17
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A V R I L
To balance how turbulent my first few days at Whispering Hills had been, the next week passed by quietly. There were no attacks, neither from rogues nor enemy packs, no conflicts with people I once knew, and, most importantly, no awkward interactions with Koen.
Yes, we were still playing the friendship game, but my former mate seemed to have dialed it down a notch. He continued teaching me self-defense techniques, though striving to behave more professionally during his lessons. Even on days when we didn't spar, he made a point to greet me in the cafeteria. Sometimes, he'd sit beside me for a chat, keeping the innuendos to himself.
I should be grateful for the change; it made being near him almost bearable. However, a sense of uneasiness settled at the pit of my stomach, growing larger with each passing day. It was as if a part of me - a tiny part, but annoyingly present nevertheless - longed to have him…closer. I hated it, and I’d do anything to have it gone.
Fortunately, with any luck, my problems could end today.
It was Wednesday again, which meant Koen and his team would be out of pack territory hunting. This time, they were leaving after dusk. Since they would be tracking wild boars, creatures known for having poor night vision, the darkness would facilitate their job - and mine, too. It would be easier to sneak into the top floor of the packhouse when most lights were off and the entire pack was heading off to bed.
“Are you sure you don’t want our help?” Theo asked me, a hint of concern in his voice.
“I’ll be fine on my own,” I insisted, shifting my gaze to Elijah to offer him a reassuring nod. “There are lower chances of me drawing attention if I go alone. You could get seen if you stick around. Besides, I doubt anyone will be walking into the packhouse at this hour.”
A grimace stained my face as I remembered how I had failed my last attempt at scouring through the beta chambers, but I quickly shook it off to add, “I also checked with Mildred, and there are no cleaners on night shifts. There should be no surprises this time.”
Bobbing his head, my beta at last agreed, “Okay. We will lay low in our room, but if anything happens, we’ll be ready.”
“If the plan doesn’t go accordingly, I’ll link you immediately,” I assured him. That seemed to make them both relax a little.
“Alright.” With a smile, Elijah squeezed my shoulder, whispering, “Good luck, Alpha.”
I exchanged one last look with them before I left their suite. The town square was a ghost town as I silently made my way to the packhouse. Kea crawled closer to the surface, honing our senses to ensure there really was no one around. When she was satisfied, she retreated to keep our alpha aura suppressed, and I marched on.
Once I reached the building, I took a minute to breathe. Different emotions mixed inside me as I braced myself to take the first step inside. First, there was pride and excitement; I was very close to retrieving my family’s ancient relic. Then, there was relief, as succeeding would allow me to leave this hellhole for once and for all. Yet, at the same time, I also felt reluctant. I didn’t know why, until I thought about Koen and my heart skipped a beat.
A grunt escaped me as I shook my head violently, hoping to rid it from my former mate. Stupid divine bond! It was insane how it still kept me magically tied to the bastard who rejected me, even after years, but I’d be damned if I’d let it steal my focus. My heart could be holding back, but my brain was set. I’d finish what I came here to do and leave Koen without looking back, putting an end to our story for good.
Sadly, my rush might have caused me to sing victory too soon.
Just as I was about to enter the packhouse, I felt a presence behind me. If my wolf senses had been at its fullest, I would have been able to react faster. However, I only had time to look over my shoulder, locking eyes with a man as I felt a sting on the side of my neck.
The adrenaline didn’t kick in nearly as fast as what I had been injected with, and I quickly felt my energy wane. My eyelids became heavy, but I fought to keep them open just long enough to identify my pursuer. As I did, my breath caught.
It was my childhood bully, Chad, whom I had caught staring at me the other day.
“Gotcha, little omega,” he cooed proudly, holding me in place as I started to collapse. “Nighty night.”
To the sound of his husky voice, his sinister grin imprinted in my mind, I slipped out of consciousness.
I had no idea what had happened, yet I knew I had to wake up.
As my senses started coming back to me, I forced my eyes open. When the world slowly swam into focus, I found it hard to identify anything but darkness. The chill of the night air seeped into my bones, and I felt cold like I hadn’t in years. It was obvious my werewolf abilities were failing me.
The only thing I could hear was the rustling of leaves overhead, stirring a sense of unease within me. Blinking away the haze, I began to remember the last seconds before I blacked out. As the image of Chad’s wicked smile echoed in my mind, my heart pounded.
Panic surged through me as I tried to move, only to find myself bound to a sturdy surface - a tree. There were ropes tied to my hands and ankles, keeping me secure in place. The more I struggled, the more my skin burned, leading me to believe my restraints had been infused with wolfsbane.
“Finally awake, Avril?” A voice reverberated in the shadows, and I desperately searched for the source. I was only able to see him when he moved closer, standing three feet away from me - Chad. “I was beginning to worry you'd sleep through all the fun. But now that you're awake, it’ll be much more fun showing you what I have planned especially for you.”
I struggled a little more, grunting in frustration when my efforts yielded no fruits. It had been a long time since I’d last felt this powerless. I didn’t miss the feeling at all.
“What the hell do you want with me, jackass?” I snarled, baring my fangs at him. My body might have been caged, but my tongue was still loose.
He frowned, igniting some sort of satisfaction within me. “You dare talk to me like that, filthy omega?” A growl rumbled in his chest, but it soon stopped. “No matter. I’ll teach you how someone like you should behave.”
Now, where had I heard that before?
“You know, it took a lot of patience,” he went on, “waiting for the alpha to be gone so I could find you. I went to your suite, but you weren’t there. How lucky I accidentally saw you leaving your friends’ room. It’s almost like the Moon Goddess wanted me to catch you.”
A faint scoff resonated inside my head, distracting me from Chad’s monologue - not that I had been paying much attention to it anyway. At the sign that Kea was coming back to the surface, I tried reaching out to her, but she was still too weak to respond. With our bloodline, we should have been able to filter out the poison already, but the wolfsbane in the ropes helped keep my animal side suppressed.
“I never liked you, Avril. You’ve always lacked respect. You’re terrible at everything, even at being an omega,” Chad continued. “But you’ve been pushing my buttons lately. Hiding behind our alpha, parading around like you’re someone. Then, you get my girlfriend in trouble for trying to put you in your place!”
Wait - his girlfriend? Maybe it was the mental fog, but it took me a moment to process what he was saying. Then, it dawned on me. Angelica was his girlfriend. And he was mad at me because of what Koen had done to her the night she ambushed me.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know, you two make a great couple. I’m surprised you’re not mates. You were clearly meant for each other!”
“I don’t know what you mean, but I don’t care. Tonight, I’ll make you pay for what your lack of obedience caused her.” He made a brief pause, taking another step in my direction. “I’ll force you to submit to me, little omega, and you will like it.”
As he inched closer, his eyes gleamed with malice. The realization that I was at his mercy finally sunk in, making my stomach turn. I fought to break free, paying no mind to the ropes burning my skin like a branding iron. But it was useless.
“Stay still, bitch!” Chad demanded, pressing his body against mine, using his weight to hold me in place.
His proximity was suffocating. As he grasped my side, I realized his touch was even worse than the ropes covered in wolfsbane. It made me want to throw up.
As his hands ran up and down my curves, I felt sick. Helpless. Weak. I was taken back to the many times I was pushed around, beaten, yelled at. I had suffered a lot in my childhood, yet I couldn’t recall ever feeling this frightened.
I begged Kea to awaken; to rise from her drug-induced sleep and help me. But all I got in response were grunts and whimpers. I was alone.
“I bet you’re enjoying this, aren’t you? You dirty little omega,” Chad sneered. “Tonight, you’re going to serve me, like an omega should. I can’t wait to hear you cry as I force you to take my cock,” he threatened, sending me into fight or flight mode.
And since I couldn’t flee, there was only one option left.
As the man started lifting my shirt, his lips glued to my neck. I held my breath, sick of his smell. His saliva was like poison on my skin. At least, his proximity gave me an opportunity, and I seized it without thinking twice.
Even if I didn’t have my werewolf strength, I still had teeth. And I sunk them into Chad’s ear as hard as I could. The metallic taste of his blood filled my mouth at the same time his screams filled the night. I felt him punching me, desperately trying to make me release him, but I held on tight. In the end, he pulled away, and I heard the sound of his skin being torn.
“Ah! You crazy bitch!” he cried out in disbelief, touching his hand to his ear - or what was left of it.
Trembling, I spat out the piece I had ripped off his ear. Chad’s rage was evident in his expression, and palpable in the slap to my face. My cheek burned as my face was violently turned, numbed by the adrenaline surging through me.
“I was trying to be nice, but to hell with it,” he roared. “I’ll fuck you to death, you little shit!”
All I could see were his fingers moving to his waistband as he quickly unzipped his pants. My mind raced as I tried to think of my next move. What could I do? How could I escape him? The world swirled as I began to accept that there was no way out of this.
Until a mighty howl, powerful like a lion’s roar, made the earth shake, echoing through the air like thunder.
Chad’s attention shifted. He looked behind him, searching for the source of the menacing sound. At the same time, a flame of hope flickered inside me.
Without my wolf, I had poor night vision, making it harder for me to distinguish the following events, which happened too quickly. All I could see were blurs as the silhouette of a beast suddenly lunged at my kidnapper. An ear-piercing scream made my skin crawl, but it was soon silenced. Blood rained down, and what I think was Chad’s head dropped to the ground, separated from the rest of his body.
However, I couldn’t focus on the gruesome scene for long, because the next second, another man was standing before me. A man whom I’ve hated for too long, yet now his presence brought me nothing but comfort. With a single slash of his claws, he freed me from my restraints.
“Avril,” Koen murmured. There was a hint of something raw in his eyes, but also something soothing. “You’re safe.”
As if his words were some sort of command, I ran into his arms, driven by an instinctive mixture of fear and relief. I didn’t care that he was completely naked, nor that he was drenched in blood. I simply buried my face in his chest, and he instantly wrapped his strong arms around my frame, warming me.
“It’s okay. You’re safe,” he repeated, brushing my hair with his tough, yet surprisingly gentle hand. “I’m with you,” he added, igniting something within me - gratitude.
For the first time, I was grateful Koen was with me.