Chapter 17

I wanted to tell Easton that he wouldn't get away with this, but all the words sounded too cliché, so I kept quiet. He was overly cocky and that might've been for the best. It was a sign that he might not think everything through, opening up a way for me to end this bullshit and him. Only this time, I wasn't thinking of it as a way to get revenge, or even justice. My life was on the line, and more importantly, so was my mate's.

Hearing my phone ring, I instantly knew who it was. My mate. I'd been gone well past his scheduled work for the day, and even with Saunders there assuring him all was well, he'd want to hear my voice. I wanted to hear his too, but not like this.

I'd watched as Easton talked to my mate. He wasn't right. There was a condition that Alphas sometimes got when they were losing a grip of their power. I couldn't place the name, but one of the cases Steelwick had handled dealt with it, and the way they talked about that Alpha was similar to what I was witnessing now. I heard the echo of Thomas's voice through the phone and wanted to yell out to him, to let him know I was fine, but I didn't wish to alarm him any further.

There was no way that would've worked. He'd have heard my voice and jumped into action. That was still probably the case, but there was a chance that he was going to think things through first. Please let him have thought things through.

Hindsight being 20/20, it was obvious now that Easton had been hiding out in here where no one had thought to look for him. It made perfect sense. The place was vacant and familiar to both him and his beast. I should've brought Steelwick along with me first. Then none of this would've happened. He'd have been outnumbered and my mate would've been safe.

Only I couldn't go back and change even a single step I took. That wasn't how time worked. Instead I needed to be calm and use my brain to try and figure out a way to come out of the other side of this with Easton no longer a threat. That was so much easier said than done.

I'd been caught off guard and then tranquilized. It gave him the ability to restrain me in a way he'd never have managed if I had full control of my body. He'd tied me to a chair, my ankles bound and my arms secured behind my back. The coarse rope cut into my skin.

I wanted to force my way out, but I didn't have the strength. My throat was dry and my head foggy, the after-effects of the tranquilizer wearing off. It was hard to say how long I had been unconscious, but it couldn't have been more than an hour or so. Tranquilizers didn't last long in shifter bodies.

The sound of a car humming down the road hit me before Easton reacted. I wasn't sure if his hearing was off or if he was playing more games. I took note of it, wanting anything that I might be able to use to my advantage.

The vehicle came to a stop just outside the house, parking next to the SUV I had driven. I could barely see it from where I was, but I saw enough to have my stomach drop.

Thomas got out and my anxiety soared. Was he truly alone? There was no way he'd have come here without backup—or at least I didn't think he'd be that risky. But who knew. If I'd discovered he was the one kidnapped, my thinking cap wouldn't be on. I'd be rushing to save him.

Please don't let that be what was happening before my eyes. Maybe he had just let whoever came with him out of the car before coming up to the house. Yeah. I was sticking with that. It would've been the smart thing to do, and my mate was as smart as he was sexy. And that was saying something.

Saunders wouldn't have let Thomas leave the Asilo pride territory without protection. He promised to protect him, and he wouldn't go back on his word. I knew they had a plan. That was as long as my mate hadn't pulled a fast one on him to get to me.

I had to assume there was backup. If I let my mind wander in any other direction I was going to act rashly and make this horrible situation even worse. I was counting on there being others here besides just Saunders. I could hardly protect my mate while tied up. If I could just free my hands, everything would be fine, but my limbs weren't at full strength yet, the tranquilizers still not fully out of my system.

I closed my eyes and attempted to center myself the way I saw my mate instructing the omegas to. When I opened them, I kept my movements subtle. An increase in heart rate or quick movement would alert Easton to what I was attempting to do, and that would end poorly. Slowly I twisted my hands until they were in the right position. One of the benefits of being in Steelwick was the training, and in this particular case, training me to get out of situations like this.

As long as I didn't inadvertently alert the alpha to my plan, I only needed Easton to be distracted enough so that I could get free. I hadn't trained on ropes exactly like these, but the process should be the same… I hoped.

Easton came down the stairs carrying one of the toys I had come to retrieve. It was the carved wolf I had dropped. He wasn't just wanting to kill my mate. No, he wanted to play with him first. Asshole.

"Oh, look, your mate is here. Shall I go greet him?" he said with the smirk I'd grown to know all too well.

I simply glared at him as he walked out of the house. In my position I was forced to watch through the window as he approached my mate. Thomas appeared unarmed, but I knew he had the ability to defend himself if necessary. Easton's downfall would be assuming we weren't prepared, that our fear of him would make his victory inevitable.

It took a lot of concentration, but I partially shifted my hand, swiping at the ropes that bound my wrists. It wasn't a common skill, which was why he probably hadn't even considered it when enacting his plan. And make no mistake about it, he'd been planning this for a long time.

At least Easton didn't have access to the things that would prevent me from shifting. Those collars would've made me useless and my mate a sitting duck. It was bad enough my limbs weren't working quite as well as I wanted.

With a little more effort, I knew I could get free and help Thomas. I just needed to get my legs untied and get out there before he could harm my mate. I hated taking my eyes off Thomas, but I had to in order to free my legs.

Then a loud smack and a yelp of pain made me launch forward, the chair still tied to my one leg. It was now or never. I had enough of my limbs free to shift without getting myself more entangled. I shifted to my cat form and leaped through the window with a crash. I didn't care about the rope burn on my leg or the broken glass shards that dug into my skin. All that mattered was getting between Easton and my mate.

I bounded toward Easton. He had my mate nearly pinned against the car. Blood had been drawn, but I didn't scent it from my mate. Had he hurt Easton in some way? Good. I would finish what my mate had started.

My cat landed on Easton, and I went to tear into his throat, but he shifted quickly and squirmed out from underneath me.

Once he was on his four feet, he hissed and swiped out a paw. He was larger than I was, by a lot. I knew he fought dirty, and I would too. But I'd been trained by the best. I wasn't the young alpha he once knew. I'd prepared for this… for him. No one messed with my mate.

There were others around me. I sensed them but didn't take the time to discern who they were. They scented of Asilo and Steelwick, and that was all that mattered. Thomas hadn't come alone. Even if I lost this battle, others would end Easton for me.

"Beckett!" Thomas shouted.

I didn't take my eyes off Easton. One wrong move could be the end of me. Easton was going to die here today for what he had done to my brother and my mate. He would not live to hurt another.

We circled each other. Easton sized me up. The coward would try any trick to get the upper hand, and I needed to be prepared. His paw swiped at the dirt, and I had to shield my eyes to avoid getting hit with rocks and dust. The fucker tried to blind me so he could gain the upper hand.

He pounced, and I leapt over him. Until he came at me at the right angle, I was going to avoid him. I only had one shot of doing this right, and I wasn't going to let my desire for him to meet the goddess cause me to act impulsively. I needed to be patient.

He growled. Easton wasn't one who liked to look foolish, and in his mind, that was exactly what that maneuver achieved. He charged at me this time, and just as he was about to reach me, I swatted his head with my paw. He was livid, the sound ripping from within his chest making it abundantly clear.

This time when he came for me, I let him think he had me right where he wanted me. I waited for my opening, and then I struck, my jaws clamping down around his shoulder. His cat yowled, and I bit harder and shook when I knew he was caught in my grasp. I let go, my paw catching his throat and pushing him back.

I struck again, this time clamping around his jugular. I didn't shake him, though—I tore, ripping out his throat. His screams were silenced. His body twitched, and the life drained from his eyes.

I backed away, letting him bleed into the dirt. He wouldn't hurt anyone anymore. It was too late to save his past victims, but at least it ended here. Never again would he harm an omega. Never again would someone live in fear of him. Never again would he steal someone's brother from them.

Thomas came to my side. He wrapped his arms around my neck. "Oh, thank the goddess you're okay."

I hated that my mate had to see me do such a terrible thing. It was necessary, and it wasn't like I could've stopped what I was doing to ask him to hide his eyes. He was a shifter. He knew how it was. I still wished he'd not seen me at my most deadly.

Easton had deserved his fate. No one would deny that.

I took my skin, not caring that I was sitting naked on the blood-covered dirt, surrounded by those who saw me take a life. I had no other choice, but that didn't make the act any less horrific. I ignored them completely and focused only on my mate.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going," I said. "I didn't expect him to be here. I wanted to get you that wolf." I forced a laugh. "Surprise?"

"Gods, I love you." He peppered my face with kisses. "It's over now. Our cub will be born into a world where Easton doesn't breathe…" He reached over and grabbed the wolf. "And they'll have a great carved wolf. Thank you, mate. Thank you for making this world safer for our young and for me."