A Wolf's Oath

by Alli, Jennifer T.

“Then I’ll take care of them. Erica is the only mate I will ever have, I have to take care of her.”

  “As long as you know.”

  “I’ve got nothing to worry about, you’re here aren’t you?”

  “I’ll watch your back,” Ryan grinned.

  “If Erica really has been caught by the hunters then I want you to get her out first. If it comes down to a choice between saving her or me, then I want you to save her. Can you do that?”

  “Sebastian,” Ryan groaned, uncomfortable with the idea of choosing a stranger’s well being over the life of his brother; his twin.

  “I need you to do this for me Ryan. Promise me you’ll do it.”

  “Sebastian, you’re my brother.”

  “And she’s my mate,” Sebastian interrupted, intent on getting his brother’s compliance before they entered the building. “You will guard her life over mine, say it.”

  “Fine,” Ryan conceded. “If it comes down to it then I’ll get her out first but then I’m coming back for you. Just make sure that it doesn’t come down to that choice Sebastian. I don’t want to have to make it.”

  “Well there’s still the idea that the place is just filled with people who enjoy their privacy,” he chuckled, though increasingly sure that that wasn’t the case.

  “Right, there’s still that idea. Let’s do this then, shall we?”

  Sebastian nodded, before lifting a hand to the heavy metal, rapping hard. The sound echoed through the building and they waited for someone to respond to their presence. When no one within the building seemed inclined to answer the door, Sebastian knocked harder.

  “I could always break the door down,” Ryan suggested calmly, cracking the bones in his neck as he prepared to fulfil the suggestion.

  “And if they’re just normal humans?”

  He shrugged, “I’ll pay for the door to be fixed.”

  Ryan didn’t have to fulfil his suggestion as the sound of heavy boots moving towards them told them that someone was about to open the door. A wide smile appeared on both their faces as they tried to appear less threatening than they actually were. The door was opened by an older man with dark eyes and short cropped hair. As soon as the door opened the smell of Erica's blood assaulted Sebastian’s nostrils. His eyes wandered to the man’s exposed neck and the instant he saw the tattoo of the hunters, a haze of red covered his vision.

  The desire for blood ran through his body and any control he might once have had disappeared. The wolf’s instincts subsumed him and the last rational thought that he had was that there was about to be a bloodbath. He would be satisfied with nothing less. His dark eyes were flooded with amber, sharp fangs erupted in his mouth and his muscles tensed as he prepared for battle. The man’s eyes widened as he recognised the enemy on the doorstep, but before he could call for help or reach his weapon, Sebastian had moved. The man now dangled in the air as Sebastian held him by the throat choking the air from his lungs.

  “Where is she?” he growled, his voice deep and gravelly as his vocal cords began to change into that of a wolf’s. The man within his grasp panted and gasped, struggling for air, but refused to answer his question. “Never mind.” He snarled determinedly, “I’ll find her myself.” A quick flick of his fingers snapped the man’s neck before he threw the dead body to the floor. Amber eyes scanned the space, immediately noting that his brother was already in his lupine form. Where Ryan had once stood at the door a dark brown wolf was now in his place, long fangs dripping with the desire for bloodshed. “Let’s find her. Remember if it comes down to her or me, then save Erica.”

  The wolf in front of him nodded and Sebastian transformed, joining his twin on all fours. The wolves padded through the large space on silent paws, determined to get as close to Erica as possible before they were discovered. They couldn’t remain hidden for long however and soon enough they emerged in a room filled with men. The scent of humans was concentrated in this room, with Erica's scent pouring from a door at the other end of the room. Sebastian counted five men in the space, though he smelt others from within Erica's room.

  Guards, Sebastian growled.

  The wolves looked at each other in silent communication. They couldn’t reach Erica without going through the enemy.

  A dangerous smile appeared on Ryan’s face, sharp teeth now prominently displayed before he yipped to his brother. Though the sound was unintelligible to human ears, the message was clear to Sebastian in the body of the wolf. “Go get her, I’ll take care of these bastards.”

  Ryan leapt forward on a loud howl instantly colliding with one of the guards, sharp fangs sank deep into the man’s throat and he tore viciously, ending the man’s life almost instantaneously. Howling once more he urged his brother towards their real goal, moving to advance on another guard. Running into the chaos that his brother had created, Sebastian slashed and tore at any in his way, viewing them all as obstacles that needed to be removed before he could achieve his true goal. Blood splattered over his fur and covered his muzzle and claws, but he had reached the door at the far end of the room, he had reached Erica. He rammed the door only to find that it was locked. The sound of a gun being fired momentarily caught his attention and he turned to look for his brother. The bullet had missed and Ryan was alive though the one who had fired the gun couldn’t say the same.

  Quickly reverting to his human form, he turned to ensure that his brother was still alive and fighting. As expected, Ryan was fine. His attention was drawn back to Erica and the issue of reaching her. Sebastian stood in front of the door and gripped the heavy lock mechanism, pulling the device; he easily removed the lock and pushed the door open. The sight that awaited him made his stomach turn and his anger rose again. His mate sat in the middle of the room, strapped into a metal chair and judging by the blistering burns on her wrists and neck, her restraints were silver. Blood covered her, with only the occasionally sliver of pale skin visible. The skin that he could see was mottled purple from bruising and he growled low in his throat before striding forth into the room.

  His eyes narrowed as soon as he spotted the three men in the room with his mate. He sped forth, moving so fast that he was a blur. Each man was in turn grabbed and thrown against the stone of the walls that Erica had been locked in.

  Finish them, his inner wolf growled thirsty for the blood of the men who had thought there would be no retribution for harming his mate.

  She’s being hurt every second that she’s in that chair, he reminded it. We have to take care of her first. I’ll kill them later.

  Unable to argue with Sebastian's reasoning, the wolf retreated, prepared to give all his killer instincts to Sebastian at a moment’s notice, though he had done well even without his help. He had easily dealt with the man at the entrance and torn through those men in between with almost no added assistance on his part. Though it wasn’t hard to see why, the abduction of one’s only mate could bring out the most violent side in anybody.

  Moving to stand in front of the chair, he cupped Erica's bruised face, lifting it to meet his. “Erica? Erica sweetheart, open your eyes for me. Please don’t die. I won’t even be able to go with you. I promised remember? I swore to you that if anything happened I would stay here without you but I thought I’d have time with you. You owe me that time Erica.”

  Her eyes fluttered open, glazed with pain but as they began to focus tears started to well in her eyes. “Sebastian?” she croaked, unsure if this was simply another dream her mind had invented to keep her sane.

  “I’m here sweetheart. I’ve come to take you home.” The tears began to fall at the mention of home and she sobbed from within the chair. “Stay still sweetheart, I’m going to get you out of here and then you’re going to be safe with me. You owe me a lifetime.” His hand moved to the constraint at her throat. Grabbing the thick ring of metal, he pushed the burning of his skin to the back of his mind and pulled hard. Free of the constraint she moved her neck for the first time in what felt like an age. His burnt palms moved to the fr
ame of the chair and he grabbed the shining armrests relieved beyond belief that they weren’t also silver. The metal gave way easily within his grasp and he quickly freed her legs.

  The sound of a gun being fired reverberated around the room, shocking in how loud it was. Sebastian groaned as the bullet connected with his shoulder and pain exploded within him. Erica's eyes widened as she watched Sebastian fall away from her, blood blossoming from the wound on his shoulder.

  Sebastian, she cried. I didn’t want him to get hurt.

  The pain was unbelievable but he felt his wolf adding his strength to his, determined to get Erica out of this place of death. “Run,” he grunted before shifting to his lupine form and lunging for the wielder of the gun. Bullets continued to be fired and though he could feel his strength faltering, Sebastian pushed his body to its limits dodging each shot until he connected with the man threatening his mate. Air rushed past him and he sighed with relief, assured of Erica's escape before he fell onto his assailant viciously. Fangs bit through skin, muscle and sinew while his claws shredded whatever they came into contact with. The man fell victim to his wounds, slumping to the ground, his body twitching as his blood began to soak the floor. The other two occupants of the room were still unconscious and though he could feel the silver working through his system he moved to where their bodies lay, long claws swiping at their throats, watching with a sense of satisfaction as blood gushed forth.

  Finally succumbing to his wound, he fell to the ground, his strength drained but smiling. She got out. She’s safe.

  Chapter Fifteen

  She could hear a voice calling to her; it’s warm and gentle tones almost alien after hearing nothing but her tormentor’s brutish voice for days. The voice was calling her name, asking her to wake and she wasn’t sure if she should listen to its request and return to the harshness of reality. It’s probably just another dream, she reasoned, unable to believe that the kind voice was actually real. If I wake up, then all that’s waiting for me is that bastard. No, I’d rather just stay here where it’s safe. The more her mind dwelled on the puzzle of the voice trying to lure her awake, the more she could feel herself rousing. The voice continued to talk to her and as she became increasingly aware of her surroundings she could finally hear the words the voice was saying and she could finally recognise the owner of the voice.

  “Sebastian?” Though she had voiced the question and hope was now almost a living breathing entity within her, she still doubted that he was with her in this hell.

  He spoke softly to her, telling her that he had come to take her home and she felt tears well up within her eyes. Having resigned herself to dying at the hands of the hunters, home was almost like a dream. I can’t believe he’s actually here.

  You needed to have a little more faith in our mate. I knew he would come.

  But I’ve been horrible to him, she moaned.

  I doubt there is anything you could do to change his feelings towards you. We’re mates.

  Her wolf’s simple words of explanation made the flow of her tears increase and she could now feel the salty liquid sliding down her cheeks. His hand briefly brushed against the burnt skin of her neck and her eyes widened in shock as he grasped the deadly silver metal at her neck. The smell of his burning flesh made her stomach churn despite the fact that she had endured the smell of her own skin being seared for the entire time she had been held captive. Despite the obvious pain, he endured it for her. A quiet wince the only indication that he was suffering, his face otherwise remained serene, a small smile on his lips as he tried to reassure her. The chair that had caused her so much agony was dismantled around her and in that moment she truly believed they would escape. The horror of her situation was made abundantly clear as a loud sound echoed through the room, before Sebastian gasped in shock. Her eyes wandered his frame, immediately becoming riveted on the blood soaking through his shirt. He had been shot and most likely with a silver bullet.

  No, not Sebastian, I didn’t want him to get hurt. Why did he come here? He should have just left me at least he would have been safe. He’s going to die and it’s all my fault. I should never have run from him, I brought all this upon myself.

  “Run,” he commanded before speeding off to meet his attacker. She sat frozen in the chair for a moment before she realised the sacrifice he was prepared to make. If I stay here then at least one of us will die. I’m not of any good to him in this condition but if I can make it back to the clans, I can tell them what’s going on. They’ll keep him alive until I get back.

  Standing from the chair, her legs nearly collapsed beneath her, days of abuse and not using the limbs taking their toll. Drawing on a reserve of strength she didn’t know she had, she allowed the change to wash over her, transforming her body and limbs until she was on all fours. The body of the wolf was built for speed and though she was a great deal slower than she normally would have been, she managed to rush past Sebastian and into the room beyond. She had never seen the space beyond the four walls they had trapped her in and so she was initially confused as to where to go. She stopped for a moment, quickly taking in the bodies that were scattered across the floor in the next room and the dark wolf attacking the last survivor. A fresh breeze reached her nose and she sped of towards it, intent on achieving freedom and bringing back help for Sebastian.

  Her limbs felt heavy and her vision was obscured by dark clumps of her blood-matted hair but she refused to slow, quickly reaching the exit of her prison. Running out of the open door she found her senses bombarded with new sensations, there were so many that she instantly became disorientated. Days of being confined within a dark room made the natural light from the moon seem excruciatingly harsh on her eyes and she was forced to close them, but her hectic pace refused to falter driven on by the idea of freedom. It didn’t take long for the adrenaline to wear off and her legs felt weaker than they had ever done before. Each step felt as though she had walked miles and she was forced to slow. Her legs began to twist and weave along the path, stumbling as though she had consumed too much alcohol but she knew that it was simply exhaustion. She hadn’t eaten in days and her stomach was making its complaints known. The lack of food meant that her body couldn’t recover from the injuries that covered her, she felt as though she were dead on her feet. Regardless she continued upward.

  “Where do you think you’re going freak?” She turned to face the voice, stunned to see that there was another human in her vicinity. The man was bleeding, blood covering his body to such a degree that she was surprised that he could stand at all. He was staggering on his feet almost as badly as she was, and she couldn’t help but wonder whose feet would give out first. Judging from the large chunk of flesh missing from his side it would be him, she could eventually recover, a wound like that on a human was fatal. The hunter seemed to be aware of his impeding demise and was determined to take her with him. His arms lifted as he pointed a gun at her, she instinctively took a step back but it was too late, the bullet had been fired. It caught her in the chest, passing straight through her body while its momentum propelled her backwards.

  A small smile graced her lips as she watched the hunter fall to the ground, succumbing to his injuries but her joy was short lived. The ground beneath her feet vanished and her eyes opened in shock. Her limbs struggled for purchase on the rocky walls of the cliff but her weak and exhausted body couldn’t manage the task. She heard a voice shouting her name just as her limbs lost the battle. As she fell, her body returned to its human form from shock. Floating through the air, she could hear the waves crashing against the rocks beneath her. Sebastian manages to free me from that hell and I get myself killed. I’ve got to be the most useless person alive. She cursed, resigning herself to ending her life on the jagged rocks below.

  *****

  The silver was working steadily through his system and Sebastian felt as weak as a newborn. Heck newborn wolves are probably stronger than I am right now, he scoffed, disgusted with himself. I let that idiot shoot me. But E
rica escaped, she’s free and that’s all that matters. Though his situation was wretched, he was immeasurably pleased that his mate had escaped from this hell. Anger coursed through him, fresh and new as he remembered his first sighting of her battered body. And I took a good few hunters down with me. The steady pounding of feet against the stone floor caught his attention and he forced his head to turn in the direction of the footsteps.

  “You got shot,” Ryan chuckled. His body was covered in thick dark blood, though Sebastian was unsure if the blood came from a wound on his brother’s body or if it was the blood of his victims. Judging from the easy smile Ryan wore, it was the latter. Ryan was a born fighter and they both knew it, he had been involved in scuffles since the first minute he could walk and the decades of practice and living through various human wars, had apparently paid off leaving him relatively uninjured.

  Though aware that the silver would soon leave his system, he wished that the process were faster so that he could punch his brother for the unhelpful comment. “Erica?” he croaked. She would have had to pass Ryan to reach the exit and he was anxious to hear that she had done so.

  “I saw a black wolf run past me, I assume that was her. I’ve got to say Sebastian from what I saw she wasn’t in the best state.”

  “No, she wasn’t,” Sebastian agreed. “No worries, I took care of the idiots that thought they could get away with doing that to my mate. I want to get her back home, she probably hasn’t made it far, I don’t think her body would carry her that far even if she was determined to.”

  “Well then let’s go get her.” Lifting the dead weight of his brother from the ground, Ryan pulled Sebastian onto his back. “You scent her and I’ll do the walking.” The pair walked from the room and into the larger space that led to the exit. Blood coated the floor and bodies and limbs were scattered along the ground. “What do you think? Overkill?”