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Chapter thirty-eight

Kit

I stare up at the nightmare from my childhood. The alpha who made school excruciating. I lick my lips and scramble backwards when he reaches for me. The rough pebbles cut up my palms, but I ignore the pain and keep scrambling. I can’t let him catch me.

If he gets his hands on me, it’s over.

He stands up to his full height, which, sadly, is a good foot taller than me, and huffs as if my scrambling has annoyed him. Freddie puts his hands on his hips in a familiar pose and then swiftly, oh, so swiftly, kicks my upper thigh before I have a chance to register it.

I shout and recoil, scrambling further, but he follows, stomping and leaning over me with pure hatred almost dripping from his eyes. His lips are twisted into a malice-filled taunt, his greasy hair falls over the left side of his face, shadowing it, making him appear demonic.

“Are you trying to get away from me now?” Freddie murmurs. “You better fucking not be trying to get away, Mogel.”

I shake my head, remembering how much worse things would get when I would run. I rapidly go through my options. Raider is hurt. Wren’s in the game. There is no security. At least Callan and Ryann are safe.

Freddie clicks his fingers, and I flinch hard. I haven’t thought about him clicking his fingers for years. But it comes back to me now. I feel like I’m thirteen years old again. The sound, the way he does it. It’s how I knew he was bored, how I knew he would be coming to punish me. That sound means pain, humiliation, and torment. That sound makes my bowels turn to water and brings back every one of my worst memories .

My eyes are stretched so wide, and I can’t seem to blink.

He reaches for me again. For a second time, I recoil, this time in pure panic. I slap his hand away.

The world goes still as he stands up, looking down his nose at me.

I have a small freak out, flushing hot and cold, and when he reaches for me again, I lash out. I hit him over and over.

Freddie’s rage grows, leaking all over us, wrapping us in a blanket of isolation. The lights from the carpark hit his face at just an angle to make him look like he’s got a skull with black pits for eyes and no face.

He is my death.

He’s going to kill me.

I don’t want to die. Callan and Raider will blame themselves forever.

Ryann needs me. Her stalker is probably here. She honestly needs me like no one ever has, and I want to be there for her.

I don’t want to die like this.

There’s only one thing I can do. I open my mouth and let out a scream so loud it makes my ears ache, and at the same time, in terror, I open the bonds. I flood them with my horror, with my fear, my panic. In the space of a second, something comes back at me. There is a ball of warmth inside me. It’s indistinct, but it’s there. Ryann, waiting for me.

I feel Callan and, distantly, Raider, but it’s Ryann’s warmth that I grab hold of and cling to. She might not even understand what she’s feeling or doing, but Ryann is keeping the fear at bay.

I’m not thirteen years old. I’m not a child anymore, and I’m not a pushover.

I surge up, and when he reaches for me; I hit his hand away from me!

“Don’t touch me!” I snarl and spit at him.

Freddie hisses and lunges for me. “You little shit!”

I hit him four times in a row, quicker than he can block. He stumbles back, blinking hard, but I’m up and already advancing, kicking him hard on the side of the knee.

He goes down hard, shouting and cursing.

This is amazing. I might actually survive this. I’ve never felt so powerful or so free. Oh, I can feel years of trauma falling away.

“You are still the same pre-programmed robot you’ve always been, Freddie, but, here’s the thing, I’m not the same person I was. I’m changed, grown, and I know how to defend myself.”

He glares up at me. “Why did you send me the letters?”

I frown, my gut clenching. “What letters?”

“The fucking letters, you freak! ”

I shake my head. I have no idea what he’s talking about.

Freddie pulls out a letter and throws it at me.

I pick it up and glance at him, I could almost feel sorry for him, almost. He is pitiful, and it’s clear he’s living in poverty and doesn’t eat enough. He may even have a habit or two. Sadly, nothing has changed his personality.

I open the letter and read through the drivel. It’s a very poorly written letter taunting Freddie and signed by me.

“I didn’t write this.”

Freddie surges up and tackles me, driving us both to the ground. I lose my breath and struggle, but I can’t get free.

“Don’t do this, Freddie. I didn’t send the letters. You’re being set up.”

“You piece of shit, you ruined my life. I went to prison because of you. I was seventeen in an adult jail.”

“You broke my arm!” I scream at him. “You tortured me. You belong in prison.”

He roars in my face, spit hitting me, and the stench of death makes me gag.

“I’m going to kill you!” he roars. “I’m going to make it worth my while. You took everything from me, and now I’m going to take everything from you.”

His hands wrap around my throat and squeezes. The panic returns. I claw at his fingers, but it does nothing. Black spots dance around his face as I start losing vision. I don’t want him to be the last thing I see.

I hear running footsteps and hope it’s help, but that’s never been the case before.

“LET GO OF HIM!”

The bark is something out of a movie. I recognise it instantly. It’s powerful, it’s undeniable. No one could refuse that bark.

Callan. Oh, my Callan came to save me. He’s always saving me. The hands let go, and I roll, choking and gasping for air.

Freddie shudders and peels himself away from me.

“I see you’re still sucking on his clit, James.”

Callan appears, standing over me, holding his hand out. I stare up at him and reach out, taking his hand. He is my miracle, always by my side. What would I have become without him?

“Come on, let’s get away from him, everything is messed up tonight,” Callan murmurs, kissing my temple. “Are you all right?”

Freddie lunges, but Callan lashes out, punching him so hard in the face that he collapses on the ground unconscious.

Security arrives and looks at him. “We’ve got it, Alpha Mogel. ”

We both turn towards him and glance at each other. Callan looks beautiful, a veritable angel of mercy.

I lean into him and bury my face in that warm scent of him. Parchment and tea float around him stronger than usual. I curl my fingers in his shirt and swallow hard.

“I thought I was dead!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I came as fast as I could.”

A sob catches in my throat. “We need to get Ryann.”

“I know. Let’s go find our pack and get out of here,” Callan says anxiously. “I think the stalker might be orchestrating tonight.”

I lift my head. “What?”

“Wren has been traded. Raider’s skate broke. The media thought Bailey was Raider and released a sex tape and have been going nuts over it.”

I gape at him. “And Freddie?”

“Yes. Coincidence? I think not.”

“Ryann is alone!” I murmur urgently.

Callan’s face drains of colour. He pulls out his phone and opens an app. I see a red dot on the screen. With one hand, he takes mine, and we run.