Chapter 77

Thorne’s POV

The last thing I ever want to hear again is the sound of my woman screaming in fear.

Yet, here I am, listening to her run for her life through a forest miles away from me.

Luckily, I looked into Aurora’s family a few nights ago and found that they live near the south border. Aurora’s stepfather, the bastard, rarely leaves the house other than to go gamble, which leads us into this awful situation.

Taking care of him will be my next priority.

“Jace, Aurora is being chased through the south forest near the border. Get me some warriors to that area and begin searching for her,” I order through the mind link.

I can hear her panting and crying. The sounds send shockwaves of pain to my heart, like someone is thrusting a knife into my chest.

“Aurora, I’m about to shift, so I won’t be able to talk to you,” I tell her, “I’ll keep the phone on. Tell me if you change directions or if something happens, but don’t stop running. Keep going, and I’ll find you.”

“Do you promise!?”

“I swear, Aurora. I will find you.”

A broken sob sounds through the phone as I shift to my wolf form. Carefully, I take the phone in my mouth, making sure not to crush it between my jaws as I run toward Aurora’s mother’s house.

“Alpha, I have men out searching, but there weren’t any warriors posted at the south border,” Jace tells me.

My wolf growls, the sound rippling down the pack bond. I can feel every one of my men that’s close to me grow tense at the sound, but I ignore their reactions. Instead, I focus on pushing myself to run the fastest I’ve ever gone.

The sounds from the phone keep me going, reminding me that my woman’s life is at stake.

If I don’t get to her now, finding her will become so much more difficult. If these are the same men that kidnapped her before, their intentions will be to take her back to that disgusting club or somewhere like it.

My men got rid of the physical club, but some of the proprietors got away.

“I’ve made it to the house,” I tell Jace while looking around. Aurora’s car is here, the house’s front door is open, and when I make my way inside, I find her stepfather knocked out on the floor.

Her scent and the smell of fear is thick in the air, pulling a growl from me again.

“Send someone to the house to keep the stepfather from getting away. I’m headed into the forest.”

“I’ll deal with the stepfather myself,” Jace says.

“Thorne, one of them changed!” There’s a gasp before she shouts, “He’s a wolf now! I-I think I need to hide and stay quiet.”

Shit.

I growl in response, hoping she’ll take that as my acceptance while I send a prayer up to the Goddess that she will protect Aurora. If anyone can, it would be the Goddess.

Turning, I run toward the forest, letting Aurora’s scent guide me. I head further south, weaving through the trees as two more scents catch my attention. They’re not far behind her, and if they’ve shifted like she said, it won’t take long for them to catch up.

Just as I begin sliding down a hill, a scream fills the air, echoing through the trees and the phone. It triggers my wolf, making him surge forward and take over.

If I don’t hurry, I won’t make it in time.

Aurora’s POV

“Please just leave me alone,” I cry as the two wolves circle me. Sharp white teeth flash in the shadows, and I whimper.

My back knocks into a tree, and I gasp, unable to go any further.

A loud snarl echoes through the trees just as a dark body barrels into my attackers. Three bodies tumble to the ground, rolling and snarling. Teeth and claws flash and slash, bringing a metallic smell into the air.

One of the wolves jumps up, and he turns on the two who were following me, baring his large teeth. It sends a shiver down my spine, but at the same time, a sense of familiarity hits me.

Thorne.

In all his wolfish glory, he stands between me and danger. He lets off another warning growl as the other two wolves get back to their feet. Before they can attack, Thorne’s wolf jumps forward and pounces on the left one.

He sinks his teeth into the wolf’s neck, tearing at it with his claws.

With Thorne busy, the other wolf lunges at me.

I scream, jumping to the side. It’s sharp claws slice through the tree trunk right where I’d been standing, barely missing me by inches.

Then, Thorne is there, his teeth clamping around the wolf’s hind leg and dragging it back. It yelps, and so do I, as blood splatters across me and the ground. I scramble away, falling over the dead wolf on the ground and crying out.

A howl of pain pierces the air, making me look up to find the bad wolf on top of Thorne.

“No!”

I’m moving before I can stop myself.

Thorne and the other wolf look up, but he’s too late. I slam my body into the wolf on top of Thorne, and my body weight knocks him aside. We tumble and then, the wolf is on top of me, snarling.

“Thorne!”

Suddenly, the weight is off of me, and I’m staring at the tops of the trees. A yelp sounds and a thud, and then Thorne’s large wolf is leaning over me. His muzzle pushes into my hair, moves down to my neck, then my chest and down my legs.

He sniffs and licks, and I gasp as tears fill my eyes. The other wolves are on the ground, either dead or very much unconscious while my man, or wolf, is checking me with his nose.

Reaching up, I brush my fingers through the fur at his neck, a sense of calm spreading through me. I’m safe.

“Th-Thorne.”

Bright gold eyes flick to mine, a soft rumble vibrating from his chest.

“Can you come back to me?” I ask, my voice still shaky even though I know I’m safe now.

He whines softly before moving back and nudging me up with his head. Once I’m sitting up, his body changes. The hair shrinks away, and his bones rearrange until he finally looks like the man I love again.

“You came.”

Thorne’s hand wraps around the back of my neck, tugging me forward as he whispers, “I always will.”

Then, his lips are on mine. Hard and hot, he kisses me, pulling me into his lap. I lean into him, kissing him back with everything in me. I let all my fear and gratitude pour into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him closer.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

I shake my head, “Just scrapes and bruises, I think. My head hurts a bit, too.”

At some point, I must have hit my head, though I can’t remember when. Though, that doesn’t matter. I run my hands down Thorne’s body, touching the bloody spots, “Are you hurt?”

“Not enough for it to matter,” he says softly. “Now, did they say why they were after you?”

“I think my stepfather was trying to settle his debts again.”

A vicious growl fills the air, only stopping when I pull Thorne back into a hug.

“Aurora, this will be the last time your stepfather threatens you. I swear it.”