Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies: A Reverse Harem Romance Chapter 209: A Beta's Death

*Adam*

The massive gray wolf is right in front of me now, and in these seconds as I run toward them, a lifetime of emotion flashes in front of me.

Alpha Tristan has given me the go-ahead to take him down. Now, all I have to do is leap in and take him out.

Alastor’s minions have backed away, and his clear focus is on the truly intimidating Alpha in front of him. He doesn’t even sense me coming.

But all my senses are as sharp as steel, taking in a thousand mental pictures of my surroundings through scent, touch, sight, and even that basic-level sense I call instinct, which now readies my body to fight.

The scent of the pine trees is sharp and clear, as is the metallic smell of blood from the battle around me. Other scents from forest life are still faint, but the wild animals have left this place, probably at the onset of the battle.

I feel my muscles alternate from tense to relaxed as my paws rhythmically beat against the soft forest floor. My heart beats hard and steady, pumping the blood and adrenaline throughout my veins.

My mind steadies as I home in on my target, and I allow all my anger, hate, and rage at this man who has taken away my birthright flow through my body. My mind and body become one with this attack.

In the final seconds before my front paws leap off the ground, several things happen.

I feel an overwhelming warmth that I can only describe as coating my brain with a tingling sensation. In that instant, I feel more powerful, as though nothing could stop me. I know this to be the support of my beautiful mate, Shelby, who watches from a short distance, her soft chocolate fur standing on end in anticipation as she silently cheers me on.

The huge gray wolf in front of me turns his head toward me in that last second, and his eyes go wide, flashing with the realization that he has made a grave miscalculation in both sending away his guards and underestimating this cohesive, disciplined army of friends. Hatred and desperation come next to his eyes as he tries to turn and brace for the blow, but his arrogance has left him no time to defend himself.

I fly at him, claws extended and jaw wide open, aiming for his jugular. Right before I strike, I catch one last glimpse of his right eye, and in it I see… acceptance.

The blood flows over my teeth, its distinct coppery taste flooding over my tongue. Alastor loses his footing and stumbles back, and I go with him, landing on top of him, my teeth pushing one last piercing slice into his neck as his life fades away.

The forest goes silent and still as the rest of Alastor’s wolves sense his death and stop fighting, some taking fatal blows as they reel in shock from their leader’s death, others backing off in surrender and gratitude that the evil bastard is finally done with.

This one… was all mine.

* * *

*Kelly*

It all happens so fast.

Huge guards burst through the partially open steel door, half in wolf form and half in human form. Instinctively, I reach out my arms and pull in the two girls, bringing their heads in defensively against me and using my hands as protective shields.

The guards make quick work of us, one by one ripping the girls out of my arms and throwing them up against the wall. Each one screams as she is grabbed roughly by one of the human form guards, who quickly bind their wrists and ankles to the wall while their wails of pain fade into tears.

I am so upset by their plight that I barely feel my own body slamming up against the wall, and I am quickly restrained in the same way.

The guard in human form who is handling me moves his face in close. I can smell his stale, putrid breath against my neck. I look him straight and steady in the eye, and he smiles with filthy, crooked teeth as his disgusting eyes lower to look at my body.

As he starts to reach out his hand, another shifter quickly snaps at him. “That’s enough,” he says.

Instantly the creepy shifter backs up. His smile fades for a second but comes back again as he looks at me and slowly takes backward steps.

“Now,” says the guy in charge. “It seems we have a little problem… with the help.” For the last phrase, he turns his gaze toward Kara, who closes her eyes in a wince and tilts her head to the ground. But he’s back looking at me in an instant. “Do I need to get graphic about what will happen the next time any of you act up?”

I shake my head but say nothing.

He nods. “Good,” he says. “I’m sure you understand the ramifications of leaving employees such as Randolph here,” he adds as he nods toward the creepy guard, “in charge of young ladies.”

The look he gives to the girls then sends shivers up my spine. “Understood,” I say simply. I figure the less I say right now, the better.

“Excellent,” he says. “I think we’ve been a bit generous with food and water as well. I think we’ll slow that up a bit now until you all learn to behave.”

I nod. It’s not like I have a choice with my arms chained above my head again, this time a bit tighter.

Without another word, he nods toward the other guards, who pile out the door. The clank of the steel door’s lock sounds a lot more permanent now.

“Kelly?” asks Heather after a few minutes. “We ever git’n outta here?”

“Of course we are,” I say. Right now, I’m not allowing myself to second-guess that answer. I have to believe that we’ll survive and that Eli is on his way to rescue us right now.

I turned my attention to Kara, who is quietly weeping in the corner. I wish I could reach out to her, and anger flashes through my veins as I try in vain to break the chains off me.

“You’re going to be okay,” I tell her. “I have lots of people out looking for us, and I promise you, they’ll find me. And when they find me, we’re taking you along.”

“But how will they find you?” she asks. “I don’t even remember where we are. It’s been so long….”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say. “My brother is a powerful Alpha, and he has a strong alliance with three other powerful Alphas. One of them is going to be the new Alpha King, so I promise you that when they come and rescue us, these people will pay for what they’ve done to us, and what they’ve done to you.”

It’s too dark now with the door shut to see her, but with my wolf’s senses, I can make out her shadow against the wall to my right. I feel her let a breath out, and my heart breaks as she seems to be resigned to our fate.

“But they need to hurry,” she says. “Mr. Donovan said they won’t feed us for a while. That means he’ll give all the food and water to the guards, and we get nothing. How will we last here with no one feeding us?”

She has a point, and it’s very difficult to keep up my positive energy for her. Eventually, we could starve to death, or we could die from dehydration if they don’t at least give us some sips of water once in a while. The thought of that creepy guard coming down here and getting close to the girls makes me sick to my stomach, but if we have to endure his proximity to get them some food and water, then we really have no choice.

“I just know it’s going to be okay,” I say. “I promise you, I have a lot of people out looking for me. Eventually, there’s going to be some clue about where we’ve gone. If anyone can find me, it’s my brother. He’s strong and smart and tenacious. He won’t give up until he finds me, and that means he’ll find you, too.”

I can feel her nod in the darkness. I relax against the wall and see if I can slide down into a sitting position. Miraculously, it’s actually possible, and I don’t even have my hands tied in an awkward, uncomfortable position anymore. The handcuff fasteners themselves are much tighter, but these chains seem longer somehow.

“We’re going to be okay,” I tell Kara and Heather.

And I just have to believe that it’s true.