Chapter 45
Reid
I’m out of the car before Slate fully parks.
“Wait,” Zane shouts, but I ignore him. I can feel Riley near.
We were the closest team when Alpha sent out the area he believed they were being held.
Part of his alpha power is being able to track the members of his pack by sort of feeling where they are, but it only works when they’re connected to the pack link.
Since Riley and her mom were cut off, it’s been three days since we’ve had any kind of connection to them until about four hours ago.
I’m not sure what happened that Riley was finally able to make contact, but I’m so glad she was able to.
Now that we’re here, I can feel Riley as well.
I know she’s nearby. I scan the area, every sense on high alert.
We’ve made it to the building we think they’re being held in, Zane informs the pack.
Be cautious, Alpha sends back. I know that it kills him that he’s not here yet. Two in human form; two in wolf form. Stick together and be ready for anything.
I don’t want to wait for anybody, but I pause for just a moment to allow the other guys to catch up. “I’m not shifting,” I tell them. I need to be human to assess how to best help Riley and free her.
“I’ll shift,” Slate says and shifts a moment later. Quint does the same, and Zane stays in human form.
“Let’s go,” Zane says harshly. We have no idea what we’re walking into, but the four of us will handle whatever comes at us.
I put a hand on Zane’s shoulder, halting him a moment. I’ll go first. I switch to our pack link, now that we’re about to go in. I can feel Zane’s hesitance, but I push forward. I need to get to Riley now.
Riley, we’re here. There’s no response from her, and that scares me more than anything else.
We’ve been in and out of communication the last four hours, but she went silent about thirty minutes ago and I haven’t been able to communicate with her since then.
I’m still not getting through to Riley, I send to the guys.
Slate and Quint close in on either side of us as we reach the front door of a large brick building.
The front door is unlocked and opens easily.
I get a bad feeling in my gut and look at Zane.
His face is just as bleak as mine, but we push ahead.
I enter the large building that looks like it used to be a storefront of sorts.
Now it’s just empty. We spread out, covering the main level.
I scent the air but don’t get anything that smells like Riley. Anything, Slate?
His wolf scents the floor and moves away from us.
Zane and I move around the room, looking behind every counter, each set of curtains.
I head up the stairs and search the large rooms upstairs.
Here, Slate sends. I run down the stairs and find Slate next to one of the counters.
His wolf paws at the ground, and I drop next to him and see the hidden trap door.
I yank it open, and it falls with a crash to the side.
Now that the element of surprise is gone, I race down the stairs.
As soon as I open the door at the bottom of the stairs, her scent slams into me.
I take everything in an instant—the dead bodies, the blood coating the floor, and Zane and Riley’s mom unconscious against the wall.
But my eyes stop on the white wolf that’s now thoroughly pink.
She snarls at me and growls low in her chest. I move forward slowly.
When she lunges forward with another warning growl, I step back.
Slate and Quint join me, and Zane’s there a moment later.
“Mom!” There’s an urgency to his voice, but Riley’s wolf springs towards him, baring her teeth. “Riley, what the—” he stumbles back, and she growls low again.
I put my hand on his chest and push him back.
“Get back.” There’s not an ounce of humanity in my voice; it’s all wolf.
Standing here with death all around us and Riley’s wolf covered in blood is making my wolf and me lose our minds.
“All of you, get back. If you don’t, I won’t hold any responsibility for what happens next,“ I snarl at them. I hope they get the severity of my words. Thankfully, they give me space. I walk forward slowly, ignoring my mate’s wolf growling.
The closer I get, the more threatening she becomes.
When I’m where I want to be, I kneel slowly.
I keep my hands on my legs where she can see them.
“I need you to let Riley have control,” I tell her in a gentle voice.
“You did good, protecting Riley and her mom; but now, I need Riley. I need to check on her, make sure she’s okay.
” She growls again at me, but it’s not as harsh.
I wonder briefly if I’m going to have to shift, so she can listen to her mate.
I think at first she’s not going to listen, but she finally drops her head and walks towards me, nudging my hand.
I pet her on the head. “Good girl.” I keep my voice low and soothing.
She stares into my eyes, and I don’t move.
I hold her gaze. It seems to take forever, but finally, I feel the air begin to change.
I know the shift is coming. Seconds later, Riley kneels in front of me.
I quickly pull off my shirt and drop it over her head.
“Reid?” Her voice is raspy and weak.
“I’m here, Baby.” I help her put her arms through the arm holes.
Then before I can do anything, she launches herself at me.
I wrap her up in my arms, noting instantly that she’s much lighter.
I hold her closer, refusing to let the anger burning through me touch her.
I put a hand behind her head and hold her head to my chest. She lets me hold her for a moment, and I feel her body shaking.
I carefully pull away and put a finger under her chin and lift it up, so I can see her gorgeous eyes.
I feel my rage grow when I see the bruises on her face, but I keep it locked down.
Right now, my priority is to get her out of here.
I can see Zane and Quint already working on freeing Riley’s mom.
Slate’s on guard over by the stairs. I didn’t miss it when he checked each of the bodies to make sure they were really dead.
I stand to my feet, keeping her in my arms. Zane comes over to us, and I can’t help the growl that forces its way out. Zane ignores me.
“Riley?” He steps close, and I growl again. Now that I finally have my mate in my arms, nothing will take her from me, not even her family.
“I’m okay,” she says quietly. “But we need to get mom to the hospital.”
He nods but doesn’t move away. “Are there any more?”
She lifts her head. “Not that I know of.”
There’s a thud, and then Alpha comes tearing down the stairs. “Kelley! Riley!” His shout of anger and anguish nearly drives all of us to our knees with the power behind it. “Riley!” He stops next to me. “Baby.”
“I’m okay, Dad. Mom’s not.” At her words, he leaves us and moves over to his mate. Quint wisely moves away, and we give him a moment. Joe walks over to us, and several other pack members flood the basement.
He doesn’t come too close, and I’m grateful. “Riley. What do I need to know?”
I’m prepared to tell him that she’ll talk to him later, but she answers in a strong voice. “Bane’s dead; he’s the Master. The others that were here are dead as well. I don’t know if there are any others, but nobody else has been down here.”
Silence follows her words. Joe finally nods and then looks at me. “Get her upstairs and out of here.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I leave the basement and the horrors she faced down there behind.
Halfway up the stairs, I hear Riley’s mom begin to sob.
I pause, unsure if Riley will want to go back to her.
She puts her head on my shoulder. “Get me out of here, please.” There’s a desperation to her voice that I don’t like, and I jog up the last half of the stairs.
I keep moving until we’re outside. More pack members show up, and several of them head our way to check on Riley.
I pull her closer and let out a warning growl.
Nobody can get close to her right now. I need everyone to clearly understand what will happen if anybody tries to take her from me right now. “Can we please just leave?”
Her plea kills me. I want to, desperately; but I also know she needs to be checked out.
I adjust her in my arms, so I can look into her eyes.
They’re so lifeless, they scare me. “Riley, I need you to tell me honestly. If you’re okay, I’ll leave and take you away from all this.
But if there’s anything that needs to be checked out.
” I grit my teeth to get through this next part.
“Did he or any of them do anything to you?”
She knows exactly what I’m asking. “No. I have a wound in my arm that started healing when I shifted. I’m dehydrated, and I need food. But other than that, I’m fine.”
I can see the truth in her eyes. “Then let’s get you out of here.”
I reach out to Slate. I figure he’s the most level-headed at the moment. I’m getting Riley out of here.
His answer is swift. Is she okay?
I look down at my mate, my whole world. She will be.
If you need anything, reach out.
Thanks. I start towards my car. I’m not worried about the guys catching a ride; there are plenty of pack cars here.
I lower Riley into the passenger seat. I don’t want to leave her, even just to go around to the other side of the car.
But I want to do what she asked and get her out of here, so I close her door and make my way to my side.
As soon as I’m in, I start the car. I glance over at her, but she seems a million miles away.
I take her hand in mine and drive out of the parking lot.
I don’t know what to do for her, and it’s killing me.
I stop at the first food place I find and hit the drive thru.
I’m not about to go inside and leave her by herself.
I order her chicken nuggets, a cheeseburger, fries, a chicken sandwich, and several water bottles.
Normally, she wouldn’t touch this kind of food; but she needs to eat.
I set the bag in between us. “What sounds good?” I ask as I break the seal on the water and hand it to her.
She guzzles the entire bottle, and I open a second one for her.
She peeks into the bag and pulls out a fry.
She nibbles on it and finishes it and then grabs a few more.
Then she digs in the bag and pulls out the box of chicken nuggets and starts eating those.
“I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” she says in between bites.
Anger rushes through me. I don’t say anything; I can’t. If I do, it won’t be good. I finally manage to say, “I’m glad you’re eating.” I glance at the clock. “It’s about a five-hour trip back. You can rest if you want.”
She eats the chicken sandwich and more of the fries. “Thank you, Reid.”
Needing to touch her, I put my hand on her thigh. She puts her head back against the seat and is quiet. After a little while, I figure she’s gone to sleep. But she surprises me. “Can we mate?”
I go still, sure I misunderstood her. “Come again?”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you while I was down there.” She turns to me, and I feel her gaze on my face. “All I could think is that you would never know how I feel about you.”