Page 36 of Bound to Four Alphas

Ronan glanced over at Kaelen, then turned back to Elian with a set jaw.

“Then we shall go to the Marble Halls.”

Chapter 17 - Selena

They had been traveling for two weeks, keeping to the wide paved roads that meandered through the forest. More and more reports were coming in of Silverthorn soldiers following them, setting traps, stalking them on their journey. Ronan had wanted to travel directly through the trees, but given several members of his pack, Kaelen’s dragons, and several Fae wanted to accompany them, it quickly became apparent that a more measured approach was necessary. The wide roads were easier to defend.

It didn’t stop him from spending most of his time in his wolf skin, pacing next to her pretty dappled mare, his eyes permanently fixed on the road ahead, scouting for danger.

Malek too was rarely in his human form as he spent most of his time weaving through the undergrowth, butchering any small nightmares that came sniffing, hunting for any sign of Damien or his soldiers, often coming back with various body parts of soldiers from failed attacks. Kaelen began and ended each day by shifting and patrolling the area for an hour, joining the young alpha dragons he had ordered to constantly keep guard from the skies.

That meant she spent most of the day in conversation with Elian, who rode a beautiful red stallion and seemed utterly unperturbed by the prospect of any danger that might come their way. Instead, he kept her distracted with story after story about the Marble Halls, and Selena found herself eager to see them with her own eyes.

The cut on her lip was gone, as was the bruise, thanks to Elian’s healing powers. But she could still feel it, the phantom ache of the small injury.

“She’s a pretty little thing,” another voice behind her called out, “been a while since I’ve fucked an omega.”

“Hands off,” the man holding her still growled. “Our orders are to transport her unharmed and untouched to the edge of the forest. Besides, she’s already been taken by those filthy shifters, do you really want to sully yourself with such a dirty whore?”

The insult. The voices. The memory of the villagers dragging her into the forest for sacrifice hit her like a wave.

But this time, she wasn’t bound with rope.

She bit down on the hand covering her mouth, her mouth filling with the earthy taste of leather, and the man shrieked and dropped her.

“The little bitch just bit me!”

She didn’t pause. Scrambling to the fireplace, she pulled the iron poker from its stand and whirled around, grasping it with both hands like a sword, waving it from side to side to ward off her attackers.

Five men. Five alpha men, against her. She gritted her teeth. Now wasn’t the time to run the odds. She just had to get out of this room, get downstairs. The door was bolted. But if she was fast, perhaps she could distract them for long enough to—

“Well, well, well.” The man whose hand she had bitten swaggered forwards, his hand on the sword at his side. “Seems like you’ve got spirit after all. Come on now, darling, put it down. You’ll only hurt yourself.”

“Back off,” she snarled, pointing the poker at him.

The man laughed, taking another mocking step closer. She moved back, her skirts brushing against the stone wall. She was cornered.

“Look, sweetheart, this’ll be so much easier if you just—”

She launched forward, bringing the poker in a great sweeping arc above her head and striking the man in the arm. He roared in shock and reared back, but she had but too much force in her swing, the momentum carrying her forward.

“Bitch,” he hissed, grasping the poker with his other arm and wrenching it from her grasp, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter.

They were circling her now, one man coming up behind her, getting closer and closer.

She took her chance. Bolting to the door, she just got her hands on the heavy iron lock when she was yanked backwards, a heavy palm connecting sharply with her mouth and sending her tumbling to the floor with a moan of pain.

“Idiot, I said not to hurt her!”

“She was going to escape!”

“You didn’t need to strike her!”

Selena wobbled to her knees, choking back the tears that threatened to fall. Was this it? After only one week, she was going to be taken from her mates?

Her mates. A long whine escaped her. She wanted her mates. Where were they?

“Come on, we’ve already wasted enough time, get her to the window, and for fuck’s sake, this time don’t—”

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