by Viola Rivard
“Let go!”
“Screw you,” Taylor shot back. “I’m not going anywhere with you, you bitch.”
Tulip’s lip curled as she kicked Taylor again. “I’m not going back to Whiteriver empty-handed. They’ll kill me.”
“Yeah, well maybe you should have thought about that before you led them to me in the first place!”
Tulip kicked her again. “I didn’t have a choice!”
“You had a home here! You could have stayed.”
“I’ve never had a home anywhere,” Tulip shouted. “I spent years waiting for Silas to notice me and almost as long waiting to be with Hale. Then, after I betray all of my friends to be with him, he doesn’t even give me a second glance.”
She kicked Taylor again. Taylor scowled and kicked her back.
“Maybe you should reconsider your definition of ‘home,’ moron. You don’t have to be screwing someone to belong somewhere.”
“Like you’re one to talk!” Her grip on Taylor’s wrists became painfully tight. “You can’t just be happy with Alder—you have to string Hale around, too. I saw the way he’d look at you. He’s in love with you and you probably don’t even give a damn about him.”
“I do care about him,” Taylor said through gritted teeth.
Tulip twisted Taylor’s arm at an awkward angle. “You can’t possibly be in love with two people. Which is it? Alder or Hale?”
Taylor stood there, tears of pain running down her cheeks as Tulip bent her arm to the point of breaking. It was officially the lowest moment of her life, and this fact was only driven home by the knowledge that she couldn’t answer Tulip’s question. She couldn’t even force a lie past her lips, because somehow, she just knew that whichever name she uttered, it would be the truth.
Narrowing her eyes on Tulip, Taylor bit out, “What the hell does it matter? Either break my damn arm or just fucking kill me like you did Hol—Holly!”
Although Taylor couldn’t have been any less obvious, both in her exclamation and how she was looking past Tulip, the she-wolf didn’t catch on. Like everyone had said, Tulip just wasn’t that bright.
“That fox? She lived?”
“Damn right I did, bitch.”
Tulip turned, but not quickly enough. Grabbing her by the head, Holly silenced Tulip with a simple twist of her hands. Tulip’s slender body slumped over and fell to the ground, her neck snapped.
Taylor fell to the ground beside Tulip’s corpse. Her entire body was shaking, but not from shock or hunger. For the first time, she became aware of how freezing cold it was. Icy rain had plastered her chiffon dress to her body like a second skin.
Holly crouched down to examine her handiwork. “I’ve been waiting a week to do that.” Her gaze moved to Taylor. “Christ, what the fuck did they do to your face?”
Taylor squeezed her eyes shut and ignored the question. “Where are Alder and Hale?”
“Glenn disappeared earlier in the day. Everyone went out looking for him.”
If it was possible, Taylor felt even colder. She remembered Penny, Glenn’s friend, lying dead on the forest floor.
“Did they find him?”
Holly offered her a hand, helping Taylor to her feet. “Not yet.”
Taylor was surprised to see that Holly actually looked a bit sad over this.
“Come on,” she said, taking Taylor’s hand. “We have to get you back to the den.”
Taylor resisted. “They have Snow.”
Holly’s grip became firm. “And I have you. Now, let’s go.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Hale pressed his nose to the ground. It was faint, but there.
Taylor’s blood.
His mate’s blood.
As abruptly as he’d stopped, he was running again, following the direction of the trail. The rain didn’t help. In fact, he had never hated rain so much in his fucking life. It poured down from the sky, diluting Taylor’s scent in some places and completely washing it away in others.
Often, he would find himself going long stretches without catching the barest trace of her scent. Those times, he had to rely on intuition to guide his feet. If he were the Whiteriver bastards who’d captured her, which way would he go?
Apparently, he was rather good at this, because he always picked her scent up again. But each time her scent faded, it never became any easier. Apprehension assaulted him, bringing with it an endless stream of ‘what if’s.’
What if I can’t pick up her scent again?
What if I can’t find her?
What if no one finds her?
What if they take her prisoner?
What if they hurt her?
What if they kill her?
Amidst all of his apprehension was a hot coal of anger that burned in his chest. Anger at Whiteriver, anger at himself, and even anger at Taylor.
Hale had never wanted a mate. Unlike Alder, who was always pining over what he didn’t have, Hale had been perfectly content with his life. Then, Taylor had come crashing into his world, making him desire things he had never wanted before.
If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be running around in the rain like a rabid animal, searching for the most important part of himself, hoping that it was still whole when he found it.
Her trail had been cold for a while and Hale was just about to sink further into despair when he saw her. His mate. She was at the bottom of the hill he was on, hobbling beside Holly.
The sight of her had him surging forward. He shifted as he ran down the hill, coming into his human form in time to throw his arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace.
Taylor screamed.
Hale released her at once, assuming he must have frightened her. After all, it was very dark out and her human eyes were useless without light.
But as he pulled back, words of consolation died in his throat. He wished, in that moment, that his own eyes were not so keen. That way, he could remain ignorant for a little longer.
Her dress had been torn, revealing skin that was mottled with bruises and marred with lacerations. Worst of all, and what he couldn’t tear his eyes off of, was the gash that ran the length of her left cheek. It was a deep wound that, even with stitches, Hale knew would never fully heal. Judging by the distraught look in his mate’s eyes, it would not be the only scar she carried from this night.
She whispered his name, bringing him back to reality. The reality in which it was still his job to protect her. Gingerly, he pulled her into his arms again.
“Who did this to you?”
Hale hardly recognized his own voice.
As Taylor’s body began to tremble in his arms, Holly answered for her.
“I found her with Tulip.” Holly inclined her head towards Taylor. “She said Fenix was nearby, but I couldn’t find him. Your niece is out here, too.”
Hale cared for Snow, more than he had ever cared for any of his other nieces and nephews, but with Taylor in his arms, the choice wasn’t difficult.
“That’s Alder’s problem. Go find him and let him know. I have to get her back to the den.”
Miraculously, Holly left without protest.
Although he had many questions for Taylor, Hale knew that they’d have to wait. He put his hand under her chin, lifting her face up to look at hm. At the sight of her wound, he instinctively cringed.
“That bad?” she asked.
“Honestly?”
She gave him a watery smile.
He asked, “You think you can ride if I shift?”
Taylor nodded. “I think so.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m going to get you home as fast as I can.”
***
“Almost done.”
Chamomile, know to everyone as Cammie, was the resident seamstress in the pack. As she stitched up Taylor’s cheek, Cammie explained how she’d always been so good at sewing that they’d also made her the doctor. Taylor had always had somewhat of a phobia towards needles. It was a testament to how much pain she was in
elsewhere that she hardly flinched throughout the ordeal.
Cammie drew the needle up for the final time. “That should just about do it. Now let me take a look at your back.”
Exhausted as she was, Taylor wasn’t eager to have her back poked at as well, but she knew that she couldn’t let any wound, even a minor one, go untreated.
With a sigh, she shrugged off the fur she was wearing, exposing her back. Cammie clicked her tongue and Taylor heard Hale let out a breath.
“What the hell did they do to you?” he asked, coming to crouch down in front of her.
Upon arriving back to the den, he had taken her straight to his room. There, he’d dried her off and ensured that she was warm before summoning Cammie. It was a nurturing side to him that she hadn’t seen before and she knew her injuries must be terrible.
“Olivia scratched my face. Said she wanted to make me bleed, or something. I hurt my back when Fenix attacked Gren. Tulip got my legs.”
Hale traced one of the bruises on her thigh. Eyes dark, he said, “I need you to tell me everything that happened tonight.”
Taylor was about to respond, when Hale’s head turned down towards the doorway. She looked as well, not surprised to see Alder walk in.
Naked and drenched, he stalked up to the pallet, looking angry and concerned all at once. He crouched down next to Taylor, practically pushing Hale out of the way.
“Thank God,” he said, cupping the uninjured side of her face. “I was so worried about you.”
Taylor leaned into his touch. “I’m okay.”
Alder glanced over at Cammie. “Is the pup okay?”
“Everything seems fine,” she told him. “But Taylor has had a rough night. We’ll know more in the morning.”
It wasn’t a very reassuring answer, but the one thing Taylor was optimistic about was that her baby would be all right. She put a hand over Alder’s, hoping to comfort him, but he was too worked up.
“My God, what were you even doing out in the woods?”
That irked her a bit. “There were supposed to be guards. Besides, I didn’t even go that far and I was only going in after Caim and… Wait, did you find Snow?”
Alder’s eyes widened with alarm. “Snow was out there, too?”
Her voice became small. “Holly didn’t tell you? They took her. I couldn’t stop them.”
“There was nothing you could do,” Hale said.
Alder’s face hardened. He turned to his brother. “We have to go back out there. Now.”
Hale looked like he was going to protest, but Taylor squeezed his arm. “I’ll be fine. Please, you have to go find her.”
***
After being patched up, Taylor slept like a rock, only waking when she felt someone in bed beside her. Strong arms pulled her into a gentle embrace and Taylor turned, seeking out the warmth of her mate.
“Alder?”
“Sorry to disappoint,” was Hale’s wry reply.
Taylor rubbed at sleepy eyes, but it did no good, as there was no light on in the room. Ignoring the pain her body was in, she snuggled closer to him.
“What time is it?”
“Almost noon.”
That late?
“Did you find her?”
He kissed the top of her head. “No, but we’re not giving up. Alder’s arranging a group to go to Mount Ezra, find out what Silas’s demands are.”
“What if he doesn’t have any?”
“There’s a reason they took her. They want something. We’ll find out what it is and we’ll give it to them. Simple as that.”
Taylor had a feeling that it was going to be a lot more complicated than that, but she took his answer at face value for now.
“What about Fenix and Glenn?”
“We found Fenix. He broke an arm, but he’s going to be all right. Still no sign of Glenn.”
Her heart sank. She wondered if Glenn’s body was out there, lying ripped open as Penny’s had been. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get that image out of her mind.
“Good news is, Caim’s going to make it. I’m telling you, that kid is indestructible.”
She took a small measure of comfort in the knowledge that there was one less death on her hands. But while she knew that none of this was her fault, Taylor couldn’t shake her guilt. She was the adult. Guards or no guards, she should have told Caim and Snow not to go running around the forest.
“Do you think Alder blames me?” she asked.
“How could he possibly blame you? If anything, he blames me. It’s my fault for starting shit with Whiteriver in the first place.”
It hurt to smile, but Taylor did it anyway. “Don’t go getting all angsty on me now. It doesn’t suit you.”
Hale chuckled. “Brooding is more Alder’s thing. Me? I’m going to find that bitch who cut you and give her a mark to match, right before I—”
Taylor muffled him with a hand over his mouth. “There’s my Hale.”
Brushing her hand aside, Hale leaned in to kiss her. His warm lips moved over hers for a while, but he wisely kept it at that.
Taylor stayed awake long after Hale had passed out, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Snow and Alder. She said a silent prayer, asking that Snow be returned to them safely. She wondered if God would listen, or if he knew the truth. That she didn’t necessarily want Snow back, but rather, she didn’t want Alder to have to grieve her.
EPILOGUE
“Wanna try to hear the heartbeat again?”
Taylor wasn’t a big fan of anyone besides her mates going near her belly, but Lark had been listless all day. Lark and Glenn were too peas in a pod, and Taylor knew that Lark must have been feeling pretty miserable about his disappearance.
“You aren’t going to hear anything,” Holly said. “That baby is probably the size of a termite right now.”
“Thank you for that analogy,” Taylor said dryly.
She leaned back against a rock, moving her feet closer to the bonfire. The three of them had been sitting in the main room of the den for hours. Between Holly’s snark, Lark’s moping, and Taylor’s bleak mood, they were miserable company, but at least they weren’t alone.
None of them spoke about the night before, though Hale did come in periodically, updating them on their plans. He, Alder, and the beta wolves had been in their war room for the better part of the evening, working out a strategy.
Although Alder’s first instinct had been to go after his daughter, the others had convinced him to send an envoy. Laurel had volunteered to go in his place, and had set out for Mount Ezra less than an hour ago. Once they knew what Whiteriver wanted, it would be easier for Halcyon to plan their next move.
Taylor couldn’t see what they would possibly have to gain by ransoming Snow and could only assume they were driven by desperation, not retaliation. She hoped the two packs could come to an amicable agreement and was worried that Alder wouldn’t be himself again until they did.
Though he had been in the den all evening, he hadn’t come to see her once. She knew that he was worried about his daughter and she shouldn’t let it get to her, but it did.
“I can hear termites in wood,” Lark said, finally perking up a little.
“Yeah, but do you ever hear a termite’s heartbeat?” Holly asked.
Lark lifted a shoulder. “I guess I’ve never really tried.”
Not wanting to see her friend plummet back into despair, Taylor gave her a pat on the back.
“You have the best ears in the pack, remember? Give it a shot. If you can’t hear it, no one can.”
That made Lark smile. “Okay. I guess I do have the best ears.”
Taylor removed her hands from her lap, giving Lark room to lower her head to her abdomen.
“You also have the biggest mouth,” Holly remarked.
Taylor shot her a reproachful look.
She knew for a fact that Holly hadn’t been assigned to watch her and had had the option to go to the meeting. Taylor was beginning to suspect that Holly
enjoyed being around them, though it seemed all of that enjoyment came from belittling and harassing them.
“I think I hear something,” Lark said, drawing Taylor’s attention downward.
Holly said, “If you hear anything it’s probably just gas.”
This time, it was Lark who shushed her. She listened for another moment and then sat up. She was grinning ear to ear.
“I knew it! It’s twins!”
Holly scoffed. “You’re making that up.”
Taylor’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. There’s definitely more than one of them in there. Oh, I’m so excited. Hey, don’t cry.”
Taylor swiped at her eyes. These days, it wasn’t unusual for her to not know why she was crying. This, however, was a different circumstance entirely. While it was exciting, part of her hoped that Lark was mistaken. With everything that was going on, the thought of having even one baby was nearly overwhelming.
Appearing distressed, Lark embraced her in one of her too-tight hugs. “I’m so sorry, Taylor.”
Taylor sniffled. “Because I’m having twins? I assure you, you had nothing to do with that.”
Lark shook her head. “No, not that. I mean about Whiteriver, Snow, your face, everything.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“That’s debatable.”
Taylor nearly jumped at the sound of Alder’s cold voice. She looked up to see Hale, Alder, and Laurel approaching their bonfire. Taylor’s brow knit in confusion. Why was Laurel back already?
“Get up,” Hale said. “It’s time to talk.”
Taylor moved to stand, but Alder held a hand up. “Not you.”
Lark stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Her head drooped in submission. “I’m sorry.”
Ignoring Alder, Taylor stood, prepared to defend Lark. “What is this about?”
It was Laurel who spoke, then. “While I was on my way to Mount Ezra, I found Glenn in the woods. Turns out, he wasn’t attacked. He’d been sent on an errand.”
Alder folded his arms across his chest. “Sent by the same person who told us he was missing.”
He inclined his head towards Lark.