39. Mai

My wrists ached where I'd rubbed the skin away, trying to get out of the ropes that bound them. I could taste the dust in my mouth, feel it clogging my throat. Panic scratched at the edges of my mind, but I pushed it away. I had to think, had to find a way out.

My eyes swept around the dim room, assessing every shadow, every crevice. A rusty nail protruded from the wall. Was it sharp enough to cut the ropes? Could I get myself over there? I strained against my bonds, feeling for any give. Nothing.

The door creaked open, and Carl walked in. He raised an eyebrow at my position on the floor. Then my heart stopped as he dragged in an unconscious figure. Jase. What the hell was he doing here?

"Found this pup snooping around," Carl said, his voice dripping with contempt. He looked at me, his eyes cold, calculating. "You know him?"

My mind raced. If I admitted to knowing Jase, would Carl kill him on the spot? If I lied, would he believe me? My heart pounded in my ears, but my voice was steady when I looked Carl in the eyes, shrugged, and answered, "Never seen him before."

Carl's eyes narrowed. "I think you're lying." There was no hesitation in his movement as he grabbed Jase's leg, positioned Jase's ankle between his legs, and, with a methodical twist, broke it.

My stomach dropped in horror as Jase's scream tore through the room. I screamed with him. It was like I could feel the echo of the pain in my own bones.

"You bastard!" I yelled, my voice breaking as I thrashed against my ropes. "Get the fuck away from him!"

Carl looked at me, his face impassive. Then he picked up Jase's other foot and broke it with the same clinical precision. I closed my eyes, bile rising in my throat as Jase screamed again.

When I opened them again, Carl was watching me, his expression unreadable. "Don't lie to me again," he said quietly, and then he turned and left the cabin, leaving me alone with Jase's ragged sobs.

I glanced around the room for the millionth time. Jase had slumped into unconsciousness about fifteen minutes ago. The pain was too much, and his mind shut down. It was a blessing. Awake, he was in too much pain. He needed to Shift. It would start the process of mending his ankles, enough perhaps that he could limp out of here. But to Shift, he needed to be awake. It would be agony Shifting with those broken bones. Normally, after an injury like this, a werewolf would Shift with the help of the Pack doctor. They'd talk them through it, give them painkillers if needed, and guide the bones into the right place so that they would heal properly. We didn't have Thomas here. If Jase wanted to survive, we were going to have to wing it.

My mind was working overtime. There had to be a way to escape, a way to save Jase and myself. I could feel the panic rising again, threatening to overwhelm me. The room seemed to close in on me, the walls pressing down, the air thick with the smell of dust and sweat, pain and fear. It came in waves, this feeling of helplessness. That we were both going to die here. It was taking me longer each time to push it back. To remember that I had to be strong, had to be focused. Carl was a killer, a man who would follow Brock's orders without question. There was no negotiating with him. He would kill us both if I didn't find a way out.

I was not going to die here. Not like this. I was going to get back to Ryan, and we were going to have mind-blowing sex three times a day for the next seventy years. I would get Jase out of here and watch him grow to be a bad-ass enforcer who was sulky and possessive and made all the girls and boys swoon when he walked past.

I scanned the room for the millionth time. The rusty nail? Still out of reach. The window? Too small, and it was barred, even if I could get free and reach it. If I Shifted, given my arms were bound behind my back, my forelegs would break, and I would be useless. Time was running out. Every second that ticked by was a second closer to Carl's return.

My anger flared, hot and fierce. Who the fuck was Carl that he'd become so twisted, so ruthless? I wanted to scream, to rage against the injustice of it all.

I looked at Jase again, his face pale and glazed with sweat. I had to find a way. I had to.

"Jase," I hissed, my voice colored with desperation. "Jase, wake the hell up!"

His eyes flickered, then slowly opened. The pain was a living thing in them, murky and intense.

"Mai?" He groaned, trying to adjust to his grim reality. "Fuck, it hurts!"

"I know. I'm so sorry, Jase. I will get you out of this, I promise. But you need to Shift."

"I … I don't know if I can, Mai. My wolf, he's not there. I shut him away when that fucker broke my ankle the first time."

I felt my wolf surge inside of me at Jase's words. She was doing something that I didn't understand. She yanked on my bond with Ryan, drawing energy from it, holding it, and then she pulled on a different bond.

What the fuck?

I closed my eyes and tried to follow what my wolf was doing. She was pulling on my Three Rivers bond, but she was searching among it for Jase's Pack bonds. Finally, I saw it along with Sam's and Derek's, Mason's and Sofia's, Thomas's and Wally's. I don't know how I could recognize each one, but I was sure of it. They were all there: our renegade Pack. This would only be possible if all of them really did see me as their Alpha. They believed in me. Trusted me to look out for them, to protect them, no matter what.

With a nudge from my wolf, I reached inside myself and drew on those bonds. Then I redirected the energy along the thread that was Jase. His eyes widened in shock, but I could feel his pain receding.

"Now, Jase. Shift now!" I ordered.

He gritted his teeth, his body tensing. And then he Shifted. His bones cracked, snapping and reshaping with gut-wrenching brutality. Fur sprouted from his skin like wildfire, his face elongating into a snout. I could hear his stifled whimpers as his broken ankles realigned themselves. Then it was over, and he lay there, a dappled gray and black wolf, panting heavily.

"Well done. I'm proud of you," I murmured, even though my heart was pounding like a drum solo.

After a moment, Jase braced his forelegs and tried to stand. His back legs collapsed immediately.

Shit!

Jase didn't stay there. Instead, he started to pull himself forward, crawling slowly but surely over to me.

"You're amazing, you know that?" I whispered when he reached my side. I couldn't imagine the pain he must be in. Jase grunted quietly at me; then his jaws closed firmly around the ropes binding my wrists. He tugged and gnawed while I kept my eyes on the door. I was sure Carl was going to appear any second.

Finally, after what felt like days, the ropes gave way, snapping apart, and my hands were free. The blood rushed back into my numb hands, making them sting. I massaged them, trying to get some feeling back. We had to get out of here, if only my fingers would start working. The feeling came back slowly, so damned slowly. When I could move them, I leaned forward and went to work on the bindings around my feet. They came loose easier, and I stood up. Ignoring all the pains and aches in my legs, my ribs, my arms, I slipped over to the door. My ear pressed against the cold wood as I listened for any sign of Carl. Silence. That bastard could be anywhere.

I looked back at Jase, his wolf eyes meeting mine with an intensity that shook me to my core. He shook his head. I knew what he was trying to say. That he couldn't walk. That he would slow me down. That I should leave him.

"Not a fucking chance, Jase. I'm getting us out of here," I promised, my voice a low growl that left no room for doubt.

And with that, my fingers closed around the door handle, ready to crack it open and face whatever hell awaited us on the other side.