Chapter 33

[The Mute Alpha - Chapter 33]

***

I screamed and nearly fell over due to the sudden noise ringing in my ears. I placed my hand over my chest as my eyes darted up, making sure Jax was alright.

Thankfully he was. So if he was okay, then what...?

I turned my head when I heard a thump. Keanu fell on his knees before collapsing onto the floor. Behind him stood Kian, a hefty gun pointed directly at the psychotic man. He took it upon himself to shoot at the dead man again, aiming at his chest rather than his head this time.

"Good thing I came looking for you," he grinned, looming over the body to make sure he was dead. He nudged his foot for good measures "I found this gun upstairs. I guess it was a smart decision to take it."

As I gawked up at him, I noticed some cuts on the side of his face, and blood lingered on his knuckles. Kian sure did a number on those rogues.

"Thank Goddess you wanted to come," I breathed out, standing up. "Do you have those gloves with you?"

He nodded and pulled the pair out of his bag, slipping them on. He walked up to the Alpha and grabbed a hold of the shackles and broke them. By the time Jax was free, Kian and I steadied him before he could collapse to the floor.

"What about the others?" I asked Kian as we helped Jax over to the stairs.

"Dead," was his reply. "I would've been here sooner, but there were more rogues here than we expected."

As we trudged up the staircase, I looped my arm tightly around his waist. He leaned his head over and gently placed a chaste kiss on my cheek. Even though his lips were chapped, my body heated up from the contact. Once we reached the top of the stairs, it occurred to me that we were stranded here. We parked the snowmobiles at the bottom of the mountain, and I doubted we would be able to make it down there with Jax in the state he was in.

"I don't suppose you know how to get us out of here? It's not like we can call an Uber," I joked as I placed Jax down on the couch, who settled down comfortably. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. I could tell he was extremely exhausted.

"How..." Jax breathed out. "H-How did you get here?"

"We rode on snowmobiles. But they're at the bottom of the mountain," I answered.

"Shift," he said.

"That's a really good idea. We can shift into our wolves," Kian agreed.

"But what about you, Jax," I questioned. "You're too injured and weak."

"I can carry him. I'm certain my wolf is large enough," Kian replied.

I nodded my head in agreement and turned my back to them as I shrugged my coat off my shoulders. As I slipped my bra over my head, I noticed Jax staring at my body, or more specifically my bare chest. He wasn't even being discreet about it. He just sat back and appreciated the view. I smirked at him.

"Like what you see?" I turned to face him. "You can have this once we get home."

That comment made his eyes light up with excitement. His lips turned up, but he didn't respond. I continued undressing. Once my clothes were off, I shifted into my wolf.

Kian copied my actions, allowing his furry beast to take over. When we were ready, I helped situate Jax on Kian's back and then we left the warmth of the house. The sun no longer hung in the middle of the sky, causing various shades of pinks and purples to paint the sky. By the time we would reach the snowmobiles, it would be just about dark, but we should be fine.

Kian and I took off running through the snow, disappearing into the forest. It took a couple hours before we reached the foot of the mountain. When we shifted back into our human forms, Jax handed us our clothes from our bags. He held them for us the whole way here.

I mounted one of the vehicles and placed a helmet on my head. Then I handed the second one to my mate, who sat right behind me. Kian took the other one.

"I have no idea how to drive this thing," I said as I looked down at the handles, unsure of what to do.

"Think of it like an ATV or a motorcycle," Kian spoke up before starting the engine.

"You have a motorcycle?"

"Sure do," he responded. "It's back at my home in Texas. Best investment I've ever made."

I snorted. "Well I've ridden an ATV when I lived in my old pack. So hopefully I can get the hang of this."

"Well we're about to die," I muttered with a chuckle. Jax snaked his arms around my waist as he shifted closer to me, holding me tightly.

***

By the time we reached the town, the moon shone brightly above the snow-covered ground. The snow glittered under the twinkling stars. Street lights lit up the area as a couple people here and there walked down the sidewalks. I noticed a bar with people drinking outside of it. Some of them glanced at us, but most of them paid no attention, which made me feel somewhat at ease.

I remembered Keanu said something about this place being a town full of rogues. Maybe he lied, but one couldn't be too sure.

Luckily I got the hang of this thing. I actually found it quite fun, and I wouldn't mind riding it again. While the air nipped at my face with the wind, the close proximity between Jax and I provided more than enough warmth.

We parked the snowmobiles in front of the clinic. "Stay here with Jax, I'll go see if I can grab Theo," I told Kian as I dismounted and took off the helmet. Kian nodded his head before I entered the small building.

The woman at the desk greeted me with a smile, showing off a set of yellowish teeth. "Well hello there, how may I help you?" she asked, folding her hands on the desk.

"I'm here for Theo. We checked him in here last night," I replied.

She continued smiling as she searched up his name in the system. "I'm sorry miss, but his name does not show up."

"There must be a mistake. He was terribly injured. Maybe you can ask the doctor, I'm sure he will know," I told her, confused. The smile on her face remained there, and I suddenly became suspicious. Why was she smiling so much?

"Alright, just go wait over there," she pointed to the waiting room on the other side of the wall. I followed her instructions, walking past her.

Her eyes followed me as she fixed her stained blouse. She definitely didn't appear professional, especially with her very messy blonde ponytail, unruly clothing, and heavy set of cheap makeup. I wasn't one to judge other people, but if I was the first face people see when they walk into a clinic, I would not dress like that. How did I not notice how creepy this place was before?

Instead of sitting down on one of the small chairs in the waiting area, I continued down the hallway towards the room I knew we left Theo in. When I reached the door, I grabbed the handle. But when I turned it, it wouldn't budge. They locked it.

Narrowing my eyes at the knob, I pulled one of the bobby pins out of my hair, which I kept just in case I needed it while we were breaking into the cabin I stuck the pin in the whole and wiggled it around. To my surprise, it clicked, and I pushed it open. The room was dark, only a single window provided light in the room.

My feet squeaked against the linoleum floor as I stepped in. I spotted a body on the bed and I rushed over to it. I knew it was Theo the moment I saw his face, but his pale skin, dark bags, and purple lips, as well as the dry blood coating his face made him almost unrecognizable.

"Theo?" I whispered, nudging his shoulder. When he didn't budge, I began to worry. The wires attached to his body were connected to machines beside the bed, and one of the cords piped a liquid into his body. Upon further scrutinizing, I spotted purple flower petals floating in the substance. My eyes widened and I immediately disconnected him from the machinery. Bending down, I placed my ear against his chest. His heart was still beating but it was dangerously slow.

Grunting, I lifted his body out of the bed and slung his arm over my shoulder. Despite his weight, I trudged out of the room practically dragging him along with me. I heard voices on the other side of the hallway, so I quickened my pace. These people were secretly trying to kill Theo. Not the gruesome way Keanu described, but it was still their main goal to kill the Beta of a pack.

As I got closer to the front desk, different scenarios played in my head. I didn't know how I would get past that creepy lady. Deciding that I wasted enough time, with as much strength as I had, I ran past the front desk to the main entrance. Ignoring the shouts of the receptionist, I shoved the door open.

Kian immediately shot up when he saw me struggling with Theo's body and rushed over to assist us. Voices echoed from inside the building as the people inside realized what had happened.

"What's wrong?" Kian asked as he picked Theo up bridal style and carried him over to his snowmobile.

"They were poisoning him with Wolfsbane," I answered. "I don't know how much or for how long they injected it, but he really needs medical attention."

"We have to go," I shouted over the engine as I started it. Kian placed a helmet on Theo's head. "How are you going to drive with him unconscious?"

Kian pulled out a rope from his bag. "Tie him to me."

The doors opened as the woman along with some others ran out. She pointed at us when she saw Kian holding Theo, shouting to the other rogues.

I grabbed the rope from him and wrapped it around their waists as tight as I could, binding Theo's arms as well. "Is that good enough?"

I hopped back onto my snowmobile, and Jax wrapped his arms around me. Kian and I sped off just as they reached us, leaving them behind in a cloud of snow.