by AJ Blackburn
I could get us out. This could be our opportunity. I respond.
Not while she’s in here. There are things on that tray that can not only immobilise you, but kill you in seconds.
Okay, I’ll try and be good. I don’t think he believes me though.
Gus approaches with a long metal pole that has a noose on the end. Is he fucking for real? I snap my teeth catching the pole and pull sharply, but he has a death grip on it. Elliott is now snapping and attacking his bars too.
A crack splits the air, then heat rips across my back. What. The. Fuck. I instantly release the pole and turn. One of the goons, dip shit, stands behind the bars, a sinister grin splitting his mouth over yellow broken teeth, and in his hand is a bull whip. The fucker actually just whipped me. He is a walking dead man! I launch myself at the bars, spit flying from my teeth as I snap and bark, I need to get out. Something wraps around my neck and pulls me backwards, hard. Off balance I crash hard onto the floor on my side. I quickly try to scramble to my feet only to find my back legs are noosed together also. I try over and over to get up, but the monsters have me pinned, one pulling my head one way and the other pulling my legs in the opposite direction, stretching me out. I’m growing tired fast too. I push and push to change into my human skin, to use my hands, but nothing. I scrabble to get traction on my front feet, but each time I do they pull hard in opposite directions and I go down again. It’s like they are letting me do it too, because every time it happens they laugh. Elliott now paces up and down, his eyes are filled with fury, his muscles ripple with vengeful need under his fur, and his teeth, still bared, drip with blood. In his attempts to get to me he must have bitten the bars and hurt himself. With that realisation I stop fighting and go limp on the cold concrete floor, after a moment the cage door creaks open, Gus and his goons step inside and secure the door back into place with a resounding bang that reverberates off the walls of this hell hole.
“I told you the bitch would give in eventually. Nothing a bit of brute force can’t achieve.” Gus’s voice leeches across my skin, but how wrong he is. I’d given in for the wolf next to me and only him.
After cleaning up at the cottage we came up with our master plan, I say master plan as a loose term. Basically, go in, get Phoenix out, remain unseen. My father said that there was no one there when they went. I’m really hoping that is still the case. I wonder if the broken wolf is still there. I mentioned to the boys about getting him out and was met with blank looks until Hunter had finally answered. “If he’s still sound in his mind then we will, but I cannot promise he will be.” I nodded, pretending to agree, but if the wolf is there, I’m getting him out too, regardless. However, our master plan does have one very large downfall.
“Four days! We have looked for this damn building for four days!” I’m losing my crap and by the look on Ryder’s face so is he. He obviously just, you know, holds it in better than I do.
We are currently sitting around the kitchen table in the cottage, leftovers from our Indian take out sits cold in the middle. Our glum faces staring at the remains like it’s the food’s fault that we can’t find the warehouse. Every day I tried my hardest to slam against the walls in Phoenix's mind and I haven’t even made a dent, neither has Hunter or Ryder. Little sleep and continuous searching is wearing on all of us.
“I think we all need more sleep and a fresh start tomorrow. We aren’t going to be any help to Phoenix if we can’t even keep our own eyes open.” Hunter stands and pulls me to my feet as he speaks.
“Good night, Ryder.” A grunt is all the response I get. As we make our way up the staircase, I hear the back door open and close. I stop so fast that Hunter stumbles into me.
“He’s just going for a run in his wolf skin, baby. He just told me. He won’t be too long and don’t panic, he’s been a lone wolf longer than you might think, he can watch his own back.” He taps my arse to carry on. Reaching the sweet little guest room, I start to strip off my clothes, lifting my tee over my head and tossing it in the corner. I feel Hunter's hot breath on my neck.
“We can’t,” I whisper.
“Why not?” His fingertips run up my spine, and my body quivers in response.
“Because,” I breathe out at his touch.
“Because…?” he says just as his lips brush my bare shoulder. His hand grips the side of my neck and his other hand grasps at my hip.
“Because... ” Why can’t I get any more of the sentence out? Maybe because I don’t want to, in all honesty, it has been days since Hunter has been inside of me. I need his connection right now, and from the hard erection pushing against my arse, so does he.
“You keep repeating yourself, my little wolf.” His lips are moving down my back, he unclasped my bra and the black lace falls to the floor. His rough callused hand brushes over my nipple sending a jolt through me. Then his thumb and fingers are pinching it, and each pinch sends more electricity through my body to my core. I can feel how wet I'm becoming. He stops and moves lower; my matching thong drops to the floor next to my bra, along with all my excuses of ‘because’.
On his knees behind me, Hunter softy commands, “Bend over, my little wolf.” I comply willingly, gripping the end of the bed. My knees almost give out as, without warning, Hunter grips my thighs and plunges his tongue inside of me. I moan and writhe as he eats my sex like he's been starved of it. In no time I’m suppressing a scream as my body spasms with an orgasm.
Collapsing forward onto the bed, I breathe deep, gathering my scattered brain, when strong rough hands flip me onto my back. Hunter’s sex face is sinful. Grabbing my legs, he pulls me to the edge of the bed, towards his throbbing length. A moan escapes my lips at just the thought of him sliding inside of me. He smirks, the cocky arse.
“Want this do you, little wolf?” He teases me, releasing me to pump his throbbing shaft, at the same time he sinks two fingers deep inside my swollen core. He smirks again, he knows I won’t answer him. Luckily, he wants me even more. Pulling his fingers out, he positions his pulsing length and with one hard thrust he is buried deep. Hooking my legs into the crooks of his arms, he holds my arse up off the bed as he powers in and out of me. Each deep thrust makes me cry out in pleasure. My reality is shoved further away with each push of his hips, until we both explode in ecstasy, before finally collapsing into a deep sleep.
We wake to a knock on the door, followed by Ryder’s frantic voice.
“Get up, I’ve found it!” We are moving, dressed and downstairs in less than three minutes.
“Have you been out all night?” I exclaim.
He brushes me off with a wave. “I went around and around the woods where Dane said the warehouse was, it has strong wards or something around it. I finally got past them and then I could see it. I couldn’t get inside as there were hunters everywhere. I’m betting they will be gone in the daylight. We need to move now.”
I have given up…
I have given up fighting when the monsters come.
I have given up pacing the same four strides.
I have given up trying to break through the mental divide between Ember and me.
I have just given up…
My body aches from the alchemist’s potions. My wrists and ankles hurt from being confined tightly by spiked metal shackles. My back bleeds with new, fresh lashes from his favourite whip. My face throbs from another backhand off the monster.
“You will learn, bitch.” Spit flies from his mouth and lands on my face. “We own you. We will do whatever we want to do to you. So, answer me back again and I’ll make what’s happened so far look like fun.” His threat hits it’s target, but I stare at him anyway. Spitting the blood in my mouth at him, it lands on his chest. His arm raises again and he backhands me harder this time. My head swings to the side and my chains rattle under the impact that makes my already throbbing face blaze even more. Elliott is out cold in his cage, which I’m glad for. If he attacks his bars anymore, I’m sure his bones will break. The door bangs open and in strides
Belmont. A familiar scent tickles my nose. No…it can’t be. Why or how could he be here? I don’t see him though. Maybe I’ve been smacked in the head too many times in the past few days. My head lolls forward and I look at the floor, blood pooling around my feet. My back must look fucking fantastic after dipshit got happy with the whip again. I listen in on their conversation as I hang like a dead weight from the chains. Blood drips from my mouth joining the blood from my back on the floor, and to add insult to injury, I’m naked.
“Any progress?” Belmont asks.
“Yes, Sir. She couldn’t shift until she was injected, and she couldn’t shift back to her wolf skin until we injected her again, but we need to test it outside of this room, in case the wolfsbane is interfering with it,” Gus relays to him.
“Very well. I will need to fully secure this building before you do. Our spy says they have wolves out looking for her.” Spy? They have a spy? Watching my pack? How have they found us?
“Is he still keeping his cover in the pack?” Gus asks. In my pack! What the fuck! Who?
My chains rattle and I draw their attention. Belmont walks over to me, lifts my chin, and sighs. “Gus, can you refrain from hitting her face, please. Her price is high, I don’t want buyers to be put off because you marked her.” Anger has leaked into his tone and Gus gulps audibly. Belmont makes his way to Elliott’s cage, my chains rattle again, this time with me straining against them. More blood runs down my arms from the spikes in my wrists.
“Get. Away. From. Him.” I spit the words at him around the blood in my mouth. Amusement flashes across his face along with a wicked malicious smile.
“Bring him too tomorrow. We will make a show of it,” Belmont says to Gus, his eyes not leaving me.
“Sir, do you think that’s wise? Having them both out together?”
“Why, Gus? Do they look capable of overpowering a wet paper bag? I don’t think they will get through all of us.” With that he turns and leaves.
Cassandra, the witch, jabs me with yet another needle and my vision goes black.
Knuckles softly running down the side of my face wake me; my eyelids flutter open to be met with Elliott’s golden eyes. Strain and worry crinkle their edges. I go to sit up but pain lances through my back and I hiss through my teeth.
“Whoa, sweetheart, slowly does it.” He grasps hold of my hand and helps me the best he can through the bars. Sitting cross-legged facing each other, our fingers intertwine. I look from our hands, to him, and back again. This is a new turn of events. My dirty scrap of a blanket is now tucked under my arms, Elliott must have thrown it over me while I was out cold.
“I…” he trails off, taking a deep breath, then lets it out. Shaking his head, he goes to stand but I grip his hand with all my strength until he stops to look at me again.
“Tell me, please.” My voice is small, and I wonder how he has survived this hell for so long.
He let’s go of my hands again, but before I can protest he stands and turns around.
I stand and reach through the bars, mesmerised by what I’m looking at. I run my fingers over the phoenix that’s positioned between his shoulder blades with its wings wrapped around itself and its head pointing downwards. It’s different than Ryder’s, but just as beautiful.
“How is this possible? Is it…is it because my mate died?” I ask trying to stop the tears from falling at the words I haven’t wanted to voice out loud for fear of making it all too real.
“I’m not sure he is actually dead, Phoenix.” Elliott turns back around, his body is delicious. “I know you belong to me, Phoenix. I have done since they first brought you here. I can feel you in my soul, but I also know you belong to others. I can feel you are still connected to another. If Ryder had died, then I wouldn’t feel that connection. Don’t you feel it too?”
“No,” I whisper out, wanting to hope he speaks the truth, but not willing myself to really believe it. “But I’ve been closed off to mating with anyone for so long. I didn’t want to accept that Ryder was my mate through fear of him leaving, and now look at me.” My voice shakes and my chin wobbles, dammit I don't want to cry.
“Where is your Anima Dilectus?” he asks softly.
Slowly I dropped my blanket to show the side of my ribs. I’d not looked at it since I’d been brought here, I couldn’t bare to see that the paw print had gone. We hadn’t had our ceremony yet, so technically one could still live without the other, but my mark would have faded back to a silver outline.
“Two,” is all Elliott says. And my heart lurches. Hastily I looked down and sure enough two paw prints are on my ribs. I look back to Elliott, the hope that I feel being restored in my own body can be seen shining out of his eyes. My mate, or one of my mates as the case may be, would not leave me here. They are coming. I have to believe Ryder is okay, and not still lying in the yard where I last saw him, bloodied and broken. We need to work out a plan to get out, before they get in and we’re all caught.
Elliott has resumed holding my hands and getting as close to me as the bars allow while we come up with our plan. The entire time Elliott rubs his thumb up and down the back of my hand in a soft caress, it’s so different to his hardened exterior.
“I just want to explore you. I have since they dragged you in here. I knew right away that you were mine, I just didn’t want to frighten you with bursting it out. I’d lost every slither of hope of ever leaving this place, until you were brought here. You, Phoenix, restored my fight to survive and get out of here alive. But without knowing the outcome of tomorrow I had to tell you now.” His voice grows thick with want and need. “I want to know everything about you. I want to know how your mind works, what your favorite colour is. I want to protect you from all that’s wrong and bad in this world. Even if you protest against it, which I’m sure you will.” A half smile tugs at his sensual lips.
“Stop. Elliott.” He awkwardly runs his hands up my arms as far as the bars allow him.
“Fuck, Phoenix, I just want to kiss you, and hold you.” His fingers soft against my skin, the bars not allowing him any closer. I curse the bars again for keeping us so close, yet so far apart. Tomorrow. It will all change tomorrow.
The building is on freaking lock down. Ryder’s face is a mask of pure, savage rage. “There are even more here now than last night. Fuck, I should’ve just gone in and got her last night.” His voice shakes with the anger he’s trying so hard to suppress.
“That would have been suicide, Ryder. We are going to struggle just the three of us.” I try to get him to see reason, but he isn’t buying it. He's going to blame himself if we can’t get her out now. Well, there’s no can’t about it, we are getting her out!
There are hunters everywhere; most of them have guns, some have crossbows, and a few have both. My stomach sinks. What on earth is going on inside that building for so many hunters to be patrolling, I’ve counted at least thirty.
“I'll telepath Dane, tell him to bring back up.” Hunter’s words make me stop a moment.
“You can’t bring more here, what if we all end up hurt? We need to go in by stealth. If an entire pack of angry wolves turn up it will be an all-out war.”
“Ember, maybe we need a war. If they have so many hunters working together with alchemists, it won’t be long before we are all found anyway. They aren’t stupid, they are picking off individuals and doing whatever it is they do in this fucked up place. They aren’t taking on whole packs at once, that would lower their numbers, but if we brought the Inferno and Galaxy packs here now, we could eradicate at least this lot.” My mate has a very good point, however something in my gut tells me it would be a bad move.
“Let’s please just try this way first. If we can’t get in, then we will bring war to their door.” Being the Alpha's daughter makes my word final, and he nods his head, but the sharpness in his eyes tells me I’m going to be paying for this later.
We circle around the building several times, devising and perfecting our plan to get in. We decide on a distra
ction to lure the hunters to us, hoping that only a few will come at a time and we can pick them off in groups. “Ready?” Hunter asks.
“Yes,” I answer and Ryder tips his chin. This is it. I’m getting my sister back today.
I’m coming, Phoenix. I don’t care that she can’t hear me. I feel better just putting it out there anyway. I shift at the same time as Hunter and Ryder do. Ryder runs into the trees to the left, a few seconds later a howl splits the air, and sure enough the hunter’s heads whip around to the sound. I can see one giving out orders and five hunters head into the woods in the direction of Ryder. Perfect. We will pick them off a few at a time, just as they are doing to us.
As they make their way into the trees Hunter and I come up behind them. Stalking them like the prey they are. Careful not to make a sound, we track them deep into the forest, hopefully taking them far enough away from the remaining hunters so they cannot be heard.
I can hear their mumbles and whispers, instructing each other on where to go and what to do.
“There was only one howl, so I think there’s only one out here. They're too dumb to set traps,” one of them says. I'm thankful their dumb thinking is working to our advantage. They start to fan out, the forest starts to thicken the deeper we go in. Another howl. The excitement coming from the hunters is palpable.
“Think I’ll have me a nice pelt this time boys.” Their voices growing louder now they think they have the upper hand. Hunter goes right and I go left. I close in on the hunter furthest away. Soundlessly, I get right up behind the ignorant bastard, thinking he is better than me. Pfft, please. Swiping his legs with my front paw, I trip him. He hits the ground hard, air whooshes out of his lungs. I clamp my jaws around his throat and rip it out before he has a chance to fill his lungs again to scream.