Destiny Concealed, page 28
He chuckled. “I’ll never get sick of being able to do that.”
Saskia rolled her eyes and said, “Come on.”
Despair at the upcoming confrontation made the knot in Alex’s stomach tighten painfully, but he made his feet move one in front of the other until they’d taken him to the front door. Saskia pulled away from his side to knock, but Alex only let her go for a moment. Tucking his mate into his side once more, he took comfort in the fact that she was there, and as long as he was touching her, there was no way he could mistake it as a dream.
The door was opened by a young, blonde female. Saskia smiled at the other woman. “Hi, Ivy. Rhett wanted to see us,” she said cheerfully.
Ivy’s eyes scanned Alex for a moment, her nostrils flaring before she nodded and opened up the screen door.
“This is Alex, by the way,” Saskia added, tilting her head in his direction.
After the close scrutiny, Alex didn’t expect the female to introduce herself properly, but she did, thrusting her hand out to him. “I’m Ivy, Sabel’s mate,” she said by way of introduction.
Alex took her hand and shook. “Alex D’Angelo.”
“Just go on through. All the boys are in there right now,” Ivy replied, shutting the door behind them. Saskia led him down the hall to the alpha’s office, knocking quietly before pushing into the room.
Alex’s eyes bounced around, landing on each wolf individually for just a moment. When they got to Saxon, though, he paused. What was Saskia’s brother doing here?
“What’s going on?” he demanded, forgetting what he was now, forgetting he wasn’t talking to his subordinates down at the station. Vaile’s growl sent his wolf back, his ears and head lowered.
“Sit down, Alex,” Rhett said. He waited until Alex had sat down beside Saxon on the couch before continuing. “I asked you here because we know who bit you.”
Alex just stared. That was the last thing he thought they’d bring up. In fact, he didn’t give a damn that he’d been bitten at all. It had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“Who was it? The same person who’s been biting the others?”
Rhett shook his head, his eyes fixed on Saxon. “Saskia’s brother did.”
“Saxon?” he asked incredulously, turning to look at the guy.
“Yes,” Saxon croaked. “I’m sorry, but yeah, I bit you.”
Alex barked a laugh, startling Saxon. Clapping him on the back, he said, “Don’t be fucking sorry. I should be thanking you for what you did.”
“Thanking me?” Saxon all but sputtered. “Why would you want to do that?”
Alex glanced at Saskia, whose expression was just as horrified as her brother’s had been. He took his mate’s hand and brushed his lips against it. “You brought me back to her.”
“Why did you do it?” Saskia asked in an incredibly small voice.
Saxon’s dark blue eyes fixed on his sister. Orange danced in his irises for the barest moment. That flash of color resonated with Alex; whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the bright orange gaze of the wolf who had bitten him.
“I did it for you, Saskia. I could see how unhappy you were. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy.”
Saskia began to cry softly beside Alex, making his chest tighten a little. He didn’t like to see her upset.
Rhett cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. There was a small smile on his lips as he said, “Right, now that’s out of the way—Alex, the reason you’re here is to decide on the punishment.”
He frowned. “Punishment?”
“For creating a Bitten wolf in this pack, the punishment is death,” Sabel replied, his tone cold, his eyes arctic. It seemed as if he didn’t give a fuck either way.
“That was the law under my uncle’s rule. Being on the receiving end of a lot of shit handed down by antiquated rules and out-dated regulations, I don’t see the point of them anymore. I’ve decided that the Bitten wolf can decide on a fitting punishment for the one who committed the crime,” Rhett replied in a deliberate way, choosing his words carefully.
Alex looked back at Saxon. The guy just stared at him with sad eyes. “I get to choose how to hurt you?” he asked, making sure he’d heard Rhett correctly.
“Death is no less than I deserve,” Saxon replied softly.
Fuck. No.
Alex wasn’t going to kill Saxon. He gave him a new life with Saskia. “I don’t want you killed.”
Saxon’s whole body sagged, relief washing over his features.
“All right, so death is off the cards,” Rhett interrupted. “But you must choose a suitable punishment.”
“Whipping is always a good one,” Sabel said with a predatory grin. Rhett glanced at his captain of the guard over one shoulder.
“Whipping is an option,” the alpha conceded with a grimace.
“What else?” Alex croaked. He didn’t want to hurt Saxon—not after what he did for him and Saskia.
“Banishment from the pack is another fitting option.”
Alex glanced over at Saxon. Could he banish him? He wouldn’t be physically hurting him, but the emotional pain he’d cause him by leaving his sister and pack behind would be great.
But what other choice was there?
“Banishment then, but I want him to return to the Asgard pack with Casey. Do you think her father will let him go?” Alex glanced around the room. “Where is that little hellcat anyway?”
He had to admit that he missed her. He saw her as somewhat of a little sister.
Rhett shifted in his chair slightly, signaling his unease. Alex looked between the three males sitting and standing in front of him, not understanding. “Where is she?” he asked again, a tight knot forming in his gut.
Casey pocketed the key she had been slipped. The man had left a few minutes before, shutting the door behind him and plunging the room into utter darkness. It took her eyes a little less time to adjust that time around, the outline of Emily coming into view first.
The woman was still curled up in a ball, her whole body shaking violently. Casey crouched down beside her, resting her hand lightly on her shoulder. Despite the feather-light touch, Emily recoiled with a hiss.
“Sorry,” Casey whispered, “but we have to get out of here.”
“H-how?” she asked on a whimper.
“Don’t worry about that. I need you to stand up, okay? Believe me, you can do it. The pain is all in your head. Come on,” she coaxed, “stand up, Emily, and I’ll help you get out of here.”
The woman eventually made it to her feet with Casey’s help. Once she was vertical, Casey wrapped a solid arm around her waist, holding Emily against her.
Gently leading the other woman, Casey led them to the front of the cage. Her free hand slipped through the bars, her fingers searching for the keyhole. When she found it, Casey slid the key into the lock and twisted it as smoothly as she could. The mechanism clicked and the door eased outwards.
Casey let go of the breath she’d been holding and, with Emily tucked up against her side, she stepped out into the small space. A growl from the cage on her right made her turn. The wolf who’d been snacking on his cellmate snarled at her, his eyes drifting from her to the door of his cell.
“I don’t think so,” she replied snidely, backing further away. Casey looked up at the stairs, wondering when to make the move. There was only one chance at this and she couldn’t fuck it up. Placing her foot on the last tread, she applied a little pressure and hoped like hell there wasn’t a squeak in the wood.
“Hey,” a guy called quietly from one of the other cages. “Let us out of here, too.”
Casey glanced back at the male who was standing at the door of his cell. Her gaze dropped to the two men propped up against the cell walls. They were still breathing, their chests rising and falling shallowly. Her first instinct was to leave them all behind, but if she did, she couldn’t live with herself. Casey wasn’t so sure they would make the trip back, but she had to try. She had to give them a chance at life.
Emily moaned as Casey placed her down on the bottom step before she moved toward the door of the third cell. Letting her wolf push forward just a little, she assessed the men carefully. The one at the door had survived the Change; his mind was intact and he was in complete control of his wolf. The other two were still —a lot like Emily was suffering.
She bit her lip, thinking over her options. Would this man leave her as soon as they were free of the house, or would he stay? She was taking a risk, but she wouldn’t knowingly leave them there to the fate of the raven-haired woman. Casey slid the key into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Stepping back, she watched the man come toward her.
Offering her his hand, he said, “I’m Mark.”
“Casey,” she replied, ignoring his hand. “Can you handle the other two?”
Mark looked over his shoulder. “Yeah, I think I can manage.”
Casey turned back to Emily, her heavy panting drawing Casey’s brows down in concern.
She didn’t have much time.
Gently, Casey bent down and picked up Emily, cradling her gently against her side. Emily trembled when Mark’s voice cut through the near silence.
“What’s the plan?” he asked.
Casey whispered over her shoulder, “Get out of here in one piece.”
The guy snorted. “And then what?”
Emily shivered and Casey’s arm tightened around her. “Then I get these people the help they need.” Without waiting, Casey turned back around and looked up into the dark maw of the stairs. She had no idea how many people were up there; she had no idea what was waiting on the other side of the door. All she knew was that she had to get Emily and the others out of there.
“Come on, Emily,” she whispered, leading the woman up the stairs. Behind her, Mark moved with quiet confidence. She wondered who he had been before he’d been bitten.
Once she reached the top, Casey pressed her ear to the door, listening for any movement or voices, but she heard nothing. Letting out a breath, she lifted her hand and placed it on the handle, pressing down firmly but cautiously.
The door clicked open, the sound too loud in the darkness, and Casey froze. She waited for a long minute until she was sure nobody was going to come and investigate before fully pushing open the door and peering into the darkened room. Her eyes scanned the shadows. She was confident the house was empty.
Over her shoulder, she said to Mark, “Looks like they’ve left. It’s now or never.”
“Let’s go then. But where will we go?”
“Leave that to me,” she replied, tightening her grip on Emily and stepping from the basement.
“Which way?” Mark asked with a grunt. The weight of the other two semi-conscious men was taking its toll on him.
Casey’s nostrils flared, taking in the scent of crisp air and freshly fallen snow. “This way.”
“Is that fresh air I smell?” Mark asked, his voice strained.
Casey nodded. “Just through there,” she replied, lifting her chin in the direction of an open doorway.
“Thank Christ for that. I couldn’t handle the smell of blood for a second longer.”
Casey couldn’t have agreed more. She could still smell the tang of the stuff in her nostrils. She shifted Emily, a small whimper escaping the woman’s lips with the movement. Apologizing softly, Casey urged her forward again.
Through the doorway, they stepped from carpet to tile. Casey’s eyes swept the area, seeing the countertops, recognizing it as the kitchen. And the back door was their salvation. With her gaze fixed on her prize, Casey led the group out of the house, taking the first steps to freedom out into the snow.
Casey scanned the area, trying to figure out which way to go. Glancing up at the sky, she got her bearings and began trudging through the three-foot high drifts.
“A girl scout, huh?” Mark asked from her right shoulder.
Casey grunted. “Grow up with four brothers and you learn enough.”
With a single-minded determination, Casey led the band of survivors away from the house, her senses alert. After what seemed like hours of nothing but snow, and agonized moans from the three surviving humans, Casey lifted her head and took in the sight she’d been hoping to find again. The Helheim pack house loomed in front of her, the house lights shining warmly through the darkness and snow.
“Where are we?” Mark asked.
“Somewhere safe.”
THIRTY-NINE
Saskia couldn’t breathe. It was if all the air had just been sucked out of her lungs. She looked at her brother, feeling as if she both knew him inside and out, yet didn’t know him at all. She didn’t know how he could have bitten Alex. He’d known the consequences. He’d known the risks. Yet he had done it still.
For her.
Fresh tears pricked her eyes, a burning at the back of her throat threatening to tear down her carefully constructed facade. Clearing her throat, she drew Saxon’s gaze.
“Thank you.” Her voice came out on the barest whisper.
“For what?” he replied, reaching out to touch her hand resting on the couch cushion between them.
“For always being there. For always looking out for me. You knew exactly how I felt and you wanted to make it better for me.”
“I just wanted to make you happy, Sass. Couldn’t you see that?”
Saskia couldn’t stop the tears this time. Wiping them away, she said in a broken voice, “I could always see that.”
Saxon looked between her and Alex. “Please tell me my sacrifice hasn’t been in vain. Please tell me you and Alex have completed the mate bond.”
She looked over her shoulder at Alex and felt her heart flutter. He was her mate, and she was utterly in love with him. When she felt eyes on her, Saskia looked up to see Rhett watching them both carefully.
“We are mated,” she replied, addressing both her brother and her alpha.
“Will you remain in Buxton?” Rhett asked.
Saskia glanced at Alex, asking him silently what they were going to do. When he shrugged, Saskia said, “We hadn’t really thought that far ahead, actually.”
“You should stay,” Saxon said softly. Taking her hand, he added, “You should stay here and be happy.”
Saskia’s face flushed. “I don’t even know whether Rhett will let us stay. Alex was supposed to be sent away.”
“Your mating changes things,” Rhett interrupted. “Saskia, you are one of our wolves, but Alex doesn’t have a pack yet, not officially. If you would like to stay, we would be happy to have you—both of you.”
Saskia’s heart suddenly felt lighter. She was getting everything she had ever dreamed off, and just as suddenly as she was happy, she was utterly devastated. She was getting everything she’d ever wanted, but the person she loved the most was getting nothing at all.
“Hey,” Alex said, tilting her chin up to look into her eyes. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it. You deserve to be happy.”
“He’s right, Saskia,” Saxon said. “We all make choices. Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re bad, but they’re our choices and we have to own them either way. I knew what I was doing and I have no regrets, not when I can see how happy you are right now.”
Saskia threw herself into Saxon’s arms, not knowing when she might see him again. She couldn’t imagine Rhett would let him stay any longer than necessary now that the decision had been made. She pulled away when there was a knock on the office door. Turning, she watched Sabel pull it open and frown.
Casey stepped into the room, her face scratched up, her clothing bloody. All the color had leeched from her cheeks and she was shaking.
Both Saxon and Alex stood up. Saxon took a step closer, but seemed to stop himself. Alex eventually went to her, gripping her by both arms and peering at her. “What the hell happened?” he growled. He led her into the office, trying to press her down into the seat he’d just been occupying. But Casey resisted, edging back toward the door.
“Tell me what happened to you,” Alex demanded, his wolf pushing forward, and for the first time, Saskia felt his power.
Casey’s gaze darted to the door. “I have to show you something first.” Without waiting, Casey left the room, leaving the men to follow. She led them out the front door and the group stopped abruptly. Saskia skirted around the mass of bodies and gasped. Three men and one woman sat huddled on the front porch. They were bedraggled, their clothing ripped, their slack faces covered in dirt and blood.
“Casey, who are these people?” Rhett growled.
“They’ve all been bitten,” she murmured. Turning to Rhett, she said, “I was abducted and drugged when I left the pack house after I came to speak to you about the female wolf I saw downtown. When I woke up, I was in a cage with Emily.”
Saskia looked down at the only woman in the group and her heart went out to her. Her hair was caked with blood, her cheeks were hollow and there were dark circles under her eyes. From the tremor passing through her body, it seemed Emily couldn’t even find peace in sleep.
Casey weaved slightly then caught herself on the side of the house. “Mark,” she said, nodding weakly at one of the men, “survived the Change. He was in the cage beside me, although I have no idea how long he’d been there either. He helped me rescue everyone we could.” Casey rubbed at a blood patch on her face with a shaking hand.
Saskia studied her and saw she was going into shock. The adrenaline that had helped her through the escape was wearing off. “There were more people imprisoned with me, but I could only help...” Casey fell silent as more color drained from her face.
Saskia’s gaze trailed over to Saxon. His hands were curled into tight fists, and like before, it was like he was holding himself back from going to Casey.
Casey sucked in a deep breath through her mouth. “They’ll be going through the Change in less than twenty-four hours. They need a safe place to do that.” She paused, shutting her eyes tightly. “I didn’t know where else to take them,” she whispered.
