Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
FLYNN
I’m safe. At least that's what she tells me. I want to believe it. I do. There's a burning fire deep within me that calls to the beauty. Her coconut and lime scent envelops me, intermingling with my own blood orange wine scent. A perfect complementing pair.
My mate. I can’t believe it. But she’s a beta. How can this be?
My eyes drift back to the bloody bodies of Bart and Andrew. She took them out alone. I still can’t come to terms with that. It’s not even that she’s a beta, but that she’s a girl, no, a woman, and she took out two powerful alphas. How did she do that? Each of them loved to drink after fucking. She had the upper hand with them both being incapacitated by the alcohol. Was that what made it easy for her?
My mind’s at war. I want to believe her, but I have to think about Allegra. My sister, my blood. I don’t know where Ronnie is, but I can’t risk her being hurt.
“Flynn, we need to go.” The beauty takes hold of my hand, gripping it tightly yet still with tenderness in her touch.
My eyes dart back and forth between her and the bed as I run through all the possible outcomes. But if I stay and Ronnie is alive, I fear what he will do to me in retaliation for the death of his packmates.
It becomes clear at that moment because the pain will be inflicted on me, but it’ll be done through Sasha and Allegra. I can’t let that happen. My only option is to put my faith in the gorgeous beta before me, my Kismet, and pray to all that is dear to me that Sasha can save us all.
“Can I hold your picture?” Her voice is rough, barely a whisper, and the words make something in my chest tighten.
I glance down at the picture in my hand, the one I pulled from the closet. I hadn’t realized how tightly I was holding it until now. For a moment, I hesitate, the weight of it settling deeper in my grip. It feels almost like a lifeline, but I know it’s not mine to keep.
I don’t say anything right away, just offer her a glance, as if asking for permission to let go of something that feels tied to every moment that brought me here.
“Of course.” I hold it out toward her, my fingers brushing hers as she takes it. The contact sends an odd jolt through me, something I don’t fully understand. She looks at the picture for a long beat, her face unreadable, and I can feel the tension in the air between us, thick and almost suffocating. Is she scared? Did I hurt her in some way that I don’t know?
“We need to hurry and get out of here.”
I nod in understanding.
“Um, I need to put some clothes on real quick,” I tell her as I hesitate in my steps.
“Shit. Yeah, you do.” She blushes when she realizes for the first time that I’m standing before her in only my briefs. The men never want me to redress after they fuck me. Something about me being ready for them at all times.
She shifts her gaze away from me as she clears her throat. I can’t help but smile; even in the dire situation we are in, I have that effect on my Kismet. But it’s supposed to be like that. Isn’t it? This is so new to me. I always thought I would never find my bond, and would be subjected to this life for the foreseeable future. I have an out though. I just needed to wait for Allegra to be bonded to a pack, one that could protect her. Only then was I going to take control of my destiny and end my suffering. It would be swift, but I could die knowing she was protected.
Sasha shifts her weight, swaying back and forth before clearing her throat again. “I don’t want to rush you, Flynn, but we really need to get moving.”
“Right, sorry. I must still be in shock. Give me one minute. I’ll be quick.” I move over to the dresser, glancing one last time at the bodies with the growing pool of blood around them. The sight makes my stomach turn, but I push it aside.
I rummage through the drawers, searching for something to wear. I realize, though, that the clothes here are all wrong—these aren't mine. I let out a frustrated breath, quickly moving towards the closet. No, they wouldn’t keep my things here. My clothes are in my nest, not in the master bedroom.
I glance around again, noticing the pile of discarded clothing on the floor. A grimace forms on my face as I grab a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. Not ideal, but it'll do. I grab a pair of socks last, and it takes me another minute to slip them on along with my shoes. It’s not what I want to wear, but I’m finally dressed.
“Okay. I’m ready.” She turns her gaze back on me and smiles. One that I can feel just as much as I can see.
“Let’s go.” She reaches out and takes my hand in hers, pulling me out of the room.
Is this really happening?
Am I being rescued from the nightmare I’ve been living?
She moves with swift steps, her head constantly moving, scanning the area as we make our way down the hallway to the stairs that lead to the back of the house where Ronnie’s gym is. My heart races, fear taking hold that we’re going to run into him.
“This way isn’t safe,” I whisper to her in warning.
“It’s fine. Trust me, Flynn, this is the way out and there’s nothing that’s going to hurt us in our way.”
Just before we get to the end of the hallway, a towering figure with golden-blond hair strides around the corner, his presence nearly crackling with authority. His honey brown eyes lock onto us, and a deep, guttural growl rumbles from his chest, sending a shiver down my spine. My breath catches as leather and bourbon floods my nose, my heart hammering against my ribs like a bird trapped in a cage.
Who is this alpha?
Panic grips me like a vise, old fears surging to the surface with brutal intensity. I can’t be taken again. I can’t endure being a captive, a mere plaything at someone else’s mercy. My limbs refuse to obey me, my body locking into place as though rooted to the spot.
“Shhh... shhh...” A soft voice soothes, a gentle coo that cuts through the suffocating haze of fear. Warm hands rub my arms in slow, calming circles, grounding me. I know the voice; I latch onto it. Sasha steps protectively in front of me, her stance firm yet reassuring.
“It’s okay, Flynn,” she murmurs, her voice calming my fraying nerves. “That’s Levi. He’s my alpha, and if you stop panicking, you’ll see he’s yours, too. He won’t hurt you. I promise. We came to save you. No one is ever going to hurt you again. I promise.”
Her words make sense, and somewhere deep down, I know she’s telling the truth. But my body refuses to catch up with my mind. My feet feel like they're cemented to the ground, my mouth unable to form a single word. I’m frozen, trapped somewhere between fear and the hope that maybe—just maybe—I am finally safe.