Chapter 27


    $Chapter


    I paced from my cot to as far as the chain would let me go and back again. The cast on my forearm


    was heavy. It surprised me they even bothered to bring in Doctor Samson to look at me. That was


    awhile gone, but that while could''ve been a day or a week. The only window down here had been


    blocked off with cardboard and duct tape, so I had no idea if it was day or night. I hated it, and I hated


    not knowing anything. Was Ryder okay or Kara? Did she even know what happened to Andy?


    I heard the door creak open, and I sat back down on the cot. The soft steps then a momentter I saw


    Mike''s mom''s baby blue ts. When she''d firste down here, I tried to plead with her to let me go. I


    told her Ryder''s Dad would take her and her family in, but she only told me to shut up. Soon after Mike


    can down and hit me a few times, warning me never to upset his Mom again.


    I gave her a narrow-eyed re and a scowl. I saw a sh of guilt before she hid it behind her own


    scowl and a te of food on the floor. Mike''s Mom ced it so far away from me, I didn''t think the chain


    would reach. I continued to give her my best death re. This was her fault. She had the power to stop


    this, stop all of it, not only for me but for her children too. Mike at least got a few bruises, so I had no


    doubts Beth got some too.


    Yet, their mom didn''t care. She just walked around here as if everything was okay and awesome. She


    refused to see anything beyond that. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts she stared down at me


    and said, "Loyalty is nothing you humans understand."


    "So loyalty is letting toxic people beat the crap out of you? Yeah, if that''s loyalty I''ll stay ignorant."


    With a ''hmph'' she turned and returned up the stairs, mming the door. I waited with bated breath for


    Mike toe down and hit me for upsetting his stupid Mom. After a long silent moment and no sign of


    Mike, I rxed and began pacing again. No way I would eat anything they gave me. I wouldn''t put it


    past the alpha to poison me just to make sure his twisted little n worked.


    However, the smell of the food tempted me and my stomach cramped up as it rumbled. I looked back


    at the te, my mouth watering instantly. With a scowl, I walked over to the te. As I expected I really


    had to reach to get it. Once I picked it up, I threw it at the stairs. Satisfaction filling me when the te


    shattered and food sttered everywhere. I gave the mess my own ''hmph'' and resumed my pacing


    until the weight of the cuff began to chafe my ankle.


    I sat on the cot, giving the padlock a hearty tug. I would never be able to break it, obviously, but tugging


    on it made me feel like I was doing something. I sighed and leaned against the wall, staring up at the


    ceiling. It seemed like an eternity passed when I heard the door open again. With a deep breath, I


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    prepared to pay for breaking the te and making a mess.


    "What the hell?" Mike said as he came downstairs then shot me a re. He navigated through the


    sttered food and walked right over to me. I shielded myself with my arms, but I remained slumped


    over from when he pped me across the head. He pulled me upright. "Mom worked hard on that."


    Like I care? I didn''t say it though, being hit once was enough. Mike forced me to sit up. To my surprise


    and dread, he unlocked the cuff around my ankle and pulled me to my feet. "Showtime, Missy," he said,


    grabbing my wrist and leading me upstairs. As soon as I was in the kitchen I had to shield my eyes, the


    light too bright.


    "There''s our little hostage," Mike''s dad said and with a violent jerk, grabbed my bicep and pulled me


    towards him. He dragged me out of the house, unwilling to let me get my footing after I tripped. My


    heart pounded in my chest as he shoved me back inside the van Mike had shoved me in the first time. I


    swallowed as I sat, trying not to flinch as the alpha sat next to me. Mike sat across from me, his


    expression unreadable - not that I wanted too. The alpha hit the side of the van. "Let''s go."


    I had no idea where we went, but the drive wasn''t long. When the alpha dragged me out of the van, we


    were standing in a small field on the edge of a cliff that fell off into a small rocky beach and then the


    ocean. The closeness of the edge made me nervous, Ryan could just toss me off if he so decided. The


    sound of another set of cars tore my eyes off the cliff edge to tworge ck SUVs pulling up next to


    the alpha''s.


    My breath caught as I saw Ryder''s dad get out, along with several of his men. They walked towards us


    until they were about from us. "Oh, what''s this? Ryder didn''te to negotiate for his mate?" The


    alpha said with a sneer. He looked down at me, the smirk grew. "Perhaps I overestimated his affections


    for you."


    Ryder''s dad cleared his throat, adjusting his suit. "My son is...indisposed at the moment," he said then


    his eyes met mine. "But he would''ve been here if possible."


    My throat tightened with dread as Alpha Ryan began tough a cruel, coldugh. "Or maybe he doesn''t


    want a mate my son''s been with first?"


    Anger reced my dread. This was Alpha Ryan''s n. I opened my mouth to tell Alpha Brent, nothing


    happened, but sucked in a pained breath as Mike''s dad squeezed my arm so hard I thought he might


    crush it.


    Ryder''s dad''s expression darkened and his eyes started to do that icy glow thing I''d seen Ryder''s do.


    "Enough, you asked me here to negotiate. Let''s negotiate."


    Alpha Ryan loosened his grip on my arm. "Of course, You want the human, and you already know what


    I want, Brent."


    "I can''t just hand over the pack to you, Ryan. Be reasonable for once in your damn life."


    Mike''s dad grinned. "So if you won''t give me the pack, what exactly is it you''re willing to give me?"


    " An exchange - me for Brook."


    My heart stopped at those words then pounded in my chest like some drummer gone wild. Mike said


    this would happen. He said it would be the start of everything, leaving the people I cared about dead.


    "Alpha Brent," I said. Mike''s dad''s grip on my arm tightened. Ryder''s dad looked at me. There was a


    resolved sadness in his eyes as he offered me a small smile. He knew the alpha would kill him, but I


    doubted Ryder''s dad was aware that he was endangering his family.


    I couldn''t let it happen. I had to do something. I cleared my throat. "Alpha Brent, I''m sorry. I''m sorry


    about leaving, about Andy, about everything."


    "You did nothing wrong, Brook. None of this is your fault."


    "How touching," Alpha Ryan sneered. "I ag-" he started to say, but I cut him off.


    He red at me with angry irritation, but I didn''t care. I focused only on Ryder''s Dad. "Tell Ryder that


    I''m sorry too. I''m sorry, but I can''t let you do this, and I had to stop it."


    "What are you talking about, stupid human," Mike''s dad snapped, but Alpha Brent''s eyes shot wide.


    "Brook, no," he shouted, but it was toote.


    I tackled Mike''s dad. With the element of surprise, I managed to knock off his bnce, and as I kept


    shoving him farther back until he stepped off the edge. Alpha Ryan''s growled at me, his grip on my arm


    tightened as he teetered. "I go, you go, human," he said, softly. His voice was full of malice.


    "That''s the n," I replied and with onest push, sent us both off the cliff edge.


    The world tilted, and I lost perspective of up and down within seconds. Only sharp bursts of pain


    recorded our descent to the rocks. Hitting the ground was the worst painful burst of them all. Blood


    filled and bubbled out of my mouth. Every nerve in my body screamed in agony. I managed to lift my


    head a little to see Iid on top of Alpha Ryan. The remains of his head were the most grotesque thing


    I''d ever seen.


    Mike''s dad was dead, and as I realized I didn''t feel the ocean crashing against us, I would die soon too.


    I let my head slump down against some part of Alpha Ryan. My vision blurred with tears. My life didn''t


    sh before my eyes like they say it does, but I did think of my family and friends. Mostly, I thought of


    Ryder. I regretted not telling him I really did like him and his brand of craziness.


    He''d never know I had stopped thinking of when would I be able to run away to California and how I


    might be able to live here with him. To him, I will always be the one trying to run away. That was the


    worst part of it all. As my vision darkened I pictured Ryder''s face. I was lucky he ever thought I was


    worthy of being with him.


    It was getting harder to breathe and fear trickled through me. Was this what it was like for Dad when he


    died? Would he be waiting for me? Everything was dark now, and my thoughts were sluggish. I didn''t


    want to die! I tried to fight the numbness as a strange buzzing filled my ears. A spark of hot, burning


    pain tore through me, and if I could''ve screamed, I would have. Yet as a flicker of hope shot through


    me, the numbness returned, devouring it and my willpower and I was powerless to resist it. Goodbye


    Ryder...