Bound to Kill

Darius

The sound of battle begins to dwindle. Most of Lakesides’ wolves are already dead. I take down two more in quick succession, but as I move on to the next, a blast of magic strikes me, entrapping me in a containment spell. It forces me to shift to two legs. Any attempt to bring my wolf back causes my skin to prickle and sting as though thousands of fire ants are biting me. Little rays of light emit from my body like an aura.

Searching for the attacker, I scan my surroundings and find Paul emerging from the treeline. Also engulfed in a spell, light surrounds his body like a magical blanket. One that conceals him from my packmates, who run past as though he’s a mere figment of my imagination. The scumbag laughs when I figure out the spell enveloping me also conceals me from my wolves.

I try to mind-link Hunter and then Lexi, but our connection is severed or muted. Fuck! How did he get such powerful spells?

“Hello, old friend. Let’s go somewhere we can have a chat.”

Paul throws a glass vial that makes my body break into a thousand pieces. The pain is indescribable. A kick to the balls has nothing on this. I think I’m screaming, but there’s no sound. My body reconstructs seconds later, transported to a dark, four-by-four bricked cell that smells like urine. The sudden surge of movement sends me off kilter. Black dots float across my vision and the cell tilts. I bend over, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to find my centre of gravity.

There’s a clang; I hiss as the silver manacles now restraining my wrists to the wall make my flesh sizzle. My eyes open to find Paul grinning maliciously.

I sneer. “Two decades of friendship. And you resort to using magic against me. Have you lost your goddamn mind?”

“Perhaps. But I suppose I have you to thank for that.” He circles me. “For exiling me from Shadow Creek. For killing the love of my life!”

“I didn’t touch Kayleigh, and you know it!” I growl.

“LIAR!” A crazed look takes over his features.

Anger and disbelief twist my insides. He’s cracked. He’s a stone’s throw from going feral.

Paul smooths out his clothes, then runs his fingers through his blonde locks. A pleasant smile forms on his face like I can’t see the crazy underneath. “I have some free time on my hands. I’ll spend that time torturing the truth out of you.”

He hits me with another spell that makes my skin crack. Every inch of my body splits open as if my veins have broken the surface. Slits that are deeper than a paper cut but not so deep I’ll bleed out fast create a marble effect on my skin. I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to cry out. The sadistic bastard would enjoy it too much.

My heart races. I’m not healing; the twisted magic renders me as helpless as a human. Beams of red hot lava shoot down the right side of my face as my old friend’s fist smashes into my jaw, cracking my skin further. Blood seeps out, trickling down my cheek and dripping on the stone floor. I spit out the blood accumulating in my mouth.

Paul snarls at me, hatred in his eyes. “Tell the truth!”

I try to appeal to any shred of sanity left in him, to the person I grew up with. “You know me. I would never hurt her. I loved her. Stop this madness. The vile magic you use is warping your mind.”

An oof escapes me as he lands another crack in my jaw, followed by a deep growl filled with ill intent. I’m going to kill him slowly. “Why don’t you untie me? Fight me like a man? Like a wolf.” I smirk at him. “I never realised you were such a pussy.”

He punches me in the gut, making me lose my breath and splitting my skin further. Suppressing a groan, I force out a laugh. “Is this how you beat the real Lakeside Alpha? With cheap magic tricks?”

Paul loses it, punching me in the face repeatedly. I count seven hits before the sweet darkness claims me.

Alexa

Mum? There’s a pang in my heart as the scent of wild berries brings back visions of my childhood before my abduction: Mum chasing me around the garden, tickling me, baking, reading me bedtime stories and cheering me on as Alpha Blake, my dad, trained me to be his little warrior princess. He may have been the man in charge, but I had him wrapped around my tiny finger.

The wolf who sunk his fangs into my leg shakes ferociously, dislocating my knee. Pain floods my system, knocking me out of my shocked state. I howl as he drags me deeper into the narrow tunnel. I snap my fangs at him, but my injury hinders my reach. The guard’s claws tear through my underbelly in retaliation. Another howl rips from me as scorching streaks of heat dart along the length of my stomach.

Finally satisfied with my suffering, the guard goes for my jugular. I snap at him again, but before my fangs make contact, the remaining guard tears out his throat. She shifts. It’s her. Mum.

Needing to talk to her, I shift, screaming when the change affects my dislocated joint.

“Lexi, is it really you?” she sobs, tears welling in her eyes.

“It’s me.” My eyes trail over every inch of her face in wonder.

My mum rubs my back with one hand, uttering soothing words, then strikes lightning fast. There’s a snap as my bones realign. I hiss through the pain but can feel my body slowly beginning to heal. “Thanks!”

“Just look at you.” Her hands cup my face. “You’re so beautiful. I can’t believe you’re finally home.” Mum’s voice breaks on the last word.

Home? I swallow past the lump in my throat. She runs a few paces up the tunnel and disappears briefly, then returns wearing an oversized hoodie, handing me one just like it. I slip it on, wincing as the movement makes my abdomen throb.

“We should get you out of here before the guards change shifts. Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

Mum helps me stand, supporting my weight as I limp along the tunnel towards the metal door separating me from Darius. “Honey, we don’t have time to save your Alpha. He’s a monster, anyway,” she growls. “He killed Paul’s fiancée.”

Anger courses through me. Paul’s been spewing wicked lies. “Mum, that’s not true. Darius is a good man, and he is my mate.” She gasps. I don’t bother to tell her about our fucked up situation. “Kayleigh was his fiancée, not Paul’s. Darius didn’t kill her. She might even still be alive.”

We stop as my mum stares at me, her mouth opening and closing several times before she finds words. “But Paul saw it. That’s why he got exiled from Shadow Creek, then challenged and killed your father.” She spits the cruel words out like venom.

“Wait. What?” Now it’s my turn to gape like a fish out of water. It takes several beats to truly sink in. My heart breaks. Those memories that came back to me earlier reminded me of how loved and cherished I’d been. My parents adored me. For a brief moment, I thought we would all be reunited. But I’ll never see my dad again. The truth knocks the wind from me.

She wraps her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Alexa. I didn’t mean for you to find out like that. Your dad lost the Alpha challenge two years ago.”

I speak through gritted teeth, “Then why are you still here? Why do you follow Dad’s killer?” I can’t help but feel angry at her. It’s a betrayal.

Mum releases me from her embrace, dropping her gaze to the ground. “I thought of leaving so many times,” she confesses meekly. “But I hoped you’d come back to me one day. And here you are.”

While she smiles, all I see is red. “I’m going to end Paul!”

Terror screws Mum’s features. “Lexi, you can’t! He’s too powerful. He uses magic.”

Her fear won’t stop me, but there’s no point worrying her. I drop it for now. “Are you gonna help me rescue Darius?”

At her nod, the tension in my body diminishes. I watch as she grabs keys from the pocket of the first guard I killed and unlocks Darius’ cell. He lies unconscious in the middle of a grimy, disgusting floor, battered and bruised beyond recognition. I smell the vile spell surrounding him, keeping him weak, preventing him from shifting or accessing our bond, and stopping him from healing.

My entire body trembles. “Who did this?”

“Paul is the only one who’s been in here.” There’s a glint of sadness in her eyes.

Rather than challenge Darius in a fair fight, he uses magic. Fucking coward. ”Paul will suffer a slow and painful death by my hand!” I limp toward the Alpha. “How do we break the spell?”

Mum hurries to unlock his restraints. “We just have to remove him from the containment circle.” Once released, she drags him from the cell to the slightly less disgusting tunnel.

The light surrounding him vanishes, and Mum wanders off to get another hoodie. After a minute, he groans and opens an eye. Our bond flares back to life, bringing the biggest smile to my face. “Hey, you. You look like shit!” He laughs but then coughs up blood. Jesus.

Darius reaches out to gently stroke his thumb across my cheek. “I can’t believe you came for me,” he admits, awe clear on his face.

“Yeah, well... my wolf’s a pain in my ass and wouldn’t give me any peace.”

He barks out a laugh as I repeat his words back to him before doubling over in pain. The slightest movement causes the cuts all over his body to widen. I’m going to revive Paul after killing him just to enjoy seeing him die twice.

“Can you shift? We need to get you to a healer. Call in reinforcements.”

“The pack is already here, keeping Lakeside busy for us.” He winks at me but then goes deadly still as he senses my mum returning from the handy dungeon sweater depot. An aggressive growl leaves his lips.

Shit! “Darius, it’s okay. Meet my Mum.” They exchange uneasy looks. “Now shift to accelerate your healing.”

“Yes, boss,” he replies with amusement before shifting into his white wolf. I stay human to communicate with Mum.

“Lakeside wolves are out front fighting your pack. The mansion should be clear.” I don’t correct her by saying it’s not my pack. “But you two are in no state to fight. You must heal. If Paul sees you, he’ll resort to spells.”

She leads us back the way I came and up a spiral staircase into the mansion. Mum checks the coast is clear before leading us out the back door. “Head west for ten miles. Call your pack to retreat when you’re safely out of our territory.”

“Come with us, Mum.” The thought of parting so soon feels wrong.

“No, sweetie. I can’t. Not yet. I need to warn the others about Paul. I’ll be your eyes and ears. Here’s my number.” She hands me a business card with her cell scribbled on the back. “Text me as soon as you are safe. Now go before someone comes.”

She kisses me on the head and then heads toward the battle. For a second, I worry Paul will realise she helped us, but she’s smart. It’s hard to turn my back, having only found her after all these years, but I have to get the Alpha to safety. I shift, and we half run, half hobble out of this godforsaken place where I was abducted, my father murdered, and my mate tortured.

Mum was wrong; this will never be my home.