Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Everything was going to be fine, Ashley told herself as she swallowed hard, unable to look away from Kale as she watched blood continue to pool beneath him. Willing her hands to stop trembling, she reached for him only to go still when the man pointing the gun at Kale’s chest said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Releasing a shaky breath, Ashley pulled her handcuffed hands back and glanced from Kale, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her since he’d been forced to his knees when they’d threatened to shoot her, to the man that smelled like apples as she struggled to make sense out of what was happening. One minute, Kale was telling her to run and the next…

They shot him only to shoot him again when she made the mistake of trying to go to him, forcing her to stand there, afraid to so much as breathe as she watched more blood pool onto the kitchen floor beneath Kale even as his silver eyes pleaded with her to run.

She couldn’t run.

She couldn’t move, Ashley inwardly screamed at herself as she risked a glance at the man that smelled like apples as he kept his gun aimed at Kale, letting her know that he would shoot Kale again if she tried to move. She needed to figure a way out of this before it was too late, Ashley thought as she glanced back at the front door and watched several more men walk into the house as the unmistakable scent of shifter reached her just as the power was turned back on.

A few minutes later, a man smaller than the rest of the men walked in the house wearing a cocky grin. His scent was weaker than Kale’s and Jacob’s, she thought only to realize that he wasn’t an Alpha as she watched him turn Kale’s favorite chair around and dropped down in it with a satisfied sigh.

“Kale Quinn, we meet at last,” the shifter said, smiling hugely as Ashley’s gaze flickered back to Kale to find him glaring at the newcomer.

“Andrew Vane,” Kale bit out coldly as he moved to stand up only to go still when a second gun was aimed at her.

“You are not an easy man to find, but thankfully, I was able to make a deal with a Master who wants something that you have,” Andrew said, gesturing for the men flanking him to proceed.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” Kale bit out, moving to stop them when the men aiming their guns at her head lowered their guns so that they were pointing them at her stomach.

“It’s okay,” Ashley said, trying for a reassuring smile and failing miserably as she stood there, watching the men move closer as the urge to shift had her clenching her hands into fists, knowing that they would kill Kale if she did.

“Listen to your mate, Kale,” Andrew said mockingly as he gestured for them to continue. Keeping his gaze locked on her, the man closest to her put his weapon away and pulled out a syringe filled with what looked like blood.

“Wh-What is that?” Ashley asked, swallowing nervously as she watched him remove the cap off the syringe.

“Don’t fucking do it,” Kale bit out as she was forced to stand there as he came closer, the scent of apples becoming thicker as he grabbed her arm and slid the needle into her bicep.

“It’s just something to stop you from doing anything stupid,” he said only to add, “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t hurt the baby,” as he injected whatever was in the syringe into her arm and-

“I…I don’t feel so good,” Ashley mumbled in a daze as her legs suddenly gave out, dropping her to the floor as a cold sensation traveled up her arm, causing her head to start spinning as pain shot up her spine only to settle in her stomach. “What did you give me?” she asked, her head dropping forward as she was forced to close her eyes.

“Human blood mixed with enough narcotics to make sure that we’re not going to have any problems,” Andrew murmured absently before asking, “Where’s your father, Ashley?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, struggling to focus as the sounds that she’d been able to block out since she woke up suddenly slammed into her head.

“Where’s your father?” Kale countered, sounding pissed.

“Most likely in his office waiting for the call letting him know that you’re dead,” Andrew said, shrugging it off as he shifted his focus back on her. “I really hope that you’re not lying to me, Ashley.”

“I don’t know where he is,” Ashley said, pressing her hands against her ears as she was forced to rest her forehead against the kitchen floor as the scent of apples, shifters, blood, and so many other scents that she couldn’t make out slammed into her head, forcing her to close her eyes as she struggled not to shift.

She couldn’t do it.

They’ll hurt Kale, Ashley told herself over and over again, forcing herself to open her eyes as she turned her head and met Kale’s silver gaze. “Shift,” he mouthed, his expression pained and she knew that it had nothing to do with the silver that was slowly starting to kill him.

“No,” she mouthed back, struggling not to cry as she watched blood continue to pool onto the kitchen floor around him.

“Who’s your father, Ashley?” Andrew asked as she stared at Kale, silently pleading with him to shift.

He needed to shift, but she knew that he wouldn’t do it and she couldn’t get close enough to him to give him some of her blood. God, he was stubborn, Ashley thought as she answered, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Andrew murmured, sounding thoughtful as Ashley struggled to keep it together, but…

They were going to kill him and she just…she just…

“Let him go and I’ll tell you,” Ashley said, releasing a shaky breath, praying that they let him go before it was too late.

“I’m afraid that I can’t do that. He’s got information that I need,” Andrew explained.

“You’re going to let her go or I’m going to rip your fucking throat out,” Kale bit out coldly.

“We could do that,” Andrew drawled before adding, “or we could try this another way.”