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  ‘Mate here!’

  Trent was there! I didn’t think of anything else, I just grabbed the door and moved it out of my way. As soon as I did, though, I heard a loud bang, and felt a sharp, burning pain in my hip; the same one that the wolf had bitten. When I looked down I saw blood pouring from a hole. I had been shot. I looked up to see a manic smile on Will’s face, but it faded and a look of extreme pain crossed his face as a wolf jumped him. It was the feral wolf from my cell. He had attacked Will and tore his throat out before Will had time to even realize anything had happened.

  I was numb. The pain from the gunshot was gone, but I couldn’t move. I just held my hand over the wound and stood frozen until my wolf took over forcing me to shift; stemming the flow of blood.

  I tried the pack connection ‘Trent?’

  ‘Thank Goddess! Crystie where are you?’ He answered; overwhelming relief evident in his voice.

  ‘Downstairs in the basement. He shot me, but he’s dead now.’

  ‘Are you alright, baby?’

  ‘Yes, I’m okay.’ The pain was coming back, but I could tell I was healing.

  ‘Stay there, baby. I’m making my way there. I’ll be there in just a minute.’

  The feral wolf slowly made his way over to me, scooting on his stomach, trying to convey to me he wouldn’t hurt me. I looked in his eyes, and they were actually a brilliant blue color. I could see soul there, unlike before.

  He shifted back to human form, and knelt before me with his head lowered in respect. “I’m so sorry, ma’am.” He said in a southern accent. His voice was deep, but scratchy as if he hadn’t used it for a while. “I have not felt like myself in over a year, so whatever you did to save me, ma’am, I am eternally in your debt. The things that man made me do…” He paused and shook his head. “I am in your service for whatever life I am allowed to have left.”

  I shifted back so I could speak. “That’s not necessary. Just be free and it would be wise to try to find a pack to join. Was Hughes your maker?”

  “Yes. I had to do whatever he told me. It was worse than the military. At least with the military you’re actually fightin’ for somethin’ real. That man was a lunatic.”

  Just then a huge black wolf with white paws and white on the tip of his tail came barreling down the stairs fighting off two other wolves.

  The rogue shifted and joined the fray; I shifted to see who was in my pack. I didn’t recognize all of the wolves, but I knew the black one was Trent. The feral got the brown wolf off of Trent’s back and he was able to take down the gray one he’d been fighting.

  When it was just Trent and the wolf who helped me, Trent was about to attack, but I limped in between the two.

  ‘He saved my life, Trent.’ I said, hoping he wouldn’t kill him.

  Trent shifted back and got in between me and the rogue. “Shift back.” He said in his Alpha tone. It sent pleasant shivers down my back, and he saw because I saw the side of his mouth twitch like he was trying not to react in front of a strange wolf.

  I shifted so we could all speak together. The rogue stayed on his knees with his head bent as he had done with me.

  “Is everyone alright?” I asked, worried for Bolton and the men who had been guarding me. I knew they’d all be a part of the rescue attempt.

  “No casualties on our side. The rogues suffered a total loss.” Trent answered before he bent down to my level and kissed me with a desperation an Alpha never showed to any but his mate. We had kissed a couple of times in the hospital, but they had been sweet, heartwarming kisses.

  This one though, filled my whole body with a passion I had never felt before. I forgot my surroundings, losing myself in the heat of the moment. His tongue danced with mine, and his hands roamed my body; searching out any injuries, but I just ignored the aches and pains, never wanting the feeling he was igniting to ever end.

  A clearing of a throat made us jump apart. I looked over to the stairwell to see the smiling faces of Billy, Ryan, Jerry, and several others from our pack. My face heated as I buried it in my mate’s chest.

  As I took in his scent, my wolf said one word. ‘Home.’

  Chapter 16

  “Alright, we have to do a clean-up.” Trent said to everyone as he squeezed me to his chest; almost as if he were afraid to let go. “Billy, I want you to delegate the jobs out. We need to build a pyre and send these wolves back to the Goddess for Her judgment. Jerry, Ryan you two take this one out.” He added, kicking the side of Hughes’ body.

  We both turned as we heard the rogue wolf shift on his knees as the others left to do Trent’s bidding.

  “What’s your name?” Trent asked him, using his Alpha tone and sending shivers down my spine again, but this time we both ignored it.

  “Zeke Mitchell.” He answered in a strong voice.

  Trent looked at me for a moment. I don’t really know what he was looking for, but he must have found it because he kissed my forehead before turning back to Zeke.

  “You earned a reprieve when you saved my mate, Mr. Mitchell, but you have to decide what you’ll do now. I cannot allow a rogue to roam free.”

  “Your mate saved me first, Alpha.” He said looking up at me with adoration in his eyes until Trent growled at him. He immediately abased himself before Trent and apologized. I squeezed Trent in a hug and helped him calm himself as Zeke continued talking. “I give my life to her to do with as she sees fit.”

  “How did she save you?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I had been ordered to make her suffer so that she would give in and cooperate, but when we attacked I felt her pain as if it were my own. I felt an overwhelming sense of hopelessness before it turning into so many other emotions…I had not felt anything like it since I had been turned. I was finally myself again. I don’t know how, but I know it was her.”

  “Crystie.” I told him. “My name is Crystie Lake.” I was trying to hold and calm Trent, who’d started shaking and having trouble holding himself together at the mention of my attack.

  “Crystie.” He whispered before shaking his head as if to clear it and continuing his side of the events. “When the other werewolf went to attack her again, I couldn’t control the rage I felt and I fought him; killing him. I must have passed out because the next thing I knew the door was open and Mr. Hughes had a gun on Crystie about to shoot her again, so I attacked. It was like I couldn’t control myself and acted on some instinct.”

  When Zeke said ‘shoot her again’, Trent turned to me so quickly, even standing next to him, I didn’t see him move. He checked over my body for the injuries and saw the bullet wound. My clothes covered where Zeke had bitten and tore at my leg, but he saw the top of the bite on my hip and the one on my side that had come from the other wolf. They were both healing now, but could still be seen as fresh wounds. None of my wounds were bleeding anymore.

  “You’re healing?” He noticed that my splint had been removed by my shift and my arm looked normal.

  A felt a big grin spread across my face. “My wolf is back.” I told him.

  “Thank Goddess!” He said and kissed me again. I think he was feeling like me and couldn’t get enough, but our senses returned and we remembered Zeke. Trent took my hand and finally let go enough for me to just stand beside him.

  “There are reasons you felt her as you did that I’ll explain later.” He said, getting serious again. “I do not trust you. You will have to prove your worth to me to even be near my mate. She has already been betrayed by one ex-rogue and I will not allow it to happen again.”

  Zeke nodded. “I understand sir, and you need to worry for your mate.” He turned to me. “Hughes was not the only leader in this group. He had a woman. They were not mates, but they were together, and she is crazier than he ever was. On top of that, they are only a fraction of a larger group.”

  “Where is she?” I asked. I had been hoping it was all over so I could just go home with Trent and finally be at peace with everything. I was looking forward to our mating and his
birthday ascension to Alpha was coming soon. I was so tired of all of this, and it hadn’t even been going on for that long. I guess I had been spoiled in my sheltered life. I should never have left the pack’s land.

  “There is a pack that works with us not too far from here.” He said and I felt Trent stiffen with the same realization as I had. The Diamondback Pack was the only one around here. “She went there two weeks ago to prepare for something. I can’t remember everything; it’s kind of like I’ve been in a haze all this time.”

  “What’s her name?” Trent asked, his voice tight with the fear he felt for the pack members he’d left behind to come rescue me.

  “Bethany.” He answered.

  Trent immediately pulled me with him as he ran up the stairs to the main level of the house, grabbing a cordless phone as he passed it. He dialed a number and I could actually hear the ringing on the other side. It would take a bit to get used to having my enhanced senses back.

  We ran out the back door with Zeke following behind us as Becca’s cell phone voicemail picked up. When we got to the others, Trent asked everyone if they knew Bolton’s number.

  Ryan called it out and Trent dialed it. Bolton picked up after the first ring.

  “Bolton, is everything alright back there?” He asked. He was trying to sound calm, but I could hear the strain in his voice.

  “Yeah, it’s great.” He answered. “We’re all here in Billy’s room waiting for word on Crystie. Did you get her? Is she okay?”

  “Yes, we got her. Give Becca the phone and everyone gather around it so you all can hear. Is it only our pack members in there?”

  “Yeah Trent, it’s only us. Is everyone alright? Did anyone get hurt?” Becca spoke up.

  “No injuries on our side. We were able to eradicate the rogues who were here, but we have another problem.” Trent said. “Bethany and Harry are working with the rogues. From what I understand, Bethany is one of the leaders and one insane woman. She was in on the plot to kidnap Crystie.”

  “Oh my Goddess!” Becca said in a panicked voice. “She had Jazzy! She wanted to babysit and she seemed so sweet and Jazzy liked her…I have to get her!”

  “Wait!” Billy called out. “Baby, you have to wait on us. If she knows that we are on to her, there’s no telling what she’ll do. Just wait for us to get back, we’re leaving now.” He looked at Trent as he said that and Trent nodded in confirmation. “Just stay calm, Becca.”

  “She’s been coming in here every so often to check to see if we’ve heard anything, what do we tell her if she comes in?” Bolton asked.

  “Just tell her that the survivors are on their way back. Don’t elaborate.”

  “Alright.”

  Trent ended the call and threw the phone into the pyre that had already been lit.

  “Let’s all go. I need a couple of you to keep an eye on this one.” He said pointing to Zeke.

  Nikki walked up along with a couple of other pack members. “I’ll run with him.” She said. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of him. I could feel her interest in him, but didn’t have time to wonder about it as we all shifted and got on our way. Trent ran beside me at my fastest pace, and we were surrounded by Billy, Ryan, Jerry, and a wolf named Xavier that I didn’t know too well. That he was a couple of years older than Trent and was a pack enforcer was all I knew about him.

  I let Trent go a little ahead of me so he could lead the way back to Diamondback’s pack house. I didn’t know where we were and wasn’t used to using my senses anymore. I would have to train them up a little bit. Daddy, who I really hadn’t even noticed being with Trent, was right behind us. I didn’t know he had come, but I should have realized he would. I had always been a Daddy’s girl and felt bad for overlooking him.

  Trent nuzzled my neck as we ran. I guess he felt some of the things going through my head.

  ‘I can hear you, sweetheart.’ He said with our link. I started when he told me that. I didn’t go wolf all that often and wasn’t used to the pack link anymore. I didn’t want to inadvertently affect the pack with want I was feeling.

  ‘Don’t worry, Crystie. You’re closed off to all but me right now.’ Trent said. ‘Our bond is getting stronger now that your wolf is back. That and I can hear all of the wolves in the pack. It’s part of being Alpha. You will be able to do it as soon as we mate. And don’t worry. I know your father understands. He’s just very happy you are safe.’

  Deciding to get back on track, I started thinking about what we might run into when we got there.

  ‘I can’t fight, Trent.’ I told him. ‘I know I’m pathetic, but even in dangerous situations, I can’t bring myself to hurt someone else. Daddy tried to train me to fight to protect the pack as he does when needed, but I just can’t do it.’

  ‘It’s alright, baby.’ He said, and my heart skipped a beat with his use of the endearment as it always did. ‘Mr. Lake told my father about that, who in turn told me. We think it’s because you were born an Omega, but we don’t know. Don’t worry, though. Everyone here will help to make sure you don’t need to fight.’

  ‘We have to get Jazzy back before all else.’

  ‘I have to go after Harry, I’m the only one who can hope to take him down, but you take these four with you along with your Dad, and track down Bethany and Jazzy.’ He said, and I could tell it was directed toward everyone as their ears perked up. ‘The rest of you go to the rest of the pack. They are assembled in Billy’s room.’

  ‘Please let them help you first.’ I pleaded. ‘You know that Alpha Jackson will not be alone.’

  ‘You’re right. Okay, let’s go in calm and try to get Jazzy back before we attack. They don’t know that we know yet, so we can use that to our advantage. Then three of you come with me when the fighting starts.’

  So we had it all planned out the best we could for the moment, but it turned out to be unnecessary. When we got to the pack house, all was quiet, so we all shifted and headed inside. Nobody was around. We searched the downstairs and then went room by room, looking for Jazzy after getting our pack mates from their place in Billy’s room. Becca was frantic when she saw that everyone from the Diamondback Pack was gone, along with Jazzy. Or so it seemed until we heard a cry coming from the basement.

  Chapter 17

  Becca and I were pushed behind six big protective males as we rapidly descended the stairs to the basement. I could smell the blood before we got there, and so did Becca. She was so panicked; she didn’t stop to identify the type of blood it was before we, as I was holding her hand, busted through the big brawny men to get to our baby. Yes I still say she’s mine too.

  Becca screamed and rushed to Jazzy as she did, Billy right beside her, and checked her for injuries as she was naked and covered from head to toe in blood. I wasn’t as panicked though, because the only blood scent down there was deer blood. I heard Trent growl behind me and when I looked to see what he was growling at; I saw the Omega symbol drawn in the blood drenching Jazzy.

  I knew this meant that they would come after us. And they would not spare whoever they got their hands on next time. I was just so relieved that Bethany wasn’t so crazy as to hurt an innocent baby.

  Nobody judged Becca, but she was blaming herself for trusting Bethany with Jazzy in the first place. She was telling Billy that Jazzy wouldn’t calm down because everyone was so tense about what was happening with me, so when Bethany came in and asked to hold her, and Jazzy calmed down in her arms, she let Bethany take her to put her down for a nap.

  “She was the only one here who seemed normal; who didn’t make me nervous. I should have known. I should have never given her up to someone else; I was just so flustered and frustrated. I’m so sorry.” She sobbed into Billy’s chest; Jazzy still held tight in her arms. I knew she wouldn’t be putting her angel down anytime soon.

  “Why don’t we go wash her up?” I asked Becca calmly. She needed to calm herself before she got sick. He face was blood red and her breathing erratic and I was really starting to
worry about her. I could tell just from looking at Billy that he felt the same. He was at a loss for how to calm her down when he was so close to a rage at the moment himself. It was taking all of his control not to run out of the house and chase the Diamondbacks down. “Come on, Becca. The men can come up with a plan for the next step.”

  I turned to where Trent standing at my back and kissed him lightly on the lips. Looking in his eyes, I could tell he was fighting his own battle to be able to allow me to leave his sight, but he knew I was right. Becca needed this and he needed to call his father, let him know what happened and strategize the pack’s next move. I knew Daddy would help him stay calm and clear headed while I was out of sight.

  I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and led her upstairs and then to the second floor to the suite of rooms I had been using; Ryan and Bolton in front of us, and Zeke, Jerry, and my mother following in our wake.

  We picked up Jazzy’s clothes, diaper bag, and I grabbed some clothes for Becca, on the way. Just we women entered the bathroom, after the guys checking every nook and cranny of the small room, and we got the bath started for Jazzy. I left Mom to finish getting that ready and I went, gently grabbing Jazzy from Becca’s arms. She started to panic, but I just projected a calm, almost relaxing, lethargic feeling that I knew she needed right at that moment, and she let me take Jazzy and give her to Mom for her bath. I helped Becca with her clothes and led her to the shower to wash the blood off of herself that had transferred from holding her precious daughter.

  She was in shock, and I was at a loss at how to make it better. She had her baby back, and as soon as they were clean I was going to get Billy. I thought that maybe they needed that time just to reaffirm that everyone was alright, and I knew Trent would understand.

  I helped Becca from the shower as Mom dried and dressed Jazzy. None of us spoke. We all had to deal with everything that had happened in our own ways. For me, I knew if I were to think on what had happened to me, and then top it off with what that woman did to my angel, I would break down. I couldn’t afford for that to happen while our pack was in foreign territory and needed their wits about them. If I broke down, I wasn’t sure Dad could cover the fall-out it would create. That’s why concentrating on someone else was just what I needed. I just continued to ignore the aches and pains of my still healing wounds,