Getting away with the Alpha's Pup

Chapter 56

Dylan

Bert gritted his jaw, his eyes blazing with fury, and he nodded as he charged off to find my Gamma and the team of wolves.

I paced the room, and my fists clenched as I strode up and down my bedroom. Who had dared do this to my mate? My gaze roved over Cherry’s damp face, and I smoothed away her blond hair from her burning skin.

Cherry’s dad sat on the edge of the bed. He tugged at his beard as his worried gaze tracked over his daughter.

My mom pulled me away from my mate and hugged me.

My dad clapped a shoulder on my back. “She’s going to be okay, son.”

Fear blared through me. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe as dread twisted my insides. Everything felt tight as my muscles refused to relax, screaming at not being able to do anything for my mate. I needed to do more.

My gaze fell on Cherry’s dad. “Mike? Fern should be here, would you–”

“I’m on it,” he said, jumping up and hurrying out of the room. Perhaps, like me, he wanted to do something for Cherry.

As soon as Fern arrived, she rushed to my side, her tearful gaze telling me that her grandfather had told her that her mom wasn’t well. I took my daughter’s small hand in mine and brought her over to sit on my knee as we both silently guarded Cherry.

It was hours later when my Beta finally stalked into the room. Fern had long since fallen asleep, and I’d put her to sleep the spare bedroom. Cherry’s dad was resting on the couch, and my mom and dad had returned to their house with the order to call them if anything changed.

When Bert appeared looking grim, I looked at Cherry’s dad. “Mike, I need to speak to Bert. Would you watch over Cherry?”

Mike nodded, stalking back to the bedroom to guard my mate.

As soon as I was outside, Bert said, “We caught the last of the Bloomoon wolves.” His eyebrows drew together, and his ordinarily kind mouth was hard. “The only female we found among them was Lucy.”

I instantly understood his look of contempt. Unlike Cherry, who had inspired so many of the women to fight alongside the males of our pack, Lucy hadn’t joined her pack’s fight out of loyalty. Instead, there was only one reason she’d fought. Vengeance.

Instantly, I strode alongside Bert toward the pack prison as he said, “She won’t tell me where the poison is.”

“She’ll damn well tell me,” I rumbled, stalking into the barn that housed our prison. Inside, Jason, my Gamma, awaited us. And we all took the staircase down into the bowels of the earth.

Rushing down the steps two at a time, I strode to the center of the room, where a naked woman with wavy brown hair and pointed features was tied up. Further back, I noticed ten or so males, their wrists and ankles similarly bound.

Lucy’s throaty chuckle rang off the earthen walls. “I told you, you’d pay, Dylan.”

I grabbed her hair, pulling it back to make her stare up at me. “Tell me what you gave my mate and how much.”

Lucy smiled tauntingly. “You can’t make me talk, Dylan.”

My Alpha will flooded my stare, and I used all of my power as I said, “I am the Alpha of Starsmoon. And since I crushed your pack. You belong to me. You are mine to command. Now, tell me what you gave my mate and where the poison is.” Wrath beat through me as I jerked her hair further back, making me stare into my eyes.

Each of my words fell like rocks into a lake, and I could see Lucy straining against them, but she soon ground out, “It was wolfsbane. I put it on my claws. The vial is in my clothes. In the upper field.”

My heart leaped. With the vial, the doctor would be able to treat my mate.

My gaze snapped to my Gamma. “Jason, go find it quickly.” He rushed out to retrieve the poison.

As my gaze wound over Lucy’s seething face, I felt hatred flare. I paced up and down, every moment both hoping and fearing to hear Jason’s footsteps return. Eventually, his heavy steps sounded on the stairs, and with eagerness, he set the vial in my hand.

Relief crashed through me. I’d get this to the doctor, and my mate would be healed.

But first…

My gaze fell on Bert, “scratch her.”

Lucy cried out as Bert’s wolfish form morphed into existence and slashed Lucy’s tanned arm, a deep wound bleeding.

Bert shifted into his human form without the need for any command. Clearly, he knew where I was going with this. He held out his hand for the vial of wolfsbane. I set it in his hand, turning my seething stare on Lucy. “Just a few drops. We need the rest for Cherry’s antidote,” I reminded Bert.

Lucy’s eyes widened, and she started to struggle against her bonds. “No. You wouldn’t. Dylan. No!”

I clamped my jaw, then bellowed. “You poisoned my Luna, the mother of my child!”

As I mastered my temper, I reminded her. “As the victorious Alpha of the war, the spoils, including the wolves of the Bloodmoon Pack, are mine. To do with, or to do away with,” I added darkly, “as I see fit.”

I nodded at Bert.

He tipped a few drops of the poison into Lucy’s open wound.

She screamed out, her eyes flashing with fury and fear as she was powerless to do anything against the poison that would now be entering her bloodstream. I checked any remorse I had as I remembered that she had used this poison on my mate. Lucy had tried to kill my Luna. She deserved no mercy.

Once again, vengeance fired through me as I commanded Lucy, “Henceforth, you are expelled from the pack. Go. I never want to lay eyes on you again.” I slashed through her bonds with my pocket knife, and the woman fled upstairs and out into the night, compelled to obey my command. I hoped that as a rogue wolf, she’d be alone and succumb to the poison within days, thus reaping her just reward.

Then, losing no time, Bert and I ran toward the doctor’s house. Clutching the vial of poison that my Beta had given back to me, I hoped and prayed that the pack doctor would soon be able to rid Cherry’s blood of the toxins as easily as I’d rid myself of Lucy.