CHAPTER THREE

R onan 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."

The man locked eyes with him in the rearview mirror, and Ronan thought he saw a hint of apprehension and maybe fear just before he turned quickly into a roadside gas station. He then jumped out of the car and opened the back door for them. "You have ten minutes." He barked, but Ronan didn't respond, just gave him back one of his dismissive looks and helped his sister out of the back of the vehicle.

"I'm going in with her," Ronan said without asking permission and followed Molly inside. Terry remained by his car with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting none too patiently.

Molly and Ronan went quickly to the restrooms in the back of the gas station mini-mart. They checked the ladies' room first, but it did not have a window. They went directly to the men's room, and thankfully, there was a small window about six feet off of the floor, and it was open. Ronan locked the door, then walked over and jumped and grabbed the sill of the window, and hoisted himself up until he was balanced on the edge partially inside and partially outside of the window. It was going to be a bit of a drop to the ground outside, but it was worth it to get away from that asshole Terry.

He reached down and took his sister's hand and pulled her up to the window as he lowered himself to the ground outside. Molly scooted out and then dropped into the waiting arms of her brother. He quickly righted her and then took her hand and started running into the wooded area behind the gas station. They didn't have a clue where they were headed, but they had to escape.

Ronan knew a little about navigation on the Great Lakes, so he hoped it would translate into useful knowledge for making it through dense woods. He thought Lance and Aaron really liked them and had their best interests at heart, but that turned out to be nothing but wishful thinking on his part.

The cop Terry obviously did not like them and definitely did not believe them, and yet Lance and Aaron had put them into his care. It said a lot about what they felt for both of them. They were probably contacting the authorities in Traverse City right now, or maybe they would call Jordan directly. Ronan didn't realize that he had been running since they left the gas station without rest until Molly tugged on his sleeve and breathlessly asked for a break.

"I'm sorry." Ronan pulled them over to a large tree, and they sat down for a moment, both breathing heavily, and their chests ached from the stress. "We can't sit long. They will be looking for us soon."

"Ass wipe is probably looking for us now; it's been over ten minutes," Molly stated caustically, and Ronan started to laugh and cough and laugh some more.

"You called it, sis." He took her hand, and they both stood. "Let's walk for a while, but we need to keep moving."

…

Terry waited and waited, and finally, after twenty minutes, he went in to see what the holdup was. He needed to get these two to the manor and get them settled. He hated being responsible for two humans, especially considering one was the Alpha mate. And didn't that burn to have a human as the Alpha Mate?

The mate of the Alpha was supposed to be strong and resourceful and capable of supporting the Alpha and seeing to the needs of the Pack. What could this whelp possibly do to support the Alpha or see to the needs of the Pack? He couldn't even protect himself from a perp. He was nothing but a damn trauma victim, nothing but a burden to the Alpha and the pack.

Terry checked the ladies' room, but it was empty; finding the men's room locked and no one answering his knock, he went to the cashier and asked for the key. The men's room was empty, and he noticed the open window.

"Did you see them leave?" He asked the cashier and got a negative. Terry rushed to the back of the station, but they were nowhere in sight. He could scent them and knew they had left through the window and knew the direction they took through the woods but he also knew he had to report this immediately. As much as he despised these humans, if something were to happen to them, it would be his hide that was skinned.

…

Lance was looking through some of the information Jamie called up when his cell phone rang. He tensed when he saw who was calling. "What's wrong?" He snarled, causing Aaron and Jamie to stop what they were doing and give him their full attention.

"They escaped. I can't find them." Terry tried to explain.

"Escaped; they weren't prisoners. Why would they feel the need to escape?!" Lance dragged his fingers roughly through his hair as he headed for the door and his car. "What the hell did you do to them?!" Lance could not stop shouting. He motioned for Aaron to follow, but that was unnecessary because Aaron was at his elbow with a stricken look on his face. "Wait where you are; I don't want you pursuing them."

"I didn't do anything to them. I'm sorry, I . . ." Terry didn't get to complete his sentence because Lance hung up. "Shit." He muttered and leaned against his squad car and waited. All he really wanted to do was give a certain Asst. D. A. in Michigan a call and let him know where he could pick up his fugitives.

The Alpha and Beta could find other more suitable mates if these two were out of the way. Terry didn't give much credence to the mate myth anyway. It was all a fairytale and amounted to nothing more than a severe case of lust and lack of sexual satisfaction. That was why Terry made sure to satisfy his sexual needs on a daily basis. He was one wolf who pledged never to give himself over to a mate.

...

Lance explained the situation to Aaron on the way. Aaron was ready to spit nails by the time they reached the gas station. They flew out of the truck and came at Terry with tight looks of disappointment and anger. Terry automatically stepped back and bowed his head to both.

"The girl needed the washroom, so I stopped here. Her brother went with her, and after twenty minutes, I went in to check, and they had gone out through the window in the men's room." Terry talked fast and tried to be as accurate as possible without giving away his attitude at the time, which probably led to them running. The Alpha didn't need to know that he had deliberately frightened his mate.

Lance opened the back of the cruiser and, after taking a deep breath, turned and grabbed Terry by the throat and threw him onto the hood of the car. He held him there, leaning in face to face. "What did you do to them?" Lance was letting him live only because he needed for him to speak. "Answer me!"

Terry had never in his life seen Lance like this, even when confronting his enemies; he didn't have the crazed look of terror combined with rage that he wore now.

"I didn't touch them; I didn't hurt them." He kept his voice soft and respectful, hoping that he lived through this day. Aaron came towards them with a piece of paper in his hand.

"You did something, Terry; otherwise, they wouldn't have run, and they wouldn't have written this." Aaron handed the wadded receipt to Lance. He threw Terry at Aaron, who caught him and held him.

Lance read the little shred of paper and immediately, in one lightning-swift move, yanked Terry from Aaron and held him up off his feet by his hand on his throat. While he held him in this position, Lance read the note to him. "He's going to hurt us, Molly. We need to get away. Ask for a bathroom." Lance let loose with a howl that shook the very earth.

"Lance, let go, don't kill him yet." Aaron broke threw his rage and was able to get Terry released. Lance leaned with his palms on the hood of the car, trying to regain his composure while Aaron held onto Terry. "Why would they think that, Terry? The back seat of your cruiser reeks of fear. Tell me what you did now before I give you back to Lance."

"Mostly, I didn't speak to them. I said a few things that were harsh. I kept the screen between the seats closed and acted like they weren't even there. I didn't threaten them with words, but I am sure my behavior made them uncomfortable." Terry confessed and waited.

Lance turned and burned him with a stare that was crippling. "What part of your brain thought that it was a good idea to terrorize the Alpha and Beta mates?" Lance spat at him. "They are our mates, the most precious things in our lives, and we entrusted their care to you. You treated them like they were worthless, and in doing so, you treated Aaron and me like we were also worthless." Lance turned his back on Terry. "Get out of my sight."

Terry crumbled under the disappointment in Lance's expression. He would have preferred the rage and a quick death to this feeling of . . . having failed him. They had trusted him, and he had let them down with his own bigoted attitude and behavior. He had failed them both. They both kept their backs to him as he got into his cruiser and left.

"They aren't going to give up easily. We gave them to Terry and assured them that they would be safe. They aren't going to believe us again." Aaron pointed out.

Lance sighed heavily. "They probably think we wanted them disposed of. That's what I would be thinking if I were them." Lance and Aaron headed around the back of the gas station and started following their scent through the woods, which was still strong.

"They also probably think that we've already called Randall." Lance nodded in agreement. "They aren't going to come with us willingly."

…

"I believe the highway was north of us from town, and the cop drove us northeast for about thirty minutes, so I'm pretty sure the highway is this way." Ronan pointed ahead of him in the direction they had been traveling after Molly questioned their direction.

"How is it you know that, Ronan?" She was impressed.

"There aren't any stars because it isn't dark, so I can't navigate by them, so I just went old school and looked for the moss to get my bearings." He chuckled. "Sure, glad I was listening when that Eagle Scout came to speak to my environmental class in high school. Who knew I would eventually find that information valuable?"

"I plan on sending that Eagle Scout a thank you note when we get out of this," Molly stated with gratitude.

"I really thought that big guy Lance liked me." Ronan voiced his thoughts. "I even believed him when he said that he would protect us from Randall, and we never had to be afraid again. And Aaron, holy cow, he looked at you like you were a choice piece of his favorite apple pie. How was it that we misread them so badly?" Molly didn't answer immediately. "Don't tell me you weren't affected because I saw the way you laid your head on his shoulder."

"Oh, I wasn't going to deny anything. I was just trying to come up with an answer to your question. I believed Aaron too. Until we got into the back seat of that squad car, I really thought we were safe and had nothing to worry about." Molly stumbled over some roots, but Ronan caught her and set her back on her feet, and they continued to head north. "Wow, never knew you were such a woodsman Ronan."

"Nothing major; it's just that I'm wearing better foot gear than you." He pointed to his feet which were encased in a pair of rugged work boots, and then he pointed to her feet. She was wearing a pair of lightweight ballet slippers. "Not the best choice for running from assailants through a rough wooded terrain."

It had been nearly two hours since they got away from that asshole Terry, and finally, Ronan pointed to what was clearly a roadway ahead. They were within a half-mile when Molly stumbled again, only this time, she twisted her ankle to the degree that she was unable to get up.

"I think I broke it, Roe." She only called him Roe in times of intense emotion when she forgot that he was an adult and no longer her little Roe. Ronan knew she was scared.

"We'll make it, Molly." He bent and lifted her into his arms and kept walking. "It's not that far."

Lance and Aaron made good time and were confident they would find them quickly. They didn't have to shift into their wolf forms to locate them. Tracking humans was relatively easy, and tracking one's own mate was even easier. Ronan and Molly kept moving at a surprisingly fast pace, but a wolf could track their mate through anything, even a blizzard or a hurricane. They would find them soon, and for Terry's sake, they had better be unharmed.

Lance berated himself for having put Ronan in a position that left him afraid and running again. It had taken him years to finally locate his mate, and what did he do but put him into the hands of someone who proceeded to scare the shit out of him. He knew that the closeness and trust that he had begun to build with the young human while back in town was most definitely destroyed. Ronan would no more trust him than he did Terry, for it was he who handed him over to Terry and assured him he and his sister would be safe.

"I see them," Aaron announced as they broke into a run. "Molly's hurt; I can smell her pain . . . and her blood." The frantic declaration had Aaron tearing through the woods towards his mate. Lance indicated for him to circle around and get in front of the two.

As soon as Ronan realized that they were being chased, he too began to run. With Molly in his arms, his speed was compromised, but he was still able to keep ahead of them for a while, and maybe he would make it to the highway. He was not going to surrender. He would not give in this time.

Lance was stunned by the sight before him. Ronan had his sister in his arms and was running full out, nearly flying through the woods, not stumbling and not stopping. The speed and the strength the young man exhibited were astounding. He could feel the exhaustion coming from him in waves, and yet he kept going and even picked up speed.

Considering the diminutive size and slender shape of the man, the thought that he could carry his sister and run was shocking. But to be able to do it through such rough terrain was even more shocking. Lance had underestimated Ronan, and it touched him that the young man would struggle and fight so hard to protect what was his. This was a very good sign.

Ronan thought he was going to die. He was so exhausted, but he could not let them win. He could not let Molly down. She was hurt, and he had to make it to the road; they would be safe if they got to the road.

Just before he made it to the tree line that separated the woods from the road, Aaron rounded in front of them. Ronan pulled up short and swung around to head in the opposite direction, only to be blocked by Lance. Again, he stopped and swung back as the two men stepped closer and closer, blocking them in. Ronan's eyes shifted back and forth from one to the other, searching for an escape as he clutched Molly tighter to his chest.

"Your sister is hurt. Let me help you, please." Aaron pleaded with him. He felt her fear and her pain, and it was overwhelming him. It would be only minutes until he could no longer hold back his beast, and he would take Molly from him. Her need was pervasive, and he had to answer. He had no choice.

"Stay back!" Ronan shouted and backed away as much as was possible. He could see Lance moving steadily closer with his hands outstretched in front of him in a non-aggressive stance.

"Please, Roe, you can't keep running." Molly's voice was labored. Each word was forced out between pain-filled breaths. "I don't trust them either, but we have no choice. Please . . . Roe, let them help us."

"I know our assurances mean nothing to you now, and I am sorry for that. But please, we really only want to help you." Lance continued to inch closer to Ronan with each word, as did Aaron. "Aaron will call for assistance and take your sister to the roadway and wait. You're tired, Roe. You've done what you can. Let us help you, please." Lance was close enough that he was able to reach out and carefully place a gentle hand on Ronan's upper arm. Aaron stepped forward and, with a pleading look on his face, reached out for Molly, hoping that Ronan would hand her over.

"It's okay, Roe. I want Aaron to help me." Molly reassured him. Ronan looked down into her eyes and acquiesced.

Ronan checked the integrity in their eyes, both Aaron and Lance, before stepping towards Aaron and handing Molly to him. Aaron took her in his arms with a relieved sigh and hugged her tightly to his body.

"Know this, Aaron; if you hurt her, I will kill you. It may take me years to accomplish, but I will never stop until you are dead." His words were so cold and deadly that both men straightened and paid him close attention. Ronan James was turning out to be much more than first assumed. His nerve and his strength of spirit were impressive.

"If I ever hurt her, Ronan, I will let you kill me," Aaron responded with firm determination.

"Just so we understand each other. I have no one else in this world except my sister, and I would gladly die for her."

"Understood." With that, Aaron turned and, with Molly in his arms, sprinted towards the road.

Ronan stayed rooted to the spot just now, noticing that Lance's hand was still on his upper arm. He was rubbing his muscle with his thumb in a soothing, circular pattern. He slowly began a slight tug that brought Ronan closer. As Ronan moved nearer, Lance gradually and with great care slipped his arm around him. He pulled him once again into the side of his body and pressed him there securely.

They walked together like that toward the road where Aaron was carefully placing Molly into the back of an ambulance, and then he followed her inside. Just before they closed the doors, his eyes met Ronan's, and volumes were communicated. Aaron had a newfound respect for the young man who would willingly give his life for his sister.

Lance walked Ronan over to a large black truck parked on the side of the road. A tall man with long blond hair stepped out and handed the keys to Lance. He then walked away but not before giving Ronan a once over and receiving a low growl from Lance.

"Molly is being taken to the medical center. Aaron will keep her safe, don't worry, although I am sure you will." Lance smiled and placed a quick kiss on Ronan's temple. It was so fast Ronan did not have time to protest. "I'll take you to the Manor, and we will wait for Molly and Aaron there."

"What about asshole? If he's at the Manor, neither Molly nor I will be going there." Ronan stayed tucked into Lance's side but still spoke with conviction. He liked the feeling of Lance and his proximity, but he would not go with him if Terry was at the Manor. He would go to the Hospital and wait for Molly, and they would find a hotel room until their car was repaired.

"Asshole is not at the Manor," Lance spoke matter of fact as if giving him the weather forecast. "I don't know what Terry said to you, but he has been dealt with and will not come near you or Molly again. His behavior is not indicative of us all; please know that."

"Okay." Ronan relented and walked with Lance to the passenger side of the truck. He watched as Lance opened the door for him and helped ease him onto the seat, and buckled him in. Ronan distantly registered that the man was rather controlling but let it pass for now.

They had been driving for about ten minutes when Ronan broke the silence. "Why are you doing this? What does it matter to you if we are guilty or innocent? Why are you going to the trouble of inserting yourself into our problems?" Ronan shifted his eyes to the left to look for his reaction without turning his head. Lance and his friend Aaron said they just want to help, but that seemed too good to be true. It would be very dangerous for them to put their trust in these two men again without knowing their motives.

Lance did not take his eyes off of the road as he answered. "We believe you, and we are not the type of persons who let people suffer or pay for crimes they did not commit." The answer was partially true. He just left out the part about them being their mates and the fact that they would move heaven and earth to see to their comfort and safety. He would share that part later when the time was right. For now, they would try to pass as simply socially conscious and not desperately in love.

"Okay." Ronan once again relented and went back to silently staring out the window. Lance wasn't sure how he felt about the one-word responses he had been getting, but he hoped that Ronan trusted him a little.