The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf (18 page)

will discuss with our elder, as well as Elder Wade, to dissolve your

mating.”

To a certain extent, Anson had expected this turn against him. He

blamed himself, so why shouldn’t others blame him? But the idea that

they wanted to tear apart his mating with Reed filled him with near-

murderous rage.

He took a deep breath, focusing on what was more important, his

mate. When he was a bit calmer, he gave Shiloh a pleading look. The

older swan got up and blocked his parents’ view of Reed and Anson.

“Now is not the time for that sort of thing. You’re out of line, Mother.

Please leave.”

“You’re right, Shiloh,” Norma replied. “I will leave this for

another time. But I just wanted to let you know, that’s all.”

Anson looked at her, ready to protect his mating with Reed. He

didn’t even get the chance. A rush of thoughts invaded his mind, and

a sweet voice echoed in the room. “I think that won’t be necessary,

Grandmother.”

At once, Anson’s focus fully shifted to Reed. “Baby! Oh my God.

How are you? How do you feel?”

He heard himself rattle questions, while in the background, Reed’s

grandparents were making themselves useful by calling the nurse.

Anson just wanted to touch Reed all over, to make sure this wasn’t a

dream, but he was afraid he would harm his mate.

“Don’t be an idiot, Sonny,” Reed said. “Just come here.”

Reed made a move to reach for him, then his expression became

puzzled. Quickly, the confusion turned to panic, and Anson’s heart

sank. Confirming Anson’s worst fears, Reed gave him a terrified look

and said, “Sonny, I can’t move my legs.”

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* * * *

A few weeks later

Aria paced through her small cell, feeling like a proverbial caged

animal. Even with the time that had passed since the failure of her

plan, she still didn’t know what had gone wrong. She’d been so

convinced it would work, but somehow, the werewolves had figured

it all out. The only thing she could come up with was that Hal had

chickened out and betrayed her. It angered her that she’s misjudged

him so much.

Outside, she could hear guards moving rhythmically. Their

freedom bothered her deeply, especially since her wolf begged to be

loose, to run wild, to feel earth under its paws. But it was not to be.

Instead, she was trapped here while her enemies were outside,

laughing at her.

At one point, they brought her a plate of food, but she refused it,

throwing it at the person who’d offered it. Naturally, she missed, as

the guards were all used to her rants and attempts to hunt them. Since

the moment they had locked her up, every day had become identical,

and at this point, she was under the impression she lived some fucked-

up version of
Groundhog Day
.

But something was different on this particular afternoon. The

guards didn’t leave after she threw the food at one of them. Instead,

they stayed. Aria’s heart started to beat faster. She wondered what

they had planned for her now. It couldn’t be anything good, that was

for sure. They hated her almost as much as she hated them.

To her surprise, Soren Wade made his appearance, his expression

stony and unreadable. “Take her,” he ordered to his guards.

“Are you letting me go?” Aria heard herself ask.

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117

Soren snorted. “Not on your life. Since you don’t, technically

speaking, belong to my pack, I can’t take a decision regarding your

fate. So you’re being transferred to the Elder’s jail.”

Aria had heard very unpleasant things about that place. She wasn’t

happy with this new development, but at the same time, she felt a

little excited. This was the only time she would be let out of this

place. While she was being transferred, she could escape.

As if guessing her thoughts, Soren sneered at her. “Don’t get any

bright ideas. We take care of our own, and what you did to Reed will

not go unpunished.”

Aria found a wicked sort of satisfaction in the knowledge that she

had at least destroyed that stupid whore of a swan. “Is that right?” She

snickered. “Well, whatever you to do me won’t help him now, will

it?”

Soren arched a brow at her. “Oh, you think he’s dead. Be glad he

isn’t, otherwise the only place you’d be transferred in would be your

own grave.”

The Alpha sounded quite serious, and Aria had no doubt that her

death had, indeed, been taken into account as a possible outcome of

the situation. Still, she was pissed off that Reed still lived. Once she

got out of here—because she would get out, eventually—she would

hunt him, Anson, and Paris down and destroy them once and for all.

For the moment, however, she was trapped in a present where

other people had the power. The guards entered her cell and

immobilized her using heavy silver shackles. The metal burned her

wrists where it made contact, but no attempt was made to minimize

the contact between the cuffs and her body. She still tried to fight it,

but one of the soldiers pressed a syringe to her shoulder. A thick

needle brutally pierced her skin, and Aria screamed as the substance

within penetrated her body.

This had happened once before, when they had first dragged her

into this blasted cell. The tranquilizer seemed to have silver as one of

its basic components, as it burned like hell when it was used. But at

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the same time, it didn’t hurt enough to poison her or even knock her

out completely. She was left helpless like a newborn pup, still able to

feel, see, and hear, but lacking the capacity to move a muscle.

One of the guards grabbed her, draping her over his shoulder.

Soren led the way out of the building, followed by the man carrying

her and a couple more others. There were already cars waiting, and

Aria began to understand her escape plan might not have too many

chances to succeed. Hell, she didn’t even have one right now, because

to break free, she’d have to be able to move.

They loaded her in a big van, with Soren and a couple of more

guards watching over her. Bound and helpless, she felt little more

than an animal, and her list of people to kill increased. Soren would

have to follow shortly after the first three. Aria could not stand this

humiliation and abuse.

As the car started, Aria busied herself with imagining all sorts of

different scenarios of revenge. Time passed, and at one point, they left

pack lands, because Aria saw everyone tense. If only they hadn’t

injected her with that substance. As it was, she couldn’t take

advantage of this invaluable occasion.

She’d all but given up when all of a sudden, she heard a voice

inside her head. It was dim, almost inaudible, but definitely there.

“Stay down. We’re coming for you.”

Hope rekindled inside Aria. She might not know who would

possibly want to help her, but she’d take any help she could get. She

slowly lowered her body against the van floor as if she were very

tired. Alas, the slight motion drew Soren’s attention. The Alpha left

his seat and knelt next to her. “Don’t think you can escape us, Aria,

because you can’t. There’s no place for you to run or hide. You’ve

run out of options, and I will personally make sure you get the worst

possible punishment for your actions.”

The words were venomous, and slightly useless, really, since Aria

already knew that was the case. However, Soren’s actions had an

unexpected effect. When the van was suddenly struck by an unseen

The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf

119

force, the guards were thrown around like puppets. Soren and Aria,

still on the floor, were more protected, and fell together, shielded

from the brunt of the damage.

“You need to focus.”
The voice was louder in Aria’s mind.

“There’s not much time. Open your mind to me. Let me in.”

Aria didn’t like surrendering her destiny into the hands of another,

but she didn’t have much choice. She reached out to the voice, hoping

it would bring her the freedom she craved so much.

Her view shifted, and out of the blue, she found herself in a dark,

gloomy valley. Instinctively, she knew this was her mind, and a part

of her could still keep track of what went on outside.

It was the strangest thing, seeing her body move as if it belonged

to another person. She watched herself break the shackles as if they

were made out of paper and pushed Soren away. Soren tried to stop

her, but she seemed so strong, unnaturally so, and the Alpha had no

chance against her.

Aria wanted to tear him into little pieces, but her body had

different ideas. When Soren was out of the way, she rushed toward

the door, pushing it open. The other cars had stopped and several

werewolves were out, ready to immobilize her. Aria melted into her

wolf form and ran, as quickly as she could.

Under normal circumstances, they would have caught up with her.

But her newly acquired strength came with speed as well, and they

faded behind her before she even knew what was going on.

In that moment, Aria was once again propelled into her body. She

was dizzy and feeling like she’d been on a roller coaster a hundred

times without a break. But she didn’t have time to linger.
“Go,”
the

voice told her.
“There’s a safe deposit box waiting for you in Los

Angeles. It has everything you need.”

The address and instructions filled Aria’s mind, and she knew

exactly what she needed to do.
“Thank you,”
she mentally replied,

“Tyrell.”

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* * * *

“So that’s it, then?” Reed glowered at his mate, torn between fury

and hurt. “You’re never going to let me touch you again.”

Anson gave him a pained look. “It’s not like I don’t want to,

baby.” Anson knelt next to Reed’s automated wheelchair. “But you’re

still recovering from your injury. I don’t want to make the situation

worse.”

Since Reed had woken up paralyzed from the waist down, their

relationship had been under continuous strain. Anson treated Reed as

if he were made out of glass, and the werewolf’s guilt nagged at

Reed’s consciousness like nails scratching against a blackboard. Not

only that, but Anson was also refusing being pleasured by Reed. Oh,

he’d sucked Reed’s cock plenty of times and made him come so hard

Reed forgot he even had a body, let alone a half-useless one. But

when Reed wanted to return the favor, Anson always refused him.

“I know I’m not very sexy like this,” Reed said, “but we’re

mates.” To his shame, he found that tears were filling his eyes. “If

you really find me that repulsive, we shouldn’t be living together at

all.”

Anson kissed away his tears with a gentleness that crushed Reed’s

heart. “You know that’s not the problem, baby. There’s nothing I

want more than to be with you.” Anson seemed to be struggling to

find words. “I just…I don’t know what to do.”

Reed tried to control his temper, knowing he was being selfish.

Both of them had been affected by this attack in more ways than

imaginable. “It’s okay. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted. It’s not

your fault.”

It
is
my fault.
The thought came clearly from Anson, as if the

words had been spoken out loud. In that moment, Reed hated himself.

He hated his stupid body that refused to heal and his stupid legs that

wouldn’t walk. Perhaps it would have been better if he hadn’t woken

up at all, or if he and Anson had never mated. He just couldn’t bear

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121

Anson’s pain. If there was anyone to blame for their current

predicament, it was Aria, for attacking them, and Reed himself for not

being strong enough to surpass it.

They’d tried everything from the latest technology science could

offer to the most tortuous training for Reed. But still, in spite of all

their efforts, Reed’s body refused to cooperate.

“Aren’t we a matching pair?” Anson hugged Reed tightly. “Here

we are, both blaming ourselves for something we can’t control.”

Reed buried his face in Anson’s shoulder and inhaled deeply.

Sometimes, it was just nice to be held. Oh, Reed loved their