Carried Off

by Raven Willow

  “Elspeth...”

  “We’ll get him, Alistair. We’ll capture him!”

  “Elspeth!”

  “He cannot hide forever.”

  “Elspeth!” Alistair hissed. She looked up, her white-blonde hair whipping around her face when she realized what he was alerting her to. A matted, dirty, massive red wolf was trotting his way into the empty glade, salivating and snarling.

  “Alistair! Come out here and face me like a real man! Or are you too much of a coward to defend your territory!” His yellowed teeth were still stained with Alistair’s beta’s blood. His eyes searched the empty land, looking for any sign of life.

  You will not touch her, you spineless garbage.

  “It’s him... oh, Gods, it’s him...” Elspeth pulled Alistair from the window, moving to lock the door.

  “Don’t.”

  “But—”

  “I said don’t!” Alistair snapped. He looked at his injured brother, resting in bed. From across the clearing he could see his own house where thankfully his mate had obeyed him. He prayed she had moved Ailith and the children into the bedroom. If Cinead had half a mind to attempt breaking down the door, it would buy them time to escape out the back entrance and into the woods.

  Please, mate, please be safe.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Riona slammed the front door and picked up one of Ailith’s sons, cradling his head.

  “Will he find us?” Ailith whispered.

  “He won’t. He won’t.” Her instinct to protect her pack members masked her fear, but she squeezed Broden in her arms like her life depended on it.

  “Alistair will let nothing happen to us. He will protect us.” She dared to take a peek out of the small window in the middle of the door, but shot back when she saw a glimpse of red fur.

  “He’s here. Gods, he’s here...” Riona searched the room with her eyes, for any safe place for the children. It wasn’t fair to them or Ailith, or anyone else in the pack to live in fear because of her.

  “Go. To the bedroom. I want you to stay there and do not come out until I get you.” Ailith looked around confused as Riona passed her the whimpering little boy.

  “Wh-what are you going to do?” Riona took another glance out the window, to see the red wolf now stalking around house to house, including where her mate was with Ceardach and Elspeth.

  “I’m going to make sure this ends now.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Alistair opened the door, coming face to face with the familiar wolf. He slammed the door behind him.

  “Cinead, son of Caradoc. You are trespassing in the pack of Alistair, son of Fergus, nephew of Lysander.” Alistair began to strip his weapons and his shirt, knowing this fight would end the only way wolves knew how. “You have one warning and one warning only. Leave now or you face the consequences of assaulting my beta and threatening my family!”

  Cinead was just as ugly as he remembered. He wouldn’t even shift and face him like a man. “Family... so you did fuck some pups into that belly of hers, brother.” He sneered while Alistair prickled.

  Sick fuck.

  “Did she writhe? Did she open those legs like the little tavern whore she is?” He licked his lips obscenely. “That was my claim, Alpha,” Cinead spat.

  Alistair began to feel his wolf rattling his cage. One more word and he would tear his fucking head off and feed it to the animals. “That is my mate that you speak of. And you are not my brother. You never were. You severed any ties you have with this pack when you issued that challenge.”

  “You know damn well why I did that! This pack was dying, one by one. You and your coward uncle let them!” Cinead stood on his hind legs, revealing the various scars on his hide left behind by that very fight.

  “Enough!” Alistair’s voice distorted. The wolf was swatting away the man’s attempt at controlling him. He was on the brink of fighting for freedom. “You have one more chance, wolf. Leave now, and you will be spared.”

  Cinead looked away, focusing on Alistair and Riona’s home, where the slightest movement of the curtains caught his eye, giving away Riona’s position.

  Dammit.

  “Is she in there? Is she watching, hoping her poor weak alpha isn’t struck down like the alpha before him?” His feet began to move toward Alistair’s home. “I should barge in there and drag her out here by her hair to take what’s mine right now—”

  Alistair cut him off when he tackled him to the ground, his wolf breaching the surface as his claws sprouted from his fingers and his body elongated on top of the red wolf.

  “Stay away!” Alistair straddled him, delivering several good punches to Cinead’s snout, sending blood and teeth flying. Cinead shot up, wrapping his hands around Alistair’s throat and flipping him over. He returned the punches, but Alistair’s defensive maneuvers kept from causing too much damage.

  Alistair’s wolf broke through, his legs catapulting Cinead off of him and flying into the large stone table. He grunted as he stood up, snarling as blood dripped from his head.

  “You will give me that woman!”

  Alistair stood, fully shifted into his large dark wolf as he ripped what remained of his clothing from his body.

  “Go to hell!” Alistair charged, head butting him back into the stone and taking his head in his hands, slamming it backwards until he heard a crack.

  “She is mine!” Alistair lifted him by the throat, sending him flying into the ground.

  “She belongs to me!” He kicked Cinead in the stomach and chest, not allowing even a hair’s breadth.

  “She will always belong to me!”

  Before he could deliver another kick, Cinead grabbed him by the ankle, swooping him down and hopping on top of him.

  “What you do not understand, Alpha, is that when I kill you, your beta, and anyone who stands in the way of taking back this pack, she will have no choice but to accept me!”

  His wolf and man fought for dominance as Cinead dug his claws into his chest, pressing down into his flesh.

  Alistair let out a bloodcurdling bellow, wrapping his clawed hands around Cinead’s wrist in an attempt to pry him off.

  “Those pups will be mine, and so will she.” His claws dug in further, the pain radiating through Alistair’s torso as he let out a feral cry. The sickening grin that stared back mocked him. He felt his other hand close around his throat as Cinead’s body straddled him and pinned his legs.

  The two wolves struggled in a pile of fur and teeth and claws on the ground until Alistair managed to release a bloodcurdling roar, summoning all the strength of the alpha and overpowering the crazed red wolf.

  Alistair bared his teeth, trying to bite into any flesh he could reach. He inflicted several good wounds on Cinead’s legs in an effort to get him on the ground, but never long enough. He sprang back up, making a beeline for Alistair’s cottage.

  “I said get away!” Alistair could hear the terrified cries of the females and children from indoors, but a grab of Cinead’s tail dragging him backward put a stop to it.

  He slammed Cinead into the ground and tried finishing him off with his teeth. Ripping out his throat was too good for him. Not yet anyway.

  As Cinead grew weaker with each blow, Alistair swore he could hear the screaming of his mate.

  “Noooooo!” Alistair’s eyes found Riona, standing outside of their home holding a crossbow.

  Before he could react, a sudden struggle from the wolf beneath him forced him up as Cinead growled. He was trying to assert dominance.

  “Get away from him!” Riona’s pained cry echoed through the den.

  No... No, no, not Riona...

  Alistair forced himself up, being faced with none other than his mate, holding his crossbow in shaking little hands. He had hoped it wasn’t real, that she had stayed inside where he had told her to go.

  “Well, hello, little female. It has been a long time. Have you found yourself a little toy there?” Cinead wiped the blood from his mouth and spat, slowly i
nching his way toward Riona.

  “I will say this once, and once only.”

  Riona prepared to aim her weapon, which Alistair had not laid eyes on in ages. How the hell did she find it?

  “Leave. And never return to this place!”

  Cinead only laughed in response, making his way closer to her. “A female? Giving orders? Is that what you teach them now, Alistair?” Cinead turned back to him. “No wonder your pack is failing. You can’t even lead like a proper alpha. And for that, this is where you atone for your failures.”

  Cinead bared his yellow teeth again, charging for Alistair again and letting out a war cry. But before Alistair could retaliate and meet him halfway, Cinead stumbled and roared with a cry of pain. In moments the crazed wolf man began writhing in pain as he removed his giant hand to reveal a wound to his side.

  When Alistair realized Riona had discharged the weapon right into Cinead’s ribs, he panicked. “I told you to stay inside! I told you to stay!”

  Alistair knew she heard him, and acknowledged that she ignored him as his mate unabashedly walked to the red wolf squirming in agony. He looked up at the very woman he wanted to claim and sneered at her.

  “You brave little bitch.” Cinead spat blood. “You will regret that! You will pay for that!”

  “Will I?” Riona aimed the weapon again, sending Alistair’s blood cold.

  “Get away from him, Riona!” Alistair stood frozen.

  She ignored him again while she aimed right between Cinead’s eyes. Alistair saw Cinead’s eyes shut as he took a deep breath in, sniffing the air.

  “So... you do carry his pups.” He laughed between the blood sputtering near his mouth. “You were supposed to be mine. I staked my claim!” Cinead groaned as he tried to stand but fell back again. He pointed a shaking finger at her womb. “Those were supposed to be mine. You were supposed to be mine.”

  Riona smirked, letting her fingers rest on the trigger. “I would never have submitted to you.”

  Before Cinead could interject, she sent another projectile straight into his forehead, ending his days on this earth.

  Blood poured from the fatal blow as his eyes remained staring up into the sky. Slowly, as the life began to leave his earthly body, his wolf disappeared into his flesh, leaving behind the man he once was. Hair receded to show a tanned rough exterior, but a man nonetheless. His icy blue eyes probably had belonged to a decent man once, but that man was no more.

  Riona looked at him almost with pity. She was far too kind and understanding of people, but it was reasonable.

  Alistair could hardly believe his eyes. He fought to stand while he heard the rest of the pack emerge from their homes, the terrified looks on their faces disappearing into shock. Elspeth ran to him, helping him up with Ceardach following slowly behind.

  “Brother!” Alistair reached out to him, patting him on the back.

  “It’s over! It’s all over. Look!” Ceardach gestured to Riona, still holding the crossbow as she looked around to her family, who surrounded her bowing their heads as a sign of respect.

  “I... I didn’t...”

  “Yes, you did! You saved us!” Ailith broke through the crowd, still holding her baby, throwing her arms around Riona.

  Elspeth held out her hands, taking Riona’s face.

  “You did more than that, love. You displayed leadership, and a great need to protect the pack. We knew all along, but you’ve proven you are the true alpha mate to not only us... but yourself.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Alistair silently walked her into the bedroom. Her stiff demeanor gave away her nervousness. He rubbed her back to ease her mind as he sat her down on the bed. It was a mistake to kneel in front of her, it seemed. The pain that shot up his legs when he tried to stand again made it difficult, and Riona could hardly bear it. She helped him up again without a second thought.

  “You’re hurt! Just let me—”

  “Riona.” He touched her head. She knew the softness of her hair was all he wanted to feel at the moment, but all Riona wanted was to tend to him like a proper mate. Anything to help wipe his mind of this horrible day.

  “I know you’re angry! I know you told me to stay inside but I couldn’t just let him hurt you!”

  “Riona, please.”

  “No! I’m not a meek little wallflower who will just wait idly by while you are in danger and—”

  “Riona.” His firm tone quieted her.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not angry. And I know that is not what you are. Believe me, I know.” He smirked, lightening the mood.

  “But I disobeyed...” She hung her head and fiddled with her fingers.

  “Yes, but in an effort to protect me.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  “You made a decision. For the good of me or the pack, you made an executive choice despite reservations. And for that I am grateful.” He pressed his forehead to hers, and Riona took in his scent.

  “If anything, I should apologize.”

  She lifted her head in surprise.

  “Apologize? What for?”

  “I put you in a difficult position. It was unfair of me as your mate, who is supposed to protect you yet also trust you in the event of danger.”

  “But you were right! I was safe in here and—”

  “And what if I had been hurt even worse, Riona, or killed?”

  “No! No, you wouldn’t have! You had him under control!” She grabbed him, but pulled away when Alistair winced.

  “And yet, you still put yourself in the line of fire to defend your mate.”

  Riona hung her head. She couldn’t help herself. When she thought back to the moment when she decided she would take matters in her own hands, nothing else seemed to matter.

  She had felt the pain he felt with each blow Cinead delivered. The fear for her safety transferred into fear for him while she paced back and forth in their home while her pack mates watched, wondering what she would do. In minutes, she had discovered a hiding place where the weapon was. Riona was familiar with it. Enough where she could put a stop to a threat to her family without hesitation.

  “It’s alright, love,” he reassured her. “But it could have happened, and it didn’t. Because of you. You were not going to allow him to take you, had I perished. I know that.”

  Alistair was right. She would have fought tooth and nail to get away from him and protect her family... and her pups.

  “So... you will not punish me?” She glanced up at him nervously.

  “Punish you for doing exactly what I would have done if I had been in your place? No, you silly little girl.” He kissed the tip of her delicate nose. “My silly, silly girl.”

  “Not so little for much longer?” She brought her hands to her stomach.

  Alistair’s breath hitched and he stared at her abdomen. “So it is true...”

  “I-I was going to tell you. I was going to have Elspeth confirm, but... my bleeding has not come for two full moons now.”

  Alistair’s eyes darted across her body. She was surprised he hadn’t noticed the slight gain in her build.

  Ignoring the pain, he dropped to his knees and pressed his face into her stomach. “It’s true? It really is true?” his voice barely whispered as tears began to form.

  Riona’s own tears followed her mate’s as she nodded. “Yes... I am with child.”

  “My sweet, I want to kneel in the forest and thank the goddess for hours on end for this precious gift.”

  He was unable to compose words for his joy. Alistair could only breathlessly laugh as he grasped her hips. Riona knew now he would constantly listen for the heartbeat of his child.

  “I should not have endangered myself, in this condition, my love. But—”

  “Shhh, do not fret yourself.” He stood upright. Whatever pain he had felt he was intent on not acknowledging. Alistair took Riona’s face in his hands, covering her quivering lips with his mouth. “He’s gone now, Riona. You’re safe now.” He trailed his hands dow
n her body, stopping at her stomach. “We are all safe now.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Two!” Elspeth clapped excitedly.

  “Two? Two what?” Riona sat up from the bed, pulling down her skirts after Elspeth had examined her.

  “Heartbeats, love! By the gods, there are two!” She clutched her beads that she always carried with her, kissing the image of the mother goddess in the middle.

  Riona looked to her mate, who seemed to just absorb the information.

  “You are certain?” He nearly stumbled into the chair before Elspeth helped him down.

  “Absolutely certain, two heartbeats as strong as warriors’ sons. I do believe that you two have quite the adventure ahead.”

  Riona’s eyes welled with tears as she looked to her stomach. The morning sickness had already begun, and it seemed to be worse than what she remembered in the village when she assisted the midwives.

  Her mate would offer her water, but she could not keep it down. She feared becoming too weak, or unable to provide the strength needed to carry the child.

  And here now Elspeth had just delivered the news of twins inside her. It explained how ill she had been, but did not quell her fears.

  “How can that be?”

  “The goddess has smiled upon you and blessed you both! It is a rare occurrence indeed, but not unheard of. I have assisted in instances such as this many a time before, and I can promise I will do what I can to help ease you, alpha mate.” Elspeth gathered some glass jars in her arms.

  “I-I don’t know if...”

  If she could handle it? Manage to carry to term? Riona wasn’t sure. She sat up, still processing the information. She had seen few women birth multiple children at once in the village. It oftentimes ended badly, whether child bed fever took them or they were unable to cease the bleeding. Riona shook her head. She would not think of what could go wrong. Perhaps Ailith could help ease her fears, as well as the other mothers of the pack.