AgnesI should have gotten a burner phone, I berated myself. What was I thinking? Now I have no way of getting in contact with Joel or Connor. Everything happened so fast, though. I’m still reeling from seeing Rossi’s picture in that file. Gods! My past threatened to catch up with us. Will I ever be free of Frank and his goons?“Aaah!” I tore my hair in frustration. Now they had Cassie, and God knows what awful things they were doing to my baby.No, I couldn’t sit here in this stifling house for one more minute. I had to find her. A wave of dizziness and nausea came over me when I stood up too quickly from the bed.With a groan, I sat back down, waiting for the sick feeling to pass. It had to be all the stress making me feel so dizzy and awful these last two days. I couldn’t keep anything down and the heat wasn’t helping, either.But I was determined not to let my health stop me. Connor mentioned a man named Lyon, and that was where I would begin my search.If Lyon saw Rossi as a riva
Connor‘Let me shift! I’m fast!’ Miles roared in my head. He might not be faster than a bullet, but we were risking it. Desperation to get back to Cassie outweighed our own safety. But on the off chance we didn’t make it…‘Joel! It’s a trap! Get out of here!’ I yelled through the mind link while shifting into Miles. ‘Go back and save Cassie!’I heard Joel cursing through the mind link, yelling at me, refusing my orders. If they catch him, we’re all done for.“Impressive,” Rossi said, looking down at me from the landing. “Unfortunately, I can’t let you get away. You were expensive.”Expensive?Miles lifted his massive head and snarled at the old man. Then he turned and launched himself at the French windows.Simultaneously, Rossi ordered his men, “Shoot, but don’t kill him!”A deafening salvo of gunfire shattered the silence. Glass exploded as Miles barreled through the large windows. Bullets whizzed over his head. Some found their mark high on his left shoulder and right flank. But Mi
CassandraThose two idiots had a huge argument over what to do with me. While they were busy, I pried open one window in the bedroom with some effort. The opening was boarded shut from the outside, but if I tried hard enough, I would have been able to loosen one just enough for me to squeeze through.And I would have succeeded too had Max not burst into the bedroom to check up on me.“Hey!” He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, lifting me like a toy. “Trying your luck again, are we?”Hearing the commotion, Alex appeared to intervene. “Max…” his tone held a warning.“Bitch was trying to escape. I’m tying her to the bed.” Next minute he threw me down onto the dusty mattress and pinned me down with his weight. “Give me the zip ties!” he snarled at his brother.I struggled and cursed at them, but they secured both my wrists to the bedpost.“There!” Max grinned. “Now we can get some decent sleep.” He pinched my cheeks together and blew me a kiss.I almost threw up in my mouth. They left
JoelI knew this was a bad idea. Gods damn it! Letting my alpha go into imminent danger was unforgivable. I could lose my status. Fuck that! We could both lose everything. Choosing between saving my alpha and rescuing my daughter was unforgivable. Why the fuck did I listen to him?Oh yeah, right! Because it was a damn command. I hit the steering wheel with both palms, screaming out my frustration. I turned the car around. There was no fucking way I was going back to Santa Barbara without Connor. I pulled over on the deserted road, made sure the car was out of immediate sight, and sat there to get my thoughts in order.‘What would you tell Troy if they kill Connor?’ my wolf added to my turmoil. ‘It will devastate the pack.’“Connor is tough.” I needed to convince both of us. “I will get help.”‘But what about Cassie? And our mate?’ Ross was relentless. His restlessness to return to Agnes was like an itch that begged scratching. But my priority was still to the pack and my alpha. I coul
ConnorKeep on breathing, I told myself. The wolfsbane still burned through my veins and my brain, although it lessened slightly. Miles was in agony, but he was strong. We trained for this, Miles reminded me. Yes, we trained to withstand torture, but nothing prepared us for being someone’s experiment. This was next level.The only thing that kept me from losing my mind was Cassie. I concentrated on her tiger eyes, the way they lit up when she gave me one of her mischievous smiles. We had to survive this, get her back, get my pack back. Goddess knows what evil plans Lyon had or how many warriors he had waiting in the wings.I prayed Joel made out safely.“Make the enemy believe you are weak.” I heard my father’s voice in my mind. “They will relax their guard, then you strike.”But now, I wasn’t exactly faking it. Miles struggled to regain his strength. Our healing progressed, but it took a lot out of him.“How are we doing today, Connor?” White Coat came shining with his blasted light
CassandraI was happy to see Agnes until I was not. “Mom, what are you doing here?” It scared the shit out of that she was there. It meant nothing good.She cupped my face as if she was afraid that I would disappear. “Cassie, she told me you were injured and needed me. I was so stupid to trust her, but I was out of my mind with worry about you.”“She?”“That blonde girl. Stacy,” Agnes said.“What the fuck? Stacy brought you here?” I snarled. That double-crossing bitch! I knew there was something off about her. “I will rip her to pieces!” as soon as I have my first turn.Agnes ignored my outburst. “I’m only glad you’re okay. Did they hurt you?”“No, I’m fine. Just need to get my hands free.” I pulled and twisted my wrists to escape from the ties, but they only got tighter. Frustrated and angry, my mind whirling with images of what I would do to Stacy when I got my hands on her, I tugged with all my strength. The plastic ties cut into my wrists, but I ignored the pain, and finally, they
ConnorFrom where I lay on the floor of the cage, I assessed my surroundings. Now that I was no longer on that steel table, I could scope out the place to plan my escape. I would play weak for as long as it took to put them totally at ease, making them confident that they had won. Peering out from beneath my lashes, I saw the guards approaching with… a water hose? What the fuck?‘Don’t react,’ Miles warned. ‘They probably want to test your strength.’“Mr. Rossi said you needed water,” the guard said, grinning evilly. "Okay, let it rip!" he shouted to another.Icy water shot out from the hose, right in my face. The guard cackled with amusement. I fought the instinct to jump up and shove that hose right up where the sun doesn’t shine. Instead, I groaned and lapped at the water that stung my face. It did little to ease my dry throat. I was seriously dehydrated.“Had enough? You could do with a shower as well, Fido. You stink.” He was thoroughly enjoying himself with that hose, spraying m
CassandraLyon’s words washed over me like a tsunami of terror, and I froze in place. No, please don’t let it be true. Agnes’ hand fell away from my arm. She stepped closer to Lyon, reaching out to him.“Please, you can’t… I have money. I can give it to you. Just don’t let him take us. I beg you.” She was close to tears.“Mom…” I pulled her back. As much as I didn’t want Frank to find us, there was no way I was letting her humiliate herself before this asshole.She clung to me, and I felt her shiver. “Cassie…” her eyes pleaded with me. “You know what he will do to us.”I didn’t want to think about it. What worried me more was what Lyon said about Connor. “Why wouldn’t Connor come back?” I asked him.Once again, he gave me that look that spoke of his disdain. “The fool walked right into my trap. There will be no escape for him this time.”Agnes sank to the floor with her head in her hands. She cried openly. “This is my fault. All my fault.”“Stop it! For God’s sake!” I snapped at her.
“Knowing Lyon, he would attack at nightfall.” Dad went to the bookcase, took a rolled-up map from its space and spread it over my desk. He perused it for a while, contemplating. “This,” he pointed to a specific point on the map of Wolf Creek. “Is our weak spot. He will come in through there and maybe…” he pointed to another spot near the bunker. “Here.”“I’ve already sent extra guards to that area. We should take mother and Stacy to the bunker.”“I’m not sending your mother to that death trap.” He was firm about it.“She would be safest there.”“You think I can’t defend my own?” Once again, we were at loggerheads; him sending me a death glare and me refusing to back down.I squared my chin, refusing to let him intimidate me any longer. “I refuse to risk the vulnerable ones!”“Is your mate not strong enough to stand by your side?” he sneered. “Mine is.”Before I could answer his snide remark, Joel knocked at the door, breaking the staring contest. “Sorry to disturb you, alphas.”“Come
ConnorMy dad occupied my office like he owned it. Partly, it irritated me because it was my office. I was the alpha of Wolf Creek now, not him. I shouldn’t feel intimidated by him, but I did. It was like I was sixteen again, standing in front of him to be scolded.He sat behind my desk, dark eyes glaring at me over his steepled fingers. “You’d better come clean with me, son. I want to know every detail.” His deep voice held a dangerous undertone.“How do you know Zachariah Lyon?” I challenged him, despite my whirling emotions. “Explain that to me first, then I’ll tell you what happened.”His reaction was immediate with barely contained violence. “Don’t test me, Connor!” He slapped his hand on the desk and papers and pens flew off. I ground my teeth together to keep from flinching. “I trusted you to handle the pack and from what I’ve heard…”I knew I was poking the bear, but…. “You shouldn’t listen to malicious gossip, Dad.”“And you’re stalling, Connor!” The chair fell back with a cr
Cassandra“Hey, Cassie, haven’t seen you in a while,” Henna plopped down on my bunk. “Where have you been all this time?”The sisters, Julie and Marci, joined her, and we exchanged hugs all round. I beamed a warm smile at them.“Gosh, I am so happy to see you guys.” And I was. I missed having friends a lot more than I realized. The only one missing was Tracer. I saw Locke sitting with some younger children and waved at him. he waved back, smiling shyly.“We thought you were too good for us now that you’re going to be luna.” Marci said with a hint of envy. Julie rolled her green eyes at her sister.“What? Are you kidding me? I could never forget you.” I felt bad for not trying to mind link with them. Connor had taken up so much of my thoughts that everyone else faded into the background. Of course, not to mention all the other drama… “So much has happened. I’ll tell you all about it, but I want you to meet my mom.” I waved to Agnes and scooted over for her to sit next to me, which she
ConnorDisgusted with the blood coating my body, I watched the warm water flush it down the drain. The small comfort I felt as the water massaged my tense muscles was short-lived. Knowing that the rogue attack was just the beginning, there was no time to revel in minor pleasures like taking a shower, eating, or even sleeping. My body craved sleep almost as much as it craved Cassie. Her scent still lingered in my room and my overtired mind felt her presence as if she was right there with me in the shower and my cock ached with need.I pushed the desire back, got out, dried off, and dressed comfortably in shorts and a tank top. My pack warriors waited for me to speak to them. They needed to know what we were up against. I was positive Lyon would attack soon, now that his mercenaries had paved the way. We suffered some significant losses, and it was unfortunate. But my pack had powerful fighters that will defend their territory to the death. He won’t win. Not for as long as I was breathi
JoelLater that afternoon, I went to the basement where we held Frank. Troy had the space dived into four small holding cells on the rare occasion we needed to hold someone. Mostly, there were no survivors left to be imprisoned. It was dark down there, just the way I liked it. As I walked down the steps, his fear filled my nostrils, and I drank it in with pleasure. I wanted more than just his fear. Connor forbade me from killing Frank. I didn’t object. Killing him would be too easy. After what he did to Agnes, he needed to suffer. She didn’t have to tell me what he did. What he left on her body told me everything she didn’t want to say.He whimpered when he saw me standing in front of the bars, pushing himself further into the corner. I didn’t say a word. Watching him being terrified, sitting in his own filth, gave me some measure of satisfaction.“What do you want?” His voice shook. “W-who are you?” He narrowed his eyes, peering into the darkness.“You’re him, aren’t you? Cassandra’s
Connor“Maybe Lyon fled the state,” Joel offered his opinion. “He probably heard you escaped and knowing we would come after him, he fled.”I didn’t think so. “There’s no way news of Rossi’s death reached him this fast, Joel. No, he’s waiting until we drop our defenses and then strike.”Eric, Joel and I were in my office discussing further strategies. So far, nothing has happened. We haven’t been attacked, but I still felt uneasy. I didn’t want the females and elderly out of the bunker before I was sure there was no danger. I’ve sent out my best trackers to search for the shifter and his pack. Did he even have a pack? I didn’t have enough information on them and that was biting me in the ass. If my father were here, he would be disappointed. Know your enemy. That was the first rule of war.This was all my fault. I had allowed the mate bond to distract me, among other things. My pride got in the way. I might as well be honest with myself. I wanted to prove I didn’t need outside help t
CassandraI must have been in shock, or maybe I still was. Connor's act of ripping that awful man's dick off as if it were nothing forever seared itself into my brain. The look on Connor’s face – it was like looking at a different person. Not a person, a demon.‘He deserved it,’ Sage reminded me, her voice harsh.I sat quietly next to Connor at the back of the SUV, letting him hold me, my mind numb.It wasn't until we were driving away, watching that place burn, that Frank even crossed my mind. Where was Agnes?I clutched Connor’s arm in a panic. “Connor! My mother! Where is she? Where’s Frank? We must find them. They…” My chest felt tight, couldn’t get enough oxygen in my lungs. I gasped, my vision blurring.Connor pulled me onto his lap, pressing my head against his shoulder. “Cassie, breathe. Your mother is safe. She’s safe.” He kept repeating those words until it got through to my brain. “She’s with Joel.”“What about Frank? Is he dead?” I hoped not, because I wanted to be the one
ConnorTwo men with their firearms drawn came running around the corner of the old warehouse when they heard the SUV pull in. Simultaneously, Cassie’s petrified screams pierced the stillness of the morning, and my soul almost left my body.Miles took control, fueled by Cassie’s urgent cries, ignoring the shouts and chaos around us as I let my warriors handle the men. Nothing could keep us from our mate. No doors, no men with guns. Miles burst through the steel doors as if they didn’t exist.Our eyes took in everything at once. Cassie lay on top of a crate, her yellow dress torn, wrist and ankles bound. Helpless and naked. The sight was like a knife twisting in my gut. There was a man behind her, pants down at his feet, his erect cock in hand.“What the fuck…” He stared at Miles with open-mouthed disbelief.Miles lowered his head, red eyes fixed on the man. The rumbling growl started deep down in his belly and grew in intensity as he padded towards him.‘I will rip that thing off.’ Mil
CassandraAll this time I held onto the hope that maybe Sage was right, Connor would come to save us. But now even that slight hope was fading, and I feel fear tightening its steely fingers around my mind. Sage stayed quiet as well, and her silence scared me even more.I didn’t trust Frank. When he took Agnes, I knew that glint in his eyes. He was going to hurt her. I just knew. And she was terrified. I smelled it, and it was nauseating. What if he killed her? I got increasingly scared as time went on.No, no, he wouldn’t. I tried to convince myself that Frank was much too much of a narcissist. He valued his own life more than anything, and he needed to bring that money back to his criminal boss. Our only hope was that the pack would come to save us. Yes, yes, I held onto that sliver of hope. It was only a matter of time. Right?Alone with four horrible men that discussed me like I was their next meal, I sat huddled in a corner, my hands and feet bound with steel wire they found lying