Page 28 of Beginnings

Red hot agony slammed into my shoulder. My wolf went down. Come on. Get back up. If you stay here we’re both going to die, I told her, trying to ignore the pain.

The sound of gunshots deafened me. Connor yelled, his scent mixed with the coppery smell of iron. Blood. He’d been hit again. My heart hammered against my ribs. I urged my wolf forward. She sprang up from the floor, and ignoring the bullets whizzing past her, and Connor’s bellow, she ran, launching herself at the first agent. These men were not dressed in armour but in street clothes. My wolf sank further into a killing rage. I had no idea why these men were here, nor did I care. They’d locked up the only two people left in this world that I loved, and they’d pay for it. My wolf snarled her agreement and we melded our thoughts.

The first man we reached didn’t stand a chance. I lunged and ripped out his throat while my momentum drove him backwards. He was dead before he hit the ground. I bounded to the next one and jumped on his back. My teeth embedded in the back of his neck, and I ripped at flesh and bone until his agonised screams stopped. Before I could release his neck and go for the next man in line a redhot pain lanced my back leg. I glanced at where a knife protruded. Whimpering, I limped a few steps before I was too dizzy to go further. I’d lost more blood than I thought from my other wound. My fur was coated and sticky. I whined and lay down, the blood loss and exhaustion catching up with me. I sank to my belly on the tiled floor.

“Ember!” Connor yelled. He skidded on his knees to my side, blood leaking from a wound in his arm. I whimpered and licked his wound. He stroked my fur. “Shh, I’m okay. Change back.” But I couldn’t. I was too weak. I gave him a gentle snarl. I just needed a minute.

“Okay, but the fighting is done, and I at least need you to get up before we open that door.” Connor eased my body off the floor and helped me stand. I whined as pain flooded my lupine body. “Easy, I’ll get us out, then I’ll help you change back.”

I peered at him. He was still kneeling, so I leaned forward and licked his cheek. His wolf might be locked behind that collar, but his power still crackled against my soul. It would be more than enough to assist my shift. His small smile warmed my heart, even though worry remained in his eyes. “You’ll be fine, Firecracker. Owen! Grab that piece of shit.” He stood tall and pointed at a dead agent, but his face remained tight as he studied my injuries and the handle of the small knife that protruded from my fur. “You sure you don’t want me to carry you?”

I growled.

He laughed softly. “Thought not.”

Owen grabbed the dead agent’s arm and dragged him across the floor to the pad. Streaks of blood tracked after them, stark against the white floor.

“We’ll find a way to stop the bleeding once we’re out, but you can’t shift with this in your flesh. Sorry, this is going to sting like a bitch.” And before I realised his intentions, Connor pulled the small knife from my flesh. I snapped at the air between us. “Easy.” Gently, he put his hand on my head. I allowed it, and even welcomed the soft pulse of power he sent into me. He smiled. “That’s it, Firecracker, let me help.”

The door popped open, air hissing from the seals.

Walker prowled up, taking in my injuries and blood loss. In my wolf form I could smell his unique scent. Like the freshest of winter mornings and the pureness of a glacial spring. “Let me try.”

Connor narrowed his eyes, his jaw tightening. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and removed his hand from my bleeding wound. Walker placed his own hand over my lacerated flesh. That same sense of cold and soothing swamped me though I jumped when his other hand rested over the bullet wound.

I whined, my body shaking.

“Steady, brave one, I will not harm you further.”

There was a sharp pain when the bullet was forced out by my healing flesh. It bounced on the floor. My flesh blazed with pain that ebbed as it healed. Within moments the cold sensation of his magic receded. Walker removed his hands, stood up in one fluid motion, his muscles rippling, and wiped my blood on his trousers.

“Thank you,” Connor said tightly, also uncoiling his powerful body.

I nudged my head against his legs, needing to touch him, and to reassure him I was stronger. He gently placed his palm on the top of my head. It was hard not to succumb to the comfort of that touch, but I was not given to letting my mate protect me. I could protect myself, so I nudged him away from me and yipped.

“Okay, Firecracker, I get it; you can look after yourself.”

Tentatively I took a step, testing out my stride. There was very little pain. I peered up at Walker, noticing his strange blue eyes were ringed with green as he looked down at me, his face implacable. I bowed my head. He nodded back and walked out of the door behind the other alphas.

Connor growled. “Idiots. There could be all sorts of weapons out there.”

I could hear the worry in his voice. He had taken on the role of their leader, and along with it, responsibility for their safety.

But nothing happened.

He slowly approached the exit and we both peered out. There were no gunshots, no shouts. I trotted through, Connor following close behind. Late evening sun hit my face, and the smell of damp undergrowth and pine needles surrounded us. There was a distant rush of traffic but it was clear we were in the countryside, definitely not at the SBI headquarters despite the agents and technology that was used in this place.

“Where the hell are we?” Connor asked.

Owen turned on the spot, his brows dipped. “Damned if I know. I don’t recognise this place at all.”

I limped to the edge of the clearing. The alphas had all stopped, some contemplated the forest, others the small dirt track that led across the fields. In the distance a dust cloud rose. The vehicles that approached from a gateway about a mile down the track dipped behind a gentle hill and disappeared before they reappeared.

As a unit the alphas looked back at Connor. Stone jogged back through the door and came back a moment later with more weapons. Tucking a spare in his belt, he held one out to one of the others. Connor checked his weapon. “We need to run, but it can’t be this easy to walk out of here and into that forest. Check your weapons. There will be wolves waiting. We stay together as a pack until we’re out of this, until we know who locked us up and why; and we know how Doherty is involved. I suggest you stay away from your homes and families. I have somewhere we can all go.” He turned to Walker, who had moved to one side and seemed to be chanting.

Walker swirled his hand in a huge circle and the air shifted. The blue stoned ring he wore on his right hand glowed.

I snarled. I knew what he was doing even if the others didn’t. I'd seen Som work his magic on a portal before.

---