Chapter Thirteen
Wolfe
The cool air whipped through my hair and my beard lashed against my throat, but I didn’t care. I was on a mission.
Razorbeak was strong and a swift flyer, as were Thornclaw and Stormwing. As we soared together, I could feel the strong muscles of his back and wings flexing beneath me, carrying us high above the safety of the trees. The ride should have been peaceful, but I was too worried about Raven to enjoy it like I usually did. The entire time I focused on our pair bond, our link the only thing connecting me to her. It pulsed weakly, at least letting me know that she was still alive.
I took my anger at her loss and pushed it away, leaving only firm concentration on doing whatever it took to get her back.
The albatrosses flew hard and we arrived at the Tharia border just hours after the airship arrived. As we dismounted, I looked around with wonder, closer to the massive city than I’d ever been before in my life. From afar, it looked much smaller and not as impressive, but up close it was an entirely different story. A giant twenty-foot cement wall rose up in front of me, thick and solid protection from the monsters of the wilds, as well as people from the outside, like me. Above that, a massive opaque glass dome encased the immense city, keeping the air of the forest out and the suppressant drugs in. I shuddered, knowing that for the very first time, I would feel what it felt like to have a synthetic drug racing through my veins, blocking my instincts and stopping me from taking what was mine.
“Once inside, we have to move fast. We’ll have no longer than twelve hours before our senses are dulled and no more than twenty-four before the drugs take hold of us completely,” Alix explained and I nodded curtly, pulling my shoulders back and rolling my upper lip.
“I’m going to destroy the person that took our mate,” I growled.
Ivan nodded beside me. His shoulders trembled with his fury. I could tell he was holding himself back. Once he let loose, he was going to destroy our enemy. I knew him well. He was a restrained and gentle soul for the most part, but when slighted he turned into a wild beast.
“You two best follow my lead. I’ll get us in and then we’ll find her,” Alix added. He turned back to Thornclaw and said, “Wait for us undercover. If we do come back, look for a shooting flare in the sky. If we don’t return in twenty-four hours, leave and don’t turn back.”
“I wish you luck, my friends,” Thornclaw replied as he dipped his head and then the three of them took off into the sky, soaring high and then hiding in the massive trees some distance away.
My brother and I followed Alix to the gate. He opened a touchpad to the right of the structure, punching in a numeric code and inside, I heard a rush of steam as the mechanisms of the gate engaged. It slid open and the three of us rushed inside once there was enough room for us to make it through. Oddly enough, there was no one guarding the gate. Maybe the people of Tharia were unused to anyone coming in from the outside.
“How did you know how to get inside?” Ivan asked.
“I used to work border patrol, but the city cut funding some time ago in lieu of more profitable options. They never changed the code,” he answered, and I snorted with amusement. Cocky sonsofbitches then.
Everything was so dim, so murky and subdued. The glass dome was thick, opaque, and built of a multitude of hexagonal shapes lined with metal. Enormous steel structures rose up above us, giving the dome extra support against the outside elements. Sadly, I could hardly make out the blue of the sky, the clouds, or even the light of the sun. The warmth of the sun was stolen from those who lived within the confines of the city. Such a dim way of life wasn’t natural.
Skyscrapers rose up along the sidewalks below, separated just enough so that people could walk between them. A thick railway raced through the buildings up several stories above us. I watched as a slim train hurtled forward on one of them, thick steam pumping out the back.
The city was clean for the most part. But still, it felt dirty to me. It felt wrong.
The air was tainted. Even now, it tasted metallic on my tongue. I knew it was the drug. With every breath I took, more and more of it built up into my system and if we were here long enough, I would lose everything it meant to be me.
We had to find Raven. Now.
I sniffed the air, taking in one long deep breath searching for her. I didn’t have to search long and for that, I was entirely grateful. I smelled her delicious aroma and my mouth watered instantly. I sensed her creamy, sweet slick and my alpha rumbled inside me.
But then I paused. Something was very wrong. I narrowed my eyes in sudden confusion and worry. She shouldn’t have gone into estrous again. Females went into seasonal heats and she had finished her cycle just days ago. It was far too soon.
The three of us looked at one another and rushed off in the direction of our mate. I ran hard and they ran with me, desperate to reach our mate before it was too late.
I could sense her desperation and her sorrow through our bond and I only wanted to make it better. Worst of all, I could feel her pain. My emotions surged. I needed to hold her again, to feel the warmth of her skin and hear her quiet sighs of pleasure as I ravaged her lithe little body with my cock. There was still so much of the world I wanted to show her and so much I wanted to make her feel.
She was mine and I was going to take her back.
Our link pulsed and her agony was so strong that it felt as though it was carving through my heart. I roared and pushed harder, flying down the walkways as her scent grew stronger with every step.
One mile turned into two and soon, we were rounding the bend on a huge, open air market. It was packed with people and in the middle, I was horrified to see Raven, naked and on display on a central stage. Men in black combat gear surrounded her, their arms grabbing her limbs and forcing her to her feet. They had some sort of gun pushed into a holster on their belts. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but her body was flushed with desire.
She was in an estrous and it was more powerful than I had ever seen.
A small red-haired woman took the stage beside her, a smirk growing on her face as she watched what was happening to my mate. I held my arm out, stopping Alix and Ivan from sprinting up to the stage. I wanted to see what was happening before I decided on a course of action.
“Move slow. Don’t rush the stage,” I warned. “The redhead has something to do with this,” I added, pointing in her direction.
There were too many people. If we ran through them now, we’d only attract attention and then more people would die.