Found You

Chapter 11

I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there, staring at him. How the hell did he find me? I had no idea he was still looking, not after all this time. He took a step closer to me, and then another, but I still couldn’t move. I wanted to sink to the floor and curl up into a ball and forget he was there. I wanted to be in Eli’s arms, feeling his safety and warmth around me. He was still walking towards me, and my wolf started roaring at me to do something, anything to stop him. But I couldn’t think of a single way to handle this. I was out of options. I couldn’t run anymore. The time for running was past, this was a time for something else. I just didn’t know what. I felt arms grab me around my arms, my waist, making sure I couldn’t move. I struggled, my brain finally making a choice about what to do, but I couldn’t shake them. Whoever were holding me, they were strong, and they weren’t letting me go. He stood less than a foot away from me now and something inside me finally clicked. I sprang into a defensive stance, baring my teeth at him, ready to defend myself. He chuckled.

“You’ve grown feisty, kitten. I hardly recognised you. It’s been too long, hasn’t it?”

“Nope. And don’t call me kitten,” I growled, my jaw clenched and my wolf wailing in anger, eager to come out and teach him a lesson. But I held her back. I couldn’t fight him and win. It would end in disaster like last time.

“I’ll call you anything I like, pup. You are mine after all.”

“What?” my head snapped to the new voice and my heart sank. Eli was standing at the bottom of the steps, his face… oh his face. He looked so broken. I couldn’t breathe. I lost all feeling in my legs, my knees buckled and I slammed to the floor. This pain… it was something else. It felt like my heart had been snatched from me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Eli. He started to run towards me, but a wolf jumped in front of him, punching him hard in the stomach, making him crumble over and fall to the floor. I wanted to scream out and run to him, to protect him, but he was there, holding me down, his sweaty hand around my mouth, his lips in my ear.

“Who’s this dog, kitten? A new man in your life? I’m hurt that you would cheat on me?” he took a whiff of my hair and groaned with pleasure as I felt tears spring to my eyes. I wasn’t disgusted by what he said. I wasn’t even angry. The only thing I could feel was Eli’s pain. His blue eyes were pleading with me, begging me to fight. I shook my head slightly, and he just stared at me, confused. Two wolves were either side of him, yanking him up and dragging him across the floor. I felt arms go around me, and I knew it was useless to struggle. He pressed me to him, so my back was fully against his front. He chuckled.

“Oh, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you, kitten. I’m going to enjoy myself when we get home. And I’m going to take my sweet time about it.”

He started leading me towards the cars, and I just followed him obediently like the dog I was. I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to. I just knew this guy. He would hurt everyone here in a heartbeat, without a second thought just to get me.

“Keira!” I hung my head as I heard Eli’s voice, and my heart broke all over again. I stopped walking, unable to move. He called my name again and I felt like collapsing with grief. How was I supposed to do this? Eli was my mate, I couldn’t leave him, not now not ever. I can’t do this.

“Keira, you can’t do this! Why are you going with him?!” I heard the sound of someone punching him and I winced. I was using all my strength not to cry. I heard him getting frustrated and slamming the car door in frustration as he turned and marched towards Eli.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we have been introduced. My name is Bryce. Alpha Bryce.”

“What do you want with Keira?” Eli asked through small gasps for air. I turned to see him on his knees, his nose bloody and broken, holding his ribs in pain. I instantly looked away.

“Oh… she never told you about her past?” Eli growled.

“She told me enough.”

“Oh yeah? Ask her how she left. Ask her how she, an inexperienced fighter and shut in, managed to escape from my pack under my very nose!” Bryce was booming and I shrank away from his voice. I started to see him again, in that room with my mother, laughing at my pain, enjoying my ever scream, feeding off my every tear.

“Her crimes to my pack have gone unpunished for far too long. I’m returning her to her home so she can be brought to justice for what she did almost 300 years ago, my young friend.”

“273,” I murmured. I could feel them both staring at me and I gingerly looked at them, “It’s been 273 years exactly.” Bryce sighed, patting Eli on the shoulder.

“Sorry mate, but you’re going to have to fine another bitch to bang.” He started to walk away and at first, Eli just knelt on the ground, confused and pained by what he had heard. Bryce put his arm around my shoulders, and I felt the rage coming from Eli. He sprang up, roaring and snarling, his arms flinging the wolves holding him down like they were nothing, his body shaking with rage, his wolf wanting blood. He charged at Bryce but he easily dodged the attack, but Eli was fast. He recovered in a second, adjusted and sprang at him again, knocking him to the ground, his wolf burst out. I just stood there, my wolf begging me to join in the fun, my memories holding me back. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and saw Christa standing in the doorway, tears running down her face, screaming something at me, but I couldn’t hear her. I heard a howl of pain and gasped as something warm splattered onto me. I turned and saw Bryce, on top of Eli, his hands covered in blood, and Eli’s battered wolf changing back to be human again. But Bryce never stopped hitting him. He brought blow after blow down on Eli. My heart shattered with each strike. I ran over, and, using all my strength, threw Bryce off him. I knelt beside Eli, tears springing to my eyes. Bryce came flying back, fuming at me.

“Stop, please!” I begged, holding up a hand, tears rolling from my eyes. Bryce stopped, his head cocked to the side, intrigued. I took a deep, shaky breath.

“I promise to leave with you,” Eli squeezed my hand, making me feel his plee to stop me, “But, you have to swear to me that no harm shall ever come to Eli or anyone else in the house. Do I make myself clear?” Bryce snorted.

“And what will happen if I don’t do what you ask?” I stared at him right in the ear, making myself look as frightening as I could.

“Then I kill all of you… and you’ll never have me.” Bryce clenched his teeth and groaned. I held my glare, trying to wear him down. He huffed and chuckled.

“The time on your own has really changed you, kitten. You’ve got yourself a deal. Now get in the car.”

“At least let me say goodbye,” I said. He looked away but nodded and stepped into the car without looking back. I slipped one arm under his neck, pulling him up towards me. Tears started to fall again, and I let them. My wolf whined and wailed, already feel the pain of separation from our mate. Our one and only true mate.

“You can’t go,” Eli stammered through his pain. I shot him my best smile.

“I have to.”

“Why? Tell me what happened. Please Keira.” I kissed him gently, savouring each second it lasted, placing my forehead on his, breathing in his scent for the last time.

“One day I will. But right now, I have to go.”

“I’ll find you,” he growled, “You know I will. I’ll save you.” I laughed weakly, soaking in those blue eyes of his, remembering how his hair feels in my fingers.

“I look forward to it.” I kissed him again and stood up, holding my head high as I walked towards the car. I heard Christa call my name but I shut her out. I didn’t… no, I couldn’t talk to her. She could find a loop hole to help me, to stop me from leaving. I hopped into the truck, slamming the door shut, never taking my eyes off Eli. As the car started to pull away, I let everything overwhelm me, all the feelings from Eli and myself, truly feeling the breaking of whatever we shared, and I broke down sobbing quietly to myself as my whole life vanished behind me into a speck of dirt on the rear window.