Page 90 of Alpha Queen
"Yes. Our mate is pregnant."
A roar erupted from the phone, so loud that Apollo winced and River stirred.
"I'll kill him," Ares snarled, his voice dropping to that deadly register that meant Ares' wolf was just below the surface. "I'll tear out his throat with my teeth. I'll-"
"Ares," Apollo cut in sharply. "River needs you. Our child needs you."
"That bastard kept her prisoner while she was pregnant with our child?" The sound of something cracking came through the phone. "I'm going to eat his heart."
Apollo glanced down at River's pale face, her silver hair tangled with blood and dirt. She stirred, her brow furrowing as if sensing her mate's pain even from a distance.
"Brother, listen to me," Apollo said, his voice firm but gentle. "Come to the house. Be with your mate. Let the Alphas handle the investigation of the house for now."
"The Alphas?" Ares spat. "This isn't their fight."
"It is now," Apollo insisted. "River escaped, which means Titan knows she's gone. He'll be looking for her. We need to protect her, and we need allies. The Alphas can secure the location and gather evidence."
"While Titan escapes?" Ares growled.
"While we ensure River and our child survive," Apollo countered. "Brother, she's weak. She's lost a lot of blood. She's thin, too thin. She needs us both."
The line went silent save for Ares' harsh breathing. Apollo could almost see his twin torn between bloodlust and the primal need to protect his mate.
"Ares…" River whispered. "Please…"
Ares whined. "Beloved."
"We're coming," said Cherry.
"How far away are you?" Ares asked, his voice marginally calmer.
"Fifteen minutes."
"I'll be there in twenty." The line went dead.
Apollo returned his attention to River. Her breathing steadied somewhat, but her skin stayed alarmingly pale. The bandage on her thigh had soaked through with blood, and numerous more minor cuts and scratches marked her exposed skin. Her side also held several jagged cuts. What she must have been through he could not begin to imagine. But one thing he swore right there, for every scratch, scrape, and cut she suffered, Titan would suffer tenfold.
"How is she?" Silas asked from the front seat, his eyes meeting Apollo's in the rearview mirror.
"Holding on." Apollo brushed a strand of hair from River's face. "She's stronger than any of us knew."
The SUV sped through the darkened streets, Silas taking corners with practiced precision. Regan and Thomas stayed vigilant, constantly scanning for any sign of pursuit, their guns at the ready.
She was going to be fine. She had to be, just had to be, because if she wasn't... Apollo would slaughter every rogue in North America.
RIVER
River's eyes fluttered open as the SUV pulled up to a modest two-story structure nestled among towering, overgrown trees, its exterior deliberately unremarkable to avoid attention. Dr. Keller waited on the porch, her face tight with concern.
"Quickly," she called as Apollo emerged with River. "Bring her inside."
Apollo moved with swift precision, carrying River through the front door and following Dr. Keller down a hallway to a prepared bedroom. Though he tried to be gentle, River couldn't help but moan in pain at being jostled.
"I'm so sorry, my love. I'll get you settled in just a moment."
Medical equipment had been set up. Monitors, IV stands, and various supplies were arranged on a rolling cart between sluggish blinks.
"Put her on the bed," Dr. Keller instructed, already pulling on latex gloves.
