Page 56 of Alpha Scorned

My chest ached so fiercely, it was hard to breathe. “She shifted...her wolf?”

Rawson gave me a small smile. “She did.” He stepped even closer. “That was why she walked away wasn’t it? She couldn’t connect with her wolf?”

I swallowed the ache in my throat. I nodded.

“Then do what your Prime has ordered. Bring them back together, brother. Fight for her.”

I nodded as Rawson clapped me on the back then walked away to speak to Connor and Balthazar, who still held his prisoner with a hand inside his chest cavity as though it was a perfectly normal occurrence.

“Good luck, brother,” said Stone, nodding before he stepped away. I glanced at Lionel who walked forward with a girl cradled in his arms. Becca. I couldn’t think about Lina’s friend right then, all I wanted was to get Lina to somewhere private where my wolf and I could give her our strength, and enough blood to heal her.

Zander greeted Connor, but walked past him straight to me. “You need to concentrate on your mate. Devon?” Devon looked up from where he stood protectively in front of Lina. Zander held out his hand. “Why don’t you come with me while Owen helps your Momma?”

Devon’s gaze bounced from me to Zander to Lina and back again. It was clear to see he didn't want to leave her. Gods, the things the poor boy had seen today. It was a wonder he wasn’t utterly broken. I swept him up in my arms, pushing aside my anxiety to get Lina someplace safe. “Dev, your Momma is really sick. I can make her better if I can be with her by myself for a while. I promise I’ll do everything I can. But I need you to go with Zander for a while. Will you do that?”

Devon placed his blood crusted hands on either side of my face, studying my eyes before he nodded. “‘Kay.” His little mouth turned down and his bottom lip wobbled as he looked down at Lina and the blood still seeping from her wounds. I kissed his forehead and held him tightly, aching for his loss of innocence. The violence of our world had found him, and there was nothing I could do to change that. “I’ll come and get you as soon as she’s a bit better, I promise.” He nodded and pulled back, twisting to look at Zander. “I walk with you. If any more monsters come, they not hurt anyone else. I kill them.”

Once again I wondered about the blood that covered him. Zander’s gaze met mine, and he tilted his head.

“Later,” I said, answering his unspoken question. “If you want to find out then, that’s fine, but right now Lina is my priority. I’m taking her to her house. If you want to come with us and get a change of clothes for Devon, that's okay, too.” I cracked my neck, the low burn of lust and need building in my belly with the knowledge of what I needed to do to save my mate.

“It’s okay,” Becca said weakly. “Zander, I have stuff at my place for him. You can bring him there.” She was standing next to Lionel, pale and with a large wad of gauze on one side of her neck, but she was alive.

I nodded my thanks, but looked back at Lina, all my focus homing in on her.

Bending down, I scooped Lina into my arms, hating that her skin was so cold and slippery with blood. Careful not to jar her too much, I pushed my wolf to connect with his mate.

You helped her before. She needs you to help her again. If we can’t reconnect them then both of us will lose our mates.

Chapter 20

Selina

Pain shredded me,tearing down my spine. A scream ripped from my throat. Even though I knew I was dying, I sensed Owen was there, that I was in his arms, surrounded by his scent. It was the only thing that kept me fighting back to the surface, but no matter how hard I tried, my brain kept throwing me back into oblivion. Except it wasn’t really oblivion, it was a place of nightmares. My memories came back, a storm of agony and humiliation that crashed over me, breaking through the walls I had erected, and there was nothing I could do to hold them back.

Things I’d deliberately not thought about for so long sent a bone deep fear crawling inside me. They came, just as I’d feared. The demons, touching me, their nails scoring my skin. I fought so hard, screaming for my wolf to help me. And just like last time, desperation stole my reason. It was too late when I realised that was what they wanted. I clawed at the silver collar around my neck, calling for her to stop them, when suddenly they released it. And she burst through. I thrashed, realising what I had done, but the demons just laughed. They wanted to break me, and destroy my wolf. Her howl shredded my heart as she was bitten, her flesh torn from her bones, only to heal and be ripped apart again. I cried and screamed, telling her how sorry I was, begging her to forgive me...

Lina! Lina! Come back.

I whimpered, wanting to run to that voice, but I couldn’t move. I was being held down as my skin was carved open.My baby, my beautiful son…I sobbed as his cry filled my ears, and I fought, fought the bastards that took everything from me.

“Lina! Wake up. Please, baby, it’s okay. You’re okay…”

I lashed out, only half aware when my fists thudded into my target. The demon humphed. I kicked out, clawing to break their hold on me.

“Lina? Come on, sweetheart. Wake up!”

My body shook.

“Owen?” I croaked. With every moment of increasing awareness, pain shot down my neck and spine. “Gods, ithurts!”I could feel my consciousness slipping again, so I fought, desperate to stay in the here and now.

“Baby? Kerores? Open your eyes for me.”

I knew that deep voice, grasped it as it washed over me, granting me strength and purpose. Owen. My mate. Getting back to him was all I wanted, so gripping onto Owen’s presence with everything I had, I forced away the pain and the darkness and instead, I searched for other memories; good ones like the day I’d fought to escape the prison alongside Ember, and a magnificent wolf had allowed me to ride his back to safety. It was my beautiful Owen who had carried me to freedom that day. And, to keep me from dying of hypothermia, he had cradled me next to his naked skin to keep me warm. Over the coming months, no matter how hard I pushed him away, he was always there for my baby and me. He’d even named Devon, spent so much time cradling him and soothing him, promising he would always be there for him… Emotion squeezed my chest. Owen was beautiful inside and out, and I’d succeeded in pushing him away. No more. Owen was the only person who’d ever made me feel true happiness. He was the one who made me feel safe and whole, who had always tried to do the right thing by me. He loved me. My heart lurched even though I was between awareness and loss of consciousness, and I held onto that knowledge tightly.

“Lina? Lina? Open your eyes, baby. Come on.” A calloused hand gently brushed my hair back from my face. Agony still burned down my spine, but I was becoming more aware of my surroundings now. Under my cheek was a softness, and a familiar scent. My bed. I forced my brain to function and inhaled, hoping I wasn’t mistaken. “Owen?” My voice was just a croak.

“Yes, it’s me, love. Can you open your eyes?”

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