while, the rope frayed, only hanging on by a thread. Close enough. She moved onto the next rope. Then the next. Her jaw was tired and starting to hurt. It didn’t stop her. She moved steadily. The gloom turned to darkness as night fell. Still she worked, always aware of the passing time. She had to bite faster. It was working. Thank goodness they hadn’t used chains instead of rope. Finally, she felt the ropes give way, and she scampered down to the floor as Alex fought his way out of the ropes.
She had done it! He was free. He stooped down, his movements slow and careful. He must be stiff after being restrained for so long. He lay his hand on the floor and she stood on it as he brought her up to face level.
“Thank you,” he said simply. “Now let’s get out of here. As much as I’d like to take on those four, I’m not in a fit state and I want you away from here.”
He stumbled to the door and opened it. A black shadow sprang forward, smacked into Alex’s leg, and sat down hard with a yowl. Stupid cat. Even in mouse form, she couldn’t resist the urge to stick out her tongue at the cat as they passed.
***
Alex concentrated on walking, setting one foot in front of the other. His bear grumbled at him, demanding they go back and rip the men to shreds. Alex reminded the bear that they were in no fit state to do so right now. The bear thought they should try it anyway. Alex pointed out that it was a sure way of getting themselves killed. The bear wasn’t interested. Alex reminded it that they had their mate with them and their first priority was getting her to safety. His bear finally shut up and skulked off to the corner of his mind to sulk.
Tara the mouse settled down in his hand, curling into a little ball. She looked exhausted. He couldn’t believe that she’d come after him on her own. Then she’d spent hours freeing him from his restraints. His mate was a brave and stubborn woman. He wasn’t sure whether to throttle her or bow down at her feet.
Unsure where they were, Alex concentrated on moving further away from the house. The property sat a little by itself, which explained how the men could have dragged a large body in there without anyone noticing. Still, it wasn’t exactly in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn’t long before he came across other houses.
He gently popped Tara into his shirt pocket, where she’d be safe and out of sight. She squirmed a little before settling down. He approached a house and knocked on the door. Silence greeted him. Fantastic. Through the glass at the side of the door, he noted a small pile of letters on the floor. Clearly, nobody had been home for a while.
“Looks like we’re breaking in, sweetheart,” he mumbled to Tara. Not a great look for a cop, but it was an emergency.
She squeaked at him, head poking out of his pocket.
“I don’t have a choice,” he pointed out. “We need to get to a phone, so I can call for help.”
The mouse rolled her eyes at him. She squeaked insistently until he lifted her from his pocket. Once there, the mouse pointed down at the ground.
“You think you can find a way in there?” he asked, watching as the mouse nodded at him in response.
He sighed. “Fine. Have a shot at it. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll do it my way.” He lowered her to the ground. “Stay away from cats.”
She squeaked at him and darted off. She disappeared behind a bush that grew beside the house. He waited. Nothing. He cast nervous glances up and down the street. If his attackers came back, he would fight with everything he had to protect himself and Tara, but he was outnumbered, tired, and hurt. He’d rather avoid any confrontations for now.
A noise had his head swinging up. The door opened, Tara’s head poking around the side of it. She had clearly changed back to human form to open the door for him.
“Hurry up and get in here,” she said. Even her voice was exhausted.
He walked inside, closing the door behind him. Tara
She had done it! He was free. He stooped down, his movements slow and careful. He must be stiff after being restrained for so long. He lay his hand on the floor and she stood on it as he brought her up to face level.
“Thank you,” he said simply. “Now let’s get out of here. As much as I’d like to take on those four, I’m not in a fit state and I want you away from here.”
He stumbled to the door and opened it. A black shadow sprang forward, smacked into Alex’s leg, and sat down hard with a yowl. Stupid cat. Even in mouse form, she couldn’t resist the urge to stick out her tongue at the cat as they passed.
***
Alex concentrated on walking, setting one foot in front of the other. His bear grumbled at him, demanding they go back and rip the men to shreds. Alex reminded the bear that they were in no fit state to do so right now. The bear thought they should try it anyway. Alex pointed out that it was a sure way of getting themselves killed. The bear wasn’t interested. Alex reminded it that they had their mate with them and their first priority was getting her to safety. His bear finally shut up and skulked off to the corner of his mind to sulk.
Tara the mouse settled down in his hand, curling into a little ball. She looked exhausted. He couldn’t believe that she’d come after him on her own. Then she’d spent hours freeing him from his restraints. His mate was a brave and stubborn woman. He wasn’t sure whether to throttle her or bow down at her feet.
Unsure where they were, Alex concentrated on moving further away from the house. The property sat a little by itself, which explained how the men could have dragged a large body in there without anyone noticing. Still, it wasn’t exactly in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn’t long before he came across other houses.
He gently popped Tara into his shirt pocket, where she’d be safe and out of sight. She squirmed a little before settling down. He approached a house and knocked on the door. Silence greeted him. Fantastic. Through the glass at the side of the door, he noted a small pile of letters on the floor. Clearly, nobody had been home for a while.
“Looks like we’re breaking in, sweetheart,” he mumbled to Tara. Not a great look for a cop, but it was an emergency.
She squeaked at him, head poking out of his pocket.
“I don’t have a choice,” he pointed out. “We need to get to a phone, so I can call for help.”
The mouse rolled her eyes at him. She squeaked insistently until he lifted her from his pocket. Once there, the mouse pointed down at the ground.
“You think you can find a way in there?” he asked, watching as the mouse nodded at him in response.
He sighed. “Fine. Have a shot at it. If it doesn’t work, then we’ll do it my way.” He lowered her to the ground. “Stay away from cats.”
She squeaked at him and darted off. She disappeared behind a bush that grew beside the house. He waited. Nothing. He cast nervous glances up and down the street. If his attackers came back, he would fight with everything he had to protect himself and Tara, but he was outnumbered, tired, and hurt. He’d rather avoid any confrontations for now.
A noise had his head swinging up. The door opened, Tara’s head poking around the side of it. She had clearly changed back to human form to open the door for him.
“Hurry up and get in here,” she said. Even her voice was exhausted.
He walked inside, closing the door behind him. Tara
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