by Bella Colt
Dr. Adams
I wait for several minutes after hearing the front door close before opening my eyes to look around the house. As I sit up, my feet kick something, making me look down, it’s my medical bag open on the ground. Peering inside, I grab the two pill bottles that are sitting on top, one reads Zolpidem Tartrate, and the other is Oxytocodone. Sighing aloud my suspicions confirmed, I throw the bottles back in my bag and begin searching for my syringes. Navigating through my now disorganized and cluttered bag is becoming time-consuming. When I reach the bottom feeling the leather pouch I’ve been searching for, I gently pull it out.
Standing up, I start to walk towards the hall when a picture frame standing on an otherwise bare mantel catches my eye. I reroute myself without realizing I did it until I’m in front of the picture. It’s a photo of my family; my mom, dad, sister, and me on a camping trip four years ago. This is my photo; it was at my house. I don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on here, Cassius is trying to set me up for Amara’s abduction. All hope I had that he may have kept Raina alive plummets.
Running down the hall to the bedroom door, I quickly grab the keyring he put in my pocket and start trying to jamb keys into the hole. Unsuccessfully due to my shaking, breathing deeply, I try to calm down as I switch to the next key on the ring. I almost scream from happiness when the key goes in smoothly and turns. I open the door and sprint to Amara, quickly checking her vitals. Convinced she’s stable enough to move, I open my leather pouch and grab a syringe for sedation. Quickly giving her the shot, I unhook her IV’s and pick her up in my arms.
I rapidly walk out of the room, leaving the keys in the bedroom lock as I carry Amara down the hall towards the front door without looking back.
Chapter 31
Declan
“Everyone understand?” I ask as I look to each man for assurance, getting a nod or a wink in response from each one of them. “Okay, then let’s get going, he should be here to check in soon!”
I watch as Mason and John go out the side door to place the two guards at the secret entrance that Raina had remembered and relayed to my mom. My father is staying behind with me to wait for him; luckily for us, it isn’t long. Not even a full minute after they exit my office, there is pounding on the double doors just before Cassius burst through them gasping for air.
‘KILL HIM!’ Wolf snarls. Instantly my vision blurs as my skin itches and pulls taught preparing to shift.
Fighting against Wolf and the shift, I breathe deep to reign in the anger and aggression I have for the person standing in front of me. Thankfully my father stays composed enough to stick to the plan. I can vaguely hear him asking Cassius if he is okay and telling him we sent John out to look for him.
“Found...Amara! The doctor...experimenting on her!” He spits out very quickly on ragged breaths. I growl low and long, letting Cassius believe it’s his words and not him that are the cause of it.
“Where is she?” I demand, fighting with myself and Wolf to keep up the charade.
“An empty house on the outside of the town in my quadrant!” He says, shakily still catching his breath.
Finally, bringing myself to look him in the eyes; has me clenching my fists so tight that I can feel the wet thickness of blood as it drips down from my claws that have extended into my palms. Wolf is pushing me hard to change and just rip him apart.
‘Just do it! What kind of mate are you? This thing standing in front of you is responsible, and you do nothing! You don’t deserve to be Alpha!’ Wolf venomously taunts inside my head.
I can barely contain myself as he relentlessly repeats himself. Feeling my bones start shifting in place and my breaths start coming in quick bursts.
“Son?” I hear my dad ask as I feel a slight pressure on my shoulder? Without thinking about it, I grab him by his arm and throw him over my shoulder towards the other end of the room.
“Calm down!” Cassius yells as he runs over to help my dad up, pushing me even closer to losing the little bit of control that I’m barely holding onto. Crouching down to one knee in an attack position, I growl as loud as I can. A sharp stabbing pain in my arm, followed by a quick burning sensation, breaks my concentration. Confused, I start looking around to make sure no one is by me, then begin to scan the room finding only Cassius and my Father. Who’s currently being helped off the ground where I put him... fuck me!
‘We need to keep it together! For our mate!’ I plead with Wolf...when the itch begins to lessen, and my skin isn’t as tight, I know that he is trying.
“I’m so sorry....”
“I know, son, don’t worry about me. Really, I’m fine. Let’s go get your mate back.”
Chapter 32
Mason
Looking over to where John is standing behind a tree a few yards away, I nod to him that we’re in a good enough position to the house. He nods back in agreement and signals with his hands that he hears something. I acknowledge and bunker down to listen, quickly heightening my hearing and sense of smell. Almost instantly, I’m assaulted by two scents mixed together, going through this part of the woods before I hear two sets of footsteps.
“It’s that house!” I hear Cassius’s whisper and Declan’s growl in response as they continue towards the house that Raina described.
“Why is the door open?” Declan asks, not caring to whisper. I can hear the barely contained anger vibrating through his voice.
“I-I don’t know, it wasn’t like that when I left...” The shock and nervousness are evident by the quick rise of the pitch in his voice. It’s easy to hear the sound of Declan’s footsteps hitting the ground hard as he races towards the house. A little harder to hear, but still audible, is Cassius’s steps following a moment later at a jog before stopping completely.
“IT’S EMPTY! WHERE IS SHE?” I hear Declan scream out, followed by the sound of something metal hitting a wall.
Again, I hear footsteps hitting rapidly against the ground, but something is different. The sound of the treads are getting softer... shit! Looking at John, I quickly signal for him to go into the house while I pursue Cassius. After receiving his nod of understanding, I shift and immediately start running towards the front of the house. This is where Cassius’s scent is rich and will be easy to track, he reeks of fear.
Chapter 33
Audrey
“Brianna be a dear, go check on Raina and see how she’s doing, please?” I ask, not moving my gaze an inch from the window as I hear her push off the chaise lounge and leave the room. Staring in the direction that I watched the men go off in earlier, the streets are entirely bare and desolate because of the lockdown giving off an ominous feeling. Even though it’s well-lit, I still find myself searching the few shadows of the busted street-lights for any hidden movement. The hair on my arms stands on end every time I think I see something move. I inhale deep and slow breaths to calm my non-stop racing heart.
‘Bang, Bang, Bang!!’ I scream loud and jump a few feet in the air before I comprehend that it’s someone at the door.
‘Bang, Bang, Bang!!’
“Please open up!” A male voice shouts as I’m still trying to compose myself.
“Brianna, Raina, get out here! Quick!” I shout. Instantly the hairs on the back of my neck rise to put me on high alert. It takes them only seconds to be standing next to me as I reach for the door.
“Who’s out there?” I demand.
“Dr. Adams... and Amara, please let us in. She needs medical attention; she’s starting to wake up. I swear I didn’t hurt or abduct her, but I need help to save her!” He explains almost frantic and out of breath.
“What? Why can’t she wake up?” I ask, completely confused.
“Ahhh!” A high-pitched feminine voice lets out a short but loud blood-curdling scream.
“They really have no time for this, please let us in, and I’ll explain everything later!” Dr. Adams begs!
“They,” I ask?”
Completely confused and frozen in shock, I watch ent
irely frozen as Raina pushes past me and turns the key to opening the door. Then as she grabs one of Amara's arms and throws it over her shoulder to help Dr. Adams carry her weight inside the house, Brianna rushing to close and lock the door behind them.
“This way, we can take her in the room I’m in for now. It’s the closest.” Raina explains to him as they walk out of sight. I’m still standing there when Brianna puts her head to mine, bringing me back.
“Are you okay, Momma?” She asks while looking at me eye to eye.
“Yeah...” I lie to her, knowing what the doctor meant when he said: “they.” I silently send a prayer to the ancestors, begging them to please allow Amara and the young to be okay. “Let’s grab the medical supplies we have here, and then we can go see what the doctor needs,” I tell her as we start jogging down the hall to the closest bedroom with a bathroom.
Part 2
Chapter 1
Dr. Adams
“Help me get her comfortable on the bed,” I tell Raina as we lay Amara down and begin adjusting her.
Amara moans. I’m sure she’s uncomfortable from being jostled around. Once in a supine position, I open one of her eyes to assess her when I’m knocked back a few feet by Amara’s backhand.
“I need some Ketamine to keep her sedated, go tell Audrey quickly,” I order Raina and watch as she quickly leaves the room. I am impressed with Raina’s ability to adapt rapidly to the seemingly constant change to her environment, especially after being held captive by someone who should have been her mate. It’s not supposed to be like that. I know that not everyone gets a magical mate story, but she certainly didn’t deserve one like this. Keeping a close watch on Amara, I notice her struggling to move her arms in a coordinated way.
“Wh-where?” Is all Amara is able to spit out.
“Be still Amara, it’s me, Dr. Adams. We need to keep you sedated, so you don’t shift! It will harm the baby.”
Something hitting the ground draws my attention to the doorway. I see Raina is standing next to a pale-faced Audrey with Brianna right behind her.
“Baby? She’s pregnant?” Audrey asks for confirmation, her hands shaking like a leaf in the middle of a wind storm as she bends down to pick up the bag she just dropped.
“Yes! Please tell me you have the Ketamine?”
“Yes, in the bag, I’m not sure how much though. Why does she have to be sedated?” Audrey asks quietly.
“She’s going through her first shift, and it’s too dangerous for the baby to allow it to happen,” Raina answers her as I go through her medical supplies.
I find a couple of vials of the Ketamine that Amara is in desperate need of. Grabbing a syringe, I quickly draw up 50 mg and give it to her through a shot directly into the vein. Almost instantly, she’s sighing, and within minutes she’s entirely unconscious. Grabbing her wrist, I feel her pulse beating strong and steady.
“We’re going to need an IV drip set up, so she will stay sedated. I would like to do an ultrasound if we can get the machine and a few other supplies from my office. Once she’s properly set up and I can monitor them a bit, I’ll be able to answer all your questions.” I say, looking to Audrey for understanding. She replies with a nod and walks out the door, I assume to get me the supplies needed
Chapter 2
Cassius
“Why is the door open?” Declan asks me accusingly. I can hear the barely contained anger vibrating through his voice.
“I-I don’t know, it wasn’t like that when I left...” I stammer out in a pathetic response to him. Why am I not enjoying his torment...because this wasn’t how it was supposed to be at all! Nothing has gone the way I planned it.
“IT’S EMPTY! WHERE IS SHE?” I hear Declan scream out, followed by the sound of something metal hitting a wall.
“What?” I gasp out loud.
Shit, they’re gone! Where in the hell could they have gone, how did they even get out? The doctor was passed out. I made sure of it. What am I going to do now? There’s no way I can pin this on somebody else; for all, I know they’ve already made it to town. Which means they can tell them everything. Fuck me!
It’s that damn doctor’s fault! How could I have been so stupid; I was fucking sure he was asleep; he ate the soup, and I kicked him hard as hell! Knowing there’s nothing I can do...I’m screwed no matter what, I have no other option. I have to leave quickly, and my only chance is in the direction towards the brush to my secret passage.
Decided, I pick up my pace to a full run when the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. There’s only a second of surprise before I’m hurtling face-first towards the ground, a heavyweight pushing against my back. I quickly throw my arms out in front of me in an x just before making contact with the unyielding earth. The wind being knocked out of me has me struggling to catch my breath as I start flailing and bucking trying to get my attacker’s weight off me.
“Stop struggling! It’s all over!” A familiar voice is ordering from behind me while trying to keep a hold on my arms, unsuccessfully.
I’m able to pick my hips up off the ground enough to throw myself and him on our sides. No time to hesitate like him; I bring my left arm forward, bending it at my elbow and bring it down behind me as hard as I can. Making solid contact with his chest. As I hear him gasping for air, I detangle myself from him.
Once free, I turn towards him as I pick myself up off the ground and see Mason mirroring me as he’s still fighting to catch his breath. I should’ve expected him or John to be right behind Declan to wipe his ass. I was hoping he wouldn’t have been able to make it here yet...of course, it’s just not in my cards.
“Cassius, stop now and turn yourself in! You have nowhere to go, nowhere you can hide.” Mason orders. I can feel his alpha tone push against my will, but it’s nothing more like an annoying buzz against my skull.
“Not going to happen!” I tell him as I plant my feet. Placing my left foot in front of me, toes pointed towards him and bring my arms up. His eyes light up when he realizes I have no intention of giving in easily. Mirroring me again, he squares off by raising his arms and stepping his left foot out as he plants his feet.
He makes the first move and begins the dance, going left, so I immediately follow suit and move left. Keeping the distance between us, I observe him as he tests me, looking and waiting for an opening to attack. Mason throws a right uppercut that almost connects, but I was able to barely dodge it with a quick back step. He follows it immediately by a low leg sweep that catches me. Contact made, my legs go up from beneath me, and before I know it, I’m flat on my back. The air knocked out of me, I have only a second to roll out of the way of Mason’s elbow that he is about to drop on my chest.
Still struggling for breath as I roll, I can only hear Mason curse aloud as he elbow-drops the unforgivable ground. Fighting my lungs to work as I make myself stand up, he’s lying there on his back while cradling his injured arm still on the ground.
Seeing my opening, I raise my right leg up and stomp down on his knee as hard as I can. Satisfied when I hear a crack following by Mason howling out in pain. I watch him for a second as he doubles over himself on his side, fighting to take a deep breath in between retching. Not wanting to waste any more time, I come up behind him and place him in a tight choke-hold. Mason is grabbing at my arm and digging in his nails, but he’s already so weak from the pain, he’s not really able to put up much of a struggle. Within a few minutes, his attempts stop, and he goes limp as I release him, and he dead drops to the ground.
Chapter 3
Declan
“IT’S EMPTY! WHERE IS SHE?” Screaming out as I pick up the piece of the shit bed where her scent is still lingering, and slam it against the wall. Inhaling repetitively, I can distinguish two smells that were here for sure, a male and Amaras’. They were in this room not too long ago, but why aren’t they here now? Making my way back out of the house, I almost knock over John as I run into him in the hall.
“Where is he?” I growl.
&n
bsp; “Cassius took off once he realized the house is empty, but Mason took off immediately after him.”
Inhaling, I pick up his scent as I shift simultaneously, giving over to Wolf completely as we being to hunt. Followed quickly by John after his shift. Finding Mason’s scent easier to track, we follow down the path.
‘You smell that?’ I ask John.
‘Yeah...someone’s in pain.’ He answers as he trots off in front of me, scouting ahead. Following John closely, I smell it a second after he says.
‘It’s Mason, he’s injured just up ahead!’
Reaching Mason quickly, I’m relieved to see him alive and semi-conscious. His face is a ghostly pale, and his eyes keep fluttering closed. John and I quickly decide that he’ll phase back and take Mason back to my house for help while I continue searching for Cassius. His scent is saturated in this area, mixed in with Masons’ but still distinguishable on its own due to his putrid smell.
‘HUNT!’ Wolf demands.
Not much farther down the path, I have to come to a halt when his scent almost disappears entirely. Placing my snout to the ground, I begin sniffing around in circles, widening my area every rotation. Finally, I pick it up again, faintly in the underbrush, and it’s heading towards the wall of the compound. This must be where his secret passage is located that Raina had mentioned.
‘The coward runs and hides instead of fighting like a wolf!’ Wolf chides, clearly not impressed.
After very quickly considering our options, we decided to go straight to the outer gates rather than into his hideout. Not knowing the layout or what could be in there could be more time costly. No, if we have any luck at all, the guards stationed on the other side will have him in custody already.
