Chapter 66

Colson continued to run not knowing where he was going. His wolf Samsonite was irritated with him for running. He didn’t understand why they couldn’t be with their mate. Colson shifted back into his human form and started to yell into the deep forest. He hated the choices he had made and knew that he would lose any opportunity he had with Gretchen once she found out that he didn’t stay and try to defend her friends.

Colson sensed other wolves running close by. He didn’t know if he should run or stay to see which pack they were from.

Before he could make up his mind he heard a deep voice from behind him. “Colson, what are you doing out here?”

***

Ruby was filled with worry. The kids hadn’t come back yet and she wanted to smack Deak into next week for leaving them behind. She paced the front porch, her anxiety building up inside her. First Amanda and now the rest of them. What was she going to say to Luna Cynthia when she arrived with the rest of the pack? Zachary walked out to the porch to lend some support to Ruby and try to calm her down.

“Don’t,” Ruby said as she raised her hand between them. “I understand that I need to try and stay calm but there’s just too much going on at the moment. These poor kids have already been through too much and should just be kids enjoying college life and young love.”

Zachary pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried. He knew she was right, but there were still a few missing pieces to the puzzle and they couldn’t go off half-cocked. They needed a plan.

Deak was leaning in the doorway as he listened to Ruby and Zachary. A part of him was feeling guilty for going ahead. He wasn’t thinking clearly and didn’t think something like this was going to happen. His one goal was to get to Vita.

Vita poked him from behind. “What did you do, Deak?” she asked him, her tone an unhappy one.

Deak sighed before he turned around and looked down at Vita. Her eyes were narrowed and looked angry at him.

“I asked you to run with them, why did you leave them behind?” she asked as she continued to poke him in the chest.

Deak tried to hide the smirk that was forming on his face. He couldn’t help to find her cute. “You’re right. I should have stayed closer to them,” he admitted.

Vita’s face changed from angry to surprised rather quickly. She thought he was going to fight her on this longer than he had. “Why did you leave them behind?”

Deak sucked in a breath; he didn’t know how she was going to react to what he said next. “I was trying to get here, to you.”

Vita was stunned. She didn’t know how to respond to that. It was sweet that he wanted to be close to her and she assumed it was to keep her protected, but his decision had now cost them Hudson, Marco, and Tab—all gone somewhere they had no clue about. Vita gave him a small smile as she reached up and cupped his face with her hand. Deak closed his eyes and purred at the feeling of his mate’s touch.

“I appreciate you wanting to be with me to protect me. But now we have an even bigger problem on our hands.”

Deak nodded; he understood what she was trying to say.

***

Hudson started to come to as he felt his arms restricted behind him. He was sitting on his knees on a dirt floor. Hudson sensed Amanda close by and looked up to see her chained.

“Amanda!” He tried to get up on his feet and rush over to her, but he was pushed back onto the ground. Looking at her, he almost didn’t recognize her. He could tell that she was weak as her head rested against one of her arms. Her eyes were closed.

A ferocious growl was let out from his chest from his wolf—Artemis could feel the pain their mate was going through.

“Let her go!” he yelled out to the guards.

But they wouldn’t listen. The bracelet was starting to burn his skin, the burn igniting his anger from within. His eyes started to glow as he tapped into his wolf’s strength, his fangs grew and his claws were sharp as he lashed out at one of the guards and bit his neck. Hudson yelled out and dropped to his knees when he felt an electric shock run through his body.

There was a giggle that started behind him. He looked up to see Ophelia walking towards him. He growled at her as he watched her strut around him.

“Oh, Hudson, Hudson, Hudson. Look at the predicament you’ve gotten yourself into. Such a shame,” Ophelia said as she continued to circle him. She leaned into his ear from behind and whispered, “You’re losing control. You’ll become a rabid wolf and they’ll have to put you down. If only there was something you could do.”

Hudson glared at Ophelia, growling menacingly.

Ophelia continued to walk around him as she tried to think, then she acted like the thought just came to her. “But there is something you can do.”

Artemis pleaded in his head, Don’t listen to her. Don’t do it.

Hudson shook the noise out of his head.

“What, do I have to do?” he asked.

Ophelia smiled devilishly at him. “Reject Lil Mandi Stevens over there and it will be all over.”

Amanda started to come to, as her body shivered telling her that Hudson was close, but she was having a hard time opening her eyes. She could hear people talking but couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying. Slowly, she started to open her eyes. At first, everything was blurry but then things started to take shape. She sucked in a breath when she saw Hudson kneeling on the ground, raging with anger.

“Hudson,” she tried to call out but the words barely formed.

Hudson looked up at her; he'd heard her call out to him.

“See, Hudson, all this would be over for her. She would get to have a normal life if you just say those little words,” Ophelia coaxed.

Amanda’s eyes widened as she put two and two together. She tried to see into Hudson’s eyes to see where his thoughts were, but he was too far gone. The rage had taken over. The Hudson she knew and loved was gone.

“Think about your pack, Hudson. Your parents, what would they do without you?” Ophelia continued.

Artemis pleaded with him not to do it.

Hudson looked down at the ground and then back up to Amanda. Through gritted teeth, he said, “I, Hudson Harlow, reject you Amanda Stevens as my mate.” The room fell silent as the bracelet fell off of Hudson’s wrist.

Amanda’s head dropped and her heart was forever broken.