Bonded to the Pack (Born to be Were) (26 page)

Alec
dove into the water as Mason paced the edge looking uncertain. His longtime
fear of water still haunted him and was now preventing him from seeking his
mate. Alec whined and looked up river wanting to follow and Mason dipped a
hesitant paw into the cool water. Immediately his mind floated back to the
hours of hiding in the pond by his home, watching as his family and pack were
slaughtered by a group of rogue werewolves. He saw again the enjoyment on the
killers’ faces as they maliciously attacked his peaceful pack, killing
ruthlessly one by one until there were none left but he had his grandfather,
who had concealed him during the slaughter. Since that, day he acquainted water
with death and never dared to put a foot into it again, but this time as he
recalled his pack’s slaughter one face stood out among the others, a face that
he recognized almost immediately. Seeing that face brought him the courage he
needed to jump into the water and follow Alec’s wolf down the river.

Alec
looked back to where Mason pawed the water frantically to stay afloat, looking terrified. 
Worry that the wolf might not be at his full mental capacity plagued him. Mason
had seemed the best choice due to his ability to stay hidden amongst the forest,
but Alec had not realized that he had a fear of water, which was now glaringly
apparent.

Mason
saw the look in Alec’s eyes and knew he was having doubts about his ability to
be of help and he forced himself to calm down and just allow the current of the
water to move his body along. No matter what he was not going to allow his
fears to rule him or stop him from saving his friend and his Bond Mate, the
daughter of the one man he now wanted dead more than anything in the world.

As
they neared a bend in the river where a piece of material hung at the bank Alec
pulled his body from the water and shook off while Mason followed suit. A quick
perusal of the area showed another piece of material marking the way they had
taken and he heard Dean’s voice not far ahead speaking to his father.

“Where
are we headed?” Dean asked his father.

“The
forestry road, Ryan has a vehicle there. We can drive until we reach a safe
place and then you can bond with the Born Were. That wolf boyfriend of hers
won’t want her after you have claimed her as you own and you two can start to
build a new pack for us.”

Alec
shook with rage, but Mason placed his hulking body before him, stopping him
from attacking and ruining their plan. Dean had been on the spot with his
predictions about how his father would react once Mercy had gotten Valdis to
confess and threw Micah under the bus. Now they just had to see the plan
through to its end without any deviation.

Alec
wanted nothing more than to kill Micah then and there, but it was risky and he
couldn’t take the chance of Mercy getting hurt so he forced his wolf to calm.
They were close to the end of the forest and soon Micah would get what he
deserved, but for now, they just had to stay close and make sure nothing happened
that might jeopardize Mercy’s life. He nodded and took a step back and Mason
moved forward, taking the lead. Alec was amazed by how stealthy he was for such
a large animal, always blending in with the greenery around him and keeping
them close enough they could hear the occasional words spoken between father
and son. It worried him that Mercy had yet to utter a word and during one long
break when Dean sat her down against a rock as he and his father talked he
dared to get close enough to ensue she was indeed alright. Sure enough as he
peered around the rock, she was still holding a blood-soaked rag to her neck
and he felt panic fill him. As if sensing his presence she turned her head and
he could see clearly the pain she was in. He took a step forward and she shook
her head, placing her fingers to his muzzle pushing him back. He followed her
wishes and slunk back behind the rock just as Micah turned and looked her way.

“Get
the girl and let’s go, we are almost there,” Micah said.

Dean
came to Mercy’s side and lifted her gently in his arms aware she had been
losing large amounts of blood for far too long and needed attention. He looked
to his sister who also seemed worried and frowned. “Are you alright?” he asked
softly. Mercy nodded, not trusting herself to speak which caused another flood
of blood to begin. “We will be there soon, can you make it?” she nodded again.

The
four took off again, Micah in the lead, followed by Juliet and Dean, who
carried Mercy in his arms as carefully as he would a child. They had not
foreseen her being injured and he prayed her mate would have enough control to
follow through with their plan. 

*****

Alec
shook with rage as he watched them go. It was clear Mercy was in pain and
suffering from the loss of blood. As much as he wanted the satisfaction of
killing Micah himself, he wanted to get her to safety more, so he shifted back
to his human form and waited for Mason to do the same before speaking to him
about changing the plan.

Mason
understood Alec’s desperation and knew the change wouldn’t be a major problem
and might even open up the opportunity for him to exact revenge for his pack’s
slaughter. He listened closely, nodded, and watched as Alec took off through
the wood line to complete his part of the new plan while he continued to follow
Micah and the others. 

He
stayed a few feet behind for another half of an hour when Micah stopped
suddenly and looked to the waiting black SUV just at the end of the forest
parked and waiting for them. “There’s Ryan, just as we planned,” he said with
approval.

Dean
looked to the SUV with a rueful smile. On one hand, he was glad to be getting
Mercy to safety, but on the other, his tumultuous relationship with his father
was coming to an end.  He realized he should have felt some sort of angst about
that, but if he were being honest his father had never cared about him other
than what he could do to better his position as leader of the rogues.

“Get
her into the car, while I keep watch behind us,” Micah commanded.

Dean
moved towards the car, his sister close behind. Juliet pulled the door open and
slid inside then helped him get Mercy in.

Dean
was about to pull away when Mercy gripped his hand and he met her gaze. “Thank
you,” she murmured faintly.

Dean
smiled and kissed her cheek, earning a growl from the front seat where he
looked to Alec, who sat behind the wheel watching the exchange with surprise.
“Take care of her,” he said before pulling back and slamming the door closed as
his father raced towards them.

“They’re
coming,” Micah shouted.

“I
know,” Dean said, as the SUV pulled away and flew down the old road towards
safety.

Micah
stilled and looked to his son, realizing he had been set up. “Why?” he asked as
Mason, Gregory, Lucan, Cade, Rich, Wren, and many others stepped from the
forest to surround him.

Dean
looked at him with the same amount of pity his father had always shown his
victims, which was none, and turned away as the others made sure his father
could never harm another living soul again.

*****

“How
is she?” Alec asked Juliet as he speed down the road towards Mercy’s home where
he knew Nina would be waiting.

“She
lost a lot of blood on the way to the car, I think she might be in shock,”
Juliet told him as she brushed the hair from Mercy’s head that now rested on
her lap where it had landed when she lost consciousness. She was burning up and
Juliet was far more concerned than she let on as Alec drove them towards the
female he had told her could heal her.

Alec
had the gas pedal pressed to the floor and still he couldn’t seem to get Mercy
back home fast enough. She had passed out within seconds of Dean closing the
door, and ever since, he had been consumed with fear. If he lost her now he
would never be able to forgive himself. As her mate he should have done better
by her, he should have killed Micah back at the clearing before he had the
chance to grab Mercy. Now he might lose her because he was too ethical to kill
without provocation, something he might sorely come to regret.

Chapter Fifteen

Alec
sat next to Mercy’s still body, a long tube running between them that pumped
his blood into her to replenish what she had lost while being dragged through
the forest. Nina worked over her sealing her wounds internally and making sure
she had repaired the few broken ribs she sustained. Mercy’s brothers and
Gregory looked on. No one had spoken since everyone returned, but he knew from
his mental link to his father that Micah would no longer be a problem to anyone.
Ryan had been taken care of, too. He had resisted when they had pulled him from
the SUV and in the process, broke Jaden’s arm, which in turn upset Wren who had
snapped his neck and went immediately to help Jaden. Both bodies had been burnt
before the Elders, who were satisfied to see the rogues’ reigning leader was no
more. Now everyone waited below on pins and needles for word of Mercy’s
condition.

Nina
gasped as she came back into her own body and Lucan moved to her side standing
behind to be sure she didn’t pass out. “She’ll be alright,” she said tiredly to
Alec. “The wound was deeper than I had thought, but I was able to mend it and
with your blood she will recover soon enough.”

“Thank
you, Nina, I don’t know what we would do without you,” Alec said, his own
weariness easy to read.

“I
think you have given enough blood,” she said rising to her feet and
disconnecting the tube from each of them. “You should get some red meat and
eat, replenish yourself.”

Alec
shook his head, unwilling to leave her side unless it was necessary.  

A
knock sounded on the door and Cade opened it to admit his mate, Hailey, who
held a tray, which bore a plate with a large rare steak and huge glass of
orange juice.   “Thanks, babe,” he said taking the tray from her and carrying
it to where Alec sat. “Eat, she is going to be pissed when she wakes and you
look so pale and pasty.”

Alec
took the tray knowing he was right. Mercy would chew him out if he was
emaciated and tired when she came too, and he didn’t want to argue with her,
not now, not when he’d just got her back.

Gregory
walked to the side of the bed and placed a kiss on Mercy’s head before turning
to his son. “I will go downstairs and let everyone know how she is.”

“Everyone?”
Alec asked in confusion.

Gregory
nodded. “Nobody wanted to leave until they knew,” he explained. “They are all
outside waiting to hear any news about their Born Were.” 

Alec
placed the tray down and walked to the window. The sky was pink with the rising
sun and below it were over a hundred tents and mats, where Alphas slept next to
Omegas, all unwilling to leave without knowing his mate was all right. It was
the most touching thing he had ever witnessed and he knew he would never forget
their kindness for as long as he lived. These were the people he wanted to unite,
the packs he had worked so hard to get organized, and this showed they all
believed in at least one thing and that was Mercy. “I will go,” he said
understanding just what it was going to mean to be her mate.

“Are
you sure you’re up to it?” Gregory asked.

“I
am her mate, it is my responsibility to handle this.” He squared his shoulders
and walked to the door, looking back over his shoulder to Lucan. “Watch over
her for me until I am done.”

Lucan
tipped his head to him with a smile. “You know I will.”

Alec
nodded and walked out of the room, leaving them to keep watch over her. It was
hard to leave her side, but he knew she would want him to go if she was awake
and he was leaving her with those who loved her most. As he walked outside and
off the back porch, he felt his father behind him offering his silent support.
As he moved through the makeshift camp Weres all around him began to wake and
moved quickly to wake others who were not so quick to sense the change in the
air. He arrived in the middle of the clearing where Alaric and the rest of the
Elders sat talking and faced them.

“What
is the news of the Born Were?” Alaric asked, his voice formal and unlike the
grandfatherly one, he had come to know over the last few weeks.

“She
is resting and is expected to make a complete recovery,” he announced earning
the loud clapping and cheers of the Weres behind him. “I, however, am not
fine,” he added. The crowd grew silent again and waited for his explanation.
“This law, no matter how well intentioned it was upon creation, has not in any
way protected the Born Weres past or present. I am asking,” he cleared his
throat and straightened his shoulders, speaking loudly and clearly. “No, I am
begging, you to reconsider and allow the packs to vote on whether or not this
law should be abolished.” It was a heartfelt plea and he hoped they would
consider that as they spoke to one another.