Page 115 of Crossed Fates

The bastard ran a finger over my cheek, then flicked my jaw as he considered me thoughtfully. “You know, I wonder what a new team could accomplish under the influence of your essence instead.” He canted his head. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

Makayla

What a weird dream.

It started with being injected with silver and ended with Alaric going into full alpha mode in my mind. My wolf purred at the memory, pleased with his behavior.

I almost shook my head in disgust, when a prickle to my conscious held me still.

Wait…

The skin around my wristburned. My mind also felt a bit sluggish, my thoughts not fully connecting. But it was right there. A hint of truth. Reality. The facts of what had happened.

Taken.

Poisoned.

Trap.

Betrayed.

The sequence of events slammed into me beneath angry blows from a consciousness that mingled with mine.Alaric.

He growled in response, his wolf highly agitated.

I nearly blinked, but again that prickle held me captive. Some part of me aware that I shouldn’t move.No, not me. You. What are you doing?

Keeping you safe,Alaric snarled.Don’t let them know you’re awake.

My lips threatened to curl down, but that wave of dominance forced me to remain unmoving.

Normally, it would piss me off to be controlled in such a way. But in this moment, I rather appreciated it. Because I needed his presence to mask my physical reactions to my waking state.

Confusion, frustration, andpainrippled through me. It was enough to make me want to gasp, but I swallowed it. No, I didn’t even do that. I just… exhaled. Softly. As though lost to slumber while those around me waited.

I sensed them now.

A hybrid and a shifter.

Where are you?I asked Alaric.

In a room near yours, he replied, his tone irritated.Bortex used some sort of sonar tech to disable me and the others. Bastard tossed me on a table and clamped me with silver. He has me watching a screen, waiting for you to wake up so he can start his trial.

Again my lips threatened to curl down, but this time I stopped them before his compulsion kicked in. I desperately grasped for my last real memory, then realized… it was allreal. I hadn’t been dreaming, just lost to a delirious state of recovery while his strength and our connection saved me from certain death.

Shit, I breathed in my mind.Shit. Shit. Shit.

I sorted through everything we’d exchanged, all the information he’d provided along the way.

Paul was a traitor. Bortex wanted Jude and had set all this in motion as a trap. Then, upon learning about my unique mental connection to Alaric, he had decided to test how deep our link went by poisoning me and sending his best men out to take all of them down at some predetermined rendezvous point.

How did you find me?I wondered.

Hardt. He tracked the fir trees and swamp, then Jude did a search on the local properties.

Some of that sounded familiar, like he’d mentioned it before.Paul didn’t help at all?

No. Had no idea he was involved until he killed Steve.