He chuckled, licking his bottom lip. "Fair enough."
"If I can let someone in," I said, poking his chest, "then so can you."
"I'll think about it."
"Think fast," I said, arching a brow. "The twins asked her out, and she said yes."
The smile slid off his face, taken over by shock and then jealous anger. "What?"
"Larkin's done waiting for you to wake up. If you don't want to make a move, there's a line of guys who happily will," I told him. "Time for you to go get your girl."
He started to smile when several cracking branches made us spin around. I barely blinked before Rhodes had me behind him, putting himself between us and whatever was crashing through the brush a few feet away.
A tiny figure tumbled out, blond hair tangled with twigs and leaves. Her huge blue eyes looked up at us. Blood was smeared across a swollen, bruised cheek.
"Help me," Sierra begged, dropping to her knees with a shudder. "Please - he's coming."
"Jesus," Rhodes hissed, running to her side.
We both dropped down, to our knees on either side of her.
"Sierra, what happened?" I asked, checking for injuries. I resisted touching the side of her face. “Did someone hit you?”
Rhodes gently started to lift her up, turning her over. I was still searching for where she was hurt when I heard Rhodes give a soft grunt.
I moved her hair from the side of her face. "Where are you hurt?" I asked.
Rhodes let Sierra go and fell backwards with a groan, sprawling out on the snow.
"Rhodes, what-" The words died on my throat when I saw the needle sticking out of his leg.
Sierra pulled away from me, slowly standing and moving back. I dropped forward, reaching for Rhodes as his eyes rolled back in his head.
"What the hell did you do?" I demanded, glaring up at her as I felt for a pulse.
She didn't speak, but her eyes lifted to something or someone behind me. She smiled.
“I told you I could help,” she chirped happily.
I started to turn, but I felt the sharp prick of a needle piercing my skin. The drug was something thick and viscous, burning as the plunger was pressed down.
Everything shifted and blurred, tilting disturbingly.
And then it was dark.
44
Something’s wrong.
That was the only thought I had when I started to wake. It was cold, and I could feel the heat of the sun behind my closed lids, the weak winter light somehow too bright. Pain pierced the fog of my mind like an icepick.
I flinched the movement causing my head to throb. A low moan escaped me, and I tried to think back and figure out what had happened.
Something is wrong.
I remembered waking up in Remy's bed. My stomach rolled as I remembered our fight. Leaving the cabin. Talking to Rhodes. And then…
I struggled to focus my thoughts.
My eyes flew open with a gasp as everything crashed back into me. I immediately regretted the action. The sunlight was like daggers to my sensitive eyes. I squeezed them shut quickly, not catching more than a canopy of skeleton trees above me.
Something is very wrong.
"Rhodes," I mumbled, blindly reaching out for where I remembered him falling. My hand only met cold rock and ice.
"Now that is not the name of your mate," a familiar voice chided. "But I guess we can't be surprised if a slut like you would be happy with only one guy."
Something is seriously wrong.
Alarm was starting to set in, and I tried opening my eyes again, this time slowly letting myself adjust to the brightness. My head still felt like a marching band had taken up residence inside, but at least I could see.
My stomach twisted so violently I was sure I would vomit.
Cassian smiled down at me, his all-American good looks a cruel facade for what lurked beneath. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, and he was bundled up in a winter coat. He was kneeling at my side, his body looming over mine.
I looked around, realizing we were on a part of the mountains I didn't know. How long had I been out? How far had he taken me? There was a fire crackling beside us, so clearly Cassian had time to stop and build a fire.
"Rhodes-"
He pressed a gloved finger to my lips. "Rhodes is ... detained. He won’t be coming to your rescue.”
He pushed hair out of my eyes with a grin. “Hey, question - who do you think Remy will try to save first? The bitch he got stuck with a few weeks ago? Or the guy who's been his best friend since they were kids?" He traced the curve of my cheek. “Does he save his best friend’s ass, or his piece of ass?”
"Shut up," I hissed, jerking away from him so hard I hit my head on the rock under me and saw stars. "Where the hell is he?"
He rolled his eyes. "I said he's busy." He spoke slowly, like maybe I had sustained several blows to the head.
"How the hell did you get Sierra to help you?" I asked, remembering the very convincing role the blond had played.
His full lips curved into a wicked smirk. "That girl is seriously unhinged, you know that? Although, the shit Trace has her doing, it's no wonder. You think I'm fucked up? That guy takes the cake. She was all too happy to help her mate out." He laughed at the word. "She doesn't even know he's setting her ass up."
"What are talking about?" I asked slowly, the world still spinning.
He waved a dismissive hand. "I'm not sure of all the details, but Trace said she'll be on the next van to the facility. I'm just now starting to understand all the shit your uncle and grandfather were into, but apparently this alliance with the Norwood pack includes providing females - willing or otherwise - to a facility that's working on a cure or some shit to this fertility thing."
The missing shifters.
"Where is the facility?" I asked.
He gave me an indifferent look. "Not sure. We're supposed to go there in the next few weeks so we can see the progress they've made."
"And you have no idea where it is?" I pressed.
Cassian sighed, shaking his head. "Why the sudden inquisition? I thought we were having a nice conversation, but now you're interrogating me. I'm not sure I appreciate it when I'm trying to help us establish common ground."
A strangled laugh escaped me. "Conversation? Common ground? Are you kidding me?"
He gave me a confused look. "I thought we should catch up first. I'm trying to be polite."
"Polite would be not kidnapping me, Cassian!" I snapped, pushing myself into a sitting position. The world around me tilted a bit, the edges going fuzzy for a second.
Cassian rolled his eyes, standing up and wiping his gloves on his jeans. "You're part of my pack. We own you. I'm simply taking back what's ours."
I started to scramble to my feet and back away when I stumbled and nearly went sprawling. Glancing down, I saw the metal cuff around my ankle, chained around a boulder a few yards away.
I gave it another jerk, praying it would miraculously come loose.
It didn’t.
"Sorry about that," he said, motioning to the chain. "I didn't want to have to spend all of our time together chasing you around when you woke up. As much fun as it would be, we're on a timetable."
Fear settled like a concrete block in my stomach. "Timetable?"
He glanced over the edge of the cliff we were on. "The road down there. Our ride will be here in about an hour. Not as much time as I would have liked, but we'll make do, right?" He turned, grinning at me. "Besides, once we're back at the Compound, we'll have as much time as we want."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," I spat vehemently. Every muscle in my body went tight, ready to fight and claw our way out of this.
He moved away from the edge, slowly walking towards me, every bit the predator. "Skye, I didn't come all this way just to see how you've been. I came here for you." He frowned. "Didn't Bella give you my message?"
I sucked in a sharp breath. "You're a fucking monster. How could you?"
Cassia
n rolled his eyes. "She was going to be my mate eventually. She should have known what to expect."
"You raped her!" I hissed, balling my hands into fists. “She’s a kid!”
He sighed, shaking his head. “She’s old enough.”
"You let your friends take turns!" I jerked at the chains again, wishing I could wrap my hands around his throat.
He paused thinking. "She belongs to me, and sharing is caring.”
"She's a person! She doesn't belong to you!" I yelled.
"Not anymore," he agreed. He made a face. "She seriously just wasn't cut out to be my mate. I'm just glad Linden finally sees that. She never stopped crying the whole damn time. I had to gag her to shut her up before we even got started."
"You're insane," I whispered, shaking my head. "You've completely lost it."
"Did you know most omegas only live about four years?" The sudden change of topic left me reeling.
"I mean, in our pack," he amended. "I'm sure in other packs omegas ... limp along like fucking dead weight for decades unless an Alpha is smart enough to get rid of them. Not every pack embraces what an omega is meant to be."
I was barely breathing, watching him like he was a snake about to strike.
"Your mom lasted seventeen years. That's incredible!" Cassian clapped his hands together, smiling like he had won a prize. His eyes slid over me. "Which made me think, as much of a fighter as you are? I'm sure you've got seventeen years in you, easy."
My eyes went wide, bile rising in my throat.
Cassian shrugged. "I mean, you won't technically be an omega since you'll be my mate. But you know I like to share with my friends. Besides, you killed Preston's brother. You definitely owe him."
The blood that had been roaring in my ears since I woke up went blessedly silent, the world going into high definition focus.
"I have a mate," I growled.
He snapped his fingers. "So, another question: rumor has it that this bond thing can be broken if you cheat." He grinned at me, his eyes glittering with something maniacal. "If we're holding you down, does that count as cheating? Or maybe it'll just be having me inside of you day after day? Or my child growing inside you one day?"
Horror crept over me.
He winked and tapped my nose. “Gotta admit, it would be a gorgeous kid.” He glanced at his watch. “They should be here soon.”
I looked down at the chain and realized I had zero hope of freeing myself.
My wolf growled, snarling and ready to attack in my head.
I dropped my head and took a slow breath, letting the mountain air fill my lungs as I let my shoulders relax, as I let my body release the tension coiled tight in me. I forced myself to clear my mind.
"What are you doing?" Cassian seemed amused.
"Accepting my fate," I said softly, opening my eyes and looking at him. I smiled slowly, feeling my wolf ripple under my skin.
He smirked at me. "Might be the smartest thing you've ever done." He took another step towards me. He reached out, grabbing the ends of my braid in his fingers and studying the texture.
I smiled at him, showing my teeth. "You don’t get it," I said slowly, shaking my head.
"Oh?"
"I didn't mean I accept my fate as going with you to be your whore for the rest of my life. I have a mate that I love, and I'm not interested in downgrading," I explained, feeling my wolf stir in my chest. "I meant, I'm okay with dying today as long as I take you with me."
I didn't stop to think or gloat over the brief flash of worry in his eyes. I let my wolf take over, shifting suddenly. My smaller joint easily slipped through the cuff as I lunged at him.
I had the element of surprise, but it only got me the chance to clamp my teeth into Cassian's arm for a second before he shifted himself with a roar.
I immediately let go, dancing away from him and staying alert, but he was close to the edge. Leaping at him had caught him off guard, pushing him closer to the edge of the cliff.
I waited for my in, knowing I couldn't outright attack Cassian and win. I had barely survived a fight with Trace, and I knew Cassian was bigger and faster than Trace was when I fought him. I had seen Cassian take down several pack members over the years.
I hated to admit it, but the psycho was really good at being a psycho.
Cassian snarled at me, baring his teeth a second before he lunged, his tawny coat gleaming in the light. I moved as fast as I could, barely avoiding his teeth sinking into my back leg. I managed to put the fire he had built between us.
His blue eyes glittered in the firelight, his hackles raised and lips pulled back as he growled again at me.
Flames be damned, he launched himself through the fire, managing to knock me to the ground. His teeth caught my shoulder and I yelped in pain, blindly snapping my teeth until I felt them bite down on some part of him.
Instead of letting me go, he bit down harder, his teeth shredding the muscles of my shoulder. Trying not to scream in pain, I forced my jaws to clamp harder until I felt the delicate bones of his foreleg start to grind together.
With a growl he let me go and limped back, giving me enough of an opening to scramble backwards.
But it wasn't enough.
I couldn't put any weight on my front leg, which meant I was fighting with a serious disadvantage.
Growling, Cassian advanced on me, backing me against the mountain. I had no place left to go, and there was no way I could take him down.
I looked past him to the cliff, wondering if I had time to jump over the edge before he caught me.
I had no clue what was on the other side. No idea if it was a sheer drop off or a slope or some mixture of the two. Maybe I would be able to survive the fall ... but maybe not.
I looked back at Cassian, my decision made. If I had to go back to Long Mesa, I would. I would fight and survive as long as it took to get back to my pack. To my mate.
Remy.
I growled back, my back arching as I braced myself for him to attack.
Skye.
I could hear his voice in my head, clear as day, and it almost brought me to my knees.
I hated the way I had left things.
I was an idiot. A stupid, emotional idiot who acted like a brat storming out earlier.
Skye. Hold on.
My ear perked up as I realized I wasn't just thinking of Remy's voice, but I was actually hearing his voice.
He was coming.
I looked up to see Cassian hurl himself at me. I barely scrambled forward, the back half of my body taking the brunt of the hit. My hips twisted as my legs slid out from under me, the air knocked from my lungs.
Wolves couldn't smile, but I could have sworn Cassian grinned at me, his teeth bared and chest heaving as he stood over me, victorious.
I tried to get up, but Cassian pressed one massive paw to my injured shoulder and pressed down. I collapsed with an inhuman scream. The pain lanced through me, spots dancing in my vision.
Cassian's jaws snapped, a roaring growl vibrating through his chest as he pinned me down.
I whimpered and stopped fighting, submitting the fight to him as wolf instinct kicked in.
Still, he kept adding his weight onto my shoulder. The shoulder was going numb as my body started going into shock.
And then it was simply gone.
I heard snarling and snapping, yelps and growls. It took several seconds, maybe minutes, for me to focus on the wolves fighting in front of me.
Remy and Cassian were slowly circling each other. Their wolves looked evenly matched, but I knew Remy was the better wolf. He was bigger, faster, and stronger.
I tried pushing myself up to my feet, but I could barely keep my balance on three legs.
Cassian went for Remy's face, but Remy dropped at the last second, his jaws closing around Cassian's throat and giving him a vicious shake that sent Cassian tumbling across the rock and ice. He stopped a foot from the edge, struggling to get to his feet.
Remy put himself between us, protect
ing me.
I wanted to reach out through the bond and tell Remy all the things I never said earlier, but I was scared of breaking his concentration.
A rock skittered down the side of the mountain beside us, and I turned my head to see Trace coming down the side of the mountain. The dark brown wolf was snarling as he ran at us.
Remy noticed him, repositioning himself so he was between both of them, still keeping me behind him, as Cassian finally got up.
I knew Remy was a strong fighter. I had watched him throw Trace around like a rag doll. But taking on two alphas at the same time?
Remy.
His ears flicked back, the only sign he heard me.
I'm sorry.
He growled as Trace and Cassian started to advance.
I love you.
I only had to run five steps. Five agonizing steps that had my shoulder screaming and my leg nearly giving out.
But those five steps gave me enough momentum to barrel into Cassian with enough force to pitch him over the edge of the cliff.
The only problem was my leg had finally given out completely, and I had no way of stopping myself from going over with him.
There wasn't a slope on the other side.
It was a sheer eighty-foot drop to another rocky shelf below.
I was vaguely aware of my body soaring through the air.
I heard more than felt my body crash into the ground, the snapping of bones and tearing of flesh. Pain seared across me, a raging inferno that finally engulfed me into nothing.
45
I was swimming in a mud pit.
My limbs were tired and sluggish, nothing made sense, and everything was suffocating as it pressed in around me. It was dark and lonely, and I wanted to give up and sink back down, but I could hear muted voices pulling me up.
Pulling me out.
After trying for several minutes, I finally managed to blink my eyes open. The room looked vaguely familiar, white and sterile with a few beds separated by white curtains. I turned my head to the side and could make out people standing in the doorway, their voices quiet as they talked.
Sanctum (Blackwater Pack Book 1) Page 39
