Page 101 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
Ro’s face, white with fear, stared at me from the back window.
“Ro!” I screamed, and kept on screaming.
PART II
29
NOAH
Ishook my head, the deafening roar of the gunshot still ringing in my ears as I dragged myself forward, searing pain shooting through my gut with each lurch. Blood matted my sandy fur and dripped onto the pavement below me. But none of that mattered when I saw George grabbing Zoey.
He had her arm in a vise grip as he pulled her toward the car. Her terrified shrieks pierced my ears.
“Ro, get out! Run!” Zoey yelled, desperately trying to wrench herself free.
I had to get to her. Every fiber of my being—man and wolf—pulsed with the need to protect my mate from that monster.
Fresh blood gushed from the bullet wound as I staggered to my feet. Black spots danced in my vision, but I blinked them away. One paw in front of the other. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, I closed the distance between us.
I yelped, instinctively trying to call her name.
She turned her head, hazel eyes locking on mine for a fraction of a second. On her face, I saw her fear, her pleading... and her trust that I would save her. No matter what it took, Iwould get her and Ro away from George. I just prayed I had enough strength to reach her in time.
Bones crunched and muscles stretched as I shifted into my human form. I knew the risks—the bullet could easily pierce a vital organ as my anatomy rearranged itself—but Zoey’s scream of terror drowned out any shred of self-preservation.
My body contorted, joints popping and skin splitting to reveal the man beneath the wolf. The searing agony in my gut intensified tenfold, threatening to send me back to the blood-slicked pavement. Gritting my teeth, I shoved it down.
With a final roar tearing from my human throat, I completed the shift. I stood on two legs once more, bleeding but ready to fight. George had nearly reached the car. Zoey thrashed in his grasp like a wild thing.
“George!” I bellowed. “Let her go, you bastard!”
He whirled to face me, eyes widening at the sight of my battered human form. For a moment, his grip on Zoey loosened.
I sprinted toward them, my battered body screaming in protest with each jarring step. The pain in my stomach burned hotter than hell itself, and my head spun from the blood loss. But I kept my eyes locked on Zoey’s terrified face, using her as my anchor.
“Noah!” She reached for me, nails scrabbling against George’s arm. “Noah, help!”
“I’m coming, baby,” I growled through clenched teeth. “I’m coming for you. Just hold on!”
George snarled and yanked Zoey back toward him. The car door was only feet away. If he got her inside, if he managed to drive away...
A surge of desperation lent me a final burst of speed. I lunged at George. I had to get Zoey away from him. Even if it killed me in the process.
George’s eyes flashed with malicious glee as I stumbled toward them, weakened and bleeding. He knew I was in no shape to fight. Not after shifting with a bullet lodged inside me.
“Look at you, Noah,” he sneered. “You’re supposed to be some great alpha? You’re nothing but a pathetic mess. You can’t protect her. You can’t even protect yourself.”
I ignored his taunts, keeping my focus on Zoey. She was so close, her screams ringing in my ears. Just a few more steps...
But George was ready for me. As I lunged forward, he shoved Zoey into my path. Her body collided with mine, sending us both tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, and white-hot agony seared through my abdomen. Zoey cried out, her hands grasping at me as we hit the pavement. For a moment, the world spun sickeningly around me.
“Noah! Oh, God, Noah!” Zoey’s panicked voice cut through the haze of pain. “You’re hurt! You’re bleeding so much.”
I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision. Zoey’s face swam into focus above me, her eyes wide with fear and concern. I touched her cheek, leaving a smear of blood on her pale skin.
“I’m okay,” I rasped, even as my body screamed in protest. “I’m not going to let him take you—either of you. I promise.”
