Ace tried to pick me up, and I thrashed in his arms; his answering growl was menacing as he tried to pin me so he could grab me.
“No, I am not leaving them!” I screamed at him, but his aura rushed out, slamming against me and stunning me for a second.
“You are dying. I can feel it. You need to get back with Tyson and me. We can come back for him now that we know where they are. I need to get you back, we can’t take on anyone with you in this state, and I can’t reach Tyson for backup. We are too far out,” he snarled.
“No, no, I won’t leave them!” I struggled against him when Rayan screamed through the mindlink. Ace dropped me, clutching his head, and adrenaline pumped through my veins as I started running toward the mansion. I didn’t get far before Ace had tackled me again.
“No, we have to go back. I won’t let you die,” Ace roared, grabbing and dragging me toward him.
“No, I am not leaving!”
“No, you’re not,” came a voice that didn’t belong to Ace. Ace pivoted, and I saw Alpha Jamie, who stepped out of the trees along with a group of men who quickly surrounded us.
Alpha Jamie held a gun pointed at Ace, and Ace roared his aura, rushing out when the gun went off. Ace fell back against me, and I screamed, clutching him, and my hands became wet with his blood. The bullet hit him in the chest, and his breathing wheezed in a long puff as he choked.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Jamie said before nodding to his men, who suddenly raced toward us. Ace coughed, blood spraying out his lips, and his spittle hit the side of my face. Lucille wailed in my head.
“Ace!” I shrieked when another bang sounded out into the darkness. Ace moved quickly, blocking me with his body, and this one hit him in the shoulder. He grunted, and I felt the impact as his body jolted against mine. Pain radiated through my shoulder as the bullet passed through him and into me, and the pain was my ending as the darkness finally enveloped me.
Chapter eighty-eight
Tyson
I had lost contact with Ace, the mindlink not reaching because of his location. Yet I could feel Lucy’s pain and anguish. Melana couldn’t find the road she was looking for, and the sun was just beginning to rise as I reached the hospital. Aamon was unreachable the entire drive, but I spotted him smoking out the front of the hospital, his clothes all wrinkled, and he looked like shit.
“Any news?” I asked as I parked beside where he stood.
“Avery has grown too weak. She is unconscious and has been for hours. No matter how much energy I give her, she won’t wake up.”
“The baby?”
“Fine,” he said. I felt terrible for him, even more so with what I needed to ask of him. Aamon looked at me before taking a step back.
“What happened to you?” he asked, taking in my sweaty and pale appearance.
“That’s why I am here. Lucy took off last night looking for Jamie, and she is in heat,” I told him, and he instantly tossed his smoke before gripping my arm. I would never get used to the experience of misting. It was unnatural, and I felt like I was being sucked through a vacuum when we suddenly appeared in Avery’s hospital room. Her skin was deathly pale, almost gray.
“She doesn’t look so good,” I told him, and he nodded before digging for his phone in his bag.
“Shit, I missed your calls. Sorry.”
“We need to wake Ryker. I can’t reach Ace, and Melana has no idea how to find the road leading to Jamie’s holiday house. She said no matter how much she drives down that road, she can’t find any others leading off it. She has to keep driving back to get reception to call, and I have a feeling something bad has happened.”
“By the look of you, something bad has definitely happened. As for the road, it could be cloaked, which means the only way in would be on foot. You have to walk past the barrier. Makes sense if Beryl is with him.”
“What can we do? I am way out of my element here.”
“We have no choice but to wait.”
“Wait? My mate is out there dying!” I snapped at him.
“Ace will find her, but until Melana finds the road or Avery wakes up, we can’t do shit but that’s not all. We have no warriors left, in case you haven’t noticed,” he said. “Your pack is small, and Beryl is strong. She has to be to remain hidden all this time, especially from Avery. No offense, but werewolves stand no chance against witches. You have no idea what they are truly capable of.”
I glanced at Avery lying unconscious on the bed.
“I’m not sitting around and waiting for my mate and brother to die,” I told him, walking out. I opened up the pack link, ordering all men to start scouring everywhere outside the city. But Aamon knew my pack didn’t have the manpower and was hours away.
“Tyson!” Aamon called behind me, but I didn’t stop when he suddenly misted in front of me.