Sky noticed her pain at the movement, but she couldn’t help her right now.
Ryleigh continued her directions, “Okay, let’s move further into the forest. Maybe we can find a cave or a hollowed-out log or something. I can’t move all that fast, but I can move. If Bas wanted us to run, then I think we need to do just that. But keep your eyes open for the first place we find that is secluded enough to provide me some cover. You’re going to have to leave me behind to find help."
Ryleigh continued, "Cash would have sent out a mayday, and I know Jacks and the rest of the Team will be tracking us. We just need to hold out long enough for them to get here. They will be coming from the South, so once you drop me off, head that way. Stay within the trees as much as you can, but move fast. We have no idea what he was trying to warn us about. It could be any number of things."
Yeah, Sky thought, they would definitely be finding a place to hide, but it would be for two. There wasn’t any way that she would leave Ryleigh behind.
Ryleigh was walking slowly, and cautiously. Sky wanted to make her go faster but knew it wasn’t possible. Her feet were black, and from her constant stretched out motions, she gathered Ryleigh’s back was bothering her as well.
"Rye, are you and the baby are okay? That landing was enough to scramble my brains, and I’m not even pregnant."
"You could be," Ryleigh said in an attempt to lighten the situation.
"No, I really couldn’t. I told you Bas and I haven’t gotten that far. You know the whole mating thing not being complete and all that jazz." Sky stopped and at looked at her asking. "Rye, is the baby okay?"
"He’s fine, moving around and warm and cozy in his waterbed," Ryleigh said rubbing her extended stomach. "Don’t worry, Sky, Jacks and the rest of the guys will get here. Cash couldn’t have gone that much off course, and our flight should have only been about a half hour. Alpha is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so they have to be close enough to track and get us out. You just need to have a little faith."
Faith, damn that was the wrong thing to ask her to have right now, because she was losing all of hers quickly. She couldn’t feel Bas. Sky was scared out of her mind. With the people after her and other people after the members of Alpha Team, how could Ryleigh be so sure everything would come out roses? Sky thought this was the biggest shit sandwich she had ever seen.
"Okay, Rye, I will keep the faith, but tell me if anything changes. If you feel any more pain or you know the baby acts differently, we will stop. I don’t know what I will do when we stop, but we will have to come up with something."
They walked around for a while longer and finally found a log that would hide them enough from sight as well as keep the wind off of them. They wouldn't have the warmth of a fire like before, but at least they would be out of the elements. After all, they could keep each other warm. If Ryleigh was right, Alpha Team should be coming in to save the day any minute now.
Just as Sky was getting Ryleigh situated to enter the log, she heard a voice that chilled her bones and had hoped never to hear again.
"Well, if it isn’t my wayward wife."
Oh, hell no! Sky couldn't believe what she had just heard. She turned around, trying to block Ryleigh from the snake man's view.
"Ah, I see you have brought me a prize. Hello, Miss Thorp, I see you have been up to naughty things." The snake man sneered at Ryleigh’s pregnant stomach like it disgusted or repulsed him. This guy was totally whacked.
Ryleigh stepped beyond Sky even as Sky held her hand out to stop her. Didn’t the woman have a tiny bit of self-preservation?
"Hello, Mr. Summerfield, I have no idea what you are referring to. My life was perfectly charming until you came along," Ryleigh replied.
"So, the abomination says. You know, you have single handily ruined a good man. Jackson had such potential before he came into contact with your faulty genes. And now that you have breed, his line will be forever tainted. How do you possibly live with yourself?“ Snakeman said with a sneer.
Sky managed to once again get in front of Ryleigh. When she made a move to get in front of her again, Sky squeezed Ryleigh’s arm hard and whispered, “Think of your baby, Ryleigh.”
"Oh, no need to worry about the mongrel she carries, my darling. It will soon be taken care of, just like that nasty bit of flesh, Shelby. After all, we cannot have half-breeds running around, now can we? Those mongrels would taint everything we have worked so hard for and that cannot happen."
Sky didn’t know what this loon was talking about and she didn’t care. No way was she going to let him hurt Ryleigh or her baby.
"Come here, Skylar. It is time for you to take your proper place by my side. You are the future of our species, and I will lead them as you produce many children in my honor."
"Yeah, so not happening," Sky said.
The asshole even snapped his boney fingers like it would get Sky to move faster. Who was this man?
"Now Skylar, come or my friend Noah there is going to put a bullet right in Ms. Thorp's head."
Sky looked back, and there was a man right behind them holding a gun out. Shit. She needed to stall.
"No, first you need to tell me some things. Who are you and why did you mention my dad back there? I want to know everything!" Sky demanded.
"Fine, if you must know, your father was a part of our clan," he waved his hands like that statement meant nothing, and he was brushing the thoughts away. "He believed in the same things that we did until that wretched woman got her claws into him. He was just supposed to fuck her, not fall in love with the tramp. It was such a tragedy. But no matter, we have learned from our mistakes. She made him leave everyone and everything behind just to be at her beck and call. I can't respect a man that gets led around by his dick. He was once a better man than that believed in our cause and worked to better our mission."
Dean continued, "I mean, the clan must come first in all things. Women have their purpose, but ultimately, we are the kings. I’ve learned my lesson. Since then, the men have no prior contact with the women we hold. When they come into season, they are chained and blindfolded. Then, one by one, our disciples take their turns until a seed takes root and the new generation begins. That is how it should have been from the beginning. Lesson learned and all that crap. I assure you those same mistakes will not happen again."
Holy crap! This man was talking about rape like it was commonplace and didn’t matter.
"Okay, so what you are saying is I can let you take me and rape me repeatedly, or I can stand right here and wait to see what fate has in store for me?"
Sky noticed other men approaching, two to be exact. Thankfully they were staying back. The situation wasn’t good. She should be goading the man, but really, who would ever say those things to get someone to comply? Sky would rather die than endure what he had described.
"Oh, you stupid child,” Dean laughed. “The fates decided what was going to happen to you long ago. You were conceived for me,” he said practically yelling, "and I have waited long enough for my prize. You are the only natural birth our species has seen for over a hundred years, and the gods have determined that I am to be given the honor of deflowering and then fertilizing you. Me, not your Mr. Frost, or Alpha Team and NAC, me, Dean Summerfield, High Elder of The Association."
"Speaking of Sebastian, where is he?" Sky questioned.
The snake man was starting to approach her and Ryleigh was no longer happy with the distance. Sky felt Ryleigh place the small pocketknife in her hand.
"You don’t need to concern yourself with Mr. Frost. He will be rest with Mr. Windsor shortly, at the bottom of the lake. I made sure he won’t wake up before he can take his final breath," the man boasted.
The snake man was so close that Sky could feel his spittle hitting her face. No way in hell Sebastian was lost to her. He had said soon, not already, so there was still a chance they could all come out of this okay. Sky took the knife and shoved it into his neck. When he lurched back, she did something she had
never done before but instinctually knew it was the right thing.
She poured every bit of herself into the bond she and Bas shared, every ounce of fear, longing, and lust. The bond brightened and strengthened further. Then she poured every bit of hate and disgust she had for the man she had just stabbed through the bond as well. Then she poured her fears and uncertainty, every feeling she had in her body. Sky felt a burning in her chest and on her wrist, but she didn’t look down, and she didn’t stop. She fell to her knees then fell forward, going down all fours. She gave the bond the last thing that she had left- her love.
Sky felt something happening to her body. It felt like it was breaking apart. But the most important thing she felt was her bond with Bas as it snapped into place. He wasn't lost to her anymore. She felt him stirring and taking in his surroundings. She felt his confusion, anger, and conviction. Bas was coming back to her.
Chapter 26
Bas bolted out of the darkness. It felt as though lightning had struck him. His skin was tingling, and his senses were sharp. For one second he wondered what had happened, and then he felt it, the bond and Sky. She was there, everywhere within in him- in his soul, in his heart, and within his bear. Motherfucker, she had brought them both back. Bas didn’t know how, but he sure as hell didn’t care.
One of the men from earlier was carrying him over their shoulder. The other man was close by. Bas could smell him on the winds. They were both bear Shifters, but Bas had beaten those odds before. He would take these men down and get back to Sky.
Bas Shifted, not giving the guy carrying him a chance. He squished him like the bug he was and then ripped out his throat just to make sure he wasn’t going to be a problem later. The other man saw what was going on and Shifted himself. He was a scrawny brown bear, not a grizzly like Bas, and low ranking at that, He didn't have a chance in hell against Bas.
Circling him, Bas waited for the Shifter to make his first move. Bas needed to assess his skills and determine the best way to end this quickly and efficiently. Much to Bas' dismay, this man wasn’t trained. He swatted his paws out at him and charged like the untrained thug he was. Bas let him go for a while, wanting to give at least one of the men a chance to defend themselves. The fight was still going to result in death, but he wanted a clear conscience when that happened.
This man had helped terrorize Sky and Ryleigh, and could have played a part in Cash’s death. No way was he going to make it out of this alive. When the brown bear went up on two legs, Bas attached, first barreling into him then slicing his exposed belly with his claws. The man Shifted back like the coward he was. No Shifter killed another unless they were both in the same form.
Bas Shifted back and asked the dying man, "Why are you doing this? What does Summerfield want with Sky?"
The man had the nerve to laugh, “You mean the mother of our future generations. Oh, our Supreme Elder has plenty of plans for her. First and foremost, though, is to fuck her. Take her in every way and then train her to accept the rest of us."
That enraged Bas. No way were any of these fuckers getting their hands on Sky.
"Tell me who you are so that I can inform your family of your defection against Shifter code and demise,” Bas demanded.
"My name is Silas Windsor, and the only family I have left, I just made sure sunk to the bottom of that Lake. NAC will never have what we have. You will never prevail into the ages. Your lines will all die out as the fates have decided. The mongrels you are breeding with will only bring strife and disease to our people. The Association will prevail, moving forward pure and true."
Silas continues, "We have more disciples than you will ever know about. We are hiding behind every corner watching you. When the time is right, your transgressions will be dealt with and eliminated. Even that mutt you are currently hiding at your base. Do you think she will make it to her first birthday?"
Fuck, this guy was talking about McKenna. Nobody outside of Alpha and a few select members of NAC even know she existed or what happened to Emma. How could their leaks go so deep? Bas bent down, going to his knees behind the downed. He whispered in Silas’ ear, "No, fucker, the one getting eliminated for their transgression is you.”
All it took was a quick twist of his hands on the man’s head, and the man was no more. Shifters could heal from almost anything, but with a broken neck or severed head, and they never came back. Bas stood up and oriented himself to the area he was in. It was close to the plane crash, so he knew what direction to head. Bas changed back into his bear form, searching the bond that was stronger now because of Sky. He ran as fast as he could. He would be with his mate soon.
Chapter 27
Sky felt weird; heavier, sore, and odd. She couldn’t put her finger on what had happened or why she felt so differently. Her senses were stronger, more vibrant and expressive. Sky could smell scales and the coppery smell of blood coming off of the snake man. It was an odd sensation to have and it overwhelmed her, but she didn't have time to explore her new ability. There were other things too. Her vision was off; clearer, brighter and more detailed. She could smell and sense Ryleigh emotions; fear, pain, but also her shock at something else. Sky could also feel the tiny baby within Ryleigh's womb. He was special, something more, something she needed to protect.
To her great relief, she also felt Bas moving closer. His beast was fully enraged, and there were others. Other animals connected to Bas and Ryleigh; all bears. They felt warm and comforting to her. She looked up and through eyes that were not her own, she saw the snake man. Dean was still holding his neck trying to staunch the flow of blood from the injury she had inflicted upon him, but now he was on his knees crying.
The other man was also on his knees behind her. What the hell was going on with these people? She went to move forward. Looking down, it wasn’t her hand that was in her vision. It was a paw, a big ass, furry paw. Shocked, she stepped back only to land on her way too heavy backside. Looking back, she saw an enormous furry butt that she had never seen before. Dammit, Bas had lied; she had turned into a bear.
"Oh, my Queen, you are truly perfect in every way,” Dean cried. “Come to me. The fates have decided to grant me my wish for a natural born Shifter female. Come to me and let us cement our bond and our future."
Yeah, like hell to the no. That was not happening. Snake man was getting irritated. His pale skin was starting to turn red, and his eyes were flashing full-on reptile.
"Kill the bitch,” Dean, the snake man, screamed. “She is protecting him. Shoot her with one of the darts. Alpha Team is near. We don’t have time to play these games any longer. Noah!" The Snake man was yelling at the top of his lungs, hurting Sky’s ears.
Sky turned and straddled Ryleigh in her new, huge ass form, making it awkward. The man, Noah, was fumbling with his guns, not sure of which to use first. Sky watched in fascination as a blur of fur descending upon him from nowhere. This bear was big, larger than Bas and bigger than her. Turning, she stepped over Ryleigh, blocking her from the man with the gun and the snake man, but there wasn’t a need to.
Smiling, Sky watched as Bas came running, hitting the man head on. The snake Shifted and tried its best to coil around the bear and strike, but he was no match for Sebastian’s beast. Bas caught the snake in his mouth and chomped down, severing its head from its body. The whole fight was pretty anticlimactic. Sky had expected more from the snake man. But in the end, he was no match for her man. Lesson learned, motherfucker.
Sky was so happy to see Bas that she felt her body Shift and she started running towards him without a second thought. He changed just as she jumped and grabbed her up in his arms. She began kissing his face, every inch. "I knew you would come. You felt me, didn’t you? Our bond isn’t wrong, it's everything right. You felt it."
"Shit, Sky, hold up!" Bas said pushing her back.
Damn-it, he was going to do it again. After everything, after she gave him everything once again and then she proved him wrong, Bas was still going to push her away. He was still go
ing to run. She was just about to rip him a new one when he yanked off his shirt. What the hell? Why was he getting naked, it was freaking cold out here?
"Shit babe, you need to cover up, you’re naked," Bas said handing Sky his shirt.
Sky looked down, and yep, sure enough, she was standing in the middle of the woods in all her naked glory. With not just Bas and Ryleigh to witness it either, nope, she couldn't be that lucky. Four men were standing around, with all with eyes on her. Shit, Sky grabbed the shirt and tried to put it on as fast as possible. Bas tried to help her, and it only made it worse. Slapping his hands, she told him to stop. Stepping behind him, Sky made quick work of putting the shirt on without any help. She wanted to stay right there too, because no way did she want to face those strangers. Thankfully it came all the way down to her knees. She still pulled it a little just to make sure it wouldn't cover more.
After a couple of seconds to pull her out of her mortification, Sky then peaked around Bas and waved to the other men saying a lame “Hi” in the process. All of them were smiling or laughing, except for Ryleigh. She was standing there with a look of panic on her face. She kept on looking at Sky and then down to the ground. That when she Sky noticed the wet spot on her pants. Holy crap, Ryleigh’s water just broke. Sky ran past Bas even though he was trying to grab her. She wasn’t having any of it. Ryleigh and the baby needed help. She heard Bas say, "Shit babe, I know you're mad, but I can explain. I promise.”
"What? No." Sky said flapping her hand back at him. She didn’t have to explain. It was stated clearly for all of them to hear. "Ryleigh’s water just broke and the baby is coming."
Jacks turned and looked at his wife with this deer in headlights look that was almost cute. Cute, that was if it was if the look was plastered on another man face and not the big ass Alpha of the Team. He went over to Ryleigh and pushed her legs together then pointed and said, “Hold them there. No way in hell are you having my kid out here in the fucking forest without proper medical supplies. No fucking way!” Then we walked away a bit like his words would fix the problem and stop what was happening.
Sebastian: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 4) Page 22
