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There was no way I’d stay back while people I cared about were in the hands of the hunters. Whenever I closed my eyes, I pictured what they’d do to them, imagined their cries and bloody faces. There wasn’t a hope in hell of me staying back, not when they’d been kidnapped because of me.
Clawson gaped at me. “How the hell do you know where they’re taking them?”
His disbelief was another entity in the room, but it didn’t worry me or make me retreat. I met his furious gaze.
“I’m semi-feral for a reason.”
He blinked as if he didn’t understand, but then it clicked and his mouth dropped open.
“Yeah, so I don’t think any further explanation is necessary, do you?”
I wasn’t lying, just being a little economical with the truth. I’d learned a long time ago not to tell people things they didn’t need to know, things that didn’t matter until theydidmatter. Ridge was the first and only person I’d even remotely considered telling my story to, and I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to tell him everything.
Clawson pushed his chest out as if I couldn’t already see how broad it was, how determined he was to win this argument. But then he shook his head and cursed. He wasn’t an idiot. He expected I’d do as I claimed about leaving because it was true.
Pointing his finger at me, he snarled, “You get restitched by the shifter doctor. When the doc’s done, you rest until first light. We’ll leave then.”
Without another word, he stormed out of the room, muttering about stubborn mates and how he was too tired for all this bullshit.
Relief surged through me. We had a plan. Of course, it meant I’d have to accept his help going after Ridge, so I wouldn’t be bringing them all home on my own. I could live with it. The goal was getting them back safely and as unharmed as possible.
The prospect of never seeing Ridge again was unacceptable. It made me ready and more than willing to go into battle with people I’d previously thought of as family and friends.
One way or another, I was going to bring him and the others home. I didn’t think I’d survive if I didn’t.
Chapter31
Ridge
Opening my eyes took every ounce of strength I had, and after struggling for a while, I finally managed it. Even the dim light made the slow, rhythmic pounding in my head intensify.
Through narrowed eyes, I tried to make sense of my surroundings, of everything I could see and feel. The concrete floor beneath me was cold and hard, and with every muscle and bone in my body aching as if I’d been run over by a bus, I must have been lying on it for some time.
My mouth was dry, and my tongue felt like cotton against the roof of my mouth as I worked to produce enough saliva to get rid of the strange aftertaste that was making me nauseous.
I attempted to sit up, but it felt like lead had been pumped through my veins, making my limbs awkward and unwieldy. I allowed myself a second to regroup, to try to get my bearings, and then tried to sit up again. With all the grace of a newborn fawn, I staggered into a sitting position and looked around.
It took a moment for my mind to clear so I could fully appreciate—though that was probably the wrong word—the cell. This was no small-town lock-up. From what I sensed, the bars were made of a hundred percent silver, which was more than enough to keep any shifter caged.
Whoever they were, these captors of mine were playing for keeps and obviously knew how to use our weaknesses.
They also had heavy-duty tranquilizers, badass enough to put a shifter down. And not just any shifter, but an alpha. That meant I was dealing with hunters who were well-trained, smart, and determined. Not a good combination.
I coughed to clear my throat, then sniffed, hoping to entice my wolf’s senses into gear. I needed to focus, to see if I could pin down where I was. But all the unfamiliar scents assaulting me confused and enraged my wolf.
I rolled forward on all fours, keeping my breathing slow and measured as I waited for the room to stop spinning, for the contents of my stomach to stop trying to rise up my throat.
Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths and analyzed each scent. Panic edged to the forefront of my mind when I noticed Tori’s scent wasn’t in the mix. The panic quickly turned to relief. Maybe she’d broken free. Then the panic came back. I’d seen the hunter enter her room at the hospital. I knew what that meant for her. Or I thought I did.
Suddenly, my wolf was fully awake, wanting to tear the place apart to find her. Until I knew she was safe, I wouldn’t be able to breathe freely.
Memories of almost losing Tori in the library plagued my mind, and my wolf frantically paced. Her injuries had been severe, and my gut ached because I didn’t know if she was okay or where she might be. It was torture not knowing what had happened. All I knew with absolute certainty was that I hadn’t been near enough to protect her. And it was killing me.
Our fated mate bond was new. I wasn’t even sure if she was familiar with the idea of a fated mate or if she realized what that meant for me. Forus. Without question, she was mine. Fate had brought her to Blackwood Creek. To me. Already, the need to get to her consumed me. I knew what to expect, how this need became overwhelming and all-encompassing, but there was no way to comprehend the thoughts that would be running through her mind as she attempted to locate my whereabouts and ensure that I was safe.
She was so close to becoming completely feral already, this could send her toppling over the edge.
I should’ve been thinking of a way out, but my mind couldn’t let go of everything that had happened. I’d been heading to the ER’s small cafeteria to grab food and water for Tori because she needed to keep her strength up, and I was going to do whatever it took to make sure of that.
