Chapter One

A scream ripped through the quiet of the night.

Abeline woke with a start, her wide eyes searching her room. When no other sound echoed, she was sure that she'd dreamed the sound. Closing her eyes, she willed her body to go back to sleep. This time the scream was closer and Abeline knew she wasn't dreaming. She jerked her gaze to the door.

What was happening? Was someone here to rescue her? Or was maybe another pack attacking? She shivered to think of falling into the hands of people worse than Roy. A howl went up and Abeline knew the intruder had been spotted. She tilted her head to the side to get a better angle to listen.

A familiar scent passed through her nose as she inhaled. She felt a bloom of hope spread throughout her. Maybe she would be rescued after all. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She let her tongue dart out and wet her parched, cracked lips. She opened her mouth and managed to get one word out. "Here," she whispered. It was the loudest she could get. Her throat was raw and sore from all the screaming she'd done earlier.

Just thinking about it made Abeline's heart pound viciously in her chest, and her eyes to widen in fright. She couldn't believe it had happened after swearing it never would. She felt a tear threaten to escape her watering eyes, but she held it back. It wouldn't do to be weak now. She still had some fight in her.

The bedroom door was flung open and Abeline's eyes landed on the shadowed figure. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the light shining into her darkened room, but when they did, she felt all of her energy flow out of her and that small bud of hope die out.

"Hello my sweet," Roy cooed, stepping into the room. He shut the door behind him and locked it. Turning to face Abeline, he licked his lips and then eyed the door. "They won't take you away from me. You belong to me now."

"Never," Abeline whispered, though she wasn't even sure he heard her. He stepped around the bed and sat down next to her. She would have at one time tried to attack him. At this point, she was too weak to even pull against the restraints holding her spread eagle on the bed. She looked up at the ceiling, not wanting to look the devil in the eye.

"I have to move you. He'll be here soon. My men can't keep him occupied for long," Roy mumbled, untying the bonds around her left leg. Abeline was confused. What was he talking about? It was only one man?

After untying all of her restraints, Roy slid his hands under her legs and then her back. He scooped her up and pulled her against his chest. Abeline's hands felt numb and her feet were no better. She literally felt like she was dreaming. This couldn't be happening. Could it?

For the first time in days, Abeline felt her wolf stir. Was this their chance? Could they escape? Using the new found hope, Abeline flooded her wolf with what little energy remained. She felt her eyes begin to close and knew she was going to pass out. Roy approached the door. Just as he was reaching for the handle, the door was kicked in and another figure stood there. Roy gasped and Abeline's vision turned black.

Abeline heard a phone ringing. She opened her eyes and then quickly shut them. Jerking her hands up to cover her eyes, she realized she was no longer being restrained. She cracked one eye open and then the other. Where am I?

Her wolf was quiet once more and provided no help. She sat up and looked around the room. The light blinding her was sunlight from a window. She could hear water running and glanced toward a closed door.

Next to the bed, on a small table, lay a phone. Abeline's eyes widened. She could call her dad! Now she'd be rescued. Wait. How'd I get away from Roy? Am I really free? She glanced around the room and realized that she was. Flashbacks presented her with the truth. Whoever had attacked Roy's pack rescued her. But was he friend or foe?

Swinging her legs off the side of the bed, Abeline attempted to stand up. As soon as she was vertical, the room started spinning and her knees buckled. She collapsed on the ground. She groaned and grabbed her head.

She heard a door open and then someone was by her side. They picked her up and placed her back on the bed. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe it. She gasped and jerked away from them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I rescued you," Ranger replied. He pulled back and only then did she realize that he was only in a towel. She felt a blush and looked anywhere but at him.

"How?" she asked.

"I walked in, got you and carried you out." His tone implied that he was furious. Abeline looked at his face, noticing his features were scrunched in anger.

"You're a human. How could you possibly take on a pack of werewolves?" Abeline still couldn't believe it. Maybe this was a dream. Mate! He's so strong. He rescued us and without any help. Want! Her wolf's voice was so sudden that she jumped. Ranger shot her a look, but she ignored him.

Where have you been? Abeline asked. She'd missed her wolf and was so glad that she was back. That was another thing Roy took from her.

"Are you hungry?" Ranger asked, breaking the silence. He pointed toward the far corner of the room and Abeline gasped. There was food. Now that she concentrated, she could smell it. She felt her stomach growl and her mouth watered.

"Yes," she moaned.

Ranger's fists tightened, but he walked over and grabbed the bag with food. He set it on the bed and watched Abeline shove it in her face, barely taking breaths between bites. The diner claimed to have the best eggs and ham around, but he doubted it. It didn't smell all that appetizing and wasn't what he wanted at that moment.

Every time he glanced at Abeline, his gaze went to her neck. He could hear her heart race in her chest and the blood pumping through her veins. He groaned and turned toward the bathroom. "I'm going to finish my shower. Don't leave the room."

Abeline watched him leave, her hands going still. She winced when he slammed the door. Only then did she realize he hadn't answered her question. "Damn him," she murmured, shoveling another bite into her mouth. The eggs were heavenly and the ham cooked to perfection.

I'm coming for you.

Abeline froze and the fork fell out of her hand. She glanced around the room, the hairs on her neck standing up. She growled low and felt her claws come out. "Where are you?" she whispered.

You are mine!

With a gasp, Abeline realized that the voice was in her head. She immediately threw up walls around her thoughts and pushed Roy out. She was breathing hard and shaking when Ranger came out of the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" he asked, glancing at the fork on the floor and the half eaten plate of food.

"N-n-nothing," she stuttered. She closed her eyes and willed herself to get under control. Roy couldn't find her. She was safe. Then it hit her. "Did you kill Roy?"

"The beast that kidnapped you?" Ranger asked. After seeing her nod, he continued. "No, he managed to wriggle away. I was kind of distracted by you. I could hear more wolves coming and couldn't go after him. I wounded him greatly though."

"How? Even if you are a hunter of our kind, you couldn't have done this on your own."

"I'm not human," Ranger said bluntly. Abeline's eyebrows rose.

"You smell human to me," she shrugged.

"I am–" he was cut off when the phone started ringing again. While Ranger picked up the phone and disappeared out of the room, Abeline finished her meal. She'd lost her appetite, but knew she needed to finish. She forced it down, gagging on every bite. It tasted sour after hearing Roy's voice in her head.

Ranger stormed out of the bathroom. He looked pissed. He grabbed a bag and piled the phone and some clothes into it. He turned to her and the empty plate. He tossed it in the trash and threw the bag onto his back.

"We need to go."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't have time for questions." Ranger grabbed her arm. Abeline freaked. After having Roy constantly taking advantage of her and hurting her, the strong grip on her arms was enough to break her. She screamed and started hitting him. She jerked her arm free and let her claws come out. She struck out, scratching his face and sending him stumbling backwards.

Abeline didn't give him time to react. She jumped on him, sending him to the ground. She growled and fought harder when he gripped her arms and held him pinned to her sides. Eventually she lost all of her strength. She felt tears in her eyes and there was no holding them back.

"Fuck," she murmured and then collapsed in a sobbing heap on Ranger's chest.

Ranger didn't know what to do. There was a woman lying on him and crying after being tortured and abused for days, and all he could think about was how soft her skin was. She had come at him like a bat out of hell. At first he'd been so shocked he didn't even react. Then he realized that she needed to get it out of her system.

Awkwardly patting Abeline on the back, Ranger looked at his new watch and realized it was starting to get late. If they were going to make it to one of the safe houses, he'd have to leave now. When he looked down at Abeline, part of him didn't want to bother her. The more sinister side told him to man up and tell her to suck it up.

Growling, Ranger pushed Abeline off him and got to his feet. She looked up at him, stunned at his sudden dismissal. He walked toward the door and opened it. "I'm leaving. You can either come with me, or wait here for Roy and his pack to show up. Your choice."

Not giving Abeline time to reply, Ranger shut the door and started walking down the hallway to the stairwell. The motel stunk of garbage and sewer. It was enough to give him an instant headache and he rolled his eyes. That was just his luck.

He heard the hotel room door open and then running footsteps. He heard her breathing hard and then she spoke. "What are you?"

The question shocked him, but he didn't let it show. That was quick. She didn't forget easily. He didn't blame her for being wary. He was stronger than her and had taken out a whole pack of wolves. Well most of the pack. Some hadn't been there or had run in the other direction. He'd loved the sounds they'd made when he'd cut them short. Their blood had run down his arms and he still remembered the taste. It had been the energy shot he needed to finish off the rest of the pack and rescue Abeline. He was hoping he wouldn't hear her in his head anymore. It was something he didn't even want to think about, but was always on his mind.

The object of his thoughts cleared her throat and Ranger realized he hadn't answered her. He rolled his eyes and opened the door to the stairway. He started walking down the stairs and waited till he got to the end before turning to face her. She was midway down the stairs, but stopped when she saw him do the same.

"Are you going to tell me?" Abeline asked. "Or make me guess?"

I'm here. Roy's voice flooded Abeline's head. Her face paled and she shot Ranger a look of terror.

Ranger knew that something was wrong. Abeline froze and the look of pure terror she sent him caused his warning bells to ring. He hissed and sniffed the air. The scent of male wolves had him cursing and clenching his fists.

"They've found us. We need to get to my car." Ranger heard a noise and looked behind Abeline. "Look out!"

It was too late. Abeline screamed as arms wrapped around her waist and she was jerked backwards into a strong chest. She smelled the familiar scent of wolf, but it was no one she knew. She started kicking and hitting, but she was worn out from her earlier fight with Ranger. She was no match for the perfectly healthy wolf. She heard Ranger fighting, but kept her attention on the wolf holding her. He jerked her back up the stairs and back into the hallway. She could see an open window at the end of the hall, the curtains blowing in the wind.

Abeline realized his intentions too late. He threw her over his shoulder and ran. She screamed and hit his back over and over again. She looked over her shoulder and closed her eyes as he neared the window. He was going to jump.

When the felt the air rush up around her, she screamed, realizing they were flying through the air. They hit the ground with a thump, but it didn't faze the wolf. His pocket started vibrating and he used his free hand to answer it.

"I've got her, Roy," he said into the phone. Abeline's blood froze and she started struggling harder. There was no way in hell she was going back to Roy.

All of a sudden the wolf pitched forward. Abeline screamed again as she was thrown into the air. She landed with a thump and rolled as all the breath left her lungs. She sat up and saw Ranger punching the wolf in the face. With a solid kick to the gut, Ranger sent him flying backwards. He turned to face her and she gasped. Her eyes widened and she scooted back away from him.

"Does this answer your question?" he hissed.

"You're a-a-a v-vampire," she stuttered.

Ranger glanced over at Abeline's sleeping form. She looked so peaceful in slumber, yet he knew she was keeping secrets. She wouldn't tell him what Roy had done to her. Had he forced her? His hands clenched the steering wheel so hard he thought he might snap it in half. He took a deep breath and tried to reign in his temper.

At this point he was sickened by his thoughts when it came to the black haired beauty. He constantly saw her sprawled out on her back, naked, ready to take his cock. Even now he was driving with a hard on and her scent was intoxicating and threatening to send him over the edge. She was a fucking wolf, something he killed for a living. The fact that he was attracted to her was unthinkable. His boss would have him killed immediately if he knew he had feelings for the enemy.

He'd told Abeline they were going to a safe house some ways down the road. That had been after she'd asked him a million questions about being a vampire. He was so thankful for the silence now. He'd been a little rough when he hit her, but he was tired of her talking and she needed the rest. Her body was slimmer and she was definitely smaller than when he'd last seen her. Roy must have been starving her. It made him want to rip the man's heart out and make him eat it. He regretted not being able to kill him.

Seeing his turn up ahead, Ranger turned on his blinker and cut some prick off. He jerked his car onto the exit ramp and shot the man the bird. He hated driving with humans. They didn't have the reflexes of his kind and always drove so slow. It was annoying and frustrating beyond belief.

Making a right would send him to the rich part of the small city, but he made a left. He had to make sure no one was following them. His safe house was in the richer part of town and behind several layers of pure concrete and steel walls. No one could penetrate it, not even a vampire. He pushed his shades back up his nose and glanced in the rearview mirror. So far no one was following him.

After driving in circles for ten minutes and scanning the minds of those near him, he decided it was safe to go to the safe house. He pulled into the driveway twenty minutes later. He rolled down his window and entered his ten digit code. The gates in front of the house creaked as they opened and he winced. He'd have to have someone grease those soon. They hurt his sensitive ears.

Parking his car in front of the main doors, Ranger turned it off and walked around to Abeline's side. She stretched and yawned before getting out of the car. She looked up and her eyes widened. She shot him a questioning glance.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"This is the safe house."

"Damn, you must be rich," Abeline whistled. She admired the grounds and the house that sat in the center of it. It was by far the biggest house she'd ever seen. It was beautiful and the flowery scent made her feel like this was too good to be true. She didn't feel quite free yet and part of her wanted to go home.

"This way," Ranger directed, leading her into the foyer of the house. She looked around and couldn't stop looking. There were so many things to see. It seemed like it didn't faze Ranger as he took off down the hall to the left. After a moment and the fear of getting lost, Abeline followed.

"When can I go home?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"We'll talk about that later. For now, stay in this room. I'll be back to get you soon," Ranger commanded. He pushed her into a room and then shut the door behind her. She heard a click and realized that he'd locked her in. She huffed and stomped her foot. That bastard!

Walking over to a couch, she sat down and leaned back. She sighed and closed her eyes. Abeline was exhausted even though she slept most of the way to the safe house. Just as she was falling asleep again, the door opened and Abeline jumped to her feet. Her heart raced and her face scrunched in confusion as she looked at the man standing in the doorway.

"Who are you?" she asked. In the blink of an eye, the man was gone. She gasped and realized that it must have been another vampire. She turned around and gasped as a hand reached out and grabbed her throat. Her eyes widened and she grabbed at the hand holding her.

"The better question, my pet, is who are you?" the vampire asked. His eyes bled red and his fangs extended from his gums. Abeline tried to scream, but the hand tightened, cutting it off. He leaned close and sniffed her neck. "You're a wolf."

The vampire seemed to think this was both a bad thing and a good thing. Abeline was about to pass out. She couldn't breathe and the hand was constantly tightening. She kicked out and hit the vampire on the shin.

"You shouldn't have done that. That was very rude, my pet." The vampire shook his head sadly. "Now I'm going to have to make you pay."

Watching in horror as the vampire descended toward her neck, Abeline realized her fate. This vampire was going to drain her dry. She went from one monster to another. When the prick of pain came, Abeline closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.

A/N

Here is the long awaited story of Ranger and Abeline! I hope this was worth the wait! I am soo gonna enjoy writing this one! I also finished chapter two of The Healing of A Heart! Braiden's need attention too lol And you know me! Always love those cliffies! I'll update soon though :)

Let me know your thoughts!

Midnight

PS: Not sure when next update will be! Starting school again soon :(