“We’re dispatching officers now, Ma’am. What does he look like?”
I looked back at the screen. “He’s in his late thirties, tall, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. Hurry, she’s not moving and he’s still kicking her!” I hung up the phone and we sat back and watched.
If Olivia wasn’t a werewolf, she wouldn’t have survived the beating he put on her. He picked her up and threw her onto the hood of her car, then as she tried to get up he grabbed her hair and flung her to the ground again. He was kicking her again when I saw everyone still, and then they all ran off to their own houses. The cruisers rolled into view, and the deputies advanced into the house, guns drawn, while Olivia lay motionless in the front yard.
Luckily for them, it was ingrained in werewolves to not expose themselves to humans. A few minutes later, Alpha David Lewis was being led out in handcuffs and put in the back of the squad car. An ambulance arrived and the paramedics swarmed around the unconscious Olivia next to the driveway. We watched until the ambulance left.
“I have to let Craig know.” I closed my eyes and thought about how; we were very careful not to text each other or leave other traces, just our weekly video chat which wasn’t until tonight.
“Yes, but we can’t wait long,” Moe said. “If we leave her in the hospital too long, her rapid healing will be noticed. We have to get her out of there today.”
“Let’s go then.” I got up and started to move to the door.
“WHAT?” Moe jumped up and lightly grabbed my arm. “You don’t mean…”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. I can’t let the Grand Forks pack get her back, and right now she’s an important witness in a domestic assault case. We can use this, Moe. Drive me to Grand Forks, it’s a five hour trip. I’ll go in and talk her into coming with me. We bring her back here, and protect her from two threats.”
He was mind linking, probably to his sons. “What threat other than Alpha Davis?”
“Her father,” I said. “Look, it’s pretty clear the engagement is off, and her father was counting on her to cement that alliance. He’ll be pissed, and it gives me a chance to break those packs apart permanently. That advances my cause, too.”
He finally relented, but only after getting Matthew and John to accompany us in their Excursion. It took closer to six hours with traffic and multiple stops for food and bathroom that a pregnant woman required, but soon we had pulled into Grand Forks Memorial Hospital parking garage. We didn’t want to attract attention to the Greens as we were in another pack’s territory, so I would do the fun here. I was carrying a cellphone in my pocket with an earpiece, and was talking with Josh back home. He had hacked into the security system for the hospital and would help guide us out without being seen.
I made my way inside and headed for room 326. I waited in the stairwell until Josh had disabled the camera feed to their security, then walked to the room when Josh said the nurses were busy. I slipped inside and locked the door. Olivia looked at me as I did, and I think both our eyes got equally wide at what we saw.
She looked like, well, shit. Her head was wrapped in gauze, she had butterfly bandages and stitches on most of her face which was otherwise a mass of bruises. Her nose was taped, her left arm in a sling with a brace on it, and she had deep bruises visible on her neck and shoulders. I could tell that her wolf healing was starting to kick in already, it was a good thing we were here.
“Ella?” Her voice was weak and scratchy. “Oh Luna, you aren’t here to kill me, are you?”
I shook my head and tried to smile, my hands out and open. “No, Olivia, I could never do that to my mate’s twin.” It was her turn, it must have hurt when her jaw dropped because I could see her wince. “We’ve been keeping it quiet, obviously.”
“Then why are you here?”
“We have to get you out of the human hospital before they pick up on your healing rate. I’m here because we are going to save you from the Grand Forks pack, which isn’t done with you. Their Alpha is in jail right now, and you’re the star witness at his trial. Not a safe place to be. So, you come with me or I can get you back to Brainerd and your Pack.”
“NO!” She stretched her arm out. “My Dad will kill me if I go back there.”
“I guess that settles it, then.” I pulled some clothes, a pair of jeans, T-shirt, and hoodie out of a bag. “Come on, you need to get that crap off you and get dressed so we can sneak out of here.” I helped her to her feet, she was obviously sore, and then helped her get dressed. After I took the bandages and gauze off her head she still looked beat up. She would have to keep the hoodie up and her head down.
When we were ready, Josh watched for a good time to make it back to the stairway. I opened the door and we walked out casually, like we were just visiting a friend. We made it to the stairway, and Josh helped us get to the car without being noticed. As we loaded up and exited the parking lot, we all let out a sigh of relief. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
“How did you know what happened to me,” Olivia said.
“We’ve had all three Packs under video surveillance for a month now,” Moe said. “We saw what he did to you. What did you ever do to deserve that?”
She looked at the floor. “Ella, you know I told you that David and I have been intimate together for months, even though he wouldn’t mark or mate me until I graduate school and move in with him.” I nodded. “Last month I visited him, and when I went down on him, I smelled another she-wolf. I confronted him, and he just laughed. Said he was an Alpha and I should consider myself lucky to have him.”
“Asshole.” Matthew looked disgusted. “A real man doesn’t cheat on his mate.”
“Well, he isn’t my mate yet, as he said. Anyway, I went home and told my father. He told me that it didn’t matter as long as he still accepted me as his Luna when I graduate. Of course, the same rule didn’t apply to me.” She dried a tear on her sleeve. “There was this guy at school, a human. I like him a lot, and last weekend at a party he started to kiss me. I was a little drunk, and I was pissed at David, so I went home with him and I had revenge sex with him.”
“And he found out?” Moe looked at her in the mirror as she nodded.
“He could still smell him inside me, even after this time. Stupid Alpha senses.” She looked out the window. “He told me to get out of his house, then called my father and told him I was whoring around on him and I was not suitable to be his mate. He broke the engagement, and my father told me I was not welcome at home any more. He broke the Pack link with me, making me a rogue, and that’s when David decided to beat me to death as an example to both Packs. He would have, too, if the police hadn’t arrived.”
I gave her a hug as she broke down. “You’re safe now, Olivia. We’re going back to my house, and tonight when Craig calls you can talk to him.”
She fell asleep on my shoulder as the miles passed. We stopped near Minot for dinner and the video chat happened while we were still driving home. Craig’s emotions were all over the place, I could tell, but he was happy she was safe. “It won’t be long now, Ella. The Packs are falling apart, and soon they will be too busy surviving to worry about you. When I am done here, I will come to you.”
“And then what,” I said breathily.
“Oh, my mate, then I am going to do all those things I’ve been dreaming about since I met you. I’m going to mark you, mate you, and rule with you.” I smiled, I honestly couldn’t wait.
“But your mark may not take.” I didn’t know how it would work with me being human and not being able to be changed. “And I don’t know if I can mark you without my wolf.”
“Then we’ll mark each other every morning so everyone can see you are MINE, Ella, and I am yours.”
I couldn’t wait.