Read The Alpha's Mail Order Bride Online
Authors: Jasmine White
EPILOGUE
Saying goodbye to Haley had been difficult, but they’d managed to get through it with only a few shed tears. Akala had made it as clear she knew how that she’d appreciated everything Haley had done for her, and that she hated the idea of leaving her so soon after forming their friendship. They promised to stay in touch no matter what final decision Akala came to, and then Nashoba came inside to carry her bag to the truck.
Once again, she found herself sitting silently in the old truck while Nashoba drove down roads that were now considerably more familiar than they had been a few short days ago. Akala smiled when they passed the Wilkinson’s farm, and she almost asked that they stop for a bite to eat in Mountain View before leaving it for what might be her last time. A lot of new memories had been formed in this small corner of Colorado, and it was much more difficult dealing with it than she had thought it would be.
Looking at Nashoba didn’t make things any easier. He spoke no word of complaint, and did nothing to make his disappointment known, but Akala could sense his unhappiness. His jaw seemed clenched a little too tight, and his gaze stayed firmly fixed on the road in front of them, never once turning to look out the side window or at Akala.
When he slammed on the brakes and pulled off onto the rough dirt shoulder just outside of town, Akala braced herself for him to plead for her to stay and rethink her position on becoming his mate. She was so sure that he was going to make a last ditch attempt to keep her from leaving that she took a moment to comprehend why he’d really stopped.
“
Shit,” he grunted, cutting the engine and peering off into the gloom of twilight. “This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all.”
“
What is it?” Akala asked when she finally understood that his reasons for stopping had nothing to do with her. The light was fading fast, and she couldn’t see what had caught his attention.
“
A pack of wolves just ran across the road in front of us.”
“
Is that bad?”
“
They’re not of our tribe, and they had the look of a hunting party about them. They shouldn’t be here like this. It goes against the treaty.”
“
Treaty? Hunting party? What on earth is happening?” A note of fear crept into Akala’s voice.
“
I know I said I’d bring you to the airport, but this is too important to let go. It’s my duty as alpha to let my tribe know what’s happening.” He turned his key to start the engine and roared out into a tight u-turn. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to come with me.”
Akala gripped the door frame and braced herself as Nashoba sped down the country roads without turning his lights on. He turned down an unfamiliar branch, and Akala realized he was choosing a route that kept him out of town and angled them towards the tribal lands he’d shown her earlier that afternoon. She couldn’t be sure, but from the direction he’d been looking after stopping, and the direction they were now driving, it seemed like the hunting party was heading directly for the Choctaw village.
“Maybe they’re just coming to trade with you or something?” asked Akala, her gut telling her that it was nothing so simple.
Nashoba veered off onto a rougher road, keeping his speed high and sending them bouncing along the rough and rutted track.
“If I’m right, those were Kintawep wolves.” He veered hard to the left to avoid a particularly deep pothole. “The Choctaw and Kintawep people have had an age-old rivalry that is nowhere near peaceful resolution. If they’re on our land, it’s because they’ve come for a fight. I just hope we can make it in time to warn my people.”
The trees blotted out the moonlight that shone bright in the night sky, and Akala could hardly see the ground in front of them as Nashoba braked hard and turned into the hidden dirt track. She figured it had something to do with his wolf senses and trusted that he could see a hell of a lot better than she did. Still, she braced her knee against the center console and kept a tight grip on the roof handle to keep from being bashed around the inside of the truck.
When they finally reached the village, Akala saw that they’d come too late, and that everything was chaos. People ran in every direction, and wolves sprinted between buildings, some fighting, and some chasing those who hadn’t yet shifted.
“
Stay in the truck. Lock it once I’m out, and don’t open it for anyone.” Nashoba reached over and gripped her upper arm. “You hear me? Not for anyone.”
Akala could do nothing but nod her head violently. After unbuckling her seat belt, she waited for Nashoba’s door to slam shut and she reached over the seat to slap down the old style door lock. Ensuring her own door was locked, she pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to keep a low profile while still being able to watch out the front window. Nashoba run towards the longhouse, but part way there he was intercepted by two large wolves, their fur bristling in anger as they snarled and leapt towards him.
Nashoba shifted on the fly, the rippling transformation of his body tearing his clothes to shreds as she flew forward to meet the larger of his attackers head on. He slammed into the other wolf’s body, sending it sprawling backwards with him landing on top and gnashing at the wolf’s exposed throat. In less time than it took for Akala to go from amazed to horrified, the attacking wolf was dead, it’s throat a bleeding mass of torn flesh and muscle.
The other wolf adjusted course and turned to pounce on Nashoba from the rear. This time it was impossible for Nashoba to protect himself, and he shook and rolled while his attacker bit and clawed at his hide. They were nothing more than a blur of fur and flying dirt to Akala’s eyes, but after what seemed like an eternity, they came to a stop, Nashoba still standing and panting heavily over the lifeless wolf corpse below him.
Nashoba turned his head to look at the truck before dashing off into the village. Akala didn’t know what to do, but she felt stupid and helpless in the car. She looked around the cab and was surprised to find a shotgun tucked down behind the back of the seats. It looked as old and run down as the truck itself, but she figured it would do for what she needed it for. Wrestling it out from its rack, Akala prayed that it was loaded and opened the door to step out of the truck.
The shouts and yelps that had been muffled by the truck’s windows were louder now, and she almost turned back. Fighting every natural instinct, she moved forwards, running to the nearest cabin to check if anyone was trapped inside. She could think of nothing but the little ones she’d seen romping around the village that afternoon, and she ran through the rooms, hoping that everyone had gotten out and made it to someplace safe.
After discovering the house to be completely empty, Akala ran to the next cabin and checked it for hiding Choctaws. It too was empty, and she went back outside to figure out where to go next. It was then that a wolf appeared before her, its ears back in a gesture of aggression, saliva dripping from its snarling mouth.
“
Don’t take another step or I will fucking blow your head off,” she said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt. Akala leveled the gun at the wolf’s head and put her finger on the trigger.
The wolf shifted up into the form of a man, and as she’d witnessed when Nashoba shifted back from wolf, this stranger was completely naked and exposed to her.
The man laughed and stepped right up to her, grabbing the barrel of the gun and wrenching it from her hands. She’d tried pulling down on the trigger, but nothing had happened and she was soon unarmed and helpless while the shifter turned the gun back on her.
“
Silly female,” he said with a laugh. “If you’re going to use one of your pathetic weapons on us, at least learn how to use it.”
He made a show of flicking off the gun’s safety catch and then pointed the barrel right at her face.
“See? Now I can take that pretty little head of yours clean off.” He lowered the gun and ran his gaze up and down the length of her body. “Fortunately for you, I have other uses for that mouth.”
Someone grabbed Akala from behind, twisting her arms back and pinning them in such a way that left her helpless. She felt hot skin against her body, and she realized that one of the other wolves had crept up behind her and shifted to grab her.
Akala struggled to free herself, but it was no use. The wolf was far stronger than she, and he easily dragged her alongside his pack mate. When she tried to scream for Nashoba, the first Kintawep shifter slapped her so hard that she worried he might have dislocated her jaw, and hot tears flooded from her eyes. Risking another slap, she cried out again.
“
Shut your mouth, you little bitch,” said the man holding her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the large wolf she knew to be Nashoba sprinting down the path towards her. His muzzle was red with blood and viscera, and he had a look of fierce rage in his eyes that made Akala wonder if he’d gone crazy. He was about to leap towards the naked man still standing with the gun pointed down towards the ground when four other wolves appeared from between the cabins and intercepted him.
“Is that your boyfriend?” asked the shifter with the gun. He ran a finger down Akala’s cheek and let it linger on her lips a moment. “I suggest you forget about him. He won’t be around much longer.”
Akala shrieked in fear as they dragged her towards the cars. She could see nothing of Nashoba and the wolves who’d blocked him, but the sounds she heard from behind her were the stuff of nightmares. The wolves growled and yelped, snarling and barking with rage as they fought to keep Nashoba from reaching her.
They hauled Akala past Nashoba’s truck and down the road a little ways where a much larger tuck with an enclosed back storage area was parked. The one who’d taken the gun from Akala unlocked the back of the truck and swung open the door, exposing Akala to the pitiful whimpering sounds of several women as she was flung up alongside them like she weighed nothing more than a small child. She landed on something soft and squishy, and soon realized it was the body of a woman who’d either died or passed out.
Akala didn’t have any more time to catch her bearings, because the door was slammed shut again, and all she knew was darkness and the sounds of those suffering around her. She tried her best to shuffle back to find a wall to brace herself against as the truck’s engine roared to life and they began to move along the rough dirt road. Everyone bounced around violently in that dark place, and she felt her own tears flow anew when she realized that she had no idea where she was being taken, or worse, what they planned to do with her when they got her there.
All she could do was try to stay alive, she told herself. Nashoba was a strong fighter, and there had to be other Choctaws still alive to fight alongside him. He would come for her, she told herself. He had to come for her, because the awful truth was that no one else knew she’d even been taken....
To Be Continued....
The sequel to the “Alphas Mail Order Bride” will be out in 2 weeks!
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