Page 45 of Whisper of an Alpha
As we make our way to the door, the sound grows louder, footsteps echoing in the silence. “Hurry!”
I push her ahead of me, adrenaline driving every action. We reach the stairs, and I glance back, my wolf rising within me, ready to fight if necessary.
But as we descend, the door bursts open, and Rachel stands there, her blue eyes wild and filled with madness. “No! You can’t take her!”
I step in front of Octavia, my body tensing as I prepare for a confrontation. “Stay back, Rachel. This is your only warning.”
“Warning?” She laughs, a sound that sends chills down my spine. “You think you can stop me? She took you from me!”
“No,” I growl, my voice low and steady. “She’smine.”
In an instant, Rachel drops the ax letting it clang to the floor, lunges at me, and I react without thinking. The fight that ensues is chaotic, the two of us grappling as Octavia watches in horror.
“Wyatt, be careful!” she cries, her voice laced with fear.
I push Rachel back, my strength overwhelming as I pin her against the wall. “You’re done, Rachel. Let her go.”
But Rachel’s eyes flash with her wolf in desperation, and I can see the madness swirling within her. “You don’t understand! She took everything from me! You’re mine, Wyatt! You always were!”
“No,” I snarl, my grip tightening. “You’re sick. You need help.”
In that moment, I see the truth in her eyes — she’s lost, trapped in her own delusions. But I can’t let that matter now. I can’t let her hurt Octavia.
With a final push, I shove Rachel to the ground, and she falls in a heap, the fight leaving her as she stares up at me in disbelief. “You’ll regret this,” she whispers, her voice trembling.
But I don’t care. I turn to Octavia, who stands frozen, tears glistening in her eyes. “Are you okay?” I ask, my heart racing.
“I think so, but my leg still really hurts. I’m not healing like I should be,” she replies, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Let’s get out of here. Dalton, Harrison, bind Rachel with whatever you can find.”
We rush past Rachel, my heart pounding as I guide Octavia down the stairs. I can’t look back. I can’t let her see the pain in my eyes. I can’t let her know how close I came to losing everything.
As we burst out of the cabin and into the fading light of day, I can feel the weight of the world lifting just slightly. We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re free from the nightmare that threatened to consume us.
“Wyatt, I—” Octavia starts, but I silence her with a finger to her lips.
“Not now,” I say, taking her hand in mine. “We’ll talk about everything later. Right now, we need to get back to the pack.”
I bend and swoop her into a bridal carry and run through the trees, the weight of our pasts trailing behind us like shadows. I can feel her warmth seep into me, a beacon of hope in the fading light. I won’t let anything come between us again.
As we reach the car, I glance back at the cabin, a sense of finality settling in my chest. Rachel may have tried to tear us apart, but she’ll never succeed.
“Let’s go home,” I say, my voice steady as I help Octavia into the passenger seat.
And as I slide behind the wheel, I know one thing for certain: I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my Luna. No matter the cost.
24
HOME SWEET HOME
Octavia
A warm goldenlight that dances through the sheer curtains at the window, illuminating the room where I lay nestled against Wyatt. My eyelids flutter open, and I’m met with the sight of his emerald gaze, intense and unwavering, filled with a tenderness that makes my heart swell. “You’re safe now, mate,” he whispers, and his voice wraps around me like a soothing balm, washing away the remnants of fear that had clung to me what felt like moments ago.
The mate bond surges to life within me, a powerful force that ignites an all-consuming warmth, chasing away the shadows that had threatened to tear us apart. I can feel it weaving our souls together, stitching up the wounds inflicted by the chaos of the last few days. “Wyatt,” I breathe, reaching for him, and in an instant, he is there, our lips crashing together in a passionate embrace. His kiss is my sanctuary, a promise that everything will be alright.
But as I pull back, a small grimace crosses my face. The split on my lip stings, a reminder of the ordeal I’ve just survived. Weare whole again, two souls intertwined in a bond that can never be broken, yet the echoes of pain linger like shadows in the corners of my mind.
