Verge of Insanity

Chapter Thirty

Mara Leigh

I had made a mistake. Now that Garrett knew who I was, he was in a rush. He had us in a different car than what we had been taken in within two minutes or less, and we were headed in a direction unfamiliar to me. I was hoping Xander would be watching through me and that he would know how to get us.

Two burly guys held my arms on either side of me, as I sat in the middle seat of the SUV. Ella was in the row behind me. She had been escorted out of the cabin by who I assumed was the Mark that Garrett had offered her as a mate to. I wanted to kill him when I saw her being dragged out to the car. He had obviously taken advantage of her in some way, and even now I could hear her in the back fighting with him.

"I ain't that bad," I heard him growl at her. I glanced back just enough to see him holding her as tightly as he could to him despite her fighting. She had bruises all over her. Her eyes were warning me to keep my mouth shut.

Frustrated and defeated, I jerked my arms away from the two guys trapping me, the movement probably giving myself bruises. They looked down at me, with obvious surprise, but didn't try to restrain me again.

"Y'all know y'all have me trapped. It ain't like I could go anywhere. Save your energy," I muttered.

"You gonna give us something that will be energy draining later on tonight?" the one to my right snickered.

Xander's snarl entered my mind, and as gross as the look from the rogue made me feel, I was relieved at the small sign that Xander was present.

"Yeah, you're gonna be fighting for your life against my mate," I grinned. My grin was short lived, as they, nor Garrett who sat in the front passenger seat, looked threatened.

"Babe," Garrett turned around to face me, "I've heard a rumor that you managed to run away from Hawthorne for a long time before he found you. If you could do that as a human, how much more could I get away with?"

He glanced back to where I could still hear Ella struggling. "Hawthorne has been searching for me most of his life.... Isn't that right, Sis? I may let him catch us this time. In my territory. He won't be so strong then, will he?"

I shuddered, unable to mentally handle what he was suggesting. Ella let out a snarl, and immediately I heard the sound of a punch thrown, and Ella whimpering.

Unable to stop myself, I snatched off my heel, turned around in the seat, and brought the heel down toward Mark. For once in my life I had perfect aim, and the heel of the shoe went straight into Mark's eye.

Blood curdling screams filled the car, and I caught Ella's twisted smile before I was jerked back, and pulled all the way into the passenger's seat, into Garrett's lap. Bruising fingers grabbed my waist, too close to my chest.

"Well, Luna," Garrett breathed into my ear as Mark continued screaming from the back as the two burly rogues tried to stabilize him, "If I thought I wanted you before, it's nothing like I do now."

"I'm going to savor watching Xander rip you apart," I seethed.

Where are you? I half pleaded to Xander. He had been so quiet that I feared we had been disconnected somehow. Those fears grew as minutes passed and he still hadn't responded.

Xander! I called through the bond. Still nothing.

Minutes later, the SUV was pulled over. The sudden movement made me jump. Garrett grinned down at me. "Getting frisky on me?"

I ignored him, which pissed him off. He opened his door and slid me off his lap. I hit the ground hard, but quickly got up, my eyes searching my surroundings while the others exited the car. We were in a clearing outlined with pines. There were rough looking people taking up most of the clearing, and looking at their number it was hard not to be intimidated. I didn't know if our pack was big enough to fight them.