by M. D. Butler
That’s our struggle right now. Our wolves want to get there as soon as possible, but we have to conserve our energy for when we actually get there. Convincing our wolves that we need to be able to rescue our mate is a battle hard won, but they eventually give in, and we’re able to stay back with the pace that we’ve allowed James to set.
I let my mind wander while we run. As always, it goes straight to my sweetheart. I think about the last time I saw her, spread out on the bed. Most of it is a haze because of high we were from her pheromones. The mating heat is like what I’d imagine smoking weed, and taking Viagra would be. My dick never went down, and I was in a constant state of hunger for her. It was euphoria with a side of demanding lust, but I remember her. She was like a delectable vixen, calling out for us to devour her.
And we did.
Her beautiful face, delicious body, and arousing scent all swirl through my mind. I almost trip over a branch as I remember how it felt to sink into her that first time, to feel her wet heat encase my rock-hard dick.
Dude, are you good? You’re running like you’re drunk, or something.
Or something. Sorry, man. Just think about Jahla.
Me, too. I try not to think about her heat. I’m likely to sprout a wolf boner, and no one wants to see that.
Glad I almost tripped when I did. I’d probably have one right now, too.
We both chuff at that, then get silent and focus on the run. We agreed before we left that we wouldn’t reach out to her until we at least crossed the state border into Colorado. Any sooner, and it might cause problems. At least if we wait until we’re closer. We’ll have the energy to sprint full out to get to her if something goes wrong on her end. She still hasn’t shifted, so she won’t be able to get to us as fast as we can get to her.
All I know is that she better just be holding her hostage. If there is even a papercut on her, I’m slaughtering the whole pack. I don’t care if Benson is working alone. That pack is responsible for all the misery she’s experienced in her life. I’m tempted to do it anyway.
Fuck this isn’t me. I don’t know why my wolf is suddenly so vicious. It’s not like us to be violent. Maybe it’s our protective instincts kicking in.
I think back to what happened at the academy the only day we were there with Jahla. The boy that I slammed against the way. I feel no shame in what I did, but I know it was a little over the top. My reactions to those I feel wrong my mate are… violent. Can you blame me, though? She’s my fucking mate. The love of my life. My one and only fate. She means the world to me, and males are extremely protective of their mate’s life and happiness.
Everyone has a switch, and mine just so happens to be flipped right now.
Chapter 12
Jahla
I’ve been down here for hours by myself, and I’m ashamed to say that I’m actually getting nervous.
At first, I was like, whatever. He’ll leave me here, and I’ll just take a nap or something. It’ll only be a couple of hours, you know?
Wrong!
The asshole left me hanging here for what I can only assume has been the entirety of the fucking day! I couldn’t even take my nap because I didn’t know how uncomfortable it would be to hang from your arms for an extended amount of time.
My arms burn from being pulled at the sockets for so long. My fingers went numb a long time ago, and I’m tired of hearing shit scurry around in the dark. My mouth is so dry, it feels like my tongue is about to disintegrate into dust.
I’m about to say fuck it when I hear the cabin door open and close upstairs. I listen hard to see if he’s alone, and sigh in relief when I only hear one set of footsteps above me. A few seconds later, the basement door opens, and the kind of douchebags walks down the steps. He flips the light on, and I have to blink a few times before my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness.
“Wakey, wakey! Time for some fun,” he says as he walks straight to the table set up against the wall. I stay quiet as I just watch him. I try to keep my heart rate normal, but I feel it speed up in anticipation.
I don’t know if I should show strength or weakness right now. If I appear weak, he may go easy on me. Well, maybe not. They used to get off on my pain when they’d beat me, especially Benson.
If I show strength, it might make him angry. Showing him that I’ve change might piss him off because he doesn’t have anything to hold over me anymore. I contemplate what to do as he ponders over what he wants to use on me first.
“You seem to have a little spunk in you now, and I don’t like it. You need a reminder of who your betters are. Can’t have you being disrespectful when I let the pack know that I’ve gotten you back. Dad plans on telling them what you are soon, if he hasn’t already. He has a lot of shit that he needs to tell the pack,” he mumbles under his breath.
That gets my attention, but I contain my gasp of surprise. I thought Alpha Henderson knew that I was the Lunar Child, but I wasn’t sure. To know that Benson is aware makes me want to reach out to the guys.
I resist, just barely.
“I think we’ll start with a little whipping to get us warmed up,” he says as he turns around. He has a coiled leather whip in his right hand. He lets it unfurl as he gets closer, and walks around to stand behind me.
I take a deep breath around the gag still shoved in my mouth, and try to prepare for the pain I know is coming.
“I hate to scar your lovely skin. We were so careful not to cause any scars that could be seen. I couldn’t seem to help myself about the broken bones. It’s something so satisfying the sound of bones snapping beneath your fingertips.”
You sick fuck!
I’m so disgusted that I let my guard down for a split second. Before I can catch myself to fix it, I feel that sting of the whip as it’s cracked across the sensitive skin of my back. I instinctively arch away from the pain, the sound of the whip making it that much worse. I manage to hold in my scream, though. I choose strength.
“Hmm. That’s a nice-looking mark. It’s already welting up. Maybe I won’t flay you open too much. I think I like this for now.”
He whips me over and over again, sometimes drawing a grunt from me. After the first few, I realize that he didn’t keep his word as I feel blood running down my back. I try to keep count, but lose it after about seventeen. I’m sweating now, and I squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. I’ve had pain before, but this is different. I’ve never been whipped, and I make a vow to never let it happen again.
“Yes, I like this very much,” he muses. “Okay, moving on.”
He walks back to the table, and replaces the bloodied whip to its original spot. I take several deep breaths, and let my wolf come forward for just a bit while his back is turn. She lends me her strength, and her brief presence is just what I needed to reassure me that I can do this. That I’m not the weakling that I once was.
“I know I said I wouldn’t mark you whip the whip, but I couldn’t help it. I want to hear you scream, and you keep holding it back from me. I think I know what’ll get you going, though. How about a little heat?”
I almost laugh. Yeah, you’re going to be a little pissed at that. Thanks to Denny, I don’t have a reaction to heat. I can’t be burned. There’s very little that can kill me now, but he doesn’t know that. I just sit there as he plugs in what looks to be a wood burner.
Damn, that’s still going to hurt. Those things have sharp ends, and I know that he’s going to dig it into my skin once he realizes that I’m not burning.
I take another deep breath as he turns towards me, shoving my wolf away before he notices my eyes. He walks towards me, and I prepare for another round of bullshit.
The guys need to hurry because I don’t know how many rounds I can take before I pass out.
Chapter 13
Krix
We cross the state border onto Colorado, and I speed up a little. We’re getting closer, and my anxiety climbs. The more miles we put behind us, the stronger the thread of my bond with my angel.
I think it’s safe to open the bond, and let her know we’re close. Remember not to-
Jahla? We’re almost there, sweetheart. Are you okay?
Damn it, Mavrin! I about to lay into him for interrupting me when I feel pain shoot across my back, and along all four of my legs. I know the guys feel it, too because we all yelp and buckle at the same time. The wolves with us skid to a halt, and look at us with concern. Can you blame them? They’re not a part of our bond so they don’t know that we just got hit with all of Jahla’s pain.
Son, what is it? What just happened?
It’s Jahla, Dad. We just opened it back up, I tell him as I pull myself to my feet. We need to hurry. He’s hurting her!
I switch to the bond that I have with Jahla and the guys.
Angel? What’s going on? What’s happening?
Krix? You guys said we would pull away from the bond.
We did, angel. We’re getting closer, so we opened it to let you know.
Don’t change the subject, pixie. Why are you hurting like this? What the hell is he doing to you?
He says he’s- ahhh!
Jahla!
We all mentally yell when we hear her cry out. Right as she yells, we feel the pain that she’s experiencing on our left hind leg. What the fuck is he doing, slicing her open?
Babe, hold on. We just crossed the state border. We’re almost there.
Sweetheart, do you know where he’s holding you?
I think… I think in a cabin. It’s on pack land, but I’ve never seen in. it has to be deep off in the woods, or something. I don’t even think the pack knows about it, so it’s not in the main part where they do their pack runs. I… I don’t think the alpha knows that I’m here.
Okay, we’re coming, angel. Don’t shut us out. We need to know what’s going on.
No, you guys need to concentrate. You’ll only focus on what I’m feeling if we leave it open.
Jahla-
No, Krix. I’m not letting you open it until I lay my eyes on you. Until then, keep it closed. Just hurry your asses up. I love you all.
Before we can argue or say it back, she slams the bond closed. A whine sounds from Cash and Mav, but Den just takes off again. We all jump to follow, now running in a full out sprint. I don’t care how much energy I’m burning right now. I have to get my angel out of there.
He's hurting her, James. We have to get her out of there.
Okay, we should be at their borders in a couple of hours. Where is he keeping her?
She’s in a cabin somewhere in the woods. If we get close enough, we can find her. We just have to get into the territory unscathed.
Not a problem. They don’t have the best security set up. We’ll get in, and you guys lead us wherever we need to go.
Done deal. I’ve never killed anything other than prey, and Benson has landed on that list. I can already taste his blood on my tongue.
Denahi
I don’t give a damn about leaving everyone else behind. Jahla is hurting, and I need to stop her pain.
Every few minutes, I feel a shadow of pain in one of my legs. I know that she tried to shut down the bond, – which hurts like a bitch! – but what she’s feeling is too much for her to contain.
I’m going to kill him so hard!
I don’t even care if that didn’t make sense. I said what I meant, and I meant what I said. The fucker is going to regret every single thing he’s done to her.
I hear the guys catching up behind me. We’re jumping over fallen trees, and breaking through brush. Nothing is going to slow us down.
What was once a couple of hours’ worth of running is cut down into about an hour as we race through forests.
Denahi, you need to wait up!
Fuck that, James! You don’t know how bad he’s hurting her, I send back through the link. He has me fucked up if he thinks I’m about to slow down, and wait on their old asses. My pixie needs me yesterday.
You’re coming up on their border! You have to wait for us so that we can go in properly. If you cause any disruptions, it could make it harder to get to her!
He’s right, Den. We have to wait for them. If he finds out that we’re here, things can go downhill.
I think about what Cash is saying, still charging through the forest at top speed.
Damn it, I grunt just as I skid to a halt. We’re about fifteen minutes from their border, and the tug I feel from Jahla is killing me. It’s stronger than before, and the fact that I can’t keep following it is making me anxious.
Before, there was a haze in my mind when I found out Jahla was missing. I was able to stay somewhat calm. Now? It’s like the closer I get to her, the clearer my mind.
That’s not a good thing, though.
The clearer my mind, the more savage my wolf becomes. He wants blood; vengeance. He wants his mate back where he can protect her. He’s damn near feral with his drive to kill Benson for daring to touch his mate.
This shit is going to be hella bloody.
Chapter 14
Cashel
It doesn’t take long for James and the others to catch up, but it feels like forever. I know that it’s smarter to wait for them, but I want to just charge in like Den.
Okay, I’m sending two of my enforcers in first. You guys are the distraction to draw them away from our point of entry. We’ll follow you boys in after that. Lead us to where she is, but try not to draw attention.
We wait as the chosen two shifters creep their way towards the Lunar Mills Pack’s territory border. After about ten minutes, we hear a howl off in the distance towards the south. It’s couple of miles off, and it’s an alert howl. They must have allowed the Lunar Mills wolves to see them since they can’t smell them.
After another couple of minutes, we hear another howl in the opposite direction. They split the patrol wolves, but it’ll only last for a few more minutes.
Once the pack realizes that they’ve been split, and they’re running in two different directions, they’ll circle back to figure out why.
Well, if they’re smart enough.
Alright, boys. Let’s move.
With that, we head straight into the cleared section of the border. We’re walking on silent paws. I swear, I could’ve been a freaking ninja in a past life with how quiet and stealthy I can be sometimes.
As soon as we get across the line, we all focus on the thread of connection that we have with our beloved mate. I try to remain quiet, and out of sight, but that’s a hard task when you’re a part of a whole group of wolves.
Most packs build communities on pack land that look like those gated communities that humans love so much. The only difference is that they’re not allowed in ours. They’re strictly for our pack members.
Looks like Lunar Mills does it, too.
Unfortunately, that makes it a little harder to hide. We’re skirting around one of the houses when some asshole decides now is the perfect time for him to take out his trash.
Who the fuck takes trash out in the middle of the night?
We would’ve been fine if my dad wasn’t so clumsy. Seriously, how the hell did he get a head beta position? Everyone sees the little hole at the edge of the yard, but you? Un-fucking-believable!
Now, we’re having a staring contest with a shocked Lunar Mills wolf. Everyone is just standing there, frozen.
Uh, guys? Maybe someone should do something before he yells for help…
Adam and Theo, Handle him. Make sure no one is aware of what you’re doing.
Everyone else, let’s keep going.
Before we release ourselves from our frozen state, the two betas move like lightening to knock out the male who had the audacity to spot us. It was his own fault for not taking out the trash at a decent hour.
Procrastination only leads to more problems, people.
We turn to leave just as they start to drag the poor bastard away from the yard, and into the woods around behind the house. Now, we just have to try not to get seen again.
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Something tells me that this is about to be a long trip through town.
Krix
This is dumb. I’m really starting to question James’s thought process right now. Yes, he organized some decent teams, and his planning sounded sound at the time… but this is wrong. It would make more sense to break up into our separate group to move through town.
Why am I saying this all to myself? The faster we move, the faster that I’ll have my angel back in my arms.
I speak up when we all crouch down behind some shrubs at the edge of yet another house.
James? Maybe we should split into groups.
Why? We can’t smell each other to get back together. Splitting up will be dangerous.
James… you can use the pack link the same as we’re using the mate link to find Jahla.
How old is he? Can shifter get senile? Because I think he’s senile. It’s like he’s not using his head at al. all of his thoughts and planning seem to be surface matter. Like, he only thought of the basic scenarios.
Shit, you’re right. Sorry for not thinking of that. Something just doesn’t feel right here, and I can’t put my finger on it.
Sure, I say. I don’t want to get into his mental state here, so I let it go.
Alright, break into your designated groups. Split up, and move around the homes. Try to stay out of lit areas. Everyone, follow the boys.
We split, and each group slowly separates from the main pack. I take my group back the way we came, but circle around the first yard to take me along the edge of the forest that surrounds the community. I know that Luke and Cedric are going to be hard to hide because of their blonde fur, but the rest of us are kind of dark. I thought we were going to meet back up with Theo and Adam, but I guess they just went towards the deeper part of the forest on their own.
We’re almost past all the houses with only a couple more to go when we all freeze again. Around the corner, we hear footsteps followed by laughs and shushing. We move to hide back in the shadows of the house’s shed when four teenage males round the corner.