Page 69 of Knot Unwanted: Part Two

“Come here, you little?—”

I turn and sink my teeth into his forearm, biting down until I taste blood again. He howls, reflexively releasing me.

“Fuck!” he yelps, cradling his arm. “She bit me!”

I stumble away from them, toward the tree line at the edge of the road. The approaching van’s headlights briefly catch me before I plunge into the darkness of the forest.

Branches whip at my face and body as I run, each step pure agony on my bare feet. I can hear shouting behind me, but it grows fainter as I push deeper into the woods.

I don’t know how long I run, or how far. Time loses meaning in the grip of the heat. Eventually, my legs give out, and I collapse at the base of a massive tree, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

The cool earth beneath me feels wonderful against my burning skin, but it does nothing for the ache deep inside. I curl into a ball, pressing my thighs together, trying to stifle the need that still claws at me despite everything.

Alone. I’m alone again.

Tears come now, unstoppable. I weep for Ren, for the pack I barely had time to know, for the glimpse of happiness that was ripped away as quickly as it appeared.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper to the darkness. “I’m so sorry, Ren.”

The forest offers no reply, just the rustle of leaves in the night breeze and the distant call of an owl.

I huddle into myself. Hands trembling with the urge to press them against my swollen center to ebb this ache. But somewhere deep inside, beneath the pain and the fear, a spark of defiance flickers. I will survive. I have to.

For Ren.

For myself.

Chapter 15

Ren

The headlights cut through the darkness ahead, illuminating a scene that stops my heart. Caldwell, standing in the road, one hand clutching his groin, blood seeping between his fingers. And behind him, a flash of movement—pale skin, familiar curves—Hailey.

“Stop the car,” I order the beta, my voice deadly calm.

He slams on the brakes, the vehicle skidding slightly on the gravel road. I’m out before we’ve fully stopped, dimly aware of the beta scrambling from the driver’s seat and disappearing into the forest. Smart man. I have bigger concerns.

Caldwell glances my way. “Good. It’s about time?—”

His words die in his throat, his eyes widening in disbelief, the sneer replaced by raw, unadulterated terror. He stares at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, unable to reconcile the figure before him with the man he thought he’d left broken and defeated.

Genuine fear flashes across his face. “Ironwood?” he gasps. “How?—”

My gaze drops to his hand, still clutching himself. Blood seeps through his fingers, staining his trousers. Hailey’s work, I’m guessing. Pride flares momentarily before being consumed by rage.

Did he touch her? Fuck…did heknother? Make her bleed? The questions burn through my mind like acid, each worse than the last.

Caldwell takes a stumbling step backward, then turns, lunging for his vehicle. Not fast enough. I’m on him in three strides, grabbing him by the back of his jacket and throwing him to the ground.

“Please,” he wheezes, crawling backwards like a crab. “Ren, be reasonable?—”

“Reasonable?” The word tastes like poison. I advance on him slowly, deliberately. “Was it reasonable when you took her from the gala? When you pumped her full of drugs?”

“That wasn’t me. That was that bitch, Heath. I hadn’t wanted to take her right there and then. I wanted to wait.” Maybe it’s the coldness in my eyes. The fact I don’t give a fuck whose fault it is, and it shows. Because he sputters, continuing. “It’s business,” he insists, his voice high with panic. “Just business. You know how this works. Your father?—”

“Don’t.” My boot connects with his ribs, cutting off whatever he was about to say. “Don’t you dare mention Father.”

Caldwell curls into himself, gasping for breath. When he looks up at me, there’s a desperate calculation in his eyes. “We’ve known each other foryears,” he says. “I was at your graduation, for God’s sake. Your mother invited me to Christmas dinner.”

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