A Wolf's Oath (14 page)

The pair of wolves had been running almost all night,
Sebastian leading as he tracked his mate’s scent with Ryan
following. Her scent had been very weak when they had first started
their journey; so weak that Sebastian had become increasingly
concerned for her safety. He doubted that his brother would have
been able to track her, the only reason he was able was to do so
was because he was intimately acquainted with it. The weakness in
her scent worried him; it meant that she hadn’t even attempted the
journey home.
Erica wouldn’t do that,
something isn’t right.
He pushed himself
faster, certain that Ryan would be able to keep up with his wild
pace.

As they continued their journey through the woods, the trees
surrounding them became increasingly sparse until they came across
a clearing. They slowed, increasingly cautious now that they were
outside of the protection of the trees and exposed to anyone who
might see them. Scenting the wind Sebastian found that the area was
permeated with Erica's scent; they were in the right place. The
clearing led on to a hill and the wolves began to climb. A large
building resided at the top of the hill, looking more like a
warehouse than a home. The windows were boarded, though they knew
that there were people within the building, the scent of humans was
thick in the air.

The two wolves looked at each other, silently communicating
in the way only those who have lived together for a long time can
achieve, before returning to their human forms. The change was
quick and painless, achieved almost instantaneously now that
neither Ryan nor Sebastian were fighting against their wolves’
instincts. Now human, the pair walked calmly to the large metal
door of the building.

Grabbing his brother’s arm before he could knock, Ryan
hissed, “There’s something odd going on here. Be on your
guard.”

It was the most his brother had said to him since they had
joined up, his attention now focused on the matter at hand rather
than what had happened back at the estate. “I know that Ryan.
There’s no reason why Erica should be here. There’s no reason why
this building should be here either.”

“
They could be hunters,” Ryan suggested.

The thought made his blood run cold as his heart pounded
furiously against his chest. The idea that the enemies of their
people, who were hell bent on their extinction, had caught his mate
had crossed his mind while they had been tracking her, but it was
made real by his brother’s comment. “I know that, but the people
who live here might just be harmless humans who like to be left
alone. There’s nothing wrong with some solitude.”

“
I hope that you’re right Sebastian. I really don’t want
anything to have happened to your mate, especially as you’ve only
known her for a short period of time. But if they are
hunters…”

“
Then I’ll take care of them. Erica is the only mate I will
ever have, I have to take care of her.”

“
As long as you know.”

“
I’ve got nothing to worry about, you’re here aren’t
you?”

“
I’ll watch your back,” Ryan grinned.

“
If Erica really has been caught by the hunters then I want you
to get her out first. If it comes down to a choice between saving
her or me, then I want you to save her. Can you do
that?”

“
Sebastian,” Ryan groaned, uncomfortable with the idea of
choosing a stranger’s well being over the life of his brother; his
twin.

“
I need you to do this for me Ryan. Promise me you’ll do
it.”

“
Sebastian, you’re my brother.”

“
And she’s my mate,” Sebastian interrupted, intent on getting
his brother’s compliance before they entered the building. “You
will guard her life over mine, say it.”

“
Fine,” Ryan conceded. “If it comes down to it then I’ll get
her out first but then I’m coming back for you. Just make sure that
it doesn’t come down to that choice Sebastian. I don’t want to have
to make it.”

“
Well there’s still the idea that the place is just filled with
people who enjoy their privacy,” he chuckled, though increasingly
sure that that wasn’t the case.

“
Right, there’s still that idea. Let’s do this then, shall
we?”

Sebastian nodded, before lifting a hand to the heavy metal,
rapping hard. The sound echoed through the building and they waited
for someone to respond to their presence. When no one within the
building seemed inclined to answer the door, Sebastian knocked
harder.

“
I could always break the door down,” Ryan suggested calmly,
cracking the bones in his neck as he prepared to fulfil the
suggestion.

“
And if they’re just normal humans?”

He shrugged, “I’ll pay for the door to be fixed.”

Ryan didn’t have to fulfil his suggestion as the sound of
heavy boots moving towards them told them that someone was about to
open the door. A wide smile appeared on both their faces as they
tried to appear less threatening than they actually were. The door
was opened by an older man with dark eyes and short cropped hair.
As soon as the door opened the smell of Erica's blood assaulted
Sebastian’s nostrils. His eyes wandered to the man’s exposed neck
and the instant he saw the tattoo of the hunters, a haze of red
covered his vision.

The desire for blood ran through his body and any control he
might once have had disappeared. The wolf’s instincts subsumed him
and the last rational thought that he had was that there was about
to be a bloodbath. He would be satisfied with nothing less. His
dark eyes were flooded with amber, sharp fangs erupted in his mouth
and his muscles tensed as he prepared for battle. The man’s eyes
widened as he recognised the enemy on the doorstep, but before he
could call for help or reach his weapon, Sebastian had moved. The
man now dangled in the air as Sebastian held him by the throat
choking the air from his lungs.

“
Where is she?” he growled, his voice deep and gravelly as his
vocal cords began to change into that of a wolf’s. The man within
his grasp panted and gasped, struggling for air, but refused to
answer his question. “Never mind.” He snarled determinedly, “I’ll
find her myself.” A quick flick of his fingers snapped the man’s
neck before he threw the dead body to the floor. Amber eyes scanned
the space, immediately noting that his brother was already in his
lupine form. Where Ryan had once stood at the door a dark brown
wolf was now in his place, long fangs dripping with the desire for
bloodshed. “Let’s find her. Remember if it comes down to her or me,
then save Erica.”

The wolf in front of him nodded and Sebastian transformed,
joining his twin on all fours. The wolves padded through the large
space on silent paws, determined to get as close to Erica as
possible before they were discovered. They couldn’t remain hidden
for long however and soon enough they emerged in a room filled with
men. The scent of humans was concentrated in this room, with
Erica's scent pouring from a door at the other end of the room.
Sebastian counted five men in the space, though he smelt others
from within Erica's room.

Guards,
Sebastian growled.

The wolves looked at each other in silent communication. They
couldn’t reach Erica without going through the enemy.

A dangerous smile appeared on Ryan’s face, sharp teeth now
prominently displayed before he yipped to his brother. Though the
sound was unintelligible to human ears, the message was clear to
Sebastian in the body of the wolf. “Go get her, I’ll take care of
these bastards.”

Ryan leapt forward on a loud howl instantly colliding with
one of the guards, sharp fangs sank deep into the man’s throat and
he tore viciously, ending the man’s life almost instantaneously.
Howling once more he urged his brother towards their real goal,
moving to advance on another guard. Running into the chaos that his
brother had created, Sebastian slashed and tore at any in his way,
viewing them all as obstacles that needed to be removed before he
could achieve his true goal. Blood splattered over his fur and
covered his muzzle and claws, but he had reached the door at the
far end of the room, he had reached Erica. He rammed the door only
to find that it was locked. The sound of a gun being fired
momentarily caught his attention and he turned to look for his
brother. The bullet had missed and Ryan was alive though the one
who had fired the gun couldn’t say the same.

Quickly reverting to his human form, he turned to ensure that
his brother was still alive and fighting. As expected, Ryan was
fine. His attention was drawn back to Erica and the issue of
reaching her. Sebastian stood in front of the door and gripped the
heavy lock mechanism, pulling the device; he easily removed the
lock and pushed the door open. The sight that awaited him made his
stomach turn and his anger rose again. His mate sat in the middle
of the room, strapped into a metal chair and judging by the
blistering burns on her wrists and neck, her restraints were
silver. Blood covered her, with only the occasionally sliver of
pale skin visible. The skin that he could see was mottled purple
from bruising and he growled low in his throat before striding
forth into the room.

His eyes narrowed as soon as he spotted the three men in the
room with his mate. He sped forth, moving so fast that he was a
blur. Each man was in turn grabbed and thrown against the stone of
the walls that Erica had been locked in.

Finish them,
his inner wolf growled
thirsty for the blood of the men who had thought there would be no
retribution for harming his mate.

She’s being hurt every second that she’s in that
chair,
he reminded it.
We have to take care of her first. I’ll kill them
later.

Unable to argue with Sebastian's reasoning, the wolf
retreated, prepared to give all his killer instincts to Sebastian
at a moment’s notice, though he had done well even without his
help. He had easily dealt with the man at the entrance and torn
through those men in between with almost no added assistance on his
part. Though it wasn’t hard to see why, the abduction of one’s only
mate could bring out the most violent side in anybody.

Moving to stand in front of the chair, he cupped Erica's
bruised face, lifting it to meet his. “Erica? Erica sweetheart,
open your eyes for me. Please don’t die. I won’t even be able to go
with you. I promised remember? I swore to you that if anything
happened I would stay here without you but I thought I’d have time
with you. You owe me that time Erica.”

Her eyes fluttered open, glazed with pain but as they began
to focus tears started to well in her eyes. “Sebastian?” she
croaked, unsure if this was simply another dream her mind had
invented to keep her sane.

“
I’m here sweetheart. I’ve come to take you home.” The tears
began to fall at the mention of home and she sobbed from within the
chair. “Stay still sweetheart, I’m going to get you out of here and
then you’re going to be safe with me. You owe me a lifetime.” His
hand moved to the constraint at her throat. Grabbing the thick ring
of metal, he pushed the burning of his skin to the back of his mind
and pulled hard. Free of the constraint she moved her neck for the
first time in what felt like an age. His burnt palms moved to the
frame of the chair and he grabbed the shining armrests relieved
beyond belief that they weren’t also silver. The metal gave way
easily within his grasp and he quickly freed her legs.

The sound of a gun being fired reverberated around the room,
shocking in how loud it was. Sebastian groaned as the bullet
connected with his shoulder and pain exploded within him. Erica's
eyes widened as she watched Sebastian fall away from her, blood
blossoming from the wound on his shoulder.

Sebastian,
she cried.
I didn’t want him to get hurt.

The pain was unbelievable but he felt his wolf adding his
strength to his, determined to get Erica out of this place of
death. “Run,” he grunted before shifting to his lupine form and
lunging for the wielder of the gun. Bullets continued to be fired
and though he could feel his strength faltering, Sebastian pushed
his body to its limits dodging each shot until he connected with
the man threatening his mate. Air rushed past him and he sighed
with relief, assured of Erica's escape before he fell onto his
assailant viciously. Fangs bit through skin, muscle and sinew while
his claws shredded whatever they came into contact with. The man
fell victim to his wounds, slumping to the ground, his body
twitching as his blood began to soak the floor. The other two
occupants of the room were still unconscious and though he could
feel the silver working through his system he moved to where their
bodies lay, long claws swiping at their throats, watching with a
sense of satisfaction as blood gushed forth.

Finally succumbing to his wound, he fell to the ground, his
strength drained but smiling.
She got out.
She’s safe.

Chapter
Fifteen

She could hear a voice calling to her; it’s warm and gentle
tones almost alien after hearing nothing but her tormentor’s
brutish voice for days. The voice was calling her name, asking her
to wake and she wasn’t sure if she should listen to its request and
return to the harshness of reality.
It’s
probably just another dream,
she reasoned,
unable to believe that the kind voice was actually real.
If I wake up, then all that’s waiting for me is
that bastard. No, I’d rather just stay here where it’s safe.
The more her mind dwelled on the puzzle of the
voice trying to lure her awake, the more she could feel herself
rousing. The voice continued to talk to her and as she became
increasingly aware of her surroundings she could finally hear the
words the voice was saying and she could finally recognise the
owner of the voice.