Page 6 of Wild Fated

Kael ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear in the way his shoulders tightened. "Last time I saw him, he was already slipping,” he muttered to the others. “More wolf than man. I don't know what the alphas did to him, but they might’ve pushed him over the edge.”

I tried again to push myself from the floor, and when I dropped, the concrete bit into my jaw. Kael’s voice kept coming,calm and patient. “We’re going to help you, Destin. Just stay with me. Trust me.” He made himself small—hand visible, shoulders relaxed—but it grated against my nerves.

Then the light changed, andshestepped into view. The second she-wolf. Her scent swirled through the bars in my cell. My eyes snapped to her, and something inside me stilled. It was like falling into cold water, a jolt that froze my thoughts mid-motion. My paws rooted to the stone floor, muscles locking as I stared. Everything around me blurred for a second, narrowing to just her.

She stepped forward, her gaze flickering between me and Kael, confusion mixed with unease. Kael watched me, his dark eyes boring into me, noting the change in my demeanor. “Don’t even think about it,” he hissed. His jaw clenched as he put out a hand to stop her from moving any closer to my cell.

The woman cleared her throat. "How do we get him out of there?"

“I’m not touching this door until he pulls himself together.”

She glanced over her shoulder, and the other woman appeared. Kael’s mate.Kael had a mate.That thought sent warmth flickering for a brief moment within me.

“He’s not going to do anything. Look at him.” The first woman glanced at me, then dropped her eyes to the floor. “He can’t even lift his own weight.”

Kael scoffed. “Yeah. Don’t underestimate him.”

Kael ran his hand over the door’s edge, tracing the heavy bolts securing it in place. “It’s reinforced. They weren’t playing around.” He glanced at his mate, who stood beside him, her brows furrowed. “We should check for keys.”

The other woman in black—it wasn’t only her hair, she was clothed in it—nodded, already scanning the walls. I tracked her carefully, curiosity biting at the edges of my mind.

Kael’s mate sifted through a metal box mounted on the wall, her fingers brushing over loose tools and random junk. She shook her head. “Nothing here.”

The other woman crouched near the far wall, running her hands along a row of hooks and shelves cluttered with old equipment. “Got something.” She held up a small ring of keys. They jingled softly, the sound echoing off the concrete walls.

Kael stepped toward her and took them. “Let’s see if one of these damn things works.” He tried the first key, sliding it into the lock. It turned halfway before jamming. He cursed under his breath and moved to the next. The woman in black stayed beside him, her sharp gaze darting between the lock and the hallway.

“No good,” Kael muttered, tossing the keys aside with a frustrated growl. “We’ll have to break it.”

He grabbed a crowbar, wedging it into the frame. The metal groaned, giving slightly under the pressure. Kael grunted, but the lock didn’t budge. The door fought back, stubborn as hell, and the grinding of metal on metal made my ears twitch. “This isn’t going to work,” Kael growled.

I stayed where I was, watching them through narrowed eyes. Then the woman in black stepped away, and a low whine left my muzzle without permission. Kael’s nostrils flared.

“Umm, how about this?” The woman stalked across the room like she owned the place, her boots soft against the concrete. She stopped in the corner, crouched, and dragged out a heavy, portable hydraulic jack.

Kael’s mate gave a skeptical snort. “What is that?”

The woman grinned, setting the jack down near the door. “This is a jack. I knew there was a reason I took shop.” She adjusted the arms with ease, sliding the jack into place beneath the doorframe as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Kael pulled his hand from his pocket. “I can?—”

“I’ve got this.” She flicked his hand away. “This little beast can lift a truck. A door’s nothing.”

That flicker of warmth flared to life within me. She didn’t listen to him. She knew how to work a damn jack.

The woman grabbed the handle and began pumping, the arms extending slowly, inch by inch, pushing against the steel. The door groaned under the pressure, and the lock pulled tight, then twisted, straining against the moving pieces it was connected to. The metal frame shifted, and then the lock shattered with an abrasive snap.

She twisted the valve, folding the jack’s arms neatly as they released. Kael pushed his mate behind him and forced the now-jammed door open. He stepped back, breathing hard, his gaze fixed on me. “Come on. And if you make one wrong move, I’ll put you right back in there.”

The door stood open, but my body refused to move. Every second of hunger, every ache and bruise, dragged me down. My paws scraped weakly against the concrete as I tried to lift myself, but the weight of exhaustion pinned me to the ground like chains.

Kael stood by the door, his patience like a storm about to break. “Come on, Destin. We don’t have all night.”

I pushed again, harder this time, my legs trembling under the effort. My claws scraped uselessly against the cold floor, and the room swayed around me. I hated this—hated being weak, hated having them see me like this. I snarled at the indignity, but there was nothing left to give.

Kael stepped forward, and his mate moved closer. Kael’s expression hardened, his jaw clenching. “Stay back,” he said, his voice a low warning. She stopped, tension radiating off her, but she obeyed.

The woman in black stood off to the side, arms crossed, her sharp gaze tracking my every movement. Watching me with pity.

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