The Alpha’s Bullied Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #1)

Chapter 22 - Hayden

“I’m just saying that maybe this ritual is worth the risk,” Maverick said. His arms were folded over his chest, and there was a doubtful look on his face. “What will it hurt to try?”

Hayden shook his head. “We can’t risk a demon getting free. We don’t know what will happen. For all we know, this ritual is something the demons put into the world to—”

He cut off as Finn shuddered. His eyes widened, and his head snapped around, toward the house. “Something’s happening.”

Mica.

With a curse, Hayden wheeled around and raced for the house. The team fell in step behind him. The pack looked up from their tasks, startled, but Hayden didn’t give any orders. He threw open the front door and took the stairs two at a time. He kicked open the door leading to the room where Echo was kept.

Mica, Tess, and Elin were all inside. Tess rang an old brass bell manically, the clanging echoing through the room. Elin held a lighter in hand, racing back and forth to light candles as Echo spun around in her salt circle, blowing them out. Mica stood holding a hand mirror, a pebble resting on the glass surface. She spoke in broken Latin, reading off her piece of paper.

“Stop this at once,” Hayden ordered, striding in.

As he spoke, Elin looked up. She slipped on a puddle of melted wax, sprawling out on the floor. One of her hands swiped over the salt circle, scattering it inward. Echo howled, wheeling back—then laughed. She leaped lightly over Elin’s body and threw her head back, howling.

“Get out!” Hayden bellowed.

Echo shifted smoothly to wolf form. Ryder raced for Mica as she stood frozen in place. Echo lunged. Her jaws clamped around Ryder’s neck, and Mica screamed. Hayden rammed into her side, taking his wolf form as he did so. The demon whirled on him, tossing Ryder aside as she did so.

Tess rushed to Ryder, but Hayden couldn’t spare a thought to his state. He faced the demon. Red bled into her eyes as her tail swished back and forth, her mouth open. She licked blood off her teeth and growled in what sounded like laughter.

They didn’t have room to fight. Mica would get hurt. Hayden shoved his body against Echo’s, trying to push her toward the window. Maverick came at her from behind while Blayke and Finn used their bodies to help push her back away from Mica. Echo’s teeth tore into Hayden’s side. She rolled, throwing herself backward. Chunks of fur ripped from Hayden, but she slipped between them all as he lunged for Echo again.

She howled, darting toward Mica. Derek threw himself between them as Hayden wheeled around. Echo’s jaws locked around Derek’s shoulder, and she barrel rolled, ripping flesh.

The rest came at her again, but once more, she slipped between them, moving like a shadow. She danced closer to Ryder. Tess knelt over him; she’d ripped off her shirt and packed the fabric against his neck, pressing down on it. Ryder spasmed, and Tess straddled him to hold him in place.

Echo turned toward them. Finn rushed forward to stop her, but she leaped in the opposite direction. Her path was open to Mica and Hayden was barely able to catch her. His jaws clenched over her back flank, dragging her back as she snapped at Mica’s face.

Mica stumbled backward. She fell to the floor, one hand over the pebble on the mirror, keeping it in place. Why hadn’t she gotten out of here? Hayden snarled as the rest of the team closed in around Echo. She tore at them, evading their fangs and claws, even if they were pinned as she was.

Hayden had never fought someone possessed by a demon as strong as this before.

“I command you out,” Mica shouted. She grabbed a handful of salt from the circle and threw it into Echo’s face.

Echo went rigid. She started to shake as the team piled on her. Mica started speaking again, in that broken Latin once more. She hurried around the circle of candles, righting them and lighting them again. She pushed the mirror and pebble into the middle of them.

A hazy red light burst from Echo’s eyes and mouth. An inhuman screech ripped through the room. The hair on Hayden’s neck stood on end. The red light funneled in the air like a twister, then suddenly it was sucked into the rock. The screaming grew louder. The windows shattered, the glass exploding inwards.

Hayden released Echo’s leg and threw himself over the circle of candles, knocking Mica back. He covered her with his body. Her hands dug into his fur. Darkness seemed to close in around them, then suddenly, all was still.

Hayden stayed crouched protectively over Mica as he looked up. Echo’s body was limp, the rest of the team standing ready over her. Finn’s reddish-brown wolf backed away. He retook his human form, his clothes still perfectly intact.

“The demon’s out of her,” he rasped. Cautiously, he approached the pebble and picked it up. He shuddered and put it back. “The ritual worked.”

Hayden got off Mica. He shifted back to human form and pulled her to her feet. There were scratches on her face, and her lip bled, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

“He’s still bleeding,” Tess shrieked. “He’s going to bleed out!”

Hayden rushed to Ryder’s side. His throat was nearly torn out—too much damage to heal from. He’d bleed out before he healed. Unless—

“Blood transfusion,” Hayden barked. “Maverick!”

Maverick dashed out the door.

“What about Echo?” Elin cried.

Blayke had taken human form. He checked Echo’s pulse as she slowly shifted back to human form. Her eyes were partially open, and her jaw was slack. Her chest was barely moving.

“Erratic pulse. Unresponsive,” Blayke said.

“Treat her for shock and give her IV fluids,” Mica cried, starting forward.

“Finn’s in charge,” Hayden barked. He grabbed Mica around the waist and carried her out of the room. She slammed her fist into his arm, then stopped instantly. Once they were in the hall, Hayden glared at her. “My team knows what to do. You’ll only get in the way.”

“I have more medical experience—”

“You have experience treating yourself. Not other shifters.” Hayden blocked her. “You’re too close. You’ll get in the way.”

Mica opened her mouth.

“For fuck’s sake, listen to me!” Hayden exploded. “This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just do as I tell you!”

Mica’s eyes widened.

Regret spiked through Hayden. He was only shouting because of the adrenaline and fear. If he’d slipped up just for a moment, it would be Mica lying on the floor, her throat ripped out. But unlike Ryder, she wouldn’t stand a chance, even with a transfusion.

Maverick raced back into the room behind them.

“I heard you,” Mica rasped as Hayden opened his mouth to apologize. “You and Ryder. You weren’t even going to try. You were just going to kill her.”

Hayden’s hands tightened, and he quickly released Mica, not wanting to hurt her. “We needed more time to decide whether it was worth the risk. And now look! Echo might die anyway from the process of having the demon ripped out of her, only now, she won’t even be herself at the end; she’ll just be in a coma. And Ryder might not survive his injuries. If you had just trusted me—”

“Trust you?” Mica twisted her hands as tears filled her eyes. “Trust you to what ? Listen to me when you never have before? Trust you to care? Trust you to think that maybe there’s something about all of this that maybe I found that you didn’t?” Remorse crossed her expression, but her eyes hardened as the first tears started to fall. “I had to act. Nobody has ever looked out for me except me. So no, I don’t trust you.”

Hayden opened his mouth, then closed it again. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. His wolf was quiet, frozen still in his chest as though it didn’t know what to do. Anyone else speaking to him like this would feel an Alpha’s wrath.

But this was Mica.

This was his mate.

She didn’t trust him.

“Go take care of your injuries,” Hayden told her. His voice was flat. “I’ll let you know if they die.”