Page 134 of Choose the Bears

“Run…” I gasped. “Run!”

A shove from me was enough to get Mary moving, all her previous feelings of self sacrifice dissipating as she faced her abuser again. She turned tail and ran, and I was glad to see it, right before I was jerked closer.

Phil stank of beer, piss, and a body long unwashed. If that wasn’t enough to have my gorge rising, there was his face. He leered down at me, his eyes sliding across my body.

“Well, well, look at what we have here.”

“Get the fuck in the car!” Mike snapped. “We’ve got company, and lots of it!”

Phil and I were galvanised into action, him trying to haul me closer to the car, me pulling with all my might against my aching wrist, my teeth sinking into my lips.

No.

No, no…

NO.

Imogen, stop?—

Don’t—

Their voices were a dread chorus inside my head, commanding me to stay right where I was, and I tried, I really fucking tried. Because now it was me starring in those videos, my likeness shared across the dark web long after I’d taken my last breath. I fought for me, for them, for us, and the place we were building together, but it just wasn’t enough. Phil’s ham-like fist crashed into my face, and my head jerked back with a sickening snap, right as everything went black.

Come find me…

That was my last thought, a tiny little plea sent out as unconsciousness claimed me.

Chapter 69

Lucas

I was up and out of my seat the first time Imogen’s mind touched mine, but something in the cameras caught my eye. Movement out the back of the building, by the fire exit…

Phil’s here!she shouted, as if right in my ear.Here’s here and he’s trying to take…

Mary, I knew that as sure as I knew my pulse had started to thunder. Like so many of these fucks, they would do anything to get their claws back into their victims, knowing that these women, these children were psychologically vulnerable in a way only they could manipulate. Somehow Phil had got to his estranged wife, convincing her that she needed to come to him, lest he…

None of that mattered as I watched the screen, momentarily paralysed as I saw my girl go running towards the prick.

No, I thought, shaking my head over and over. Where the fuck was Kyle? But all conscious thought left me when Mary was shoved back and he…

Claws shot out so fast my fingers ached, and the seams of my shirt stretched, then popped, as I strode from the room. The bearand I raced towards the front of the building, only to find Kyle and Asher doing the exact same thing.

“Where the fuck…?”

My question for Kyle died in my throat as I saw it. Phil had his fucking hands on my mate, right when I promised he would never get within ten feet of her. His fingers closed down over the bruises he’d left before, and her breath sucked in as he wrenched her forward, and then his fist was raised. A roar that came from the depths of my soul erupted, echoing out into every corner of the foyer, only to be met by others from the outside. The shutters rolled up too damn slowly, right as I heard those fatal words.

Come find me…

He had her. He had Imogen.

I stared at Kyle and Asher, seeing the same stricken expressions as we came running out to find that chaos reigned.

Half the bear community was massed outside and more besides. Contractors and dads stood side by side with fucking wolf shifter bikers, and Rey and his crew rolled up in their sleek black car seconds later.

None of that mattered.

“The police are coming.”

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