Bred by the Alpha(16)

Where would she go?

They were wolves.

Actual wolves.

They'd track her down.

Kill her.

Tear her apart.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Everything was just happening too fast.

There was nothing she could do.

Closing her eyes, she saw Liam's smiling face. The way he'd watched her  at the supermarket. The kindness he'd shown in helping her. Alphie by  his side.

She hoped his dog was okay.

She loved that dog.

You love him as well.

She sniffled.

Even though Liam hadn't told her the truth, she couldn't stay mad at  him. He'd gotten underneath her skin and helped her to realize what love  was all about. She hadn't known him long, but she knew him long enough  to know that she had feelings for him.

"What if I told you I'm fifty? Twenty years older than you."

Everything made a lot more sense now. In a way, Liam had been trying to  break the news of what he was to her. Asking her questions about wolves,  her thoughts, her views. Anything that would help her get used to the  thought of him being a wolf.

Was it so bad to think of him like that?

She was only at his home and the forest for a short time, but she'd felt  that connection. With Liam, at his home, part of his pack, she'd felt  at home. No place had ever felt like that to her. All of her life, she'd  felt like the outsider, not really fitting in with anyone.

At least she got a taste of that just once.

You can't let go. Don't give up. Don't let them win. Fight. You're better than this, Rebecca. Stop being scared.

Liam will come.

He wasn't there.

He'll come.

You're his mate, and from all your reading on mates, he will come for  you because he wants you, he loves you, and he'll hurt Payne. He'll  protect you.

Opening her eyes, Rebecca sat up.

Taking a deep breath, she stared straight ahead.

She wouldn't give in or let them win.

She was stronger than this.

When Liam came, she'd be ready for him. When he got her home, he had a whole lot of explaining to do.





Chapter Nine



Of course, Rebecca hoped the commotion Payne went to check on was Liam  coming to her rescue. It was a selfish thought, because as much as she  wanted out of her prison, she didn't want Liam hurt. They were expecting  him, and probably had some elaborate trap waiting, just like they'd  used Alphie to entrap her.                       
       
           



       

She wasn't sure how much time passed, but one of the men walked by her  cage, smoking a cigarette. He sneered at her. "Looks like we've got one  of Liam's men. Won't be long until we have the rest, including the  alpha." He blew out a cloud of smoke. "I suggest you get comfortable and  settle in for the long haul."

Rebecca slunk, feeling boneless from the disappointment. Once alone  again, she couldn't help but cry. Her life was a joke. Before meeting  Liam, her daily life had been no different than living in this prison.  She wished she'd been braver, taken more chances, but her damn anxiety  always held her back.

Her arms cramped from holding them across her chest. No way would she  give any of these creeps a free view of her nudity if she could help it.  Even if they were grossed out by her rolls. The only man who mattered,  the man who made her feel like a queen, was Liam.

"Hey."

Rebecca turned to the whisper. There was another naked woman on the  other side of the bars. She wondered how many women were held captive  here, but knowing she wasn't the only one made her feel less alone.

"Hi," Rebecca said.

The woman looked both ways, then stood up from her crouch. She had a  gorgeous figure, the kind Rebecca could only dream of having. Her long,  dark hair fell over both shoulders, partially covering her rounded  breasts. She started picking the lock. What was going on? Was there a  grand escape attempt? Rebecca didn't want to get hurt in the crossfire  since she wasn't fast or stealthy.

When the lock opened, the woman pushed open the bars and curled a finger  for Rebecca to come. She held up her chains, showing her there was no  escaping. Not for her. Instead of running away, the woman joined her in  the cell and went to work at the locks around her wrists.

"Who are you?" asked Rebecca.

She smiled, no sense of fear surrounding her despite their predicament.  In fact, her confidence was palpable. "My name's Lilla. I'm Ben's mate."

Her mouth fell open. Ben was one of Liam's friends. One of his pack. "I don't understand."

The locks opened one after the other, and Rebecca was free. "Males can  be hotheaded at times, especially when mates are involved. Sometimes  they underestimate us, think we need their protection." She winked. "But  she-wolves can be just as lethal. And we don't like to be told what to  do."

She pulled Rebecca up to her feet.

"We'll never get out of here. There are so many men working for Payne. He could be back at any second."

What if something happened to Lilla because of her? This wasn't her  fight, and Rebecca didn't want to be responsible for anything that could  go wrong.

"We'll be fine."

"Lilla, I'm not a she-wolf. I'm human."

"I know. Come on." Just as they took their first steps, that asshole  with the cigarette appeared around the corner and caught sight of them.  He stopped dead, crushed his cigarette under his boot, then cracked his  knuckles. Within moments, Lilla shifted into a snarling beast, her  deadly fangs and intent gaze focused on the man. She lunged forward,  sinking her teeth into his leg and shaking back and forth. When he cried  out in pain, she knocked him down and went for his jugular.

It was over in seconds.

Blood pooled on the concrete, spreading around the body in a morbid display.

Rebecca stood in shock until the wolf let out a low bark to catch her  attention. She knew Lilla wanted her to follow, so she stepped around  the dead man and chased after the magnificent black wolf.

They weaved in and out of a tent camp, makeshift shelters and huts,  barbeque pits, and clothes hanging on lines. Rebecca grabbed a white  t-shirt off a line as she tried to keep up with the she-wolf, pulling it  on over her head. It was long, covering just past her ass, and she  instantly felt better despite her life still being in danger.

The wolf came to a standstill just ahead, the area sheltered by pines.  Rebecca had never seen a wolf shifter in the fur. Part of her still felt  a sliver of fear even though she knew it was Lilla under there  somewhere. She was a beautiful animal, sleek fur, expressive eyes.

Lilla changed back into a human, morphing before her eyes. Rebecca would  never get used to it, no matter how many times she witnessed such a  miracle.                       
       
           



       

"Okay, you'll be safe here for now," said Lilla.

"Where's Liam?"

"The males had some plan in mind, but it fell apart when Ben was captured."

"Your mate?"

She nodded. "I'm going to save his ass, and then we'll all get out of  here. Sarah is scouting the area. She'll come for you first. She's a  white wolf." Lilla put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "Don't be afraid."

"I'll try my best."

"No, really, they smell fear. Think good thoughts, and we'll be back for  you." She bent forward and landed on wolf feet. Before Rebecca could  blink, there was no sign of the black she-wolf. She rubbed her arms,  hating everything about the situation.

As time ticked by, she wondered if Payne had been right. Maybe Rebecca  wasn't worthy of Liam. After seeing Lilla, her power, strength, and  beauty, there was no way she could compare.

Stop it, Rebecca. These negative thoughts aren't helping anyone. Liam loves you, nobody else.

Then where was he? What if he was captured like Ben? Imagining something  happening to Liam made her realize just how much she loved him. Love,  such a big word. She'd only known him a short time, but the feeling was  strong within her, leaving no doubt in her mind. Man or werewolf, it  shouldn't matter. It didn't matter. She just needed him back.

She'd been kneeling on the forest floor for a while, not wanting her  bare ass against the leaves and dirt. The white wolf she'd been waiting  for came rushing by. It stopped dead, nudging her with its snout until  Rebecca toppled over, and then it ran away. Another wolf raced by  moments later, in hot pursuit of the beautiful white wolf.

A burst of emotion made Rebecca's sinuses sting. The wolf had saved her,  knocked her down to hide from Payne's man. She prayed Sarah would be  okay, that's she'd be able to outrun the enemy.

Who would come for her now?

Rebecca wasn't going to sit in the forest until nightfall. Everything  was changing, and she had to be proactive. She crept back through the  shacks and tents, listening and hiding. Her heart raced like a freight  train, fear of being caught terrifying her. As she got closer to her  original prison, she heard a yelp. The sound traveled straight through  her, feeling like a punch to her gut. She peered through some knots in  the boards of a ramshackle fence and saw red across the white wolf's  fur. Rebecca gasped, covering her face and nose with her hands.