Chapter 24 #2
Ronnie’s wolf backed off and began to circle me. I rolled to my side and closed my eyes.
Just finish it, I thought.
Instead, he shifted back into his skin and stood over me.
I opened my eyes to look up at him as he sneered down at me.
“Pathetic,” he spat out. “She was right. You’ll never be good enough for her, but none of that will matter soon enough.
You’re weak and won’t even try to fight for your life.
You don’t deserve to live. And in a moment, I’ll end your life for good.
You will no longer be a thorn in my side distracting her.
She’s mine. She’s my cash cow. And until you came into her life, she’s always been my good, obedient girl. And that’s exactly where she belongs.”
He continued walking in circles around me, taunting me with his words.
“I’d never considered taking her for a mate, but to ensure this never happens again, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Did you take her virginity? Did you pervert her?
Or is she still sweet and tight? You can tell me because I’m going to find out soon anyway.
I will claim her for myself and do anything I want to her.
She’ll have no choice but to stay with me as my puppet for the rest of her life.
What do you think of that? Can you see it?
Can you picture Daisy naked beneath me? I won’t be gentle as I fill her tight little c . . .”
“Stop toying with him. This is a battle of wolves. Shift!” Thomas demanded.
There was a curse on the tip of his tongue but as his wolf obeyed the Alpha, it turned into a strange snort instead.
My blackened vision and a soul full of self-deprecation changed in that moment. Now all I could see was red. This asshole would never lay a hand on my mate.
I roared.
I was weak from loss of blood but renewed by emotions.
The physical pain was gone, but the emotional pain of losing my mate to the likes of him fueled my Hail Mary efforts. I pushed to my feet and lunged for him with every ounce of strength remaining within me.
He was caught off guard and fell to his back.
In his scramble to right himself, he briefly exposed his neck to me and that was all I needed.
I howled as I sank my teeth into his neck and then twisted my head back and forth to still his fight.
Blood coated the back of my throat, but I didn’t let go until every drop of life flowed from him. And when I could no longer feel his veins pulsating in my mouth, I back off, stepped one foot on his dead chest and howled in victory.
“Oh, thank God,” Thomas said, as they all rushed to my side.
Somehow, I managed to take two steps away from him before collapsing to the ground.
I could sense the commotion around me.
“Get Sam here now!” Thomas ordered.
It was too late though. Sam was a good doctor, but not good enough to repair the damage of my heart.
It was over.
Daisy would be safe now, but she’d never truly be mine. Everything would be better this way and maybe someday she’d find happiness again. But at least I knew she’d live free of that controlling asshole.
My body grew cold as I shuddered, then took one last breath as darkness consumed me at last.
*****
The overwhelming smell of bleach and astringent assaulted my senses before my eyes opened.
“Where am I?” I managed to say, but it was followed by a coughing fit. My throat was dry, making it hard to swallow.
“He’s awake,” I thought I heard someone say, but I couldn’t entirely place the voice from the whooshing in my ears.
I tried to open my eyes, but the room was too bright, and I quickly closed them in protest.
“Cruz, it’s Sam. You’re in the clinic. You lost a lot of blood, but you’re healing quickly. I’ve tried to keep you in your wolf form, but you spontaneously shifted on your own about an hour ago. How do you feel?”
“Like shit,” I muttered.
He laughed, but others did too.
“He’ll be alright.”
“Clara?”
“Since you were in your wolf form when they brought you in, I was called in to assist.”
“Great. A doctor and a vet?”
They all chuckled again.
“Well, his spirit is definitely intact,” Gage teased.
“How long have I been out?”
“Not nearly long enough,” Sam grumbled.
“It’s noon. Thomas brought you in yesterday,” Clara explained. “I honestly thought you’d be out for days. Do you remember what happened?”
My eyes bolted open and hands were on me trying to push me back down as I shot upright.
“Daisy.”
“Daisy’s fine, and preparing to take the stage in Cheyenne tonight,” Gage said. “She sent Clara and I tickets, but since you woke up, I know we won’t be using them.”
“Unless you want to go see her,” Clara added.
My heart leapt at the thought. Then all the memories returned.
“No. She doesn’t want to see me. She made that painfully clear.”
“That’s not my understanding,” Gage said.
“In fact, my sister called to tell me that Daisy was so distraught that she actually called her family. She’s never done that before, at least not to tell them to fly out immediately because she needs them.
Scared the shit out of her little sister and despite their past issues, Chloe dropped everything and flew in this morning to be with her.
Trust me, that girl is a mess right now. ”
“I don’t even know how she’s managing to stand up on that stage tonight. She’s got balls of steel.”
“Clara,” Gage warned.
“What? It’s true. If something happened to you, I’d be a complete mess.”
“She doesn’t know,” I confessed. “She thought she stopped the challenge. But she didn’t. She might suspect something happened since Ronnie obviously didn’t make it to Cheyenne, but she doesn’t know what happened.”
As if the mere mention of his name somehow summoned him for the depths of hell, my phone rang, making me jump.
Of course it wasn’t Ronnie, but it was Knox.
Even knowing I shouldn’t, I answered it.
“Hello?”
“Cruz? Oh thank God. Where the hell are you?”
“At home,” I lied.
“Aren’t you coming to the concert tonight?”
“No. I told you things didn’t work out with me and Daisy.”
“No, you said you weren’t coming with us, and I should take care of her. I didn’t think you meant forever. I thought you just meant you weren’t coming with us last night. Is that why she’s so distraught?”
“What do you mean?”
“Dude, she’s a wreck. What happened?”
“We sort of got in a fight and broke up,” I said. There was no way I could explain the truth of what happened between us, but I figured that would be the simplest way for him to understand.
“Well, whatever you did or didn’t do, it’s time to make up with her.”
“It’s not that simple, Knox.”
“It better be, because she is a complete wreck. She needs you, Cruz.”
“Look, she doesn’t want to see me, okay. She made that painfully clear.”
“Idiot. She lied. She probably was feeling guilty about asking you to leave the ranch and your responsibilities there to follow her, but trust me, that girl loves you. Now get your ass in the car and get here, preferably before the concert begins because right now, I’m not sure she can do it without you. ”
“You’re wrong.” He had to be. Daisy told me with no uncertainty that she never wanted to see me again.
As if reading my mind, Clara spoke. “You’re wrong. You need to go to her and work this out. And I know you want to.”
“Look, I’ve got to go, but I really hope you’ll trust me on this. I’ll leave a ticket for you at Will Call. I hope you’ll use it.”
“Make that a couple tickets,” Sam yelled. “What? He’s still under medical observation.”
Gage chuckled. “I’m sure that’s it.”
“I’ll leave a dozen if you’ll just come. Is that enough? If not, tell me how many.”
“Um, yeah, that’s good. A dozen is fine.”
He hung up and when I put my phone down, everyone started talking at once.
“So, we’re going to a Daisy Brooks concert?” Sam asked, excitedly.
“We already have tickets, so who are you going to bring along?” Clara asked.
I held up a hand to silence them. “I didn’t say I was going.”
“What? But . . .”
“Sam, you already said I’m still under medical watch.”
“But that’s why I’m taking one of those tickets, so I can watch you medically and all should the need arise.”
I groaned.
“You heard him. She’s a mess and hurting too. Go fix this. You have to,” Clara insisted.
“Trust me, I tried to walk away from our bond at first. I was a lone wolf. The last thing I needed was baggage,” Gage pointed to Clara who smacked him lovingly.
“I’m just saying, I know how hard it is and how much you must be hurting right now.
And I’m not talking about the physical stuff.
You owe it to yourself to go and either fix things or find a better form of closure or you’re going to regret it the rest of your life. ”
I knew he was right.
I also knew that the pain was too fresh to face her.
But would I regret it if I didn’t at least try?