by Bella Colt
Nodding her head, she complies, walking towards me, offering me her hands together outstretched in front of her. Quickly while the doctor is still recovering on the ground and trying to catch his breath, I grab the duct tape and begin wrapping it around her wrists tightly, probably more times than was actually necessary. There’s no way she can break this by herself. Changing the aim of my gun between them, I tell her to move towards the door and face the wall. I follow closely behind her, my eyes darting back and forth between her and the doctor, I quickly unlock and open it. Ordering her to step out and walk three steps into the hall and wait as I make sure she watches me as I take and point the barrel of my gun at Amara’s sleeping body. Leaving the doctor on the floor, I follow Raina out the door keeping the gun trained on Amara until I close and lock the door behind us.
“What are you going to do with me?” She asks once the door is shut.
“You don’t want to know!” I answer truthfully as I rip a long piece of duct tape off the roll and put it over her mouth, wrapping it entirely around her head twice. Noting the tears falling from her eyes, I nudge her to turn around and start walking. I decided after my run-in with John that she’s a loose end that needs taken care of quickly and with prejudice. Then I can get to work on the rest of my improvised plan to be the hero by “finding” Amara and killing the doctor. After all, he’s the one who was responsible for kidnapping her. The depraved bastard wanted her so he could run endless experiments on her. Once Declan comes to her rescue, he will take her off the meds, and the pain will keep her incoherent before slowly and painfully killing her. A very effective way to tie up all the loose ends, I think.
Once at the door, I pull out my bottle of cologne. Shaking the bottle, I realize I’m almost out. I have no way to disappear for the amount of time it would take me to go the market any time in the foreseeable future. I spray myself, just a bit to conserve, and then Raina. I don’t want her scent picked up near the house. I nudge her forward with my gun pushing into her back as we head out the door, quickly locking it from the inside before leaving.
We’re walking towards town when we reach a fork in the road. I stop to quickly glance around and make sure that there is no one about before hurriedly pushing Raina into the thick of the bushes and step in behind her. Getting down on my hands and knees to crawl behind her, I quietly give Raina instructions to crawl about a hundred yards forward. Up ahead, there is a small space with an underground door that leads under the wall. It comes out an oak tree stump on the other side; the only problem is that we have to crawl under a hundred yards of the untamed brush to get to the door. What should be a quick crawl beneath the densFe underbrush is taking much longer than I anticipated. Raina keeps falling forward and losing her grip every time her bound hands slip and lose purchase.
This was never a problem when I was a kid; in fact, I found this place by accident. Some of the older pups were picking on me and pushed me into these bushes when I first came to live here. They thought I was weird, and I was easy prey being a lot smaller and weaker than them. That ended up working out to my advantage, though, when I stumbled upon this secret. I crawled as far as I could under the bushes to get away from them. That’s when I came across this. It’s so well hidden that whoever built must be long dead. I used it regularly as a teenager to sneak out past curfew and have never come across another person who knows about it.
Finally, reaching the end of the underbrush, we come to the familiar underground space. Here the ground has been dug out a few feet deep and about four feet in circumference, almost making a room. Looking around, I can see a few half-filled bottles of liquor, a pack of smokes and a lighter by the dirt ledge from the wall that I used as a chair in my youth. To the right about three feet of the makeshift chair is a circular wooden door, I crawl in front of Raina and open it. Pointing first to her and then the hole.
Waiting for her to stick her head in, I push her ass making her squeal through the tape, I follow behind quickly, sliding into the hole on my stomach. The door swings closed behind me, making it pitch black, getting on all fours again I reach into my pocket and pull out my lighter so I can see. Nudging her, so she starts crawling forward, I follow for about twenty feet underground in the dirt until we come to a steep incline. There I consider to be a ladder is carved in the dust on the wall leading up to another small wooden circular door.
Taking the lead this time, I climb up and wait as I listen for a moment before opening the hatch door and climbing out of the tree trunk. Looking back down into the hole, I have to hold back laughter as I watch her struggling to try and climb the dirt ladder with her elbows.
Once she’s close enough, I grab her by the arms and pull her out of the hole, setting her on shaky legs. I push her in the direction of the forest. She starts walking, looking at the ground, as I follow behind. I only nudge her when the path we need to go changes as we make our way silently to the waterfall.
Chapter 23
Mason
Yawning, my eyes slowly open. I look around, taking in my surroundings, and the near-black state of the sky and realization quickly hit me like a ton of bricks. I fucking fell asleep, damn me! Suddenly, I push my body off the ground and forgo the original path altogether and run through the trees towards the waterfall that Adair had shown me. At least they won’t be worried, I’m not late yet since I told Declan that I wouldn’t be able to get there until tonight.
I slow down my pace so I can listen for the sound of running water as I make my way through the forest looking for the waterfall; the den is just East of it a few more miles. Adair said he never even knew of the waterfall’s existence until after the day his eldest son, Bentley, had died. I was visiting with the North pack around the time it happened. I didn’t even hear about the accident until recently. The light sound of running water finally reaches my ears, making them twitch as I change directions. Slowing my pace to a walk, I approach what I hope will be the waterfall.
Pushing my way through some bushes, I come out on the other side about ten yards from the running river. Looking towards the North of the river, up about twenty yards, I can see a little clearing covered in thick green grass. Another hundred feet from there is the giant waterfall that’s somehow entirely concealed from the world, surrounded by the tall trees and shrubs. I marvel momentarily in its beauty, but a jerky movement on the other side of the river catches my attention. The lack of scents in the area puts Wolf on alert instantly as I back up into the brush behind me and crouch down to watch.
Moments later, I see a female figure with dark hair emerge from the trees. I watch as she stumbles on the uneven ground with her hands bound in front of her. I can make out her swollen red eyes and the welts surrounding her mouth from the duct tape that is being used a gag. I stay in place as she continues being pushed towards the river by a blond man who is just a few steps behind her. I remain in place as they stop at the edge of the stream before the man bends down behind her and begins duct taping her ankles together.
Holy shit, he’s really going to push her in! This guy is one sick fuck! I inhale deeply, trying to pick up his scent, but again there still isn’t one! I can’t pick up anything from either one of them.
‘HELP HER!’ Wolf yells at me, and I have to fight his urge as I stay hidden for the moment so I can observe.
The man stands up slowly from her ankles, running his hands leisurely and seductively along her body. Her whole body is visibly shaking; I’m barely able to stop myself from growling when he leans forward and pulls her against him. I watch and try to listen as he whispers something in her ear as he grinds crudely against her from behind. He then quickly and violently shoves her forward into the ice-cold water.
It's then that I recognize him! Cassius! Growling low, I watch as Cassius turns around and runs back into the trees towards his pack as fast as he can, utterly unaware that I’m even here. Not wasting any more time than I already have, I quickly shift back into human form while panickily staring at the river for signs of air bubb
les when I see her head bob up above the surface of the water momentarily just a few feet downstream from me.
Rapidly diving into the frigid water, I keep my eyes open as I search for her. Within seconds I can see her tied arms awkwardly flailing while trying to fight her way to the surface again. Swimming to her, I grab her around her waist with one arm and push off the floor of the river bed with my feet breaking the surface in seconds. Keeping her head above the water, I swim to the side where Cassius pushed her in and very carefully help her out of the water.
Grabbing the pocket knife that I keep tied to my ankle with a leather strap (so it stays with me in both forms), I cut the duct tape and pull it off from around her mouth. The second the duct tape is cleared, she starts to throw up and cough up inhaled water. Allowing her only a few moments to catch her breath while I cut the duct tape off her hands and ankles.
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“Raina P-Pearce...” She stutters her answer through blue lips then adds... “Amara... Cassius will kill, blame doctor!” She manages to croak out before her eyes shutter close due to exhaustion and pass out. The second she said Amara’s name aloud, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Deciding I need to talk to Declan immediately as I pick her up and start walking East towards the gates of his pack.
As I’m making my way through the trees, I look down at the small framed figure in my arms, Raina Pearce. Raina Pearce? Where have I heard that name before... Trying to remember how I know this angel’s name but not her face without ever seeing her when it hits me. I’m so slow sometimes; this is Linda’s missing assistant. She really is a real beauty; her mate is fortunate. He’ll have to take better care of her in the future.
Another fifteen minutes of walking as fast as I can through the forest, being extra careful not to jostle her before I’m finally able to make out the edge of the wall surrounding their compound. Staying in the trees, I make my way around the wall until I can see the gate. Placing Raina down on some grass under a tree, I continue walking towards the steel gate. The guards notice me immediately and lower their heads in respect for another Alpha as they step aside to allow me to pass, but I stop just before them.
“Bring your Alpha to me; I won’t enter until I speak to him. Talk to absolutely no one else, just him. You understand?” I order, and they both nod yes then look to each other in communication via pack-link before the one on the right runs off on my errand while I stand and wait with the other guard. Ten minutes later, I can see two figures walking towards the gates.
“Got a spare set of pants available?” I ask the guard before Declan approaches, remembering that I’m still hanging out nude.
Chapter 24
Declan
Approaching the gates with my guard, I see Mason standing next to another stationed guard. Walking towards him, I stretch out my arm in greeting as he does the same, and we shake hands before embracing in a quick man hug.
“Thank you so much for coming.”
“Not a problem; in fact, would you mind taking a short walk with me so I can talk to you in private?” Mason asks with urgency clear in his tone.
“Of course!” I answer, nodding to both of my guards as they fall back into their positions guarding the gate.
“After you.” I motion to Mason, then follow him as we make our way into some trees until we’re entirely hidden from the gate before he turns around and faces me.
“So... Linda called me earlier today and asked me to find her missing assistant while I’m here visiting.” He states, waiting for a reaction.
“Yea, she asked me to do the same, but I completely forgot about it honestly,” I say, looking down ashamed.
“Well, I found her...” He says as he walks around the tree, he was standing in front of.
“And you’re not going to believe where and how.” Walking around the tree with him, I see the small pale figure with black hair soaking wet and huddling into herself at the base of the tree on the ground.
“What happened to her?” I asked, taking off my dry shirt and placing it on her for warmth.
“Well, about that... before I tell you anything, you need to promise to hear me out fully. I have a plan, but you seriously have to listen to all of it and not go off halfcocked!” Mason explains calmly while reading my reaction as I quickly nod my head in a yes and remain quiet, so he will just hurry and explain.
“I actually meant to be here by afternoon, you know? I accidentally fell asleep after lunch on my way here, when I woke up and realized what happened I took the shortcut through the waterfall to make up on time. That’s where I came upon her being shoved into the river. Declan, I know who has Amara... it’s Cassius!”
‘Awooooooo!’ Wolfs’ howl reverberates loudly in anger against my skull. Turning around, I punch the closest thing, a nearby tree as hard as I can hearing it crack as some splinters fly up into my face from the force. I continue reigning blows until the tree snaps and topples over, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Breathing deeply, I finally turn around to face Mason and notice that the girl is now awake and pressing her body as hard as she can into the tree.
“Where were you being kept at?” Barely keeping Wolf contained, I snarl looking directly at the girl.
“In the compound somewhere, umm, I followed Cassius to a three-way fork in the road. I took the left path, I think.” She stutters.
“Amara?” I growl, questioning her.
“She’s being held there, and so is the doctor.” Without waiting for another second, I turn around to leave.
“Wait!” She tries to yell, but it doesn’t come out very loud.
“If he’s already killed the doctor... then you need to know that Amara needs to stay sedated, the doctor is saving her life!” She’s trying to explain when she starts convulsing, and her eyes roll into the back of her head.
“She’s too cold and weak... she needs medical attention immediately!” Mason says frantically while picking her up into his arms.
“Okay, we’ll sneak her into the packhouse, so Cassius won’t see her. Then we will go meet with my Dad and John to go get Amara.” Dread hits my gut like I just ate a gallon of glue while I look at her blue unmoving body being limply carried.
“Lead the way.” He says, following right behind me as I start jogging towards the gates. Once there, the guards immediately give Mason their coats for the girl as I order them to call in replacements, then to follow us and shut and lock the gate.
Chapter 25
Raina
I can feel a cold cloth being dabbed along my cheek, and that starts bringing me into consciousness. A sharp stinging sensation where the fabric had just been made me bolt upright to a sitting position, knocking someone backward a few steps.
“Sorry, it’s just the antiseptic. The sting will go away soon.” I look at a small-framed blonde woman as she returns to dabbing the cloth along some scrapes on my arm. “You’re okay, you’re in my house next door to the Alpha’s house. I’m Audrey, Declan’s mother.”
“How did I get here?” I ask, completely confused.
“Mason brought you here; he said he found you by the river at the waterfall!” She explains with a grim look on her face.
It takes a minute for my brain to catch up to the situation. The last thing I remember was Cassius whispering something in my ear, and then I was in the river drowning. I was almost dead when someone pulled me out, I’m trying desperately to remember what he looked like when Cassius’s words flow through my mind in a rush making me gasp out loud.
“The Alpha, I need to talk to him right now!”
“He’s swamped at the moment.” She says, bringing her hazel eyes to the ground as she pushes my shoulder down towards the bed, effectively telling me to lie back down.
“No! You don’t understand, Amara will die if I don’t talk to him right NOW!” I say, pushing her hand roughly away from my shoulder as I sit back up and get out of bed.
“Wh-what do you mean? You know where she is?” Audrey
asks, looking at me pleadingly.
“Yes, now please can I talk to him?”
“Mason asked me not to let you leave here until he returns and says otherwise. He insists it’s for your safety, and I tend to agree. So, I can go get the Alpha for you, but you must stay here!” She says, glaring at me in a ‘try me’ sort of way.
“Okay, okay. Just please hurry there are actual lives at stake!” I plead as she just nods and turns around, leaving through the door. I hear a familiar click of a lock being set on the other side, telling me to stay put was redundant if she planned on locking the door. I sigh to myself as I sit back down on the bed to wait.
Chapter 26
Declan
John and my father had just arrived and sat down in my study when there is a hard knock on the door.
“Who is it?” I growl. With no answer at all, both doors of the study swing open simultaneously, allowing me to see my mother with a look of fear on her face as she walks in.
“What’s wrong?” My father, Mason, and I ask in unison.
“She’s awake... and she wants to talk to you, Declan. She says it’s urgent concerning Amara!” Her eyes narrow to slits glaring at all of us simultaneously when she says Amara’s name.
“Audrey-” My dad starts to explain, but my mom cuts him off by holding up her hand and giving him a death glare.
“Why I wasn’t told isn’t important right now, that WILL be dealt with later!” She eyes each of us individually, letting us know that we are all in trouble. “What’s important is the information she has now!”
