Page 3 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

Blinking hard, I forced my head to raise with the last few ounces of energy I had left and turned my eyes toward a man whose face was framed in the window.

“Open the door,” the man ordered. He had dark hair and gray eyes and reminded me of Cora’s alpha, Bain. Could this possibly be the brother, Enzo?

I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision and thoughts, but finally lifted a hand to hit the button to unlock all the doors.

My side was yanked open, then a man with pretty green eyes lowered in front of me, his hand cupping the back of my neck before smoothing it over the back of my head.

“Is anything broken?”

“What?” I asked.Was anything broken? Anything like what?

“Can you tell me if anything’s broken? Do you have a headache? Any dizziness?”

I continued to stare at him as I tried to make heads or tails of what he was asking me. That wasn’t important. None of that was important. I had to find Cora. Had to warn her.

My hands felt like they were made of rubber as I tried to push him out of the way and climb from the driver’s seat but tripped over my feet. Or the ground. Or maybe it was the air that threw me off balance.

The man with the pretty green eyes, the one who kept touching me and asking me questions, lifted me from the ground. I swayed, my head rolling against his chest as he carried me.

“Call Bain,” he ordered.

“Can you tell us why you’re here? Who hurt you, Isabelle?” the one I thought might be Bain’s brother asked me, his tone far gentler than any I’d heard from an alpha, especially one who was supposed to be the enemy of my family.

“Corazon,” I managed to groan out.

“She’s not here,” Cyrus said. “Call a doctor. Is Henderson still working for Bain?”

A doctor? Were they calling a doctor for me? And who was Henderson?

“No idea. And Bain’s not answering his phone.”

“I’ll contact the doctor,” another man said. A door opened then closed.

I was set on a soft surface; I assumed a couch. Feet thundered against the floor, then someone was thrusting a glass of water into my hand and said, “Here.”

A wet cloth was dabbed at my face, pulling a hiss from between my teeth when the cloth irritated a cut there.

“Tell Corazon,” I managed to push out as I wrapped my hand around the wrist belonging to the person tending to my wounds.

His brows lowered and he looked from me to the guy standing over us then back again.

“What do you want me to tell her? You want her to know you’re here?”

I shook my head, trying to remember what exactly my sister needed to know. “Not mom.” The words came out slurred.

My eyes refused to focus, my lids constantly lowering as sleep or unconsciousness beckoned me forward. Sleep sounded so good right now.

“Not mom. Notyourmom?” the pretty eyed alpha asked, cupping my face in both of his big, warm hands. He was definitely an alpha, but I’d never seen one be so gentle, especially not with a beta.

My lips felt numb as I said, “She’s lying. Mom…my mom. Tell Corazon.”

“Your mom is with Corazon today. Did you want us to call her?”

Panic gripped me as I tried to focus on the man hovering over me. “Stop her. Tell Corazon. Mom…the baby.” Why did my words sound so slurred? “She’ll hurt Cora.”

And the last of my energy depleted. I heard the men muttering around me, heard them making orders, hopefully calling Cora or her alphas.

But blackness swallowed me into the abyss. And before the last of reality faded away, my final plea was that I wouldn’t wake up.

---