Page 43 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

It was probably an hour of rushing through the woods before I finally realized what my wolf was leading me toward, and I nearly laughed. I should have known. She was taking me exactly where I wanted to go, where webothwanted to go.

To our mate.

Sam’s scent kept growing stronger the further I went, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before his wolf found me, too. Maybe he was doing the same thing as my wolf.

Not long after I’d first caught his scent, I heard breaking twigs and rustling bramble to my right. A moment later, I saw the familiar figure of a great dark brown wolf. His head turned toward me, and he howled, charging toward me. As he did, the wolf changed into Sam, not breaking stride as he shifted.

“Stella,” he said breathlessly. His arms wrapped around me, and before I could say or do anything, his lips were on mine, giving me a deep, passionate kiss. I practically melted into his arms, relishing the feel of his skin on mine, never wanting to let go.

Finally, he broke the kiss and seemed to look at me for the first time, seeing the bruises, Farrow’s claw marks on my arm, the broken handcuffs. His eyes went to the collar, and he snarled, rage filling his eyes.

“What the fuck happened?” he demanded.

“Farrow caught me when I was running,” I said. “He took me back to Akron. But I’m fine. I’m free. You don’t have to worry about—”

“They did this to you?” Every muscle in his body had tensed, and I could tell he was ready to murder someone for what had happened.

“Yes, but I’m fine.” I reached up and cupped his face. “I got out. I’m here. Farrow’s dead. And Sam, I’m so sorry for running. I should have stayed, I was just too stupid to realize it. And I lo—”

Something jerked me backward, yanking me from Sam’s arms. I was so startled that I didn’t immediately notice that my feet weren’t touching the ground.

I soared through the air and right into Akron’s waiting arms. One arm snaked around my waist, pressing my back against his chest, and the other gripped my chin, holding my head in place.

Akron tsked. “I guess it hasn’t really sunk in for you yet,” he said, holding me so tightly that I couldn’t even struggle. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Yes, she is,” Sam snarled.

I wanted to tell him to run, to save himself, but the way the demon was gripping me made it hard to speak.

“Let her go,” Sam said.

“I don’t give away my prizes that easily,” Akron sneered. When Sam didn’t back down, and instead took two deliberate steps forward, the demon sighed dramatically. “Have it your way, then.”

He released me, but before I could move an inch, a cage of pure darkness descended around me, blocking me from the fight and forcing me to watch the demon face off against the man I loved.

Chapter 20 - Sam

“Get used to that, darling,” Akron said to Stella as she grasped the bars of shadow surrounding her. “If you’re going to keep running away, I’ll have to find more secure methods of keeping you with me.”

The anger that had already been surging through me at seeing the state Stella was in intensified. He was threatening to keep her in a cage like some sort of bird. I was never going to let that happen.

“This ends now,” I said.

Akron laughed, stalking toward me. “Have you already forgotten how easily I took care of you the last time you were stupid enough to challenge me?”

I gave a feral grin, baring my teeth. “I was missing some crucial information back then,” I said. “I’m better prepared now.”

Akron faltered, but only for a moment. “And what might that be, exactly?”

“Akronachis Danien.”

As I said it, I pushed my will into the words, conveying that he was weak, that he was easily defeated. Rand had explained briefly how it worked, though I still wasn’t sure I fully understood. But putting intention behind a Name gave you more power over the being, made you able to let you manipulate it at least a bit. So I was using Akron’s Name as a way to take some of his power, make him weaker.

The smirk that had been playing on Akron’s lips vanished in an instant. A look of fear, almost horror, crossed his faceas the words registered. He staggered as if someone had just punched him in the stomach.

“Pretty sure I just leveled the playing field, didn’t I?” I said wryly.

Akron’s eyes flashed with fury. “I’m still stronger than you. I’m going to tear your limbs off one by one and enjoy every single moment of it.”

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