Chapter 14

"It's a trap. I'm not letting you meet with Santos." Jeremy's response was as Annie had predicted. Being Alpha made him responsible for the pack, but it was more than that. He'd taken both Elena and Annie in, as his children. His paternal instincts were also kicking in. And though Annie agreed with Elena, that if they didn't do anything the Mutts would tear Clay apart piece by piece, she was smarter than to voice her agreement. In this case, it would do nothing but land her in the cage, as she was sure that's where it would land Elena if she didn't stop insisting on meeting with the Mutts. And they wouldn't be able to do anything if they were in the cage. As it was, Logan's car pulling up with Rachel in it distracted the pack from Elena's request.

Confusion as to why Rachel was there turned to worry and chaos when they realized Logan was seriously injured. Nick had to help Rachel get him inside, while Annie quickly started making a verbal list of all the items she needed. Though this was only her second time working on a live patient, she forced herself to remain calm for Rachel. If Annie didn't have confidence that she could heal Logan, how could she expect Rachel to? Even with Annie's forced calmness, Rachel was still questioning not getting a doctor for him. Thankfully Nick had the right sense of mind to be the one to lead Rachel into the den.

"Everything's going to be fine Rachel. I've got this," Annie reassured her when she noticed her hesitance to leave. She waited until Rachel disappeared around the corner before inserting the needle into Logan's lungs. Fluid was building up, she needed to remove it so he had a fighting chance. Though if LeBlanc hit any major organs, she would need to find a way to make full blown surgery an option. With Rachel there, they'd need something to subdue Logan, to prevent Rachel from freaking out too much.

"I'll have to keep monitoring you, to ensure there isn't worse damage," Annie insisted after she finished stitching Logan up. It was important to stop the bleeding, but Logan still needed to be monitored for signs of internal bleeding, or infection. Hell, it was even likely he could be poisoned. It wasn't as if the Mutts hadn't done it before.

"Jeremy and I will take him to the infirmary," Antonio offered, already pulling Logan's left arm over his shoulder. As she watched them walk away, she couldn't help but feel slightly resentful that Antonio was already practically healed.

…

"Logan will live. He has a lot to live for," Nick attempted to reassure Rachel, who had already started to pace. "He told me the good news. You must be excited."

"Yeah, I was. But now, with all this. I mean, what am I bringing this child into?" Rachel asked, slumping down onto the couch before cradling her head in her hands. Nick couldn't blame her for her stress. With all the secrecy, she probably thought they were involved with the mob. No police, and no doctors would lead a human down those paths of thought.

"You're bringing a child into a loving family. With a man that you adore," Nick responded confidently as he took a seat on the edge of the coffee table before her. "As for what's happening with our family, we can protect you until it's all over. You and your child. We're all real anxious to meet the little guy."

"Logan was shocked about the whole fatherhood thing." For good reason. Pack law stated he had to take his son away from her, and never see her again. Nick understood it was best for the little guy, but he could also see Logan's point of view. If Nick were in his shoes, he wouldn't want to abandon Annie.

"You and the baby mean the world to him," Nick reassured her, once again. It was the truth, Logan was prepared to separate from the pack just so he could raise his child with Rachel.

"And he means everything to me." Rachel's voice cracked at the end, her eyes darting towards the doorway that led to the kitchen. Where, it was very possible, Logan was dying.

"Listen to me, Rachel. Logan will pull through. Annie's dealt with stabbings before. She knows what she's doing. She saved my father, and she will save Logan." There was no doubt in Nick's mind that Annie could do this. No matter how many times she doubted her abilities, the results were evidence stacking up against her doubts. She was good at healing people.

"You think that, after all this, Logan and I can go back to our normal lives. The way things were before." No. No matter if Jeremy or Logan got their way, things would never return to normal for them. Either Logan would abandon Rachel once the baby arrived and raise him with the pack, or they would all three live together, always on the run as mutts.

"Things will never be the same." Nick admitted in a moment of seriousness, before realizing that might not be the best thing to say to a stressed out woman worried for the father of her child. A beat later he added, in a much lighter tone, "but, that's what happens when you have a baby."

…

"You can come in," Annie called out, rising from her chair beside Logan's bed and turning around. She had smelled Rachel coming as well as heard her hesitant footsteps on the stairs. "He's fine. Stable, just resting."

"Thank you," Rachel sighed in relief, moving to hug Annie. After a second Annie returned the hug, if not a little awkwardly. She'd heard a lot about Rachel from Elena and Logan, but she'd never actually met her. "I'm sorry I doubted. It's just. You're so young," Rachel added, with a little bubble of a laugh that was more from exhaustion and stress than amusement, before taking the seat Annie had vacated.

Giving Rachel some privacy, Annie slipped silently out of the infirmary, closing the door behind her. Before she took more than three steps, Antonio, Jeremy, and Nick were surrounding her from all sides, blocking her path down the hall.

"I think you're mistaking me for Elena," she stated, looking all three in the eye in turn. "I'm not the flight risk."

"We're going out," Jeremy responded calmly, ignoring Annie's statement. "I need you to stay here in case Logan needs you."

"You're going to meet Santos." It wasn't hard to piece together. They must have already informed Elena, who had most likely tried to escape them. Hence the practiced stance they had now, ready for her to try and make a run for it. But Annie knew better. If she ran, she'd end up in the cage like she suspected Elena had. "All of you?"

It wasn't like Nick or Jeremy to leave her alone. Not since the last attack at the house. With Elena in the cage, Logan in the infirmary and a human on the property to boot, Annie was practically defenseless. At least in the eyes of the pack, especially since she was still recovering. As though he was reading her mind, Jeremy handed Annie the shot gun that was normally mounted on the den wall.

"Use it if you need it. Don't worry about playing fair when it comes to Mutts. They won't." All Annie could do was stare at Jeremy in surprise. Eventually she managed to nod her agreement, accepting the fact that Jeremy was determined to go in Elena's place. In the end, it came down to the fact that she'd` be more helpful to Elena and Logan if she wasn't in the cage.

Annie waited until the sound of the car faded into the distance before making her way down to the cage. Elena was banging ferociously against the metal bars holding her prisoner when Annie finally made it down the steps. Her ribs really couldn't heal fast enough.

"Get me out of here," were Elena's first words when she saw Annie. Ignoring the harsh words, Annie grabbed the keys from the wall, moving as quickly as she could to the cage.

"Whatever your plan is, you need to hurry," Annie muttered as she pulled the cage door open for Elena. "They don't have much time."

"Do you have your phone?" Elena's question threw Annie off guard a moment before she pulled her phone from her pocket. Without an explanation Elena instructed her to get Logan and Rachel to leave. It wasn't safe there for them anymore.

"You're going after Santos, aren't you?" Annie asked, realizing why Elena wanted her phone. When Elena nodded her head in affirmation she added, "be safe."

"You're not coming with me?" Elena questioned, surprised. She'd expected Annie to want to tag along, to help save Clay.

"I can't do that to Nick. Besides, I'd only slow you down," Annie added with a small smile. Leaving with Elena, and letting Nick find her gone wasn't even a remote possibility. It would be too cruel to put him through that fear and worry, wondering if she'd been taken or if she'd ran. And with her injuries, however much they had healed, she'd be a dead weight for Elena.

…BNB…

"I can't, in good conscience, leave you here alone if it's not safe," Logan muttered, keeping his voice low so that Rachel wouldn't overhear. Annie had asked for privacy to check his wound so she could fill him in on everything. Rachel and he needed to leave.

"I'll be fine. I've got a shot gun." Logan only shook his head at her. Annie always seemed persistent in seeing herself as stronger than she was. Shorter, thinner, and weaker than most werewolves she wouldn't be able to stand against more than one, even with the shotgun. Especially not with her injuries. "You need to focus on keeping Rachel safe. She's your main concern right now."

That sentiment seemed to do the trick. Within ten minutes Rachel had helped Logan into the car and was pulling away. Of course, Annie overheard her questioning leaving Annie behind, but at Logan's insistence they did. Retreating to her room, Annie sat on her bed and waited. She knew what Jeremy's reaction would be, yet she couldn't bring herself to regret letting Elena go. They needed to find Clay and get him home alive.

Annie heard the car pull up, and the muffled conversation the men were holding sounded unhappy. After the front door slammed open Annie could only focus on Nick's voice calling out her name, shouting it really, as his feet pounded against the stairs. The relieved look in his eyes when he found her where he'd left her had Annie confident she had made the right choice in staying.

"They're gone. Logan and Rachel left together. Elena's tracking down Clay." Nick didn't look thrilled at her announcement, but he didn't yell at her. Not like Jeremy did when he found out. She got a good ten minute lecture at Jeremy's loudest. Nick eventually stepped in on her behalf, claiming she never went against his orders, he never ordered her not to let Elena out. Hell, he hadn't even told her that Elena was in the cage.

"If Elena was locked in the cage it was obviously by my orders and by letting her go Annie disobeyed me. I have half a mind to throw you in the cage for that," Jeremy responded, barely controlling his anger.

"Go ahead, it won't change the situation," Annie fired back, fighting the tears that threatened to fall at Jeremy's anger by turning to anger herself. Jeremy had never threatened her with the cage before.

"You're not putting Annie in the cage," Nick insisted, stepping in front of Annie to block her from Jeremy. Fire burned in Jeremy's eyes in response, not liking the hidden challenge in Nick's movement.

"How am I supposed to protect you if you don't even follow what I say? The Mutts are attacking you and Elena from all sides. I am trying to figure out who's behind this while keeping you two alive. If you can't listen to me Annie, I will have to make you learn to," Jeremy stated, seeming serious. It only showed how on edge he was over everything. He was starting to feel the control slip from his hands.

"Enough, Jeremy, it is what it is. There's no going back to change things. Now we can only move forward and work to get the rest of our pack home safe." Antonio cut in. They were only wasting time bickering about what had already happened.

Jeremy actually listened to Antonio, turning his attention away from Annie as he barked out new orders. They mostly consisted on which member was calling who. Nick was to get in touch with Jorge, while Jeremy and Antonio were trying to get in touch with Elena and Logan. Once again Annie was left with nothing to do but watch and wait, though that time she knew it was most definitely intentional. Leaving the men to their calls, she retreated to her room to be alone.

The stairs left her ribs sore as she sunk on her bed. A reminder of how weak she was. Annie was tired of being the weakest link. She just wanted her injuries to heal enough that normal movement wouldn't hurt. Shifting was the only way for her to speed up healing, but she'd been too stressed and in too much pain to shift successfully since her injury. Figuring she had nothing better to do, Annie moved to kneel on her carpet. Focusing on her body, from her fingers to her toes, she tried to force her body to relax and coax on a change. When nothing happened, she slumped down on the floor in disappointment. Her body refused to relax, it had ever since the attack on the house. The only time Annie felt at ease was with Nick.

Perhaps if Nick was with her she'd be able to shift. With that not being a possibility Annie did the next best thing. Moving down the hall to Nick's room, Annie closed the door behind her. With Nick's scent surrounding her, it might be enough to help coax her into a shift. Closing her eyes, Annie kneeled back down and breathed through her nose. In a matter of minutes she started feeling the tingling pinpricks beneath her skin that signaled a shift. The next time she opened her eyes she was on all fours in canine form.

Already her ribs were feeling less tender as she padded across the carpet. It had been a while since she had last been on all fours and she would give anything to go for a run outside, but instead she settled herself on the floor. Nick's scent was thick around her and she couldn't help but roll around, mixing their scents together on the rug. Annie only got a few more moments as a wolf. At the hum of unhappy voices downstairs and the sound of footsteps on the stairs she began the shift back. Her wolf only agreed when she promised they would go running soon. When she transformed back she only had time to grab a shirt off the floor and throw it on, which happened to be one of Nick's, before the door opened.

"Annie, there you…" Nick lost his train of thought, unable to finish his sentence as his eyes took in Annie standing in his room with only his shirt covering her. Her tattered clothes scattered across the floor was what eventually dragged his attention away from her. "You shifted?"

"I was tired of waiting for my injuries to heal naturally," Annie murmured, heat rushing to her cheeks. She'd never received an open invitation to Nick's room. She was technically invading his personal space. "This was the only place I could relax enough to change."

The surprise in Nick's eyes softened at her words. Stalking forward he pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips against her forehead before dropping them to her lips. He couldn't hold back with her standing there in his room, in his shirt, claiming he was the only one who could put her at ease. The temptation was too much to resist.

Annie sighing into the kiss, her body pressing closer to Nick as she slid her arms around him and under his shirt, was what had him coming completely undone. He felt his muscles twitching as her hands glided over his back and suddenly the room was too warm for comfort.

"Annie," Nick whispered after forcing himself to momentarily pull away. It was the last thing he wanted, but he needed to make sure they were on the same page before things went too far. "Where do you want to take this?"

Annie couldn't help but smile at Nick's question. She hadn't expected it, she'd figured she'd made herself pretty obvious that the only thing stopping them before was her injuries. Though they weren't completely healed now, they felt a whole hell of a lot better. Maybe his question was in part asking if she was physically capable so soon after the attack.

"As far as you'll let me," Annie responded, unable to stop the rush of blood to her cheeks. "Although it's fair to let you know. I…I'm not experienced." She'd never had a boyfriend in high school, thanks in part to Clay and Nick and the rumors about Stonehaven. And she'd been too focused on her studies in college to get serious with anybody. She had gone on a few dates, but it never went past kissing. To her surprise Nick's first response to her confession was to pull her into a kiss.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about," Nick reassured her verbally. With her it was just more of a turn on. Though Nick had never considered the idea that Annie might have physically been with another man, he sure as Hell didn't mind that she hadn't. Quite the opposite.

"It's hard not to be self-conscious when I don't know how to make it good for you," Annie's voice was lower than even a whisper. Nick was experienced. If he was to compare her to any of the other women he'd been with, she was sure he'd be disappointed.

"It'll be amazing because it's you Annie," Nick responded with a smile, leaning in to kiss her again. Annie wanted to tell him not to get ahead of himself, but she was soon distracted by Nick's hands in her hair. As his lips moved from her mouth, across her jaw, and to her neck, Annie let out an unintentional noise between a sigh and a groan.

Her grip on his back tightened, pulling them off balance and sending them crashing down on the bed. Annie couldn't help but giggle at how uncoordinated she was already. It was either laugh or let embarrassment wash over her. Determined not to feel embarrassed, Annie quickly pulled Nick back to her, picking up where they'd left off.

Feeling the rough fabric of his jeans against her skin sent tiny shivers of pleasure through her at the friction. Not knowing exactly where to put her hands, she decided let them wander back to Nick's back. He still had his shirt on, so she began tugging on the hem once she found it, making Nick smile against her lips. In one swift movement, faster than Annie though was possible, Nick had his shirt on the floor and was lowering himself back down to her.

She only got a second to admire his chest, and the way his biceps flexed as he lowered himself down to her, before Annie was distracted by Nick's lips pulling on hers. There were so many things Nick wanted to do with Annie, but he reminded himself to keep the pace slow. It was Annie's first time, as well as their first time together. He didn't want to get ahead of himself. Slowly he moved his lips down Annie's neck, trailing down and planting kisses over the thin tee that covered her body. Moving the fabric when he got her hips and nipping next to one of her hipbones had Annie gasping. He could imagine how strong her reaction would be to his touch on more sensitive areas. The thought had his hardened member twitching.

Letting Nick part her legs, still trying to deal with the new feelings of pleasure at every touch on previously untouched parts of her skin, Annie was not even close to ready to the sensations his mouth on her lower region created. A low sound between a moan and a growl slipped from between her lips as Nick continued his ministrations. The rhythm he set with his tongue had her losing her breath. Feeling the pressure of his finger slip inside her and joining the rhythm Nick set had Annie losing all control of her body and voice, the pleasure expanding over her whole body in waves.

Nick's heart swelled at the noises Annie made when she came undone, as his member strained even more against his jeans. Her face scrunched up in pleasure was immediately up there in his favorite images. She was undeniable beautiful, sprawled across the bed once her muscles finally finished contracting. Knowing he needed to prepare her body more in order to have her ready to take him, Nick began his ministrations again, his mouth back on her clit while he picked the rhythm back up and added a second finger. Feeling her tighten around his fingers had him hungry for more as he picked up the pace. That time when she toppled over the edge, she let out the sexiest reverberating moan.

When her body stilled after that second climax, Annie began reaching her hands, trying to bring Nick back up to her. She wanted to kiss him, to have him inside her, to show him how much she loved him. When he pulled back off the bed, she couldn't help the small frown from forming on her pouting lips until she realized why he had left. Pushing his pants off his hips, Annie couldn't help but stare at him with a mix of awe and hesitation. There was no way he was fitting in her. Even knowing the female body could stretch to accommodate childbirth, it still wasn't computing properly how he was going to fit. At least without hurting. Damn, it was going to hurt.

Crawling back onto the bed, Nick moved to remove his shirt that covered Annie. As sexy as it was to see her in it, she'd be even sexier without it. Sneaking in a kiss that quickly turned deeper than he'd intended, Nick pulled back when he felt his control slipping. Reaching for his bedside table drawer he pulled out the tiny package that would prevent them making anything more than love tonight. He'd only gotten it over his tip before Annie sat up, hesitantly pushing his hands away as she slid it up the rest of the way. The sensation of her hands on his most sensitive skin had sparks of pleasure flying. As soon as she'd removed her hands, Nick wasted no time crashing his lips back onto Annie's, his left hand moving to massage her breast.

Repositioning himself, Nick had to use all his restraint to slip in slowly, pausing whenever Annie tensed at the pain of him entering her. After an agonizingly amount of time he felt the tearing of the thin barrier of Annie's innocence and paused inside. He remained still inside her until Annie began moving against him, letting him know the pain had subsided. Keeping their rhythm slow so Annie could get used to him, Nick felt his eyes rolling back at the sensations. Damn but she was tight.

Even after the pain subsided, it still felt…uncomfortable to have Nick inside her. However, between the slow motion and his lips on hers, it didn't take long for small spasms of pleasure to start building inside her. Without even thinking, Annie wrapped her legs tightly around Nick's hips, pulling him closer and driving him in deeper. Annie discovered she definitely enjoyed him being deeper, alerting Nick to that fact with the moan she let out.

Unable to fight the animalistic instinct to take Annie faster and harder once she pulled him in deeper, Nick picked up the pace. Pulling his hips back until he was as far out as he could be and still be inside her, he plunged back into her until his hilt was fully embedded. Annie kept his pace, moving her hips with his, which had him losing his concentration for a moment. He continued the hard pace, moving his mouth to Annie's neck. The curses and moans that came from her mouth only encouraged him, having him nipping at her neck between kisses. Her walls clamping tighter around him, and her voice moaning out his name, had him driving in faster. Without realizing it he sunk his teeth into her neck harder than before, making her moan grow louder at the picture of pain and pleasure. Nick felt his own orgasm rising until it exploded around him and had him sinking on top of Annie.

"I'm sorry Annie. I meant to take your first time slow," Nick mumbled against her neck. Though the apology was sweet in a dorky way, it wasn't exactly what a girl wanted to hear after giving her body to the man she loved.

"It was perfect Nick, really. At least, I enjoyed it," Annie responded hesitantly. She wasn't experienced, but she'd heard enough stories from her friends that it was rare to actually enjoy your first time. True she was feeling raw and sore, but it had definitely been worth it.

"Believe me Annie, you don't have to worry about me enjoying myself. I more than enjoyed myself," Nick murmured before pressing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. He wanted to make sure Annie had no need to be hesitant. Everything about her was perfect for him.

"I should probably go clean up a bit," Nick stated when he finally pulled back from their kiss. "I'll be right back to cuddle, so stay right where you are." He added, tapping Annie's nose lightly with a smile plastered on his face.

As luck would have it, Annie never did get that cuddling session. The sound of tires on gravel had her rising stiffly from the bed, for once her ribs not the sorest part of her body. When Nick returned donned in only his jeans, it was to find Annie dressed in his tee and a pair of his sweat pants, which dragged on the floor.

"Raincheck on the cuddling?" Annie asked, just as the sound of the door bursting open and Elena calling for Annie sounded from downstairs.

"That's a definite yes," Nick answered, stealing one last kiss before they made their way to the stairs. A beaten Clay was being dragged up the stairs supported by Jeremy and Antonio. Immediately changing her direct, Annie made her way to the infirmary. It was going to be a long night by the looks of all Clay's injuries. And those were just the visible ones.

A/N Hello my loyal readers. Thank you for your patience with this story. I'm sorry it took so long to post this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

Rach

xoxo