Saved By The Alpha
Chapter 30

I’d never driven so fast in my life. It helped, of course, that Eli owned some sort of fancy, exotic sports car, but even if he’d owned a jalopy, I’d have put the pedal to the floor and gotten us to the cave the fastest way I knew how. Brock and the Raven Brothers had Bella. I had no idea what they were going to do to her, but someone had mentioned needing ‘alpha b***d’ to access the treasure, and that was all I could think of now.

Bella. Bella’s b***d. What those f*****g creeps would do to get it.

I’d never felt so terrified or so furious in all my life, not even the day my parents had been gunned down. Never did I think that moment would be superseded by something. And yet here we are.

As soon as we pulled into a parking lot, I all but threw myself out of the car. “What the heck is this?” I demanded, looking at Remus as he got out. “This looks like some tourist destination.”

“It is,” he said, motioning to a sign that read Inner Space Cavern. “But there are more caves than just the toured ones.”

I swore under my breath, trying to fight off the rising feeling of anxiety. “Then we have to divide and conquer,” I said, leveling both men with a look before they could argue about the safety of that. It wasn’t safe at all, but I was not leaving Bella in that man’s hands any longer than I had to.

“Fine,” Eli agreed, his face drawn.

“I have more wolves coming,” Remus informed us, holding up his phone. He must have been texting while I drove — the only thing I was paying attention to was the road. “I’ll have them secure the perimeter. No one will get in or out without us knowing about it.”

“Good,” I said, nodding. You aren’t getting away with this, Brock.

With nothing left to discuss, Eli and I jogged into the cavern, ignoring the spots accessible to tourists. That was too open, and if there were any sort of treasure there, the people running this place would have found it years ago. We traveled in silence until we came to a fork. While the mouth of the caverns was quite large, they’d slowly been closing on us the deeper we traveled. I expected the underground tunnels to be cool, but in reality, they were warm. Humid. If I wasn’t so worried about Bella, I might have noticed that I was starting to sweat.

“This is where we split up,” I said. If I wasn’t a werewolf, I’d have needed to pull out my cell phone to light the way now that we’d left the beaten path. “I’ll go to the left. You go right.” There was no time to argue.

“Fine,” Eli agreed. He paused just long enough to lean over and k!ss my cheek. “Be as safe as you can,” he said. “I need you, Iris.”

I hesitated for only a moment, nodding. “I’ll come back,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “But the same goes for you. Do you hear me?”

He nodded and k!ssed me again before turning and jogging down the right path. I headed down the left trail, ignoring the feeling that the walls were closing in on me. The cave was damp and uncomfortably warm. It smelled strange, like old, stagnant air and wet earth. I couldn’t smell much else.

I really hope this cave just stinks and Remus’ friend didn’t send us on a wild goose chase.

I couldn’t bear to think of the consequences of that. Beauregard and Pearl had entrusted me with their daughter’s safety. More than that, she’d become a part of my little family over the past weeks. I couldn’t imagine —

No. I won’t even think it. I won’t even put that thought out into the universe.

I rounded a bend, and the tunnel opened up into a large, dark cavern — almost the size of a house. On the other side was a pair of moving figures.

Bella!

Brock was standing there, his back to me, as he took Bella’s hand and mashed it against different rocks. He clearly heard the part of the legend that said a Crescent Moon alpha was required to access the treasure, but the story didn’t exactly come with an instruction manual. Thank the ancestors for that.

He turned as I approached, his l!p curling up in a snarl.

“Get away from her!” I snapped, pointing at him. I felt like my hair was standing on end as my wolf raised her hackles, flattening her ears against her skull. Bella wasn’t just my family — she was my wolf’s family, too. She was her pack. The very thought sent a surge of emotion through me, and if I was an alpha, I was sure I’d have seen red at that very moment.

He scoffed, not moving an inch. “And if I don’t?” he asked, giving Bella’s arm a little jerk. She whimpered. “What, exactly, are you going to do about it?”

I didn’t need to be a mind-reader to know he didn’t see me as a threat, but that was fine by me. I’d just kick his as*s all that much faster. “I’m not going to ask you again,” I growled, stopping a few feet away.

Ultimately, it would be best not to fight. I didn’t want to open up the possibility of Bella getting injured in the scuffle, but if Brock refused, I wouldn’t hesitate to rip him apart. He was the kind of monster who beat a child under his own roof. There was no way I was leaving Bella with him. I had never felt so sure of anything as I did then.

My pack needs me.

Bella. Eli. They needed me. I was not letting Bella go with this man, and I was not going to die here, either. I was not letting him take me away from Eli. They are my pack.

Brock snorted. “Please. I know you’re some sad lone wolf. Do you even know what you’re saying? Have you ever even scuffled?” he retorted. “Settle down, help me access this treasure, and I won’t feed you to the dogs when I’m done with this.”

“Oh, get fvcked,” I snapped. I had no time for his villainous monologues. I didn’t care.

Bella tried to take a step toward me, but the man tightened his grip, jerking her back. Bella whimpered again, her eyes glistening as she looked between us. “You’re hurting her!”

He sneered. “A little pain is good for a child. Teaches them resilience. Or it should, anyway. Pity how Eli turned out.” His sneer grew. “You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you? I’m going to ask you one last time, Iris. Help me, and this will all be much easier for you in the end. I won’t even have you executed like I will those stupid Archers.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” I snapped, trying to edge a little bit closer. I had no interest in hearing this man yammer, but if I just got close enough, maybe I could grab Bella…

“You’re a wolf! You’re supposed to care about your family — and your pack!”

“What do you think I’m doing?!” Brock yelled, his temper flaring. “All my life, I’ve taken a back seat to f*****g Nic — and now I’ll have to do the same with Eli, that spoiled little git. Gage was supposed to fix this. Fix the pack. I could have fixed this f*****g pack. But no matter, now.

No one will follow Nic once I’ve obtained the Crescent Moon treasure. No one will have to bow down and grovel to the humans. This is exactly how I take care of my family and my pack, girl. Wake up and smell the damn roses!”

“You’ve lost it,” I spat. No one did any groveling. The Archer family were incredibly wealthy, shifters or not. I sorely suspected Nic had made sure Viola was well taken care of, even after their split. She was the mother of his heir, after all, and that meant Brock had always had his needs met, too.

They had no idea what true need was. Brock was just a man who wanted more, more, more. He was so self-centered that he couldn’t fathom feeling satisfied, and he’d lost sight of everything else in the process.

He snarled and took a step away as he realized how close I’d gotten. Sh!t. So much for trying to get Bella away from him.

“Fine. Be that way. I will open this f*****g passage without your help, and you’ll be one of the first wolves thrown back into Project Night Moon’s improved facilities.” It was a far-fetched threat but one that made me shiver all the same. “You and this useless f*****g child.”

How dare he.

Rage roared through me like wildfire. I took two steps before my paws hit the ground, and I was sprinting toward the man at top speed. I threw all my weight behind the shoulder as I tackled him, colliding with his legs. Brock screamed, surprised and furious as he tumbled backward. A small electronic piece fell from his ear, and I realized he must have been in communication with someone else. The general?

I didn’t have time to think about it. As Brock fell backward, he let go of Bella, and the girl shrieked as she fell free, tumbling against the sandy cavern floor.

I wanted nothing more than to run to her and comfort her, make sure he hadn’t hurt her, but it had to wait. I had to make sure he would never hurt her again first.

I had only just regained my feet, only to replace that Brock was now on all fours, too. He was a large wolf, typical of any Eurasian wolf. Perhaps if I hadn’t been shot with silver as a child, I’d have been bigger, given my heritage — but I had no such luck. There was nothing remarkable about the tawny wolf standing in front of me except that he was larger and clearly experienced in fighting.

Don’t give up!

He lunged, and I barely skittered out of the way, trying to wheel around to grab him. All I got was a mouthful of his thick ruff before he pulled away. Brock j3rked forward, throwing his bulk against my side. I wheezed as I stumbled, fighting not to lose my balance. Sh!t, I barely had practice staying in my wolf form for extended runs. This much exertion was already starting to take a toll on me.

Instead of shrinking back, my wolf pushed forward against me, struggling to hang on. She knew how much I needed this, how much we both did. We have to protect the pack. I repeated the thought over and over as I jumped away from Brock again, stumbling over my heavy paws before I lunged forward. I grabbed his muzzle and tasted copper, but he managed to rip himself away with raw strength before I could do any real damage.

He turned, rocking back to charge me. This time, I wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way. He sent me tumbling across the floor, and I just barely managed to roll out before he grabbed me by the throat. As soon as I was on my feet, he was charging again. My muscles screamed as my sides heaved. I had no idea how long I could keep this up, but I wasn’t going to give up, not while my heart was still beating and my lungs still drew breath.

Suddenly, Brock stumbled, his jaw hitting the floor. I had no idea what had happened, but I had no time to think either. I met him halfway, grabbing him by the throat.

I would never overpower him, so I had to be quick. I clenched my eyes shut and clamped down as hard as I could, shaking my head in the way I’d seen wolves do in documentaries.

Something cracked. Brock’s wheezing and scrambling paws suddenly went still. He became a dead weight in my jaws, and I let go, almost falling forward with him. I only managed to stumble away before I was on my hands and knees, dry heaving as the reality of what I’d just done sunk in. I killed him. I didn’t even have to look to know what I’d just done. The taste of b***d still coated my mouth as I heaved again.

It had to be done. It was him or me.

And I wasn’t going to leave him with Bella.

Bella!

I wiped the saliva from my l!ps and forced myself to my feet, looking around frantically. “Bella!” I called, searching the cavern. “Bella!”

A golden-brown pup came racing out of the shadows. Her tail tucked between her legs and ears pinned against her skull. I realized there was a bit of b***d on her muzzle, and everything clicked. Brock didn’t trip. Bella grabbed him.

I crouched down, throwing my arms around her neck. “Bella,” I gasped, only vaguely aware of the relieved tears streaming down my cheeks. “You’re okay. Thank you so much, Bella. You did good. You did so, so good.”

It tookme a few minutes to calm down and a few more to coach Bella through shifting back to her human form. She clung to me like a barnacle on a whale, but I was just fine with that.

“You’re sure he didn’t hurt you?” I asked for what felt like the seventy-eighth time.

Bella shook her head. “No.” She turned, looking back at the far wall. “Just touch.” She held her hand out flat, pushing it against mine to mimic the motion. “Touch rock.”

I nodded and hugged her again. I wanted nothing more than to carry her out, but I didn’t trust my arms and legs not to give out. I was pretty sure that adrenaline was the only thing keeping me standing just now.

Finally, I noticed Bella looking back in the direction of Brock’s body. I quickly looked away from Brock before the little girl noticed him, not wanting Bella to be traumatized any further. Brock was a traitorous piece of sh!t, but I didn’t want Bella to grow up with any guilt if she didn’t have to.

Bella sniffed, and I froze, glancing back down. “Are you sure you’re okay? He didn’t do anything to you?” I held her a little closer. “I won’t be mad, I promise.”

She shook her head. “Touch rock,” she told me again. She leaned over and touched the wall, mirroring the action.

“These rocks?” I asked, frowning.

She shook her head again. “Nah uh. Weird.” She started motioning with her hands as if she were drawing on the wall.

“…huh.”

I l!cked my l!ps nervously, looking around. “Do you think…?” I started, trailing off. Bella wouldn’t be able to answer me. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what answer I was hoping for. I glanced back in the direction we’d come. “I mean, it’s just a legend, right?”

Bella just frowned, giving me a curious look. I sighed, finally moving enough so I could pick Bella up. “Maybe we should check,” I said, brow furrowing. “Just in case. No loose ends.”

Bella nodded, clearly happy just to be held. As tired as I was, I knew my first instinct was right. We couldn’t leave any loose ends. I turned, carrying Bella back toward the cavern. As we walked, I reached out, brushing my fingers against her head as she leaned against my shoulder. “Would it be okay if you showed me the weird rocks?” I asked quietly, not wanting to push her into anything else. “I’d like to see them.”

Bella nodded. “Yes,” she said, snuggling farther into my shirt. “I show.”

“Thank you,” I said, falling into silence until we re-entered the cavern. I carried Bella over to the far wall and set her down.

She scampered over to one area and began tracing her fingers over it. “‘Ris see?” she asked.

I crouched down, eyes widening as I realized there did appear to be some sort of drawing in the stone. It was old, barely more than an etching, and it was difficult to make out in the low light. But it was there.

I gasped, hardly able to believe what I was seeing.

My wolf gave me a little nudge, and I moved, gently tracing my fingertips over the stone. “Wow,” I mumbled. “Just…wow.”

I pressed my l!ps together, still a bit confused. But…if this is the place, and this certainly seems like it…why didn’t anything happen?

I glanced toward the shadows where I’d left Brock’s body. My stomach began to churn, and I swallowed hard, not wanting to start gagging again. Maybe he didn’t know the whole legend, I thought to myself, trying to piece together this riddle. Bella’s mother said they needed an alpha’s b***d, not just the alpha’s presence. I looked back to Bella, who was still running her hands over the wall, amused now that no one was dragging her around.

The thought of hurting Bella sickened me, but…

“Honey, we need a drop of b***d to try and open this. Just like your mom’s story, okay?” My voice shook. I felt like I was on the verge of tears, asking this little girl to bleed, but I had no idea what else to do. “Just a finger poke, okay?”

Bella looked at me, frowning. “Poke bad,” she said, shaking her head. “Like doctor.”

She must mean vaccines…or b***d draws. Whatever Dr. Brenner was doing to her in that terrible place.

“No, no,” I assured her, shaking my head. “Nothing like the doctor. Just a poke and nothing else. If you’re a good girl, we can go out for ice cream as soon as we’re done, okay? And you can have whatever flavor you want. I promise.”

Normally, I wouldn’t go in for bribing a child, but I was at a loss. I didn’t know what else to do.

Bella’s eyes lit up. “Fudge!” she crowed, trotting over and offering her hand up. She wiggled her fingers, suddenly excited by the prospect. Clearly, this was an exchange she was more than willing to make.

I took a deep breath and fished a pocketknife out of my pants pocket, giving Bella’s thumb the barest poke. She only gave the tiniest whimper, and I murmured an apology as I squeezed out a droplet of b***d before gently guiding Bella’s hands back to the wall. This time, something happened. I couldn’t really explain it, except that there was simply energy. The entire cavern felt like it shifted and g*****d, and when we looked behind us, another passage had been revealed.

Bella and I exchanged looks again. Her eyes were wide and glassy. “I’ll go first,” I said quietly. “You stay right here.”

She gave a small nod. I nodded back and took a deep breath, stepping into the shadowy path. It wasn’t long, only a few feet, and I came to what seemed like a tiny room. It seemed almost empty. If I was being honest, I had been expecting nothing to be here. It was a legend, after all, and if there was treasure hidden here…well. Something shinier, probably. Someone’s jewelry they were hiding.

Instead, there were stones. They weren’t regular stones, though. They were flat. Large. When I got closer, I realized it looked like something had been written on them, but I didn’t recognize the text.

“‘Ris?” Bella called from down the path.

I gave the tablets one last look before turning around and hurrying back to Bella. “Thanks for letting me check,” I murmured, taking her hand to lead her away.

“Ice cream?” Bella peeped, tugging at my hand. “Now?”

I huffed out a breathless laugh. “Okay,” I said. “Okay. Let’s go replace Eli first, baby.”

“Okay. Then ice cream.”

I gave a firm nod. “Yes. Then, ice cream. A promise is a promise.”

We’d replace Eli and get out of this weird cave. We’d get back to Maverick. I knew Eli wouldn’t be able to rest until we made sure his friend was okay. Then, we could get ice cream for Bella. After that, we would figure out the rest. I took a breath and steadied myself. One step at a time, Iris. You have your pack, and with them, you’ll get through anything.