I lean in slowly, finally ready to press my lips to hers. But the moment our skin brushes, she lets out a small, shaky whimper. Deep inside my chest, Alpha growls low and fierce—an ominous warning. Someone is about to pay for standing between me and my mate.
Kennedy doesn''t falter for a second. Her hands grip my cheeks firmly, but her gaze isn''t on me—it''s sharp, alert. “Finn, where''s Dirk?" she asks calmly, almost tooposed for the chaos around us. How does she know all these names? And how can she stay so collected?
"I can call him here, if you want, Luna," I offer quietly.
Be sneers, unable to hide his annoyance. "F*cking suck up," he mutters under his breath. Kennedy''s lips twitch into a faint, knowing smile at his jab.
Without warning, Kennedy releases my face, and Alpha whines softly, unsettled by the sudden loss of contact. But then, a wave of calm washes over me, soothing the beast within.
"Thank you, Luna. I''m sorry," Be says, stepping so close I can feel the heat radiating from his body. It''s ufortable, but I don''t pull away. Kennedy must have her hand on him, grounding us both. The tense moment shatters abruptly as a wolf is dragged forward, cursing under his breath.
"Ryker, put me down," she whispers, her voice fierce but low.
"No chance," I reply just as quietly.
"Let me go, you c*cksucking motherf*ckers!" The rogue snarls, struggling against the two warriors holding him by the arms. He spits venom at Finn. "What kind of Alpha are you? Selling out your own pack for what-a pair of tits? Did she suck you off too? Now you''re at the mercy of two b*tches?"
Kennedy nods toward the man, her voice sharp. “He tied me up and broke my face." She shudders slightly, then adds quietly, "He''s the reason my blood stains this forest." I hear her catch her breath as I toss her to Josh without hesitation. There''s no way I''m letting Be in on the details of this bastard''s cruelty.
The warriors release the rogue, stepping aside just in time for us to rain down blows on every inch of Dirk''s body. Alpha lends me strength, fueling my strikes-I want him to feel every ounce of pain Kennedy endured while he was in charge. I unleash all the anger and helplessness I''ve carried since learning what happened when she was first captured, and now, seeing her wounded again. I wasn''t there then, but I am here now, and I won''t let him forget it.
When Dirk copses into a bloody, broken heap, barely clinging to consciousness, Kennedy taps my shoulder. I slide aside as she crouches in front of him, her eyes cold and unforgiving.
"I told you, you''d lose an arm for this," she says, gently brushing the swollen, bruised cheek that''s turned a dark shade of purple.
Like a well-practiced team, Be grabs Dirk''s wrist and holds his arm out, hovering just above the ground. I stomp hard on his elbow, then his shoulder, dislocating both joints. His screams fill the air as I unsheathe Alpha''s ws and sever the limb cleanly.
Somewhere deep in my mind, I notice Kennedy didn''t even flinch at the brutal sight. I make a mental note to ask her about thatter. For now, we leave Dirk to bleed out.
"Where''s Amy?" Josh''s voice pulls us back to the pressing issue.
"She ran off when you all broke into the rogue camp. Finn, can you track her through your bond?"
"I''ll try. We''ve got so many precautions in ce, though. Our senses are dulled inside the camp—-funny enough, that was her and her dad''s idea."
"While we wait... How many people are with you, Finn? Any kids or anyone needing serious medical care?" Kennedy''s concern is immediate and genuine. Despite everything she''s been through-kidnapped, tortured her first thought is about helping others.
"We have a few warriors injured, but no children. We''ve been without a home for about a year now. All these people could use a warm bed and a hot meal.”
Kennedy looks at me with pleading eyes. What she doesn''t realize is that right now, I would say yes to anything she asked-no matter what.