Chapter 26: Chapter 26

DEC

I creep forward and listen to our surroundings. I hear a familiar voice talking animatedly. Chase asks the question that I’m already wondering. “~What the fuck is that stupid bitch doing here?~”

I have no clue. “~It’s ~your~ sister-in-law.~”

Chase growls at me. I hold back a laugh as I listen to the conversation. “I don’t understand what is so great about her. Why not just cut him loose now so we can be together,” Sarah says.

A gruff yet recognizable voice speaks up. Damon snarls knowing dang well who is speaking. “I don’t care about the bitch. My son wants her, so I got her for him. He is going to get what he wants, then we can make good on our deal.

“He has to mate her first, then you and I can go take out that damn alpha and relieve him of his pack, my sweet.”

She huffs. “My king. You should’ve just broken her neck instead of her arm. Owen is a fool. He gave me up for her knowing she was already mated. I was supposed to be his mate.”

A deep growl echoes through the trees. “Are you complaining? You’re mine, now. Mine! That body belongs to me. Your job is to give me a new alpha heir, not to think.”

She whimpers. “Yes, my king. I belong to you. You’re my mate, not him.”

What the fuck? Mate? Robert’s kidnapped Kya to get to me? That motherfucker. The bastard pup is just following along to get Kya. The pussy little bitch. He’s not even worth my time.

I look to Chase. He is just as confused as I am. Sarah walks out into the woods and is headed straight toward me. “~Freya, take her out. Quick and quiet.~”

Freya shifts back to her human form. She sneaks in behind Sarah and gets her into a chokehold. Freya gingerly brings Sarah’s limp form to the ground, then shifts back into her wolf.

“~Everyone, fall back. I want Roberts. Give me a perimeter. Watch for more rogues,~” I say through our link.

I shift into my human form. “Damon. Head back and get the pickaxe. I’m taking Roberts down now.” Damon nods and rushes away, still in his wolf form. I walk into the clearing like a ghost appearing from the trees.

Roberts doesn’t even see me until I’m close enough to pounce on him. I shake my head. “Tut tut, your old age is making you careless.”

Roberts is startled, but he turns to face me; his pup doesn’t even move. He looks back and forth between me and his weakling dad.

Roberts steps forward, a growl rising in his chest. “I can’t believe you came for the little bitch. She’s more trouble than she’s worth.”

I growl out a warning. “You kidnapped my mate, my luna. You sent pup rogues into my territory to die. You sent more rogues into my territory claiming that I'm weak. You think you’re going to take my pack?

“You’re a disappointment and an insult to werewolves. I have one suggestion for you. We’re on neutral territory. You face me now and I leave your pack alone, at least, until they belong to me. Otherwise, everyone in it is fair game.”

I point to his pup. “You just hang on tight. I’ll be with you in a minute.” Owen growls but is too chicken to step up to me. He looks to his dad and steps back.

Roberts takes on a defensive stance. “My pack will never be yours.”

I laugh. “Do you honestly think you can beat me? Have you also become delusional in your old age?”

Roberts attacks thinking he’s going to get me by surprise. I’m already waiting for him to make the first move. He charges at my midsection. I catch him and throw him to the ground.

I tilt my head. “If that’s all you’ve got, you may want to submit now. Although, I don’t have any intention of letting you live.”

Roberts gets to his feet. His alpha waves strengthen, but they’re not as strong as mine. I match his strength as he charges again. I swing my fist up, catching him in the gut. I follow up with a shot to his face.

He growls and pushes up all of his strength. I bring up my strength, still holding back. “It’s an embarrassment when an alpha doesn’t recognize when he’s outmatched,” I say.

He swings at me, but I dodge and swing, connecting with his face.

I hear Chase through our link. “~Dec. We got more rogues. There’s about ten of them.~”

I dodge another blow. “~Chase has rogues. Give him a hand.~"

I take on the offense and throw several punches into Roberts’s gut and face. I give him a kidney shot just to give him more pain.

“~Declan. Dr. Mason is down. They teamed up against him.~” I growl and throw a powerful blow to Roberts’s sternum. He staggers back, barely able to breathe.

"~Freya. Guard Doc.~” Roberts lands a few blows to my face and stomach while I’m distracted. I punch him in the face, knocking him to the ground. I attempt to stomp on his head, but he rolls away and gets to his feet.

Roberts’s rage propels his movement, and he picks up speed and strength. He jabs at my face and gut, slamming his fists with all the force he can muster. I stagger back and spit blood from my mouth.

Game on, fucker. My fists fly with more power. My knee connects with his gut with an audible ~humph~. I send an elbow to the back of his head and he drops to the ground.

Roberts shifts into his wolf. I shake my head. “Really? You can’t handle me in human form? Your wolf isn’t going to save you.”

He charges at me. I shift just before he reaches me. I'm still not as fast at shifting as Chase, but it still takes Roberts by surprise. I take a chunk out of his ribs as he’s still in the air. He lands on his side and scurries to his feet.

“~Alpha. Doc isn’t going to last.~” Freya is frantic as she contacts me.

“~Where’s Damon?~” I move too late to dodge an attack from Roberts and take a scrape to my back.

“~He’s almost here, I smell him. My father also took a deep gash to the gut. He’s bleeding out,~” Freya replies. Roberts’s pup sneaks up on my back in his gray wolf.

I pull him by the leg, getting him off of me. He charges at me. I bat at him with my paw; his head snaps to the side and he falls to the ground.

“~Damon is here, Alpha.~” Roberts charges at my side, knocking me to the ground.

“~Have him get Kya out. She needs to heal Doc and Bruno.~”

KYA

I hear growling and snarling coming from all around the dungeon. I get to my feet to look out the window, but I can’t see anything. “Kya?”

I scrunch my brows. “Damon?” He slams my cell door open.

“No! Don’t cross the runes.”

Damon looks up at me and gives me a wink. He hauls a tool over his shoulder, breaking the stone. He hits the stone three more times, turning it into rubble. He rushes into the cell and hits my chains with the pickaxe.

“Your dad is hurt. You need to get to him now.” He helps me to my feet and leads me up the stairs. Dec’s beautiful black wolf is taking on Owen and Alpha Roberts. I stop in my tracks, worried for my mate.

“Kya, your dad.” I rush after Damon into the woods.

Freya is standing guard over both my dad and hers. There are dead rogues scattered around while Chase, Finn, and Troy finish off the last four.

I kneel beside my dad and give him as much energy as possible, but I know Bruno needs me too. I let go of dad and put my hands over Bruno’s blood-covered abdomen. I heal him until he’s no longer bleeding out.

I rush back to my dad and give him more energy. Chase steps up behind me and catches me just before I fall. My eyes are heavy, I've used too much of my strength. “I need Dec. I need his energy.”

Chase picks me up. “Is Dad going to be okay?”

I shake my head. “I only bought him a little more time. Bruno still needs help, too.”

Chase nods. “Damon, you’re with me. The rest of you watch for more rogues and look after Bruno and my dad.” The three of us leave for Dec.

Dec is in his human form. He has a few scratches and gashes, but otherwise seems fine. Owen’s wolf is on the ground a few feet away. Dec has Alpha Roberts' wolf in a chokehold.

Alpha Roberts is scratching at Dec’s arms, but Dec doesn’t budge.

“SHIFT,” Dec says. My mouth drops open when Alpha Roberts shifts back into his human form. He’s covered in blood and panting. Both of his arms are mangled, and his thigh is bleeding out.

“This is your last chance. Give up your pack, or it’s mine.” Dec grips tighter on Alpha Roberts' throat.

“I relinquish my pack to my son, Owen Roberts.” Dec grips Alpha Roberts’s head and pulls in opposite directions, snapping his neck and dropping him to the ground.

“Dec!” I shout.

His head snaps up, and it’s like the first time our eyes locked. His masculine forest scent engulfs me. I feel a bond form deep in my chest like our bodies are attached by a rope, pulling us together.

He swallows as he stalks toward me. “Kya.” My name is barely a whisper on his lips.

As soon as Chase sets me down on wobbly legs, Dec pulls me to his chest. His hand caresses my cheek as his eyes never leave mine. Our breaths and our hearts synchronize.

“Kya. My beautiful mate, Kya.” My hand covers his as I lean my cheek into him.

Chase clears his throat, breaking us out of our daze. “I’m glad you two are together and all, but Dad needs you, Ky.”

I look up into Dec’s eyes. “I need your strength. I can’t do it alone.”

He nods and picks me up. Chase leads the way back to our packmates.

Finn, Freya, and Alpha Troy are fighting off another five wolves. Chase springs into action, shifting midair to rush to Finn’s aid. I don’t know where Damon has disappeared to. Dec sets me in front of my dad.

“Can you do it, baby? Our bond was broken,” Dec says.

I look to the sky. “Moon Goddess, please help me.” A blue light shines down on me and Dec. I feel his heart beating in tandem with mine. I touch my hands to my daddy’s heart.

I close my eyes and reach for Dec’s strength. It’s difficult to feel, but I do feel it.

Dec’s hands grip my shoulders and his energy bursts into me. I channel the feeling into my body and push it into my dad. I keep pushing until his heart beats steady under my hands. My arm heals as Dec’s power runs through me.

I let go of the energy and drop my shoulders, panting for air. “Baby, did it work?”

I nod. “It worked.” I look over to Bruno. He’s still weak and on the ground. “I need to heal Bruno.”

Dec picks me up and sets me by Bruno. I place my hands on his abdomen and pull strength from Dec, pushing it into Bruno.

I feel Bruno’s blood flow through his body and concentrate on where the damage is. He’s bleeding internally and his heart is weak. I find the leak and focus energy into healing it.

Once it’s repaired, I focus on strengthening his heart and getting his blood pumping correctly again. I let go and look around me. Freya has a tear in her eye. I give her a gentle smile. “He’s going to be okay.”

She lets out a breath. “Thank you, Luna.”

I shake my head. “Thank you. For coming for me. All of you. Thank you.”

Dec helps me to my feet. I’m not wobbly anymore. Alpha Troy…Troy hauls Bruno up and Chase takes Dad. Freya and Finn are in their wolves, guarding the front and the back as they walk through the woods.

Dec wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him. His hand falls gently to my cheek as he sweetly kisses me.

A deep growl grabs our attention. We look to each other, then rush back toward the dungeon. Damon is talking to a wobbly Owen. “Owen Roberts. I challenge you for the right to claim the role of alpha.”

Owen spits on the ground in front of him. “You dare challenge me? You’re my beta. You’re not strong enough to stand up to me.”

Damon steps forward, staring Owen down. Owen steps up and sends his power toward Damon. Damon’s hands go into fists as he pushes back at Owen.

Dec and I both know that Owen is outmatched. He finally realizes it and shoves Damon away. “Coward. You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I’m already messed up and not at my full strength.

I hesitate as I step up behind Owen and touch his arm. He spins around. “Kya. You’re here.”

My hands shake as I reach out and take his hand. “Owen, you’re hurt, let me heal you.” He looks over my shoulder at Dec with a smug smirk. Dec crosses his arms over his chest as he watches the show.

I grip Owen’s hand tighter. “Owen?”

He looks back to me. “Yes. I need you, Kya.”

I close my eyes and reach for Dec’s strength. I push energy into Owen, bringing him back to full health. I open my eyes and drop Owen’s hand. “Now, it’s a fair fight. Goodbye, Owen.”

His jaw quivers, “No. You’re my mate. I love you.”

I shake my head. “Owen. You know that’s not true.” Dec takes a step forward. I hold my trembling hand up to keep him from moving any closer.

Owen grumbles in his chest. “Kya. That bastard has done nothing but hurt you. I can take care of you.”

I shake my head. “Owen. You hurt me more than Dec ever could.” His eyes blaze.

I step back and reach for Dec. His arm wraps around my shoulders as he leads me to the trucks.

The sound of a fight breaks behind us, but we keep on our path. “Do you think Damon will win?” I ask.

Dec doesn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes, he will. He wasn’t even using his whole strength.”

We continue walking along with the moonlight on our backs. “I love you, Kya. I’m sorry it took so long to find you.”

I stop walking, pulling Dec around to face me. “I knew you would come. I remember the promise you made me. I, Kya Samantha Mason, swear to never reject you again, Declan Thomas Redd.”

His hand caresses tears from my cheek. His lips gently capture mine, focusing all of the love he has for me in our kiss.

Dec’s head smacks against mine suddenly. He stumbles forward grasping his head. Snarling, he turns to face Sarah, who is holding a broken tree branch. He stalks forward.

I grip his thick bicep and whisper to him. “No, Dec, she’s pregnant.” He looks over his shoulder into my eyes and gives me a slight nod. He crosses his arms as I step around him.

“Sarah. It’s good to see you with clothes on for once,” I say.

She snarls at me and drops the branch. “Do you honestly think I’m afraid of you, Kya. You’re a rogue with no power.”

I shake my head at her naivety. “Why don’t we find out.” Sarah charges at me. I snake my fist out, colliding it with her nose. She falls to the ground holding her nose. I press my cowboy boot to her throat.

“You’re pathetic. I feel sorry for you. Not only did my mate not want you, your own mate didn’t want you. You had to shack up with an old nasty asshole and any other rogue he sent your way.

“Now you’re all alone again. Do you think the new alpha will let you stay in that pack? We’ll see who's the rogue, won’t we?” I shake my head. No matter what I went through, she’s still my best friend’s sister.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Stay down, or I’ll change my mind,” she glares up at me with her blood-covered face. I press on her throat just a little more to emphasize my seriousness.

Dec takes my hand. “Let’s go, baby. Everyone is waiting for us.”

I release her and walk hand in hand with my mate without looking back.