Page 52 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
Marcus glanced over his shoulder. “Time’s up. Go.”
Dominic pulled Luna toward the gap in the fence.
She faltered in her steps, turning back to face Marcus. “Thank you,” she whispered softly.
He gave a single nod before vanishing into the darkness once more.
First, they had to go through the fence. Dominic held the chain link wide enough to allow Luna to pass through without getting her garments caught. Once across, they found themselves in the thick woodland that encircled the facility.
Dominic led her over fallen logs and through prickly underbrush with the assurance of someone who knew these woods well. His hand remained clasped around hers.
Luna’s thoughts kept returning to the other witches who had been taken prisoner, taken from their homes to participate in some evil ceremony—women like her. At last, when her voice could almost be heard above the crunch of pine needles under their boots, she murmured, “We can’t just leave them.”
Dominic didn’t slow down. “We won’t abandon them. We must first save ourselves. We wait even a minute longer…” he trailed off before adding, “You think I don’t give a damn, don’t you? That I am unaware of the stakes?”
“That’s not what I said.”
He turned to her and stopped suddenly. His features were severe, with sharp angles and shadows in the filtered moonlight that streamed through the canopy. “Then what are you saying?”
Luna met his gaze unflinchingly “That I can help. That we have a responsibility to those women.”
“And we will help them. But not tonight. Not like this.” His voice softened. “You nearly died back there, Luna.”
“So did you,” she countered.
He gave her a small smile. “I’ve nearly died many times. It’s part of the job,” Dominic continued quietly. “I promise we will come back for them.”
What if we’re too late?
Chapter 13 - Dominic
Dominic bristled as he led Luna through the maze of old pines, his chest brewing with irritation.
Why was she unable to let it go?
His senses were on alert for any hint of unfamiliar scent, his ears attentive to every crack of a twig.
“We can’t just leave them there,” Luna said again, breaking the tense silence that had grown between them. “They’re just like me. Hunted. Trapped.”
Dominic didn’t slow his pace. “The rendezvous point is just beyond that ridge. The car Adrian promised will be waiting.”
“Did you hear what I said?” Luna’s voice raised sharply, making him flinch. His wolf growled back, not in rage, but in exasperation.
“Lower your voice,” he said, his tone harsh. “Xavier’s men could be anywhere.”
“I don’t care.” She grasped his arm, pressing her fingers into his bicep with surprising force. “I want us to go back for them, they’re my people.”
Dominic paused, then abruptly swung around to face her. “Your people?” he growled. “You’ve lived in isolation for six years, Luna. You barely know who you are, I don’t think you have people.”
Her chin jutted upward defiantly. “My magic is growing stronger. I can feel it. I don’t need to know everything to help them!” Luna’s voice cracked. “They’re being gathered for something terrible. I can feel it.”
This stubborn woman!
Dominic sighed. “And you think charging back in there half-cocked is going to help anyone? You’ll get yourself killed, and probably me along with you.”
“Since when does mighty Alpha Blackwood care about dying?” she spat.
The words hit their mark, piercing through the remnants of his armor. But he had an answer for her.
