Chapter 28


    Aria’s POV


    Watching David, I noticed he didn’t look shocked to see me. I then realised this was his n all along. I


    realised I was his bargaining tool, his way to get Reid toply. I was Reid’s weakness. If something


    happens to me, it weakens him, and he can get Lily back.


    Too busy watching David trying to think of a way to convince him to sort this out amicably, I didn’t hear


    the person sneaking up behind me until I felt the sting of the needle as it pierced my neck. The burning


    sensation bled into my skin, burning my insides like fire consuming my body. I gripped my neck, trying


    to get the pain to lessen, trying to stop it from spreading. Turning around, I see no one behind me but


    my former Pack members and a syringe at my feet containing gold liquid concentrated wolfsbane.


    I felt my surroundings start to spin as fire consumed my veins, overtaking all my senses. I could feel


    myself burning up. I screamed in agony, trying to stop the burn. My legs copsed under me. My body


    felt heavy, I was losing to the pain. For the first time in my life, I weed the darkness, praying I


    would pass out so the pain would end.


    I could feel my body falling, my head hitting the soil, but I didn’t even feel it. All I could feel was


    wolfsbane burning through every cell in my body. I smiled when I felt everything getting darker, my


    surroundings starting to dim. Michael''s words came back to me. “This stuff will even put you on your


    arse.” He was right. If I weren’t in so much pain, I would haveughed at the fact it did exactly what he


    said it would…. I thanked the Moon Goddess as I finally slipped away into the darkness of oblivion.


    Reid’s POV


    Torn between going to fight beside my Pack and staying and protecting Aria and Lily, I reluctantly left. I


    had a Pack to protect. We raced through the winding back roads towards the city. The trees blurring


    into one at the speed we were moving. Alpha David crossed the line, and now there is no going back, I


    will finally rid the earth of that scum who dared torture my woman. Aria can’t hate me for protecting my


    Pack… our Pack. I was doing this for her, for Lily, and for us. Driving towards the border, the city came


    into view. We were only a few kilometres out. The only thing surrounding us were trees and farnd.


    Just as we hit the outskirts of the city, I felt a cold wave of a feeling I couldn’t recognise rush over my


    skin. Ryder instantly tensed and tried to lurch forward.


    “What is it?” I ask him. He pushed underneath my skin forcefully. Hair spreading across my arms, my


    ws extending tearing the leather seat.


    “Aria is getting away from us,” I heard him snarl at me in reply. No, Aria was at home where I ordered


    her to stay. She wouldn’t defy me; she wouldn’t betray my trust like this. I locked her in, the door was


    sealed, and wolf proof. The ss on the windows is even imprable. Mind-linking Wendy, I felt her


    push back, trying to ignore the link. Furious that she tried to ignore my call, I shoved back forcing her to


    ept the link. I could hear her groan as I pushed through the tether. Mitch, who was in the front seat


    driving, whimpered at me, feeling his mate''s paine through the bond. Wendy let go and stopped


    trying to shove me out, knowing it’s a battle she can’t win.


    “Where is Aria?” I demand. Wendy didn’t answer. Mitch tried to get her to answer by asking the same


    question I just did. I could see his grip tightening on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.


    Wendy whimpered from the pressure of her mate.


    “I ca…can’t,” she stuttered almost breathlessly. Aria has done this; she is the only one who is strong


    enough to bind someone against me. Her tricks don’t work on me, but the rest of the Pack is


    defenceless against hermands. But I also know she wouldn’t force that burden, that pain to go


    against an Alpha on Lily. Linking Lily, I could finally get answers.


    “Lily, where is your sister?” Lily didn’t resist, meaning Aria hadn’tmanded her to keep quiet.


    I heard Mitch let out a breath when I dropped the link to Wendy.


    “She went to speak to the Alpha, um, my dad.” Lily sounded unsure on thest word like she hadn’t


    used the word before. I growled, pissed off that she disobeyed me. I felt Lily cower through the link, she


    doesn’t understand I’m not angry at her. Cutting the link, Mitch looked at me through the rear-view


    mirror.


    “Speed up, Aria is heading to the border.” Mitch nodded before putting his foot down, overtaking


    everyone like they were standing still.


    Jumping out of the car before the car even stopped as we reached the border, Dominic, one of my


    warriors, came up to me. “They all retreated about 5 minutes ago, Boss.”


    “Where is the Alpha?”


    “Don’t know. He never showed up here. Only their warriors showed up, but they left. What do you want


    to do, Alpha?”


    “Stay alert, they have your Luna.” Dominic growled in reply. I tried to reach out to Aria but got no reply.


    Trying toe up with a n with Zane, we had no idea where the Pack house was having never


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    been there. We knew it wouldn’t be anywhere in a popted area. Most Pack houses were away from


    the human poption and near busnd so we could let our wolves out. So, it’s probably on the


    outskirts of the city. Dominic brought some maps of the city so we could search for secluded areas of


    the east side. Unfolding the maps, I sprawled them out on the car bo. The only ce big enough


    and secluded enough was the busnd along the railway tracks. It was backed onto a wildlife reserve.


    I know that is where I would build a Pack house if it was me.


    Suddenly feeling like I was being skinned alive, I fell to the ground panting. My body felt like it was


    being doused in acid. Ryder pushed forward, forcing me to shift. My clothes tearing as I took my wolf


    form.


    “Aria,” snarled Ryder. Jumping over the border, I could feel him trying to run towards her until I


    suddenly felt cold, my body going numb, my vision blurred. Pushing forward I regained control, forcing


    us to shift back. Zane was right behind me. Clutching his stomach he shakily handed me some shorts.


    “We can feel her, Alpha, make it stop.” he pleaded before copsing next to me.


    Sitting up, I look around to find all my men on the ground, shaking and writhing in agony. How is this


    possible? The bond only works on me. Ryder was pacing in the back of my mind, anxious. Reaching


    out to Aria, I feel nothing through the bond, no connection at all. Which could only mean two things: she


    has passed out or she is dead. I knew she wasn’t dead; I would feel that. The thought alone was


    painful like my soul ripping out of me, so I knew she was still alive. But the question was how she


    affected my entire Pack.


    “Lycan Blood. She is our rightful queen. They were all bonded the moment you marked her,” growled


    Ryder. My body felt weak; I shakily stood and put the blue shorts on before copsing to the ground


    again. We just had to ride it out. Once she waspletely out, the pain would end, I hoped.