Page 19 of Deadly Ties

A hysterical bubble of laughter climbs my chest. Along with a heated blush that Kellman Prior just called mesexy. “Um… my mate must be rubbing off on me, I guess.”

He quirks an eyebrow, then snatches up the torch, and swings it around the room, stepping past me to check the rest of the basement. When he comes back my way, he grabs my arm and my breath catches. Both at the tightness of his grip, and the wave of spicy omega that flows over me. “Who sent you, Angel?”

I jerk at the pet-name, but there’s a hint of steel in his amber gaze. “No one. I smelled you.” I nod at the other empty cells. “Or them. There was a guard in the hall upstairs and he had an omega’s scent on him. He didn’t exactly look like the nurturing type, so I decided to see what he was up to.”

“Just like that?” He leans in and takes a big whiff of my neck. “I think you’re leaving out a few details, because you definitely smell like my pack. But there’s something dark and delicious over it all…”

He’s so close to the bite mark on my gland, it has to be Arben’s scent. “We’re friends. Rory and Cam are upstairs, distracting the guards so we can get out.”

His head whips straight to the ceiling, like he can see through the foot of rock to his mates. “Here?” He licks his busted lip and winces, but it doesn’t hide the desperate hope in his eyes. “You’re with them?”

“Sort of.” Damn, why did those assholes have to make everything so complicated? “But we need to go. There are a lot of guards here tonight.”

His eyes darken at the reminder, and he bends to spit on the back of the asshole at our feet. “Let’s get the hell out of here, then.”

I nod, and he hands me the torch, clearly happy for me to lead the way. I make sure he can keep up, then head quickly back to the stairs. We’re about halfway up when that blockage in my brain eases a little and I sense Arben on the other side. I’m so relieved I stumble and Kelly grabs my waist. But I move out of reach, closing my eyes as my mate’s voice finally sounds in my head. Are you alright, princeshë?

I lean heavily against the rail.Yes, but I took a detour. I have that friend we were looking for. We’re just leaving the basement.

Basement?

It sounds like he’s cracking the word between his molars, and I cast a glance down at the creepy-as-fuck cells.Yep. And I couldn’t leave him down here, Arben. Trust me.

There’s a long silence, like maybe he’s counting to ten so he doesn’t combust. But then he gives a deep, rumbling sigh.Of course, I trust you. But get your sweet ass up to the car, Elvana.

We’re on our way.

Kelly’s jittery sigh brings me back to the present, and I hurry the rest of the way up the stairs. It’s only when we reach the top and pass under the fluorescent light I see how much damage he’s taken. Not just the cuts and bruises, but what has to be both malnutrition and dehydration. He’s gray and sweaty, his limbs shaking from one flight of stairs. And by the time we reach the door, he’s wobbling on his feet and I’m not sure how we’re going to make it to the car. He winces at my expression, looking almost embarrassed by his condition. “It’s just been so long since they locked me down here...”

I shake my head, the need to reach out and comfort him overpowering. “Crouch will pay for this, I promise.”

He nods and I turn back to the door, pulling on my wolf. She’s so close, I can feel her crouched just beneath my skin. Ready for whatever waits for us on the other side of the door.

Which makes it kind of anti-climactic when it opens to an empty hallway. But it’s definitely not quiet, shouts coming from the ballroom while gunfire tears through the air in the other direction. I’m pretty sure that’s where we’re meant to go and I pause, suddenly unsure.Arben?

He rushes through the bond, his voice tense.Things are escalating out here, princeshë. There’s no path to the car. You’ll need to go through the utility room, not the kitchens. As soon as you’re out, run for the fence. Look for the gazebo and get over it any way you can.

There’s a pause, and it’s like watching a horror movie with your eyes closed. But then he’s back, his voice dark and urgent.If I’m delayed, run for the den.I’ll be right behind you.

That’s all he says before the mental wall slams over the bond again, and I sway. Kelly’s hand is back on my waist, his worried eyes staring into mine. “It’s okay. We just need to take a different exit.”

He doesn’t look convinced, but he nods his head. “Whatever you say, Angel.”

I turn and run towards the kitchens, veering off at the last minute to take a door I remember from Arben’s map. He’d insisted I memorize all the exits, and I send a mental kiss to my paranoid mate. The door opens into a storage room, and for a moment, I think I’ve got it wrong, but then I see the yellow wash of light over a row of washing machines. It’s a laundry, most likely for the kitchen staff, and I tug Kelly after me. Thankfully, no one is around at this time of night, and I head straight to the back door. There’s a bolt up at the top, but Kelly is tall enough to easily flick it back and then I’m easing it open.

Night air rushes in, heavy with pine and the smell of enraged wolves.

I step out, scanning the fence line for the gazebo. But as soon as I catch sight of Arben, I jerk to a stop, my heart in my throat. He’s less than thirty feet away, but there’s a ring of guards around him, all wielding guns or half-shifted claws. He’s wildly outnumbered, and I can hear cursing in the distance from the other side of the house. Is it Rory? Cam? My heart even clenches for Ferrier. But I only have eyes for Arben, watching as the guards all rush him at once. I feel dizzy with fear, but my mate moves so fast, he’s a blur between them, his claws carving through the air and sending screams of pain up into the night. He has his back to me, and I bite my lip until I taste blood. If I call out to him now, or flood the bond with my fear, he could take his eyes off his attackers and then they’d be on him.

Instead, I swing towards Kelly, pointing to the tree line. But his face is white as he stares at Arben, clearly recognizing my mate. “He’s on our side,” I whisper, yanking on his hand. “Now, run!”

He follows me, mainly because I have his fingers in a death grip. We have to cross a crushed shell path to get to the gate, but I keep my eyes on the gazebo, ignoring the way my heels crunch over the noisy surface. Arben, and whoever is fighting at the front of the house, are providing enough cover that no one notices us. Doesn’t stop my heart from hammering in my chest, though, and I bite back a cry of relief when we reach the gazebo. It’s not in the best repair, but the roof is close enough to the top of the fence to give us a way over.

The problem is Kelly, who’s swaying on his feet, and looks like he’s about to drop any second. But he just cocks that silky brow at me. “You’re not exactly dressed for this, either.”

“No, but my wolf is,” I tell him, then step back and kick off my shoes. I have a moment to wonder if I’m wrong, and shifting on my own is beyond me, and then my wolf is tearing through my skin in an explosion of bloody sequins. Her heart beats loudly in my ears, but I can still hear Kelly’s gasp as he takes us in. “Fuck! You really are a badass omega, Angel!”

My wolf preens at that, but there’s no time to waste, and she turns and leaps easily to the top of the gazebo. The roof is warped but mostly intact, and she pads back to the edge to watch for Kelly. He is already scrambling after us, his biceps straining under his ragged tee as he pulls himself over the lip of the roof. My wolf stands back, letting him swing himself up the last bit, but she gives his face a helpful lick when he collapses on the top.

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