Chapter 184
Chapter 184
96 – Kennedy
“Kennedy! What on earth do you think you’re doing? You need to stay put where it’s safe. We have no idea what these rogues are after,” Ryker’s voice rumbled sharply in my mind, his tone thick with warning.
I glanced sideways at Bennet, my gamma, and smirked. “Is he bothering you too, Bennet? Or is he just saving all his frustration for me p>
Bennet chuckled softly, unfazed by Ryker’s mental growls. “Oh, Luna, I’m pretty sure Ryker’s more annoyed with me than with you. You might have to step in once this mess is over, or else I’m going to be looking for a new bodyguard.” His laugh was easy, casual, but I could see the underlying tension. “Moments like these make me seriously reconsider how much I should prioritize finding my mate and having a son p>
This time, I joined in his laughter. At least Bennet wasn’t scared of the alpha’s wrath for siding with me. There was a strange comfort in that.
“I just wish I could mindlink him back,” I admitted quietly. “If we could just get this fight over with, I could tell him I’m okay. Maybe that would calm him down a bit p>
“Maybe a little,” Bennet muttered, just as a low growl echoed nearby.
“Who’s there?” I scanned the dimming light of dusk, but the shadows swallowed any clear view.
“Don’t worry, Luna. We’ve got your back,” Danny called out, and a wave of irritation pulsed through me.
“For the love of my sanity,” I groaned, rolling down the car window. “Danny! You and Greta, go help Ryker right now! I’m not even going to fight. I’m heading to help with the evacuation.” I rolled the window back up and pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to ease the sudden headache.
“That was… interesting,” Bennet said, turning his wide eyes toward me. I caught the look before he refocused on the road.
“What p>
“I kind of wish I had recorded that p>
“What p>
“Greta is going to be furious p>
“For fuck’s sake, Bennet! What happened?” I snapped.
“Danny face-planted trying to ignore your Luna command and ended up taking out Greta’s legs while she was trying to change course.” He laughed, genuinely amused by the chaos.
“I never gave them a Luna command, and this isn’t funny. They shouldn’t have been following me at all. Their focus needs to be on the rogue camp that’s disappearing. They belong with Ryker p>
“Well, your mate seems to think differently p>
“I’ve noticed. I’m never going to not be a target. He needs to accept that. You guys are the best at what you do, which is why you’re successful. And apparently, I’m really hard to catch or kill,” I muttered darkly.
“We’ve got about five minutes for you to explain that to me, Luna p>
I exhaled sharply and gave Bennet a brief rundown of what I’d discovered about myself today, adding it to the growing list of things that had changed since the car accident.
Before he could respond, we pulled up to a cluster of buildings engulfed in flames. If this was connected to the rogues, they’d chosen their target well. The fire was wreaking havoc on shops and apartments, and the location was isolated—on Ryker’s original pack lands-with dense forest on one side and a heavily populated residential area on the other. We had to contain this quickly or risk devastating so much more.
I hurried over to a firefighter battling the blaze. “What can I do to help? Is anyone trapped or hurt p>
“Everyone’s out, Luna. We need to get this under control. The healers are handling the injured. We could use help soaking the surrounding area to stop the fire from spreading.” He gestured toward a group nearby. “You can check in with them p>
Without hesitation, Bennet and I joined the team using hoses and buckets to douse the ground and trees around the block. The professionals managed the hoses, while the rest of us fanned out with buckets, the work repetitive but necessary.
As I moved along the forest edge, dumping yet another bucket of water, a low growl drifted across the ground. The wind shifted, carrying the foul stench of rotting garbage and decay.
“Rogues!” I shouted, spinning to run.
Suddenly, a flood of voices crashed into my mind, making it impossible to focus.
“LUNA p>
“Kennedy! Where are you p>
“Lamb! Where are you, baby p>
The voices overwhelmed me, and I couldn’t respond. I just needed to get away. I wasn’t sure how they’d found me I’d wandered farther than I realized from the firefighting teams.
“Not so fast, little Luna. You’re a tough one to catch.” Rough arms seized me, and I fought back.
“Pain in the ass? That sounds about right,” I huffed, kicking wildly. “And could you not breathe so close to my face?” I grimaced over my shoulder at my captor.
“Little bitch. We’ll see how smart your mouth is once we take you to the alpha.” His grip tightened as my foot connected with something solid. It wasn’t enough to make him drop me, but then another pair of hands grabbed my legs as I continued struggling.
“Fucking tie her up already. She’s just a human, you pussy,” he growled.
A younger voice, softer and less hardened, replied, “We aren’t supposed to harm her, Dirk.” The teenager’s tone was hesitant, almost obedient. Late teens, early twenties maybe, and clearly less jaded than Dirk. I might be able to use that.
Dirk shifted me roughly so the younger one could bind my wrists. This time I got a good look at him—his sandy blonde hair was shaggy, like he desperately needed a haircut. His honey-brown eyes flickered with uncertainty. He hadn’t been in this life long. My heart ached for him. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on.net
“Let’s just get this over with,” Dirk grunted, hoisting me over his shoulder.
I thrashed enough to tug at my restraints, but not enough to make him drop me. The rope bit into my wrists, slick with blood as I started to bleed. Desperately, I reached out and grabbed a low-hanging branch. Dirk wasn’t expecting it and stumbled. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? The alpha’s gonna be pissed about this. And I better get a piece of your ass for it.” He smacked me, but my elbow connected sharply with his head.
“Keep your fucking hands to yourself,” I snarled.
He laughed low and dark. “Don’t worry, little Luna. Our alpha’s got plans for you first. No one’s touching you before then. After that… well, I can’t make any promises.” He chuckled as I scanned my surroundings, trying to hatch a plan.
That’s when I noticed the blood smeared on the branch I’d grabbed. Dirk started moving again, and I decided that if he thought I was a pain now, he had no idea what was coming.