Page 16 of Freed

“Pretty girl?” Chase says gently as he places a hand on her back and tries to get a look at her face. She lifts her head to look at him as he whispers, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop him from taking you.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” she whispers, reaching out to grasp his neck, pulling him in for a quick kiss. “I was so scared he hurt you and Hunter.”

Then she turns to me, her eyes widening a little. “And you, you survived the severing of the bond?”

I grimace as I explain, “Barely. Philip brought over a potion for us. None of us could even stand, we were so distraught.”

“I knew you’d find me,” she whispers before wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me. She pulls back again as she asks, “Did you get him? Blaze?”

“Not yet.”

“What about the others? Where’s Hunter and Gage?”

Chase’s worried eyes turn to me as I hold her tighter.

“We have Cherry, she’s alive and conscious,” I say through the bond. “How’s Gage?”

There’s a pause before Hunter finally replies. “It’s not good. You guys better get here, fast.”

“What’s going on?” Cherry asks worriedly when we don’t answer her.

Maddox steps out of the room, blood dripping from one of his hands as he uses the other to shove a notebook under his shirt and under the waistband of his pants, as he tells her, “It’s Gage. He’s been hurt.”

Chapter 6

Cherry

Icling to Bain as he runs down the hall, following Chase. Nobody will tell me how badly Gage is hurt, but by the speed they’re moving, I know it’s not good.

But I just tell myself to take deep breaths until I can see him for myself. Wolf shifters have excellent healing. I’m sure he just needs time.

Bain skids to a halt, swearing, and I turn my head to see why we’ve stopped. Standing in the middle of the hall is Blaze. Maddox darts in front of us to join Chase as I gasp, clinging to Bain.

Chase steps toward him as he speaks slowly, his voice full of anger. “You’re a coward, and you’re going to pay for everything you’ve done to my mate.”

“She’s my mate!” Blaze growls like an angry child.

Chase growls, then lurches forward as Blaze does the same. I gasp as Bain steps backward, away from the fight. At the last second, Chase lunges low, aiming for Blaze’s legs, surprising him as he’s thrown to the ground.

Then Maddox is there, claws extended as he swipes them across Blaze’s neck in one quick movement.

Chase and Maddox quickly move backward, staring down as Blaze clutches at his neck, but the cut is deep and blood pools quickly beneath him as he tries to breathe. His wide eyes turn to me, and he reaches a hand out like he expects me to help him.

“I hope you burn in hell,” I say quietly as Bain squeezes me tighter.

We all watch as Blaze’s hand drops to the ground and his head flops to the side, his wide, dead eyes staring right at me. A breath of relief fills me, knowing that he’s finally dead. That is until I remember Gage is still hurt.

“Gage,” I whisper, and quickly we’re moving again, following Chase through the door at the end of the hall. When we enter the next hall, I recognize it as the one my cell was in. There’s an unfamiliar shifter with white hair standing in the middle of the hall, and Bain slows right where he’s standing and turns, stepping into one of the cells.

“Gage!” I yell in dismay. Inside the tiny cell, there’s another larger man I don’t recognize, who smells like some sort of shifter, plus Philip, Erica’s husband, and Hunter. But what catches my attention is my mate lying on his back between them, with a blood-soaked shirt being held over his heart.

I wiggle to get down, and Bain places me on my feet as I move around beside Hunter by Gage’s head.

“Oh my Goddess, Gage. What happened?” I ask, quickly hugging Hunter, glad to see he’s safe.

“He was shot by a guard,” Hunter says as he wraps an arm around my shoulder, turning to look at Gage. He’s covered in blood, more trickling from his mouth. My heart squeezes with worry.

I grab his hand, squeezing in between mine as tears leak down my cheek.