Broken Fate

JUDE

The sight of my mate shaking and obviously tormented alone on the cold, hard ground has me grinding my teeth and losing my resolve to not risk everything to destroy every one of them. I have to remind myself over and over again that I’ll be back. I’ll come back with Devin and the rest of the pack and tear them apart. I’ll have Shadow’s death once my mate is safe. Every breath he takes is on borrowed time. Another harsh sob shakes her small body, and she grips her belly with both hands as she silently rocks herself. My poor mate.

How could this have happened? My wolf cries in agony inside of me. I’ve never felt such pain, such a pull to save someone, the need to hold her and heal every pain she’s ever had. And yet I have to resist and have to be tactical. I cannot give in to the emotion that overwhelms my very being.

I need to be strong enough to save her, and I pray it’s not too late.

With adrenaline rushing into my veins, I take in my surroundings. It didn’t take much at all for me to sneak in here. Her hut isn’t protected in the least. Like her, it’s been abandoned. The anger that sweeps through me forces my knuckles to turn white as I clench my fists. It’s fucking freezing so far away from the fire and on the outskirts of the camp. The rest of the pack are tucked away in their own huts, better built and closer to the fire. I have to shut down the desire to slip into each shelter and cut their throats in their sleep. Shadow needs to suffer far more than going peacefully in his sleep. That one thought tempers my anger enough to think clearly and see through the red. This entire pack will suffer for what they’ve done.

With every step, I’m more and more cautious. I need to get her out of here as quietly and quickly as possible. I’m not sure how to approach her in a way that won’t have her screaming. I haven’t a clue if she’ll fight me or if she can sense me. Inside, my wolf howls again, but there’s no response from her. Swallowing thickly, I refuse to think of what that could mean for us. All I know is that the first thing I must do is save her.

The only question is, how?

I can’t risk waking the pack. I can’t alert them and compromise my mate’s safety. She’s on edge as it is, doing her best to hold on to any kind of composure. It’s torture to watch. Does this happen often? ~How many nights has she fallen asleep this way?~ Alone. Cold. In complete despair.

As the moon dips lower and the darkness is just right, I settle on covering her mouth until she’s calm enough to agree to be quiet. Guilt weighs heavily on me, to force her silence by holding her down. With another careful step forward, I hope she feels the pull instantly so she knows I’m her rightful mate. My heart drops with the very real possibility that she won’t. Shadow’s mark has his essence running through her. I don’t know how it will affect our bond. I have to close my eyes to repress the growing snarl in my chest. He’ll pay for what he’s done.

I breathe deep, calming myself slightly before I walk quietly to my mate. Her shoulders are steady, and her breath has evened somewhat. Her hand continues to gently rub small circles over her belly. I stare at her swollen abdomen, where his child grows, just watching her movements.

His baby.

The thought makes my nostrils flare with rage, but again I calm myself. She shouldn’t have to deal with my anger. It’s not for her; it’s only for him.

For a moment, as she seems to settle and allow sleep to take her, I consider the alternative I’d previously discarded. I thought about leaving her for only a short while to gather the rest of my pack. It would be safer if Devin and the Betas were here to help me. I’d be able to securely get her out of harm’s way before destroying this pathetic pack.

But I couldn’t bring myself to leave her. I can’t stand the fact that she could be hurt if I left her here, even for a few hours. I wouldn’t get back until the morning and anything could happen between now and then. I need to get her out of here now. Right fucking now.

Determined it’s now or never, I crouch low on the ground behind her. The sound of my jeans moving is barely audible, but it’s enough that she stirs slightly. I pause and hold my breath, afraid that any movement or noise is going to wake her. I can’t ruin this. I can’t have her scream and alert the others. There’re far too many in Shadow’s pack for me to take on alone. If this goes wrong, both my mate and I will most likely die, and it’ll be entirely my fault for rushing this. The weight of my decision pushes against my chest and anxiety floods through me.

I remind myself again it’s now or never. With my resolve firm, I quickly lean over, cover her mouth, and wrap my hard, muscular arms around her upper body to limit her struggle and try to calm her by shushing into her ear. She immediately tries to scream, but my hand muffles her cries.

Fuck! Heat engulfs me as she struggles against me, and I have to keep her still without hurting her. Her strangled cry was loud enough that my wolf goes on high alert. His hackles raise. Her body lifts off the floor and bucks against me with a force I wasn’t expecting.

My mate still has fight in her. Even with my hand over her mouth, she tries again to scream, and she pushes against me with all her weight. I lay heavily against her, but my eyes are firmly focused on her belly. I can’t put my full weight on her or push against her with the force needed to keep her still. The sounds of her struggling against me and trying to scream are resonating through the small hut, and if any of the shifters are awake, I’m certain they’ll hear her.

My heart rampages as I shush her.

“Shh!” I push my bicep against her chest and firmly grab her small throat in my hand while whispering into her ear, “Quiet.” I don’t want my hold on her to be threatening, but I know it is. At my voice, she goes still and stops fighting my hold on her. With every hard thump, I can feel her heart race and her body heat with worry. My wolf whines in my chest, wanting to ensure his mate is all right. There’s no response from her or her wolf though. Only silence.

After a long moment, with her still and her eyes wide open, I slowly release my grip on her throat, and the move allows her body to relax slightly into mine. I fucking love it. I love the feel of her body against mine.

For a moment I think our bond must be calming her, hope blooms and I dare to feel relief. I loosen my hand on her mouth and the second I do, my mate, my feisty little mate, bites down on my middle finger without any restraint. Fuck! I struggle to contain the scream climbing up my throat. Her teeth sink in deeper and deeper, breaking through the skin. The rest of her body remains still with the exception of her eyes narrowing in the dark.

I twist my body slightly and curl my toes in an effort to mute my pain. My other hand grips her hip before loosening and stroking gently down her side, fighting the instinct to pry her mouth open. Through gritted teeth, I command her as quietly as possible with only the hint of my pain showing, “Let go.” I speak in monosyllables because that’s all I can manage. “You’re safe.” Her body stiffens and there’s a slight change in her demeanor. Her mouth hesitantly opens, and I yank my finger away. Trace amounts of my blood lingering on her pale lips are barely visible in the faint moonlight. Even with my eyes adjusted to the dark, I can only make out faint details of my mate.

My mate. A mate who can’t feel the pull I do. A mate who has no idea I’ve come to save her. As the seconds pass and she eyes me warily, it’s all too obvious. She doesn’t recognize me as her mate. I slowly move away from her, but she remains still, and I know it’s because she doesn’t trust me. She’s waiting for my next move.

I hover over her body so she can see me, and I offer her my hand—not the one she fucking bit. “I’m going to get you out of here,” I attempt to reassure her. “Take my hand.” At first, she merely glances at my hand and then glances at the opening to the hut. I almost beg her, the plea is on my lips, but then she moves.

She places her small palm in mine but doesn’t grip my hand at all. Her hesitation makes my wolf howl in agony. “Come,” I give the simple low command and pull her closer to the entry, but she doesn’t budge. Her feet stay planted on the dirt and her other hand holds the tattered blanket closer to her, shielding herself from me. I glance behind me when another firm tug from my hand doesn’t get her moving. Her eyes are wide and full of fear as she starts frantically shaking her head.

A low growl forms in my throat. She has to come with me. She ~better~ come with me. She’s ~my~ mate. Not his! My gut churns in pain. There’s no way she could possibly want to stay, not with the way they treat her. As I devised escape plans while waiting on the pack to sleep, I didn’t envision her resistance to leave. At least not after she realized I wasn’t a threat. I swallow the lump in my throat and move to fully face her. I part my lips in a last-ditch effort to convince her before I forcibly remove her from this shithole.

Before I can speak, she barely whispers, “My niece and nephew, Addison and Reece.” I stare blankly at her, waiting for more. “I can’t leave without them.” Her wide eyes plead with me as they turn glassy with tears.

Then realization dawns on me. The pups. I nod in understanding. “Be quiet.” I stop just before leaving the hut, before I become visible, and I hesitate, thinking maybe I should leave her here while I grab the children. Just in case someone wakes. But if something happens, I need her by my side. I need to make sure she’s protected. Uneasiness rips through me.

I don’t fucking like this. It’s too dangerous. There’s too much at risk. I grasp her hand tighter and pull her closer before taking the nape of her neck in my other hand and lowering my face to hers. “Stay close.” Her beautiful hazel eyes search mine for a short moment before she nods. Our lips are so close; I desperately want to kiss her. Does she feel it now?

I want nothing more than to take her as my own. She pulls away from me before I even have a chance. My heart clenches as she stares back at me with concern and uncertainty. There aren’t any signs that she feels the pull to me, and that fucking kills both me and my wolf.

I have to remind myself that fate can be a cruel bitch, but she always has her reasons.

She brushes her arm against my back as I push my body in front of hers at the entry to the hut. It faces the rest of camp, so we would easily be seen if anyone wakes and glances outside. The night will cloak us far better in the woods. I grip her small hand in mine, not willing to let go. My jaw ticks as I slowly walk into the dark night, keeping her behind me. With every step closer into camp, rather than away, my heart pounds. I stalk slowly toward the edge of camp near the trees. My car’s parked nearly a mile away, through the forest. It’s going to be hard enough getting her through the trees without making too much noise, let alone her and two pups. I peer back, debating on stealing her away, but when her eyes catch mine, I know she will never leave them.

I’m certain I saw the pups go into a hut on the other side of this shitty campsite. They went in with a large wolf, so I know they won’t be alone. I start to weigh the risk in my head and then curse myself for even considering not taking them.

Once we get to the edge of the forest line, I pause and turn, quickly lifting my mate in my arms. She stills at my touch but allows me to carry her with her arms wrapped around my neck to steady herself. Her fear is evident in her darting eyes and short breaths. I do my best not to jostle her. I don’t want to cause her or her pup any pain. Jealousy and anger creep up at the thought of her carrying Shadow’s child, but I push it down.

I take a few steady steps away from camp into the dark cover of the forest, but she pushes away from my body, almost causing me to drop her. Her small noises are enough that she could potentially alert the pack. I grip her tighter and let a small, low growl escape my throat in anger at her efforts to leave me.

She stares straight into my angered gaze and speaks in a firm, yet low, voice. “I won’t leave them.” Her bravery is admirable, but I wish she’d just trust me.

“You will stay where I leave you and I will get them.” There is no compromise in my demand. I’m not taking her back there. No fucking way.

“They won’t go with you. They’ll scream.” Although her voice is soft and full of apprehension, her expression is one of determination. As the precious seconds slip by, I consider her words and I have to admit that she’s right. I’ll have to handle them as I did her. But there are two of them and a wolf that could easily wake if they scream before I cover their mouths.

Once again, I’m reminded of how dangerous this task is.

Knowing all too well the consequences of failing, I move quickly, holding her tight to me as I walk through the forest, staying out of sight, gaining ground toward the pups. I carefully step through the brush with slow, deliberate steps. The branches bend under my weight, and I shift slightly to avoid breaking them. There’s nothing I can do about the dried leaves and debris, though. I move as slowly as possible, hoping the sounds of the night cover the low crunching beneath my feet. It takes far too long for my comfort, but there isn’t any movement in the camp, so I try to ignore the time ticking by. I can do this slowly—the night is long.

My heart pumps louder, racing in my ears, as we near their hut. If only I could simply turn around and take my mate away from here with a clear conscience, I would. But I can’t leave the pups, and it’s obvious that she’ll fight me if I even think about trying. At least their hut is closest to the trees—that’s the only gift I’ve been granted in this shitty situation. We’ll grab them quickly and quietly before heading into the forest and straight for my car. The pack will lose our tracks there, and we’ll be safe. Although I’ll be returning to give Shadow what he truly deserves.

I walk with her in my arms, and her tiny fist clutches my shirt as we move into the clearing, away from our cover and closer to danger. I gently set her down, but keep her body pinned to mine. Her swollen belly hits my chest as I stand, and again I’m reminded of the fact that she’s carrying Shadow’s child. Her bare feet gain purchase in the grass, but I keep my hands firm on her wide hips. My blunt fingernails dig into her skin; I just can’t let go. A bad feeling grows in my gut, and I feel as if I stop holding her, even for just a moment, I’ll never be able to hold her again.

My blood rushes cold through my veins, chilling every inch of my body. Terror grips me; I don’t want to let her go. She looks up through her thick lashes, and her gaze pierces into me. Her hazel eyes are mesmerizing as they plead with me to give her this. It calms my wolf like I’ve never felt. She already holds a power over me that I can’t explain. I know she needs this. She needs them.

I grit my teeth and slowly release my firm grip. I’m not sure how I should stand as we move from the safety of the trees. The closer we get to the pups, every angle will present a danger to her. I can’t stand the thought that I won’t be able to shield her from harm’s way.

I decide to enter the hut first; if that fucker’s awake I’ll rip his throat out without hesitation. I won’t give him the chance to scream. I hate that I’m risking the safety of my mate. With one step in, I leave my arm out with my hand firmly clamped on hers. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust now that I no longer have the light of the moon to lead my way. I settle my eyes on a large form in the center of the hut. The prick is sleeping on his stomach, his shoulders rising slowly and steadily. I wait a minute to make sure he’s really asleep before searching the remainder of the small area. I recognize the fucker to be the one who grabbed my mate by her hair, and I resist the urge to just slit his throat. The only thing keeping me from doing it is the fact that the pups are in the room. They don’t deserve to see that.

My nose scrunches as I take in the smell of whiskey and urine. Sure enough, empty glass bottles litter the floor. I make a note to be cautious while making my way to the pups. Behind the man are two small bodies, both curled and wrapped around each other, obviously cold. My gaze heats with anger as I notice the only blanket in the room is covering the man who’s sleeping soundly. I’m nearly overwhelmed with the need to rip it from his body and wake the bastard just to beat the shit out of him. I close my eyes for only a moment, putting my emotions in check.

Waving my head ever so slightly, I motion for my mate to enter. She moves with quiet, deliberate steps. The sight of the man doesn’t cause her to stop; she moves past him with agility, even though the weight of her belly seems to make her body tilt forward with each step. Her legs are shaky and her balance is slightly off. It makes me want to reach out to her and help her, but there’s no fucking way I’m taking my eyes off this massive shifter who’s only a foot away from my mate. I’m focused on him while she’s focused on getting the pups.

I glance quickly at my stealthy mate. She’s squatting next to the pups’ sleeping forms and gently places her soft hand on the little girl. The pup shifts in her sleep, and the sound of her slight movements makes my eyes dart back to the fucker I should probably just kill. With bated breath, I watch my mate stroke the backs of each of the children, trying to wake them gently.

They’re so small, I wonder how old they are. They can’t be much older than a year or two; their movements earlier were so clumsy. In my old pack, before Devin, there were plenty of little ones, but I hardly paid them any attention. The women cared for them. My father had three pups, all boys. I was the oldest, my twin brothers were only a year younger than me. So I’ve never bothered myself with small children, I’ve never had to. But here I am in a room about to rescue two children, with a mate who’s pregnant.

Fuck, life can really throw you a curveball.

The little girl’s eyes open slowly as she turns to lay on her back and look up at my mate. She’s a bit bigger than the boy, so I imagine she’s older. A small smile slips into place, but as my mate places her finger over her lips and releases a small, “shh,” the little girl’s eyes dart to her father and then to me. Her eyes widen, and she pales instantly. It’s a look of fear. My mate places her small hand on the girl’s cheek and tilts her head to face her. She mouths the words “it’s okay.” Fortunately, the girl is easily swayed by my mate, and I let out a heavy breath. My mate motions for the little girl to stand and hold onto her, and she obliges, looking back at the other pup and giving my mate a questioning and worried look. She nods her head before handing the little girl to me.

I’ve never held a child, but I reach across the shifter’s sleeping body and take the little girl in my arms. My mate doesn’t waste any time reaching for the next pup. The little girl eyes me warily and I do my best to avoid her gaze, focusing instead on my mate. She gently picks up the sleeping little boy and tries to turn, but her balance is fucking awful and she nearly falls. She’s quick to steady herself, but the sudden jolt to the little boy wakes him. As the child looks up at my mate, a huge smile brightens his sleepy face, but then he opens his mouth. My mate raises the hand she’s steadying herself with to her lips, but it’s too late.

“Lulu!” The little pup’s squeal has my eyes darting to the sleeping shifter. Angry silver eyes stare back at me. Fuck! A loud growl echoes off the mud walls as I drop the little girl. Before he has a chance to rise, I grab his throat in my hand and push the strong shifter back down onto the bed. The little girl whimpers as my mate grabs both pups and runs out of the hut, an arm around each of their tiny waists, balancing them on her hips. I hear movement and rough, tired voices from the camp as my palm pushes against the shifter’s mouth to keep him quiet.

I grip his throat tighter as he thrashes under me. My knees keep his arms pinned as he struggles to gain freedom and attempts to suck in air. Every ounce of anger and fear I’ve felt for hours tightens my grip. His body bucks against mine but I keep him pinned, having the obvious advantage. Adrenaline races through me, I push down with all my might, covering his mouth to muffle the noises and crushing his windpipe. I can’t let him live. I can’t risk the pack coming after us so soon. My heart pounds with the thought of my mate and those pups, unprotected, running through the forest. I listen for the sounds of the other shifters, but the night is quiet as I continue to push all of my weight onto this asshole.

Whoever woke up from the initial noise isn’t making a sound at the moment. I pray they go back to sleep and don’t look around. The shifter’s milky eyes spike with red as his face puffs and sweats. I watch him as my knuckles around his throat turn white. Looking into his hard eyes, they slowly turn red as the blood vessels break, and I choke him to death.

The second his body goes limp, I’m off him and following the scent of my mate through the camp and to the edge of the forest. My heart races, keeping me on high alert. I can easily hear them running frantically through the trees, just as easily as I hear the sounds of the shifters slowly waking up. My mate and the pups are making too much noise. It’s only a matter of time before curiosity turns to alarm and the wolves realize what’s happening. I bolt through the forest, crushing branches and brushing my large body against the bark. It scrapes my skin, but with all the adrenaline pumping through me, I don’t feel a damn thing. Being quiet is no longer an option. I need speed. I need to get to them and get to my car as soon as possible.

They are literally running for their lives.

Through the darkness, I barely spot my mate as soon as I enter the tree line. She’s struggling to hold both pups and run. The sight of her cradling a child on each hip as she scrambles through the brush is terrifying. She wouldn’t get far on her own, I’ve already nearly caught up to her. As soon as I reach my mate, I hear the pack behind me. A loud howl is followed quickly with barks and growls of fury. Fuck, they found him.

They’re coming for us.

“This way.” I speak so my mate knows it’s me that’s coming up behind her, but she still lets out a small scream as I reach for her and grab her. As if it couldn’t get any worse, the growl of knowing snarls echoes behind us.

“Hold onto them.” I hold her as tight as I can without squishing the now crying pups or her belly. It’s a fucking challenge. The bulkiness of all of us makes running through the trees much harder than it should be. My muscles scream as I push them faster and harder than I ever have. The quickest way back to my car leads us through a section of forest where the trees are far too close together for me to fit all of us at once. I have to scatter my approach and shuffle us around the trees, ducking through branches and jumping over fallen trunks. My arm scrapes against the bark, but I push forward. Better my arm than the pups. My lungs heave for air, but I push forward. I recognize the path I took earlier and feel slight relief that we’re close.

That reprieve doesn’t last as I hear the sound of several shifters barreling toward us through the forest. They must be in wolf form to be running so fast. Fuck, I wish I could hold onto my mate and the pups in wolf form. We would already be there. But we’re close. The pup on my mate’s left hip screams, no doubt realizing that we’re being chased. I push faster as a cold sweat breaks along my skin and my muscles ache.

Just as I see my car in the clearing ahead, a pup slips. I grab the little girl by the nape and keep running while struggling to keep my mate on my hip. I can’t hold onto them for much longer, but I can see the car and my mate is gripping onto me with everything she has. I nearly crash my body into the steel frame, only slowing the tiniest bit to save me from crushing my mate and the pups. I yank the passenger door open and push them in before climbing across the front of my car to get to the driver’s door. I shove the key in the ignition while the pups climb over the console and my mate furiously tries to get them in the back safely.

Their door is still open as I reverse through the small clearing and see the wolves sprinting toward us. My arm steadies my mate as I slam on the gas pedal. I fishtail the car, making the door swing open even farther and slam the pedal to the floor. My mate and the young pups scream from the sudden movement, but they hold on. The tires spin in the dirt before jolting forward, pushing our backs into the seats. My mate’s door finally closes as I swerve and I stare in the rearview mirror at the wolves sprinting into the clearing. They’re fast, but not fast enough. I don’t let up on the gas until I see the wolves halt, four in a line, howling and snarling in anger, and watching our car grow smaller as I increase the distance between us.