Page 45 of Rescued by the Alpha

Yuri grabbed him by his shirt collar, yanking him forward, Elam’s legs giving way as his center of gravity disrupted his balance. The Alpha grasped him by his upper arm so hard, bruising was inevitable.

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re cold! Take it off! ”

When Yuri released Elam so he could remove the hoodie, he wobbled for a moment, fearing he might collapse to the floor anyway. With shaky hands, he surrendered the garment. Shivering overtook him, but he didn’t know if it was from the elements or a result of the terror clawing at his insides.

Yuri turned to one of his wolf minions. “Shred this. When we get to Trapper Flats, leave a trail to the clearing. Make it appear as if the bitch was the one who left them.” He pointed to the two men he’d already summoned from outside. “What did I say? Huh? Get him the fuck outta here!”

They surged forward then each grabbed one of Elam’s arms, and with what seemed to be minimal effort, forced him out the cabin and into the grey light of day. Spring had yet to arrive, but while snow no longer lingered on the ground, the weather was cold and wet. Elam didn’t struggle. He

wouldn’t stand a chance against their strength and there were too many of them to fend off. If he fought back, he would only risk hurting the baby by falling wrong or being punched and kicked.

As they shoved him in the bed of an extended cab truck, Elam focused on remaining calm, alert.

He might not have the ability to fight back physically, but he wasn’t giving up in trying to escape either. If an opportunity presented itself, he’d take it. Otherwise, if he went into labor while being held captive, he doubted either he or the baby would survive.

* * * *

Nic punched his fist into the side of his sister’s shed in her front yard, the old, rotting wood panels crumbling beneath his onslaught. He howled with rage and pain, gritting his teeth as he whirled around to face his father. Leo, Boris, Vera and the other members of the council who’d been waiting for him to arrive were gathered as well. After an unidentified shifter had called her, claiming to have her children and warning her that if she didn’t get Nic there right away, they’d kill them—she’d called Nic in a blind panic. He didn’t blame her. She’d barely survived the loss of her mate. But now the council and his father were trying to tell him that everything was okay, that he didn’t need to worry.

The fucker who did this to her had better start worrying.

“If she’s okay, then why isn’t she here? Where is she? Where were the kids when that asshole called?”

His father stepped toward him slowly, as if gauging whether he had himself under control yet.

“The kids were at Luna’s and Jackson’s cabin, playing with their pups. But she couldn’t find her phone—still can’t—and they don’t have a radio. It seems to me there’s more to this than trying to get to Alex or the kids. Have you had any communication from the Yukon Delta Pack or Dara? Anything you haven’t shared with us?” His father cleared his throat. “Were warned not to share?”

Nic huffed. “What are you saying?” Alpha or not, father or not—Nic was having a hell of a time preventing himself from barking at his papa for insinuating he wasn’t being truthful with the pack. He attempted to keep his tone civil, but it was a dismal fail. “I’m not Artur.” He spit on the ground. “Not even close. I would never keep anything from the pack. Ever.”

His father clasped his shoulder and locked onto his gaze. “I know that son, I do. But Alex’s children were threatened, and now that you’re in that same type of vulnerable position too, I thought perhaps—”

Nic sucked in a sharp breath and yanked himself free from his father’s hold. “Fuck!” He punched the shed again, more wood cracking beneath his blow. “Gather all the Alphas and guardians you can. They have my mate. That’s what this was all about, to get me away from him.” To leave himunprotected.

His father growled. “You heard my son, my heir.” He bared his teeth as he whipped his head

toward the council members who stood frozen in disbelief. “Assemble all who can fight. We leave immediately!”

Before his father had finished his sentence, Nic had ripped the clothes from his body and shifted. As he tore through the damp woods, leapt over puddles and kicked up splatters of mud from his flying paws, he allowed the fury to envelope him. Nic filled his senses with it, breathed it in, willed the anger to grow so that when he found those responsible for hurting his family? He wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

* * * *

Elam shivered on the freezing ground, his teeth clattering together as the bitter cold seeped into his bones and seemed to settle there. He curled his legs beneath him, trying to make himself as small as possible in a futile bid to warm up. He still held his arms around his belly as if that would somehow keep the baby from becoming cold too. The chain hooked around his ankle—that had been anchored to a nearby tree—rattled as he tried to get more comfortable on the hard surface. His back screamed in agony.

Even more than usual.

The Yukon Delta Pack wolves remained hidden nearby. They lurked in the trees, behind fallen logs or giant boulders—ready to strike down and murder his mate. The father of my child. Elam’s lip quivered, and his eyes burned, but he swallowed his emotions down. For the baby’s sake, he couldn’t allow himself to fall apart.

Distant howls echoed throughout the forest and Elam’s wolf awoke. He’d gone quiet after Elam had passed his third month, but the telltale sign of his presence vibrated within again. Yet, the rumblings weren’t what he was accustomed to when he was on the verge of a shift.

He’s warning me.

When Elam wasn’t merged with his wolf, translating his thoughts into words was almost impossible for him to do. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to block out his surroundings and concentrate on what his wolf was trying to tell him.

The trees. Hide.

Elam regarded the edges of the forest. The chain on his leg extended far enough from a large spruce to place him in the center of the opening in the woods. However, Yuri had ordered him to stay there specifically to draw Nic into the open where he could be attacked from all sides. Elam had been warned by Yuri not to move or else he would kill the baby.

Trees. Go.