Faith (7 page)

“That’s Alder’s problem. Go find him and let him know. I have to get her back to the den.”

Miraculously, Holly left without protest.

Although he had many questions for Taylor, Hale knew that they’d have to wait. He put his hand under her chin, lifting her face up to look at hm. At the sight of her wound, he instinctively cringed.

“That bad?” she asked.

“Honestly?”

She gave him a watery smile. 

He asked, “You think you can ride if I shift?”

Taylor nodded. “I think so.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m going to get you home as fast as I can.”

***

“Almost done.”

Chamomile, know to everyone as Cammie, was the resident seamstress in the pack. As she stitched up Taylor’s cheek, Cammie explained how she’d always been so good at sewing that they’d also made her the doctor. Taylor had always had somewhat of a phobia towards needles. It was a testament to how much pain she was in elsewhere that she hardly flinched throughout the ordeal.

Cammie drew the needle up for the final time. “That should just about do it. Now let me take a look at your back.”

Exhausted as she was, Taylor wasn’t eager to have her back poked at as well, but she knew that she couldn’t let any wound, even a minor one, go untreated.

With a sigh, she shrugged off the fur she was wearing, exposing her back. Cammie clicked her tongue and Taylor heard Hale let out a breath.

“What the hell did they do to you?” he asked, coming to crouch down in front of her.

Upon arriving back to the den, he had taken her straight to his room. There, he’d dried her off and ensured that she was warm before summoning Cammie. It was a nurturing side to him that she hadn’t seen before and she knew her injuries must be terrible.

“Olivia scratched my face. Said she wanted to make me bleed, or something. I hurt my back when Fenix attacked Gren. Tulip got my legs.”

Hale traced one of the bruises on her thigh. Eyes dark, he said, “I need you to tell me everything that happened tonight.”

Taylor was about to respond, when Hale’s head turned down towards the doorway. She looked as well, not surprised to see Alder walk in.

Naked and drenched, he stalked up to the pallet, looking angry and concerned all at once. He crouched down next to Taylor, practically pushing Hale out of the way.

“Thank God,” he said, cupping the uninjured side of her face. “I was so worried about you.”

Taylor leaned into his touch. “I’m okay.”

Alder glanced over at Cammie. “Is the pup okay?”

“Everything seems fine,” she told him. “But Taylor has had a rough night. We’ll know more in the morning.”

It wasn’t a very reassuring answer, but the one thing Taylor was optimistic about was that her baby would be all right. She put a hand over Alder’s, hoping to comfort him, but he was too worked up.

“My God, what were you even doing out in the woods?”

That irked her a bit. “There were supposed to be guards. Besides, I didn’t even go that far and I was only going in after Caim and… Wait, did you find Snow?”

Alder’s eyes widened with alarm. “Snow was out there, too?”

Her voice became small. “Holly didn’t tell you? They took her. I couldn’t stop them.”

“There was nothing you could do,” Hale said.

Alder’s face hardened. He turned to his brother. “We have to go back out there. Now.”

Hale looked like he was going to protest, but Taylor squeezed his arm. “I’ll be fine. Please, you have to go find her.”

***

After being patched up, Taylor slept like a rock, only waking when she felt someone in bed beside her. Strong arms pulled her into a gentle embrace and Taylor turned, seeking out the warmth of her mate.

“Alder?”

“Sorry to disappoint,” was Hale’s wry reply.

Taylor rubbed at sleepy eyes, but it did no good, as there was no light on in the room. Ignoring the pain her body was in, she snuggled closer to him.

“What time is it?”

“Almost noon.”

That late?

“Did you find her?”

He kissed the top of her head. “No, but we’re not giving up. Alder’s arranging a group to go to Mount Ezra, find out what Silas’s demands are.”

“What if he doesn’t have any?”

“There’s a reason they took her. They want something. We’ll find out what it is and we’ll give it to them. Simple as that.”

Taylor had a feeling that it was going to be a lot more complicated than that, but she took his answer at face value for now.

“What about Fenix and Glenn?”

“We found Fenix. He broke an arm, but he’s going to be all right. Still no sign of Glenn.”

Her heart sank. She wondered if Glenn’s body was out there, lying ripped open as Penny’s had been. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get that image out of her mind.

“Good news is, Caim’s going to make it. I’m telling you, that kid is indestructible.”

She took a small measure of comfort in the knowledge that there was one less death on her hands. But while she knew that none of this was her fault, Taylor couldn’t shake her guilt. She was the adult. Guards or no guards, she should have told Caim and Snow not to go running around the forest.

“Do you think Alder blames me?” she asked.

“How could he possibly blame you? If anything, he blames me. It’s my fault for starting shit with Whiteriver in the first place.”

It hurt to smile, but Taylor did it anyway. “Don’t go getting all angsty on me now. It doesn’t suit you.”

Hale chuckled. “Brooding is more Alder’s thing. Me? I’m going to find that bitch who cut you and give her a mark to match, right before I—”

Taylor muffled him with a hand over his mouth. “There’s my Hale.”

Brushing her hand aside, Hale leaned in to kiss her. His warm lips moved over hers for a while, but he wisely kept it at that.

Taylor stayed awake long after Hale had passed out, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Snow and Alder. She said a silent prayer, asking that Snow be returned to them safely. She wondered if God would listen, or if he knew the truth. That she didn’t necessarily want Snow back, but rather, she didn’t want Alder to have to grieve her.

“Wanna try to hear the heartbeat again?”

Taylor wasn’t a big fan of anyone besides her mates going near her belly, but Lark had been listless all day. Lark and Glenn were too peas in a pod, and Taylor knew that Lark must have been feeling pretty miserable about his disappearance.

“You aren’t going to hear anything,” Holly said. “That baby is probably the size of a termite right now.”

“Thank you for that analogy,” Taylor said dryly.

She leaned back against a rock, moving her feet closer to the bonfire. The three of them had been sitting in the main room of the den for hours. Between Holly’s snark, Lark’s moping, and Taylor’s bleak mood, they were miserable company, but at least they weren’t alone.

None of them spoke about the night before, though Hale did come in periodically, updating them on their plans. He, Alder, and the beta wolves had been in their war room for the better part of the evening, working out a strategy.

Although Alder’s first instinct had been to go after his daughter, the others had convinced him to send an envoy. Laurel had volunteered to go in his place, and had set out for Mount Ezra less than an hour ago. Once they knew what Whiteriver wanted, it would be easier for Halcyon to plan their next move.

Taylor couldn’t see what they would possibly have to gain by ransoming Snow and could only assume they were driven by desperation, not retaliation. She hoped the two packs could come to an amicable agreement and was worried that Alder wouldn’t be himself again until they did.

Though he had been in the den all evening, he hadn’t come to see her once. She knew that he was worried about his daughter and she shouldn’t let it get to her, but it did.

“I can hear termites in wood,” Lark said, finally perking up a little.

“Yeah, but do you ever hear a termite’s heartbeat?” Holly asked.

Lark lifted a shoulder. “I guess I’ve never really tried.”

Not wanting to see her friend plummet back into despair, Taylor gave her a pat on the back.

“You have the best ears in the pack, remember? Give it a shot. If you can’t hear it, no one can.”

That made Lark smile. “Okay. I guess I do have the best ears.”

Taylor removed her hands from her lap, giving Lark room to lower her head to her abdomen.

“You also have the biggest mouth,” Holly remarked.

Taylor shot her a reproachful look.

She knew for a fact that Holly hadn’t been assigned to watch her and had had the option to go to the meeting. Taylor was beginning to suspect that Holly enjoyed being around them, though it seemed all of that enjoyment came from belittling and harassing them.

“I think I hear something,” Lark said, drawing Taylor’s attention downward.

Holly said, “If you hear anything it’s probably just gas.”

This time, it was Lark who shushed her. She listened for another moment and then sat up. She was grinning ear to ear.

“I knew it! It’s twins!”

Holly scoffed. “You’re making that up.”

Taylor’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. There’s definitely more than one of them in there. Oh, I’m so excited. Hey, don’t cry.”

Taylor swiped at her eyes. These days, it wasn’t unusual for her to not know why she was crying. This, however, was a different circumstance entirely. While it was exciting, part of her hoped that Lark was mistaken. With everything that was going on, the thought of having even one baby was nearly overwhelming.

Appearing distressed, Lark embraced her in one of her too-tight hugs. “I’m so sorry, Taylor.”

Taylor sniffled. “Because I’m having twins? I assure you, you had nothing to do with that.”

Lark shook her head. “No, not that. I mean about Whiteriver, Snow, your face, everything.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“That’s debatable.”

Taylor nearly jumped at the sound of Alder’s cold voice. She looked up to see Hale, Alder, and Laurel approaching their bonfire. Taylor’s brow knit in confusion. Why was Laurel back already?

“Get up,” Hale said. “It’s time to talk.”

Taylor moved to stand, but Alder held a hand up. “Not you.”

Lark stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Her head drooped in submission. “I’m sorry.”

Ignoring Alder, Taylor stood, prepared to defend Lark. “What is this about?”

It was Laurel who spoke, then. “While I was on my way to Mount Ezra, I found Glenn in the woods. Turns out, he wasn’t attacked. He’d been sent on an errand.”

Alder folded his arms across his chest. “Sent by the same person who told us he was missing.”

He inclined his head towards Lark.

Taylor shook her head, not wanting to believe it. “Lark?”

Lark cast her a mournful look. “I’m so sorry.”

Alder and Hale have always been as different as night and day, but both alphas will stop at nothing to protect the women they love. Lines are crossed and ties are strengthened in the sixth entry of Running With Alphas—

COMING DECEMBER 2014

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