Chapter 58

Chapter 0058

I see fear in his eyes for a moment before it turns to something else. Desire, lust, whatever that look is, it makes my stomach turn.

“Well, I will admit, I had high hopes for you Guardian, but you are already exceeding my expectations.” He says with hunger in his voice as his eyes darken.

“Oh, you have no idea what misery you’ve just brought upon yourself and your band of rogues.” I state as I let my guardian aura out, full force. The wolves surrounding me fall to the ground, submitting to me immediately, some yelping and whining on the ground. Four others fall out of the trees, their dart guns landing beside them. I watch as the leader struggles to not submit as I focus my aura on him. Even Rik is sweating at my power.

“Enough!” He yells and digs the tip of the knife into Rik’s neck, drawing blood.” Drop the aura or I drop your alpha.”

“You kill my alpha, and I no longer have a reason to keep you alive.” I retort, but I let my aura drop.

The wolves around me are panting and sweating, some still writhing in pain. I look back at the leader. “I know who you are. You’re the Banished Beta, Eli Gunner.”

He nods his head in acknowledgement of my assessment. “Close, I’m an Alpha now.”

I snort and lift my nose in the air. “You don’t smell like an Alpha, you smell like a Beta. Just because you give yourself a title doesn’t mean it’s yours.”

He snarls at me and the knife slides closer to Rik’s neck again. “I’ll remind you that if you spill anymore of my Alpha’s blood that your life is forfeit, Beta.” I stress the title.

I start pacing, following Artemis’s path in my head. She wants blood, she wants to kill these wolves and get Rik back to safety. “So,” I ask, “what does a self- proclaimed Alpha want with my Alpha?”

“You mean future Alpha, don’t you Guardian? He’s not the Alpha yet. After all, titles seem to be important to you.” He sneers at me.

I sneer back at him, “He smells more like an Alpha than you do.”

Eli grits his teeth. “Not for long. I have a plan.”

“And that plan involves you kidnapping and threatening my Alpha? You do know

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that Artemis is named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, and we will hunt you down like the dog you are to the ends of the earth if we must, and kill you for this affront.”

“Then, I guess it’s a good thing that your Alpha’s,” he stresses the word, “role in this abduction has come to an end.”

My eyes flicker to Rik’s. I’m assessing how long it will take me to reach him. versus how fast Eli can flick his wrist to slice his throat open. I know I’ll never make it. The look in his eyes says that I shouldn’t even try. But I have to. I have to try. I move to step forward.

“I’ll make a deal with you Guardian.” His words halt my forward motion.

My eyes shift back to Eli. “And that is?”

“Your Alpha was a pawn. What I want is you.“.

“Me?” I’m intrigued. Does he really think that my allegiance can be shifted like this? Like most of the rogues in this makeshift pack have shifted.

“Yes, you. If you agree to come with me willingly, I will let your Alpha go.”

“NO!” Rik yells. “I forbid it Cara.”

“Oh pup, look who is stupid now.” Eli taps Rik’s face condescendingly. “Don’t you know anything about Guardians Alpha?” He snarls out the title, “The Alpha command doesn’t work on them. Honestly, it’s like you don’t even deserve to have a Guardian.”

He looks back up at me. “So, Cara, do we have a deal?”

“How do I know that you’ll let him go?”

“I’ll knock him out and leave him here for his people to find, if you will put these handcuffs on.” he tosses me a set of handcuffs. “But I’ll warn you, if you struggle, I will kill him.”

but

I look at Rik for a long moment. He is shaking his head ‘no‘ as best as he can, I know this is what I have to do. This is who I am. It’s what I’ve trained for my whole life. And, I also know that there is no way that my father, my pack or Liam and his pack, will just let me go. They will come for me. Eli Gunner, whether intentionally or not, is starting a war.

“I agree.”

“Nooooo!” Rik screams before Eli injects him in the neck with something that knocks him out cold. He lets Rik drop to the ground but stays where he is.

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“The handcuffs Guardian.”

I pick them up off the ground and click them into place on my wrists, the silver burning and causing Artemis to weaken, but not totally lose consciousness. Eli comes to stand beside me, taking my arm. “Let’s go.” And he begins walking, pulling me along with him.

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Cooper