by AJ Blackburn
My heart is racing in my chest. I tell Hunter where I need him to hold and how to manoeuvre the wolf that I assume is Ryder. He quickly lays a towel over his bottom half for me also. Although his body is lethally honed muscle, it is covered in bruises, lacerations, and puncture wounds. I’m not even sure how he has gotten here. Looking back up to his face I notice more blood is still pooling on the table, I tilt his head to the side and my stomach rolls, the skin there is split right down to his skull.
“Needles! I need to stitch this before anything else.” My voice shakes, but I stand strong, keeping my hands steady. He needs my help, and if I don’t help him it will be even harder to find my sister.
I stitch the worst of his wounds and clean him everywhere. Hunter helps to move him around and pass me everything as I need it. Now we just have to wait for his own healing to kick in. Then he will wake up and he better start talking. Well, I hope he will. Now that he has stopped bleeding Hunter carries him to the sofa and I put a blanket over him. His breathing has finally evened out, and his skin is slowly knitting back together. I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“You did it, Ember. You saved him.” Hunter is looking at me like he is about to bow down to me and kiss the ground at my feet.
“Yeah, I guess I did.” Oh my God. I actually saved his life. The reality of that starts to hit me. If he was in such a bad way, what have they done to Phoenix? My hands clench into fists, anguish reverberating in my body. I telepathically scream and scream her name over and over until my head starts to hurt. The bridge between us just isn’t there. I’d not felt her pain, though she must have been in plenty of it. All I got was a nagging feeling of foreboding, and what use was that to me.
A few hours later, the male starts to move around. His eyelids flip open and he tries to sit up, but Hunter holds him down as gently as he can.
“You will rip the stitches my mate has put in you if you move too fast. Please, stay calm. I’m guessing you are Ryder?” Hunter's tone is soothing and calm.
“Yes,” he rasps out, then coughs. The sound is painful to my ears, just as much as it's painful to watch.
I go and grab him a glass of water and Ryder is sitting up by the time I come back, his head resting in his hands. He looks utterly defeated, and my heart aches for him. I kneel-down in front of him.
“First off, who is Phoenix to you?” I ask, handing him the glass. He looks down at me at the mention of her name.
“She’s my soulmate,” he states. I nod, I’d seen the mark of a phoenix on his shoulder, I just wanted confirmation it wasn’t a tattoo.
“Second, what happened?” I sound blunt to my own ears, but I need answers. It has been too long, and my patience is running out. Unusual for my temperament but circumstances change people’s ways quickly.
Ryder explained everything, by the end his lips were moving but I heard no words coming out. Chained. They were going to chain her, and take her where? Why? Why didn’t they kill her? I’m glad they hadn’t, but they had left Ryder for dead. Most likely thought he was dead. It was only because of this male’s sheer stubbornness and determination that he was sitting on my sofa telling me this. He is most definitely my sister’s mate, a lesser male wouldn’t be able to match her.
“How long before you will be healed enough to help us look for my sister?” My voice sounds far stronger than I feel inside. Inside I feel like jelly; quivering and jittery.
“I will not just look for her. I will find her. And I’m going to slaughter every last one of those fucking hunters. All of them.” His voice is steel and rings with hatred and the need for vengeance.
“And we will be next to you helping.” Hunter’s voice is filled with the same malevolence.
I lift my eyelids, urgh I’m so groggy. Had me and Ember been out last night? I look down and can just make out my paws. Hmm why am I in my wolf skin? I try to shift back. What the fuck? I lift my lids again and try to focus my vision. Are they bars? I lift my head as much as I can and shake it from side to side, trying to get my eyes to work. They are bars. It’s a cage, thick steel bars. I’m so confused right now. I sniff, what is that smell? Did I do something stupid and end up in jail? I shake my head again, something is around my neck. A collar maybe? If Hunter has put a collar on me for shit and giggles, I’m going to castrate him before he can impregnate my sister. Damn, I‘m so tired. I rest my head on my paws again, a few more minutes never hurt anyone, beauty sleep and all that.
Then there is low whine. That wasn’t me. It isn’t anyone I know either. I lift my head again. What the hell is around my neck? It keeps pulling and snagging on my fur, and it’s so bloody heavy.
Suddenly my brain fog clears and my memory flood gates open fully letting in the tsunami. I launch to stand on my paws, but I’m held down. Chains. That’s what’s around my neck! One either side that are attached to the bars of the cage. I frantically pull back, but the chains only tighten, crushing my windpipe, and pulling my hair out. My nails dig in and scratch the cold concrete floor. I must get out of here. I’m going to rip out the throats of these fucking hunters, they killed my mate, in front of me. I pull and pull, trying to get free of the metal.
That low whine comes again, I look up as much as my restraints will allow. A beautiful black, cream, and brown wolf with piercing golden eyes, sits in the cage too, but there are thick bars that separate us. His eyes, though stunning, are weary and hold no hope. That look is scarier than the chains holding me down. The power that pours off him is palpable and it clogs the air, yet his body’s demeanour doesn’t show that he can even be bothered to use that power.
What feels like hours later I’m still straining and struggling against the chains, but they have become so heavy, my muscles tremble each time I try to pick myself up. The cold floor is making even my bones ache. From what I can see, we are the only ones in this room. I can’t shake the horrid smell that assaults me each time I take a breath, it also feels like it weakens me with each inhale. The golden eyed wolf hasn’t stopped watching me the entire time. He’s just lying with his head resting on his paws, like I’m the best entertainment he’s had in a long time, and maybe I am.
Voices carry into the room as the door, which I work out is behind me, swings open. Footsteps land heavily into the cold room, I make out four sets, I think. The door shuts with a loud thump. This room is built to hold us in, I note to myself. Didn’t that just piss me off more. The heavy booted feet come into my peripheral view. I see eight boots, so my hearing is still okay, a little slither of relief.
“Is this the bitch?” a deep voice asks.
“Yes, Mr Belmont, this is her. She took some catching though. And that fucking mate of hers took some killing.” This voice I recognise as the mountain of a man whom I’d fought with. I let out a menacing growl and rage hard against the chains, making them clash and rattle with my struggle. A chuckle that makes my skin crawl is his only response. Then the mountain bends down, his fat mammoth hands gripping the bars of my cage, and he smiles at me with yellowed misshapen teeth, making me want to gag again.
“Remember me, do you? You, little bitch, you left me having to have stitches in a few of those gashes.” Another wickedly cruel smile, the crazy bastard likes that I’d managed to hurt him. “You know, little bitch, I like it when they fight a bit. The reward is that much sweeter.” His eyes shift to a twisted, dark, fucked up lust. I go to wrench against my chains again, but am stopped when there is an almighty growl and the snapping of teeth from the wolf next to me. I watch in shock as he throws his powerful body at the bars, again and again, snapping his teeth and snarling at this monster who crouches beside my cage. I’d not even noticed him rise from his permanent place on the floor. There’s a sound of metal bending. Sure enough, I could just make out a few bars bending where the wolf attacks. Two of the four men shuffle back out of my line of sight.
“Don’t back off you morons, tranquillise the beast!” the monster shouts. Monster was most definitely a better name than Mountain. There is a cl
ick and a red feathered dart sinks into the wolf’s shoulder, not a moment later he staggers, then slumps to the floor. His eyes on mine before they slowly close.
The other two hunters; dip shit and dumb fuck, I’m going to call them, move to inspect the bars, they jump a little when the wolf twitches.
“How did he do that, Gus? He shouldn’t have been able to do that.” His voice shakes, betraying his fear. “Also, why did he?” He sounds as dumb as he looks.
“He bent them because he was an Alpha’s son, and as for why? Well, there’s a pretty little bitch chained next to him, that I was taunting. That probably has something to do with it. Do not forget they are animals after all; eating, sleeping, and fucking is all they know,” the monster, Gus, replies. That sick grin still plastered on his face, he is getting a kick out of this, I realise.
“Well, as entertaining as this has been, I need to leave. Unchain the bitch. My pets still need to look good. She is making a mess of her neck. And Gus, the next time you say something like that to something I own, you will find yourself thrown in there for dinner.”
“Yes, of course. Sorry, Mr Belmont.” The door to the room opens and closes again. The chain is jostled and pulled, then they are removed from around my neck. I fly at the thick bars, standing on my hind legs, and as I’m already raised up from the floor level, I’m looking right into Gus's eyes. I snap my jaws at him; spit flying, lips curled back exposing my teeth as I let loose a low menacing growl. I’m an inch from his face. So close, yet so very far. And the bastard smiles again. When I get out of this cage, I’m going to tear that smile right off his ugly fat face. He drops the chains to the floor and all three turn and leave the room.
I start to pace; back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The same four paces repeatedly.
I keep struggling to wrap my head around it. Phoenix has a mate, and he’s sitting in my cabin.
“How did you get here?” I snap at him.
“Ember, you are doing that thing again. Where you just blurt random things out.” Hunter has his calming voice on.
“Well?” I keep my eyes locked on Ryder.
“You are definitely sister’s alright.” Ryders mouth twitches. “I’ve been in your territory before, I came here to find Phoenix. I made it back here and followed her scent to a cabin, but it was empty, her scent was next strongest here. This territory isn’t well guarded you know. Why doesn’t your Alpha have patrols or any kind of precautions in place? This is the second time I have walked right in unnoticed!”
“My father, Dane, doesn’t see it necessary. We have never been found here. Who would be stupid enough to come here and cause trouble?” I ask, a little offended.
“The hunters, their minions. You saw the mess I arrived in. Twenty or so hunters came for us. We had been at the cottage almost two weeks. I’d not even picked up a scent or sight of them. They knew where I’d put the car, they knew I’d decided it was safe to bring Phoenix back here to you Ember. They had it set up perfectly. I had left to get the car while Phoenix packed. I ran the woods every morning, but they knew we were leaving this time. Four came at me when I got to the car, they had tampered with it so it wouldn’t start. I killed them quickly, but had to run back to the cottage. Fifteen waited in the trees for me, they were all disposable. Three remained by the time Belmont’s lap dog had grown bored and put a knife to Phoenix’s throat. They thought I was dead when they left.” His voice shakes on her name, pulling at my heart strings again.
“To be honest, Ryder, I’d have thought you were dead too if I was there. They nearly caved your skull in.” I take a deep breath, this is hard to listen to. My twin is in the hands of these monsters, but I have to ask.
“Is...” Deep breath, Ember. “Is my sister dead?” I look at my hands gripping each other in my lap, my lip starts to tremble, then hands grasp mine and Hunter unfurls them to wrap them around his own.
“No. She is alive. I can feel her in my soul. But I cannot reach her telepathically. Is the connection between you both still broken?” He asks in a voice that holds hope that I’d tell him it was fixed, but his green eyes already know my answer.
“No, I cannot hear her or talk to her. I’d normally feel all her pain, but I felt and still feel nothing. I feel useless.” My shoulders sag.
“You are not useless, baby. We figured out they work with alchemists, they could have given her something that would close her off to telepathy too. We will find her, all of us.” Hunter looks over to Ryder who nods once.
“I don’t think we should tell my dad. He will just lose his shit. If we are going to do this, we need to get in and out with Phoenix and not have an all-out war just yet.” My sensible head is now on apparently. Hunter nods along with me agreeing.
“We will leave tomorrow.” Hunter’s voice rings with authority. I go to protest and say we need to leave now, but he looks at me and his eyes shift ever so slightly in Ryder’s direction, and I swallow my protest. He’s still healing, and no matter how much I want to leave this second, without Ryder we have no hope of finding Phoenix because as much as I don’t want to admit it, I cannot feel her at all now. Whatever has happened or been done to her has blocked us off completely. My heart hurts in my chest at that fact. I have never been without my twin, and now, now I am feeling very…alone.
I can’t tell how much time has passed before the wolf next to me starts to wake. His golden eyes roll backwards a few times before they come into focus on me. They still hold no emotion. He gets to his paws, unsteadily. Shakes out his beautiful coloured fur; black, cream and brown, his eyes glisten and shimmer like liquid gold. He takes one step toward the bars, re-balances, then another. I let out a low warning growl. There might be bars between us, but still. He stops. Waits. Then takes another step. I back up, my butt connects with my own bars. Then, he shifts.
Oh, my sweet baby Jesus. My wolf jaw hits the floor. Nope, I am not falling for this. I turn my furry arse on him and look at the door.
“You can shift now.” His voice is one that makes your fanny flutter.
Wait, did he say I can shift now. I haven’t been able to for hours. I have tried over and over while pacing my cage, I have paced it until my paws were sore. Here goes nothing.
I look down at my hands, my very human hands. Still covered in blood, I walk to the scrappy blanket in the corner and wrap it around my body like a towel. Naked in front of the new boy isn’t the way to start, but we are shifters, so naked is just normal. The blanket covers the girls and the garden just about, so that will have to do. I turn. My jaw hit the floor again. Honestly, I have no control over it. Snapping my mouth shut fast. I try to think of something to say.
“Hi.” Really, that’s it?
“Hello.” His smile is all sultry and masculine. Ryder had a smile that made your pants wet, but this male has a smile that makes you want to rip your damn pants clean off. Mentally slapping myself, I’m suddenly slammed in the chest with gutting emotions.
Ryder. They killed my Ryder. My knees wobble and my chest hurts. I grip the bars of the cage so hard my knuckles turn white, trying to steady myself.
“Are you okay? Are you in any pain? I know you aren’t okay being locked in here. Do you have any wounds or injuries that haven’t healed or started to yet?” His voice holds concern. Why, when he didn’t know me, was he so concerned? I take a few lungs full of the acrid stale air and open my eyes again, I turn back to face the wolf.
“I’m fine, honest. Just not coping well here.” It wasn’t a lie, but I wasn’t about to tell him the full truth. “I’m Phoenix, and you are?” I ask, composing myself.
“I’m Elliott.” Elliott, I like it. It suits him.
He wears the blanket of his around his hips now, I’m glad he finally covered himself up. It’s comical. We look like two people who have just finished in the shower, the reality is very different. I would give anything for a shower right now. I have dried blood peeling off me, I have mud smeared up my arms, and I dread to think what my face looks l
ike. I can feel the bruising down my ribs where Gus had gotten in a few blows. The slice where he cut me with the blade at my neck has healed, but as I absently touch it now there is dried blood there too. Elliott’s eyes follow the track of my hand and his eyes harden with anger, I’m guessing he can see where the slice was. His anger doesn’t surprise me, he is a male after all. Most are protective of females, especially if they have been raised right. I lower my hand and take him in.
Every inch of Elliott is toned, sleek muscle. He’s tall, but not as tall as…no, I can’t go there. Ok, he’s possibly six feet two, his light caramel brown hair is not too short, but long enough to rake your fingers through. His eyes are that amazing gold colour that still shines even though they lack sparkle. Stubble shades his jawline and beneath that his skin is caramel tanned.
“How are you tanned if you are locked in a cage?” I blurt out. Obviously time away from my sister is turning me into her, randomly blurting things out is her trick not mine.
He raises a brow at me. “Really, Phoenix, of all the questions you have, you want to know why my skin is tanned?” He blows air out of his nose in a mocking laugh. Jackass. A hot jackass, but still a jackass. Ryder wouldn’t have mocked me, he would have run his fingers down my face and lifted my lips to his, he would have smiled against my mouth and told me something ridiculously sweet that would have made me blush. My stomach clenches and my heart squeezes thinking of him again.
“You don’t want to know why we are here? What it is they do to us? Why you couldn’t shift until now? Be quick, Phoenix, our talking time is short.” He is so stoic and formal. He is also making no sense. Our talking time is short. I say to myself in a mocking male voice. Okay, so I should probably ask better questions, but now I feel stupid asking them, so I stay quiet instead. I reach out to my pack, to anyone I was connected to, and come up blank. No, not blank, it is more like a solid wall. They’ve somehow blocked me, I’m sure of it. I swallow the lump forming in my throat and blink the burning in my eyes away. I’m stronger than breaking into tears, especially in front of this wolf who's been here that long he’s obviously lost his manners, or maybe he started with none anyway. Looking up at Elliot, I’m taken aback by the fact that he is just staring at me.