“We can take those three, but we don’t know how many more are in the house or those nearby buildings,” I point out.
“We need to tell the others.”
“Yeah.We’ll head back.We should be right on time for the morning meeting.We’ll all come up with a plan and?—”
My words die in my throat as the wind shifts, blowing the girl’s scent right at me.It hits me like a physical blow.Warm.Sweet.Wild.
Mine,my wolf howls.
I dig my nails into my palms, holding him in check.
“What?What is it?”Christian asks, scanning the property to see what has me distracted.
“She’s mine,” I tell him, my voice low and raspy and filled with need.
My wolf surges, triumphant, possessive, roaring so loudly inside me that it’s a miracle the forest doesn’t shake.Every instinct I have locks onto her, branding her onto my soul.
Christian’s gaze sharpens.He looks at the girl again,reallylooks, and his eyes widen slightly.
“Oh,” he says under his breath.“Shit.”
I swallow hard as the men bring her into a house.They emerge a few moments later and lock the door behind them.
Christian grips my shoulder.“It’s okay, man.We’ll get her out of there.She’ll be yours in a few hours.”
I glare at the house and the men retreating from where they’ve imprisoned my mate.
I vow right then and there that no one will ever put her in a cage again.
Not unless it’s the one I build to keep her safe.
TWO
Roxie
Everything is fuzzy,like a photo taken out of focus.I blink my bleary eyes open and squint around the rundown motel room.We’ve been here for days, or maybe even weeks.I’ve lost track of time with all the drugs they keep forcing on me.I sleep for most of the day and wake only to eat and shower if I’m lucky.
I’m alone in the room now, and I try to sit up, but my hands are tied to the headboard.I tug on the restraints, but only manage to aggravate the bruises on my wrists and hands.
“Crap,” I groan.
This all started when I went to my best friend’s house.Her dad had sold into marriage a few days prior.Luckily, she escaped and was rescued by her fated mate, Jameson, who’s now her boyfriend.
I was at Fern’s apartment to pick up her things before meeting up with her in Night Grove Falls.
But as I turned to leave, Fern’s dad was standing there with four strange men.He looked like death warmed over as he stood there with those men.He’d been spiraling since Fern went missing, and had stopped by my place a few times, asking if I’d heard from her or knew where she was.Each time, he looked worse and worse.Pale and haggard, with dark circles under his eyes.
The men grabbed me and forced me into a kitchen chair and barked questions at me.Where was Fern?Had I spoken to her recently?What was I doing at her apartment?
I lied and swore I had no idea where she was.I told them I was worried about her.I’d wanted to file a missing-person report, but her dad talked me out of it.They seemed relieved about that.
That was the last thing I remembered before one of them jabbed a needle into my neck, and the whole world went dark.
I woke up once in a car, again in a motel room, and now in this motel room.
We’ve been here for a while, I think.I overheard the guys talking about lying low, and they seemed anxious.Did someone see them take me from Fern’s apartment and call the cops?That’s the only way I’ll be rescued from this nightmare.Lord knows, my parents won’t notice I’m missing.Not until my rent is due.
My parents and I have never been close.They’ve never taken much of an interest in me or what’s going on in my life.I learned at an early age to stay out of their way and look for love and kindness in other people.