Page 46 of Alpha Scorned

Panting and holding Owen’s gaze, I ran close. No way were these fuckers getting up again. Quickly, I stabbed my knife through the hearts of the vampires. Nothing happened but I wasn’t sure if they were supposed to explode like in films, or what.

Beside me, Owen fell to his knees, his hand grasping my wrist. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

I dropped to my knees in front of him, catching him as he sagged against me. I had no hope of holding him up for any length of time, but I’d try for as long as possible. His skin was ice cold, his face swollen and bruised.

“I came to help you.”

He huffed a chuckle. “Yeah? Well, you did. Now you have to go.”

“What? No. I can’t…”

“You...haftooo.” His head fell to my shoulder.

“No. No. Shit. Owen. Please, you have to wake up!” My breath came in quick pants, ice gripping my heart. I couldn’t leave him here.

“Caaan’t,” he slurred. “Go...Devon…I...tooo drugged. Use...your...wolf. Run...” He lifted his arms and gripped my face in his hands. His wolf shone through, its beautiful eyes fierce, yet full of anger and frustration. Owen couldn’t shift while drugged with tranquilizers. He was right, he’d never make it back in time to help Devon. My heart plummeted. Neither would I. The quad bike was full of holes, and I couldn’t shift.

“Look. At. Me.” Owen’s voice was gruffer than ever, his eyes bright yellow, though his lids were drooping. I was helpless to resist the demand in that voice. His wolf. I let myself fall into his powerful gaze. Deep inside my soul, my wolf whined.

“Don’t be. Scaaared,” Owen whispered. “Come to usss. Help. Usss.” His power tugged at my chest, my wolf unfurling and rising. I could still feel her reticence, her fear, especially as she scented blood in the air, but she wanted this more. She wanted to trust our mate. My heart,herheart beat faster as she responded to her soulmate’s call—and scented his blood. A snarl curled my lip in response.

“Help. Your human…” Owen’s wolf demanded before he collapsed, unconscious on the ground.

I howled at the top of my lungs, tugging on my wolf, but she couldn’t respond. It had been so long since I’d shifted that my body didn’t remember what to do. She whined, agreeing to lend me some of her strength, just as her mate had asked. I silently thanked her and felt a pulse of warmth in return. She didn’t fully trust me, but she was willing to help me. It was better than nothing, and she was the only chance I had to save my son. I’d worry about how Owen knew she was hiding inside me later. At that moment, all I needed to do was make sure my mate was as safe as possible and get back to my son.

Blood dribbled from Owen’s mouth. Anger lashed through me, my fists curling. I wanted to hurt those who had done this to him. His torso, as well as his face, was covered in bruises. He had to have broken bones, too. I could only hope that his wolf would help him recover quickly from the tranqs and heal him from his injuries.

I cursed under my breath as I pulled the darts from his flesh. I couldn’t get him into the cabin. My wolf’s strength wasn’t enough to drag his massive body that far. No matter how tall and strong I was, he was taller and far heavier. Hating that I had to leave him, I grabbed my coat from the ground and covered him. It was a pathetic effort to keep him warm, and I could only hope his wolf was still able to protect him from the cold, even if his body wasn’t functioning.

“Owen? Owen?” I shook him hard. There was a slight groan, and his eyelids fluttered.

“Go…” he hissed, his eyes closing.

I nodded, my eyes burning with tears. Carefully avoiding any cuts and bruises, I leaned forward, kissing his forehead. “I love you,” I whispered, wishing I’d told him that before he’d left. Tears fell down my cheeks as I sprinted away from my mate. It didn’t matter that I had no choice, leaving him shattered my heart.

Forcing my worry and guilt away, I tugged on my wolf. She responded immediately, but even at this speed, I had a three-hour run. My arms pumped and my lungs burned. I didn’t care how exhausted my body was, I’d make it back to Devon before those sons-of-bitches got there, or I’d die trying. No one was getting my son. Then I’d return for my mate and never leave his side again.

Chapter 15

Owen.

Pain shotfrom my wrists down to my shoulders, which ached and burned. I groaned but didn’t open my eyes. I didn’t need to. Awareness was a mean assed son-of-a-bitch. It meant I realised I was hanging from the ceiling by the bonds fixed around my wrists, and that I remembered everything that had happened near the guard hut. To try and support my weight better, I fixed the soles of my feet on the cold hard floor and straightened my knees, yanking against the chains that held me in place.

“It won’t make any difference,” said a familiar voice, with an Irish lilt.

Drugs made my thoughts muddy and my eyelids didn’t want to open but I forced them. Shane regarded me with a small smile but no amusement in his eyes. He was thin, pale and bruised. Our captors hadn’t killed him, but they clearly enjoyed using him as a punch bag. I blinked trying not to react to the bite marks on his neck and body.

“It ain’t pretty, is it?” he asked darkly. “Those fuckers are using me and two of my alphas as a blood bank. I don’t think that’s what they have in mind for you though.”

I straightened as much as I could and tried rolling my shoulders and neck to loosen the burning aches in my joints. Thankfully I could feel that my broken ribs and bruises were healing. My wolf growled. He wasn’t able to push through the drug haze yet, but he was getting there enough that he’d begun healing my body.

Thank you, my friend.

He grunted in acknowledgement.You sent our mate for her son?I asked.He huffed his agreement and showed me how he’d encouraged Lina’s wolf to step forward to help her. Gratitude rushed through me.I was right? Her wolf had abandoned her?

He rumbled his agreement. My heart beat faster when I remembered what Lina had done. She’d saved me, but neither of us had suspected I’d end up right where they wanted me to be; that there were more of them who’d come back for me. That meant they had large resources, or they wouldn’t have enough men to attack a town, and have another team to retrieve me and bring me to wherever we were now.

“No, they have death in mind for me.” I answered Shane's question while looking around our small prison.

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