Page 4 of Betrayed Mate (Rejected Fate Trilogy #1)

CHAPTER FOUR

I didn’t need an alpha connection like Dad had in order to know our pack was terrified. My heart pounded against my rib cage, and adrenaline had my wolf senses even more on edge.

Dad responded as my legs pushed me closer to our home. What happened to John?

Despite knowing he’d just woken to the kind of nightmare no alpha wanted, he sounded fully aware; the burden of the pack’s health fell heavy on his shoulders. A burden I didn’t even want to imagine.

I don’t know. He linked, saying he needed help, but then he died before he could explain. Fred paused, most likely to collect his thoughts, and it felt like hours rather than mere seconds before he continued. He wasn’t able to indicate who attacked him.

A whimper came from my side, and I turned and saw fear in Briar’s eyes through the faint glow of magic from the pack link.

My stomach knotted. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but I couldn’t make that promise. If the Grimstone pack hadn’t been able to fight off these attackers, I feared we wouldn’t be able to either. Then again, our pack had about the same amount of strength, but none of our strongest fighters would run off. We’d fight and die together.

I’m— Carol connected but never finished as her pack link cooled.

We need help. Now! Garret sounded close to hysterical.

My tongue lolled out of my mouth as I picked up my pace. Still, I couldn’t run too fast and leave my sister behind as I was certain we were being watched. Terror clutched inside my chest at the thought of her getting hurt or worse.

Where are you? Dad linked, his words slow and steady, exuding calm. However, I knew the truth. He was a bundle of nerves but was pushing through them to be the alpha everyone here deserved.

Instead of a verbal response, Garret’s pack link turned cold.

A sob choked me, but I held it back. I couldn’t lose focus. I had to protect Briar if it came to that.

What do we do? Briar panted hard next to me.

She was struggling to keep pace, and I couldn’t push her harder. But then the sound of paws from the direction of the Blackwood pack hit my ears.

Do you hear that? Briar glanced behind her toward the Blackwood territory and slowed down a smidge.

A smidge we couldn’t afford right now. Yes, I hear it, which means we need to get back to the others now. We can’t let them surround us and close in on us before we can reach the rest of the pack. We can’t risk slowing down. Were the Blackwoods attacking us? I linked with the others, informing them of my suspicions.

Briar focused forward and quickened her pace.

Good. Let adrenaline push her.

Making sure not to leave her behind, I listened to the sounds of the woods as we dashed by. There seemed to be no wildlife in the area, making my insides coil. Clearly, they’d sensed a predator, same as us.

The trees blurred as we pushed our animal forms to the fullest extent possible.

Another yelp cut off into a gurgle, and another pack member link disappeared. My heart fractured. Between losing four pack members and my future with Reid in a thirty-six-hour window, I’d had the security of my world stripped from me. All because of the fucking bond I had—er— had had—with Reid.

Dad connected with Briar and me. Girls, I need you to run to the Asher pack for help. Everyone is now in wolf form, and the attackers are closing in on us. You’re on the outskirts, so I need you two to peel off and get them.

My wolf wanted to growl, but I didn’t want to alert anyone who might not be aware of us to our location. You want us to leave when our pack needs protection?

For Fate’s sake, Ember. It’s not like that. You’re running to get help and bringing them back with you. Not running away from a made-up threat.

Fair point. Leaving went against our nature, but if Dad wanted us to ask for help, we were in worse shape than I wanted to grasp.

Of course we’ll go, Briar cut in.

Can’t we call them? I pushed, not wanting to leave my pack behind even if it was for a worthy cause. Besides, I suspected there could be ulterior motives. If we need help, then Briar and I—

Dad interjected, I can’t afford anyone to shift right now. They’re on us. Dammit, I need you to hurry. Alpha will pulsed through the bond, and my knees weakened slightly, though I continued to push forward. Go to the Ashers and get help. Bring them back so we can survive.

Fine, but I’m not happy about this.

I angled around our neighborhood, trying to account for how the Blackwoods would close in on our pack. I raced in front of Briar, the sound of her paws digging into the mulch right on my tail.

I let anger numb my agony and push me forward. It was at least ten miles to the Asher pack. My chest squeezed with consternation, but I believed in my pack. We were strong, and we should be able to face down an adversary. Dad had to know that. Otherwise, why have Briar and I run to a neighboring pack and risk looking like deserters, like Ryker and his friends?

The yelps and clamor of battle grew louder as we closed in on the houses. We’d see the neighborhood as we crossed the road that led into our community and headed through Shadowbrook and beyond to the Asher pack’s territory.

Several wolves howled a warning, adding to the unusually creepy vibe of the full moon. Normally, these were the best nights for runs, but tonight was filled with death and horror.

I wanted to respond. Packs were meant to mourn together, and all of us were heartbroken after the losses we’d suffered, and we needed to express our pain in the only way we knew how.

Briar was panting louder than I’d like, but we didn’t have the luxury of taking it easy, and I refused to leave her alone out here. At least if something did happen, we’d have each other.

The neighborhood came into view just as three more pack members’ links went out within seconds of each other. Unable to deny the pull, I glanced in their direction, and my stomach soured.

Reid’s familiar blue eyes glowed as he lunged toward Rosa, one of my female pack members. Rosa jerked back, whimpering.

Before I could see the impact, something slammed into my side, and I fell over.

Ember! Briar linked.

My side raked against the concrete and started throbbing. I jumped back to my feet. Run, Briar. Go on; I’ll be right behind you. We never ran all out in front of other packs due to the unique speed of movement my family had and others didn’t, but now wasn’t the time to worry about exposing that unique strength.

A Blackwood wolf snarled and charged toward me.

No. I didn’t have time for this.

Something sharp pierced my side, and I swiped my back claws. A strangled whimper came out, and the thick musk of my attacker hit my nose.

I took off, racing toward my sister. I had to catch up to Briar before she got attacked.

The sound of someone chasing me pushed me to go faster. The breeze picked up, blowing the wind through my fur. I ignored the throbbing in my side and didn’t waste time glancing back.

I reached her where the terrain dipped, heading downward toward the river. If we could reach the river and submerge, we should be able to float downstream and hide our scents from anyone trying to track us.

I linked, If you can run faster, do it. We need to make it to the water. Someone is chasing me.

I’ll try to match your pace, she replied, though I could see the fatigue already hitting her.

I couldn’t believe that Reid insulting and rejecting me hadn’t been enough last night. Now he and his pack wanted to slaughter my family? Had they been behind the attack on the royals too? But that didn’t make any sense. They weren’t as strong as the Grimstone pack… Unless they’d been working with Ryker? He had shown up to our ceremony.

When Reid and I had learned of our fated connection, he’d thought we could become the next rulers due to my blood. Maybe now he wanted to eliminate my possible claim to the throne?

I had never taken him for that type of guy.

Even more pack links dimmed within me, and my breath turned ragged. All these deaths were my fault.

My front paw snagged on a tree root, and I nearly fell. Focus, Ember . None of that mattered now. I could figure it out later—after we got help.

The river gushed ahead of us, indicating a strong current and muffled some of the sounds of our attacker, making them sound farther away. However, I knew better than to lower my guard.

My paws hit smooth rocks, and the water came into view. The river was flowing rougher than normal from all the rain earlier in the week. We were in the homestretch.

Somewhere behind us, a branch cracked, and Briar whimpered. Paws skittered and slid on the rocks, and her body crashed into mine—hard. We tumbled down the embankment, the rocks cutting into our skin and the steep drop stopping us from getting our paws underneath us. Briar hit her head on a rock…and then we dropped.

I took a large breath and crashed into the cold water. My instincts kicked in, and I started dog-paddling. The current washed me downstream quickly and made staying above the water a struggle. Frantically, I searched for Briar, and when I found her, I nearly stopped breathing.

She’d sunk under the water, eyes closed and pack link cool. No . We hadn’t come this far for her to drown. I refused to lose anyone else I cared about.

I tugged my wolf back. It would be way easier to save Briar in human form. My wolf tried to fight me, not wanting to retreat when I needed her most, but I yelled the words pack mate in my mind.

She begrudgingly withdrew, and I shifted back into human form. My wounds ached and throbbed as my skin stretched and changed, but I worked through it, using my arms and legs, even as they changed, to swim closer to Briar.

I dove under the surface, my lungs already screaming for oxygen. If I risked taking a breath before retrieving her, then she could pass by me, and I might never find her again. My hand touched wet fur, and I wrapped one arm around her wolfish body and kicked with all the strength I had left to get to the surface.

Even more pack links extinguished. My chest panged for more than just air. Our pack was being ripped apart, and now Briar was injured.

The edges of my vision turned black as unconsciousness threatened. I gritted my teeth, ignoring my burning muscles and supported her added weight. Even as I moved forward, more spots cooled off.

Almost half our pack was gone.

We broke the surface, and I gasped just as water splashed into my face and down my throat, causing me to choke. What the hell had I done to Fate to piss her off this much? No matter where I turned, things got worse instead of better.

I searched for something—anything—to grab onto as darkness continued to curtain my vision. There . My gaze landed on a huge limb to the left of us. I swam, coughing and choking, dragging Briar with me. My arms grew weak, but I held her fast.

Strength nearly gone, I reached the log and hoisted Briar onto it. Her head flopped against the side of the sizable branch, but her chest moved up and down as water trickled out of her mouth.

Thank Fate, she was still alive.

The edge of the log caught on something, and my light hold slipped. I dropped back into the water and thrashed, barely managing to keep my head raised. I reached out, desperate for something to cling to, but came up with nothing.

Something hit my back. I turned, hoisted myself on it…and my vision went black.

Wetness hit my face.

My eyes fluttered open. The world was dim, like it wasn’t quite day or night, and a tall presence loomed over me.

My body felt sluggish, like I’d just fallen asleep. This had to be a dream.

“You need to wake up,” a raspy, sexy voice muttered. “I don’t understand why you’d do something so reckless.”

I identified that voice instantaneously, despite having heard it only once.

I forced my eyes wide open, expecting to be in my bed in my room. Then everything crashed over me.

My chest wasn’t cold because I was out of range of the pack. They’d all died…including my parents.

My breaths turned erratic until the faint pulse of Briar’s link centered me.

She was alive but asleep or unconscious. I had to find her and get away from the person standing over me and speaking with such disdain. A person who could kill me at any second.

Ryker Grimstone.