Angel Blackwood

by Sophie Summers

  He turns around. “You’ve already made up your mind.”

  “You don’t see what Drake has turned into. You still see him as the person he once was, the happy go lucky boy next door who was like a brother to you. The gentle Drake that everyone loved and adored. You need to wake up, Jax. Stop the parties, stop the drinking and see what is going on around you! You’re the Alpha now, you’re going to have to make some tough decisions. I know you love Drake, but you need to think of the safety of your pack.” I walk up to him slowly and take his hand in mine. Opening his palm, I close my eyes and place a soft kiss to the centre of it, taking in his scent one last time.

  He stands completely still as I whisper the words, “You were born to be Alpha of this pack, Jax. I want you to find happiness and someone to love. I forgive you for rejecting me, I don’t ever want you to think this has anything to do with that. I’m making this decision because I know I could never leave my pack; my heart truly belongs with them. It is where I belong.” I pull away from him. He knows I won’t change my mind, the slump of his shoulders tells me he knows that no matter what he says it won’t change anything.

  “I have to go, Jax. Be safe.” I turn and head for the door.

  Ronny has tears running down her cheeks. I need to get out of here before I break down completely. I grab Ronny’s hand as I walk past, giving it a squeeze.

  “Be safe too, Ron. Tell Chloe I said goodbye. If you guys ever need anything you call me, anything at all,” I whisper then quickly leave the room.

  Tyler paces the hallway and Talon leans against the wall, his eyes fixated on the door from which I just came through.

  “You okay?” Talon says, standing to his full height.

  I nod my head unable to form words. My body hurts and I’m tired as hell.

  “Let’s get out of this fucking place, your father is freaking out.” Tyler heads out the door without another glance in my direction.

  “Tell me about it.Your parents are giving me a freaking migraine.” Talon walks past rubbing his temples and heading for the open front door.

  I follow them looking down at the floor, pulling the jacket tighter around me. I’m scared of what might happen or what they will say once we’re alone. I know Tyler has kept his cool in front of Jax, but I know he’s about to blow at any moment.

  ****

  It starts raining the minute we get into the car. The twins sit quietly in the front, I’m sitting behind Tyler, but I feel his eyes on me every so often through the rear view mirror. The tension in the cramped car is suffocating me. All I wanna do is open my window and get some air, but it’s raining too hard. They won’t even put the damn radio on. Aside from the sound of the rain hitting the windscreen and the squeaky sound of the windscreen wipers as they go back and forth, the sound of Tyler squeezing the leather of the steering wheel is enough to make me scream.

  As soon as we pass the territory line, I start to feel my wolf stirring within me.

  “Faith?” I call out for her.

  “Angel! What happened? It went dark, I couldn’t find you.” Her cries sound distant in my my mind, causing an ache in my heart.

  “I’m so sorry, Faith. I crossed territory lines and somehow we lost contact. I couldn’t reach you. I didn’t know that would happen.” I feel our connection growing and can now hear her clearly in my head.

  She’s quiet for a few moments, but I still feel her presence within me. “You should always feel my presence, it shouldn’t matter whether you crossed territory lines or not,” she says, sounding confused.

  I explain what Drake said about knowing a witch, that maybe it’s the reason we lost contact. She agrees that it’s definitely something we need to speak to Noelle or Phoenix about.

  What happened, Angel? I feel your pain. Are you injured?” Her voice turns frantic, but before I have chance to answer, the car is skidding to a halt. My injured hands push against the back of Tyler’s seat so that I don’t hit my face.

  I look out the window and my mind goes back to the present. We’ve pulled to the side of the road with no other cars in sight. Talon tilts his head to either side and lets out a deep breath as if he’s trying to calm himself. From where I’m seated, I see one of his hands squeezing the side of his seat extremely tightly. The tension in the car has risen, and I flinch when Tyler slams his palms against the steering wheel three times.

  “Why the fuck didn’t you tell us?” He screams, looking at me in the rearview mirror; I swear the car shakes. I’m too scared to speak and my hands are shaking in fear. I look towards Talon’s back, needing him to help me out, needing him to calm down his brother or something.

  “Answer him, Angel,” Talon responds, in a deep growl.

  “I don’t know,” I mumble softly, my voice breaking.

  “You don’t know?” Tyler roars again.

  I don’t respond. I just turn my head and keep my eyes focused on the little rain drops running down the window.

  The car switches off and Tyler opens the door and steps out into the rain before slamming the door once again. My eyes are fixated on his movement as he paces in front of the car in the pouring rain. The rain soaks his clothes and his perfectly combed over hair is now sopping wet.

  My eyes move to Talon. He’s leaning forward, resting his head in his hands and is taking in deep breaths. He looks far too big for this car. His body looks uncomfortable sitting there, even with both his and Tyler’s seats so far back that my legs actually touch the back of the driver’s seat.

  I want to reach out and touch him, but the anger coming off of him tells me its best I give him his space to calm down. I tremble in my seat. My eyes look through the front windscreen to see Tyler standing right in front of the car staring at me with black eyes. His fists sit firm at his hips and the veins in his forearms are pumped up. He blinks as the rain droplets fall from his face, but he keeps his gaze pinned on me before suddenly moving with purpose to my side of the car. I lock the door knowing that it won’t stop him from getting to me, but doing it on instinct anyway. My hands tremble as I move away from the window and towards the middle of the seat staring at Tyler as he stares right back at me through the glass.

  A low growl forms and I slowly move my head to the side to find Talon’s black eyes about an inch away from me.

  I scream as he narrows his eyes, showing me his canines.

  I lurch backwards, making a move to open the door behind Talon. I hear glass breaking behind me and then feel the cold wind hit my bare legs as the door is opened.

  I reach for the other door handle and yank at it, but a pair of warm hands grab my calves and pull. I cry out and force myself to turn over and kick as hard as I can. I hear the sound of air leaving Tyler’s lungs followed by a loud roar. Talon then reaches for me as I’m just about to make it out of the door, but I quickly yank my arm away. He manages to latch onto the jacket I’m wearing, so I wiggle my way free of it. The sharp gravel on the ground digs into my bare feet but I can’t stop running.

  I think the term, the straw that broke the camel’s back fits my current situation. This particular secret that I’ve held onto is their last straw, they’ve completely lost it and now they’re going to kill me.

  Funny how a few hours ago I was running for my life from a crazy werewolf who could have so easily killed me, yet he let me go. Now I’ll most likely end up being killed by my own mates.

  Maybe this is karma for all the lies I’ve told and all the secrets I’ve kept; Karma sure has got a funny way of biting you in the ass.

  I look back just in time to see Tyler racing in my direction; Talon is still trying to get out of the car.

  “Angel! Goddammit! Get back here!” Tyler yells, but I run harder. The black shirt of Drake’s is clinging to my body and the heavy rain prevents me from seeing clearly. Looking back, I trip over my own two feet, crying out as my knees hit the gravel. I try lifting my body up but my legs are weak. I try twice more but I can’t do it. My body is quitting on me even though my mind is not r
eady to give up; it has me crying out in sheer frustration. I look down at my bloodied knees and sob harder before trying one last time to get up.

  I can’t, my body is beat.

  I cover my face and cower away when Talon’s feet come into view.

  “Please don’t hurt me… Please.” I start bawling, slithering away from him on the gravel ground not caring that I’m ripping my skin up even more.

  I continue to beg, refusing to look at him. My hands are shaking as they cover my face from the harm I am expecting. I hide my tears from him as I curl into a ball, my body shaking as I cry.

  Warm hands around my forearms have me flinching. They slowly curl tighter and force my hands away from my face. I look through teary eyes at Tyler’s pale face, making those blue eyes of his shine so bright.

  “I’m not gonna hurt you, baby,” he says so delicately.

  He gently pulls me against him, but I’m still frozen with fear.

  He places his face into the crook of my neck and whispers into my ear, “Hold me… Please, wrap your arms around me, baby.”

  When I don’t move he lets out another painful sounding, “Please, Angel.”

  I slowly wrap my arms around his torso. When I realize he isn’t going to harm me, I squeeze him tighter.

  “Shh… Shh…,” he coos, placing one of his hands at the back of my head and running his fingers through my hair.

  Talon stands behind me, shielding me from the cold wind that the rain has brought with it. His warm hand gently rubs my back as my cries die down.

  “We didn’t mean to scare you, Angel,” Talon says.

  Tyler’s hand finds my chin, forcing me to look at him in his eyes. He wipes away the tears that have combined with the drops of rain.

  “I was angry, but I’d never hurt you, sweetheart… Never,” he says, looking me dead in the eye.

  “That’s what I was afraid of…” When his eyebrows scrunch up I try explaining further without spluttering.

  “I was afraid that your wolf had taken over, that you didn’t have control.” My explanation seems to do the trick because the wrinkle between his eyebrows disappears and understanding forms on his face.

  “I am always in control, Angel. No matter how angry I am… I am and always will be in control of my wolf. I know how strong I am and I know that you will never have to worry about me losing control when it comes to my wolf,” he says firmly. I believe him.

  The rain begins to die down, we’re all soaked and even though the twins body feels warm, I’m freezing cold.

  I turn to look at Talon as his sad face appears to my side.

  He brushes his thumb across my cheek and I close my eyes, relishing in the affection coming from him in this moment.

  “Let’s get you home. You’re freezing, babe,” Talon says, pulling me from a reluctant Tyler and into his arms.

  Talon keeps me warm on his lap in the backseat, surrounding me with the heat of his body as Tyler drives us home.

  I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but I wake up looking into Kate’s pretty face.

  I look around at my unfamiliar surroundings. Why the hell would Tyler bring me anywhere near Kate.

  “Hey,” she says quietly, giving me a small smile.

  “Where am I?” I say, trying to lift my body up. My entire body aches and I can’t sit up. I look down noticing that I’m dressed in warm flannel pyjamas.

  “You’re at my apartment.” She looks down at me inspecting the clothes I have on. “Oh, I didn’t want you getting sick, you were soaked. I helped dress you.”

  “Helped?” I frown but she misunderstands.

  “Talon wouldn’t leave your side. I made him close his eyes though, don’t worry,” she says sweetly.

  I want to hate her so bad. I want her to be mean to me, say ugly things or even hurt me. Something to make me hate her, but I can’t when she’s genuinely so goddamn nice.

  “Why did they bring me here?” I ask, managing to sit upright by leaning against the wooden headboard.

  The room is baby blue. Everything is in its place, nothing out of the ordinary, even the frames on the walls are in the perfect position. The fluffy bedding that surrounds me matches the colors in the room and I know without a doubt that I’m in her room; in her bed.

  “I’m studying to be a nurse.” Of course she is.

  “You had cuts and bruises all over you, so I helped clean you up.” She moves to sit on the bed next to me.

  I look to the door. I swear to God if Lucy walks through that door, I’m jumping out the fucking window.

  Kate’s little giggle has me frowning at her. “Sorry, I don’t think you meant to project that. I promise Lucy is nowhere in sight.”

  I look down at my fingers, still trying to wrap my head around why the hell I’m sitting in Tyler’s girlfriends bed.

  “Didn’t you know?” she says.

  “Didn’t I know what?”

  “They broke up a few days ago, Talon and her are no longer an item,” she says, sounding as if we’re at a slumber party. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to hear it, but it still doesn’t change shit.

  “Thank you.” She has me looking up at her confused.

  “For what?”

  “For not telling Tyler that I rejected my mate.” She looks down at her manicured fingers, a visible shudder leaving her body.

  “Okay,” I say.

  I shake my head, move to pull the covers and attempt to get off the other side of the bed.

  “I’m not doing this with you, Kate. Thank-you for helping me, but I can’t sit here with you and do this right now.” I’m just about to lift myself up when she comes around the bed.

  “You need to rest. Please, just have a seat, Angel.” I look into her eyes. “Please, Angel,” she pleads.

  I sit down and rub my eyes with the palms of my sore hands.

  “I know you are Tyler’s mate,” she says, sitting next to me.

  “And you still chose to help me. Why?” I ask in frustration. I don’t want to sit here chit-chatting with the woman my mate is choosing over me.

  “Because you’re his mate and you’re the Alpha’s daughter. Listen, Angel. I want to apologise for the way we’ve been acting in front of you. I can’t imagine the hurt you’re feeling by seeing your mate with someone else. I wanted to end things with Tyler the moment I found out about you, but he insisted on having time to figure things out.” That little piece of info has me clutching at my chest, her mouth drops open and she covers it.

  “Shoot, I’m so sorry. I… I swear it isn’t as harsh as it sounds.” Her posture and the way she’s acting tells me that she’s being honest. She didn’t mean to hurt me, but it doesn’t stop her from talking.

  “He loves you too, Angel. He loves you so much, I can’t begin to understand how hard this must be for him. He tells me he loves me, but he doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you.” She scoots over to me and quickly wipes away a stray tear from her cheek. She gives me a little smile even though I can feel her hurt.

  “Sometimes I get glimpses into his thoughts and all I see is your face.” She’s smiling even though the tears fall from her cheeks. For fuck sakes, now the woman has me feeling sorry for her. I have to blink away my own tears.

  “I know he’s going to choose you in the end, Angel. You two belong together. All I ask is that you allow me to spend the little time I have left with him.” She wipes away her remaining tears.

  How can she ask me this? Does she honestly think I will freely give my acceptance for her to be with my mate until or if he decides to accept me as his mate.

  Chapter 21

  Tyler POV

  “They find him?” I ask, consumed with a burning rage. He’s dead. If the Alpha doesn’t get to Drake first, I’m going to make sure his death is slow and very painful.

  Nixon rushed over to Kate’s place as soon as we told him about what happened at Point Bright. He’s the reason we knew to look there first. We saw that little waterfall she always projects whe
n she’s blocking us out and we knew that he knew where it was. He was adamant on coming along, but Talon and I refused. Angel is our mate, our responsibility and if it wasn’t for us, she would never have felt the need to run away.

  I’ve never seen Nixon as angry as he was, I swear he was close to ripping Talon and I a new hole. When he saw Talon carrying a passed out Angel, all that anger dissipated. When he heard about what Drake had done, well, all that anger came back at full force. The only way to calm him down was to make an agreement. When Drake is found, all three of us together are going to take him from Jax and give him our own style of punishment. Turns out Nixon isn’t really fond of Jax either, so he’s more than happy with the plan.

  “No, nothing yet. Ronny says they’ve searched the entire territory. She thinks he must have crossed territories or moved to a neutral zone,” Nixon says, throwing his cell phone onto the table and letting out a sigh of frustration.

  “If he thinks a neutral zone can save him, he’s got another thing coming,” Talon growls at my side, downing the rest of his beer.

  “That crazy fuck is dead,” Nixon grunts. I’m starting to like the man more and more. If he and I had met under different circumstances we would of most probably hit it off from the start, but seeing as I’ve seen the way he’s held Angel and been there for her when I wasn’t, there’s a certain amount of animosity between us.

  “Do you two honestly think it was a good idea bringing her here?” Nixon asks, glaring at me.

  Okay, so maybe it wasn’t such a great idea bringing my mate to my girlfriend’s apartment, but we couldn’t take her to her father in the state she was in. Alpha was tearing the pack house to pieces when he found out Angel had left, he’s been issuing out orders for everyone to find her. I’ve only seen him scared like that one other time, and that was the night we had to rescue Angel in the woods of Point Bright; the night we thought she was going to die.