Chapter 15

Harper’s POV

I was doing everything I could to try and break the cuffs, but short of gnawing off my own hand, there was nothing I could do. I shook them hard enough to rattle whole bed, but they refused to budge

Suddenly, the window behind me shattered. I fell back on the bed and gaped at the huge black wolf in my bedroom.

Recognition sparked through me just as he rippled and shifted back into Levi. Rage hardened his face as he strode over and broke the chain, freeing me.

“Did he do this?” he snarled.

Through the mindlink, I heard his wolf snarl, “The whelp deserves to die!”

I’d never seen Levi this angry – maybe angry enough to actually kill Mason. That would start a pack war!

I forced a strained smile. “Levi, calm down. It was just a game from last night, okay?” I didn’t have to fake my humiliation. “We just forgot to unlock me, that’s all.”

For some reason, that seemed to make him even angrier. Levi surged forward and pinned me back on the bed, his hand on my throat.

“You like this?” he demanded, half taunting, half disbelief. “Is this how I taught you?”

For a moment, his strong fingers tightened on my neck. Not enough to hurt me – never that – just enough to feel his rage

And to my horror, an echo of that heat from the other night whispered in my core. I trembled, but it wasn’t all fear.

Levi’s eyes sharpened and he pulled back, calming instantly as he noticed. He let out a deep sigh and just gathered me in his arms. I tensed, but the whisper was gone. I was too relieved – and a little disappointed – to fight back as Levi carried me away.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured gruffly. “I shouldn’t have lost control like that.”

You shouldn’t have stopped. I bit my lip so the words couldn’t escape.

Levi took me and put me in his car. I half expected all of Mason’s wolves to come streaming out, but then I saw a familiar brown streak running along beside us – Noah. No doubt Mason’s wolves were busy elsewhere.

I grinned at the thought of whatever mischief he’d caused – but then fire streaked across my skin.

I yelped in pain as red marks appeared on my arms, carving agony all over me. It was everywhere, my arms, my legs, my back, my chest. There was no voice in my head this time, but I knew it was Mason – and I knew it was only a warning.

“What the hell is that?” Levi gasped, eyes darting from my face to my arms. I crossed them to cover the marks.

“Take me back,” I said, shaking my head. “I can deal with it, it’s fine, just turn around, please!”

He stared at me, shocked. “Harper, I can’t do that. Is it Mason, did he do something to you?” I said nothing. “I promise, I will get you out of there, just –”

“No!”

An image of Mason beating up the stripper flashed through my mind. It morphed into Levi beating the crap out of Mason – killing him. Then the other way, Mason hurting Levi, hurting anyone he could get his hands on in his rage.

“Harper, you don’t have to protect him,” Levi said, a mix of anger and sadness in his voice. I couldn’t take the pity.

“Levi, stop,” I snapped, forcing my voice to be hard, cold. “You can’t keep snatching me away every time you don’t like how you find me I didn’t ask you to come rescue me, did I?”

His brows drew together as he looked at me, at the cuff and chain still dangling from my wrist. “No, but –”

“I told you, it was a mistake. And anyway, it’s none of your business!” Pain lashed through me again, adding an extra bite to my words.

His hands tightened on the wheel, but he refused to even slow down. “Anything that harms you is my business,” he insisted.

I pushed away the warmth that tried to bloom in my chest. He didn’t mean it like that.

“I said I’m fine!” But another wave of pain scored down my skin, like claws digging in harder. I didn’t want to feel how much worse it could get. “Take. Me. Home.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Levi said stubbornly. “I’m taking you home where I should have taken you the moment I got that wedding invitation. You are not marrying that prick.”

Tears pressed behind my eyes, in part from the pain, in part from regret. It was too little too late.

“That’s not your choice to make,” I argued, raising my voice like I never had before. I needed to push him away so he’d stop coming for me, stop trying to save me.

Levi made it easy. “Yes the hell it is. I’m your Alpha and your fa—”

But the words I’m your Alpha, so like Mason this morning made me snap.

“Just because you’re my Alpha doesn’t mean you own me!” All the words I’d wanted to say to Mason this morning poured out. “You can’t just lock me up for the rest of my life in case I do something you don’t like, I’m a person! Not a pet, not a trophy, not your possession!”

Levi reared back from the fury in my voice. “I never said –” he tried, but I didn’t let him.

“My life belongs to me,” I raged. “If you can’t deal with that, you don’t belong in it!”

The car screeched to a halt. Levi stared at me like I was a stranger. I kept my face hard, angry. It worked. He let out a growl of frustration and shoved out of the car.

“Fine!” he roared, slamming it so hard the windows shook. “Take her back,” he called to Noah, who ran up looking shocked. Levi snarled, “Now. Say nothing.”

Then he turned to me. I refused to look at him, and only saw him from the corner of my eye. “Fine, Harper. I swear, I won’t get involved again.”

…

Noah didn’t listen to Levi. Since he ran off into the woods, he decided to take me back to their house. He could see I was shaken up – especially because I didn’t protest.

“You know Levi means well,” he said softly, then left me alone.

I desperately wanted to stay here. But it was hard to feel safe with the scratches growing more intense by the hour. Mason wasn’t letting up.

“You better be home tonight, Harper, or I swear it gets so much worse. “

The tears finally won. I didn’t have a choice. “I’m on my way.”

…

The pack house was deserted when I walked in the door. As soon as I found Mason, I knew why.

He was in his office, surrounded by bottles. One hand was shifted to claws, and his shirt was in taters around him, red welts peeking through. I gasped in horror.

Mason looked up slowly, hazy eyes focusing on me. “Tell me his fucking name or you’re never leaving this house again.”