Moon Bound (Forgotten Series, #5)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Part Two

Azrael let me go before he looked around. His eyes had darkened as he took in the dead that littered the ground. "We need to get them up the hill." I nodded at that, the anger burning through my veins was heavy and heated. I moved when he did, I was limping but the rage I felt drowned it out as I grabbed the first dead body. It was light and the skin felt dry. I did my best to ignore the creepy feeling it gave me as I drug it towards the mountain side.

I let it go right as Jacks tossed two of them down. "Don't know what your female did to them but this is creepy." He shook his head, a grimace on his face. "Always knew your female was off." He muttered it out and I bared my teeth as snarl escaping me as I narrowed my eyes at him. He had no right to disparage her while she was in the condition she was in.

"Enough!" The word was snarled and the dominance washed over me as Azrael drug two more dead shifters over. "You do not speak of your Beta Female like that, especially not now. Did you not see her? Could you not feel how close to death she was? Hold your fucking tongue." Azrael hissed the words out, a deep growl in his chest as Jacks bowed his head, baring his neck at our Alpha.

"I apologize." He turned and bowed his head at me, avoiding my gaze as he moved away. I watched him, wanting to tear into him for his words but knowing I needed to help gather the rest. I walked over and grabbed two by their wrists, dragging them across the ground to the others. The pile of them was growing and my aches and pains were starting to become more noticeable. There was a stabbing pain shooting out from where the side of my door had collapsed into my side. I wondered for a moment if there was internal injuries but shook it off, if there was any the healers would fix it. It didn't matter.

It took us a few minutes to gather the rest and by the time we had the other shifters had finished their climb down to us. "Your female is still hanging on." The one's voice was low and I gave a short nod. I wanted to be relieved but I couldn't. I wanted to be with her, to hold her. All I could say was that she was alive and that was all I could hope for.

I watched as they looked at the pile of dead bodies. "Alpha?" The others voice trailed off and Azrael snapped his teeth together in agitation.

"Caligo. Been trespassing for weeks and this was their idea of a bright plan." His form vibrated with his fury and I couldn't help but feel the same. Lynn was injured, I didn't know how bad but she wasn't waking up and she was clinging to life. Azrael had nearly lost Lace and had, for a moment, lost his daughter before he could meet her.

"They forced the crash." I gritted my teeth before pointing up at the semi. "Wanted to make it look like an accident." Someone had deliberately done that to us, someone had wanted to hurt Lynn and I. They could come after me but she couldn't defend herself. She was vulnerable and delicate and for someone to go after her? They needed to be punished for that. They needed their lives razed and destroyed without mercy.

"Tie them up and take them up to the road." Azrael grabbed one by the leg and tossed it towards the climbers. "We need to return them to their pack." There was a viciousness to his tone as the shifters started to take the ropes off their waist. I helped Azrael and Jacks set out the eight shifters in front of them as they tied the ropes around their ankles. It took a few minutes before they were all tied and ready to be hauled upwards.

"What happened to them, Alpha?" One of the shifters looked at Azrael and he shook his head.

"The moon was apparently displeased with them." His expression was dark and he bared his teeth. I didn't respond to the statement, I didn't want to think about it. Lynn had some how saved me, saved Alpha Lace and her child, and had probably killed all eight of the shifters but I couldn't think about that now, couldn't process it. She was my little mundane, my little witch, and she was hurt. If the moon had used her, she wouldn't be here. She would be gone because nothing survived Mene's power. I couldn't think of the possibilities because my mind was consumed with the possibility of losing her.