Destiny of Blood (Love of a Shifter Book 4) Page 12

  She looked at Sindrid. “What is it?”

  Lilly and Sindrid walked to the door and watched as Nash leaned over a woman and inhaled. “Oh shit.”

  “He found his mate,” Lilly said. Nash was already picking her up and carrying her out of the room. They didn’t say anything to him as he walked passed. He had his nose in the crook of the woman’s neck. Lilly smiled until she saw who was in his arms—Emerson Prescott.

  “Shit.”

  Jonas walked in. “Shit, Nash found his mate. He won’t let anyone touch her and he’s growling at everyone.”

  “Then don’t try. Let’s just get these people out of here and get home,” Sindrid demanded. Lilly glanced back at her mate, but the look on his face was pure rage.

  She couldn’t think about that now; she had to get these people out of there. She started taking the needles out of everyone’s arms, and the others followed her example. She turned around and asked, “Do you think there are other rooms with people in them?”

  “We have to check the whole building. Lilly, can you and the others get these people out while we go and do that?” Jonas asked.

  “Sure, but let’s hurry. I’m worried that we’ve been noticed or an alarm was hit,” Lilly answered as the shifters started waking up. “Come on, big fellow, let’s get you out of here.”

  *****

  Sindrid watched as Lilly lifted a young boy and carried him out of the room. Larsen came in the room and started helping her.

  “Let’s go check the rest of the building.” He didn’t want to leave his mate, but the rage he was feeling made him move away from her. Jonas tapped Sindrid on the shoulder and they both turned left out of the room, exploring the other areas.

  They walked every door they could find, but nobody else was in the building. Jonas noticed some offices off to the side with computers in them. He started looking through the books where data had been complied about the shifters. “We need to get this data.” Jonas pulled out the thumb drives and handed some to Sindrid. “Here, start pulling the files off those computers.”

  Sindrid walked out and started for another office. Even before he tried to get in, he could smell that someone was in there. The door was locked, so he broke it and walked in casually, then turned jerked a woman dressed in a lab coat out from under the desk. “Scared?” Sindrid watched as the woman’s eyes rolled back in her head and she slid to the floor.

  “What the hell?” Jonas watched as Sindrid threw the woman over his shoulder and pushed the thumb drive into the computer’s USB port.

  “This office was locked from the outside, so obviously they didn’t want her out of here,” Jonas said as he looked in the other room, where a bed and TV was located. “There isn’t a way to contact anyone, so it looks like they had her prisoner in here. We’ll have to wait to find out for sure, since she’s passed out. From the looks of it she was being made to work for them collecting data. Look at all these books.”

  Sindrid copied the files on the computer and then gave it to Jonas. “Okay, let’s get out of here.” They checked each office one more time, then headed back to the loading dock. By the time they got back to vans, everyone was loaded and waiting. Jonas and Sindrid got in the van with Lilly and Nash and a few others, including the shifter Sindrid had thrown against the wall. He was awake now, and rubbing his head.

  Sindrid leaned over so the bear knew he was talking to him. “We’re trying to save all of you, but if you try to attack my mate again, I will kill you.”

  The bear nodded.

  “Stop by the hotel so we can get the bus and then get back to the lodge,” Jonas said over the radio. “I need two on point and two in the rear, just to make sure nobody’s following us.” Before they pulled out, Jonas asked Bates, “Did you set the charges?”

  “Don’t you know it,” Bates replied with a smile.

  “Good. I want them all dead when the staff comes to work in the morning. As I see it, they’re all killers,” Jonas remarked and everyone nodded.

  Lilly tried to touch his arm, but he had to pull away. He could still feel the fear of finding his mate going into danger. Right now all he wanted to do was kill something, so not touching her was a good thing. He kept telling himself that she was fine, but nothing was working. He needed to be alone for a while. He couldn’t be with anyone right now while the rage rampaged through him. When they pulled up at the hotel, Sindrid got up to get out.

  “Jonas, I’m going to get another vehicle and make sure nobody’s following you guys. I’ll be with you shortly.” Sindrid got out of the van with Lilly staring at him. He could see the hurt in her eyes, but right now he needed to get control of himself before he hurt someone.

  Jonas got out with him and closed the door. “What’s going on? You’re just going to leave your mate?”

  “Jonas, understand that right now all I want to do is kill someone. I need to get these feelings under control. My mate was almost killed today, and I…” Sindrid’s eyes turned red. He turned around and ran toward town.

  He remembered that there was a car dealership in town; he’d buy a vehicle and drive home. That would give him enough time to calm down.

  Chapter 18

  Lilly’s heart dropped. She gasped, realizing that he’d finally had enough. She’d thought… She watched as Jonas got back on the van without him. Now she knew the truth.

  “Stop the van,” Lilly snapped.

  “What’s wrong?” Jonas asked, looking around.

  “I want to get off.” Lilly got up, opened the side door, and got out.

  “Lilly, what are you doing?” Jonas asked.

  “I’m getting off. I need to get off.” She backed away when Larsen came up to her.

  “Lilly? What’s wrong?” he asked. She knew by his voice and how they were staring at her that she looked destroyed. She was destroyed, and devastated. He’d just left her, just like Marcus, only this time it was worse. She hadn’t loved Marcus like she did Sindrid, and he’d still run as fast as he could away from her.

  Now she knew the truth. They weren’t true mates. She was a silly fool, again, who only dreamed of happy endings. There weren’t any happy endings; there wouldn’t ever be. She hated him now. She hated him. Never again would she allow another man to fill her head with dreams of love. All she could see was hate. It was her new friend. Hate was all she would allow in her body; it would keep her heart safe.

  Lilly shifted into her wolf form and ran toward the woods. Her wolf was hurting just as badly, but right now all she wanted was to be alone, away from the pain that was killing her. She ran as far as she could, then dropped to the ground. She didn’t know how long she’d run or where she was, but it couldn’t be far enough, because she was still feeling the pain.

  Her wolf got up and she ran further this time before she collapsed to the ground. The sky had turned dark by the time she fell asleep from exhaustion.

  Lilly gasped when she woke up on the ground. She was curled up in a tight ball, and she’d shifted back during her sleep. Her clothes were gone, so she lay on the ground, shivering in the nude.

  When she looked up, she had no clue where she was. All she could see was trees. She was deep in the mountains, and alone. The daylight was just coming through the trees, so she knew she’d been asleep since the previous day. Her family had to be worried about her, but they knew she was safe at least.

  She needed to find some clothes and a phone to call Larken and tell him where she was, and then ask if he would wire her some money. She wouldn’t be going home, not yet. She needed to get away somewhere she wouldn’t have to see him anymore. Maybe she could get a job somewhere else. The last time she got away she’d almost gone crazy being away from her pack, but this time she really felt she needed to be away from everyone, and all the pitying looks they’d give her.

  No, not this time. She couldn’t breathe when she thought about it. Lilly sat back down on the ground, gasping for air. Her body shook from the sobs that escaped her. He doesn’t love me. She rol
led onto her back and shifted into her wolf again.

  Life was just too hard as a human, so Lilly gave her wolf permission to run and have complete control.

  *****

  “Where is she?” Sindrid yelled at Jonas and Larken.

  “We don’t know. But a better question is where the fuck were you?” Larken stood up to Sindrid. He wasn’t as tall, but he was a predator who was angry now, which made him strong.

  “Baby,” Ash came over to her mate and rubbed his arm.

  “She jumped out of the van after you left, and shifted. We know what area she’s in, but my sister wanted to be alone so we’re giving her that. She’ll find her way back here when she feels the need to come back to us. And by us, I mean her family, her pack, not someone who ran away from her. Someone who did what she always expected you would do—leave at the first sign of trouble.” Larken’s voice was harsh and angry.

  “Hold on a minute, everyone. He didn’t run away from her, he left because her being in danger scared him so bad that the rage took over and he wanted to kill those that were involved. He needed to get control of those feelings before he hurt someone, like the worker we brought back. He didn’t mean to run from Lilly, but she took it that way before I could explain what was going on,” Jonas explained. Larken allowed his mate to pull him back.

  “It is my fault, Jonas. I should’ve said something to her. Instead I ran, and I should have thought how that would look to her.” Sindrid announced, his expression showing how disgusted he was with himself. “I told her that I wouldn’t leave her, ever, and I did. She won’t forgive me for that.”

  “If you think that, then you don’t know Lilly. She’s the most forgiving person I know. She loves you, Sindrid, and when Lilly loves someone, she doesn’t stop loving them,” Larken interjected.

  “Then I have to find her.” Jumping up to leave, Sindrid stopped when Larken spoke.

  “No! You need to give her time to understand what’s going on. Then, once she’s ready to get mad, she’ll confront you. Her wolf will bring her home to her pack. I know that right now you want to hunt her down, but she needs to do this. She needs to know that you wouldn’t just leave her like that. She needs to know that you’re here waiting for her.”

  Sindrid got up and leaned against the wall. “I don’t know if I can wait for her. I want to go and get her. I love her, and she’s out there alone.”

  “She’s not alone,” Larken corrected him. “Larsen’s following her, but not so close that she knows; or if she does, then she hasn’t given any sign of it. All she’s doing right now is running; back home, actually. Larsen called and said she’s running hard, wearing herself out and then crashing at night. She hunts when she’s hungry, and then sleeps. Her wolf knows what to do, and she’ll get her home to the pack.”

  Sindrid just nodded and walked out of the room. River got up and watched as he left. “I feel so bad for them. Maybe we could help them out.”

  “How?” Banks asked. “Right now Lilly is so hurt by him that she’s just running on anger.”

  “I think we just need to let them work this out for themselves. Lilly will come around when she’s ready. Let them deal with it alone,” Larken remarked, leaving nothing else to be said. He was her Alpha and her brother, and he knew her better than anyone.

  Chapter 19

  Lilly ran until she realized something felt familiar. Her wolf stopped as she reviewed her surroundings. She loved this area, with the big trees and the clear waterfall. She was home, where her pack was.

  Shifting, Lilly glanced around at the waterfall she loved. This was pack land, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone hiking a trail and coming across her while she was naked. She felt uplifted as she sat down beside the falls. Reaching out, she cupped her hand and drank the cool water coming from the mountains.

  Yes, she was home, but at the moment her heart was hurting and instead of continuing to cry about it, she was getting angry.

  Why he left her she didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to waste any more time on his sorry ass. If this was how he treated someone he called a mate, then he wasn’t worth crying over. If he wanted to see how angry she could be, then he could just watch.

  Lilly shifted and headed to her brother’s house. They always had spare clothes on hand there, because going into the lodge nude or as a wolf was unacceptable.

  By the time Lilly had gotten some clothes on, it had already started turning dark outside. She started jogging until she got to the driveway leading up to the lodge. She stopped and dragged in a few deep breaths, trying to control her fury.

  Lilly opened the door and walked in. Beth was at the front desk and smiled at her when she walked in, but she wasn’t in the mood to chat. She continued walking and got on the elevator, pressing the code to the top floor.

  She briefly closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on keeping control, but nothing was helping. The only thing she wanted to do was have her say, and then she could leave and go on with her life, without Sindrid in it.

  She opened her eyes when the elevator arrived at the penthouse, and stepped out into the foyer. She could smell Sindrid in the living room. What she didn’t expect was to see him playing a board game with Gabriel. As soon as Gabriel saw Lilly, he ran up to her and hugged her.

  “I was so worried about you, but Uncle Larken said that you were fine and just needed some time alone. He said that Larsen was following you, but Sindrid was worried sick.” Lilly glanced over Gabriel’s head and glared at her mate.

  “Lilly.” His voice was broken and unsure as he spoke.

  Gabriel looked up at her with tears in his eyes. “Lilly, he told me what happened. I believe him. Please don’t leave us.”

  Glancing down at him and staring into his blue eyes made Lilly want to cry. “Gabriel, please give us a few minutes.”

  Hesitantly, Gabriel walked to his bedroom. Without missing a beat, Lilly walked up to Sindrid and slapped him across the face. Her anger vibrated through her the same way the slap echoed throughout the room. She knew his guards could hear it and most likely Gabriel too, but she didn’t care.

  “How dare you make me fall in love with you, mark me for all to see, and then run at the first sign of trouble.” The coolness was gone now and only anger was present. She had to hold onto that rage or she’d fall for his trap.

  She knew that he’d allowed her to hit him, but she was still going to walk out the door. It would take an army to get through to her heart; never again would she fall in love with anyone.

  “I can see those wheels turning. Yes, I left, but not because I didn’t love you. Lilly, I left because I love you so much that I was going to destroy that place, and that woman we found, with my rage about what would’ve happened to you if you hadn’t gotten away. If I’d found you hooked up like that…” Sindrid’s eyes turned red. He backed away from her. For the first time she saw his pain, and felt it in the air. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone who tried to stop me. I didn’t want you to see me that way. I’d never leave you, my love, but…” Sindrid swallowed hard, then backed away further and roared. The sound of agony rushed from his mouth as he bent over, gasping for breath.

  “But you ran and I thought you didn’t want me anymore. You pulled away just like the others, and you didn’t come for me.”

  “No, I wanted to, but your brother said to let you have some time to yourself. I’ve been here waiting for you to return. Every hour I told myself that I’d waited long enough and that you needed me. I wanted to walk out, but Gabriel kept telling me that you were coming home. I waited for you. I’m sorry, my love. I never want you to think that. I love you more than life itself. If you left me, I couldn’t bear to go on any longer. My life would be over.”

  Lilly moved away from him and sat down. She could feel her anger recede just a little bit. Maybe he was telling the truth and maybe he wasn’t. She didn’t know what to believe.

  “Marcus left me in a hotel room with a note. I thought we were in love, but he didn’t
feel the same way. He just left me with a note. A note. I guess I’m lucky that I at least got to watch you turn away from me and run.”

  Sindrid knelt in front of her. “If I could take back that day, I would. Instead of running, I should have destroyed that facility, but I didn’t, and that rage continued to grow and grow inside me. All I could see was you strapped down to a table with a needle in your arm draining the life out of you.” Sindrid closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. “I still see it in my mind. I just had to get away from everyone before I started killing people, like the worker we found. I never meant to hurt you, and now that I know what happened, I’ll never leave you again. I can only ask for your forgiveness, but if it’s too soon for that then I will ask you every day until you believe me. I never want to lose your trust, Lilly. Please forgive me.”

  Lilly rushed into his arms and cried. Her wolf was howling with happiness as his mouth moved over hers, and his hands pulled her closer until she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

  Pulling out of the kiss, Sindrid whispered, “I love you, Lilly Wilder, and no matter what I will never leave you again.”

  “Okay,” was all she had left in her to say. Her body and mind were exhausted. All the anger she’d stored up had dissipated, making her unable to hold herself up any further. Before she could drop to the floor, Sindrid picked her up and took her to his bedroom.

  “We’ll sleep, and then we start the day as mates. We’re never going to be apart again,” Sindrid announced.

  *****

  Sindrid watched as a smile came over her face before she fell asleep. He didn’t want to leave her for a moment, but he needed to assure Gabriel that Lilly was staying with them. The kid had been through enough.

  Quietly, he walked out of the room and knocked on Gabriel’s door.