whispered, emotions clogging my throat. I stood and half ran to the nearest gate. I slipped through and locked it behind me, running to Scout’s side. He grimaced when I helped him to sit up, propping him against the fence. “Sebastian, where is he?”
Scout shook his head and my throat tightened. No, he wasn’t dead; I couldn’t believe that was what Scout was trying to tell me. He pushed himself to stand and hobbled on his broken leg towards the water. I followed, trying to decipher what it was he was trying to show me. A shot rang out and a bullet ricoched off the pavement in front of me. Scout dove for cover behind the nearest bush and I held up my hands.
Apparently I wasn’t to go towards the harbour.
Another shuffle of bush and Scout scuttled away down the water line, dragging his broken leg behind him. I scrubbed my face with my hands, emotions welling up hard and fast.
As my strength began to wane I turned and called for Sebastian again. I walked slowly, favouring my leg, back to the gate. A scan of the area nearly stopped my breath. There was a hand and arm sticking out from under one of the green hedges. I ran to where the body lay and let out a gasp of relief. It was the Alpha male; the one Sebastian had been fighting. His guts were ripped out of him, spread in a semi circle where the ravens and crows had made their feast.
Was this what happened to Sebastian? Had he died alone and in pain, keening for me? A sob ripped from my throat as I turned and familiar hands grabbed my arms.
Sebastian let out a low rumble, a wild look in his eye that I ignored as I threw myself at him, great gulping sobs of relief pouring out of me.
At first he didn’t respond, and then slowly he slid his arms around me and buried his nose in the crook of my neck. Moist warmth slid down my skin and dripped into my shirt, leaving a burning tingle wherever the tears roved.
I clung to him, the razor edge of fear sharp on my heart leaving me more than a little needy. I was terrified to lose him again. “Sebastian, come with me, please,” I said, as I took his hand and walked to the gate. He stared at the high fence and stopped dead in his tracks. I didn’t blame him, the memory of Vincent and the captivity in that camp was too fresh. But we didn’t have a choice. I knew that Donavan would shoot us both if we tried to run.
I didn’t know how else to explain it so I took his hand and placed it on my belly. “Please.”
He closed his eyes and a tremble rippled through him. I pulled on his hand and he stepped forward with me, slowly, but moving. A scuffle to our right snapped us both into high alert. It was Buck and he was watching us go inside the fence with a look of disbelief. Sebastian grunted at him and flung his hand as if tossing Buck something. Buck nodded and slipped back down the slope towards the water.
“You just made him Alpha, didn’t you?” Sebastian nodded once and then touched my cheek with his hand. He had given up his leadership over a second pack to be with me, his love overriding the animal drive to be Alpha.
My eyes filled and we walked into Donavan’s compound together, holding hands, ready to face whatever would come our way.
18
“I hope you’re sure of this Donavan, bringing a Nevermore in here un-sedated,” Lucy whispered to herself, as Sebastian and I walked past her. He glared at her but otherwise didn’t make a single move in her direction. I clung to his hand, fear bubbling up in my throat. I had no illusions about what would happen to Sebastian if he went after one of the other people in this compound.
I headed back to the room that held the ultrasound machine and Donavan was still there. He didn’t look up when we came in.
“No doubt your Sebastian wasn’t as malleable as you’d hoped. Mara, it isn’t your fault, my wife Juliana is the love of my life and she attacks the cage whenever I come ne . . .” His words stuttered to a stop as he lifted his
Scout shook his head and my throat tightened. No, he wasn’t dead; I couldn’t believe that was what Scout was trying to tell me. He pushed himself to stand and hobbled on his broken leg towards the water. I followed, trying to decipher what it was he was trying to show me. A shot rang out and a bullet ricoched off the pavement in front of me. Scout dove for cover behind the nearest bush and I held up my hands.
Apparently I wasn’t to go towards the harbour.
Another shuffle of bush and Scout scuttled away down the water line, dragging his broken leg behind him. I scrubbed my face with my hands, emotions welling up hard and fast.
As my strength began to wane I turned and called for Sebastian again. I walked slowly, favouring my leg, back to the gate. A scan of the area nearly stopped my breath. There was a hand and arm sticking out from under one of the green hedges. I ran to where the body lay and let out a gasp of relief. It was the Alpha male; the one Sebastian had been fighting. His guts were ripped out of him, spread in a semi circle where the ravens and crows had made their feast.
Was this what happened to Sebastian? Had he died alone and in pain, keening for me? A sob ripped from my throat as I turned and familiar hands grabbed my arms.
Sebastian let out a low rumble, a wild look in his eye that I ignored as I threw myself at him, great gulping sobs of relief pouring out of me.
At first he didn’t respond, and then slowly he slid his arms around me and buried his nose in the crook of my neck. Moist warmth slid down my skin and dripped into my shirt, leaving a burning tingle wherever the tears roved.
I clung to him, the razor edge of fear sharp on my heart leaving me more than a little needy. I was terrified to lose him again. “Sebastian, come with me, please,” I said, as I took his hand and walked to the gate. He stared at the high fence and stopped dead in his tracks. I didn’t blame him, the memory of Vincent and the captivity in that camp was too fresh. But we didn’t have a choice. I knew that Donavan would shoot us both if we tried to run.
I didn’t know how else to explain it so I took his hand and placed it on my belly. “Please.”
He closed his eyes and a tremble rippled through him. I pulled on his hand and he stepped forward with me, slowly, but moving. A scuffle to our right snapped us both into high alert. It was Buck and he was watching us go inside the fence with a look of disbelief. Sebastian grunted at him and flung his hand as if tossing Buck something. Buck nodded and slipped back down the slope towards the water.
“You just made him Alpha, didn’t you?” Sebastian nodded once and then touched my cheek with his hand. He had given up his leadership over a second pack to be with me, his love overriding the animal drive to be Alpha.
My eyes filled and we walked into Donavan’s compound together, holding hands, ready to face whatever would come our way.
18
“I hope you’re sure of this Donavan, bringing a Nevermore in here un-sedated,” Lucy whispered to herself, as Sebastian and I walked past her. He glared at her but otherwise didn’t make a single move in her direction. I clung to his hand, fear bubbling up in my throat. I had no illusions about what would happen to Sebastian if he went after one of the other people in this compound.
I headed back to the room that held the ultrasound machine and Donavan was still there. He didn’t look up when we came in.
“No doubt your Sebastian wasn’t as malleable as you’d hoped. Mara, it isn’t your fault, my wife Juliana is the love of my life and she attacks the cage whenever I come ne . . .” His words stuttered to a stop as he lifted his
Similar Books
