Page 71 of Run Free

Ruby hugged her. “It’s going to be okay.”

I looked around and realized Clara was nowhere in sight. I walked back into the house, leaving Ruby to deal with a distraught Kate. I found my mate with brow furrowed, working intensely on identifying the poison. I could feel her emotions were shut off and I was in awe of her concentration and precision.

It took her only fifteen minutes to identify the poison and construct the remedy. The second she had the vile in hand she looked up.

“Let’s go!” she said, not even waiting to see if I would follow.

Ruby and Kate were nowhere to be seen. We jumped into the car, Clara taking the wheel. I had to hold on to the Jesus bar as she sped along at a faster pace than should be possible. We were there in no time, my heart practically beating out of my chest. Clara remained cool and confident the entire time.

I ran into the clinic, trying to keep up with her. She was a woman on a mission. As she burst into the room she somehow knew Thomas would be in, two men had Wyatt pinned on the floor and two others had Lily up against the wall looking a little disoriented.

Jedidiah stood over Thomas, giving a final speech to his minions about the new era about to begin. I didn’t hesitate as I swung my leg around and kicked the man in the kidney. He screamed out in pain and dropped the knife he’d been holding above Thomas’s chest. I kicked it under the bed as I tackled the old man.

Jedidiah was a lot stronger than he sounded. I supposed being an ailing Alpha meant he had to be, or else someone in his pack would have taken him down long before now.

I was briefly aware of Clara forcing the liquid she had created into Thomas’s mouth. There was also screaming and footsteps around me, but I was amped up and focused on only one threat. I just prayed no one came near my mate. My wolf and I were in perfect sync, acting as one. It happened often in wolf form, but I had never experienced it in human form before.

I felt invincible. When someone attacked me from the back, piercing my side, I felt a slight sting before tossing him off me like I would a flea. It gave Jedidiah just enough time to move away from me, but he was trapped and cowered in the corner as I stalked close.

The commotion around us came to a halt. I thought it was because of me as I continued towards my cornered prey, but someone jumped in front of me with commanding authority. I hesitated only a moment, but it was long enough for the man to attack.

Clara called my name and I checked up again to ensure my mate was safe. It was just long enough for the stranger to attack Jedidiah. I heard the snap of his neck as his high-pitched screams still pierced the room before going entirely quiet. The only sound was the beeping of the machines monitoring Thomas.

The stranger turned to the men still holding Lily and Wyatt. “I am Luke Larken of the Larken wolves. I’ve fairly fought and defeated the Alpha, and assume his position. Step up now if you wish to challenge my authority, otherwise let them go and get the hell out of Collier territory now. I’ll deal with the lot of you when I get home.”

The others quaked in their boots, released their holds, and ran out of the room as fast as they could.

Luke turned to Thomas. “Are you okay?”

Thomas grinned. “I’ve been through worse.”

“I’m sorry,” Luke said. “I never wanted this to happen. I tried to warn Lizzie, but the information they gave me was incorrect. This wasn’t supposed to be the plan.”

“It was, actually. The stuff you told Elizabeth was a setup. . . for you. Jedidiah wanted to see if you were faithful to him, though we have no idea why he would tell you tomorrow if he was planning to attack tonight.”

“Who are you?” Luke asked.

“Luke, this is Clara’s mate, Gage. He got lost and stumbled into your territory, overheard everything. We’ve tried to plan for it as best we could,” Thomas said.

“You should have stuck with the plan!” Clara said. “You came entirely too close this time, Thomas.”

“She’s right. And you lied to me,” Lily said. I saw the Alpha cringe.

“We thought it would be for the best. How was I supposed to know they’d come in so strong and with so many? We thought Wyatt could take Jedidiah, but not him plus four of his wolves.”

“Sorry, Lily. It was all my idea,” Wyatt said. “Yes, we should have stuck to the plan. I already called the boys in to clean up this mess. Shouldn’t have let those Larkens get away so easily.”

“I’ll handle them,” Luke assured us. “I better get back to my pack, but I promise you things are going to change over there now that I’m in charge.”

“Watch your back, Jedidiah named Tamir his successor. Something tells me he won’t submit easily,” I warned the new Alpha.

Clara and Lily continued to fuss over Thomas as Wyatt’s friends arrived and started cleaning up the mess. The Alpha was put on lockdown and only family and close friends on an approved list were allowed to visit.

It was well after midnight before I finally convinced Clara to let me take her home. She could barely keep her eyes open, and then she fell asleep in the car. Once we arrived, I carefully lifted her out and carried her all the way into the house and to bed. For once I was thankful for the unlocked door, since she never even stirred. I even managed to lock it, despite carrying my precious angel.

The next day was a whirlwind. We finally got around to picking up some groceries and the buzz about Thomas was in full swing. We made a quick stop to see him in the hospital and the nurses told us he’d be home in time for the Pack meeting, thanks to Clara’s antidote.

I was torn as to whether I should attend the meeting or not. I mean, I wasn’t technically part of Collier Pack, only visiting, but my mate was, so where did that leave us? In the end, Lily called and demanded we both attend.

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