Shade didn’t stop, continuing until he reached his mate. He glared into the eyes of the Shifter holding her. “Release her. Now.”
“I said . . .”
Shade spun around, snarling. “I’m the Alpha whose land you fucking dogs are on.” He turned back, grabbing hold of the man’s hair who still had his mate in his arms. “I said, release her. Do it now or I’ll break your damn neck.”
The man slowly let go, his arms opening to the side and stepping back. “She’s ours. That’s her father and it’s up to him to take her back to our Pack.”
Shade looked as his mate rubbed her throat, coughing and drawing in gulps of air, before he turned back to her . . . father. Shit. What kind of parent treated their child in such a manner? “This is my land and it’s my decision who stays and who goes. I say you go and she stays. Leave now before I lose my temper and make you pay for trespassing. Which is my fucking right.”
Every cell in his body thrummed with the need to lash out at these interlopers. Not just for being on his land but for their obvious mistreatment of the young woman now standing next to him. She’d shuffled closer to him the moment she was set free, so close he could feel her body shaking next to his. Her fear hadn’t abated. It still rolled off her in waves, her eyes going around the men and then back to Shade.
Maybe she doubted his ability to take on five and win, but she didn’t know him. Yet. These idiots were no match for him. Besides, he wasn’t alone, and it was then that Royce and Ash made an appearance, having circled around and coming in on either side of the group. Their Wolves snarling as they prowled back and forth, their warning clear: leave or die.
Her father eyed his Betas before staring hard at his daughter. “You’ll regret this, daughter. I swear you will.”
“The only thing I regret is not sticking a knife in your heart before I ran,” she snapped back at him, fire in her eyes before she spat at his feet.
Her father turned his eyes to Shade. They were cold, dark, and full of hatred. “I think we’ll meet again, Alpha.”
“I hope so,” Shade growled. “Leave. My patience has, as they say, left the goddamn building. Pack up your mutts and get off my land.”
If it weren’t for his mate, Shade would not have left it like that. No. He wanted to fight. His Wolf wanted to rip into those that were still an obvious threat to her, but he could sense her weakness. She was barely able to stay upright, for all her grand show of defiance, he knew she was on her last legs. He had to get her home, safe, and get Lana to have a look at her. His mate needed help and he couldn’t waste time feeding his rage for vengeance. Not now.
Shade stayed alert until they were out of sight. “Royce, follow them and ensure they don’t follow us home.”
His Beta’s Wolf spun around and shadowed the men. If they didn’t do exactly as expected, then Shade would soon be alerted. Ash stayed with them, his Wolf still vigilant, his eyes and ears attentive for any threat as Shade turned his attention to the most important person in the universe; his soulmate.
“Hi, I’m Shade Shawcross, Alpha of the Silver Lake Pack, and this is my land.” He held out his hand formally, nerves suddenly making an appearance which was a first for the normally suave man.
“Thank you for helping, my name’s Marissa Farrar,” she said, leaning down toward the oak they were beside. “Sorry, I hid my stuff here.”
She picked out a backpack, swinging it up on her shoulder. “I was going to transform and try and escape in Wolf form. Guess that didn’t go down so well.”
“Guess not.” Shade smiled down into those chocolate brown eyes he’d caught a glimpse of earlier in his head. That short vision didn’t do them justice. They were like dark pools that he was sure he could dive into, they were so . . . wait . . . they were dimming as he stared at her. Marissa’s face turned chalky white, her lips turning a pale blue, and then her legs gave way beneath her.
Shade caught her before she hit the ground, scooping her up into his arms, as he grabbed her pack. “Shit! We need to get her home, Ash. Stay close and guard us in case those cocksuckers try anything.”
Ash’s light brown Wolf nodded its massive head, a low rumble in its chest as he began to lead the way back. The journey far slower on the return and causing Shade to curse time and again as Marissa lay limply against his chest.
Shade couldn’t believe how long the journey home took. It seemed like hours as they trudged through the forest, Royce joining them part of the way back. Shade jogged, not wishing to run at full speed for fear of harming his precious cargo. He wasn’t certain what ailed Marissa but he wasn’t taking any unnecessary risks.
He couldn’t help himself glancing down at her every few moments. Taking in the beauty of her features, her small nose, full lips, heart-shaped face, but at the same time he saw the dark circles beneath her eyes and the paleness of her skin. She felt cold and clammy, her dark hair sticking to her face, her heart beating slowly. Too slowly for a Shifter, and that worried him far more than anything else. What had she been through for her body to be in such a state?
This was long-term neglect. Not a few days of going without food, but something far worse.
Damn. Now he wished he’d taken the time to rip those men apart
