Chapter 18

Jasper, Joss, Lucius, and Alfie parted ways with Finn and the others. Viola stayed with the vehicles out of sight because no one wanted her to be harmed.

As they were making their way slowly and quietly through the woods toward the alpha’s home and the clearing, an alarm sounded suddenly and Jasper let out a growling sigh.

“Damn it,” he said.

“That’s okay, it’s a good distraction,” Joss said. “Let’s hustle.”

Jasper led the way through the woods, his wolf rolling under his skin to get to Melody.

He stopped the group as the clearing came into view and frowned as he realized Melody wasn’t there. He was sure she would have been in the clearing, but where the hell was she?

“There’s a chain and a cuff,” Lucius said, pointing to a large tree that had a thick chain wrapped around it.

“Someone set her free or Ludo moved her?” Jasper asked.

“One way to find out,” Joss said. “Let’s hit the house.”

They hurried toward the large home. As they neared the back porch, someone hit Jasper and knocked him off his feet. Clawed fingers gripped his throat and squeezed, and Jasper found himself at the mercy of a male with a scar on his cheek.

Jasper kicked up and over, twisting out of the male’s grasp. Around him, Joss, Lucius, and Alfie were fighting, but he didn’t think any of the males were Ludo.

“Show yourself, Ludo!” Jasper yelled as he ducked the scarred male’s fist. “Give me back my mate!”

A low growl rumbled from the porch and two males emerged with Melody and a female Jasper didn’t recognize; the one in back had a firm hold of the females’ shirts.

“You dare to challenge me?” the male in front demanded.

Ludo.

“Let Melody and her friend go,” Jasper said.

“Finish him, Glen,” Ludo said.

“No!” Melody yelled. The male holding her shook her like a doll and Melody squeaked in pain.

Glen, the male with the scar, had stood clutching his side where Jasper had nailed him with his foot. On Ludo’s order, he snarled and dove at Jasper, who side-stepped the male and slammed his fist into his back, sending him to the ground with a groan. Jasper wrenched his arm behind his back and the male howled.

“Let them go,” Jasper demanded.

“I don’t care what you do to Glen,” Ludo said. “Melody isn’t going anywhere. Her parents have escaped, but I’ll find them and I’ll deal with them all. You have a chance to leave the pack with your life and the lives of your friends, but you’ll not take any of my pack members with you.”

Jasper growled darkly and twisted, breaking Glen’s arm to keep him from causing trouble for the moment.

As Glen screamed in pain, Jasper leaped forward as Ludo did the same, the two crashing into each other, rolling to the ground in a flurry of claws and fangs. Ludo’s claws slashed through the air with deadly intent. Jasper dodged the blow and countered with a swift strike, aiming for Ludo’s side.

The alpha twisted away and danced out of reach while Jasper rose to his feet.

“Jasper!” Melody shouted. Jasper looked for her and found her being dragged into the house along with her friend, the two struggling in the male’s grip.

“Dirce will keep them safe,” Ludo taunted. “ Safe being a relative word.”

Jasper turned with a howl and launched himself at the alpha, claws sharp and aimed at his heart.

Shit shit shit!

Melody couldn’t get away from Dirce, who’d found her and Ellie just as they’d left the clearing. The male had hurt Ellie to get Melody to come with him. Ludo had shown them Chantal, who was lying in a heap on the floor of the front room of the alpha’s house, badly beaten and groaning.

Ludo had seen through Chantal’s plans to keep him busy, and that’s how he’d thought to send Dirce to check on her.

Melody remembered her dad telling her one time that if someone had a hold of her, she could get free by trying to take them off their feet. Knowing it might make things worse but needing to take a chance to get her and Ellie free, she jerked backward and shoved herself into Dirce.

He grunted and tumbled to the floor, letting go of his grip on her and Ellie.

Melody grabbed the nearest chair and stood over Dirce, slamming it into him until he was bleeding and groaning in pain.

The chair, now broken into pieces, dropped to the floor and Melody nearly fell over as her adrenaline spiked. She dropped to her knees next to Ellie to check on Chantal.

“I’ll be okay, girls,” Chantal said. “Just some minor wounds.”

“Minor? Mom, he could have killed you,” Ellie said, whispering the words through tears.

“I know, love, but I had to help.”

“You got this? I need to help my mate,” Melody said.

“I’ll get Mom to our house,” Ellie said. “Go save the day.”

Melody let out her claws, the small but sharp black tips bursting from her fingers.

“Be safe,” she said, then ran from the house.

Jasper gritted his teeth as fury burned hot in his veins. He lunged at Ludo again, aiming for his throat. Their bodies collided with a bone-jarring impact, claws and fangs flashing. Jasper fought with everything he had, fueled by his desperation to keep Melody safe.

But Ludo was relentless, and his strength and abilities were proving to be a challenge. Jasper was a good fighter, but he’d never had to fight for his life like this before. Ludo ducked and took Jasper off his feet with a shoulder to his ribcage, sending him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him.

Ludo raked his claws down Jasper’s side with a sneer.

Growling fiercely, Jasper pushed back against Ludo and twisted out of the way of his murderous claws. Spinning behind Ludo, Jasper wrapped his arm around his throat and grabbed his wrist, cranking hard on his arm to cut off his air.

Ludo slashed at Jasper’s arms, but he refused to let go, even when hot blood poured down his arms and his vision blurred with pain. Ludo slowly, finally went limp, and Jasper lowered him to the ground and released him.

Melody rushed from the house and Jasper moved to meet her, catching her in his arms as she sobbed.

He winced and she gasped, trying to push out of his arms.

“You’re hurt! You’re really hurt!”

“I’m okay, are you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, exhaling shakily.

He looked behind him to see his friends had been triumphant and the males were down.

“That’s five including Ludo,” Jasper said. “I think the others must be near the prison, which is why the alarm went off. Is your friend okay?”

He turned to look at Melody and she smiled at him, her lip cracking and bleeding with the motion. “She will be. She took her mom to their house.”

Her smile slipped and tears welled in her eyes. “I just want to go home to the park.”

“I know, baby, we will.”

Suddenly, she inhaled sharply and pushed Jasper out of the way. He stumbled away from her, cursing as he nearly fell over.

Melody screamed and Jasper spun, finding Ludo with his claws deep in Melody’s side, dark blood pouring from the wound.

No!