Chapter 13

He was long past the point of no return as he sniffed the air again, running up into the manor once more.

Stronger. It was stronger now!

He made a sharp right turn down the hallway slamming a little into the wall but maintained momentum as he rushed toward the dining hall.

He fortunately didn't have to slam the dining hall's glass doors as they were not only open, but he stopped running, breathing deep and long.

She's here.

Right in front of him, there she was.

It was pure irony that her back was to him; she was setting plates on the tables. She's here. She can't leave us now, His wolf howled in his mind and the very thought made him growl out loud. He saw her stiffen as he did. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she turned and faced him for the first time.

"Damn she's beautiful," Erick thought, as he finally saw his mate's face, her orange to blue-gray eyes wide as she looked back at him, and her slightly up-turned nose's nostrils flared out as if she was trying to scent him back.

Her dark auburn hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, her bangs wavy as they trailed down the sides, cupping her face.

His mate's chest heaved, and when she finally gave Erick eye contact, she quickly averted her gaze to the ground.

Erick narrowed his eyes in confusion at this, but that confusion soon disappeared when she started to back away from him.

"No!" Before he could think anything else, he ran at her and grabbed her. Remembering that she was carrying plates, he rolled, protecting her from the glass that shattered onto the ground. He pinned her underneath him, her eyes seemed dazed, but she was alright.

He felt electricity run through him when he touched her soft skin, causing his blood to start heading toward his nether regions. Her wrists fit so easily in his hands before he drew them up to interlace their fingers together. He bent his head down and inhaled her scent on her neck.

"It's her," his thoughts echoed through his head as he slowly trailed down to her crotch, pressing his nose against her as her smell was stronger here, "It's her."

As he began to pull away, he scented a different scent that threw him off a bit. He looked sharply up as he scented the male Omega standing across from them, his fear and shock reeked in the air. A low and hostile growl escaped Erick's throat.

"Go away. NOW!" He projected at the male.

The male shook violently in fear as he made his way out.

"No one will dare take her from me," Erick thought, in sync with his wolf, "No one!"

"Wait! Erick!" Adeline ran inside the dining hall, along with Conroy, Emmanuel, Marco, and Keric.

"Wait," Adeline took a step toward him, "That's just a—"

Erick barked loudly at her. "That?!" He as his wolf thought, livid.

"Mine...She's MINE!" Erick barked out as he lowered protectively over her, especially as there were more males near his mate.

Adeline's and about everyone else's eyes widened as those words left his lips, but Erick couldn't care less as he once again faced his mate, taking in her scent at her neck. However, he stopped upon what he saw. Inside, he wanted to rip his throat out for not noticing it earlier.

It was healing, but there was a large bruise on her neck that looked like she had been recently strangled.

Erick's breathing shallowed as his head slowly turned to her left arm, seeing the bruise that lay right under her elbow in the shape of a grip, also in the same condition as her other one. "...Who...?" His words came out more wolf than human, "Who did this..?!"

He sniffed at the one on her neck first. The scent was faint, but it was still there. He turned and quickly did the same for her arm.

He saw red as his eyes showed absolute fury as he growled, "Marco...Conroy..."

At that moment, he was off of her and in front of Marco as he punched him in the dead center of his face, sending him flying he hit the floor face first and skidded down before his body turned and tumbled down the hallway floor with the same impetus; he landed against the wall of the staircase, crashing the icy white drywall inward along with sounds of cracking in his body.

Conroy didn't even get a chance to face him as Erick grabbed him by his throat and shoved him up, sending him straight through the wall and into the living room he slammed onto the coffee table, the glass shattered and the frame destroyed by his weight.

Just as Conroy twitched and started to stir a bit, Erick ran up to him and forcibly grabbed him by his throat, slamming him hard into the wall.

The females who had been there from before backed away from them, utter terror on their faces, but they knew better than to stay in there and watch as they walked quickly outside without even so much as a glance back.