The rest of the pack and I stand frozen in the shadow of a huge, blood-drenched stranger. His vicious eyes trained on me.
“Your father told me I would find you here. Time to go Arabella.” He takes a step towards me making me step back nearly running into Beau.
“Damon. Shit. He found us.” Beau grumbles.
“Damon!?”
“He’s Raphael’s Beta. His right hand man and he’s ruthless as his Alpha.” Everett whispers in my ear clutching Koda close to him.
Damon is deep in the house now circling me like a prey causing me to back up the stairs.
“You are a delicious little thing aren’t you? Your father was right to make you my mate.”
“I am not going anywhere with you.” I seethe only to be awarded with a low sarcastic laugh boiling out from Damon’s blood-stained mouth.
“I’m afraid it’s not exactly up to you. You’re mine.”
“But Arabella is Caden’s true mate!” Koda comes to my defense much to my dismay. Everett clasps a hand over Koda’s mouth but it’s too late as Damon chuckles, crouching down to Koda’s level. He’s a sweet little boy and I like him a lot. I don’t want him to get hurt because of me.
“Yeah, we all felt that little soul bond the other night, didn’t we boy? But that doesn’t matter.”
In a flash, Damon is behind me. He locks my arms in a death grip.
“Once I claim her and breed her, their little bond will mean nothing.” He says sniffing my neck making my gut twist with revulsion.
“Ugh…go to hell you ruthless monster.” I spit out in disgust.
“You don’t know the meaning of hell yet woman. But I’ll show you what it’s like.” He says leaning into me but someone hits him from the side, knocking me out of his grasp.
“That’s no way to talk to a lady now is it? I believe she said no. You have no right to claim her.” Juno lunges towards him but Damon throws her off like a suck of feathers launching her body 20 feet only to smack her hard into the wall.
“Juno!” I gasp.
“Now, then…” Damon rushes towards me, shoving me into the window. My head wacks the glass with a loud crack. Without thinking I twist and throw a roundhouse kick. My foot lands on his crotch but it barely moves him.
“Is that all you’ve got for me princess? How disappointing.” He fakes pouty lips.
My vision blurs as dozen of enemy wolves rush in, forcing the rest of the pack to surrender.
“C’mon. You can give me a little more.” He leans in close enough that I can smell his foul, metallic breath.
“What the hell is going on here?” Caden’s dominant voice booms.
A wave of relief washes over me when I see Caden in the entryway, tall and furious.
“Caden…save the others!” I groan in pain. When he catches my gaze, his eyes flash gold with intense rage. For a moment, time slows and I feel it again: that heat, that unmistakable pull towards Caden.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is. The little stray pup.” Damon disses eliciting a low and threatening growl from Caden as he takes a step forward.
“Let go of my mate.” He dangerously demands.
“Your mate? Oh, no, no, no.” Damon grins as his grip tightens on me making me wince in pain.
“I said let go of her!!!” I can literally feel the anger radiating from him. His voice is louder and more violent than I’ve ever heard it as he sprints towards me but two massive rival wolves slam him to the ground, restraining him.
“Stop! Please. You want me, let them go.” Caden struggles, throwing one of them off but another is there in a matter of seconds making him outnumbered.
“She’s mine, you weak little pup.” Damon mutters.
“No…!” I can’t tear my eyes from Caden. He stares at me with something foreign…something like fury mixed with desperation.
“Tell him, Arabella. Tell him how you’re mine.”
“I don’t know for sure but all I know is that you need to get the hell off of me.” Damon grins so wide that I can see all his teeth, just a little too sharp.
“You don’t know huh.” He says, his grip on my throat tightening.
“In that case, I’ll just have to show you.” His claws dig into my neck as I try to cry out but my airway is blocked. My feet rise up to kick him hard.
“Ngh…Screw you.” I struggle to say.
“All in due time. But first…” He lifts me higher his smile widening then as if I weigh nothing, he tosses me across the room like a ragdoll.
I skid across the floor, sliding back until I crash against the far wall.
“NO!” Caden gruesomely growls and with a sudden surge of power, he throws the wolves off of him his eyes glowing. In a flush, he rushes at Damon, swinging his fist back but Damon is fast. Unnaturally fast as he stops Caden’s fist with his hand, pulling him back until he stumbles.
“Nice try Caden. You know you’re nowhere near as powerful as I am.” He hits him hard. Caden hisses in pain, falling to the ground. Damon moves in to kick him again…
“Caden, get up.” I beg. I’m too bitten up to fight back and out of the two of us, he’s the powerful one. All he needs is encouragement.
He tries but Damon kicks him in the stomach, I hear a sickening crunch of his ribs breaking. He kicks him again and again. Caden buckles and coughs up a spray of red blood.
“Caden!!” If I don’t do something this instant, he’ll die because of me. I spot a small vase in the corner of the room an idea strikes me. As fast as I can, I grab the vase, take aim and throw it with all my might. The vase shatters against Damon’s skull making him whirl around, a small trickle of blood trailing down his face.
“You brat.” He hisses as he starts walking towards me, his attention completely diverted. That’s all the opportunity Caden needs. Soon, he staggers to his feet and rushes at Damon.
“How is this?” With a roar, he hauls Damon off the ground, launching him into the air. He flies across the room. Caden’s gaze finds me and he smiles triumphantly.
“Arabella, are you okay? You…”
“Help!” I turn and freeze in utter horror as Koda is held roughly in Damon’s arms.
“Koda!” Everett’s cry is clear from the other side of the room as he bolts for his son.
“Enough!” Suddenly all of us are forced flat on the ground. I hear the same tremor of power in Damon’s command that I’ve heard in Caden’s. Obey. But unlike Caden’s molten, deep voice, Damon’s scrapes down my spine like a jagged rock.
“Let. Him. Go.” Fighting his command, I stumble forward, intending to attack Damon. I gather speed but Damon sidesteps my charge and knocks me aside easily.
“Don’t make this difficult Arabella. I’d hate to hurt the boy.” Damon speaks, his hands closes almost gently around Koda, pulling him up on his tiptoes.
“Dad!” Koda calls out in pain.
“Stop! Please, stop!” Everett pleads for his son.
“Let him go you bastard.” Caden demands.
“Hmm…no. Don’t think I will.” Damon gives a hollow laugh before he meets my gaze, pinning me with empty, lifeless eyes. “I think I need to teach my new mate a lesson. Disobey me, and reap the consequences.”
“Take me instead. Just please leave the boy alone.” I beg of him.
“Oh, I intend to…but I think this lesson is important. So…” He hauls Koda up under his arm. “I’ll be taking this until you’ve decided to be a good girl.”
“No!” I hear Koda’s pain in his voice and it makes me furious with myself for putting such a sweet young boy in this situation.
“See you soon Arabella.” Damon sweeps out of the estate with the rest of his pack.
“No…damn it…”. Caden makes an attempt to go after him but it’s no use. He’s too fast.
Silence falls over the hall, so stifling that I can barely breathe. The only thing that cuts through it is Everett’s muffled sobs.
“You…this is your fault.” Beau bolts for me seething with hot tears running down his face, pointing a finger at me.
“You’re the reason Damon was here. You’re the reason that bastard took my son.” Beau takes a staggering step towards me, his whole body crippled with grief.
“It’s your fault. My son. My little boy is…” He falls to his knees before me, breaking down in racked sobs. Everett stares at the spot Koda was taken from.
“Our boy…our little boy…”
“Beau, Everett…I’m sorry. I swear I’ll do all I can to get him back.”
“You will?”
“Yes. I swear. I will save him myself. Even if it means they take me instead. Koda doesn’t deserve this. And until then, Koda’s going to be okay. He’s a strong kid, and he’s resourceful.”
“Thank you.” Everett’s eyes flood with new tears as he takes his husband’s hand.
“That means a lot Arabella.” Beau eyes me warily, the wall he built up for himself still in place. But I see a small crack, a small peak behind his gruff exterior as he takes my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
“You’re right. He is a tough kid. And we’re going to save him no matter what.” I nod, wiping a tear from my eye. Around me, the pack murmurs their approval.
“Thank you Arabella. Everyone, gather supplies. I’m going after them.” My gaze locks with Caden’s and he gives me a small nod, pride and respect clear on his face.
“I’m going with you.”Juno steps forward alongside the snarky young guard I almost took on when I escaped.
“All right. Beau, Juno and Kit, make your preparations and meet back here in…” Caden orders.
“I’m going too.” They all turn to look at me like I’m a crazy woman with two heads.
“Arabella…”
“It’s my fault Koda is held hostage. I’m coming with. I’m not at ease until Koda is safe." Just imagining how scared he must be is tearing me up inside.
“Yeah, we all feel that way. But we’ll move faster if…”
“She can come.” Caden interrupts Juno mid-sentence.
Everyone turns to Caden. His voice reverberating with an Alpha’s command.
“You saw me during that fight. I….I need her.” I watch Caden ball his hands into shaking fists. "Arabella is my true mate. One touch and I’ll be strong enough to stop him. It’s the only way.”
The pack bow their heads in agreement and quickly move to gather weapons and supplies. I move to help but then I spot Caden stalking off up stairs his head bowed low. I follow him at a distance as he travels up a corridor and out onto the balcony showcasing the beautiful scenery of the estate.
Finally alone, Caden grips the ledge, his shoulders high. He looks as though he bares the weight of the world.
“Caden?” I approach him.
“What...” He whips around, surprised to find me there. His glassy eyes find me standing there but he hides it so well. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see if you were all right.”
“I’m fine.” He turns away again. Something is clearly bothering him.
“Caden, what’s wrong? Really?” I drill him.
“I…” He growls and claws at the wooden balcony leaving large ridges in it.
“I couldn’t protect my pack. My family.” Every muscle in Caden’s body quakes as he fights back the rage and anguish as he shatters the wooden balcony with his tight grip.
“I couldn’t do it on my own. If I could, Koda would…” In the spray of splinters, he meets my eyes again.
“I failed everyone Arabella.” He whispers.
Without a second thought, I close the distance between us, placing a hand on his back.
“You didn’t fail anyone, Caden.” For a moment, he doesn’t move but that doesn’t matter to me. I smooth my hand over his broad, warm back, feeling every tight muscle. “Everyone here needs you. And no one expects you to do this on your own. You need a weapon. I’m that weapon. So, use me.”
“Arabella…”
“Use me. I’ll help you get Koda back. I’ll help you kill them if it comes to that.” Slowly, Caden turns to me, a small smile on his lips.
“You’re stronger than you look.”
“Always the tone of surprise with you.” I tease.
“This isn’t going to be easy. You scared?”
“I’m terrified, honestly.”
“Good. A little fear is healthy. It’ll keep you alive out there.” There is no hint of humor in his tone.
“Noted.” I nod.
Soon after, others and I set off through the mountains, with Caden at the front. No one talks for the first hour into our hike. Then, Beau finds footprints.
“It must be them. How much further?”
“Raphael’s camp is on the other side of the mountain pass.”
“We should shift. We’ll get there in half the time.” Kit suggests.
“We can’t shift. Arabella is an omega, remember?” Caden reminds.
“An omega for a daughter. A fitting punishment for that scumbag.” Juno spits in the dirt, and I feel another painful lurch of guilt.
Juno mentioned her brother one time. My father did something to him.
“Juno, can I ask…what did my father do to your brother?” Juno stops short, Everyone, including Caden, turns.
“He skinned my brother alive.”
“Wh…what?”
“He skinned him. For speaking out against me being forced to work as a maid in his kitchen. He took pieces of him, little by little, for three days. Three days. That’s how long it took for him to die.” Juno’s words slice through me, immobilizing me.
“I can’t imagine that pain.”
“No. No one can imagine his pain. Not even me.”
“Hey, that’s enough. We need to get going.”
“Right. To save Koda. But who saved Tom?!” Juno slams her fist hard against the side of the mountain. An ominous rumble builds along the cliff above me. The ground starts to tremor, and small pebbles shift at my feet.
I look up in horror as several large rocks crash down the mountain
“Shit!...” Juno and the others quickly shift into their wolf form, effortlessly bounding out of the way.
“Don’t move!” I could see Caden through the rockslides, still in human form.
“Caden, what are you…” Before I can finish my sentence, the rumbling grows louder, Caden lurches forward as a massive boulder careens right for me.
“Arabella!”
Caden’s voice I all I heard before I fall.
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Also, any of you know who to create an awesome cover for this book? I'll tag and dedicate few next chapers to you😉😘