Chapter 4 Ch 4

Nap my ass. Nathan insisted I lay down on the couch inside for a few hours, but I couldn't fall asleep. How was I supposed to when there was a horde of my enemies outside the building? Nathan eventually learned to just stay in the same room as me, because otherwise I'd get it up and roam.

Peter came in shortly after dawn. The yellowing rays of the sun were creeping in from the windows, inch at a time. They were almost in my face now.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," piped the lycan.

I hopped up and crossed my arms over my chest. Nathan rose more slowly, his eyes fixed on Peter. The man was like Peter's servant or something. For a moment all I could wonder was how Peter won his devotion so well.

"Anna, you will stay with Nathan and follow me. The Beta and Rylee are preparing to leave with two escorts right now," Peter explained, rubbing his stubbly chin. "I will get her alone. It is both of your jobs to knock her out and make sure she makes it into the van."

"The van?" I asked.

"When Nathan and I arrived, we brought a van for this. It is parked between York and Habersham."

I pictured the intersection in my head. It was a few blocks down from where we were. "We're going to knock her out?"

They both looked at me.

"How else are we going to get her that far without one of the wolves hearing?"

"You will do whatever you have to," Peter started firmly, eyes glowing. It sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't think that was something I'd ever get used to.

We headed out of the building and I matched my pace to Nathan's. Peter shifted as soon as we were outside to lead the way. The morning was dewy and light, fresh on my skin. Even though I hadn't gotten much sleep last night, I felt very alive. I was about to help these two men accomplish an abduction. Why the hell was I doing that?

Oh, that's right. To end the reign of the psychotic Lycan King. I didn't know if this was really the best way to go about it, but Peter knew more than me. As long as the result came to fruition, I didn't necessarily care how we got there.

We walked to the end of the block, turned right, and slowed to a creeping pace. Peter turned his head to an alleyway that crossed, so Nathan grabbed my elbow and guided me down it. We hid behind two giant dumpsters that reeked of rotten food. My nose stopped up within two seconds of hiding.

Peter stood statue-still on his two hind legs in the shadows of the street. Any passerby might have mistaken him for a giant ass sculpture of some artist's worst nightmare. His silver fur waved a little in the stroking breeze but his eyes remained forward, muscles taught. Voices met my ears. I touched my throat to feel for the pulse, finding it just as fast as expected.

"We haven't been able to open up many shops," said a man's voice. "Our best options are hunting or raiding the CVS for dried goods."

"Why haven't you turned the power grid back on?" another man asked in a voice that oozed authority.

"Alpha Anthony said they never got the message," a woman replied. "That's why there's so many died here. They didn't know to stop."

The second man made a sound of disgust. "Your orders were never to kill all the humans. Your Alpha knew better."

"Forgive us," said another woman. "We did only what we thought King Basileus wanted."

I leaned forward to look around the dumpster but Nathan made a sweeping hand motion to catch my eye. He shook his head at me. Wetting my lips, I settled back onto the balls of my feet with a sigh. My knees were starting to kill me.

The sound of the foursome's feet halted.

"Do you smell that?" asked the authoritative male. "I smell human."

"Two," the first woman added.

Oh, Jesus. My blood ran cold. The familiar itch to run stampeded into my system. Nathan shot me a withering look, but now they were heading towards us. What the hell was Peter doing?

"Come out!" one of them shouted. I couldn't distinguish who anymore over the slamming of my pulse. "We won't hurt you. You're protected under the sovereignty of King Basileus."

I was so on edge I thought I'd combust. Nathan buried his gaze into mine. If I ran, I could screw up this whole operation. Peter would murder me. It wouldn't matter that Nature was with me or whatever. I tried to loosen up, to make myself chill, but then someone kicked over something metal. The sound was piercing as the metal object flew across the alley and whacked the dumpster I was hiding behind. Their dirty trick worked. I went running.

"There!" someone yelled.

Shit, shit, the devil likes taking a big stinky shit on my life. Pulling my elbows into my sides, I elongated my strides. I copped right out of the alley and zigzagged down the street like a maniac. Now I was just running from everyone. Back to being a loner if I made it out of this alive. My breathing grew heavier. I could hear their paws beat into the asphalt behind me. They were closing in.

I made a sharp right down another alley. My sense of direction reminded me that I was heading straight for the wolf camp, so I diverted at the next intersection. Just before I reached another alley, a massive black blur shot out into the street a few yards ahead of me. I tripped over my feet in an attempt to stop. Gasping, I went rolling across the road and cobblestones.

Once I stopped moving, I just lay there. It was over. It was so over for me. I could hear his heavy breath, practically feel it move down my body. By now, the others had reached us and I was surrounded. They all waited. That's how I knew who I was up against. The fucking Lycan King himself.

A wet nose touched my neck and I shot upright, every instinct coming back to life. He was going to rip out my throat. Shred my human body. Leave me for the birds to peck at my dead eyes.

As I scrambled up, he didn't reach out for me. I found myself on my bloody knees with my head tilted back just to see him. He was enormous. Bigger than Peter. On two legs, he could've mistaken for Big Foot or Sasquatch. His glowing blue eyes drank me in. I couldn't breathe or think or run.

"He won't hurt you," said a woman's voice.

I didn't dare turn to acknowledge her.

Then she added, "But don't run."

How nice.

Basileus lowered himself onto all fours and then leaned in towards me. I remained frozen, fear outpacing the pain all over my bruising body. His nose nestled against my neck again. He took a deep breath, filling his massive body of pitch fur with air. Was he smelling me?

"Petite fleur," rumbled his throaty voice against my neck. (Little flower.)

The vibrations of his baritone sent shudders through my body. Wait, a minute. Did I just feel my vagina spasm?

His warm tongue poked out to lap at my neck. Again, I remained stunned into stillness.

"Je t'ai trouvé." (I have found you.)