Chapter 22

~Carson’s POV~

They’d shot me with a dart gun.

A dart gun!

Like I was some kind of bloody animal and transported me to a new facility. New in the sense that it’s not where I was before but otherwise it was just as ratty, cold and dank as the first place. At least my prison was bigger. Gotta thank God for small favors.

I sat on the floor my head resting on one of the metal bars and my eyes on the one guard in the room who was shifting nervously under my stare.

Moron, I was trapped behind bars with no way of getting out and he was still afraid of me. Well he should be because if I ever got out of this place there was no way in hell I was allowing any of these freaks to live. They’d messed with the wrong Alpha.

My stomach growled as it had been doing all day The last time I’d eaten was just before I’d been abducted and as a result I was getting weaker by the hour. I guess there was no point in feeding someone you were just gonna kill.

I still wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it felt like days and I missed Laken terribly.

Laken.

I felt the familiar pain in the region of my heart at the thought of my mate. Where was he? Was he scared? Did he know what happened? Was he…Was he even alive? So many times since I’d made my choice I’d thought I was going insane thinking about him. If he was dead then I wanted to die too. I welcomed it with open arms. Even if I managed to break out of here, the pack meant nothing to me without my mate.

As I’d done so many times before I chocked back a sob, there was no way in hell I was going to give the guard the satisfaction of seeing me break down. If I was going to die I’d go with some semblance of dignity.

………………..

~Laken’s POV~

We were walking through a dimly lit passageway now, Lucas had his hands in his pockets and his head down not even bothering to look where he was going. He still hadn’t answered my question and my heart rate still hadn’t gone back to normal. He was hiding something and it had to do with Carson. He said they were taking him somewhere.

Who was they? Where was Carson and why was anyone taking him anywhere? This was bad I could feel it to my core; I wasn’t gonna like the outcome of this. I brought my hand up to my mouth and captured a nail between my teeth. I was never a nail biter until today, the constant worrying was starting to get to me and Lucas’s silence certainly wasn’t helping.

We stopped at the last door at the end of the passageway and I watched as Lucas knocked twice, paused and knocked three times. It was some kind of code I guessed. The door swung open and I froze, a guy was standing there with a M16A4 , I knew the type because my dad collected guns for some reason.

I took a step back. I knew something was up. The guy was decked out in bullet proof vest, combat boots, the whole shebang.

Lucas looked back at me then nodded his head towards the open door, I shook my head and took another step back, I never liked guns.

He grabbed by arm before I could take yet another step back and pulled me roughly through the door

“Now listen to me, this isn’t the time for you to disobey orders. You need to do exactly what you’re told from now on ok?” he said it not harshly but like it was very important that I understood what he was saying.

I swallowed hard and nodded. I tensed when the door slammed shut behind us, then looked around the room. There was just the one guard and us, the place was cold but I shivered more from fear and uncertainty than the actual temperature.

I was about to ask Lucas to explain what was going on again when I saw him. He was sitting on the ground, legs stretched out in front of him and his head rested against the metal bars which held him captive.

“Carson!” I shouted and started to go to him but Lucas grabbed my arm preventing me from moving.

I watched as Carson’s head jerked up at the sound of my voice and in an instant he was standing pressed up against the bars, his eyes on me.

“What’re you doing, let me go!” I shouted at Lucas trying to pull my arm from his.

“You need to stay here, you’re not allowed to go near him.” Lucas said.

“Why is he in there? let him out!” I said again twisting this way and that trying to free myself.

Lucas grabbed my shoulders spinning me so I was facing him. His grip on my shoulders was painful and I flinched.

“Remember what I said about you following orders? This is out of my hands now, we’re not allowed to go near him so if you don’t want to get hurt you keep your ass still” he bit out.

I wasn’t listening to him though, I needed to get to Carson, I missed him after the mere two days apart and now they had him locked up looking weak and half starved.

“Laken listen to him.”

I froze at the sound of Carson’s voice. Firm and commanding despite his disheveled state.

I could only look at him, my shoulders slumped with defeat.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my eyes darting between them.

They didn’t answer but we all looked around when the door we’d come through opened and another guard stepped through with a bulky middle-aged dude behind him.

“Well, it seems everyone is where they should be.” The middle-aged guy commented.

He was smiling. One of those knowing smiles like he knew something everybody else only wished they knew and for some reason I disliked him instantly.

He came to a stop in front of me and took my chin roughly in his hand; “So you’re the boy everyone’s been going crazy over.” He commented, his voice taking on a slightly insolent tone and I jerked my chin out of his hand.

In a flash he brought his hand up and backhanded me across the cheek. I winched but didn’t cry out and I felt Lucas grab my arm automatically.

“Keep your fucking hands off him!” I heard Carson growl from behind bars, while simultaneously rattling them.

The guy swung around to face him and spoke in an angry tone; “If I remember correctly, you gave up the privilege of deciding what happens to him when you ordered his death.

I gasped at his words my eyes flashing to the guy’s face and then to Carson who looked at me helplessly, his eyes tormented.

“Ordered my death?” I whispered the question, my brain racing to catch up with the fundamentals of the situation.

“Ah yes, I gave him the choice, either you died so his pack could live or you live so his pack could die and he chose his pack over you.” The guy said to me, his eyes gleaming.

I swallowed the bile that rose to my throat at his words. I still wasn’t really sure what was going on but I understood Carson’s choice, it was the noble thing to do, the right thing. I knew however that if I had gotten such a choice to make I would have chosen Carson without a thought and I had to wonder briefly if that meant I loved him more than he did me.

I chose to remain silent, looking at Carson whose gaze was fixed on mine and I could read the apology in his eyes, that coupled with regret and an ancient sadness that had me taking an involuntary step towards him.

Lucas held my arm firmly however and once gain I found myself desperate to go to my mate.

“Will somebody just please tell me what’s going on?” I said, my voice shaky and my face burning from the slap.

“You, dear Laken, have been sentenced to death by your own mate. You will pay for his father’s sins.”

Mate? He knew?

“His father’s…sins?” I asked again, confused and fearful.

“Look I’m really pressed for time here so unfortunately for you, this is one story you won’t be privy to. Let’s get this show on the road. Lucas?” he said looking pointedly at Lucas whose hand tightened around my upper arm to the point of discomfort.

I titled my head up to look at him. What did he even have to do with all this?

He didn’t meet my gaze but kept his eyes trained on the guy giving orders and I swallowed the lump which had formed in my throat.

“Sir if you would just-“ Lucas began only to be cut off by the man.

“I don’t want to hear it! Know your place and follow orders!” he shouted clearly enraged.

Lucas only nodded then he pushed me to my knees. By this time my heart was in overdrive and I was sweating profusely. Who knew my life would end on a school trip to Canada. I closed my eyes tightly when I felt the cold metal on the back of my head. It was undoubtedly a gun and I whimpered. I didn’t want to die like this!

“NO! Wait Victor please!”

My eyes flashed to Carson who had shouted the words. He was gripping the bars in what looked like a death grip and his eyes flashed with desperation.

“You had your chance, you’ve made your choice now shut up.” The guy Carson called Victor said. “Lucas go ahead.” He said again looking over at us.

I couldn’t believe this. I had trusted Lucas, I thought he loved me!

I whimpered again when I heard the click of the safety being released.

“Please Lucas don’t do this! You’ve spent time with him, you know he doesn’t deserve this. Not Laken please!” Carson pleaded again but this time I kept my eyes closed.

The gun at my head trembled and I tensed.

“What are you waiting for? do it!” Victor shouted.

My eyes flashed open when the rattling started and I looked to the source of the noise. Carson was rattling the bars trying desperately to get free. He was pulling and twisting his body this way and that, growling all the while. At one point I watched as he shifted into his wolf and tried to bite through them but when that failed he shifted back and in a flash he was pulling again.

Everyone around me froze and could only look at him.

“He’s gone mad!” One of the guards exclaimed in horror and I had to agree. I had never seen Carson like this before he looked like a rabid animal the way he was going on. I’d never seen him so desperate, so determined.

His face was contorted in a grimace as he continued to pull and I could see the veins bulging in his forehead. His muscles bulged and it looked like he’d stopped breathing all together as he tried to break free.

The gun had fallen away from my head but I was too focused on what Carson was doing to really notice.

“Holy shit he’s getting out!” the guard said again, backing up an inch.

He was right! I don’t know how he did it but the bars were bending under the pressure he exerted on them and my breath caught in my throat. It was a magnificent sight, watching your boyfriend transform from a man into this beast!

“Don’t just stand there you morons, do something!” Victor shouted at the guards, who were still frozen in awe.

I watched as Victor grabbed a glock out of the waist of one of the guards and I screamed Carson’s name, jumping up from the ground.

Victor fired the shot and I watched as the blood erupted from Carson’s left shoulder and he released the bars momentarily.

“Carson!” I screamed again and made to run over to him but I was grabbed around the waist by Lucas who then took the opportunity to open fire at the two guards who stood there not doing their jobs. Victor spun around to face us and Lucas fired in his general direction causing Victor to run for cover.

In the chaos that ensued I watched in surprise as Carson managed to slip through the small opening he’s made in the bars and ran over to us holding his hand over his shoulder.

I heard as Victor cursed from where he was across the room and slam his weapon against the ground. Did guns get jammed?

“Now’s our chance!” Lucas shouted pulling me with him as he ran toward the exit. I looked behind me to make sure Carson was following. Satisfied he was I allowed Lucas to drag me out the door and through the hallway.

It seemed the shots had alerted everyone else in the building though because we heard voices shouting and heavy footfalls above us. Lucas slammed through the metal door at the end of the hall that would lead us outside and I stumbled, my knee hitting the asphalt and sending a wave of pain through my leg. He dragged me up by my arm and we continued to run.

“Come on my car!” Lucas shouted to Carson and I looked back for a split second to see others exiting the building. Some had guns while others were in their wolf form and I sped up, my injured knee screaming from the pain.

Lucas didn’t even fumble with his car door, we were there in an instant, and he shoved me in then got into the driver’s seat.

“Carson!” I screamed because Carson was standing outside the car looking down the hill at the guys chasing us.

“There’s no way we can escape them like this. I’ll try to hold them off, just go!” he shouted at Lucas who had already started up the engine.

My eyes widened as I stared at him from inside the car; “Are you crazy get in you’re hurt!” I shouted, trying to open the passenger door to let him in.

He slammed it shut when I’d gotten it halfway open, then looked at me, his eyes piercing, “No go with Lucas I’ll hold them off” he said .

“No! you can’t!” and I shoved against the door again.

“We don’t have much time!” Lucas shouted, already revving the engine.

“For once in your life would you listen to me!” Carson shouted at me and I blinked rapidly, trying to see him through the haze of tears. “This is the only way I can protect you, if I don’t try to hold them off they’ll catch you, now keep your ass still, go with Lucas. I promise I’ll find you, I promise!” he shouted harshly then banged his hand on the top of the car twice to signal that Lucas should go.

“No!” I screamed as the car sped off leaving Carson standing there.

As we sped down the street I watched as the men reached Carson. He tried to fight back but they were too much for him then I watched in horror as one of the guys pulled out a gun and gave him four shots. He went down like a log.

“Carson! Nooooo!” I screamed, grabbing hold of the door handle fully prepared to jump out of the moving vehicle to get to him.

“Stop it Laken, it’s over, there’s no way he survived that there’s nothing you can do!” Lucas shouted taking hold of my arm with his free hand. His eyes darted from me to the road and back.

I sobbed wretchedly in my seat, turning so I could try to make out what was happening but we were too far gone by then. Carson’s plan had worked no one was even giving chase.

“Carson!” I wailed again knowing that Lucas was right, no one could have survived that, For once Carson wouldn’t be keeping his promise.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

TYPED THIS UP IN LIKE TEN MINUTES HAVN'T EVEN READ IT OVER TOO TIRED SO HERE IT IS...SORRY IF IT SOUNDS AMATEUR...

ShouT Out :To ShadedPain..I always look forward to your comments!!! love ya

-naptime..Christmas Eve celebration later woohoo!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited. (Clearly)