Page 35 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
Celeste was innocent this whole time, and I believed in her.
“You don’t have what it takes. You cannot succeed being ethical in the Eastern Province.”
Elijah’s words echoed back to me on the drive, which I realized almost instantly wasn’t headed toward Gideon’s place. We were headed in the direction of Pack Valence’s property. He still thought I didn’t notice, that I had chosen to betray my pack, and my mate, for power.
Elijah wanted to play dirty. So much so that he would betray me, and the whole pack. But we could still win. Good people cancome out ahead, but they had to choose it. And I was ready to choose good. I was choosing Celeste.
So when Elijah was stopped at a light, hiding his nervousness, I’d been ready.
And when he pulled a gun on me, I’d been expecting it.
I’d found it in his jacket after a quick search when he’d stepped out to make the call to Gideon. I knew he always had a weapon on him, but it wasn’t until today that I ever thought he’d use it on me. Now, as he pointed it toward me, the hollow click resounding through the car as he realized I’d emptied the clip, he paled. I could almost see the sympathy in his eyes as he did it - betray his best friend. But that look quickly turned to fear as he realized he was unarmed.
He knew how dangerous it was to be in a confined space with an angry alpha.Especially an alpha whose pack, andmate, had been threatened.
“Oh, Elijah.” I sighed, before grabbing the gun and twisting his arm so hard I could hear the bone crack. Elijah cried out, begging for mercy as I ripped him from his seat, opened the car door and pulled him out with me, shoving him down onto his knees.
“Tell me what you were planning.” I ordered, my entire voice laced with alpha bark.
Elijah knew better than to try to resist. He whimpered, wincing in pain as I twisted both arms behind his back, the broken one now at a bent angle. “I was going to take you to Celeste.” He said, his body trembling as I applied more pressure. How dare he say her name.
“Why? What’s the plan, Elijah?” I yelled, my voice so loud that it boomed within the car.
“T-to end the pack.” He finally said. I felt the pain run through me, shattering my heart even more. Sterling was right. Elijah was planning to take away the people who mattered the most to me.
“A black market team?” I asked, and he just nodded. “When?”
“Before we started the drive.” He answered. I pulled my belt off, tying his arms behind him. I needed to get to my pack, and Celeste, before the unthinkable happened.
Chapter 36
Liam
The text from Dante threw every alpha instinct into high gear.
Elijah compromised. Danger. Get out now!
I knew something bad happened, and my priority was to keep Celeste safe.
“What is it?” Vigo panted, his muscles taut as he sensed the danger.
“Dante said we’re in danger and need to leave now. Celeste is a target.” I said, and before I was even done talking, Vigo was halfway up the stairs to get her. Sterling’s face went ice cold when he heard the words.
“Fuck. This is bad. Do you have any weapons?” He asked, and I shook my head. Sterling raced to his bag, then pulled out a gun. I was surprised, but I shouldn’t have been. “I know what to expect from Gideon. Comes from working so closely with a monster for so long.” He checked the weapon, then threw me a steel pipe. “I only have one. And if we’re up against who I think, we are in a very bad situation.” He said, looking unsure for the first time.
“What do you mean?” I asked, and Sterling looked at me with a sobering look.
“When Gideon first planned to get rid of you all, he already had bids put out to several packs. He wanted to get your pack out of the way, make it look like an accident. If Dantes says we are in trouble, that Elijah is compromised, then we are in immediate danger - likely from one of the hired packs. But unless Dante told Elijah where we are, I don’t know how he could have found us.”
“Fuck!” I yelled, crawling toward the window and looking out. I didn’t see anyone yet. “Can we get somewhere safe?”
“Yes!” Celeste cried out, Vigo leading her down the stairs and using his body as a shield. “My friend Bella has a safehouse nearby, we can go there!” I nodded, grabbing her bags and checking for our phones.
“Wait.” Sterling said quietly, motioning for us to stay still. “I see something.” He was peering out the other window, his gun drawn up. “Someone - a team - they are surrounding the perimeter.” His words fell like lead.
“How many?” I asked, texting our private security back at the house to see if we could get help down here.
“Two, so far. But there could be more. I-” His words were cut off as we heard a shattering of glass.
