by Milly Taiden
“Eddie’s back. The surveillance cameras caught him parking his car on the edge of our property. He shifted and went into the woods. We don’t know what he intends to do…” Ella let her thought drop.
“But it’s Eddie,” Ghost continued.
“Right. So it can’t be good,” Dax finished. “We need to find him and send more than a message this time. Get the others to patrol near his car. You two, take the northeast part of the woods. Ella and I will take the southwest. If you find him, bring him here.”
“Got it,” Siege nodded. “But what exactly are we going to do to him? He’s done a lot worse than trespassing, and he’s never received punishment. How are we going to play this?”
Dax cracked his knuckles as the memories of all Eddie’s fucked up actions played through his mind. Beside him, Ella shivered.
“God, I’ll always remember that one time I caught him peeping into my bedroom window. I was so freaked out. I begged Dad to let me kick his ass, but he wouldn’t let me.”
“I had a similar conversation with him,” Dax grounded out between clenched teeth. His hands were fisted at his sides with the recollection of it.
Their father had always been too kind and too lenient with Eddie. He always broke down and let the creep get away with shit because of his loyalty to Eddie’s father. In Dax’s opinion, when Eddie mated a minor, the wolf should have been ripped to shreds. The poor girl had only been seventeen, and she had no idea what she was getting herself into.
It had taken a lot of work to get her settled with another pack, far away from Eddie’s abusive streak. After Eddie’s actions toward the girl, Dax had pleaded with his father to let him exact pack justice. The old man had refused. What’s more, Ghost, Siege, and he had beat Eddie into a bloody wolf pulp.
They’d been the ones reprimanded for their actions because they had ignored a direct order from the alpha to leave Eddie alone.
Now that Dax was close to being the alpha, he was making the decision that this had gone on long enough.
“He’s done for now. I won’t tolerate his shit. Let’s go.”
Dax walked to the back door of the study, dropping clothes as he went alone. As he broke out into a run, his animal taking control of their senses, he went in the direction of Eddie’s car.
Dax finally caught Eddie’s scent and followed it toward the cabins. The fur on the back of his neck stood when he sniffed the deranged wolf’s smell near the cabin where Willow slept. Ella’s white wolf stopped beside him, waiting for further instructions.
Shaking his muzzle to clear his senses, he breathed in more of the air. Willow’s unique strawberry aroma was too strong to be coming from inside of the cabin. She must have stepped outside. But why would she have done that? Unless...
In a panic, Dax pound up to his cabin, shifting back into his human form. The air smelled like strawberries and oranges. The citrus odor could only mean one thing.
“Melanie,” he growled.
What had she been doing in his cabin so early in the morning? And what could she have possibly told Willow?
“Willow?” he called out, but he already knew the cabin was empty. Thankfully, Eddie’s trail didn’t lead into the house. “Willow?” he called out again, just to be sure.
Ella padded toward him and tilted her head questioningly.
“He has my mate,” Dax answered. His sister’s low gnarl made it clear. She understood that now, this was a race against the clock.
Dax didn’t know for sure if Eddie had Willow, but his sense of smell and his wolf instincts told him there was danger. Willow had been taken by the demented wolf.
Shifting back into his animal shape, Dax made his way back outside. His heart stopped, and a low rumble began in the back of this throat. There were drag marks, leading straight into the forest. Were they recent or from the weekend? By whiffing the air, he knew something terrible had happened.
Eddie had gotten Willow. Dax couldn’t be sure how Melanie was tangled up in all of this, but he would find out. Then he’d deal with her appropriately. You didn’t mess with an alpha heir’s mate.
With Ella hot on his heels, Dax ran deeper and deeper into the forest. More than Willow’s strawberry perfume, he could smell her panic on the air. There was also the sharp tang of blood, which only made his limbs move at an impossible speed.
If Eddie had hurt Willow in any way, Dax would rip him to shreds. He was thinking of all the ways he could torture the wolf, then he saw it.
The small cave, a natural den made of rock and eroded earth. Dax knew Willow was in there. Growling, he pounced inside, ready to fight.
The sight of an unconscious Willow lying on the ground made him see red. He didn’t even stop to formulate a plan. His animal instincts took over, and he launched himself at Eddie.
He went straight for the throat, but Eddie dodged him just in time. The two wolves rushed at each other. As Dax’s jowl closed around Eddie’s shoulder, he felt a slash at his side. He bounced back, circling the deranged wolf who was panting madly back at him.
Eddie’s paw swiped forward, and Dax was able to get out of the way, moving back in a scuttle. On sure footing, Dax went for the other wolf’s muzzle and bit down. The mouth, being one of the wolf’s primary weapons of attack, needed to be injured. Without the ability to bite down on Dax, Eddie’s defenses and offenses would be severely hindered.
Eddie yelped when Dax crushed down. Backing and regaining his posture, Eddie rumbled at his would-be alpha, tensing muscles for attack. Dax didn’t give him time to recuperate. He cuffed to the left, then the right, using his distended claws as weapons. Both hits landed on Eddie’s front legs, making him collapse.
Dax took this small lapse in the action to see Ella in her wolf shape leading Willow out and away from the den. He watched his mate scurry away in fear for just a bit too long.
Eddie took that chance and slashed down onto Dax’s side. Pain radiated inside of Dax. It was a good, solid move. A desperate last-ditch effort at survival. The smell of blood filled the den. Dax growled at Eddie, baring his teeth, not in warning, but rather in promise of impending death.
Pushing down to garner traction, Dax lunged forward, knocking Eddie into the rock wall. The impact made a loud crack resonate in the cavern. Dax, taking Eddie’s disorientation to his advantage, leapt on top of him and bit down on his opponent’s neck until Eddie was immobile.
Stepping away from the dead animal, Dax felt the twinge of pain. Eddie’s defense tore a massive hole in his side. The surrounding fur was matted with blood, but fresh blood still gushed out every time he took a step. Exhausted, Dax collapsed onto the ground, his last thought of Willow.
Chapter Sixteen
Willow was vaguely aware that she was lying on a hard surface. The loud ringing in her ears was disorienting. She tried to focus, pushing herself to remember what happened, but she was drawing a blank.
All she remembered was anger and hurt.
Why had she been furiously crying? Oh, right. Dax had broken her heart, and she was on her way to get a ride home. Something had hit her on the head, hard. Lifting her right hand, she felt her temple. Drying blood crusted on the lacerated skin. Had Melanie, the jilted girlfriend, decided to exact revenge for her sleeping with Dax?
“You’re awake,” a voice said from the darkness.
Willow noticed she was in some sort of cave, draped across a bed of leaves in various states of decay. She tried to stand and put some distance between herself and the voice, but she too dizzy.
A very naked man crawled out from the opposite side of the cavern, a leering smile on his face.
“Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?”
“You’re revenge,” he answered, his voice cold and hard.
“I don’t understand,” Willow managed to say.
“You’re Dax’s mate. I can smell it on you. If he wants you back safely, he’s going to have to reinstate me as a full member of the pack.”
The man’s logic didn’t seem
sound, but Willow wasn’t about to point that out to him. It would only serve to enrage him even more. The best thing she could think of to get herself out of this mess was to be honest with her abductor.
“I’m nobody. No one cares if you’ve taken me. Dax’s real mate just returned. He won’t care that you’ve taken me. Please let me go.”
The man started to laugh.
“Idiot woman. You’ve just made yourself even more appealing. I’m not usually one to go for sloppy seconds, but you’ll do. You’re a human, and if Dax used you, that means no one will ever come looking for you. You’ll be mine. I can find another way to leverage my way back into the pack.”
“You can’t do this,” Willow pleaded with her abductor.
“You don’t know anything about shifters, dumb bitch. Now, shut up,” the man shifted one hand into a paw with long, threatening claws and placed it against her neck. The tips dug into her skin, and small droplets of blood escaped her. “He’s come for you,” he said with a chilling smile.
Willow tried to stand, intent on running away. Her attacker stopped her, knocking her head sharply against the rock wall. Sharp pain filled her head. Willow tried to keep hold of her consciousness, but it slipped.
She became vaguely aware of loud snarls and thundering barks. She blinked her eyes open and immediately tried to scurry away from the two battling wolves. It was evident that Dax and her assailant were fighting to kill. Her heart clenched with panic for Dax. She looked around for a massive rock to throw or a large branch to attack, but there was nothing.
A third wolf padded carefully into the den. The animal closed its teeth on Willow’s pant leg and tugged toward the cave’s exit.
“But Dax,” Willow began. “Help Dax.”
The jerk on her clothing was harder this time, and the wolf growled at her. Willow had no way of knowing if she could trust that the animal was a compatriot of her abductor. But the battle between Dax and the other was becoming more vicious. She needed to get out.
Willow followed the wolf who broke into a run as soon as they withdrew from the den. Running as fast as her tired legs would allow, she tried to keep up. The head injury she had sustained made it hard to focus, the jarring pace making her brain slosh around in her skull. With a small cry, Willow stopped.
The wolf doubled back, and Willow watched, half terrified and half fascinated as the wolf shifted into a woman. Ella. She’d met her the night of the Hunt. It dawned on her then that the Ella she met was Dax’s sister. At least she was somewhat safe.
A very naked Ella stood before her. She kept looking over Willow’s shoulder, no doubt making sure the bad wolf hadn’t followed them.
“Willow, you need to follow me,” she said.
“Wha—” but Willow didn’t have time to finish her sentence. From behind, Willow heard the howl of a wolf. It was a sound filled with pain. She hoped it wasn’t Dax. Sure, the man had betrayed her, but she didn’t want his death. Willow saw Ella flinch.
“You should go help your brother.”
“Not on your life. Dax can take care of himself. He’d kill me if he knew I didn’t take you to the big house. Are you all right? Can you run?” Ella’s eyes darted across Willow’s body, stopping at the gash on her head.
“I’ve got a few cuts and scrapes, and I got hit in the head at least twice. I’ll be bruised everywhere tomorrow.”
“I’ll take care of you as soon as you’re safely indoors.”
Ella shifted back into her animal and bounded away on agile paws. With a grunt of pain, Willow took off after her. Her entire body screamed at her to slow down. It seemed like she was running for hours when the house finally came into view. Willow followed Ella inside, stepping through two large sliding doors and into a study.
“Sit,” Ella commanded as soon as she had taken her human shape. She draped herself in a robe and knelt beside Willow. She took her patient’s pulse, fingers on Willow’s wrist. “You’ll be okay. I just need to bandage your head and check for a concussion.”
Ella pulled a first aid kit from the sizable wooden desk. She dabbed the wound on Willow’s head. The sting of it nearly made Willow pass out. Or vomit. Nausea clawed at her insides. She’d been through too much in the last few hours. First, finding out Dax had betrayed her, then being taken by a psycho.
Ella poured a glass of amber liquid from the bar and handed it to Willow. With shaking hands, she took the glass but kept it on her lap.
“It’s whiskey. It’ll help settle your nerves, and it’ll warm you up.”
Willow wanted to point out that it was still morning, but she didn’t argue. Ella was clearly waiting for her to gulp down the drink. With a grimace, Willow swallowed the alcohol. It burned her throat, but soon a warmth filled the pit of her stomach. The heat traveled up inside of her, making her take a deep breath for the first time in hours.
“Dax should be here by now,” Ella said, looking out of the window. With a sigh, she turned to look at Willow. “Look, I’ve got to go back out there and see if he’s okay. But you have to promise me you’ll stay here. We can look after you once that psycho, Eddie, is dealt with. Okay?”
Willow nodded. It was better than lying. She had no intention of sticking around.
“Please, Willow. You have to understand. You’re Dax’s mate. He’ll want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Yup,” Willow managed to say.
Had Dax really convinced his sister that Willow was his mate? He must be an even better liar than Willow had initially thought.
No wonder she had fallen for his bullshit.
Chapter Seventeen
Something tugged at Dax’s side. He opened his eyes to see Ghost and Siege in front of him. Beyond them lay Eddie’s dead body. Good riddance. But Dax couldn’t fully celebrate the fact that the biggest blight on the pack was gone.
The enormous slash in his side was bleeding profusely. The time he’d spent unconscious had done very little to heal the large wound.
His two enforcers shifted into their human shapes. Ghost went to Eddie and whistled.
“You did a number on him,” he said.
“Yeah, well, he put up one hell of a fight. I’ll take you to your cabin, okay?” Siege knelt and tried to take the large wolf in his arms. Dax growled and nipped at his hands. “Look, tough guy, you can try to sleep it off here, but wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your cabin?”
Dax closed his eyes and gave a nod. It was embarrassing to have to be carried. He was the future alpha. He should be stronger. He should have done better to protect his mate.
“While you play nursemaid,” Ghost teased, “I’ll bury this fucker.”
It took no time for Siege to carry Dax to his cabin. The pain he felt was nearly enough to eclipse the shame he felt. At least Dax knew that his two chief enforcers were loyal and would be good to keep around him when he was alpha.
On his bed, Dax nestled against the pillow Willow had used the night before. He hoped Ella would take care of her while he healed. He so wished he could be the one to care for her after his ordeal, but he knew his body needed time to rest and heal from his injuries.
Gathering all his strength, Dax shifted to his human form.
“Where’s Willow?”
Siege shrugged.
“She’s probably at the big house with Ella.”
“Make sure Ella is okay.” Dax’s voice was raspy with pain.
“We’ve got her, buddy. You need to rest now,” Siege assured him.
They left him to the nasty business of healing.
Throughout the night, Dax had various nightmares. Most of which ended with Eddie killing Willow before his very eyes. It was a fitful sleep. He would have healed faster if Willow had lain next to him.
Something else tugged at his mind. Something else was wrong. It had to do with Melanie; he was sure of it. Her scent still lingered in his cabin. He wanted to know what happened, but there was very little he could do with a huge gaping wound in his side.
When Dax
woke nearly a full day later in his wolf form, he stretched his limbs. The wound was healed, and he felt immensely better. At least, physically. He needed Willow.
Ella walked into the bedroom, a huge steak steaming on a plate. Dax shifted into his human shape and took the plate from her. He took a large bite of the meat before even saying anything.
“Thanks,” he said between swallows. “Where’s Willow? Is she okay?”
His sister shuffled uncomfortably on her feet. She couldn’t even look him in the eye. Panic gripped his heart.
“Is she okay?” He jumped to his feet, needing to do something.
“She’s…well, she’s gone. When I took her away from Eddie, I brought her here and patched her up. She promised she wouldn’t leave. I had to go back out there to look for you. To help you. When I got back, she was gone. I checked up on her. She went home and hung out with a friend. They ordered a lot of take-out and watched movies. She’s furious at you, bro. What did you do? She’s your mate. I could scent it on her.”
“I don’t know. Melanie’s scent was in the cabin. I think she might have purposely scared Willow off. Maybe that’s why Willow was outside. She was trying to leave when Eddie got a hold of her.”
“Sounds like something Melanie would do,” Ella said.
“I have to find Willow. Explain all of this.”
“Whoa. Hold on there, big brother.” Ella pushed him onto the bed and gestured to the half-eaten steak. “Eat. You can’t go in there blazing with anger. You need to chill. Better yet, you need to give her time to process all the shit you put her through the last few days. She’s human. She isn’t used to shifter drama.”
“But I need her,” Dax said.
“I know. But take a few moments to take that animal ferocity out of you. Put some order to your thoughts and then go see Willow. She’s your mate. She’ll come around.”