I Moved On, Why Don't You

It's Never That Easy

Joey's pov

I can't do this. . . my body is so heavy and in so much pain, but I don't want the threat of my pup being hurt hanging over my head . . . she's all I have left and the only way to save her is to get as far away from here as I can. With that thought in my head, I carefully slip out from under Mark's arm that's wrapped around my waist and climb from the bed, falling onto my knees, a muffled whimper escaping my throat before I could stop it. My eyes widen in for fear when Mark turned over and mumbled something in his sleep, but he quickly settled down and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Forcing myself to my feet, I slowly, painfully crept out of the room and down the stairs looking back every few seconds to make sure no one was following me and after a nerve wracking hour I was finally outside. Of course as soon as I was on my way through the woods heading towards the packhouse, I started to have second thoughts . . . I've already caused Joel more trouble than I had any right to and I deserve whatever punishment Kyle gives me . . . if my pup was safely away from him, I could deal with whatever he put me through. I started to open a link with my brother so I could ask, no beg him to find a way to convince his mate to take Zoe with them, when something slammed into the back of my head hard enough to knock me to the ground and someone stood over me, smiling maliciously. It took several seconds for the world to stop spinning so I could recognize them, but when I did, my blood ran cold.

"Did you think I would let you be happy? Did you think I'd just stay in the shadows while you and your mutt of a daughter rode off into the sunset, especially after you betrayed me?"

"J-Jason what are you doing here . . . leave now before I sound the alarm!"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? I go slinking off to where I came from while you make it to your brother just in time to have a happily ever after with your precious little baby, well there's one problem with your little plan."

Jason snapped his fingers and several wolves surrounded him, each looking just as crazy as him and one of them was holding a small blanket wrapped bundle that whined and wiggled in his arms.

"You see, my friends and I have been watching everything that's been going on since the day I left . . . this pack needs to be crushed and I believe I've discovered a way to do just that."

I kept my eyes focused on the squirming bundle in the wolf's arms, my mind racing as panic consumed me.

"Jason is . . . is that my pup?"

Jason continued as if I hadn't spoken, but his lips turned into a smirk as he stared down at me.

"I've decided to make everyone hate you even more, Joey. I'm going to get you thrown into the dungeon as you await the execution that Kyle plans for you and while you're down there, I want you to find out a little something for me."

"You're insane."

"Am I? You and this pathetic pack are more psychotic than I am, after all it takes a special kind of crazy to follow an Alpha who would brand his own Luna a whore, doesn't it?"

I flinched at the reminder of the prostitute's brand on my back and curled in on myself when I saw the looks of surprise and lust pass across the faces of the wolves surrounding me.

"What do you want Jason, Joel has a mate whose going to take him away from this place."

"I already have plans in place. I'll go after him when the time is right, but for now the one I came for is you."

All of the weakness, pain, guilt, desperation and hopelessness I've been feeling overwhelmed me in that moment and I couldn't find the energy to fight anymore.

"When you're finished with us, send our dead bodies to Kyle so he'll know he can't hurt us anymore."

"Sorry Joey, but in order for my plan to work you have to be alive and_________."