Read Online Caged Wolf (Wolves of Willow Bend Book 2) by Heather Long - Free Book Online
Authors: Heather Long
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over those couple of years, especially during my contempt confinement. My mother wanted to commit me, but then she…”
She’d lost her mother. She didn’t have to say the words, he saw the stark truth of a child abandoned in her eyes and his heart bled for her. “I’m sorry.”
Vivian shrugged, but sadness was not so easily dispelled. “The fugues got worse. One day I couldn’t take it anymore.”
One day…three years ago. “You tried to kill yourself.”
A jerk, surprise beneath the shame and the sadness. “How did you know?”
Because he’d woken up from a nightmare three years before, and it had taken him two weeks of scouring the obituaries every chance he had to be certain. “What happened?”
“I took some pills—”
He didn’t want to know how truly lost she’d been. The slowly rising rage turned to fury, but he swallowed both. “No, after. What happened after?”
“I called Nathanial. He’d been my court ordered shrink.” She bit down on her lip—again—and he found the action infuriating. She would do injury to herself if she continued. “He got me to a hospital in time for them to pump my stomach then committed me for a seventy-two hour psych hold.”
They’d locked her up? Again?
“It was for my own good,” she said in a soft, nearly inaudible voice. “You don’t have to be angry.”
A rumbling growl was the only answer he had.
“Stop. Nathanial helped me. He was there for me when I received my diagnosis, and he helped me. First with medication, then taking me home and giving me a place to live—”
The man was going to die.
“—with him and his wife.”
Oh. He relaxed his hands and exhaled. “He’s your friend.”
One nod. “Confidante. Savior. Doctor. But he was never inappropriate, never tried to be more than that.”
Good. Uncharitable as his thoughts were, he didn’t want her looking to someone else. She didn’t need them, she had… Does she have me? Could he be there for anyone?
“I stayed with them for a few months, then got a place of my own. Working on finding a way to free you helped ground me out. I had fewer fugues…”
“But you still have them?” Concern blunted the edges of his fury.
She nodded. “I thought I was having one here. I mean they were all here and then they were gone and I was alone. It wouldn’t be the first time I imagined you.”
This whole situation was fucked up. Standing, he crossed to her and held out his hand. To his immediate gratification, she accepted the aid and he pulled her to her feet. Interlacing their fingers together, he headed for the trail. He didn’t have to see it to know it was there.
“Where are we going?” She didn’t fight following him, keeping pace.
“We’re going to see Emma and Gillian.” The healers would know what was wrong with her or they would figure it out.
“Gillian?”
“Yes, you met her.” She had, hadn’t she?
“Doctor Barbie? The girl in the cabin who—” She hesitated.
“Who what?” Pausing, he faced her. When she sank her teeth into her lower lip, he scowled and leaned in to lick the injured spot carefully. Her jade green eyes went wide at the contact, but he refused to back off. “You’re hurting yourself. Stop it.”
“Okay.” Her lashes swept downward, hiding her dazed expression, then rose again.
“What did Gillian do?” Her scent had changed again, growing more heady and intoxicating. If he wasn’t careful, he’d get drunk on her.
“She fixed my face, I think.” Careful words, oh so careful. “It was sore when I woke up. The other wol—woman…” Her eyes widened at the slip.
“You can call us wolves, Vivian. That particular animal is already out of the bag.”
Flushing, she went to bite her lip and then stopped. He gave a nod of approval. “The wolf with Owen, the female, she grabbed me. She covered my mouth and my nose.”
A new surge of anger. Fucking Enforcers . “Show me.” He had to know everything that had been done. If
She’d lost her mother. She didn’t have to say the words, he saw the stark truth of a child abandoned in her eyes and his heart bled for her. “I’m sorry.”
Vivian shrugged, but sadness was not so easily dispelled. “The fugues got worse. One day I couldn’t take it anymore.”
One day…three years ago. “You tried to kill yourself.”
A jerk, surprise beneath the shame and the sadness. “How did you know?”
Because he’d woken up from a nightmare three years before, and it had taken him two weeks of scouring the obituaries every chance he had to be certain. “What happened?”
“I took some pills—”
He didn’t want to know how truly lost she’d been. The slowly rising rage turned to fury, but he swallowed both. “No, after. What happened after?”
“I called Nathanial. He’d been my court ordered shrink.” She bit down on her lip—again—and he found the action infuriating. She would do injury to herself if she continued. “He got me to a hospital in time for them to pump my stomach then committed me for a seventy-two hour psych hold.”
They’d locked her up? Again?
“It was for my own good,” she said in a soft, nearly inaudible voice. “You don’t have to be angry.”
A rumbling growl was the only answer he had.
“Stop. Nathanial helped me. He was there for me when I received my diagnosis, and he helped me. First with medication, then taking me home and giving me a place to live—”
The man was going to die.
“—with him and his wife.”
Oh. He relaxed his hands and exhaled. “He’s your friend.”
One nod. “Confidante. Savior. Doctor. But he was never inappropriate, never tried to be more than that.”
Good. Uncharitable as his thoughts were, he didn’t want her looking to someone else. She didn’t need them, she had… Does she have me? Could he be there for anyone?
“I stayed with them for a few months, then got a place of my own. Working on finding a way to free you helped ground me out. I had fewer fugues…”
“But you still have them?” Concern blunted the edges of his fury.
She nodded. “I thought I was having one here. I mean they were all here and then they were gone and I was alone. It wouldn’t be the first time I imagined you.”
This whole situation was fucked up. Standing, he crossed to her and held out his hand. To his immediate gratification, she accepted the aid and he pulled her to her feet. Interlacing their fingers together, he headed for the trail. He didn’t have to see it to know it was there.
“Where are we going?” She didn’t fight following him, keeping pace.
“We’re going to see Emma and Gillian.” The healers would know what was wrong with her or they would figure it out.
“Gillian?”
“Yes, you met her.” She had, hadn’t she?
“Doctor Barbie? The girl in the cabin who—” She hesitated.
“Who what?” Pausing, he faced her. When she sank her teeth into her lower lip, he scowled and leaned in to lick the injured spot carefully. Her jade green eyes went wide at the contact, but he refused to back off. “You’re hurting yourself. Stop it.”
“Okay.” Her lashes swept downward, hiding her dazed expression, then rose again.
“What did Gillian do?” Her scent had changed again, growing more heady and intoxicating. If he wasn’t careful, he’d get drunk on her.
“She fixed my face, I think.” Careful words, oh so careful. “It was sore when I woke up. The other wol—woman…” Her eyes widened at the slip.
“You can call us wolves, Vivian. That particular animal is already out of the bag.”
Flushing, she went to bite her lip and then stopped. He gave a nod of approval. “The wolf with Owen, the female, she grabbed me. She covered my mouth and my nose.”
A new surge of anger. Fucking Enforcers . “Show me.” He had to know everything that had been done. If
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