Chapter 17 - Kenzie

I'd helped Choal down the hall to the medical room as soon as Forrest had arrived to help. Willow was there already, and her eyes had gone wide as we pulled in Choal, who was barely clinging to consciousness.

"What happened?"

She hurried over to us, helping Forrest and me to lay Choal across one of the tables and start cleaning his wounds for proper healing.

"Leon. He drugged the guards at his cell. They killed each other and nearly Choal before Leon ran off."

"Is he still out there?" Forrest's voice was uncharacteristically low, the hum of fear charring his scent.

"No, we've got him locked up again, but he drugged Cade and Alder, too. I'm not sure if the other Alphas have been hit as well."

We went silent then, all working together to quickly address Choal's wounds so that he could heal. It was a flurry of swabs and antibiotic ointment, and my stomach was all tangled up in knots, knowing that Grayson, Jet, and Kaiden were still out here trying to deal with the Alphas.

Senna's hold on Cade and Alder had been slowly diminishing, and I knew there was no way she'd be able to keep that up. I just prayed that she could for long enough to get the Alphas locked in their cells.

We needed more of that antidote from before, but it was going to take at least a few hours to brew the stuff.

"Okay, he looks stable. I'll get started on another batch of the antidote. Check the field to see if there are more wolves who need us."

Willow was always rather demanding, which had been cemented in my mind when I'd come to her and Forrest about my heat. Right now, however, I didn't care. There was too much at stake, and if something had happened to Grayson…

No, I couldn't let myself go there.

"We're on it." I nodded, yanking Forrest along behind me by the arm.

As we flew down the hall, a massive thud boomed across the house. Forrest and I stumbled slightly, pausing and glancing at each other with wide eyes.

"Oh, that can't be good."

"No." I shook my head, using everything I had to stay focused on the present and not dread the future. "Let's go."

As we ran across the hall to the foyer, I heard the pounding of steps ringing through the entire house. Distinct thuds were coming from directly ahead of us, the pungent smell of that damned drug wafting down the hall. And still, there was the sound of people coming from the basement where I knew the cells were.

Forrest and I reached the top landing of the stairs just as Jet, Kaiden, and Grayson rushed up from downstairs. There was no sign of Cade or Alder in the foyer anymore, and Senna was kneeling on the floor, trying to catch her breath.

"What's happening?" She groaned, her eyes finding and pinning on Jet.

He shook his head, and I looked at Grayson. My heart stuttered as I saw the lacerations covering him, and my stomach lurched, a quiet voice behind it not speaking in words but feelings. And I was picking up on the fear and worry loud and clear.

"I'm not sure. We've got Cade and Alder contained, but—"

A loud cracking sound tore through the house, cutting off Jet's words. We all looked to the hallway on the other side of the stairs, and my jaw dropped as I saw two massive wolves literally bust through a pair of doors. They landed hard on the carpeted floor, snarling at each other.

It was Brooks and Rowan.

"Umm, I think I know what happened." My voice was a tiny squeak, and still, it was enough to get their attention, and two furious sets of eyes snapped toward me simultaneously.

Fuck.

They'd been drugged. Leon must have gotten to them before he was caged up again. What the fuck was that asshole trying to accomplish with all this? His attacks seemed random and not thought out, but they were still enough to have this house in shambles, trying to get control after what Leon had done.

The deep, rumbling growls coming from the two Alphas in front of me were menacing and hungry. Their wolven eyes were dilated, and I could smell that odd chemical scent from the drugs. Moving slowly, I tried to back up, swatting behind me at Forrest to start gradually putting more distance between him and the wolves up ahead.

"Kenzie, I'm not—"

But Forrest's words cut off, and I looked back just in time to see him tumble to the floor, tripping over a bit of the carpet that had been roughed up thanks to the two other Alphas who'd been poisoned with Leon's damn chemicals.

Turning away from Rowan and Brooks was the wrong thing to do, and the loud thud of their massive paws hitting the floor boomed from behind me. I looked over my shoulder for just a second, noting how much more quickly they were moving.

"Over the railing! Jump!"

I struggled to help Forrest to his feet and get us both down to the lower floor before Brooks and Rowan reached us.

"Kenzie!" Grayson shouted, rushing toward the banister with his arms open.

Jet and Kaiden were there to help with Forrest's landing, and then we threw ourselves over, Brooks and Rowan hot on our tails. The loud snap of their jaws cracked loudly, and I could just imagine how close they'd both gotten to sinking their teeth into us.

Still, Forrest and I jumped down to the lower floor, and sure enough, Kaiden and Jet were there to be sure Forrest didn't smash into the ground. Grayson was right beneath me as I closed the distance to the ground, and I landed in his arms with a solid impact.

"Are you all right?"

Grayson's eyes were grave as he looked at me, his brows knitted so tightly together. I nodded, stepping back from him and facing the stairs where Rowan and Brooks growled louder.

"I'm fine. How do we snap them out of this?"

"We get them cured. Is Willow—"

"Back in the lab. She wanted us to fetch any more injured." I circled around behind Grayson, who kept an eye on the wolves upstairs who'd started to attack each other. "Senna, do you need medical care?"

She shook her head, and Jet was there helping her up with a hand beneath her elbow.

"No, I'm fine. But I can't do that again. I need to rest. Brooks and Rowan have to get downstairs to the cells so that we can administer the antidote."

Jet nodded just as the whines and snaps from above us halted. The drugged wolves had found the stairs down and were rushing in our direction. Grabbing Senna, Jet held her as her legs were still unstable, and then he looked at me.

"Get her to Willow regardless. It'll be safer there."

Glaring, Senna pulled her arm out of Jet's grip, and I hurried to take up a spot on her right flank.

"I'm not useless, Jet. You know that. Let's get these wolves contained."

Jet stood stunned for a moment, but then a smirk touched his cheek, and the other wolves were filling in around us as Rowan and Brooks sprinted down the steps.

"And here I thought I couldn't love you any more than I already do. How foolish of me."

Senna smiled at her mate, and I couldn't stop myself from glancing over at Grayson. He was already looking at me when I did, and our connection was nearly palpable as he held my stare. We didn't say anything, however, and Grayson moved to stand just in front of me.

Grrr!

The feverish growl Rowan released shook the hall, and we snapped to attention as he leaped off the stairs and right toward Jet. The Alpha caught the wolf as he crashed into him, both of them tumbling to the ground. Senna was quick to run to her mate, working to pull Rowan off Jet.

Brooks came flying off the stairs next, and he headed straight for Forrest. The guy was clearly not a fighter, as much as he was still a wolf, and he froze as the frenzied wolf took off after him.

"Forrest!" I ran toward him, but he wasn't looking at me, still gripped by fear. "Forrest!"

Brooks tackled him hard, but I was there in a flash, yanking the larger wolf off by his fur. Forrest's skin was marred by a handful of scratches, but they didn't look too deep. I pulled him to his feet, Forrest hissing in response, and then pointed to the corner just around the stairs.

"Go!"

Forrest took off, and I spun on my heel to see Brooks shaking off his impact with the wall. He growled at me, and I sunk down.

"Brooks! Wake up, asshole! Snap out of it!"

But he wasn't listening. The wolf just snarled and then rushed for me. I was able to catch most of the weight, but I skidded backward across the floor until I hit the wall. Teeth and claws snapped and slashed at me as I fought to keep Brooks back.

"Brooks! Ugh!"

He was too strong, and I hadn't eaten properly in at least forty-eight hours. I wasn't going to win this.

Just then, another wolf charged in from the side, crashing into Brooks and knocking him away from me. I crumbled to the ground, struggling to catch my breath as I watched the tangle of fur and claws come to a screeching halt on the other side of the room.

The massive forms circled each other, and my chest pinched as I noticed the large smear of red across one of them. It was Grayson, and he'd been injured. Indecision plagued me as I considered my options. I wasn't sure what shifting while pregnant would do, and while I'd heard of it, some part of me needed to be absolutely sure before I considered it.

Grayson slashed at Brooks, but I could tell that even in his wolf form, Grayson was being careful not to kill his friend. Brooks, of course, was not showing the same restraint. The drugs were clouding his mind and making him so much more dangerous—increased strength and diminished pain receptors, according to Willow.

We need that fucking antidote.

I looked around the stairs for Forrest. He was there and met my eyes, obvious pain dogging him as he curled into himself because of the claw attacks. On the other side of the room, Jet and Senna were still tangling with Rowan in human form, and Kaiden had shifted.

"Lead him downstairs!" Jet called out, and Senna rushed near Kaiden, snarling as my brother growled.

They were getting Rowan's attention, and the massive black wolf was buying it. Rowan was by far the largest wolf I'd ever seen, and his enormous fangs dripped with saliva as he snapped at Senna and Kaiden.

Moving backward, they did their best to get Rowan following them while Jet took up the rear behind Rowan and growled in a now half-shifted form. They were like sheepdogs, leading Rowan where they wanted him to go, and it was working.

Switching my attention back to Grayson, I shoved myself off the wall and hurried behind him as Brooks was positioned with his back to the stairs. I waited long enough for Jet and the others to get most of the way down with Rowan.

"Gray," a low rumble echoed out of him as I called his name, "push him that way. Toward the stairs. I'm here to stop him if he gets past you."

There was a beat of hesitation, but then Grayson nodded his wolf head and rushed forward, driving Brooks into a backward retreat to avoid his jaws.

It was slow going, but we eventually got the two other Alphas into cells downstairs, the entire "dungeon" space ringing with the combined growls of four drugged Alphas.

When the cells were secured, Jet stood with Kaiden and Grayson—who were still shifted—and held Senna to him.

"Where's Forrest?"

I gestured upstairs. "I got him to hide. He's a bit roughed up, but okay."

Jet nodded. "Good. Get him working on that antidote with Willow. And get yourself checked out."

Shaking my head, I frowned. "Myself? I'm fine."

Grayson grumbled, padding over toward me as I watched Senna's point. As I looked down, Grayson nosed into my stomach with his snout, and I noticed the scratches covering me from Brooks' claws.

"Oh. I didn't even notice. Okay." I shook myself, stepping back from Grayson, who was snuffling at me. "I'm fine. Go away."

He eyed me for a moment but then walked back over to where Kaiden sat next to Jet.

"I'll see about the antidote. I'm sure three heads are better than two. Just, umm, let me know if there are any other developments."

Trading glances between Jet and Senna, I chewed on my cheek. "Senna, you're sure you don't need to be checked out? That's the longest you've had to hold anybody like that."

She shook her head again.

"No, I'm fine. I'm feeling better already." Senna looked around the room like she was trying to find something. "Where's Kit?"

Kaiden barked, getting up and going to the first step that led down here into the basement. I had to assume he wouldn't let Kit out of the room while all this was going on. I thought back to their child, who'd been left in the capable hands of Sunny while they traveled here for the Alpha ceremony.

I was surrounded by mates and family and reminders of the children they'd had together, and it was all too much.

"I'm going to go." I shoved past my brother on the stairs, and he growled innocently. "Well, scoot. Go check on your mate or something. I'll let you all know as soon as the antidote is ready."

Not waiting for a response, I took off up the stairs to find Forrest in his little hiding spot. Still, I could sense the worry coming off Grayson in waves. He'd padded up to the foot of the stairs as I let, and it was too easy to feel his presence pressing down on me—even though he was sending out his concern for me.

I didn't need that right now, and I didn't want it.

All I wanted was to go work on this damn antidote and help the others learn why Leon had done this. I'd known he couldn't be trusted, and I fully intended to remind Grayson of that when he was in his human form again.

You have other things to talk to him about, Kenzie.

Shaking the thought from my head, I waved for Forrest to come out and follow me back upstairs. This clearly wasn't the right time to talk about the pregnancy with Grayson, and it could wait. It wasn't like either of us were going anywhere, after all.