Page 22 of Saved By The King's Gamma

“You never said it back,” Ivy tells me, and I break down sobbing into the phone. She knew something was wrong. Immense relief floods me.

“I thought you didn’t figure it out!” I choke, wiping my eyes on the back of my hand, and the phone goes grainy again.

“You always say it back,” she tells me, and I nod.

“What sort of car did you say your boyfriend drives?” the man asks beside me when a car pulls into the service station. Kade’s car. I gasp. “A black one,” I murmur when I see him climb out of his car, and I duck before I hear a bell chime as the door opens.

“Get down behind the counter,” the man says, and I hold my breath, dropping to sit and lean against the counter, with the phone still clutched to my ear.

“He found me! Hurry!” I whisper into the phone. I hear the service station attendant speak above me and glance at him.

“Can I help you, sir?” he asks before I hear Kade’s voice.

“I’m looking for a girl. Abbie, come out. This human won’t save you from me!” Kade’s voice growls, and I flinch at his tone.

“Sir, I have not seen a girl,” the man says.

“I can smell her. Now come out, Abbie, before I kill this man!” Kade’s menacing growl threatens.

I swallow, and my skin prickles with goosebumps as his footsteps grow closer. The man is suddenly grabbed by the collar of his shirt and ripped over the top of the counter. I scream, jumping to my feet in time to see Kade snap the man’s neck.

His eyes dart to mine, and I drop the phone. I race toward the rear of the building, where the man had gone to retrieve the first aid kit. Kade snarls and gives chase, and I find a door. My palms hit hard, and it bursts open. Once outside, I peer around briefly before taking off across the road toward the mountain to hide in the forest.

“Abbie!” Kade snarls, and adrenaline pumps through my veins, dulling all my pain as I run for my life. The howls grow louder in the distance as his pack closes in. I slip on the loose dirt and twigs as I force my body to climb the mountain, only to be tackled. Kade’s fist slams into the back of my head before my side, making me wheeze, and I feel my ribs crack. My scream is deafening and hurts my ears.

“Think you can run from me! Who were you on the phone with?” he says, ripping me backward by my hair.

“Fuck you!” I spit at him just as I hear a loud crash, like a car accident coming from above. I kick and thrash while screaming for help.

A furious growl tears out of Kade, and he tosses me into a nearby tree. Pain washes over me as all the air leaves my body. I get to my hands and knees, only for him to grab my hair.

“Ivy!” I scream out clearly through the forest, praying she can hear me, when he starts dragging me down the mountainside with my flailing and thrashing.

Kade hauls me out, down the hill, and onto the grassy patch. I escape his clutches and begin running again when his body hits mine from behind, and he pins me to the grass of the small meadow at the bottom of the mountain.

My gaze tries desperately to scan my surroundings, my vision attempting to correct itself. But everything looks extremely fuzzing except the neon sign, which blinks frantically. All I can hear is the static noise emanating from it. The service station is about 300 meters from me and across the road. I scream when Kade starts ripping me backward from the woods. Kicking and screaming, I thrash around, trying to loosen his grip, begging him to let me go. Those pleas fall on deaf ears, however. Kade ignores me and rips me out of the tree line again.

12

I thrash trying to break free of his grip. “I reject you; I reject you!!” I scream, but his grip doesn’t relent, nor does he seem bothered by my words. Instead Kade tosses me to the ground, and I try to crawl away from him.

“Doesn’t work like that, love. That is not how you reject someone,” he growls behind me, and I can hear his feet crunching the dried leaves and grass as he stomps after me. My arms and legs feel weak as I claw the ground trying to find the strength to stand, when I hear a visceral scream ring out. My entire body jolts as I turn my head expecting to see Kade, but my eyes move to Ivy, and the rock clutched in her hand as she rushes at him. Kade spins and easily deflects her raised hand. Kade and Ivy crash to the ground. The rock flies from her grip as he lands on top of her. Kade growls, trying to pin her.

“What are you doing here?” He snaps at her, holding her down on her back. I panic as adrenaline forces me to my feet to snatch the rock. Ivy struggles against him trying to toss his weight off and I react. My mind operates on pure instinct screaming ‘not her!’ as I strike him on the top of the head with as much strength as I can muster. Kade abruptly freezes and tenses.

His head cracks open, blood soaking his hair and pain ripples through the bond and I grit my teeth against the now pounding headache his pain is causing me. Yet still, it isn’t enough because Kade turns to attack me. I back away when Ivy grabs his ankle, tripping him. Not losing my chance, I smash him in the head with the rock again, and he seems stunned for a second as he stares at me in horror then goes limp, his body crashing face down and unmoving at my feet.

The rock drops from my hand as Ivy and I rush to her, tears streaming down my face as I help her sit properly.

“Ivy!” I panic, clutching her arms as I haul her upright. A sigh escapes her, and I grab her face in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Only the moment I do, Ivy’s eyes go behind me and I freeze feeling the bond stir to life inside me as he regains consciousness.

“Abbie!” Ivy gasps, and I turn to see Kade stumble on his feet, I shove Ivy behind me.

“Can you shift?” Ivy asks me and I bite back a whimper knowing I can’t and shake my head.

“You?” I ask hopeful. I glance at Ivy only my eyes are drawn to her stomach which is bleeding profusely. I hadn’t noticed the blood coating her, or the wound it is pouring from. Ivy gasps and clutches her stomach. She shakes her head, making me whimper, knowing she is hurt because of me. Suddenly, howls in the distance ring out loudly, sending my blood cold. An icy shiver slivers up my spine as I glance back toward the forest knowing Kade has called on his pack.

“That’s his pack, he’s called on his pack,” I tell her in panic knowing we need to get out of here.

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