Page 7 of In The Shadow of The Wolf

“Jordan sent me to a meeting with the intention of having Ronan alone so he could assault him. Fortunately, Jordan wasn’t aware that I never go out without checking on Ronan first and letting him know where I am and when I will be home. I walked in on the assault as it was in progress.”

“Oh, fuck.” This expletive came from Aaron as he crossed over to take a seat next to Molly. Lance looked up at him for a moment, and they both felt for these two in a way that only a mate could feel. Aaron wanted to find Jordan Randall and rip the flesh from his bones. “Did he hurt you, Molly?”

“No, his attention was all on Ronan. Jordan didn’t even slow down; he just started laughing, so I jumped on him and started hitting him until he released Ronan. Ronan scrambled to the other side of the room. Jordan never took his eyes off of him; it was like I wasn’t even there. ‘We will finish this boy’ was what he said, and then he turned on me. He told me that if I tried to start anything, he would have me jailed on any charge he could make stick. He threatened us both with jail if we so much as uttered a word about the incident to anyone.”

“So, you ran,” Lance said.

“Yes, I couldn’t think of a better plan, so we dumped our cell phones and credit cards, anything he could trace us with, grabbed a few things, and left. I couldn’t stay and risk that he would come after Ronan again.” Molly was becoming frantic as the explanation continued as if reliving the night all over again.

Ronan pushed away from Lance and sat up straight in his chair. He needed to buck up and be a man. “He threatened that he would come after us if we tried to leave. But I thought he was just talking; I didn’t think he would actually come after us or accuse us of a crime just to get me back there. He has to be mentally unstable; he’s risking his career if anything goes wrong, which I hope it does.” Ronan felt worse than he had the day it happened. Sitting there in front of these men and looking like a fucking wimp made him cringe.

He was assaulted; he wasn’t man enough to get away from an attacker. What were they thinking, probably the funniest thing they’ve heard in weeks? They’ll probably get together later and have a good laugh over the pansy boy and his butch sister. Shit! I can’t sit here and take this; I have to get out of here. The panic started slow but was building at an alarming rate.

Suddenly Lance pulled him to his feet and drew him once again into a tight embrace. Ronan’s head reached Lance’s shoulder, and his strong arms circled him entirely. Lance laid his cheek on the top of Ronan’s head as he spoke to him softly and ran his hand up and down his back in a comforting motion. “You’re safe, Ronan. Relax. I believe you. We all believe you. This Randall character sounds like a real bastard, and he will never touch you again.”

Ronan felt calmer just as he had before when Lance comforted him. What was it about this man that his presence and touch could bring him down from a panic attack in seconds? He had known him less than one hour, and yet he never wanted to leave him. ‘This is crazy must be part of the trauma,’ he surmised.

He heard people talking around him, but all he wanted was to stay wrapped in Lance’s arms for the rest of his life. Is that really what he wanted? Wow, did he need to be sheltered and held? Ronan pulled back before he succumbed completely to this suddenly burgeoning pathetic sense of need. Lance loosened his grip but did not release him.

“Take Ronan and Molly to the Manor and make them comfortable,” Lance spoke to Terry. “I will accept responsibility for them, and if anyone here needs to speak to them about this matter again, you will go through me first.”

Lance tilted Ronan’s face up to his as he explained. “I live at the Manor, a large house just outside of town. Aaron and a few of the other officers live there also. You and your sister will be comfortable, safe, and protected there until we can figure out what Randall is planning.”

“You believe us.” Ronan sounded surprised.

“Yes, I do.” With that, Lance handed Ronan off to Terry with instructions to protect him with his life. Aaron did the same with Molly. They stood at the door and watched as their respective mates got into one of the cruisers with Terry and headed north out of town towards the Manor.

“He’ll guard them,” Jamie said as he came up to stand behind them. In unison, they answered with ‘he had better.’

“We need to find out all we can about this Jordan Randall without him knowing that we are checking.” He turned to eye Jamie. “Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir, I can do that.” He responded immediately and rounded the desk to log onto the office computer.

“Katherine said they would be surrounded by trouble,” Aaron commented with a smile playing around his lips. “Can’t say that I really care, though; how about you?”

“One look at that angel, and nothing mattered except getting him into my life and keeping him there.” He walked over to stand behind Jamie as he searched the internet for information. “Inform the others that we are on alert throughout the perimeters of the Pack lands until this issue is resolved and our mates are no longer in danger.” Aaron nodded and pulled out his cell phone.

“Jordan Randall has no idea who he is up against. He thinks he is dealing with a vulnerable young kid and his sister. He’s in for a surprise if he comes around here. It will be a wolf pack that he encounters and an Alpha that would gladly see him dead before he lays a hand on Ronan again.” Lance stated forcefully.

“I’m so grateful they found their way here to us,” Aaron added thoughtfully.

“They’re here with us, and nothing is ever going to take them away. They’re our responsibility and our gift. I can’t say I’m not angry about the circumstances that brought them here or for the terror and humiliation that my mate had to endure. But I am also ecstatic and overjoyed that they are here. I have my mate in my home, under my roof, under my protection, and there isn’t anything on earth that compares to that feeling of completeness.” He turned a bright smile on Aaron, who readily reciprocated.

CHAPTER THREE

Ronan and Molly sat in the back of the police cruiser, feeling suddenly like they were criminals. The cop up front did not speak to them, and the Plexiglas separator remained closed. He was not like the three men back at the station; he did not believe them. This man hated them, and it was made very obvious. They were literally locked into the back of this vehicle and at the mercy of the man at the wheel.

Terry told them to sit still and shut up when Molly asked how long it was to the manor. Ronan came to her defense and was verbally assaulted for his effort. Terry ended with the ‘I wish you had been captured before coming to Lonepine and upsetting everyone here. Now you’re our problem’ he didn’t look so happy about that.

Ronan took an old receipt from his pants pocket and a pencil and jotted down a note to Molly. He feared that the cop may be able to hear him, so he opted not to speak his plans. Molly took the note without looking at it directly and carefully read it, and then nodded her agreement. She wadded up the receipt and stuck it down the side of the seat.

“Sir, Sir . . . I need a washroom.” Molly started knocking anxiously on the Plexiglas window. The cop reached back without taking his eyes off of the road and opened the window.

“We will be at the Manor in less than fifteen minutes; you can wait.” He stated and started to close the window.

Ronan reached out and stopped the window. The man’s condescending, dismissive attitude was not going to be tolerated any longer. He’d had all the male domination he could stomach this week, and he was not going to take any more, especially not from this jerk.

“You have not arrested us, and if you do not allow my sister the use of a washroom, I will see that you are reprimanded for your neglect and abuse.”

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