Chapter 72

The Alpha's neck tightened. Her face paled. "That was Krey Graymer, wasn't it?" The wolves either side of her nodded.

The fear in her eyes was rather satisfying for Pip. He had learnt that Krey's threats were never empty ones. His warnings were not to be taken lightly. If Krey said he was coming, then he was coming with red eyes and sharp claws, and if anyone got in his way, they would meet an unfortunate end.

"Get every Omega around the perimeters right now." She then pointed to Pip and Sid. "Drop these two off somewhere in the woods. Krey Graymer is not getting in this Packhouse. Do you hear me? He'll fucking kill me."

Pip was un-cuffed from the radiator. The werewolves tried to make Sid stand too, but he was wobbly and a little out of his mind to understand what was going on. "We should just leave this one here," the man grunted, trying to lift Sid again.

"No!" Pip squeaked, feeling very small when the men glared at him. "K-Krey will come for Sid too."

The men looked to their Alpha. "Take him too," she demanded.

Pip went with them without fighting. He was lead through a plain corridor with no windows, and lights spaced out enough to leave black shadows every ten metres. They soon arrived by two large and rusted metal doors. On the other side of those were concrete steps leading up to the courtyard outside.

Pip was thankful to see the sun again. He still had so many questions. Had the werewolves followed them from one beach town to the next? Had the werewolves drugged the tea or was that the librarians?

Pip didn't say a single word as he was led around the building. To his surprise, a car was parked outside the main entrance with a bored looking woman leaning against the driver's side, smoking a cigarette, and staring blankly ahead.

"Take these two far from here, and far from Crescent Packhouse."

"What!" Pip then struggled against the man. "No! Just t-take me to Crescent Packhouse! I'll tell Krey you were nice to me and you can be allies! Please!"

The werewolf sighed, stared from the driver to Sid who was flung into the back of the car, then to Pip who pleaded with his eyes.

Pip was staring up at him one minute, then had a face full of snow the next. The man had whacked him hard in the side of the face. At least the snow masked the sting.

"Please," Pip sobbed when they hauled him into the back of the car with Sid. "Please, just-" the door was slammed in Pip's face, and the car sped off immediately.

Pip looked to the driver, and she looked at him through the mirror. "Don't whine at me," she said. "I'm only doing what I'm ordered."

Pip was sick of being tossed around like some pointless human who nobody cared about. The way the Alpha's face changed when she knew Pip was Krey Graymer's mate meant that Pip could somehow use that to his advantage. They weren't scared of him but scared of what would happen to them if he was hurt.

"Take me to crescent Packhouse!" he begged.

"I was ordered to take you far from there."

Pip crawled across Sid and stuck his head between the front seat and passenger seat. "Take me to Crescent Packhouse."

"No."

The driver turned sharply left down a country road and Pip almost fell headfirst into the front seats. "Please!"

"I said no, kid. Shut up and sit down."

Pip was sick of getting walked all over, and sick of letting people do it. "No," he said stubbornly and clambered over the seats. He was still handcuffed and fell heavily against the dashboard. "Take me to Crescent Packhouse or you will regret it!" Pip tried to sound threatening. He just sounded like a scared little human.

"I said no! So-"

"If you don't take us to Crescent Packhouse, I will dig my claws into your neck and drive myself there."

Pip looked to Sid who had thankfully found the strength to protrude claws from his fingers. He held them across the driver's neck, sharp enough to draw blood at the first sign of pressure.

"If I don't kill you," Sid breathed, "then my Alpha will if you don't take us home."

The car slowly came to a halt. The driver gripped the steering wheel. Even with claws to her neck, she was surprisingly calm. "If I take you back to crescent house, if I do that favour for you, what will you give me in return?"

Sid and Pip glanced to each other. "Your life," Sid growled. "If you don't take us home, then I'll slit your throat and leave you to die in the snow. Pick one." Sid rested his head on the back of the chair. He was struggling to stay upright.

Pip wanted to ask what had happened after he passed out at the library. The obvious answer was that Sid tried to fight their way out with Pip over his shoulder and a broken arm.

"Fine," the woman grumbled, putting the car in reverse and driving back up the winding country lane. "When my Alpha hears about what you've done, she won't be happy."

"Trust me," Sid said. "She has bigger wolves to worry about."

* * * * *

Krey could barely breathe he was so angry. From the moment he spoke on the phone, his eyes pulsed deep red, and he yelled wherever he went. He yelled for people to get out of his way, he yelled for back up, and he yelled threats to the Alpha who had threatened Pip.

"Where are my wolves!" Krey roared, standing by the entrance to the Packhouse. His home was trashed, and dirty, and bloody, and needed great care and attention to feel like a home. Krey didn't care about anything but Pippor. In that moment, he was prepared to leave everything he had just fought for if it meant that he could see Pip's smile one more time. "Francis!" he yelled, and she was by his side in minutes.

"Sorry, Alpha. I was trying to find the fittest Omega's. Well, the ones who are barely injured."

"Mum's in charge while I'm gone," Krey declared and stomped over the grass. Some wolves were trying to fix the automatic gate at the end of the gravel path. Southern wolves had disconnected their electric fence too. "Make sure this is fixed before I'm back. And get more guards too. We need maximum protection."

Krey's eyes were wide and feral red. He faced the trees, ready to crouch and shift into his wolf form, until he heard what sounded like a car engine. He looked around, confused. Cars never approached their Packhouse unless they ordered one, which was very, very rare.

Unexpectedly, a black car shot from the trees, aiming straight for the Packhouse. Wolves jumped in all directions, startled and not wanting to be run over. Before the car reached the gate, it crashed into a thick oak tree, filling the air with snow as it fell from the branches above. Smoke poured from the car bonnet while the passenger door opened, and someone fell out onto the snow.

Krey would recognise that sweet scent anywhere. "Pip!" He ran through the snow as fast as he could, abandoning his mission to run West. He disappeared through the smoke and dropped to his knees to scoop his human up off the floor.

Pip's blood soaked the snow after smashing his head off the dashboard when they slammed into the tree.

"Pip? Can you hear me? Pip?" Krey cupped his cheeks, but Pip's head fell forward and slumped against his chest. Krey didn't look to see who else was in the car. He picked Pip up in his arms and hurried back towards the building.

A few wolves had heard the collision and gasped when they saw Pip limp in Krey's arms. "Get to Sid! Get me the Omega Medic. Right now! Right now!"

Makena stood by the front door. As soon as she saw the blood on Pip's face, she crumbled. "Oh gosh, Pip! Is he breathing? He looks so pale!" she touched his cheek as she ran down the corridor with Krey. "Take him to the first aid room. I'll find the Omega Medic."

Krey ran left down a long corridor with awful blood stains smudged across the grey carpet and down the patterned wallpaper. He turned right towards the Omega quarters and skidded to a halt outside a white door with a red cross on the front. He entered and laid Pip down on the closest bed.

A few other wolves lay in the room already, bandaging up their own wounds. They all stared at Krey fussing over his mate.

Pip was unnaturally cold. His skin was icy, and his usual pink cheeks had paled enough to make him look very sick. "Pippor," Krey whispered, moving his wavy brown hair from his forehead to get a better look at the gash on his head.

"Krey," Pip replied, barely moving his lips and keeping his eyes closed. He lifted trembling hands and Krey noticed the handcuffs.

"I'll make sure they pay for this," Krey said and sat on the side of the bed. "Stay still. You're going to be alright Pip." Krey leaned over him, softly kissing his freezing cheek. Krey wasn't sure if Pip trembled because of the cold or because of the shock. "Look at me, that's it." Krey cherished his blue eyes, dazing at him blankly.

Francis suddenly burst into the room with Sid and flopped him down on the bed opposite Pip.

"How is he?" Francis asked, hauling Sid up the bed to make him comfortable. Sid wasn't awake, but wolves were more resilient than humans. He'd recover before anything serious could happen.

"He's not really with it," Krey said, tapping Pip's cheek to make him open his eyes again. "Where's the Omega Medic?"

"Here!" A woman hurried into the room with a large red first aid bag. She approached the bed and peered over Krey's shoulder. "Alpha Krey, I know you don't want to, but it would be easier for me to help Pip if you sit to the side of the bed."

Krey glared coldly, until his mother pulled on his shoulder. "Let her help him," she whispered and their hands found each other.