Lucy POV
I had been running for what felt like ages. My perception of time was off. I thought I was moving quickly. However, I felt Ace growing nearer, the bond trying to pull me toward him, and I hadn’t realized I had slowed to a walk. I was delirious as I continued to listen to Rayan’s voice, leading me to him, but with each step, I grew sicker, grew weaker, and I struggled to remain upright. Clutching a tree. I tried to catch my breath, Lucille had gone quiet a while ago, and I was starving. Ravenous for blood.
“Lucille,” I gasped for air while trying to pull strength from my wolf, but I felt nothing. I felt hot and then cold, and before I knew it. I had collapsed, the ground rushing toward my face, and the only thing holding me from unconscious was Rayan’s screams running through my head. Holding me and keeping me from accepting the darkness as it tried to steal my vision.
It started to rain, drops falling from the leaves of the canopy above and hitting my face. I welcomed the drops, anything to cool the blistering heat that ravaged my body.
Rayan’s voice was so loud now that I could hear him so clearly and knew I was close. I had no idea how long I lay in the dirt, but willpower had me forcing myself to my hands and knees as I crawled to the tree to pull myself up. Ace, I could tell, was so close I was worried it would be all for nothing. His voice boomed through the link to come to him. But I must find my brothers first. I was not leaving without them, and I knew he could hear Rayan, or at least I hoped he could by now.
I stumble through the forest when lights appear in the distance, flickering amongst the shrubs and branches ahead of me. My heart rate picks up with excitement as I realize I found them, found the place Melana spoke of, and Rayan had managed to lead me to him.
When I reach the end of the forest and burst through the treeline, I find I am at a vineyard. Green and purple grapes lined up in rows filled the vast house’s paddocks. It was a mansion lit up in the night. I had barely taken a few steps when I was tackled from behind. Something warm and hard smashed against my back and collided with me, sending me hurtling toward the ground.
Sparks erupt everywhere, and a growl so terrifying slams against me, the vibration of it against my back sends a shiver up my spine.
“I told you to stop,” Ace’s voice booms, his aura rushing over me suffocatingly strong, his scent wafts to my nose, and I feel Lucille try to press forward, but she is too weak to push against the veil that separates us.
“I found them, I found them,” I groan, trying to roll out from under him, but he growls, his teeth grazing down my neck in warning. It was like the energy just zapped right out of me at his thunderous purr calling on me to submit to him. He pulls his chest off my back, allowing me to roll, and I stare up at Ace, my vision doubles, and he glances around.
“Rayan?” he whispers, and I feel the mindlink open up.
“Please, god, tell me your close,” Rayan cries.
“She found you, buddy; I am sending Tyson back for you,” I hear him tell Rayan, and I growl. I wasn’t leaving them here. Ave glares down at me before dipping his face into the crook of my neck. He puts pressure on my mark with his teeth against my throat. Atticus tried to force me to submit to Ace’s demands and go with him as he pressed beneath Ace’s skin.
Ace tries to pick me up, and I thrash in his arms; his answering growl was menacing as he tried to pin me so he could grab me.
“No, I am not leaving them,” I scream at him, but his aura rushed out, slamming against me and stunning me for a second.
“You are dying; I can feel it; you need to get back with Tyson and me. We can come back for him now we know where they are. I need to get you back, we can’t take on anyone with you in this state, and I can’t reach Tyson for backup. We are too far out.” he snarls.
“No, no, I won’t leave them,” I struggle against him when Rayan screams through the mind link. Ace drops me, clutching his head, and adrenaline pumps through my veins as I start running toward the mansion. I didn’t get far before Ace had tackled me again.
“No, we have to go back; I won’t let you die,” Ace roars, grabbing me and dragging me toward him.
“No, I am not leaving,”
“No, you’re not,” comes a voice that didn’t belong to Ace. Ace pivots, and I see Alpha Jamie, who steps out of the trees along with a group of men who quickly surround us.
Alpha Jamie held a gun pointed at Ace, and Ace roars his aura, rushing out when the gun goes off. Ace falls back against me, and I scream, clutching him, and my hands become wet with his blood. The bullet hit him in the chest, and his breathing wheezed in a long puff as he choked.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Jamie says before nodding to his men, who suddenly race toward us. Ace coughs, blood spraying out his lips, and his spittle hits the side of my face. Lucille wails in my head.
“Ace!” I shriek when another bang sounds out into the darkness. Ace moves quickly blocking me with his body and this one hitting him in the shoulder. He grunts, and I feel the impact as his body jolts against mine. Pain radiated through my shoulder as the bullet passes through him and into me and the pain is my ending as the darkness finally envelopes me.