Mate of Her Heart by R. E. Butler

along the way.  Her dad pulled into the parking lot behind the bar, where Luke’s apartment was and everything in her world narrowed down to the scene before her.  Luke’s truck was pulled up next to the stairs that led up to his apartment, and the door of his apartment was wide open.  She leapt out of the truck and raced up the stairs.  A backpack and bag were lying in the doorway; she scented Luke’s blood and found splashes of it in the small foyer and on the stairs.
    She spun and looked down at her dad.  His somber look made fear lodge in her chest.
    “Depending on when they grabbed him, they could have had him for over an hour, darlin’.”
    Tears filled her eyes and she blinked quickly, not wanting to break down.  Luke had stood up for her against four males.  He was still alive.  She knew it.  She could feel it.
    Racing down the steps, she joined her dad and said, “He’s probably at Acksel’s.  Are you with me?”
    “You know I am,” he growled.
    The town seemed almost empty as they drove to Acksel’s home.  It was eerie.  When her dad turned onto Acksel’s street, her heart nearly stopped at the sight of all the vehicles lining both sides of the street.  The whole pack appeared to be there, and that didn’t bode well for Luke.
    Her dad didn’t bother to find a place to park on the street; he pulled up onto Acksel’s lawn in a space between two cars and parked.  She jumped out and raced towards the back of the house, but her dad restrained her.
    “You have to be smart, darlin’.  He’s being the alpha now, and it’s possible that he’s reacting to lies told by the males that came for you.  Whatever happens, stick with the truth.”
    She swallowed hard and nodded.  Her dad kissed her forehead, and they moved together around the side of the moderate-sized brick home towards the backyard.  She could hear people speaking and occasional cheers, and as she and her dad cleared the house, the sight before her made her stomach drop into her feet.
    The pack was gathered in Acksel’s backyard in a wide semi-circle.  In the center of the circle, Luke was chained to what had once been a metal post for a laundry line.  His arms were stretched over his head and shackled to the top of the post.  He was gagged and his shirt was missing.  His upper body and arms were cut and bleeding, and his head was hanging down.
    “This is what we do to humans who kill our males,” Acksel shouted.
    The pack cheered as Rufus moved from behind Acksel and punched Luke in the side.  She saw Luke’s body absorb the hit and heard his faint grunt of pain.
    Clearing her head of her worried thoughts so she could handle things right, she strode forward into the circle and said in a loud voice, “I petition the alpha for the right to speak on behalf of the human, Luke Elrich.”
    The crowd quieted.
    Acksel turned to her and she met his gaze.  Rage filled his eyes as he snarled.  His body was covered with sweat, his dark hair plastered to his forehead.  His eyes were the golden color of his wolf, and his claws and fangs were elongated.
    “There is no mercy here for the human who struck our male, Vince, with his truck and killed him,” Acksel’s voice was dark, his words sharp like blades.
    “I came to tell you the truth, alpha,” she clutched her hands into fists at her side, keeping her eyes on her brother.
    “I have the truth!”  Acksel shouted, gesturing towards Rufus, Barry, and Taylor, who were nearby.
    She felt her dad step closer to her.  “An alpha is wise enough to hear both sides of the story before he does something irreparable like sentence a human to death.”
    Acksel snarled and gnashed his teeth.
    Eveny wanted to go to Luke so badly that her legs trembled, but she didn’t dare.  Showing any sign of affection for Luke at the moment would only make Acksel even more furious.
    “Four males showed up at the cabin yesterday with the intention of taking me against my will.”
    Acksel’s