by Sara Dailey
A deep growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it. “Dude,” Gavin said to Cade, “the man is huge. You can’t blame me for that.”
“Did anyone see you take him?” Cade asked.
Gavin shook his head. “I wouldn’t be here if they did. No one even knows where I am. I was worried and thought Scarlett needed my help. And well, I needed a bargaining chip. So, I stole your dad and came straight here. I swear no one knows where I am.”
I looked at Cade and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. We could use this to our advantage, and quickly, if we came up with the right plan. With perfect timing, Aiden showed up. Cade explained everything, and Aiden agreed to take my dad and Gavin to my house and make sure that no one saw them. I could tell that Gavin didn’t like our idea because he wanted to help find his sister, but after I assured him that I would do whatever it took to make sure she was found, he finally agreed that keeping his presence here a secret was vital.
Before they left, I asked Gavin, “Would Drew hurt Scarlett?”
He wouldn’t meet my eye and looked at the ground. “I hate to say this, but I wouldn’t put it passed Drew or my father. Drew is an evil son of a bitch, so yeah, I’m pretty sure he would.” He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back around. This time he looked me in the face. “Hey Luke? I’m really sorry about your father…about everything. I tried to talk Scarlett out of coming here, but she was determined to help my father.”
Gavin looked away as if trying to decide if he should continue. He took a few steps toward me and must have decided to lay it on the line. “Look man, she’d probably hate me for telling you this, but he’s barely spoken to her since our mom died. It’s been really hard on her, and when my dad asked her to help, she didn’t want to tell him no. She just wanted him to love her again. To know that he still cared about her. The bastard knew it and used it to get her to agree to all of this. I know it’s not an excuse for Scarlett’s part in everything, but she really cares about you. She wanted out. She didn’t want to hurt you, but she couldn’t get out of it without hurting you or getting your father killed. She was stuck. I’m sorry, man.”
I nodded my head and held out my hand for him to shake. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that. And thanks for saving my father. I know you only brought him back to save your sister, but you brought him back, and that’s all that matters. But you do realize that you can never go back if they find out that it was you.”
He shrugged. “I did what I had to do.”
I glanced over to Cade.
“Well you are always welcome here,” Cade assured him.
Gavin looked off in the distance again. “Thanks, man. Now go find my sister. Oh and if you happen to beat the shit out of Drew in the process, just icing on the cake.”
With Gavin, my father, and Aiden gone, Cade and I got back in the car to wait. And we didn’t have to wait long. Only seventeen and a half minutes later, a light switched on inside the house.
CHAPTER 54
Drew
“What the fuck? Christ, I’m coming,” I yelled at the asshole pounding a hole in the freaking front door. I didn’t need that shit. I needed to get my things and get the hell out of this place. When I saw that it was Luke I decided to let the stupid meathead pound away for a bit longer. No need to rush. Plus I needed to get my game face on.
“Scarlett!” Luke yelled just before I opened the door for the giant jackass, who would have very likely taken up residence on our porch if I hadn’t. Our eyes locked. I smiled and stepped aside. “Luke, come on in.” It was clear he was trying to appear calm but he was seething with rage.
He took one step inside and asked, “Where is Scarlett?!”
Think fast, damn it. My hand shot up to cover my mouth, and I looked at him with what I’d hope portrayed pity. “Oh, man. Didn’t she tell you? She left. Went back home.”
Luke took a step closer and popped his knuckles in an attempt to intimidate me. I tried not to let it show, but it worked a little. The dude was a beast.
“I’m going to ask you one more time, Drew. Where the hell is Scarlett?” he growled.
Oh, well that changed things. So he knew. Good. I could work with this. No more games then. I was tired of having to play nice with this trash anyway.
“Like I said, Luke, she went home,” I repeated, stepping up to him just to see what he would do. He actually smiled, and I knew immediately that was not a good thing. Luke grabbed me by my shirt and swung me around until my back was facing the open front door.
“She did not go home, Drew. You and I both know that,” he said as he took a few steps forward, forcing me to step back until we were both out on the front porch. “Save yourself a lot of pain and tell me where she is.”
“I don’t think she wants to see you, man. At least, she didn’t mention your name when she was begging for her life—ugh, fuck!” I shouted. I didn’t even see his fist coming before it crashed into my face. I should have expected it, but I thought I would have had a little more of a warning. I reached up and lightly touched my nose, knowing immediately it was broken and bleeding like crazy. I tried to keep my voice calm, but it was hard. The beast was strong, and I could tell that punch was just the beginning.
“What did you do, Drew?” he demanded pulling me in close.
I laughed. I knew he was going to hit me this time. I watched his jaw clench and his eyes darken as he prepared to slam his fist into my face again, so I braced for impact. Pain shot through my jaw as my knees buckled from underneath me. Coughing, I scrambled back up to my feet and stepped away from Luke. I looked around and saw Cade standing by his car, arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face. I knew a secret about his mother that would wipe that look right off his face, but I figured I’d save that little bombshell for just the right moment. Turning my attention back to Luke, I spit blood onto the ground. Trying to fight him was useless since I was clearly outnumbered and Luke was freakishly strong, but I could cause him pain unlike any he’d ever felt before. “Come to think of it, Scarlett did mention your name. She called out for you once, but that was before I fucked all thoughts of you out of her pretty little head.”
Before I could even prepare for the blow, Luke made contact. “Ugh!” I doubled over. Son of a bitch, that hurt! I had never been punched in the stomach before, and I never wanted to again. Desperately trying to hide the pain, I forced a smile on my face and laughed. As soon as the sound left my lips, I was hit again. This time I tried to defend myself, but I think that just pissed him off more.
“Tell me where she is, Drew, or I swear to God I will kill you,” Luke warned.
It was time to unleash the big dogs, and hurt this bastard more than his fists could ever hurt me. I groaned and sputtered as if I’d had all I could take. “She’s gone, Luke.” I tried to look serious, but failed miserably as laughter bubbled up inside of me again. “She’s dead. I killed her. I watched as the life drained from her eyes.”
“Liar!” Luke roared and grabbed me by my throat.
“Go ahead Luke. Kill me. I dare you! My dad will fucking destroy you! He will annihilate this entire godforsaken pack!” I tried to yell, but my air supply was limited. “Do it, Luke! But nothing is going to bring that backstabbing bitch back to life!”
It was in that moment that I began to feel the true strength and wrath of Luke Stanton. Pain shot through every inch of my body. I felt every punch, every kick, every stomp from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. My vision was blurred, not only due to the nonstop blows to my skull, but because of the stream of blood pouring from a cut somewhere above one of my eyes.
I knew the end was coming. I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness. Somehow I ended up on my knees, and I vaguely remembered looking up at Luke as he prepared to end my life. But as luck would have it, Cade stopped him. He didn’t have to pull him back. His words were enough. “Luke, we need him. To find Scarlett’s body.”
Luke’s shoulders slumped as he took a
few steps back, and the rage in his eyes was replaced with grief. I grinned through the pain and said, “I knew it. I knew you would come to your senses, Cade. Besides, you’re too much of a pussy to actually kill someone.”
CHAPTER 55
Luke
I’m not sure how it happened, but somehow Cade managed to stop me from killing Drew. I was only vaguely aware of walking away. My ears were ringing, and after the adrenaline rush wore off, wave after wave of nausea crippled my body. I stumbled away and rested my hands on a nearby pine tree in the yard just in time to completely lose it. I’d vomited for the first time in my life yesterday, but that was nothing compared with the constant convulsions my body was going through today.
As I tried to catch my breath, Drew’s words sank in. Scarlett was dead! No! She can’t be dead! I don’t believe it! I can’t believe it!
I turned to see Cade holding Drew down. Cade saved him today, but one day soon, I would get my hands on him again. I’d just have to make sure Cade wasn’t around when I did. The desire to wrap my hands around Drew’s throat and squeeze until the ache in my chest subsided was nearly too much to ignore.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden making his way back here. He took one look at Drew and asked, “I take it he didn’t cooperate?”
I glared at him. “Really?”
Aiden held both hands up in a mock surrender then walked over to speak to Cade.
“Can you do something else for me?” Cade asked Aiden.
“Sure,” he replied, his voice flat.
“Will you take this douche bag to the lodge and lock him up in the cell? I need to organize a search party to find Scarlett,” Cade said while handing the nearly unconscious Drew over.
“Sure thing,” Aiden said as he flattened Drew to the ground and dug his knee into his back.
Cade walked to the trunk of his car and came back with a couple of large zip ties to bind Drew’s arms. Just in case.
Once they were gone, Cade pulled out his phone and started making the calls. I couldn’t keep my knees from trembling. I made my way back to the front porch and all but collapsed on the steps. Sitting with my head in my hands, I listened as Cade called everyone and told and retold the story. If I had to hear him say that Scarlett might be dead one more time, I might have to kill him.
Before long, Gage pulled up in front of the house. Cade said something to him, but I didn’t have the will to listen in. Gage looked over at me and froze. He was my best friend and could always read me like a book. He saw it on my face. The anger. The hurt. The sadness. Gage didn’t say anything; he just sat down next to me while we waited for everyone else to show up.
I had wanted to go ahead, but Cade ordered me to wait and give him a little time. He said that if I went alone in “my condition” that they would end up searching for the both of us. Another one of those dizzy spells only proved Cade’s point.
Mrs. Wright was next to arrive along with Alli and Teagan. Mrs. Wright was all business. She told Cade that he needed to call his mother and fill her in as well as and warn her about Brian. We all gathered around while he made the call, but Noel didn’t answer. I didn’t like the feeling that gave me in the pit of my stomach. I knew Cade wanted to go find his mother, but I also knew that he would stay and search for Scarlett first. Cade left his mom a message detailing what was going down on the estate and Brian’s involvement in it all.
By the time we had split up and decided where to start, Aiden and few others showed up to help. I was done with waiting. Without a moment of hesitation, I changed from man to wolf and took off to find my mate.
I ran straight off the back patio into the woods behind the house. The moon was full and its light seeped through the trees casting shadows on the ground. It wasn’t long until I picked up her scent. At first I panicked. The fear of finding her was almost as great as the fear of never seeing her again. I quickly shook that thought out of my mind. No, she needed me. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head of everything except her scent. As I slowed to barely a walk, things began to grow silent. All I could hear was the crunch of leaves under my paws. My breath was visible in the frigid January air. I looked to the skies and saw a few snowflakes beginning to form and settle on the trees above me.
I scanned the area and then my nose hit the ground. Blocking everything else out, I followed the faint smell to the left. As her scent got stronger, an eerie feeling seeped into my bones. Cade silently came up behind me and stepped up to my right. When he looked at me, and I knew he felt it too. She was close. Her scent seemed to be everywhere. It surrounded us, but it was wrong. Forced. Unnatural. It was like someone, Drew, purposely spread her scent to throw us off.
I walked around in a large circle, keeping my eyes closed and focusing on where her scent was strongest. When I opened my eyes, I knew. I dashed over to a small ditch and then shifted immediately. It felt wrong to find her as a wolf. I would need to hold her, to touch her one more time.
I scanned the area until I saw the spot I was looking for. I hurried over and fell to my knees. Frantically, I cleared away the branches and leaves until I saw the first of the blood. With tears filling my eyes, I pushed away the rest of the debris that Drew had piled up on top of Scarlett.
She looked dead. Her body was cold, her lips a horrible shade of blue, her beautiful eyes closed to the world. I pulled her to my chest and held her as my tears fell.
Now standing behind me, Cade asked, “Does she have a pulse?” His words prompted me to action. I felt along her neck, hoping and praying to feel something under my fingers. I held my breath and waited…there! I’d felt it. It was weak and barely noticeable, but it was there.
“She’s still alive!” I cried.
“But why isn’t she healing?” Cade asked.
I quickly laid her back down and began examining her body for the cause of this. Once I turned her on her side, I gasped. The branch protruding from her upper-thigh made my heart lurch. I wanted so badly to just yank the damn thing out, but I didn’t have anything to staunch the bleeding with, and from the looks of her, she didn’t have much more to lose.
Suddenly Teagan was kneeling down on the other side of Scarlett holding a blanket in her arms. I looked up to see that everyone had now gathered around us. Cade was pulling on a pair of sweatpants, and I knew it was for Teagan’s benefit. She wasn’t a were, which understandably made her quite uncomfortable around a bunch of naked guys. I was just grateful her modesty made her decide to follow us with clothes and blankets.
Teagan knelt down next to me and said, “Okay Luke, on three you pull that out of her leg, and I will press down with the blanket.”
I nodded.
“One…two…three.”
It was deep, but it came out easily and whole. Teagan didn’t even flinch when I pulled out the branch. She just did her job.
Quickly I lifted Scarlett into my arms, careful to hold pressure on her wound, and ran back to her house.
By the time we got there, a car was waiting to take us to the infirmary. I held her the entire way. I couldn’t put her down. She was my mate. She had to make it. She had to. I needed her. I loved her. I pulled her close, kissing her face, and whispered, “Scarlett baby, you have to come back to me. I need you to open your eyes. I love you. You can’t leave me yet.”
CHAPTER 56
Scarlett
My entire body felt numb. My eyes were closed, and to be honest, I was scared to open them. Terrified at what I might see, where I might be. But they didn’t stay closed for long once the familiar scent of Luke assailed my senses. At first, I thought I had to be dreaming, maybe even in heaven, until I heard his light breathing.
My eyes fluttered open and took a moment to focus. I was in the infirmary. I was safe. And healing. It felt like my head weighed a ton as it dropped sideways in search of Luke. His head popped up, and his red-rimmed eyes were filled with unshed tears. He shot up from the chair next to my hospital bed and took my hands in his. “Scarlett, thank God you’re
awake. Are you okay? Are you in pain? Do I need to get the doctor?”
All I could do was shake my head. There were no words. The lost look on his face left me completely speechless. I couldn’t do anything but lie there and stare into the deep brown eyes of the guy I thought I’d never see again. Not only did I think Luke would never speak to me, but I truly, without a doubt, believed my life was over. My battered body lay bleeding in the woods covered by branches and brush for what seemed like days, though I wasn’t really sure how long I was out there. I was in and out of consciousness, in excruciating pain, and too weak to do anything other than lift my head a few inches off the ground. Every time I shifted even the tiniest bit, my vision would blur and I’d black out. It wasn’t long before I was begging for death, begging to be taken out of my misery.
But now here I was. I was alive, and there was so much to say, but I had no words.
Luke’s eyes left mine and then his hands were gone, leaving me feeling cold and empty. I wanted to reach out and stop him. Tell him not to leave me, but I couldn’t. I watched as he walked over to a counter along the wall, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water from a small plastic pitcher. He opened a straw that was sitting nearby and stuck it the cup. He turned back toward me, and our eyes locked again. He held out the water and said, “You should drink something.” Then he placed the straw near my lips, so I took it into my mouth, slowly taking in the cold water.
The liquid ran down my throat, and nothing had ever felt so good…well, almost nothing. After a few small sips, Luke put the cup down on the table next to my bed and moved back over to the chair. He watched me closely but didn’t say anything else for a few minutes. Silence filled the air. I guess neither of us knew what to say. His eyes no longer held the cold, hard stare they did the last time I saw him, but I still couldn’t read him. And the fact that he wasn’t speaking was making me more and more anxious.
