by Becca Van
Her only hope was that her men found her in time.
Chapter Eight
“What do you want with me?” Sara asked in an angry voice. There was no way she was going to let them know she was scared to death. She knew it was probably imprudent of her to antagonize her abductors, but using anger helped her keep her fear at bay.
Spicer drew closer, and when he reached up to touch her face Sara turned her head away. She cried out when he gripped each side of her jaw in a punishing grip and roughly turned her head back to face him.
“I’ve decided to use you as bait so I can become the Alpha of the Sugar Creek Pack. I’m already Alpha of the Nomad pack, but we are so few and none of us have met our mates. You are going to be our fuck toy until we meet our own women. Of course I will get to use you first, and when I get tired of you I’ll give you to the rest of my pack to fuck.”
“You’re sick.”
Spicer released her jaw and laughed. Sara’s skin burned where he’d gripped her, and even though she knew she would probably end up with bruises she tried to rub the pain away. She should have kept her eyes on him but when the two other assholes started laughing she turned her glare onto them.
The pain and force of the hit when his fist connected with her cheek sent her reeling to the side and she ended up on the ground and seeing stars. Breathing deeply helped circumvent the blackness in front of her eyes. She could already feel her cheek starting to swell and she tasted blood.
Spicer bent down, grabbed a handful of her hair, and tugged her to her feet. Sara whimpered and grasped his wrists, trying to relieve the weight of her body as the roots felt like they were being ripped out. His putrid breath assailed her nostrils when he pushed his forehead hard into hers and started speaking. “No one talks to me like that and gets away with it. You’ll learn your place soon enough, slut.”
Sara tried to pull away from him but she couldn’t since he was holding her hair so tightly. Blood pooled in her mouth, and as the asshole drew his head away from hers she spat the metallic fluid from her mouth. She watched in fascinated horror as blood and saliva splattered onto his cheek. He roared with fury, clutched her throat in his large hand, slammed her against the wall, and started squeezing.
She clawed at his hand with her nails, ineffectually trying to remove his hand. Her lungs began to burn and her vision wavered. When dark spots formed before her eyes and coalesced into a black void, Sara knew she was in real trouble.
Am I going to die before my mates can find me? She tried to picture them in her mind, but it was hard when she couldn’t concentrate and couldn’t breathe. She sent all the love she felt for them through their newly forming connection and hoped they knew how much she cared for them, how much she dearly loved them.
Her body felt so heavy and yet she felt like she was floating.
God, please help me? I’m going to die.
* * * *
Chase and Tony had spent the day packing their mate’s things into boxes and organizing for a moving truck for Wednesday next week. They had left the bare necessities in her cupboards so that they would still have some cups, plates, and silverware to use. It had taken them most of the day, but Chase was glad to have something to occupy his time while their woman was at work.
When her office building came into view, he scanned the area looking for Sara, and when he didn’t see her he pulled into the parking lot. He and Tony got out of the truck and walked back around to the front entrance where she had texted she would meet them. Just as he got near the door a gust of wind blew toward them, and as he inhaled he scented Sara and another wolf. The hackles on his neck stood on end and a low, rumbling growl escaped his mouth. He and Tony followed the scent until they reached the entrance to an alley. He inhaled deeply through his nose, ran into the darkness, and called on his wolf so he could see every inch of the lane.
There was no sign of Sara but her perfume smelled strongly of fear.
Chase howled with rage and let his wolf closer to the surface as he sprinted to the end of the alley. He saw the door when he was only a few feet from it and knew Sara had passed through it. He didn’t even slow down. With a hard kick the door splintered and the hinges broke away. Tony’s howl of rage joined his when he saw a strange wolf strangling his mate.
“Take out the other two,” Chase ordered as he reached the rogue wolf choking his mate.
Using all his strength, he wrenched the fucker away from Sara, catching her around the waist before she fell, and gently lowered her to the ground. That was his mistake.
The bastard came at him from behind just as he was straightening up, and he felt the skin of his arm being flayed open by claws. Chase ignored the pain and blood dripping from his flesh as his own claws erupted from the tips of his fingers. He dodged the next blow and backed up, leading the asshole away from his mate. What he wanted to do was call forth his wolf form, but he couldn’t take the chance of being caught by a human. However he was waiting, ready for the next strike.
Chase blocked the punch aimed at his head and retaliated with an upper cut to the underside of the fucker’s chin. He smiled humorlessly when the skin beneath the prick’s chin split, blood spurting out as his head snapped back. He didn’t give him time to recover and went after him. He kicked and punched, blocked and dodged, connecting with his body time and time again. His assailant never got the upper hand again and by the time he’d finished with the fucker he was out cold.
After a quick glance at Tony and seeing his brother had already dealt with one of the other men and was nearly done with the other, he rushed to Sara’s side. He knelt down next to her and felt for a pulse and nearly sagged with relief when he felt it beating beneath his fingertips. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1 for the police and paramedics and then carefully pulled his mate into his arms.
“How is she?” Tony asked as he too dropped to his knees beside Sara.
“She’s alive and breathing but she’s hurt. I’ve called the authorities and ambulance.”
“Good. Do you think we should carry her out of here?”
Chase blinked back the tears trying to form in his eyes, gulped audibly, and nodded. He rose to his feet and headed for the doorway.
“Make sure those pricks can’t get away if they wake up.”
Tony looked at Sara with worry and sadness but nodded to him after meeting his gaze. The sirens in the distance were getting closer, fast. The cops arrived first and Chase was pleased that the officer was also were. He quickly explained what the asshole had done to Sara and was relieved when he’d finished before another police car turned up.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let them go. Spicer is my Alpha and has been terrorizing our community for far too long. Take your mate to the paramedics and leave Spicer to me.”
“You’re going to challenge him?” Chase asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good luck.”
“I won’t need luck. I’m a lot stronger and faster than he is. He doesn’t stand a chance. You and I both know that he’ll probably get a suspended sentence for a first offence, but you don’t have to worry about him coming after your woman ever again.”
“Thank you, officer…”
“Henderson. Taylor Henderson.”
“Thank you.” Chase reached the end of the alley just as the paramedics came to a stop. When the back door was opened, he stepped in and gently placed her on the stretcher. As the medic began looking her over, he explained what had happened to her while they started treating her.
After finding out what hospital they were going to he sent a text to Tony, and knew that as soon as his brother was finished giving his statement to the police he would head over in their truck.
Five minutes later Chase was pacing the emergency waiting room for someone to come and tell him how Sara was. Twenty minutes later he was still pacing and glanced toward the door when Tony burst through.
“How’s our mate?”
Chase shook his head and continued walking back an
d forth over the linoleum floor.
“Oh God. She’s not…”
Chase spun around to see all the blood leave Tony’s face and his knees start to buckle. He grabbed his brother by the shirt to get his attention. “I’m still waiting to hear. No one’s come out yet.”
“Fuck, Chase. You should have known I was worried sick. You nearly gave me heart failure.” Tony glanced down at the blood on Chase’s arm and Chase did, too. He was glad that the wounds had already healed and he wouldn’t have to explain how his arm had been ripped open by claws. He probably should go and wash the blood off but there was no way he was going anywhere until he saw his mate.
“Did you get hurt?”
“Nah.” Tony shook his head. “They didn’t put up much of a fight. It was like their heart wasn’t in it but didn’t have a choice because of the other fucker.”
Chase went on to explain what Officer Henderson had told him, and Tony nodded. “Good. That bastard deserves to be challenged to the death. Mates and women are to be protected, not abused.”
A female doctor pushed through the doors, garnering both of their attention. “Are you Chase and Tony Avero?”
“Yes ma’am. How is Sara?”
“Sara’s going to be fine. She will be hurting for a while and will have trouble swallowing for a few days, plus have a sore throat, but she’ll be okay.”
“Thank God.” Chase locked his knees when they sagged with relief. “Thank you doctor.”
“You’re welcome. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to her. She’s been asking about you and won’t settle until she sees you. Don’t let her talk too much and try to get her to drink regularly. I’ve given her some pain medication so she might be a bit out of it and drift off to sleep.”
The doctor showed them to Sara’s curtained-off cubicle, and after giving them a smile, left.
Sara’s face was swollen and bruised, as was her neck, and she looked so damn pale, small, and fragile. Chase wanted to lift her into his arms and hold her close, but her eyes were closed and he didn’t want to disturb her rest while she healed.
He quietly pulled a chair up to her bedside and sat down. Tony did the same on the other side and they both took hold of her hands.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and when she tried to smile at them she winced with pain.
“Hi, sugar. Don’t try and talk. Just lay quietly and rest, okay?”
Sara nodded and squeezed their hands.
“Thank you,” she whispered in a hoarse voice.
“Baby, please don’t talk, you need to rest your voice and throat,” Tony reiterated.
“We felt you, sugar,” Chase whispered. “We felt you pushing your love out to us through our link as you faded away.” He paused, then swallowed around the lump of emotion in his throat. “I love you, Sara. I’m so glad we got to you in time. I couldn’t have gone on if we’d lost you.”
“I love you so much, baby,” Tony declared in a voice hoarse with emotion.
Sara tugged her hands from theirs, placed them over her heart, and then pointed at both of them, miming her love for them.
“We aren’t letting you out of our sight again, sugar. You worked your last day today,” Chase said in a firm voice, holding her gaze to let her know he was determined to win this argument if she didn’t agree. But Sara surprised him and nodded, then she mimed for a pen and paper.
Tony’s chair scraped from the floor and then he was rushing from the cubicle. He was back moments later with a pad and pen in hand. He passed them over to Sara as he sat back down.
Chase watched as Sara wrote quickly on the paper and then she turned it so they could both read it at the same time.
I don’t want to go back to work. I have some sick leave and will be using that so I don’t have to go back. I love you both so much. I’m sorry I never told you how I felt before. I guess I was a little scared to tell you both how I feel, but when I thought I was dying I realized how stupid I’d been. Will you take me home tomorrow? Home to our cabin, where I belong?
Chase kissed her on the forehead and hugged her carefully. “As soon as you’re released from here we’ll head home, sugar. I promise. You have nothing to be forgiven for. Neither of us told you how much you meant to us. We should be the ones asking for your forgiveness.”
Sara shook her head as tears flowed down her face.
“Are you hurting, baby? Do you want me to get the doctor or nurse?” Tony asked.
Sara pulled the paper back in front of her and began writing again.
No. I’m fine. I’m getting a little groggy from the pain meds. These are tears of happiness. You’ve both made me so happy. I’ve never felt so complete in my whole life.
Chase and Tony read the words and smiled to each other. Tony kissed the back of her hand and Chase caressed her thigh through the blankets.
Sara began writing again and this time it took her quite a while to finish. When he read about what that asshole Spicer Owens had wanted to do with her he started getting angry again, and from the look of his clenched jaw, Tony was just as furious. Chase had never been more glad to arrive in the nick of time. He didn’t even want to think about what could have happened to their mate if they hadn’t, but he pushed his rage aside and concentrated on his woman. She needed his and his brother’s help to take care of her while she recuperated.
“Why don’t you go back to Sara’s apartment and finish packing the last of her things?” Chase asked Tony through their link. “I want to head home as soon as she gets the all clear from the doctor.”
“Can I wait until she falls asleep?” Tony asked. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. I thought we were going to lose her. God, I love her so fucking much.”
“I love you both, too,” Sara whispered as her eyelids closed.
Chase grinned at Tony and his brother smiled back. It looked like their mate link was strengthening faster than they had expected.
“Sleep, baby,” Tony said.
“Okay.” Sara sighed.
Tony left not long after Sara had fallen asleep to finish off the packing. Chase rummaged through her purse for her cell phone, and when he found her boss’s phone number he called the man. After explaining what had happened to Sara and who had hurt her Barry was horrified and agreed for her to take the rest of her notice as sick leave.
He then placed a call to Damian and Luke from his own cell and explained that Sara had been hurt, hoping they’d break the news to their mate and Sara’s sister gently. After finishing that, he called Lucien from his cell and explained about Owens and then about Officer Henderson. Lucien told him he was going to try and meet with Henderson so they could form a peaceful alliance.
Tony came back to the hospital after finishing off the packing. “I called the moving company. They’re going to be at Sara’s apartment first thing in the morning. One of us will have to leave here to meet them.”
“Okay.” Chase reached over and adjusted the ice pack the nurse had placed on Sara’s cheek. Every time he saw the swelling and bruises on her face and around her neck, he got angry all over again. If it wasn’t for the fact that Henderson was going to challenge the fucker who had hurt his mate, he would be planning the asshole’s demise. His wolf wanted to find him and rip his throat out. It had been really hard to not do that when he first saw the bastard strangling their mate, but it would have been impossible to explain that to the authorities if he had. Especially if they had all been human.
There was no way he would be able to relax until they had Sara back home in their cabin and surrounded by the rest of the pack, where she’d be safe.
Chapter Nine
Sara woke just as the sun began to lighten the sky and was pleasantly surprised to see both Chase and Tony napping in chairs at her bedside. She hadn’t expected them to stay with her all night but seeing them there looking uncomfortable as they slept made her fall more in love with them. Although her mates had told her that Spicer and his cohorts had been arrested, she felt a lot safer with her m
en by her side.
Chase’s eyelids opened and he blinked a few times before his gaze settled on her. “Hi sugar, how are you feeling?”
“Sore.” Sara grimaced at the hoarseness and soreness in her throat.
Chase squeezed her hand as he frowned at her. “Don’t try and talk, Sara. You need to rest your voice and give your throat a chance to recover.”
Sara nodded, and then to her horror she burst into tears. She tried to stop them but the harder she tried the faster they flowed.
Tony came awake with a jolt and then she was being surrounded by her mates. Chase climbed up onto the bed with her first and moved her until he was spooning her from behind. Although there was no room left for Tony in the small bed, he somehow managed to make a little space and he got onto the mattress on her other side. She was squished between her two men, just where she wanted and needed to be. They held and caressed her until finally her tears dried up.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
Chase wiped the moisture from her face and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. “You have nothing to be sorry for, sugar. You’ve been through hell.”
“Yeah, baby, don’t be sorry for crying. You needed to release all that emotion you had bottled up inside.” Tony kissed her temple and then nuzzled her neck with his nose. It tickled and she laughed.
“Tony, don’t make her laugh for fuck’s sake, she’s supposed to be resting her voice.” Chase scowled at his brother.
“It’s okay,” Sara whispered. “I needed a good laugh.”
The door to the room opened, and the doctor entered and laughed when she saw them all on the small bed. “You three look cozy, but I’d bet you’ll all be more comfortable in your own home.”
“You’re releasing her?” Chase asked as he carefully maneuvered to his feet.
The doctor waved some papers in the air. “All I need is some signatures and you’re free to go.”
Tony carefully moved from the bed and stood up.
“Sara, I want you to rest that voice for another few days. No working or strenuous activities for a week or two, depending on how you feel. Okay?” the doctor asked.
