Page 58 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
My chest heaved, my fur slick with sweat and blood. I shifted back, panting, my eyes burning, and realizing I had been lured here to leave Ruby and Liora in harm's way. It was a ploy, a damn setup. "This was a distraction."
I turned to Jay, who had a gash running down his arm, but was still looking smug. "This was a goddamn setup, and you fell for it! You helped them pull me away."
Jay's mouth parted, but no words came.
I grabbed him by the collar, my voice low and lethal. "Do you even understand what you've done? If my mate or child is harmed, I will rip you apart."
His eyes widened, his face paling. "Drew, I…I was just trying to protect the pack. I thought…"
"I am the alpha!" I shouted, releasing him with a shove. "Every damn move I've made was for this pack. I have risked everything for this pack. Yet, you dared to call me weak?"
I turned away, heart slamming in my chest as I pulled out my phone and dialed Alex's line. No answer. I tried again, a sinking feeling in my gut. " Damn it, Alex, pick up."
Still nothing. A cold dread settled in my bones. No. No, no, no. I dialed Ruby's number, and her voicemail answered. The world tilted.
"Please…" I whispered, already moving, already shifting.
Behind me, Jay's voice cracked. "Please… let me fix this. I didn't mean for this to happen this way. Is Alex…is he going to be okay?"
I paused.
So that was it. Guilt, yes, but more than that, he was afraid for Alex, his partner and friend.
I stood still, fury pulsing through me. He'd been reckless and manipulated, but I needed every tool I had. I glanced over my shoulder. "You want redemption? Be ready then because if I call, and you're not there, I'll make you wish you never begged."
He nodded quickly, his eyes full of shame. I didn't wait to see more. Time was bleeding away. My wolf exploded from within me, faster than I ever remembered. Trees blurred past as I tore through the forest, foam at my mouth and rage in my chest. Ruby. Liora. I should've never left them. I ran faster, my legs burned, and my paws barely touched the ground. The wind howled past me like a warning, and the moon watched in silence.
Please be safe. Please…don't let me be too late.
Chapter 26
Drew
I was too late.
The front door was hanging off its hinges. That was the first thing I saw.
The second was the scent of blood that hit me like a punch to the gut, metallic, fresh, and sharp. My heart slammed against my chest as my eyes locked on Alex, crumpled on the floor like a broken doll, soaked in his own blood and slumped in a pool of it.
"Alex!" I dropped to my knees beside him, panic surging like wildfire through my veins. His skin was pale, his breaths shallow, wheezing between cracked lips.
"No, no, no, don't you dare," I muttered, pressing my hands to his wounds. My power sparked to life, blue light flaring beneath my palms. I focused hard, pouring everything into the healing and willed my mind to feel him, stabilize the bleeding, and mend the tissue.
Stay with me, you hear me?" My voice was hoarse, my panic bleeding into my power as it surged through my hands, searching for torn tissue and ruptured veins. For my sake, Alex had almost died twice, and my chest twisted in sorrow and pain.
His body jerked slightly under the energy, a sharp gasp escaping him. I clenched my jaw, pushing harder, ignoring the way my own strength waned.
"Stay with me, Alex, you hear me? You stubborn bastard, don't check out now."
His wounds began to close, sluggishly at first, then faster. The gashes were sealed but left angry, bruised skin in their place. It wasn't perfect. He was still weak, barely hanging on, but at least, he was breathing.
"That's it," I murmured, focusing everything I had into the wounds. "You're not dying on me, not today."
"D…Drew…" His voice was barely a whisper, cracked and wet.
"Don't talk. Just hold on."
"I tried," he rasped, eyes flickering open just enough to find me. "They…they took them. I couldn't stop them."
