Free The Alpha's Heart (Wilde Creek Two) by R. E. Butler Page A

lifted the knife and it glinted in the overhead light before she swung it down in an arc and sliced through the material of Brynn’s skirt, drawing blood as the blade slid into the flesh of her thigh.  Brynn couldn’t hold back anymore as pain swamped her and she screamed.
    As the knife slashed through her clothing, cutting her again and again, she thought of Acksel.  Even though she hated him for ignoring her, she couldn’t stop herself from worrying about what they were planning to do to him.  Stepping down?  They must want him to not be alpha anymore.  She didn’t really know him that well, but she did know that he wasn’t the sort to just give up something he’d worked so hard for.  These wolves were using her as bait.  If he did happen to step down to save her life, then he’d probably resent her forever.
    Darkness began to edge her vision and her thoughts muddied.  She wasn’t sure how long the blonde had been slashing at her clothes, but she stopped screaming after a while, because her voice gave out.  The pain was intense and she felt every blow to the center of her being.
    As the darkness began to overwhelm her, she thought of her baby, and hoped that they both survived.  Closing her eyes, she gave herself over to unconsciousness, hoping that she’d find a way to get home.
     
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
     
    Acksel stood in the shadow of a stand of pine trees and looked at the house.  His highest-ranked men, his father, and the protectors stood with him in the shadows.  The house looked empty.  The windows were dark.  But he knew that Brynn was inside, and she wasn’t alone.
    A half hour ago Sam had contacted Acksel saying they’d found the scents of Rufus, Barry, and Taylor at the far edge of the woods the pack hunted in on the full moons.  There were new and old scents mixed together, which told him that the males had been there more than once since they were banished.  And among their scents was the scent of a female.  Acksel had arrived on the scene as quickly as possible, and as soon as he scented the female, he knew it was Talia.
    He believed that she had been aiding Rufus, feeding them information, and had clearly overheard his chat with Mia, which had lead to Brynn’s capture the night after the full moon.  He didn’t know why she was helping them, but he thought it most likely had to do with his rejection of her.  Perhaps Rufus had promised her that she would be alpha female when he took over the pack.  Talia, like several other females, seemed hungry for the position of alpha female, and he thought it most likely didn’t matter to them who the alpha was, only that they were at his side.
    It had taken Ren only a few minutes with his laptop to find Talia’s cell phone signal and track her to her home in town.  No one had been able to find Rufus or the others in the several hours that had passed while they looked for Brynn, but Talia had been very easy to track.  It must not have occurred to any of them to turn off her phone so she couldn’t be found.  Talia probably believed she was safe and that no one would suspect that she was a party to the kidnapping.
    Sam slid next to Acksel.  Sam had sent one of the protectors in his shifted form to scout the property.  The dark gray wolf had blended into the darkness expertly.  When he returned, he shifted and shared with Sam what he’d scented.
    “Robert said he can scent the three males, Talia, and Brynn.  The windows in the basement have been covered so it appeared to be dark, but one of the covers has peeled away some and he could see Taylor in his wolf form.”
    Sam cleared his throat uneasily and Acksel tensed.  “He can smell Brynn’s blood, Acksel.  He couldn’t hear anything, but if it was enough of a scent to come through a closed window.  That’s not a good sign.”
    Acksel’s hands clenched tightly into fists.  Nodding, he struggled to get himself under control.
    His dad joined them and put a hand