Page 9 of Freed

“Chase? You okay?” Hunter asks, glancing at me out of the side of his eye.

I shake my head, knowing I can’t hide my fear from him. “No.”

His foot presses down a little harder as he nods. “Yeah. Me neither.”

Chapter 4

Cherry

Ahowl wrenches from me as I wake with a start, a familiar burning pain in my abdomen.

I died.

My entire body aches far worse than just taking a knife to the heart should.

I blink, looking around as I try to figure out where I am. Metal bars greet me, and I shiver. I’m at the facility. Not the same one I was kept in for most of my life, but that doesn’t matter. The man who spent ten years of my life torturing me is here somewhere. And now there’s another psychopath who seems intent on wrecking my life here too.

Gingerly, I try to sit up and realize I’m in my wolf form. That’s right, I did that right before those assholes killed me. Thankfully, they left me in my T-shirt and boxers. Bain’s socks are nowhere in sight, though. They were probably left on the floor of the lab when I shifted.

Once I’m sitting, I shift, wanting to make sure that I still can, but also wanting the use of my hands. I’m still exhausted, so I take my time standing from the cot I’m lying on. At least this place has a bed. That’s something I didn’t have for ten years.

The walls on three sides of me are solid metal, but the front wall is metal bars. I make my way to the door and give it a good shake, but it doesn’t so much as rattle. I grasp the bars and look down either side of the hall I’m in. There’s nothing to see but other, vacant cages. Or at least the smell tells me they’re vacant.

I glance down at my shirt, finding it covered in dried blood, a large slice where Dr. J stabbed me.

I make my way back to the cot and sit down, still feeling exhausted. I could probably sleep for several days, but I don’t have that luxury here. I have to be ready for whatever is planned next.

I haven’t forgotten that Blaze planned to bond with me.

I gasp, my hand flying up as I search for Gage’s mating bite. A sob bursts from me when I see it’s gone. “No,” I gasp, as my other hand clutches at my chest, as if trying to physically reach for my three bonds, but they aren’t there. It’s as if they never were.

Oh my Goddess. What must they be going through right now? My resurrection obviously shielded me from the loss of the bond, but what does this mean? Are they no longer my mates?

Can we reform the bonds? I’ve been told wolves can’t form a second bond if they lose their first, but that doesn’t exactly apply here, does it? Maybe not for me, but it would for them. They’ve lost their mate bond and may not be able to make another bond with me.

I drop my face to my hands as I hunch over and weep. This can’t be happening. Are they even still alive? They say that fated mate bonds, when severed, can sometimes be fatal.

I shake my head, refusing to consider that any further. They have the benefit of knowing I’m probably still alive.

I’m still wearing my tracker around my neck. If it works down here, underground, then I know they are on their way right now. And if not… Well. They’ll figure it out.

My final words I pushed through the bond to Chase and Hunter play in my mind.

I’ll find a way to escape.

I’ll never stop trying to get back to you.

I don’t know if they heard me; the sedative was stopping our pack bond from working properly before. But it doesn’t matter. I have to try again.

Taking a deep breath, I give myself a little pep talk.

Your mates need you. If they can’t find their way here, then you need to find a way to get to them. You escaped this place once; you can do it again.

I may be weak from regenerating, but I’m still in far healthier shape than I was when I escaped last time.

You can do this.

A door bangs down the hall, and I resist the urge to run to the front of my cell. Knowing I need to conserve my energy.