Page 217 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

CHAPTER 74

WESLEY

“Where are you? What happened?” I asked Reid through the mindlink as I rushed out of the cells with Haven’s hand gripped in mine, Nolan right behind us.

Sebastian was in front of us, using a speed I hadn’t seen him use since that day almost twelve years ago when he pushed me to race him. Our dad was ahead of us too, his pace faster than I’d seen him run in years.

With a squeeze of my hand, Haven let go of me and pushed me forward. “Go. Go make sure she’s safe. I will catch up.”

I gave her a grateful look and then took off after my dad and brother, still waiting for Reid’s response.

But Reid didn’t even need to answer my mindlink because he wasn’t far from the cells. He stood at the edge of a training field, his eyes fixated on a point in the center where Pierce stood with Maddie. Pierce had his arms around her with his claws extended and aimed at her throat.

Reid’s entire body was tense, on edge, as he stared out at Pierce and Maddie. Sebastian stopped next to him with our dad, and I came to his other side. She stood as still as a statue, her breathing deep and even.

The only hint she gave that something was wrong was in her eyes. She locked them onto Reid’s, and I glanced at him, noticing how he was hardly blinking as he kept eye contact with her.

“Why isn’t she escaping? She could easily get out of that hold,” Sebastian muttered.

“I don’t know,” Reid answered, his eyes never leaving Maddie’s. “She rushed at him, preparing to shift and attack, but something blocked her shift and weakened her.”

“Why was she even here?” I asked.

Reid swallowed and closed his eyes for just a moment. “I asked her to bring me some snacks,” he mumbled. “And then that fucking douchebag showed up out of nowhere,” he added, opening his eyes.

“It’s not your fault,” I said as Haven’s hand slipped into mine. “The king is here. He can command him to let her go.”

Reid nodded but said nothing else. I looked down at Haven, her eyes wide as she scanned the scene before us. Her worry showed on her face, and I could feel it flowing through our bond.

I put my arm around her shoulder and tucked her into my body. “She’ll be okay, Sugar Plum.”

“Timothy Pierce!” King Malachi’s voice boomed out over the field. “You will retract your claws and release the girl, alive and unharmed. You will let her return to her family, and you will come with us willingly.”

But Pierce just smiled, displaying his crooked, yellowing teeth. His wild, dilated eyes scanned over all of us until they landed on Haven in my arms. His smile grew creepier when he saw her, his pupils growing even larger and his nostrils flaring.

“You’re even prettier in person, daughter of Selene,” he crooned.

I roared and dropped my arms from Haven’s body, launching myself in his direction. I watched in horror as his grip on Maddie tightened as I moved forward, a drop of blood dripping down her neck from his claws.

But the king and my dad both grabbed me and held me back before I could move forward.

“Patience, young alpha,” King Malachi whispered to me, using a strong but calming version of his aura. “He has a witch hidden somewhere. My men are searching for her, and once they find her, your sister will be safe, and then you can deal with Pierce,” he added under his breath.

My lycan and my body fought against his commands. She was our mate, and we needed to defend her, to eliminate any threat against her. I trembled with rage, wanting nothing more than to tear his eyes and throat out for looking and speaking to Haven that way.

But her soft hands caressed my back, and I relaxed my efforts to escape the king and my father. I needed to focus, needed to use caution, and the patience I had so little of. I needed her to help me control my impulses.

“I’m safe,” she reminded me. “Safe and yours.”

I nodded, stepping backwards to feel more of her touch. I felt the king staring at her, and I knew there was no way to keep her identity a secret from him. Not with how this was all playing out.

“Is she really—?”

“I am,” Haven said.

Keeping her hands on my body, one arm wrapping around my waist, she maneuvered around me until she was face to face with Pierce. Pure disdain flowed out of her every pore. With her pale features, bright red hair, and the coldness in her eyes as she stared down her nose at him, she looked every bit the part of a daughter of a goddess—avenging, cruel, and unforgiving.

“How did you know who I was? How did you find me?” she asked Pierce evenly.

---