Caged

Chapter 33.

Rhett's POV

--A day and a half before--

Asher burst into my office, Ivy hanging limp in his arms as his eyes wildly locked onto mine. I jumped to my feet and shoved the papers off of my desk, letting the plans fall to the floor in a scattered mess as he gently placed her down onto the wooden desktop.

"What the hell happened?" I barked, fury rolling through me as I straightened her, listening for breath. Temporary relief filled me as I heard slow soft breaths moving in and out of her mouth.

"I don't fucking know. I found her this way in the path. She'd gone to go after Lili and when I last sensed her she was headed to the woods, so I followed her scent and found her out cold on the ground.

My head snapped up and my eyes swirled dark with anger as a low growl escaped my lips. "Where is Lili?" I said lowly.

Asher's face was pained, his eyes paling as he answered. "I don't know. I caught a faint scent, a third one."

"Who's?" I yelled, feeling my heart beginning to pound heard in my chest as I realized exactly who could have done this. I already knew the answer.

"Cage." He said quietly, his hands stroking Ivy's as he leaned over her.

I growled loudly, taking several pacing steps before my fist collided into the wooden wall behind me, breaking through and splintering the wood around me feet. "How did he get in without us noticing? Who was on guard?"

Asher straightened and clenched his jaw in frustration. "Weston is working on that right now. We should know something soon. It seems he had a gap and saw his moment. He took her. I saw only one set of tracks leaving the path before I grabbed Ivy and ran here as fast as I could. Rhett look." He tilted her head to the side to show a tiny hole in the side of her neck. "She's been injected with something. That bastard drugged her. He probably did the same to Lili. There's no way she would have gone without a fight otherwise."

I closed my eyes tightly, searching with every ounce of strength I could for her. I felt my wolf perk inside of my mind, prancing nervously as his ears pinned back. She was alive. I could feel her through the mark. I didn't know much else, but that was enough for now. She was still alive.

Within a moment, the door opened and a small older woman entered, hurrying to the side of the desk. I'd already sent for the healer through the link as soon as Asher had told me he was on his way. "Move aside gentlemen." She said, rushing over to inspect Ivy as she pulled out her medical bag. "You think she's been injected you said?" She questioned.

Asher and I both nodded yes in tandem and she leaned down, smelling the wound, opening Ivy's eyes, and checking her vitals before reaching into her bag and pulling out a cloudy white vile and a syringe.

"What's wrong with her? Will she be ok?" Asher asked, his face covered with the agony he felt as he worried over his mate. I knew that feeling, feeling it right now myself. I couldn't imagine what the bond was doing to him right now. Mine was only a partial link and I was going crazy. 

The healer nodded quickly and injected the serum into Ivy's arm before putting the vile and syringe away. "She will be ok. He gave her something that would have knocked her out cold, silencing her wolf and making her black out, but she will be fine. It normally knocks someone out for a couple of days, but the serum should bring her back quickly. Her memory may be spotty afterward, but she will live. Give her an hour or so and she will come out of it fine."

I nodded and stepped back as she made her way out of the office, pausing at the door and turning to Asher. "I will be back to check on her within the hour. Take her to her bed so I may find her there Beta Asher."

Asher nodded and leaned over Ivy, kissing her face and stroking her cheek gently before pulling her up to scoop her into his arms. "I need to get her to our bed. I'll be back as soon as the healer comes. That ok?"

I grunted and gave him a quick yes before crossing my arms in frustration. He nodded to me and walked out of the room.

What the fuck is happening? We never even saw him coming. She never saw him coming. She thought she was safe here.

My mind was racing as I raked a hand through my hair before slumping down into the chair behind me. He'd taken her. He'd taken my mate. My Lili. I'd promised to protect her and I hadn't. I'd failed.

A knock sounded on my door, pulling my out of my self pity as Weston entered, shoving two of our warriors in to stand in front of me. Their eyes remained locked on the floor as I stood, straightening to my full height as fresh anger began to surge through me.

"How did you let this happen?" I barked, my words dripping with fury. It was the two guards positioned at our southern border, the two in charge of alerting me if Cage made any movement into our lands.

"I'm sorry Alpha. I heard Asher announce that we'd be training today for the mission and we thought we were being relieved, so we made our way to the facility before we realized no one was replacing us. It was my fault. I suggested we both go. I take responsibility." The oldest warrior dropped to his knees and placed his hands in his lap as he inclined his neck to me in submission. The second warrior followed his lead and I felt the fury bubbling over at his words.

"Because of your mistake, one of your fellow warriors has been hurt. Your Beta's mate. And my mate has been taken. Your future Luna." I said, my voice menacing and low as I leaned down to speak directly to them. "You'd both better pray to the moon that we get her back or you won't live to see another day." My lip curled over my teeth as I growled and they shrank lower to the ground. I snarled and straightened to face Westin. "Get them out of my fucking sight. I'll decide what to do with them later."

He nodded and gripped them both by the backs of their necks, pulling them to their feet and yanking them through the door as I slammed it behind them. I had to get her back. I couldn't leave her with him any longer than I had to, but I couldn't just charge in now. He'd kill her and the others the second he saw us coming. He'd kill her daughter if I pushed him, but I had to find a way to get to them. And I could only think of one way. Only one person could possibly get him to submit without bloodshed. At least without bloodshed from his victims.

Alpha Dominic of the Shadow Pack.