Again, I wanted to get this out quikcly so it's not edited very well. I apologize but I should have more time for the next few chapters to go over them better. Also, what do you guys think of a sequel? I don't want to draw this out and make it boring but personally, I'm a fan of sequels. But I'm going to ask you: how do you feel about a sequel to I'm Sorry, Did You Say Mate?
Also, people have been asking me to read their stories and I have no problem doing so. If you want me to take a look just message me and I'll try and get to it as soon as I can.
Thanks for all the fanning/commenting/voting, you guys are just the best!
(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes)
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Chapter 24 (Part 2)
Evan’s POV:
“Where are we on the situation?” I growled to the group of men standing around me. They all shifted uncomfortably but kept their serious expressions.
“Already went to the house, long gone. Most we can tell is that they headed west, towards the woods. The scent drops off there.” Spencer replied.
I growled again and my wolf fought to come out. After Luke had hung up we’d wasted no time in alerting the pack and racing back. All I wanted to do was rip Luke to shreds and find Sutton.
“Evan, don’t worry man. We’ll find her.” Scott said as he patted my shoulder. I swatted his hand away and turned slowly to glare at him.
“Don’t worry? Don’t worry,” I roared. “My mate has just been fucking kidnapped by a werewolf hunter! A fucking werewolf hunter! A hunter that won’t think twice about killing her. So don’t you dare tell me not to worry.”
“And you yelling at me is not going to find her.” He responded. I snarled, not liking his tone. Kevin stepped in and decided to intervene.
“Look Evan, we know you’re worried but taking it out on Scott isn’t helping. He’s right, we need to find Sutton and fighting with each other isn’t going to make us find her any faster.” I took a deep breath and nodded.
“Sorry.” I muttered. My wolf whined and in frustration and need.
“It’s ok. I meant what I said. We’ll find her.” Scott exchanged a glance with Kevin as he spoke.
“But will we find her in time.” I asked quietly. No one responded and the kitchen was filled with silence.
The silence was broken however when the kitchen door opened and Jason entered, a blissful expression evident. I glowered at him and he stopped and stood still when he noticed the tension in the room. He’d been unreachable for the past few hours. While he’d been off doing God knows what with his mate, his sister was kidnapped.
“What going on?” He asked, turning to me since it was clear I was in charge.
“What’s going on? I don’t Jason, what is going on?” I spoke slowly and filled my voice with venom. His face darkened with anger at my tone.
“What the hell is up with you?” I turned and unleashed my anger on him.
“What the hell is up with me? Where have you been? Oh, that’s right. You’ve been in la la land with your mate. Well, let me update you on what’s been happening.” He took a step back away from the anger rolling off me in waves. “While you were out frolicking with Elise, your sister was taken. Taken by Luke and those damn hunters!” His face paled. “So what the hell is up with me, Jason? My mate was just taken by people that want to kill her and you, her brother, couldn’t be bothered to answer a phone.”
I was breathing heavily from the sudden rage and I watched his emotions flow across his face. Anger, worry, confusion, anger again, fear. I could see him replay my words in his head before he looked up at me, outrage lighting his eyes. I awaited his reply, curling my hands into fists.
“I’m sorry, did you say mate?” Jason asked.
A/N Ta Da! Now you know who famously inspired the title. Ok, back to the story.
I gaped, struggling from words. Out of all of that, he got the Sutton and I were mates. Not that she was kidnapped. Not that hunters had taken her. Not that she was in danger. No, he got that we were mates. Anger overtook me and I lunged, taking him to the ground. He met me and our brawl began, rolling on the ground with fists flying. It only lasted a second before I felt hands pull us apart. Spencer and Scott held me back while Kevin stood across the kitchen, trying to calm a livid Jason. I wiped a trickle of blood coming from my nose and I saw with satisfaction a cut on his cheek and the beginnings of a black eye.
“You and my sister? You guys don’t even like each other” He snarled.
“I highly doubt we’d be together if we didn’t like each other.” I decided not to tell him we’d worked things out. The past was the past and the only thing he needed to know was that we were together now.
“No. I won’t allow it. She’s my sister, Evan. My baby sister!” He cried.
“And she’s my mate.” I paused before each word, making sure he understood. I felt the power and authority roll off me and I knew he felt it too.
“No.” Was all he said. I snarled. How dare he say I can’t have my mate!
“Boys! Now is not the time to being fighting about this.” Kevin yelled. Our growls and snarls became lower, softer, but they didn’t stop. “The issue at hand is Sutton. Finding Sutton! Or did you forget about that?” The snarls stopped.
“What happened?” Jason finally asked. I listened as Scott recounted the past few hours and I saw Jason’s face match my feelings. Despair, anger, worry, fear.
“But we’re going to get her back.” Scott reassured him at the end. Jason looked at me once again, anger still in his eyes but it was more subdued now.
“We’ll talk about this later.” I nodded and once again, the kitchen was thrown into silence.
I stood and tried to think about where they would take Sutton. I had all of my fighters out searching for her and I alerted neighboring packs to step up their patrols and alert me if they found anything. I’m trying my best to remain strong for my pack and Sutton but inside it’s turmoil. A part of me wants to shift and search for her until I find her, while another sad and scared part of me just wants to cry out from the loss. I’ve never felt the immense weight of fear until now. I’ve never been truly scared for I was next in line to be Alpha of a powerful pack. My band of fighters were true warriors, feared and respected by other packs. No one would dare risk the wrath of the Greenwood Pack, and yet here I was. Standing in my kitchen with my mate out there with no protection, no one to ensure her safety. Fear seemed like a big word now. I looked up when an older member of my pack came running in, out of breath with a cell phone in his hand. He was one of the members I’d put in charge of keeping in touch with the neighboring packs.
“Sir, the Silver Mist Pack just reported strange scents coming from the southern side of the territory.” I was instantly filled with hope. I straightened, as did the rest of the people in the kitchen.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. They said it smelled like hunters but there was a werewolf with them too.” That was all I needed. I ran outside, pulling my clothes off in the process. I shifted and picked my discarded clothes up in my mouth. Not a second later, Spencer, Scott, Jason, and Kevin were there, running alongside me. As we ran I shouted orders to my pack using the link we shared.
Relocate to the southern side of the territory.If you’re already down in the southern end, keep your eyes open. We have reports of hunters being there. Kill any hunter you see and don’t hesitate. Under no circumstances though, do you kill Luke. I want him. If you find Sutton, I want her removed from the fight as soon as possible. Don’t you dare let her stay, escort her back here as quickly as possible and kill anyone that tries to harm her. I commanded them as I ran further into the trees. I pushed myself further, shooting through the woods quickly, intent on finding Sutton as soon as possible. Spencer, Scott, Jason, and Kevin kept up with me as I ran, all of us silent and focused on the task at hand. Occasionally I would get updates from the rest of my pack but so far no one had spotted anyone.
I stopped suddenly as I spotted something on the ground a few meters to my right. A trial made from the tires of a car. I stepped closer and the scent assaulted my nose. Hunters.
Over here. I directed. We followed the trail wearily, on guard. I heard it a second before the bullet whizzed past my ear. Three men stood on either side of the trail, guns mounted in their arms. Normal bullets don’t hurt us, but the bullets hunters use aren’t normal. And let me say, they hurt like a bitch if you get hit by one. True, they can’t kill us but they do slow us down enough for them to capture us. And then kill us.
We wasted no time and lunged, easily overtaking the much slower reflexes of the hunters. They were dead before they had the time to even think about pulling the trigger. I started to walk away when Spencer spoke through the link.
Guys, this may seem crazy but what if we took their clothes. Their all wearing the same black jeans and black shirt and jacket. It must be some kind of uniform. I mean, if the hunters see the clothes they won’t think twice about not shooting us. After all, we’d look like them. We all thought it over for a minute.
This is why you’re going to be Beta. Kevin said after a minute. In the end Spencer, Jason, and I all shifted and changed clothing. Kevin and Scott remained wolves and promised to stick near us and alert us if something came up. We continued walking town the makeshift trail, sticking closer to the tress. Without my wolf sight, it was harder to see in the shadows of the already dark night. I could easily see the others by the puffs of their breath as they exhaled. I exchanged a look with Spencer, both of us thinking the same thing. Maybe we’re in the wrong area. Maybe she’s not here. Maybe they’re already…done with her.
No sooner had the thought popped into my head, Kevin swung his massive brown head around a split second after Scott and they both looked to the right. They stood still, heads cocked to the side, listening. It wasn’t long that we heard what had alerted them. Crashing footsteps thundered towards us. Someone was running in our direction, nosily and quickly. We acted quickly and all went into hiding positions, waiting to see who it was. I took cover behind a tree and waited, listening to the heavy footsteps.
All of a sudden I caught the scent and quickly stepped out from behind the trees. Right in front of the runner.
Sutton’s POV:
I groaned, instantly reaching up to my head to hold. I panicked when I found my hands didn’t move. They were bound together in front of me. Luckily my feet remained untied and I hesitantly took a step forward.
“Uh, uh Sutton.” His voice whispered from the darkness. I shivered at the coolness of it as I looked around. I swear this was like a repeat of last time, except this time it was night and much colder. I found myself in a small clearing surrounded by trees, the moon a tiny sliver hidden behind grey clouds.
“What’s going on?” I called out, not seeing anyone. Though, I sensed the presence of people. It was hard to tell how many, but I could definitely tell I was surrounded.
“Now, now Sutton. Everything will be explained soon.” He spoke again, though this time he came from somewhere behind me. I whirled around, making my already throbbing head spin.
“Where are you?” I didn’t like not being able to see him. It made me nervous.
“Right here.” He whispered in my ear, his breath hitting my exposed neck. I once again turned quickly to find nothing. “Getting frustrated?” He taunted.
“What do you want?” I tried to put as much force in my voice as I could.
“You see, Sutton. I’ve been lied to. And I don’t like being lied to.” He remained invisible, but before I could do anything, a forceful punch was delivered to the back of my shoulder. I stumbled forward and looked behind me. Dark shadows greeted me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I muttered, looking around.
“But you do. Evan is your mate Sutton.” He finally stepped out. His dark hair hung low over his forehead, dressed in black with a cool, blank expression. Luke looked like a more modernized version Death himself.
“Wh-What?” I tried to play it off. Not a good idea. A slap was swiftly delivered from the side. I looked over quickly, surprised to find the girl who delivered it was still standing there. She grinned wickedly at me, showing she enjoyed my pain.
“Want to lie again? Susie just loves to punish those who lie.” Luke commented, keeping his cool composure. I glanced once more at the girl I assumed was Susie, cringing away slightly.
Susie walked around me in a slow circle, analyzing me. I swallowed nervously, watching her every move wearily. I didn’t even see her hand snake out and deliver a hard blow to my stomach. I leaned forward, clutching my stomach and gasping. She chuckled darkly, and twirled around me happily once more. I focused on my shoes as the pain slowly began to ease away as my body healed. My eyes snapped open wider when I realized why I was healing so quickly. I was a damn werewolf! At my house, everything had happened so fast it didn’t occur to me to shift but crouching forward in the middle of the woods, I forced myself to relax and tried to envision my snowy fur taking over. I wasn’t going down without a fair chance.
“Trying to change?” Luke asked, closer now. He laughed softly as I realized I couldn’t. I tried once more but again nothing happened.
“What did you do?” I whispered, looking up at him.
“Well, we added a bit of a kick when we knocked you out. Just wanted to make sure you couldn’t shift. Don’t worry though, we didn’t used chloroform this time. Wouldn’t want you to have an allergic reaction while we’re playing our game.” He smiled as he spoke.
“Bastard.” I hissed. A swift kick sent me sprawling to the ground followed by another kick to my stomach. I rolled and clutched my ribs once again, gasping as I tried to regain my breath. I kept my eyes closed as flashes of pain shot through me every time I inhaled. After a second I opened my eyes to find a grey pair right in front of me. Luke studied me, keeping his uncaring gaze locked on me.
“You know, I actually thought you might have been different. But no, you’re like the rest of them. You’re still a bitch.” I growled when he said his last sentence, not liking it.
“Guess you should have known better.” I muttered, fighting to get up. Finally standing, I watched as he backed away, continuing to study me.
“I should have.” He murmured, looking away briefly for the first time. I struggled with the bindings on my wrists but it was useless. A freakin girl scout must have tied these knots because they were pretty complicated.
“Luke.” Susie spoke for the first time and I gaped. She had the voice that belonged to dittzy blond, high pitched and girly. Her voice completely clashed with her dark hair and hooded eyes. I smirked as she turned to glower at me.
“Right, back to our game.” He brought himself back and returned his serious gaze to me.
“You know Evan’s looking for me right? He’s probably got the whole pack out there, searching.” I reminded him, grinning slightly. I just knew he was looking for me. I had the gut feeling.
“Yes, but he’ll be too late. Nothing personal Sutton, but you’re the future Alpha Female. Which makes you the first to go. He’ll find you but by then you’ll be dead.” I shivered from the certainty in his voice. There was no doubt in his mind that I was going to die tonight.
“He’ll kill you.” I retorted.
“Hmm maybe, but then again, I’ll go down with satisfaction knowing that I took away the love of his life, effectively killing him as well. And without him, his pack won’t function well and then the rest of the hunters will just pick them off until there’s nothing left of the Greenwood Pack. And to think that all happens with just one death. Yours.” He stated matter of factly.
“No.” Was all I could say. He turned to me and smiled.
“Alright Sutton. It’s time to play.” I shivered. “As you have probably already guessed, I have the woods filled with hunters. But I’m going to release you and if you can find your way out of the woods then I’ll spare you.” He said doubtfully.
“That’s hardly fair.” I muttered. He shrugged.
“I don’t play fair. Now, I’ll give you a head start. Remember, you never know where they are hiding. Find your way out though, and you’re safe.” Glowered at him, feeling the nerves pick up in my stomach. “Game starts…now.” He said.
I took off, stumbling through the trees. I could hear him laughing darkly behind me as I ran. I had no idea where I was or where I was going but the only thing I did know was that I was going to try and put as much distance between me and the hunters as I could. I had no idea how long the head start was, he never said. A minute? Two? Ten seconds?
As I ran, I swore I could see shadows shift and move. It only made me run faster though. My clothes were torn from getting caught on branches and I could feel a cut on my cheek from when I’d scratched it falling down. My breathing was raspy and my stomach was in pain. In truth, every part of me was hurting and my head was feeling light headed from the minimal amount of oxygen. I ran on though, determined to keep going. I tripped and fell over a log as I turned around to see of anyone was behind me. I landed hard, knocking the breath out of me. I started the feel the despair come over me, bring tears as well.
I cried as I ran, looking back every once in a while. I reached another clearing and paused, panting for breath. Something on the ground caught my attention. Tire tread marks led a path, winding through the forest. Well, they obviously brought me in a car and I didn’t live in these woods so that meant the tread marks had to lead to the highway or a road. Either way, they led out of this damn forest. With renewed hope, I ran, following the trail. I felt relived, I mean surely they wouldn’t have hunters all the way over here. I stumbled my way through, hitting trees as I lost my balance every so often.
It literally came out of nowhere and I cried out as it grazed my bicep. I guess I was wrong about hunters being all the way over here as another bullet rained down on me, whizzing pat my shoulder. My arm throbbed painfully and I felt blood drip down. I bit my lip to keep from crying out as I continued to run. I could distinctly hear two sets of footsteps running after me. I crashed through the forest, hunters hot on my feels. The adrenaline ran through my body, igniting a fire in my veins. I pushed myself further, zig sagging between trees, but they persisted and every once in a while a bullet would come dangerously close to me. I felt the tears coming down once more as the adrenaline faded and my body became slower and more tired. Up ahead I could see a cluster of trees and I vaguely smelled something from over there. In my battered and weakened state I couldn’t tell what it was or how many there were but I guessed the trees were my best guess at losing the hunters. I used up the last part of my energy and rocketed into the cluster, looking behind me to see where the hunters went.
I screamed when I ran right into the embrace of someone. I thrashed around and tried my best to get out of the person’s arms. Tears streamed down my face as I realized I was probably going to die now.
“Sutton, Sutton, Sutton!” The person called. I slowed my movements and looked up.
Sometimes, there are moments when the whole world stops and freezes. Time halts and everything rests, just for a second. I had that moment, looking up into his azure eyes. I don’t think I’d ever been so happy to see anyone in my entire I life. We held each other’s gazes, relief flooding into our eyes. The world pauses for a moment so you can get a grip on reality, but then it eventually resumes and you’re left with that one moment.
He gripped me tighter to him and I buried my face in his neck, my still secured hands resting on his chest. I pushed back happy tear and breathed deeply, taking his scent. I listened as he murmured into my hair and ran his hands over my back soothingly.
“I’ve got you Sutton. I promise nothing’s going to happen to you. You’re safe now.” And I was. Sure, I was in the middle of the forest at night with who knows how many hunters out there intent on killing me, but here, in Evan’s arms, I was safe.