Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
“Don’t take it out on him. Please, Alpha. It’s not his fault.”
“Take what out on him? What is wrong with you people?” The Alpha tightened his hold, turning Keith’s face into his throat.
It was a risky move, exposing his most vulnerable area to an Alpha shifter’s teeth, but he needn’t worry. Keith wouldn’t hurt him. He didn’t want to hurt anyone again.
“Never mind. I don’t have time for this nonsense. Jennifer, let’s go.”
“What are you doing with Keith?” Gloria said.
“I’m taking him out of this hellhole.”
“Please, Alpha, just don’t hurt him anymore.”
“I just met him! I’m not the one who did this to him.”
“You won’t hurt him? Do you give us your word, Alpha Berger? On your honor?”
“Yes. Now get out of my way.”
“He needs food,” Rosemary shouted.
“I’ll get some,” Lorainne said.
“A bottle of water too!” Gloria called after her.
More footsteps and movement, people rapidly talking over one another, and then brightness poured over his closed eyes. He gathered they had left the opulent but dreary Alpha house and stepped out into the sunlight.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Rupert Jackson said angrily.
“Put him down,” said Rupert Junior.
It seemed that they had returned from whatever had taken them away. Keith should have been worried. Angering the two Ruperts never ended well, but with his face pressed against Alpha Berger’s neck, he felt nothing but safety and peace for the very first time in his life. Maybe this was how death felt.
“We’re leaving, Alpha Jackson.” Though he used the proper honorific, Alpha Berger’s tone held not a shred of respect.
“Not with him, you’re not,” Rupert bellowed. “Who in the hell do you think you are coming into my pack and taking my ward?”
“Yeah!” Junior agreed with him, like always. He was nearly forty years old and an Alpha wolf, but he had no spine and very little sense. He was nothing but a puppet for his domineering father.
“Steve,” Alpha Berger bit out. “Come here now.” There was more commotion and then Keith was being moved into someone else’s arms. “Take him to the car. Jennifer, go with Steve and keep guard. I’ll handle them.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Stand in my way and I will happily challenge you on the spot. Try me, Alpha Jackson. Please fucking try me.”
“How dare you!” Junior protested. “We’ll—”
“Fine. If you insist.” Rupert had never sounded so calm.
“What? Father?”
“You heard him. He insists on taking Keith Iredell out of Green Valley and he left us no choice in the matter.”
“We can—”
“There is absolutely nothing we can do,” Rupert said more loudly. “It’s out of our hands.”
“I don’t understand,” Junior said. To be fair, he understood very little.
“I’m sure the staff can attest to that. Isn’t that right? This Alpha barged into our territory, threatened us, and is taking Keith Iredell against our will. We tried to stop him. You all saw us, didn’t you?”
Several moments of silence followed during which Steve set him inside the car, and he toppled face first onto the seat as the door closed.
“Yes, Alpha. That’s what happened.”
“Lorainne, shouldn’t you be preparing my dinner?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Then why are we all standing around here? Get back to work.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Alpha Berger!” Rupert said.
Nobody responded.
“You got lucky this time,” Rupert shouted. “Don’t ever step foot in my territory again. You aren’t welcome in Green Field.”
The growl that shook the air could have only come from an Alpha wolf so it must have been Alpha Berger’s response to Rupert’s not so thinly veiled threat.
“One of you drive. I’m sitting in the back with him.” The door opened and then Alpha Berger growled again. “My God.”
Keith’s head was gently lifted and then lowered in a more comfortable position, on a warm, delicious smelling pillow.
“Do any of you have water that we brought from Purple Sky? I don’t trust anything they gave us.”
“I do, Alpha,” said a female voice, which had to be Jennifer.
“Give it to me and get us the fuck out of this sick place as quickly as possible.”
“Happy to, Alpha.”
The car jerked and then squealed onto the road.
“What did they do to you?” Alpha Berger sounded pained. “Keith? Can you hear me?” Careful fingers tenderly combed through his hair. “I’m Brian.” A strong arm curled under his shoulders and elevated his head. “I need you to drink this.” A bottle pressed against his lips. “Can you hear me? You need to drink.”
He had heard a similar request from his pack members endless times over the past several weeks and he had mostly refused them, but when Brian firmly said, “Keith, open your mouth now and drink,” his body responded on reflex, lips parting and throat swallowing down the liquid that was poured into it.
“That’s good. Keep going. You’re safe now. Nobody will hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.”
Chapter 3
While the Purple Sky healer saw to Keith Iredell, Brian went down to his living room to make a call that couldn’t be overheard. Though in the state he was in, Alpha or not, Keith wasn’t likely to be able to hear him, even if he had been talking right outside the guest room door. Brian had never seen a shifter in such bad shape, and he needed to understand how an Alpha wolf who was in an unlocked room and seemingly had the ability to leave had gotten in that condition.