Chapter 29 - Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha
I fight the urge to cuss as the suburban rocks over the uneven ground.
The high speed and lack of a seatbelt causes me to bounce around between where I sit, tucked
between the back seats like Axe had me do the night I was taken.
An ounce of baby powder and a slip into the car unnoticed was all it took to be off in the right
direction. I can hear Mason's phone still going to voicemail and he mutters obscenities to
himself. We've been driving for over an hour now and I stay down, fearful of the fact that if I
make myself known, he'll turn around.
I left the gamma in charge last minute, so the pack is well taken care of, but I might end up back
there if I have to deal with this much longer. My lack of food and inability to see where the car is
going has my stomach upside down. I wish I had packed some food, but it looks like I'll have to
hunt soon instead. My least favorite.
The car jerks to a stop and I smack my head against the back of the seat, covering my mouth to
keep in my hiss. Stupid Mason. Even I drive better than this.
His car door opens and slams shut, causing me to rise up and look around. The windows are
tinted, so I don't need to worry about him seeing me, but it looks like I'm exactly where I need to
be.
He's quickly approaching the group of what seems like a few hundred male wolves, my father
included. I tense seeing him. Of course, I want to go hug him, but if I do, he'll try to stop me. He
won't let me go. If the car GPS is right, we're right at the border and ready to hit the Appalachian
trail in a couple of miles. Almost halfway. Almost halfway to my mate.
I ever so quietly tap the window button after climbing up to the front seat and let it crack open
just enough for my heightened hearing to clue me in.
"-the hell do you mean he's staying behind?! That fool! And you all just left him there?!"
Mason sound furious and my father crosses his arms, sending a stare I'm familiar with. The one
that makes you cower back.
"He's the one who made the blood oath. Regardless, the American packs know they're coming."
"Which is why they'll slaughter him!"
"No! They'll understand the situation! They know he isn't fighting them willingly!"
Dread pricks at my heart. Blood oath? Did he take a blood oath in order to get me back? I'm so
confused and this rifles my need to see him even more. He's sworn himself to the beast and now
he has to fight the most untied packs in the world.
I don't bother to listen to the rest of the conversation before throwing the door open and darting
to the woods.
I didn't close it in fear that the extra noise would draw too much attention. I'm already slow, I
can't afford to get stopped. I just pass the clearance of the woods again before I hear a familiar
shout.
"Is that Lilac?!"
Leeland?! The fear of being caught up with makes my arms pump faster. My legs fly at a speed
that would break my face if I tripped and for a moment, I'm amazed. This is how fast I run in
wolf form! It's still not nearly as fast as the other wolves, but it's faster than a human for sure.
The shouts of people behind me, Mason and my father included make me feel terrible. I'm
sorry, I want to say.
If it weren't for the baby powder covering my scent, they all would have caught up with me
already.
But I just keep running, and running, and running.
I'm already a few dozen miles into the Appalachian trail by the time I'm sure no one is still
following or able to follow at least.
I need to find Axe. I need to get to him before he gets himself killed.