by Sam Crescent
Jake appeared, followed by Eli and Ben. His men were trained and lethal. They may be like docile pups with their women, but they were dangerous when it came to protecting their territory. The Grey Valley Pack was known as one of the deadliest wolf packs, and they were rarely challenged.
“They’re heading south,” said Jake. “We’ll be able to catch up before they hit the mountains.”
“Let’s fuck them up,” said Eli, his wolf pawing the ground in anticipation.
“We all have mates now. Trespassers will not be tolerated, especially shifters.” Liam led the charge, all four of them racing after the two wolves.
He couldn’t wait to get back to Rebecca, to learn everything about her. They had the rest of their lives to discover each other, and he looked forward to the years to come. He wondered if any of their children would have her red hair. Would they even be shifters? Liam didn’t know of any other human-shifter matings, so this was all new to him.
He had to keep focused on his task. It was time to lay down the law, to make other wolf packs aware that any trespassing would not be tolerated. He couldn’t turn a blind eye now that he had a woman to think about. She always had to come first.
“These fuckers don’t give up,” said Ben. They’d been running for about half an hour, following the distinct trail. Every so often he’d catch a glimpse of the wolves through the trees.
They slowed down when a parked vehicle came into view in the near distance. The only trail out this far was an old, abandoned mining road leading to the mountains.
Two humans sat in the truck, the engine revving to life.
“The trail stops here,” said Liam. He didn’t have a good feeling about this.
The passenger lowered his window halfway, laughing mockingly. “Our alpha was right. You’d chase us to hell and back, wouldn’t you? But I count four wolves, so how many are watching your female?”
Liam leapt up against the window, managing to claw the man’s face before the truck barreled forward, leaving a wake of dust and debris.
He shifted into his skin, pacing, running his hands through his hair. His heart raced, and it felt like a vise squeezed his chest to the point he could barely breathe. “They planned this,” he whispered more to himself than his men. “They led us out here on purpose. The chase, the waiting vehicle, Rebecca alone at the house.”
“You couldn’t have known. They must have planned this for a while,” said Jake.
“Fuck! Even running full speed, it’ll take half an hour to get home. They must have her by now.” He’d failed. Failed as a mate, an alpha, a man. If his rivals thought he was pissed off before, he’d be bringing hellfire to their world if anything happened to Rebecca.
“Time’s wasting,” said Eli. “Let’s hope it’s not too late.”
****
Her pussy ached. She needed Liam, but he took off right when they’d been making a connection. She hoped everything was okay.
There was a lot of meat in the fridge. It looked like the man was a carnivore. She found some fruit in a cooler drawer, so grabbed a green apple. Rebecca acquainted herself with the luxury kitchen, finding a knife in a nearby drawer. She washed the apple, then cut it on the granite counter while enjoying the view out the back windows. Maybe they could cook something together later rather than getting takeout. In a kitchen like this, it would be a pleasure to make a meal. Her apartment had a tiny nook for a kitchen.
She took a bite of the fruit as she wandered around the great room. Even though it was big and luxurious, it had a cozy, rustic feel. There was a lot of wood, rich colors, and natural finishes. It was her first time in the cabin, and she already felt more at home than she had in places she’d lived in for years.
As she savored the views, she saw Alphie come up from the river. He was limping, struggling to get up the slope. Rebecca put her food down on the coffee table and rushed out the back door and down the slope toward the dog.
“Alphie!”
The dog kept limping towards her, but once she was out in the open, far away from the house, she realized she wasn’t alone. She swallowed hard as she took in her surroundings. There were three men closing in on her. Alphie tried to protect her, growling despite his injury, but he was in no shape to take on these men. The one to her right smirked, and a shiver crept up her spine. She knew these were no friends of Liam’s.
“This is the one all right,” said the man. He took a deep breath. “No mistaking it.”
“He could be heading back by now,” said the tallest man.
The first guy shook his head. “Rolly and Hector are taking them on a good ol’ goose chase. Liam’s getting sloppy in his old age. He left his mate unsupervised.”
“Better for us,” said the man to her left. She turned to look at him, seeing a twisted grin on his face. She felt dirty just looking at him, and Rebecca wanted no part of any of these men.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Leverage. We’ll have Liam eating out of the palm of our hands once he finds out you’re missing.”
She scowled, feeling more pissed off than scared. “And I suppose you assholes are the ones to hurt his dog.”
“It’s just a fucking dog.”
Rebecca crossed her arms over his chest. “Stay away from me.” She attempted to reverse course back to the house, but they made a circle around her and started closing in. She kept looking off into the distance, wondering how long until Liam got back home. He’d said he wouldn’t be long.
Why did she have the worst luck in the world? In the past week she’d been threatened three separate times. Liam had saved her the first two times, but she had a sinking feeling she was fresh out of luck.
“Nobody has to get hurt. Behave and we won’t have a problem.”
Rebecca narrowed her eyes at him. She was no match for three men, but she wasn’t just going to leave with them willingly. Everyone knew the worst thing to do was let an attacker take you to a second location. She had no idea what their intentions were, and she didn’t want to find out.
After walking backwards for as long as she could, she turned and bolted, running toward the house. She’d never been athletic, so she didn’t get far. One of the men pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. Her breath rushed from her lungs, leaving her gasping, but she kept crawling forward. A hand around her ankle kept her from getting to her feet. She kicked back with her other leg, making contact. The man screeched, and then they were all on her, securing her against her will. A black sack was forced over her head, blocking off her sight. Her arms and legs were pinned as she was hauled off into the forest. They dropped her over a man’s lap, and an engine starting up under her made her yelp.
The terrain was rough, the ATV jostling and jolting through the overgrown forest paths. She’d finally found happiness with Liam, and now everything was falling apart. Rebecca just wanted to be happy. Now she wasn’t sure she’d even survive the night.
Why did they hate Liam so much? Why did her boyfriend have so many damn enemies? She hardly knew him, but at this point, she’d love him even if he turned out to be a criminal. He’d never made her feel scared or unwanted. Liam had single-handedly introduced her to life without fear, and she was finally coming to peace with herself.
She lost track of time as they drove through the forest. She considered flinging herself off the ATV, but with her luck, she’d probably get run over or worse. When they slowed to a stop, she was forced over the guy’s shoulder, and he dumped her into the back of another vehicle. The air in her sack was getting stale.
“Drive,” he said.
Oh God, where are they taking me?
So many memories flashed in her head during the drive. She’d come so far in the past five months living here, and even more in the past week. No more medication, and her virginity was history. Liam showed her pleasures she never knew existed.
She lifted up the corner of her sack for air and to see her surroundings. Luckily, the man sitting next to her was looking out
his window. She scanned the area. They were on a main road now. She recognized some of the landmarks. It’s not like she had a cell phone or anyone to give her location to. What she needed was opportunity. As soon as she had a chance, she’d make a break for it. The thought of rape, torture, and murder was worth fighting to avoid at all costs. Normally a situation like this would have put her into a full-blown panic attack, but ever since Liam committed to her, she felt as if she could take on the world.
And she still had hope her Prince Charming would save the day again. She’d always been a hopeless romantic, but she’d reserved those feeling for romance novels, not real life. Liam changed everything.
“We’re here,” said her captor. She wondered where the other two men had gone. Her odds were better with one.
He dragged her roughly out of the pickup truck and tugged off the sack. Her eyes adjusted to the daylight, and her lungs filled with fresh air. They were in the forest again, a wooden hut just ahead. Several wolves crept in from between the trees. She turned to the man squeezing her arm, but he only laughed at her.
Were they going to feed her to the wolves? What would that prove?
She struggled, twisting and squirming to get out of his firm grasp. “Let me go!”
“She doesn’t know,” said the driver of the truck. Neither man showed any fear of the wild animals moving in. Were they trained?
“Even more fun.” He squeezed her arm tighter, giving her a sharp shake until she settled down. She remembered Liam telling her some wolves would love her. These looked at her like she was on the menu.
“You guys are in big trouble. Let me go and I won’t say anything.” She tried to sound tough, but it came out all wrong.
“Did Liam tell you what marking you signified?”
She frowned. “Of course. He loves me. I’m his … mate.” It sounded dumb coming from her, but from Liam it sounded sexy as hell.
“Only werewolves mark their woman with a love bite. Haven’t you read a single fucking fairy tale? I thought human girls ate that shit up.”
“This is real life.”
One of the wolves stood on two legs, shaking and morphing before her eyes. Its hair receded and bones elongated. Within seconds the wolf had turned into one of the men by the river. Her mouth fell open, and her entire body went numb. Thoughts and memories overloaded her mind as she tried to make sense of what she’d witnessed. Everything she’d ever known or understood was in question, and it was too much to process.
“You’ve been kept in the dark,” he said. “You’d think when a werewolf claimed a mate he’d have the decency to fill her in on the facts.” He tutted.
Her captor said, “If all goes well, he’ll come for you. That’s what we’re counting on. Hope you enjoyed the honeymoon while it lasted because Liam’s about to go to doggy heaven.”
She shook her head, dizziness washing over her in waves. “No, Liam’s not a wolf.”
They all laughed and mocked her. “He’s a legend around here. Honey, your man is an alpha wolf.”
Chapter Eight
“You go and it’ll be a trap,” Jake said.
“I can’t just sit here. They’ve got my mate, Jake.” He gripped the back of the chair and threw it across the room.
Alphie was hurt and nursing his injuries. They’d hurt his fucking dog and taken his woman. Liam was so fucking pissed right now. The need to hurt, to kill was so fucking strong. Rebecca’s scent was all over the house, but with her gone, it was slowly fading. He had to find her. To get her back.
There’s no way he could let anything happen to her. His father’s wisdom filtered through the anger. He’d told Liam that a man could tell when he was in love when protecting someone else was more important than protecting himself. He felt that for Rebecca.
“You know this poses a lot more problems,” Eli said.
“I know.” Liam didn’t need to be told what he faced.
“She’ll know the truth now,” Ben said.
He closed his eyes, counted to ten, then looked at Ben. “I know.”
Ben held his hands up. “I wasn’t trying to state the obvious or anything.”
“Then what the fuck were you trying to achieve? She’s in the hands of my enemy, and you fuckers don’t seem to get that I’m having a really hard time right now. I’m trying to deal with the fact she’s gone.”
He turned his back on them, feeling the primal need to release his wolf.
The beast slammed within him, desperate to come out. Would it be so bad if he let him out for a while? He couldn’t let anything happen to Rebecca. If his wolf hurt her, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. She was his mate, destined to belong to him.
Without her, he was nothing.
There would be no point in living, in leading.
Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to think of something, anything that could help him. He couldn’t bring himself to deal with this.
All of his focus was on his missing mate.
No, not missing.
Taken.
She’d been taken from him.
This was to make him pay.
To take his life.
“I’ve got to go and get her back,” Liam said.
“If you do that, it’s a guaranteed death sentence,” Jake said. “We can’t let you risk that. There’s no way any of us could lead our people. You’re an alpha, Liam.”
“Right now, I’m a fucking mate. I’ve had mine taken from me. Try to imagine that kind of pain. I can’t think right now, nor do I care about anything else other than getting her back. Don’t you see that?”
“He’s right,” Eli said. “We’d all be doing the same. She’s his mate. He needs her. We all need our women.”
“But we also need him. If Liam goes, it gives Payne the opening he needs to take this pack, this land. You know what he’s like. He’s unstable. I get that Rebecca’s not here and the danger she’s in. We will get her back. I feel your pain, Alpha, but understand this, I’m part of this pack. As is my mate. I don’t want her to be in any danger. You know what Payne is like. What he does to mates. He takes each mate for himself and impregnates them. It’s why he doesn’t have many followers. Why shifters have tried to leave him. He’s brutal and brings death to his packs. I can’t allow that to happen. So yeah, I’ve got to stop you from putting your life in danger, and you’ve got to come up with a plan. A good plan,” Jake said.
The fear, the panic, he scented it. The wolf within him calmed enough to make sense of what was happening. His pack needed him. His female needed him. There was so much fucking need going around that he felt sick to his stomach.
It wasn’t in him to sit and plan, but to act.
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his hands into fists and tried to calm himself. He didn’t know what to do or what to say.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“Please, Liam. I know you want her back. We’ll help you every step of the way, but don’t let anything happen to you,” Jake said.
“I’m all for you attacking Payne, taking him out for good, but right now, you know you’re running into a trap and I can’t let you do that,” Ben said.
Eli nodded. “I’m in agreement.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
Jake breathed out a sigh of relief. “For a second there I thought your alpha wolf was going to attack us. They’re going to expect you to go to her. Straight to her. We can follow any trail, Eli, Ben, and I. We have her scent. We can follow it.”
“So?”
“You don’t have to follow us. You don’t have to go straight to her. You can lure them out yourself.”
“They won’t expect us,” Ben said.
Liam paced.
Any mated male would go straight into the heart of danger without any thought. He wasn’t just a mate though. He was also an alpha. Every instinct within him screamed to go and protect her. Without his friends, he’d have surely been dead by now.
“So we follow the scent. I
t’ll put us on Payne’s land,” Liam said. “His pack is dying. There’s not many men or women, and those that are there, are leaving.” It was known that when pack members started to leave, it was only a matter of time before the strength within the pack slowly began to die.
Payne’s leadership had pushed members out. He’d killed them. Damaged them from the inside out.
He was trying to take over another pack, to rebuild fresh, but his methods would produce the same results over and over. Every single pack he tried to take, would die from within. In the end, it would all be the same.
Someone had to stop him.
Glancing over at Alphie, Liam sensed the pain in his dog but also how sorry he was. Alphie adored Rebecca. Liam loved her.
We’ve got to go and get her.
“Fine.” He headed toward the door. “Any sign of trouble, you leave and get the pack to leave as well. I won’t have any of my people hurt at the hands of a man like Payne, understood?” Liam asked.
Ben, Eli, and Jake all nodded.
Leaving his home, he saw their mates waiting for them. There were tears and concern in the eyes of the three females. Liam watched as his men went to them and held each other close.
Rebecca should be home.
She should be meeting the other females.
He had to go and save her.
“We want to help,” said Sarah, Eli’s mate.
“Then please, get everyone ready,” Liam said. “If I make it home and bring my mate, I know it’s going to be a difficult time for her. This is all going to be new.” He looked at the women. “Would you go to Rebecca’s home? She’s human, and she’ll be scared and worried, and I know this is all going to come as a shock to her.”
“She doesn’t know about mates?” Emily asked, Jake’s mate.
“No. She doesn’t know about any of this.” He’d wanted to tell her, but Rebecca wasn’t part of a pack. She loved wolves, but that didn’t for a single second mean she would ever understand. This was his fault. His mistake. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her because of him. “I’m not going to be able to let her go back. She’ll have to stay here. Please, when you know all is well, could you go to her home? Get her things. Everything that you think will make her comfortable.”