didn’t dare.
This
was the mate he wanted, the woman who answered his and Lorcan’s ad in a Philadelphia newspaper. The little spitfire who would risk all to escape her uncle and the future he had planned for her.

They knew they must have her when she answered the ad for a mail-order bride. They were ecstatic when she agreed to board the train and head to the frontier. It didn’t matter that they had already made up their minds. They had merely wanted to steal her away with as little fuss as possible. It also didn’t hurt to get her to agree to marry them either. Well…to be fair, she’d only agreed to marry one of them, but they were confident they could convince her that a life with two husbands to dote on her was infinitely better than the one
she
had planned.

Now she was here and the die was cast. She would agree or they would release her for another but, unfortunately for her, she was never going back home unless, like he and Lorcan, her mates wished to live there with her.

“You look hungry.” He made it a statement not a question because he heard her stomach grumbling in protest of its emptiness.

She rested her hand over her stomach, her cheeks growing a dusky pink. “Yes,” she said with a nod. “I am quite famished.” She bit her lip as though she were undecided on whether to trust him to find her sustenance.

Tarin grinned as he thought of the pert nipples beneath her jumpsuit that closely matched the color of her mauve lips. His cock hardened at the memory of dressing her in the jumpsuit she now wore.

The golden hair at the apex of her thighs reminded him of the real color of her hair. It framed her face like a golden cloud as she walked down the street toward the store where she would post her letters to them.

Dana lowered her gaze, her face turning a darker shade of red as she quickly looked away from his groin. The action told him much. Miss Prim-and-Proper was attracted to him and didn’t want to admit it. Perhaps it had something to do with her thinking about how she had already promised herself to another.

“Then we shall find the mess hall and get you something to eat right away.” With a smile, Tarin held out his arm in an invitation for her to take it. He wasn’t sure if she would or not. It was the custom where she was from, but he didn’t forget that in her mind, she was a prisoner, one brought here against her will.

After a few moments of clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides, good breeding won out and Dana placed her trembling hand upon his forearm.

Nothing felt like the touch of his mate upon his skin. Already his wolf prepared itself to mate with this one woman. He was screwed if she turned him down now, for once a wolf started down this trail, he must mate with the woman or never mate at all. Theirs was a society of weres who would remain devoted to the one they bonded with and, like it or not, his wolf had already begun bonding with Dana Worley.

“How did we get here?”

Unprepared for her question, Tarin swallowed thickly before deciding to tell her as much of the truth as he could. “We brought you here from the train. You were unconscious.” That much was true at least.

“Then you saw the monsters on the train?”

He shook his head. “I saw no monsters.” That was true as well. In his mind, he and Lorcan were
not
monsters. Tarin continued to lead her toward the mess hall. He could have easily had them transported there, but decided they needed to walk, at least for a while. They needed a little time alone.

“Well, I saw monsters. They were great, hairy beasts that looked half man and half…” Pausing, she shrugged and glared at him as though daring him to laugh at her. “This is so fantastic, but they looked like they were half beast.”

Tarin refused to comment on that. He just kept walking toward the nearest multi-lift. He wanted to get her to the mess deck as quickly as possible to slow the speed of her questions.

“What’s this?” she asked as he led her into the device.

“It’s a multi-lift.” Reaching out, he pressed the three buttons that would send them to the dining area and immediately pulled Dana against him so she wouldn’t lose her balance.

The lift took off with the usual speed, making him feel as though he’d left his stomach behind. When Dana’s color returned to normal and she could again stand on her own, she jumped away.

“Unhand me, sir!” Jerking away from him, she stuck her chin in the air. “I do not appreciate your advances. I am betrothed.”

Raising his brow, Tarin was tempted to tell her that she was indeed betrothed to
him
. Well…partly, anyway.

She looked around inside the lift. “What is this thing?”

Ah, a question he could answer without worrying that he said too much without Lorcan’s presence. “I already told you. It’s a multi-lift.”

“A what?”

“A multi-lift,” he said with a smile as she looked up and down, no doubt trying to see what it would lift.

“What, pray tell, is a multi-lift?” She leaned against the far wall, her eyes narrowed as though waiting for him to
accost
her again.

“It’s a device that can take us from one deck of the ship to another.” He frowned. “That’s not precisely correct. It not only takes us from one deck to another, but it can take us from one section to another. It not only moves up and down, but it moves side to side as well.”

As though attempting to prove his point, the lift came to a slow stop on its assent and almost immediately jerked sideways, again leaving him with the feeling of having left a part of his middle behind again.

“I don’t think I’m very hungry anymore.” Dana rested her hand over her abdomen, her face an odd, whitish-green color. She leaned against the far wall, her knuckles white as she gripped the handrail.