by Jenny May
Zain was quiet for a good minute or two. His breathing was the only thing coming through the line. “Well, the truck is still there. And the bike, so yeah, I’d assume they’re home. Is that all, Nikolas?”
Her father’s eyes narrowed and he took a few steps forward. “I beg your pardon? Did you just call me by my name?”
Zara glanced at her father and turned back to Miller. “Help me,” she whispered. “Just untie me. I’ll do the rest.”
They’d been somewhat friends, back in the day. She knew he couldn’t stand what her father was doing. Miller glanced toward the other men in the room. There were only two left. One was the stranger with the gun, and the other was Darvin. Now, he might step down and be on her side, but she couldn’t bet on it. Fuck.
Miller took a step forward, but Nikolas turned around and blocked his path.
“That’s your name, isn’t it?” Zain said, confused. “Oh wait…Rogue’s coming out onto the porch. You want to talk to him? I’m sure he wants to hear about Zara’s first day. We all kind of do.”
Her father tilted his head. “You all?
The line went quiet and Rogue’s voice coming through had her body shaking with adrenaline.
“Hello, Nikolas.” The pure malice in his tone had her eyes widening. “How’s my mate?” The words said it all. She could sense that he knew everything. She watched her father’s expression as he stared at the phone. His brow creased, and she could tell he was trying to decide whether or not to tell the truth, or try to blow smoke up his ass.
“I asked you a question. Answer it. How is my mate?”
“She lives,” he hissed. “But not for long. I’ll give you the opportunity to save her. Just switch places and all will be fine.”
“No!” Zara screamed and watched as he brought the knife to her face. The end pointed at her cheek, but didn’t touch her skin.
“Zara! Talk to me, darlin’. How are you?”
Nikolas shook his head no to her. “You don’t worry about her. Trade places, or I’ll kill her right now with you on the phone.”
There was silence for a few seconds.
“You know what,” Nikolas said, “I’ll help you out since you’re having such a hard time making a decision.” Light reflected off the blade as he brought it up and slammed it through her hand. A scream wouldn’t come as she sucked in air against the pain. It wasn’t until she felt her chest lock up that the sound echoed from the inside of the shack.
“I’m going to fucking take so much pleasure in ripping you apart with my teeth. As for your answer. No. I will not trade myself for her.”
Nikolas’s eyes widened. His mouth even parted in shock. “And why is that?”
“Why? Because I’m going to give you ten seconds to send her out of the piece of shit shack you have her in, or I’m going to come in there, and show you what torturing is all about. Now let her go, and come face me like a man.”
Her father’s gaze flew to the door. Zara could barely see him against the black spots that were covering her vision. Now that she knew her mate was here, she could hardly hold on. She looked to Miller. “Set me free.”
Pain exploded across her face from her father’s hand. “You are not alpha! I am. No one orders my wolves.”
The door to the shack slammed against the wall, causing them all to jump. Darvin flew at the stranger, knocking the gun from his hand. Rogue snatched Nikolas by his shirt and threw him into the darkness. He was gone so fast, Zara wasn’t sure if she’d seen everything correctly. “Miller. Hurry, let me out. I have to see.” She jerked against the restraints, frantically.
The wolf rushed over, unbuckling her arms, and then her feet. Cooper rushed into the room and she reached for him. Blood was covering different parts of his clothing, and the cut on his hand had her gasping. He pulled her into his arms, carrying her into a yard that had spotlights angled to a section a good forty yards away. It looked like a stadium it was so lit up. Massive amounts of people from Triple Z and other packs surrounded the bright lights. It was no more than a fighting arena.
“Look at me, baby.” Cooper turned her to face him. “God, he really hurt you.” His lips instantly went to lightly kissing over the swollen and cut skin. “I wish we could have gotten here faster. I’m sorry.”
“No. Don’t be. You came. That’s all that matters.”
Cooper leaned back and took off his shirt, wrapping it around her hand. He went to pick her up, but she shook her head. “I can walk. They’re all surface wounds. My hand is the worst, but I can feel it already starting to heal. My blood is strong. Now let’s go to our mate. I have to see the fight.”
“All right.”
As they made their way through the thick crowd, they all parted and stared at her. People from Triple Z’s eyes were wide, almost like they couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. She’d grown up with a lot of them and had once been close. Did they view her as the traitor her father portrayed her to be? It was too heartbreaking to think about.
Rogue and Nikolas were circling each other in human form as they approached. Her father’s eyes came right to her. Zain and Zavier were immediately by her side, and she suddenly realized her father knew they’d betrayed him. The smile that came to her face as she looked at him couldn’t be stopped.
“Hey, eyes here,” Rogue yelled. “You don’t look at them. They belong to me now. Not you.” He threw his hand out to get Nikolas’s attention. “Did you hear me? They’re mine. All of them. Your men. Your daughter. Even your sons belong to me. When I beat you, I’ll be their alpha. Their leader. And you will be dead, burning in your own hell somewhere far from here. Nothing makes me happier than that thought.”
Nikolas glared at him, but his attention came back to her and her brothers. Zain wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and the action sent their father rushing in their direction. His wolf form broke from his body, and Zara saw the clothes flying out in all directions in slow motion. The crowd seemed to shift from all sides, almost as if to crowd them in and protect.
Just as his back legs pushed from the ground and he leaped forward, a dark wolf’s teeth bared from behind and sunk into Nikolas’s wolf’s back, throwing him to the opposite side. Rogue. God, she’d never even seen him change form. Their eyes connected for the briefest moment, and he was gone, racing back toward her father.
Cooper’s arms pulled her into his side. She winced against the pain, but continued to watch. Nausea weighed heavily in her throat. Tonight, someone would die. And as sickening as it was, she prayed it was her father. If she were to lose Rogue…the thought was too unbearable to think about.
Growls erupted around them, and she watched as unfamiliar wolves, in human form, started to square off against wolves from Triple Z. She grabbed Zain and raced forward. Rogue and her father began rolling on the ground out of the corner of her eye, but the last thing she needed was a pack riot on top of the fight.
She let her own sound of dominance fill the air. Some of her men turned on her, growling. Zara’s beast pushed against her insides, desperate to come out. The action left her nearly crying out from the pain. She focused on her wolf, trying to block out what she was feeling. Even though it was going to be excruciating, the transition would help her heal faster. That was about the only plus. Facing a crowd would be dangerous in her condition. Especially, if she was attacked by more than one at a time. There was no way she was going to be able to move at her normal speed. But she had to do this.
A dark tint covered her vision as her wolf erupted from her body. Zara approached, snapping in their direction. If they wanted to test her, she’d quickly have to put them in their place. By her being in wolf form, they knew she wasn’t fucking around. And although it was hard pretending she wasn’t as hurt as she looked, it was imperative she maintain an authoritative role. If she didn’t, chaos could break out.
Zain stroked her back. “None of you know what’s going on,” he yelled at them. “My father has overstepped his role, and now has to pay for it.�
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“How?” Julius said, angrily. “Your sister is a traitor. She was planning this all along.”
“No,” Zain walked forward, following her. “My father is dealing with Cass, illegally. They’re smuggling illegal guns, and dealing in human trafficking. Plus, did you not see my sister? He’s had her here all day, torturing her. Can you honestly say her condition is equivalent to what an alpha has the right to do? You know it’s a lie if that’s what you’re telling yourself.”
The men looked around at each other and she could feel their anger recede. Cooper lowered and faced her. “Zara, change back.” He looked up. “Zain, give me your shirt.”
Her brother handed it over and she obeyed, covering herself with a shirt that almost came to her midthighs. Rogue’s wolf lunging caught her eye, and she watched as they hit the ground once again. Blood was matting the fur on his shoulder and she winced. Her father might have been older, but he was in his prime, wolf-wise. The thought was scary.
The silver tinting of her father’s fur glistened against the spotlights. Zara watched as Nikolas’s teeth sunk into Rogue again. Her mate’s legs pushed against his stomach and sent him flying. Before he stopped skidding against the ground, Rogue was on top of him, sinking his teeth into her father’s throat. Blood sprayed out and she quickly leaned her head into Cooper’s chest, but didn’t take her eyes off of the fight. The moment an emptiness hollowed in her chest, she knew it was over. Her father was dead.
A ragged breath left her lips. She blindly reached for her brothers. Zain’s hand grabbed hers and Zavier walked over and gave her a hug.
“It had to be done, sis,” Zavier whispered. “It’s hard to accept, but you know how our world works, and so did he. He knew the consequences, and yet he didn’t care. He asked for this fight, Z.”
“I know,” she whispered.
Rogue turned into human form and she broke herself from her brothers and rushed toward him. His nude body was covered with blood. Some was his, and she knew the other was her father’s.
The second she approached, he scooped her in his arms and held her tightly. “I wanted to come right away. God, I did. This was the only way, and I hated every second of it.” His lips pressed into hers, gently. “Please forgive me for this. For everything.”
Zara shook her head. “There’s no forgiving, Rogue. I have no ill will toward you at all. I’m just glad you came.” She wrapped her arms around him tighter. Pain engulfed her body, but she pushed it away as much as she could. This moment wasn’t going to be ruined by her discomfort. Pain she could take. It was all she’d ever really known.
“Rogue?” She leaned back and cupped the side of his face with her good hand.
“Yes, darlin’?”
All she could think of were the people Nikolas had hidden. “We have to find the children my father has locked up. They need help. To be set free. Their families…”
He nodded. “We’ll go out to the house they were last seen at, right now. Maybe it’ll hold some clues. I’m pretty sure someone knows the exact location. Give me a few moments.” He searched the crowd. “Where are those damn cronies of your father’s? I saw them right before the fight.” Rogue’s head stopped and he pointed at them. A loud whistle left his mouth. “You three! Get over here.”
The men cautiously walked over. “You’re going to draw me a map of where Nikolas is keeping the human captives. If you don’t have it to me in five minutes, you’re going to be sorry. If you don’t know, find out. But I want that map here, pronto.”
They looked at each other, shrugging, and raced off. Rogue let her down. She had a feeling they had no idea where he’d kept them.
The people in the crowd started to thin out and began talking amongst themselves. Rogue walked to the edge of the circle, and reached down, grabbing his clothes. As he put them on, Cooper walked up.
“There’s a man over there that says he’s Zara’s friend. He asked if it would be okay if he came over and talked to you.”
“Who?” Zara craned her neck and Miller waved. She immediately motioned for him to come over.
A low growl came from Rogue as he approached. “Wasn’t he one of the men in the room while you were being tortured?”
“Yes, but it’s not what you think. He talked my dad out of the worst of it, really. My father wanted to drown me or something. Miller helped me.”
“I still don’t like it.” Rogue pulled her and Cooper to him protectively. She looked up at his glare, and shook her head. His mouth twisted and he calmed.
Miller approached and looked down as a sign of respect. “I’ve known Zara my whole life. And I’m ashamed I didn’t try to help her sooner. I seriously thought it was all training in the beginning. I wouldn’t have come had I known, otherwise. I would have made an excuse or something. Probably tried to get ahold of her brothers so they could help.” He held his stomach and looked up at her. “I’m really sorry, Zara. You have to know that I wouldn’t have gone along with it if I knew the extent.”
“I know,” she said, softly.
Rogue’s arm tightened, a little. “Did you just come over here to apologize?”
“No.” Miller pointed toward the stables. “Nikolas had me clear out the horses, last night, and keep them in the pasture. He’d never do that. I didn’t understand it at first, but now I think I know why. Elliot just came over and told me he heard talking coming from there. I remembered Zara mentioned Nikolas being into human trafficking. I think maybe he brought them here for some reason. Maybe he was afraid with the fight he was about to cause that they’d be discovered, or forgotten. I don’t know, but I think they’re definitely in there.”
Zara broke free from Rogue and raced in the direction of the stables. Her mates were by her side within seconds. As she jerked open the door, she gasped. Lanterns were burning, illuminating a group of children, who were surrounded by what looked to be a large enclosed hurricane fence. The thick braided wire even covered the top, like a roof.
“Oh my…” She stepped forward, feeling tears pour down her face. The children ranged from only a few years old to ones that looked like they were maybe fourteen. It was sickening. The fear covering their faces broke her heart.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” she tried reassuring them. “We’re going to set you free. You can go home.”
Rogue grabbed her hand. “We need to call your chief. Human laws are involved here, Zara. He needs to figure out a way to deal with this.”
She nodded and looked to Miller. “Call him. And for crying out loud, let’s set these children free. We need food and water. And blankets.” The back entrance to the ranch was pulled open and people began pouring inside. At the horror that covered their faces, she knew they were finally seeing her father for the man he truly had been. And they needed to if they were ever going to embrace Rogue as their new alpha. Zara knew they would. And what she told her father would be true. Rogue was going to be an excellent leader. One people looked up to, and talked about for years after he was gone.
The metal sound brought her back to the sad scene that lay before her. Zain cut the lock off of the door and she walked forward, helping the kids out. As they got them situated with everything they needed, she grabbed on to her mates. It was going to be a long night, but at least her father’s reign was over, and the children were now safe. Everything else didn’t matter.
Getting the pack in order was going to take some time, but that’s all they had. Time. And no one more than her knew how precious it was. She’d lost a mate once and was almost faced with having to lose another. Nothing was going to get in the way of her happiness anymore. Zara was taking the reins of her life, and she was going to savor the love she knew would grow between the three of them. It didn’t matter the length of time they’d spent together. Every day the bond increased, and every day their love would grow. It was a love worth dying for…but more importantly, it was a love worth living for.
THE END
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; ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenny May lives in a busy town in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s a dreamer and longs for the day when her husband and kids can load up in the car and drive until their hearts’ content. Adventure and discovering new places play a huge role in Jenny’s life. It drives her and feeds the creativity of coming up with new locations for her stories.
Within the last two years, Jenny and her family have driven across the country twice, and have also driven the distance from Texas to California three times. Asked, if she could choose one place to permanently settle down right now, where would it be, Jenny laughed. “Montana, today. Tomorrow, it may be Alaska, again. I go back and forth.”
When Jenny is not dreaming of spontaneously hitting the road to find a new place to write about, she’s being a mother and wife. If you’re looking to connect with her to learn more, feel free to email.
For all titles by Jenny May, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/jenny-may
Siren Publishing, Inc.
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