Carry 12_The Lost Pack

**Paige’s POV **

 I’m so warm andfortable, tucked under his arm with my head resting on his chest. This is my favourite ce in the world, in Ryder’s safe arms. His breathing is steady. He’s still sleeping.

 I had the strangest dream, well; it was more like a nightmare with some good bits. I had a child. He was Ryder’s, and he was the cutest little boy.

 “Can we have pizza?” I hear a little voice shriek, and my eyes snap open as everythinges back to me.

 Callen.

 The wolf.

 Ryder.

 I sit up with a curse and look down at Ryder in the bed next to me. He is shirtless, with the duvet covering his lower half. My traitorous eyes admire his physique without permission, and I screw them shut, turning my head away before opening them again.

 “Pizza, pizza, pizza,” I hear Jaxon chant.

 Where am I, and why is Jax here?

 “Calm down, bud, you’ll wake your mum up,” I hear another voice I don’t recognise say.

 “Sorry. I just really love pizza,” Jax whines.

 “We noticed,” someone chuckles, and I’m pretty sure its Callen.

 Shit. Shit. Shit. I need to get Jax and get the hell out of here. These people… or whatever the hell they are, are dangerous. I don’t want them anywhere near me or my son.

 Ryder lets out a small groan beside me and I hold my breath, not daring to move a muscle for fear of waking him.

 When he doesn’t move, I dare to turn my head to look at him again. He’s stunning. Even more handsome than I remember him.

 How can he be this… this monster?

 How can my Ryder, my childhood sweetheart, the father of my child, turn into a wolf? This is real lite, not a movie or a book. It’s not possible.

 I take in the room. It’s so homey. We are in arge four–poster bed in the middle of a room. The walls seem to be made of warm honey–coloured logs. Giving it a rustic luxury feel. There’s a window on the left wall that almost stretches from floor to ceiling with heavy wool curtains blocking out most of the light. It’s hard to tell if the window opens from the limited view I have of it.

 There’s a door on the right, which looks to be my only escape and the way to Jaxon. I move painfully slowly, barely breathing so as not to wake Ryder. When I finally get to the edge of the bed, my feetnd on a plush white faux fur rug. I look around for my shoes that someone has removed, but if they’re in this room, they’re out of sight. It looks like I’ll have to make my great escape barefoot.

 TIJ DUNUS

 Inching off the bed, I freeze as Ryder’s breathing hitches

 Please don’t wake up. Please don’t wake up.

 When his breathing evens out again, I take a step forward, then another, pausing after each step to listen for any change.

 After what feels like a lifetime, I make it to the door, resting my hand on the doorknob. I take onest look over my shoulder at Ryder and then pull the door open.

 I creep out of the room and find myself in arge, open space. Every wall showcases wooden logs and enormous windows. A ck iron rail runs around a cut–out in the floor. I look down to see a kitchen below me. It’s one of those fancy ones, with arge ind in the middle. It’s a beautiful ce, it’s a shame it’s inhabited by monsters.

 I can hear talkinging from downstairs and I tiptoe towards the stairs. I don’t know how I will get Jax away from Callen, but I have to try.

 I stop to check my pockets for my phone, but I already know I don’t have it. I remember throwing it in one of the bags I’d tossed in my car before I lost my mind and followed a near stranger into the woods.

 The voices be louder as I creep on shaky legs, adrenaline coursing through me. My footnds on the first step when something mps over my mouth, and I’m pulled backwards.

 “Shh, don’t make a noise,” a deep voice whispers in my ear as I’m pulled into a dark room that smells like cedar and something sweet.

 “Damn, you do smell good,” the voice says, but it feels more like a curse than apliment.

 The door he pulled me through closes, plunging the room intoplete darkness. My heart pounds in my chest, and I’m so scared I’m almost tempted to call out for Ryder.

 “I’m going to help you, but you have to promise not to make a sound, okay?”

 I nod on instinct, but I have no intention of trusting the man.

 “Good girl,” the voice says before slowly moving his hand from my mouth.

 I suck in a shaky breath, urging my heart to slow before pass out again.

 “Why are you helping me?” I whisper, wishing there was some light in here so I could see something, anything, but it’s pitch ck.

 “Because I don’t want you here any more than you want to be here,” the man admits,

 Fair enough, at least he’s honest, and it’s not like I’m trying to make friends here.

 “Okay,” I nod, even though he can’t see me, or maybe he can.

 Can wolves see in the dark?

 “I’m going to carry you down the stairs and out of the back door. When we get to the tree line, you need to run. Don’t stop until you get into town. Then get in your car and leave and nevere back. Do you understand?”

 “Yes, but why do you need to carry me? And what about my son? I need to get him, too.”

 why d

 arry me? And what

 “Because you are in a house full of shifters with impable hearing. They will hear two sets of footsteps on the stairs. As for the kid, forget him. He belongs with us we will look after him,” he says, and I shake my head, a huping sob escaping me.

 How could he think I would ever leave my son?

 “No. I’m not leaving him,” I hiss.

 “Then we have a problem, little human,” he growls, making fear trickle down my spine.

 The door bursts open then, and arge figure fills the doorway. The darkness shadows their features, but I recognise the silhouette.

 “What the hell is going on, Rem?” Callen asks.

 “I caught your little mate trying to sneak away,” my kidnapper says.

 A light flicks on, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Not that my situation is any less dire, but at least I can see

 now.

 “Are you okay?” Callen asks, his concerned eyes focused on me.

 “No,” I snort. “How could I be okay? I’m in a house full of monsters, being dragged into dark rooms and told to leave without my son!”

 “No one is telling you to leave without Jax. We want you here, both of you,” Callen says, his voice soft as if attempting to calm me, and prove he isn’t a monster.

 “He did,” I say, pointing to the man I now recognise as one of the twins that had run off with Ryder earlier.

 “What the f*ck, Remy!” Callen growls, his fist clenching at his side as he stares at his friend.

 “Oh,e on, she’s no good for you, Cal. She’s human, for fuck’s sake. We can’t have a human Luna. We can keep the kid and…” Remy doesn’t get to finish his sentence as Callen’s fist ms into his face with a sickening crunch.

 I let out a yelp and duck out of the room as the two men begin fighting. Fists fly, angry growls echo through the house, and I make a run for it.

 I don’t get far before strong, familiar arms band around my waist and lift me off my feet.

 “Parker!” Ryder bellows as two wolves barrel through the open doorway, almost knocking me and Ryder

 down the stairs.

 The wolves are all teeth, ws and snarls as they fight on thending. Ryder shifts me in his arms, cradling me against his bare chest and protecting my head with strong hand.

 Another man runs up the stairs. He looks just like Remy and I catch a glimpse of him attempting to pull the two wolves apart before Ryder turns me away from the violence.

 Tense seconds pass with shouts and growls before it fall silent. Ragged breaths and my own racing heart are the only sounds left.

 Ryder loosens his hold on me and I wriggle to break free of his arms.

 “Get off me,” I hiss.

 “It’s okay, Angel, you’re safe,” he soothes, and I pound my fists on his chest until he finally lowers me to my feet.

 “Safe? Are you f*cking serious? How is that safe?” I demand, gesturing to Callen and Remy, who are both back in their human bodies… andpletely naked.

 I avert my gaze, keeping my eyes fixed on Ryder rather than the naked men sitting on the floor staring at each other, with the dressed guy standing between them, looking ready to intervene if they fight again.

 Ryder opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it again as he looks past me and freezes. He looks as if he has just seen a ghost.

 “Mummy,” Jaxon’s small voice says behind me, and my heart almost seizes in my chest.

 7,0

 N.O Darling Author

 Thank you so much to everyone reading so far and thank for all thements, gems and the review! It helps my book reach more readers and makes me smile.

17kNovel

Carry 12