Page 110 of Knot My Band: Part One
“Change of plans,” the other guard replies, his gaze steely. “Please, follow us.”
“Change of plans?” I echo, incredulous. I’m not some newbie to be herded around; I’m Oli Hart, dammit. “Why wasn’t I informed?”
My heart races, but I shove down the rising panic. I need to find my alphas.
“Look, guys, I appreciate the escort, but I really need to see my band.” I try to keep my tone light and flirty, as always.
“Sorry, but orders are orders. This way, Miss Hart.”
“Orders?” I scoff at the absurdity, my brows knitting together. “Well, you can tell whoever gave those orders that Oli Hart doesn’t take kindly to being kept from her alphas. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
I attempt to sidestep them, ready to bolt for the comforting chaos of my dressing room, but they move with me, a coordinatedbarrier. My mouth goes dry. This isn’t right. Where is everyone? Why are these goons blocking my path?
“Miss Hart, please don’t make this difficult.”
“Difficult?” I shoot back, a laugh bubbling up, tinged with hysteria. My mind races—should I scream? Would anyone hear me over the din of the concert? I need to get to my alphas.
They step up to either side of me, grip my upper arms, and start dragging me.
I shove against the beefy arm of one guard, my heart pounding a heavy bassline in my chest. “Back off,” I growl, trying to channel someone stronger than me. But they’re not budging, their grips firm and uncompromising as they steer me toward the emergency exit.
“Where are you taking me?” My voice echoes off the cold concrete walls, the sound a stark contrast to the muffled roar of the crowd above. Something prickles at the back of my neck—the sense of being watched, hunted even.
“New exit, for your safety,” grunts one of the guards, his eyes void of the warmth I usually find in my team. I don’t buy it for a second. Safety isn’t a word I’d use right now, not with the way my instincts scream danger.
“My alphas are going to kill you if something happens to me. You can’t possibly think you’ll get away with hurting me at my own show, right?” I try to twist away, but their hands are iron clamps on my arms.
We round a corner, and the stairs up out of the stage lead to an emergency exit, which is blocked by a group of men dressed as our security guards. I don’t recognize any of them. This is bad.
“Guys, seriously—” I start, but my words get cut short.
Pain explodes across my throat, a vice-like grip from behindthat crushes my airway. I claw at the hands, nails scrabbling for purchase on leather gloves. A choked gasp escapes me, a pitiful sound.
“Help!” I wheeze, or at least I try to. The world tilts, shadows creeping into the edges of my vision. Fear tightens its noose around my neck, and my legs buckle.
A surge of panic that’s not mine zips through my veins, sharp and urgent. It’s Chase’s fear, a raging inferno in my mind that screams he’s close—so damn close. Above me, the sound of fists connecting with flesh, grunts of exertion, and yells create a violent symphony that vibrates through the metal under my feet. My alphas are fighting for me; they’re here.
“Chase,” I try to call out, but it’s useless. The grip on my throat is relentless, stealing my voice, my breath, everything. I kick back, desperate to connect with my attacker, to make them feel an ounce of the terror gripping my heart. But it’s like striking out at shadows.
My vision tunnels, the edges growing fuzzy as if someone’s smudging the world with their thumb. I’m drowning in open air, lungs screaming for oxygen while my head spins.
A cold numbness spreads through my limbs, a cruel contrast to the blaze of my bond with Chase that burns bright even as I fade.
The grip around my throat loosens abruptly, and a rush of oxygen fills my starving lungs. I gasp, my knees buckling as the assailant darts away, a shadow fleeing into the depths of chaos. My vision swims with spots of color, reality flickering like a faulty neon light in a dingy alley.
“Oli!” The voice cuts through the haze, sharp and commanding—it’s Dax. His presence is like a thunderstorm on the horizon—dark, powerful, electrifying.
“Get her!” that’s Jack, all fire and energy, his words sparking with urgency. I can almost see his electric blue eyes ablaze, reflecting the trouble that’s found us tonight.
“Secure the area!” Even in this state, Jack’s calm authority isn’t lost on me, his orders slicing through the panic like a knife through butter.
“Where is she?” Chase growls, his tone desperate in a way that sends shivers down my spine despite the warmth returning to my body.
They’re close, so close, but everything’s slipping again, my consciousness retreating like the tide going out to sea.
“Oli, look at me,” Chase pleads, his voice somehow reaching me through the thick fog wrapping around my mind. My eyelids flutter, heavy as lead, but I manage to find his face above me—a beacon in the gathering darkness.
“Stay with us, baby girl,” Jack’s nickname for me tickles a part of my mind, trying to coax a smile from lips too weak to respond.
