𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 ⸙

1.61𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

"No," he said stubbornly and clambered over the seats. He was still handcuffed and fell heavily against the dashboard.

"Take me to Ethdellin Packhouse  or you will regret it!" Liam tried to sound threatening. He just sounded like a scared little human.

"I said no! So-"

"If you don't take us to Ethdellin Packhouse, I will dig my claws into your neck and drive myself there."

Liam looked to Niall who had thankfully found the strength to protrude claws from his fingers. He held them across the driver's neck, sharp enough to draw blood at the first sign of pressure.

"If l don't kill you," Niall  breathed, "then my Alpha will if you don't take us home."

The car slowly came to a halt. The driver gripped the steering wheel. Even with claws to her neck, she was surprisingly calm.

"If I take you back to Ethdellin house, if I do that favour for you, what will you give me in return?"

Niall and Liam glanced to each other. "Your life," Niall growled. "If you don't take us home, then I'll slit your throat and leave you to die in the snow. Pick one."

Niall rested his head on the back of the chair. He was struggling to stay upright.

Liam wanted to ask what had happened after he passed out at the library. The obvious answer was that Niall tried to fight their way out with Liam over his shoulder and a broken arm.

"Fine," the woman grumbled, putting the car in reverse and driving back up the winding country lane. "When my Alpha hears about what you 've done, she won't be happy."

"Trust me," Niall  said. "She has bigger wolves to worry about."

********

Zayn could barely breathe he was so angry. From the moment he spoke on the phone, his eyes pulsed deep red, and he yelled wherever he went. He yelled for people to get out of his way, he yelled for back up, and he yelled threats to the Alpha who had threatened Liam.

"Where are my wolves!" Zayn roared, standing by the entrance to the Packhouse. His home was trashed, and dirty, and bloody, and needed great care and attention to feel like a home. Zayn didn't care about anything but Liam. In that moment, he was prepared to leave everything he had just fought for if it meant that he could see Liam's smile one more time.

"Baela!" he yelled, and she was by his side in minutes.

"Sorry, Alpha. I was trying to find the fittest Omega's. Well, the ones who are barely injured."

"Mum's in charge while I'm gone," Zayn declared and stomped over the grass. Some wolves were trying to fix the automatic gate at the end of the gravel path. Southern wolves had disconnected their electric fence too.

"Make sure this is fixed before I'm back. And get more guards too. We need maximum protection."

Zayn's eyes were wide and feral red. He faced the trees, ready to crouch and shift into his wolf form, until he heard what sounded like a car engine. He looked around, confused. Cars never approached their Packhouse unless they ordered one, which was very, very rare.

Unexpectedly, a black car shot from the trees, aiming straight for the Packhouse. Wolves jumped in all directions, startled and not wanting to be run over. Before the car reached the gate, it crashed into a thick oak tree, filling the air with snow as it fell from the branches above. Smoke poured from the car bonnet while the passenger door opened, and someone fell out onto the snow.

Zayn would recognise that sweet scent anywhere. "Liam!"

He ran through the snow as fast as he could, abandoning his mission to run West. He disappeared through the smoke and dropped to his knees to scoop his human up off the floor.

Liam's blood soaked the snow after smashing his head off the dashboard when they slammed into the tree.

"Liam? Can you hear me? Liam?" Zayn cupped his cheeks, but Liam's head fell forward and slumped against his chest.

Zayn didn't look to see who else was in the car. He picked Liam up in his arms and hurried back towards the building. A few wolves had heard the collision and gasped when they saw Liam limp in Zayn's arms.

"Get to Niall ! Get me the Omega Medic. Right now! Right now!"

Solana stood by the front door. As soon as she saw the blood on Liam's face, she crumbled.

"Oh gosh, Liam! Is he breathing? He looks so pale!" she touched his cheek as she ran down the corridor with Zayn.

"Take him to the first aid room. I'll find the Omega Medic."

Zayn ran left down a long corridor with awful blood stains smudged across the grey carpet and down the patterned wallpaper. He turned right towards the Omega quarters and skidded to a halt outside a white door with a red cross on the front. He entered and laid Liam down on the closest bed.

A few other wolves lay in the room already, bandaging up their own wounds. They all stared at Zayn fussing over his mate.

Liam was unnaturally cold. His skin was icy, and his usual pink cheeks had paled enough to make him look very sick.

"Liam," Zayn whispered, moving his wavy brown hair from his forehead to get a better look at the gash on his head.

"Zayn" Liam replied, barely moving his lips and keeping his eyes closed. He lifted trembling hands and Zayn noticed the handcuffs.

"I'll make sure they pay for this," Zayn said and sat on the side of the bed.

"Stay still. You're going to be alright Liam." Zayn leaned over him, softly kissing his freezing cheek. Zayn wasn't sure if Liam trembled because of the
cold or because of the shock.

"Look at me, that's it." Zayn cherished his brown eyes, dazing at him blankly.

Baela suddenly burst into the room with Niall  and flopped him down on the bed opposite Liam.

"How is he?" Baela asked, hauling Niall up the bed to make him comfortable. Niall wasn't awake, but wolves were more resilient than humans. He'd recover before anything serious could happen.

"He's not really with it," Zayn said, tapping Liam's cheek to make him open his eyes again. "Where's the Omega Medic?"

"Here!" A woman hurried into the room with a large red first aid bag. She approached the bed and peered over Zayn's shoulder. "Alpha Zayn, I know you don't want to, but it would be easier for me to help Liam if you sit to the side of the bed."

Zayn glared coldly, until his mother pulled on his
shoulder.

"Let her help him," she whispered and their hands found each other.