Chapter Twenty-Two - Enemies
I open my eyes to bright lights which causes me to flinch. I blink drowsily to adjust before looking around. Then the pain hits me. At some point when I was knocked out I assume Jade had involuntarily shifted back and someone had changed me into clothes. Turns out my right ankle is tied to a heavy chain made of silver and I don't move for fear of wounding my skin. There's the tiniest of windows in the center of a wall to my left which allows the slightest hint of sunlight to filter through. Otherwise the room is freezing cold with nothing but a chair in the corner by a door.
"A-Atticus?" I call into the mind link but it's like both the link and our bond is gone. I can't feel him at all. Instead I feel empty.
I remember Scarlett saying that the pack was attacked which makes me panic. Is everyone alright? Is Atticus alright? Clearly, Scarlett did something to me so that I don't feel the mate bond anymore and not knowing what happened to the pack is causing me so much anxiety on top of my current situation.
However, the silence doesn't last long as the wooden door opens with a creak and my worst nightmare walks into the room. Vincent chuckles darkly at me before the smile on his face disappears. Scarlett walks in after him with her arms crossed over her chest and a deep scowl on her ruby painted lips.
"What the fuck?!" He roars as he looks between Scarlett and I in shock and rage. "She's pregnant with that bastard's child?!"
My eyes widen and I gasp audibly. How the hell am I pregnant?! I think to myself. Sure, I had missed a period and noticed that I put on some weight recently but I didn't pay any mind to it. And then I remember that when Atticus and I had sex on his birthday we forgot to use a condom. How could we have been so careless? Bringing a child into this mess is the last thing I wanted to worry about!
"Jade...you knew?" I ask quietly and sense her nod.
"I was going to tell you when you went back to the pack house after the mall." She replies with a low whine.
I feel only a shred of happiness over the revelation because it's completely overshadowed by fear. I must protect my baby no matter what happens. I want to see my child and there's no way I'm going to lose him or her because of Vincent. I pray hard in that moment that he doesn't hurt my child now that he's found out. But based on how he thrived off seeing me in pain and misery before I won't be surprised if he takes my baby from me just to hurt me. Just the thought of losing the little life inside of me breaks my heart.
"And that's why I didn't inject her with wolfsbane." She mutters in response before glancing at me with disgust.
"Leave." He snarls and I almost wish she doesn't obey him.
But she walks out of the room and it's just Vincent and I. He's breathing heavily as he walks up to me and I growl in warning when he crouches before me with his eyes narrowed on my belly. He chuckles darkly before shaking his head as he licks his lips. And when he looks back at me I try not to show my fear over the crazed look in his eyes.
"I told you not to open your legs for Bauer and that's exactly what you did, you slut! Did you really think rejecting me was going to stop me?" He sneers and I wince when he digs his nails into my jawline as he grips it harshly.
"You cheated on me! There was no way in hell I was sticking around just to give you heirs!" I snarl before shoving him off me.
"Well, cherish whatever little time you have with that bastard pup in your womb because I'm not going to let it see the light of day!" His laugh echoes in the room as my eyes widen in horror.
"I won't let you!" I growl protectively and smack his hand away when he caresses my belly.
He punches my jaw hard and I cry out in pain. I manage to kick him in the ribs and punch his nose before he tangles his fingers in my hair and yanks me up until we're nose to nose. His eyes are completely black as his wolf rises to the surface and I can tell that he wants to hurt me badly but is holding back. He stares at me for a moment before smirking evilly as he caresses my cheek.
"I can't wait to break you, Olivia. Atticus is going to end up killing himself anyways for not saving you and your pup. That I promise you." He grins and his words send a chill down my spine.
He tightens his hold on my hair before rearing back and punching me in the face. The impact is so strong that my vision blackens as pain shoots through the area. He throws me to the floor and I cry out when my head slams against the concrete. I blink drowsily and watch him walk away before the room is shrouded in darkness and only an echo of the door closing rings in my ears.
Curling into a fetal position I cradle my belly and let the tears slip. I feel so helpless because I don't want my baby to get hurt. The longer I'm here the more chances there are of him losing control and killing my child and I. But the silver chain attached to my foot is literally draining me of everything. How am I supposed to try and escape if I don't even have the energy to move?
Oh, Atticus...where are you? I think to myself just as sleep takes me.
***
Atticus Bauer's P.O.V.
"Alpha, please you need to lay down –"
"Atticus, just let them see you –"
"Alpha, you're losing too much blood –"
"Atticus! Sit down, boy!"
My growl shakes the foundations of the infirmary as Bastian, my father and some warriors strap me down to the bed. Minutes after Olivia was taken the pack got attacked. Only a few warriors survived the wolfsbane bullets that were shot at them before rogues poured into the territory. Thankfully, we got everyone who couldn't and wasn't fighting to the safety bunkers but the vast number of rogues attacking my pack meant that I couldn't get to Olivia.
I didn't have a choice either because when I tried to get to her a pack of rogues attacked me at once. The fact that my pack was under attack and my mate had been kidnapped caused me to become so enraged that my wolf, Xander, took over and went on a killing spree. Some warrior wolves from Manitoba and Quebec were able to make it to add to our numbers and by the end of a grueling four hour fight the Bauer Pack achieved another victory.
But we lost our Luna.
The second I had no more rogue wolves cutting me off from leaving to find her I tried to leave the territory. Only to be dragged back to the infirmary because I'm heavily wounded with numerous broken bones that are in the process of slowly healing. Because the rogue wolves had an agenda to stop me from finding Olivia that means I've taken the most hits.
"I need to find her!" I roar as I struggle against the several people holding me down.
"I've sent out trackers and the spies in Vancouver have been alerted." Bastian explains as he stares at me worriedly. "We're going to find her but you need to heal otherwise it's going to take longer."
Crying out in frustration I eventually let the doctors and nurses tend to me. Everyone relaxes slightly once they see me calm down. Xander is losing his mind and is continuously howling and whimpering. He's both sad and furious over the fact that Olivia was taken from us and the more I try to reassure him that we'll get her back the more bloodthirsty he becomes. The pack isn't doing too great either and I can feel everyone's grief and panic over Olivia missing. I comfort them all using my bond with them and try to dispel their fears.
Eventually, I lose myself in my thoughts as the feeling of failure courses through me. Tobi and Felix were one of the first pack members to become guards and who I trusted for years. I should have caught on but they didn't fuck up once to cause Olivia and I to become wary of them. Did Vincent get through to them? But how?
I can't even feel the mate bond or mind link with her anymore. I kept trying after we had defeated the rogues but I guess it was too late. They must have drugged her so that she couldn't contact me anymore.
I promised to protect her but I have failed. All this time I was preparing for Vincent to attack the pack and thought that when the time came she would be safe in the bunker. I thought I would be there if Vincent got to her on my territory. But I never thought my own people would betray me. Goddess, how could I be so stupid?! Do I even deserve to be Alpha? I couldn't even protect my own mate!
"I know what you're thinking and you need to stop." Dad sighs as he takes a seat on the chair near my bed.
"I should've –" I snarl in frustration when I think about the millions of things I should've done to protect her.
"You could've locked her up in a room and even that wouldn't be enough, son." Dad states and I shake my head in anger. "When your enemies want to knock you down they'll do it but how you rise from it is on you. Focus on healing first and then work on getting her back safely."
"Now that Vincent has her he's going to slip up." Bastian squeezes my shoulder in support. "We've never lost and we won't start now, brother."
"I'm going to rip him apart." I growl darkly as I think of all the ways I'm going to torture him. "Bastian contact our allies and get as many trackers and warriors as you can. Check on our spies, tell them to follow that prick and get us a location on Livi. The second I'm healed we're moving."
"Yes, Alpha." He smirks before leaving the room with the rest of the warriors in tow.
"How long, doc?" I ask as he starts on rearranging some dislocated bones.
"Give yourself two hours at least. Then you're free to do as you please, Alpha." He advises before pushing my shoulder back into place.
I'm coming for you Vincent. You should have never messed with me in the first place, I think to myself with a bloodthirsty growl.
Vote if you are enjoying this story!
Chapter 23 is already up on Inkitt! Click the link in my bio or announcement post to read my book faster!
1. Download the app
2. Follow my profile
3. Put my book in your reading list!
Update schedule is: every Monday, Wednesday & Friday!
- R.W. ♡