\[Rosco’s POV\]
“This is the place,” I announce to Marty when we reach the clock tower. “Denali is just inside.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” He grins, reaching into the backseat and pulling his duffle bag full of weapons. “I’ll go get in place. When the heavens start raining redemption, you move.”
“Got it,” I say, grabbing a rope. “I’ll be waiting.”
Nodding, Marty gives me the thumbs up as I get out of the car and begin to extend my senses until I can feel Alexander’s familiar energy.
“Found you,” I growl, making my way to where he is, and then unravel my rope so that the grappling hook attached to it clicks to the ground. “You’re mine now, bastard.”
Stepping back, I draw on all my strength and then let the hook fly so it grabs the side of the roof and allows me to use the rope to climb into position, where I wait until I spot Marty on the roof of a building across the street.
Within the building, I can only feel Alexander and Elise. Why they were alone was beyond me, but it would work to my advantage.
‘Too cocky,’ Fabian grumbles.
‘Most likely.’
Turning my attention back to the area around me, I wait until the gunfire begins, and when Marty tosses smoke bombs, I move, shifting mid-leap so that when I hit the ground, I’m in my wolf form.
Beginning to move, I rush out into the hall just in time to see a large white wolf. When she notices me, she attempts to rush down the stairs, but I’m already moving, crashing into her, sending us both crashing to the ground.
When we hit, I use all my weight to pin her beneath me so that I can attack. To my surprise, she’s agile and able to avoid my attacks, but she will eventually wear out. When she did, I would rip her fucking throat out for everything she helped that bastard Alexander do to Denali, but before I manage, her paws lifted, and they hit with such force that they sent me flying.
As I crash into the wall, I feel a rib break and immediately realize that Elise possessed the strength and power of an alpha, even though Denali did not.
‘Shit,’ I hiss inwardly, getting up. ‘This is going to be a problem.’
It was clear from that hit alone that she was stronger than me, and if she attacks Denali, then she would be in serious trouble.
‘I won’t let that happen,’ I continue, rushing in the direction she disappeared.
When I arrive at a long flight of stairs, I take them two at a time and burst into a long hall that is lined with cages. Stopping, I begin to really take the space in, and what I find leaves me sick to my stomach.
There were so many women and children, all in different stages of malnutrition. This bastard Alexander really was a piece of shit, not only using Denali but also trafficking women and children. I was going to fucking kill him.
Feeling my rage begin to build, I start to move until I spot them, but what I find isn’t what I was expecting.
Elise, still in her wolf form, claws at the bars of a cage that holds both Alexander and Denali, while Alexander laughs manically.
“Did you really think you would be able to kill me?” He says, tightening his hold on Denali. “Stand down, Elise!”
Letting out a snarl of rage, Elise begins to shift back into her human form, and once she finishes, she grabs at the bars and starts to pull. However, the bars don’t move, which just adds to Alexander's excitement.
“You need these,” he cackles, lifting the keys and swinging them around on his finger. “Now stop acting like a spoiled child.”
“Spoiled child?” Elise repeats, her rage evident in her voice. “That’s you! You’re trying to play king when you’re nothing! Do you really think that you’d be anywhere without me?”
As much as I want to continue watching this lover's quarrel, my concern was Denali, whose face was turning red with each passing minute.
Howling in rage, I move, knocking Elise to the side and then wrapping my muzzle around the bars of Denali’s cage. Using all my strength, I begin to pull until I hear the metal groaning, and when it starts to budge, a hiss of pain reaches me.
Stopping what I’m doing, I snap my eyes at Alexander and Denali to find that Alexander has a claw pressed against Denali’s throat.
“Continue what you’re doing, and I’ll kill her!” He warns, pressing his claw against her skin enough to draw blood. “You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
I didn’t, but I would be damned if I let any of this shit continue. I had a lot to atone for, and killing Alexander and then Elise would be my first act.
Letting out a snarl, I keep my gaze fixed on Denali’s until I feel our connection.
‘Don’t worry about me,’ she murmurs, her voice full of confidence.
‘Not worry?’ I repeat in confusion. ‘How can I not?’
Instead of responding, she closes her eyes, and I can feel it. A powerful energy that even makes me want to move away from it, but what was this? I was certain that she didn’t have any type of ability, so why did she suddenly have this?
As these thoughts begin to erupt from me, the energy explodes, sending Alexander crashing to the side while Denali collapses on the ground.
Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I go back to pulling the bars, and to my surprise, Elise, once again in her wolf form, comes to join. Together, we manage to get the cell open just as Alexander collects himself.
‘Oh no, you don’t!’ I hiss, preparing to move, but stop as Elise attacks, jumping on top of him and biting down hard on his shoulder.
Realizing that she had things under control, I turn my attention back to Denali, who remains unmoving on the ground. In an instant, I realize that something is wrong and quickly shift back into my human form so that I can gather her into my arms.
Eyes widening, I try to make sense of all the blood that is covering her body until my eyes come to rest on her neck, which is slit.
“No!” I hiss, ripping the sleeve of her shirt and pressing it against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. “Hang in there,” I continue, beginning to lift her into my arms until the sound of a throat clearing reaches me.
Turning my gaze in the direction it came from, I find a woman with hazy eyes pressed against the bars that separate her cell from Denali’s.
“I can help her,” she whispers, reaching out a hand. “Please, before it’s too late.”
“How?” I demand.
I didn’t know who this woman was, and I had no reason to trust her, but with each passing minute, Denali was fading more and more.
“Please,” she pushes. “I’m not your enemy.”
“Enemy or not, I don’t know you and don’t know where your loyalties lie.”
“I’m in the same place as Denali,” she points out. “Doesn’t that say enough?"
“Maybe to some, but when it came to conditions like this, if these prisoners were given the chance to take out another in order to escape, they would happily do it." I counter.
“Denali and I are friends,” she pushes when I don’t move. “She promised me she would help free everyone here, and in order to go through with her promise, she must live.”
I remain in place, debating whether or not I should trust the woman, and when I feel Denali’s body go completely limp, I move.
“If you do so much as to hurt her, I’ll personally kill you,” I warn, positioning Denali so she is in reach of the woman. “Got it?”
“Yes,” the woman nods, placing a hand against Denali’s skin. “I understand, but I’ve already said it; I’m not the enemy.”