Page 51 of The Raven's Alpha

I slip into the abandoned warehouse, trying to keep my emotions in check, my heart pounding with excitement and my senses on high alert. But then I hear it – the omega-cry that shatters the silence like a razor-sharp blade. My mate's desperate call echoes off the walls, and something inside me snaps. My rage boils over, a maelstrom of fury that threatens to consume me whole. My bear transforms into a raging beast, its fur standing on end as it lets out a primal roar that shakes the very foundations of the building. The sound is like nothing I've ever heard before – a raw, savage cry that sends shivers down my spine and leaves me trembling with fury.

As I storm into the room, I catch a glimpse of Darcy's terrified face – his eyes wide with fear, his face pale and sweaty – as that alpha's hands cling to his back. I rip the alpha off my mate with a fierce snarl, and as soon as I break Darcy from his restraints, I push him towards the other omega.

I allow the primal fury to consume me. I let the alpha's corpse writhe beneath my claws, the sound of his gurgling screams is music to my ears as I rip it apart, flesh tearing from bone in wet, sloppy chunks. The thrill of victory is short-lived, though, as another shifter slams into me, teeth snapping wildly as it attempts to tear out my throat. Its claws digging deep into my neck, the pain searing like a branding iron, before I manage to get the upper hand and chuck him off of me.

When the dust settles, I'm left sitting in the back of the car that originally brought us here, my arms wrapped around Darcy's shaking form as he trembles in my lap. Darcy's tears mingle with my own sweat-soaked skin. His eyes are glassy, his pupils dilated, as he clings to me like a lifeline, his ragged breathing echoing through my ears.

Those sadistic bastards had captured my mate and stripped him bare, leaving him hog-tied and naked on the cold, hard floor. The stench of sweat and fear hangs heavy in the air as I hold my mate closer. His skin is like ice against my own heated skin, and I can feel my own anger simmering like a pot about to boil over.

I don’t even bother trying to ask my mate any questions just yet, I just let him sob against my shoulder as I continue to use my wrists to scent all the parts of him I can reach.

Without a word, my father knows we need to head straight back to Everlong, away from the chaos of this place. I crave the solace of our quiet, familiar streets and the cosy cabin I call home. I'm too spent to muster the energy to reach out to my mother and reassure her we're okay – or as okay as we can be given the situation.

I shut my eyes and concentrate on the gentle rise and fall of Darcy’s chest and the softness of his breath against my skin. The slowly warming temperature of his body seeps into mine, a comforting reminder that he's alive and safe in my arms. I breathe in deeply, savouring his scent mingling with my own, a familiar blend that calms my racing thoughts

My father's firm grip on my arm jolts me awake, and I sit up straight, rubbing my eyes. "Take him inside and look after him," he orders quietly, his voice low and serious. "Don't worry about anyone else – you’re mother and I have already spoken."

I ease myself out of the car, careful not to jostle Darcy in my arms, the cool evening air envelops us, carrying the scent of damp earth and leaves. I take a deep breath, savouring the peacefulness of the forest, and begin the walk towards my cabin. As I move awayfrom the car, I whisper a soft goodbye to my father, who nods in understanding before turning back to his own thoughts.

I never would have been able to predict what had have happened on our journey to visit my family, but I say a quick thank you to the Goddess that my mate is still here with me.

I push open the creaky door and step into the dimly lit cabin, I'm relieved to finally be home. I hold my mate tighter in my arms and hurry to the bedroom, planning to tuck him under my bed sheets and let him catch up on some much-needed sleep. But just as I'm about to settle in, Darcy suddenly sits up with a cry, his tiny fists clenching my skin as he struggles against my hold.

"Hey, hey. We're back home, back in our cabin," I continue, trying to reassure him with a gentle tone. As I speak, I gently stroke his hair, hoping to calm him further. It takes a moment for his gaze to focus, his eyes squinting as he takes in our surroundings. His grip on me tightens, and I can feel his heart racing beneath his skin.

Darcy's face contorts in a mix of fear and confusion, his eyes wide with tears as he buries his face against my chest. His small body shakes with sobs, his tiny fists clenched in my shirt. I wrap my arms tighter around him, trying to comfort him with a gentle rocking motion. I hold him close, feeling a pang of compassion mixed with a deep sadness wash over me.

When his tears begin to subside, he gazes at me with a mix of fear and desperation, his eyes pleading for reassurance. He slowly pulls back, his face wet with tears, and searches mine for answers. I can see the weight of his emotions bearing down on him as he takes a deep breath before rushing out to say, "I-I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again. I didn’t even know if you were still alive." He pauses, his chest heaving with sobs. "Goddess, Eddy... I was so scared... so scared that I’d never be able to tell you how much I love you."

My eyes sting with unshed tears and I finally release the flow I've been damming up since the moment I found him. The air constrictsin my lungs as I struggle to draw breath through the agony of almost losing my fated mate, the one being destined to be mine.

“I couldn’t feel you Darcy, I know our bond isn’t complete, but I’m still able to feel you in my heart when I think of you, but there was nothing. When I woke up after the truck crashed, I was terrified when I didn’t see you sitting in the seat next to me. These past two days have been the worst of my life, I-I’m so glad that you’re here.”

“How did you find me?”

Before answering him, I walk us to the bathroom and lean over the tub and turn on the hot water. “Let me get you into the bathtub first and then I’ll explain everything.”

The bathtub takes only a few minutes to fill, and I crouch down beside it, my fingers already easing Darcy into the hot water. Just as I'm about to release him, his hands shoot out, wrapping around my wrist. “Don't go,” he pleads, his voice low and urgent.

I wrap my hands around his, grasping his hands firmly in mine. 'I'm not going anywhere,” I reassure him, my voice soft and steady as I hold his fragile hands and lower myself to my knees beside the tub. “I'm staying right here, Darcy.”

I keep our hands intertwined as I recount the events that led us to this moment. I start from the instant I woke up, then tell him about my father's frantic arrival, the men who stormed into Grizzly-Fields, and how Ezra's quick thinking allowed us to track his location. “It was a gamble following the trail from your necklace,” I explain, “but it was our only lead. And, fortunately, those idiots are as foolish as they are ruthless. That's why I found this...” I rummage through my pocket and produce the necklace, holding it up for him to see.

Darcy's fingers brush against mine as he gently coaxes the bear pendant from my grasp. He raises the delicate chain to his neck, and as the pendant settles into place, his shoulders ease, his tension slowly unravelling like a thread pulled free from a tangled skein.

Grabbing the soap and I rub it into a rich lather, the bubbles tracing gentle paths down my forearms, Darcy lets out a soft sigh and closes his eyes, surrendering to my attention. The silence between us is a warm blanket, wrapping us in a sense of intimacy and trust. Only when his stomach growls for the fourth time does he rouse himself, and I say, “Time to get you out of here and eat,” my voice low and gentle, as I gently rinse the soap from his skin.

Dressing Darcy in my favourite sweater and a pair of boxers, a comforting ritual that feels like a hug, I lead him to the sofa and drape a plush blanket around his shoulders. I hand him the remote and my phone and say, “Take your pick and choose what you’d like to eat, and I'll order us something.”

I glance at my phone, I'm surprised to find it's only 9:07 AM. Darcy chooses what he wants for breakfast, while I head to the kitchen and fill a tall glass with ice-cold water and pour a steaming mug of coffee. As we settle on the sofa, Darcy reaches for the water first, downing the entire glass in one swift motion.

My mate wasn’t away from me for that long, but I imagine his captors didn’t provide him anything to eat or drink during that time. A fresh wave of pain rushes over me when I think of Darcy alone in that place, how scared he must have been.

Darcy's soft whisper cuts through my reverie, his words a gentle prod that shakes me back to reality. “Hey,” he says, his voice low and calm, “I'm okay. You got there before things got too bad.”

The image of that alpha on Darcy's back ignites a furnace of anger within me, but before it can consume me, he crawls into my lap, his presence a cold compress on the flames of my rage. "Eddy, I'm okay," he reassures me, his voice shaking slightly as he forces a gentle smile. "I was terrified, but I'm fine now. I promise. I won't sugar-coat it – I was petrified. But I'll be okay, eventually.”

I'm hesitant to ask Darcy the full story, my guilt and shame over failing to protect him, is like a weight in my chest. Before I canfind my voice, Darcy starts speaking, his words tumbling out in a rush. “Do you know what belladonna is?” his tone detached, his eyes distant. “I didn't until now. It's a plant that can cause hallucinations so vivid they're almost real.”