Page 43 of Saving Nevin
I should’ve been excited, but all I felt was a looming dread, because I knew that one of these days, Rex would hunt me down. He would drag me back to hell, and I could only pray that I gave birth before than, so that Zechariah wasn’t harmed or forced to be raised in the cruel Alpha-centric pack that I was born into. So that my son got to grow up with the Howells, surrounded by love…
I blinked away sudden tears.
“Nevin?” Xan asked, concern written all over his features, but I waved him off.
“I’m fine,” I said, wiping my eyes with my gloved hand. I forced a smile. The show must go on. “Let’s go.”
We went outside, into the cold, and I looked up when I heard Kace’s voice. “Where are you two off to?” Kace was up on the ladder, a string of outdoor lights hanging from one hand.
“We’re gonna go hunt for pinecones,” Xan said. “We won’t go far.”
“Alright,” Kace said. “Be careful, Nev.”
I smiled at the genuine care in my mate’s voice, but Xan turned around and puffed out his cheeks. “And what about me? You’re not worried about me?”
Kace rolled his eyes. “You too, Xan, but you’re not carrying my son.”
“Yeah. Ew.” Xan made a face. “Thank god. That would be weird.”
I giggled again, then tugged on my friend’s coat sleeve. “C’mon, it’s cold out here. The pinecones won’t collect themselves.”
The two of us marched through the snow, boots crunching through layers of fluffy white. We headed towards the edge of the woods, where the trees always dropped their loot. Xan led the way, and I toddled along after him.
He studied each and every pinecone before tossing them aside or handing them to me for safekeeping. We moved along the tree line, Xan humming a holiday tune from earlier that would most definitely become an ear worm.
And that’s when I realized… The birds were oddly quiet. I looked up, keening my ears, but I heard little birdsong and my stomach knotted. A sinking feeling settled in my gut.
“Xan?” I murmured. “Let’s go back.”
“What?” He turned to me. “But we haven’t gotten nearly enough pinecones yet! Just a few more.”
I shook my head, already backing away in the direction of the house. My heart kicked in my chest, picking up speed as anxiety shot through me like an arrow.
“Please.” I looked back to see Kace and Sevren in the distance, oblivious to my plight. “Xan?” I turned back to my friend, wondering why he wasn’t answering me, only to see him staring at something in the woods. I squinted, but the glint of snow beneath the afternoon sunlight was too bright.
I didn’t see them until it was too late.
Three gray wolves came barreling towards us. Panic shocked through me as I dropped the basket of pinecones and turned to flee, but I never got the chance.
The biggest one slammed into me from behind, pinning me to the ground, snarling low. His fangs tore at my coat, ripping at fabric, even as I struggled beneath his weight. I opened my mouth to scream, just as I felt a shimmer of magic.
Rex’s hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me. His scent choked me, thick and oily. “Scream and I’ll cut that child from your gut, I swear to fucking god, Nevin,” he growled. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
My body shook with a silent sob as he stood and yanked me to my feet, pinning me against his chest. His big hand still wrapped around my face, his other held a knife at my belly. I could feel it poking into my skin through the layers of my clothing. My eyes blurred with tears and I whimpered.
A struggle ensued, and I looked over to see Xan kicking and thrashing beneath the force of another Alpha. My stomach sank when I saw that his hands had been zip-tied behind his back.No…
“P-Please, Rex,” I whispered, pulling free of his grasp on my mouth to stare up at him. “Please don’t hurt him. He didn’t do anything! He isn’t part of this!”
Rex only chuckled. “Oh, he is now. He’s quite stunning, for an Omega, and so young too. He’ll produce quality pups,” he said, matter-of-fact. “He’s coming back with us. You should be thanking me. At least you’ll get to keep your friend.”
A soft sob escaped me, more tears spilling free. Xan would never be happy in a cage. He was too free-spirited. I watched as Xan collapsed in the snow on his stomach, panting hard. The Alpha, a man I knew as Loch, planted a boot on his back like he’d just defeated a beast.
“There. Got him, boss,” he drawled. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.” Rex huffed. “Let’s get out of here before those Alphas catch wind of us on their territory. Get him up. Let’s go.”
Loch grabbed Xan by the wrists and hauled him up, but Xan chose that moment to open his mouth and scream the loudest, longest scream that I’d ever heard in my life. It was ripe and filled with terror and anguish. It startled birds from the trees and made my heart jump in my chest.
