Chapter 51

DOE

I spent about half an hour outside with Ace’s wolf before I could finally convince him to go for a run.

I could have spent more time with him, but Ace’s animal side was bursting with energy after our mating. He needed to burn some of that energy off before we spent hours in the car driving home.

It was like having a toddler.

Inside the cabin, as I folded the last of my clothes and zipped them into my duffel bag, I could feel Ace’s happiness through our bond.

He was running at full speed through the woods several miles away. He was even debating hunting some nearby deer.

Maybe he would bring me back a few dead rabbits, too, to show how much he appreciated me and how able he was to provide for his mate.

~I hope his human side convinces him not to do that.~

But I was so happy Ace was finally able to take care of his wolf side without sacrificing his human side. After so many years of struggling together, they could enjoy being one.

I grabbed the packed bags and put them by the door, ready to carry them to the car once Ace got back.

I looked around the room, checking it over one last time to make sure everything was back to the way it was when I arrived.

Then I got down on my hands and knees to check for any stray items that may have fallen under the bed. I found two socks, a hair tie, and the tracker my dad gave me.

~Huh, it must have fallen at some point during my heat.~

A cocktail of emotions filled my chest. How many hours had I spent staring down at the small piece of plastic, wondering if I should press the button to summon my mate to me?

~I’ll never have to worry about that again.~

I slipped the tracker into my pocket so I could return it to my father once I got home. He said my brothers were using them, and I had no idea if it was expensive or not.

As I made my way into the kitchen, I hoped Ace and I would find the time to come back to the cabin one day. It would forever hold a precious spot in my heart.

There was a knock on the door, and I realized it must be Ottis and Lacy. I had texted them earlier in the day to let them know I was heading home.

Whatever Madoc had told them to get them out of town for a few days, they were apparently allowed back now that my heat was over.

I skipped over to the door, excited to greet the older couple that I had become so fond of.

When I opened the door, though, I found a strange man on the other side. He was probably around thirty years old and was wearing dark blue dress pants and a white shirt with the top two buttons undone.

His suit jacket was hanging over his arm, and he held a clipboard in his hands. His smile was friendly, but his bald head was sweaty, his half-grown beard was patchy, and his pants were wrinkled.

“Oh, uh, hello,” I said. “Can I help you?”

“Yes, actually,” the man replied. “I’m a social worker with the Omega Protective Services.” He pulled a badge out of his pocket and flashed it at me before quickly tucking it away again.

His smile grew. “I’ve come to check on you, Ms. Kennicott.”

I blinked. How on earth had the OPS found me? I wasn’t surprised they were checking in on me after everything that had happened, but how did they know where I was?

~Ah, Lacy’s police report,~ I thought. ~Something must have flagged up when I was reported missing.~

~“How soon can you get back here?”~ I attempted to link with Ace through mind-link. ~“There’s a social worker from the OPS here.”~

Now we were bonded; he’d assured me it would be easier for me to communicate with him with the mind-link, but I suddenly found myself wishing we’d spent some time practicing.

It worked, I think. Ace didn’t respond, but I felt his concern and determination to get back to me through the bond.

“Check on me?” I asked. “Why?”

“A police report was made stating that you were missing from this location. I am pleased to find you are all right.

“I would still appreciate a quick conversation with you if you do not mind. Just to ensure that there is nothing to be concerned about.”

I considered myself to be a good judge of character, and something about this man was off-putting. I didn’t want to be alone with him.

“My mate will be back soon—”

“Actually, I would prefer we speak without your mate at first.”

He took a step forward and lowered his voice just slightly. “I have found that candor is much more forthcoming when there isn’t someone else listening to what you are saying. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The man suddenly inhaled deeply, and his eyes flashed black.

~Well, at least I know he’s a werewolf. Although, is that more of a reason to trust him, or less of one?~

“You just had your first heat, yes?”

I took a step back. Those were not the next words I’d expected to come out of his mouth. Even if his job was dealing specifically with omegas, the subject of heat was still a sensitive one.

~Are other omegas more willing to talk about such an intimate topic with a complete stranger?~

My mouth opened and closed for a few seconds before I finally came up with an answer. “I’d rather not talk about that with you if that’s all right.”

“You don’t have to act so bashful, Ms. Kennicott,” he said.

“There’s no way to hide what happened here.” He inhaled once again and—to my horror—licked his lips. “This entire cabin is coated with the scent of your perfume and slick.”

My jaw dropped. Alarm bells went off in my head. ~That might’ve been the most disturbing thing a stranger has ever said to me.~

If this man really was from the OPS, I didn’t see a world in which it would have been okay for him to say that to me.

“What did you say your name was?” I asked. Maybe I would go all Karen on his ass and report him.

He frowned. “And here I was, hoping you might remember now that the lock on your mind has worn off.”

He straightened his back. “My name is Gregory Mintz. I’ve been your caseworker since you were seven years old.”

And that’s when I knew the man in front of me was lying about who he was.

I remembered Gregory Mintz. I’d dreamed about him coming to visit me in the hospital after Ace put the lock back on my mind.

Gregory was a large werewolf with blond hair and blue eyes. He was intimidating and careful with his words.

Gregory also wouldn’t have assumed the lock would wear off. The OPS wanted to keep it on for life. They said it was for my own protection because no one knew how I’d react without it.

I stared at the man in front of me, the warm summer air around us turning cold. Slowly, the creepy smile fell from his face.

He lunged forward, attempting to grab me.

I was quicker. I slammed the door in his face and twisted the deadbolt.

“Fuck!” he yelled, slamming his fists against the wood.

I jumped, my heart racing, but I didn’t stop moving. I ran to the other side of the small cabin and locked the back door as well.

By the time I reached the kitchen and grabbed a chef’s knife from the knife block, the man outside had started punching the window of the door, causing the glass to break slightly.

~“Please hurry, Ace. Please, please, please.”~

The door wasn’t going to keep the angry werewolf out for long, and then who knew what he would do with me.

~Better to go on the attack~, I thought.

I crawled back toward the door, using the curtain as cover, and positioned myself next to the frame, clutching the knife in my hand so hard that my fingers turned white.

The man’s blows to the window were getting more violent until he broke through the glass altogether, sending scattered shards all over Lacy and Ottis’s red Persian rug.

A hand with bloodied knuckles reached through the broken glass and blindly felt for the deadbolt. Just as he started to turn it, I gathered all my courage and stabbed the knife directly into his hand.

The man screamed. “Fucking bitch!” he roared.

He attempted to yank his hand back, but it got caught on the broken glass, allowing me to pull the knife out and slam it back down, aiming for his wrist this time.

His howl of pain was jarring and shook me to my core.

I somehow managed to keep my voice firm when I said, “Stay away from me, or I’ll do it again!”

I tugged the knife out, my stomach churning violently at the sight of his blood spurting across the floor and dripping down the front of the wooden door. I must have hit an artery or something.

The last time I had seen that much blood had been in Robert’s basement.

“Fucking omega bitch,” he grunted from outside, pulling his hand back. “I’m gonna get you, you little whore!”

“My mate is on his way!” I called out. I clutched my knife at my side. “You won’t want to be here when he arrives!”

If I could just keep him out until Ace got here, everything would be okay.

“Your mate’s not going to help you, little girl. Not this time.”

He reached his hand back through the broken glass, and I wasn’t fast enough. His fingers darted to the deadbolt and twisted it before I could react, unlocking the door.

“No!” I fumbled to reset the lock, but it was too late.

The man turned the doorknob and shoved the door open with so much force that it crashed against the wall next to it.

I stumbled back. ~Crap.~

The werewolf charged into the cabin, his black eyes on mine. He snarled and held up his injured hand, letting blood drip down onto his white shirt.

“Do you see what you did, you dumb cunt—”

I didn’t wait for him to finish. I raced forward, knife held high. I meant to stab him in his chest, in his heart.

Instead, he moved out of the way at the last second, causing my knife to plunge into his upper arm.

The man yelped in pain and, with the knife still lodged near his shoulder, grabbed me with his good arm.

I screamed and struggled, but like so many times before, I found myself to be no match for his werewolf strength.

“Time to pay the piper, little girl,” he grunted.

Something sharp and long pierced me in the neck. It only took a few seconds for my body to go numb.

I dropped to the ground.