Page 26 of Alpha's Fated Flame

Then Duncan appeared there, in his human form as well. He held an ax in his hand.

"I got this. Just steady her leg for me," he said grimly.

I grasped her red-furred limb and braced it the best I could. I could no longer feel the use of my hands. Duncan carefully lined up the ax and brought it down with a shattering force. The cuff instantly broke into shards.

The force of the hit vibrated up my arms, sending shooting waves of paralyzing pain through my destroyed hands. Blackness tinged at my vision, but I fought it. I would see our mate to safety, no matter the cost to myself.

Finally, the last cuff was broken off of her. Waves of nausea rolled through me at the intense pain, but I shrugged it off and gathered her up in my arms, careful not to jostle her and cause further damage.

I barked at Lucien, who was standing guard at the door in his human form.

"Find a car, any car! She is in no shape to travel on foot."

His eyes widened, and his face paled at the state of Adrianna in my bloodied arms. If he was shocked, it was bad. Without a word, he turned on his heel and ran back towards the farmhouse. In my mindless hunt for her, I only thought about reaching her as quickly as possible. I cursed myself a thousand different ways for not thinking this far ahead. I should've brought a healer along as well.

We would have to travel back to our hometown. The Bloodmoon Pack had the best healers alongside the best fighters in the country. I turned back towards Duncan.

"Get a phone and send word for the jet to meet us at the nearest airport!"

He took off after Lucien, leaving a trail of dust and blood in his wake.

I cradled Adrianna close to my chest. I pleaded with the universe.

Please, please let her make it out alive.

I would let no other harm come to her again. I would protect our mate with my mind, body, and soul to my dying day. She just needed to get through this alive.

"Hurry up!" I roared out.

Lucien pulled up in an old, white van, the tires squealing as he slammed the brakes to a stop in front of me. Killian opened the van door, and I carefully climbed in, carrying my precious load.

I settled Adrianna carefully onto my lap. She let out a shallow breath. Her wolf was petite and slender, with a beautiful long tail. Her fiery red tail was the only part of her untouched by horror. She fit perfectly in my arms.

Duncan dove into the passenger seat beside Lucian.

"I called ahead using the house's landline. The jet will land at the airport in thirty minutes. We have a forty-minute drive, clear of traffic," said Duncan.

I nodded at him stiffly. We still weren't moving fast enough to my liking. I caught sight of Killian standing in front of the barn. He threw a lighter into the open barn door, and flames immediately shot out. He jumped into the van beside me seconds later, and we peeled off.

The remains of the other werewolves tortured inside that barn did not escape my notice. The human deserved to die repeatedly for what he did. While not a formal werewolf burial, a cremation would hopefully put the haunted souls to rest at least. A solemn silence fell over the van as we started our race to the airport.

I breathed in Adrianna's scent, intoxicated by the sweet perfume of it, present under all the layers of blood and dirt. My wolf's hearing kept careful track of her heartbeat, noticing how it slowed more and more as time passed.

"Drive faster, dammit!" I snapped at Lucien. His icy face remained expressionless as he pushed the accelerator to its limits, the van's hinges squeaking with the strain.

Then, I felt a twitch in my arms. Adrianna was trying to wake up, to shift back.But that could kill her.

"No, Adrianna, darling! You can't shift back just yet. Hold on, my love."

Her wolf's eyes opened and rolled with panic as she took in her surroundings. Her breath came in heaves, and I heard her heartbeat picking up at an incredibly fast pace. A dangerously fast pace I knew her heart could not sustain for long.

"Don't let her shift back," said Duncan worriedly.

She jerked in my arms, trying to break free, reopening her wounds and bleeding freely all over the van seats. Her wolf whined and whimpered in heartbreaking terror. I held her down as best I could without further injuring her.

"Adrianna! Baby, calm down! You're going to be okay!" I desperately tried to reach her.

Eventually, her wolf passed out again and lay limp in my arms once more. The van came to a swift stop. We reached the airport tarmac right as the jet touched down in front of us. Lucian couldn't have timed it better.

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