Page 26 of Verses and Blooms
“You did so fucking good, Wildling,” he praised, his voice hoarse as he pulled me into him now that I was out of my trance. I knew I was covered in blood, but I didn’t care. I let the rock fall to the ground as I broke.
Before I could hit the ground, he scooped me up easily, holding me tight to his chest.
“We’ve got you now. Me and Ares are here. You’re safe.”
“They took me again, Ledger. It was the same people. I woke up and I was there, and they injected me with heat drugs. Twice. It’s coming.”
More sobs took over but my alpha stayed calm and steady.
“I know, Wilding. I’m so fucking sorry. We knew it was Malik but couldn’t find you until we tore the building apart.”
“They sold me,” I sobbed. “He said he was taking me back but they ran into us.”
“It’s okay… we’ve got you,” he shushed me gently.
I heard more footsteps, my body tensing in Ledger’s arms, bracing for another fight. Surely that alpha wasn’t alone. There were several voices out here and more with the wreck.
“Don’t worry, they’re gone, Audrey,” Ares promised as he joined us.
“Alpha,” I choked out, scrambling from Ledger’s hold to Ares’s. I needed them both now. They held me close as another round of cramps hit me.
“It hurts, alpha,” I whispered, my voice pleading and desperate.
“We’ve got to get her back,” Ledger said. “Before this gets worse. She needs to get cleaned up.”
“We’re going now,” Ares promised.
“Did Jameson make it?” I managed to ask as they started to lead me away, realizing I had no idea what happened to the man who’d saved my life.
“H-he saved me. I owe him my life.”
“I promise you he’s fine,” Ares said firmly. “That man is unshakable. We can thank him later. For now, I need to get you to safety, alright? We have to get you back before this heat gets worse.”
“Back?” I said, dread filling me now. It didn’t take a genius to know exactly where he meant.
Ledger held me tighter. “Don’t worry, Wilding. Things have changed over at ARC. The network is no longer in charge. It’s safe now.”
“Safe,” I laughed bitterly. My omega was already on edge, and that wasn’t going to help things.
“I can’t have a heat at ARC,” I argued. “And there’s no stopping this. They gave me meds, twice as strong. They wanted to give my buyer a good fucking time.”
More sobs rushed through me as I said the words out loud, realizing just how close I’d come to living my worst nightmare over and over again.
I’d been used enough, broken by men who never deserved to touch me. There was nothing I could do to stop it.
Except this time, someone saved me. I was back in my alphas’ arms.
I had a pack that didn’t stop looking for me.
Maybe this would finally be the end.
Chapter Eleven
Audrey
My body shook as we drove through the city. Despite being in Ledger’s lap, with Ares’s hand in mine, I couldn’t seem to get myself together.
At first, I wanted to flinch away from any touch, even though in my mind I knew they were my pack. But my omega was having none of that. She wanted them to help us, to hold us close and reassure us we were safe, to take us through this heat. If that wasn’t a sign that they were my scent-matches, my pack, then I didn’t know what was.
