Chapter 17

Melody woke up when something pinched her wrist. She was groggy as hell, like she’d just woken up from a hangover, except she didn’t really drink.

She opened her eyes and winced at the bright sunshine.

Where the hell was she?

Blinking rapidly, she saw familiar woods and realized she was chained to a tree. A thick copper-colored chain was fixed to a cuff made of dark metal and attached to her wrist.

She was in Northbelle.

Memories flooded back, and she remembered being attacked with her parents in the park and someone cutting off her air.

This was not good.

Someone squatted down in front of her, and she slid her gaze over. She didn’t recognize the male, but he had an air of authority that made her think it was probably Ludo.

“Hello. You’re quite the inventive female, hiding away and then bringing strangers into my territory and setting my enemy free.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, wondering if she could play dumb long enough to figure out how to set herself free.

Because what if no one knew she was gone yet? And how the hell long had she been unconscious?

She spoke Jasper’s name in her head, wishing she could communicate telepathically with her soulmate and tell him where she was.

I’m in trouble, Jasper.

Ludo smacked her so fast and hard that her ears rang and she tasted blood.

As her vision blurred and her mind spun, she winced and spit blood on the ground, wiping her mouth with her free hand.

“Let’s not lie, shall we, Melody? One of my captives told me that a male named Jasper set your parents free. He didn’t offer that information up willingly, of course, but he did give it eventually.” The smile on his face was purely feral and evil and made Melody want to run away and hide.

He crept forward, his eyes the amber of his beast. She tried to move away from him, but the chain was too short and she was trapped against the tree. He reached for her, jerking her hips forward and stretching her away from the tree until the cuff bit into her skin. She screamed and kicked at him as fear pulsed through her, but then he dug into her back pocket and took out her phone.

He stood and stared down at her for a moment as if enjoying that she’d been terrified of his plans when he’d touched her, and then he looked at her phone. He bent and held it in front of her face to unlock it, then moved his finger on the screen.

The phone rang as he put the call on speaker.

On the second ring, Jasper answered, “Melody?”

“Not quite,” Ludo said. “I have her here. She’s keeping me company.”

“You will regret harming her,” Jasper said, his voice filled with menace.

“Not as much as you’ll regret not doing exactly as I say.” Ludo nodded at someone behind Melody. She was suddenly wrenched to her feet, the short chain rattling as the cuff scraped her wrist and her arm felt like it was going to be pulled out of the socket. She screamed in pain as her free arm was twisted behind her back and she had to go onto her tiptoes to keep the pain at bay.

“Melody!” Jasper yelled.

“Do I have your attention?” Ludo demanded.

Jasper growled. “Yes.”

Ludo nodded. Whoever was holding Melody dropped her like a sack of potatoes and she fell to the ground in a heap.

“I assume you’re on the way to save your mate. In order to do that, however, I need your father-in-law to do something for me.”

“What?” Jasper asked when there was a long pause.

“Sacrifice himself and his mate.”

Melody frowned. What the hell did that mean?

“How is he supposed to do that?”

“By surrendering himself, and his mate, to me. There will be a public execution, which will prove to the pack that I’m the rightful alpha and no one who comes against me will be allowed to continue to breathe.” Ludo’s gaze dropped to Melody, and she saw in the dark depths that he was going to kill her too.

And Jasper.

“It’s a trap!” she yelled. “Jasper!”

Someone hit her and her vision went dark as pain engulfed her. Slumping against the tree, she heard Jasper call for her and then a high-pitched ringing.

And then everything went dark.

Jasper roared as he heard Melody’s cry for help get cut off by a loud sound like someone punching her. Finn grabbed the phone from his hand.

“Don’t hurt her, Ludo,” he said. “I’ll come, I swear. Just don’t hurt her.”

“Don’t keep me waiting,” Ludo said. “She’s a pretty thing, and my males have been alone a long time.”

The call ended and Finn handed the phone back to Jasper as Viola started to cry.

He quickly texted an update to Joss. Then he turned in the seat and stared at Finn. “Change of plans.”

“What did you have in mind?” Finn asked. He put his arm around Viola and hugged her.

“Some of my friends will go with you to set the high-ranked males free. I’m going to get Melody.”

“You need my help,” Finn said.

“No, you need the help of your people to take on Ludo, I only care about Melody. But Joss agreed that you can’t do it alone, and we can’t allow Ludo to continue to be a threat. We’ll park on the east side of the territory, closer to the prison.”

He changed the coordinates on the GPS screen and the new arrival time was a mere seventeen minutes away.

“Thank you, Jasper,” Finn said.

“Don’t thank me until Melody is free and that male is put down.”

Turning back in the seat, he glanced at Lucius, who gave him an encouraging nod. “I’ve got your back, man.”

“Thanks.”

Jasper focused on the task ahead. He and a few of his friends were going to head to the alpha’s home, where he was certain Melody was being held. There was a clearing near the house that was used for ceremonies and pack gatherings, and it would make sense that she’d be held there, and that a public execution would be as well.

I’m coming for you, Mellie-mine. Just hold on.

Melody woke a second time with a groan. She couldn’t believe she’d been unconscious. Again!

Her head felt like it was filled with lead, and everything hurt.

“Psst.”

Melody tilted her head to the side and saw nothing but white for a moment, and then her vision cleared and she could see a shadow of something in the trees.

Ellie!

Her friend moved forward a little, and Melody shook her head.

Too dangerous , she mouthed.

Ellie pointed to herself and then to Melody, then she held up something metal and pointed to her wrist.

A male walked into the clearing and stared at Melody. He had dark blond hair and a scar that bisected his eyebrow and curved down his cheek. She stared back at him, praying he wouldn’t look in Ellie’s direction.

“Can I help you?” she asked irritably.

“Ludo said you’ll be meat for the pack later,” he said.

“Meat?”

“You know.”

A shudder wove through her. They were planning to rape her.

Holy shit, she needed to get away from here.

“In your dreams, asshole,” she said.

He snarled and took a menacing step toward her. A male stepped out from the alpha’s home and yelled, “Fucking leave her alone, Glen. Ludo said she’s off limits unless her dad does something stupid.”

Glen cracked his knuckles. “I hope your dad’s an idiot, little bitch. You’ll be fun to break.”

He turned and stalked back the way he came. Melody slumped against the tree. Shit, she was in trouble. She waited until the male on the porch went into the alpha’s house, and then she looked around the clearing and didn’t see anyone.

But she doubted that Ludo would leave her entirely alone and suspected someone was watching.

“It’s too dangerous,” she said quietly. “My mate will come for me.”

“Hell no, girl,” Ellie said. “My mom’s entertaining Ludo. I checked the area, and except for that Glen asshole, no one is nearby. Just try to look normal and put your wrist as close to the ground as you can.”

Melody did as she was told, angling her wrist toward the ground as far as the chain would allow. Ellie stole forward and crouched behind the tree.

“Is your mom really having sex with Ludo as a distraction?”

“Yeah. Don’t ask me any questions, I’m grossed out enough as it is.”

“I…don’t know what to say about that.”

“Mom loves you like a second daughter, you know that. She gave me the lock pick tools and told me she’d keep him busy.”

“Thanks, Ellie. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too.”

Ellie worked on the cuff, cursing a few times as the mechanism inside clicked.

An alarm sounded in the distance, and Melody sucked in a sharp breath.

“Hurry, Ellie.”

“I’m trying, damn it. Think good thoughts.”

“How the hell is that supposed to help?”

“Well, rushing me isn’t helping. Damn it!” Something scraped loudly and then clicked. “Woohoo!” Ellie quietly cheered as the cuff opened and Melody twisted her wrist free.

Ellie grabbed her good hand and they hurried off into the woods to find Jasper. She was sure that’s who had set off the alarm that was still blaring in the territory.