Chapter 55

Julian

Bill had taken her and it didn't take a genius to work out why. He had already tried to attack her more than once. I didn't know whether he was obsessed with her because of me or it

Either way it didn't matter. Bill had to die. He was a threat to my people and to my wife and he had proven that he couldn't be trusted to keep his word.

"It's the hotel up ahead." Ian pulled me back into the shadows with a hiss. "He has men out front."

I didn't care if he had an army. I eyed the grotty brick of the hotel and frowned. Cassie was in there. So close and soon she would be safe.

The small movement calmed my wolf but only for a second before the realisation of what could be happening to my wife hit me. Yes, Cassie was in there but what was happening to her? What awful terrible things were happening in a hotel room just ahead of me while we stood here and just watched?

Was she crying out in pain?

Was she crying for me?

The thought made my lips pull back from my teeth in a silent growl and my hands clenched into fists.

"Ok what's the pla-" Ian began to say and fell silent as I pushed my way into the street. My feet pounded the wet pavement. First two feet and then four as my wolf tore his way out of my body with a snarl.

"Ok the plan is attack wildly ,got it." I heard Ian rumbled behind me and I knew he was rolling his eyes but I also knew he would quickly be right behind me.

Ian was my right hand man and second in charge for a reason and one of those reasons was that he always have my back.

The man smoking by the door looked up in shock. Blinking rain water from his eyes , his lips began to open to let out a shout but I got to him first. Cutting off the cry before it had even formed. I ripped into his throat and bottom half of his face with my massive teeth and he fell with a gurgle at me feet. The door he had been leaning on opened and another man appeared.

He took in the sight that greeted him. His dead comrade the other guards being quickly dispatched by Ian and my men and tried to slam the door on us.

I caught it with my paw and tore it away from him. I knew this one's face.

I remembered him from the video.

He had been the one who grabbed my wife from the street. At the very least he had been the get away driver.

I shifted back, lashing out with my human hand I caught him around the throat and slammed him against the wall.

His eyes bulged. "What?" His voice was garbled. Panic and the inability to breath making his voice almost unintelligible.

"Do you know who I am?"

He didn't answer me.

Lifting him away from the wall I slammed him back and heard the sound of his head make contact with a wet crunch. "Do you know who I am?" I asked again.

This time he nodded , his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Then you know why I am here." Stepping in close I brought my face close to his and watched as fear widened his eyes and made his face slack. "Where is she?" My fingers squeezed around his windpipe. He couldn't talk because I was strangling the life out of him but I didn't care.

Again and again I smashed the back of his head against the wall. And the sound of his skull crunching was like music to my ears.

"Please." He managed to beg.

"Please. Did my wife beg?"

He shook his head.

A wave of pride flowed through me. Cassie was strong she wouldn't have begged. The pride was short lived as from above me there was a grunt.

"What room-"

Another sound and suddenly it didn't matter. I could smell her. Above the stench of rotting trash and despair I could smell my wife and she was petrified. Terrified and angry and - something was wrong. Those grunts sounded almost -wet.

Was he? I swallowed hard. Was he raping her.

I slammed the man back into the wall hard. And this time with enough force that his neck snapped and was heading into the dim narrow corridor of the pay per hour shitty motel.

"Julian wait." Ian ran behind me. "It might be a trap."

I didn't care if it was a trap.

Taking the stairs two at a time I followed my nose.

All of the smells and noises seemed to be coming from behind one particular door on the second floor. There was no noise behind any of the others.

"Ea-" Ian began to say grabbing my arm

The sound of Cassie crying out pushed me forward. I crashed into the locked door which burst from its hinges and slammed backwards. I rushed forward with an animal growl falling from my very human lips and skidded to a stop at the scene that was playing out in front of me.

There were two bodies on the floor and both of them were bloody. But only one of them was moving and that was Cassie.

She was naked, and splattered with blood. And she was screaming. But those screams cut off when she saw me. Her eyes widened as she finally realised it was me standing in the doorway panting.

"Julian." She stumbled up to her knees, scrambling on all fours for a second like her legs weren't working properly and came towards me.

I rushed to meet her. Catching her before her legs gave out again and wrapping her in my arms. She clung to me. Hiding her face into my chest. Her bloody fingers clutched at my shirt which was also covered in blood. Not that she seemed to care, she just hung there and sobbed.

And it was that sound more than the sight of her naked and bloody that shattered my heart.

I held her a little tighter. Letting my chin fall onto the top of her head. She smelt like fear and desperation and blood but under it she was still there.

"Hey." I smoothed my hand down her slender trembling back. "It's ok. It's ok. You're safe." A small squeeze and she just sobbed even louder. "I've got you Cassie. I've got you."

Blearily, she lifted her face to me. "You came for me?"

I didn't know whether to be offended by the surprise in her voice or not but I didn't get the chance to say anything as on the floor Bill groaned and attempted to roll over. Ian stepped forward, pressing his foot into the man's head and pinning him to the floor.

Shrugging off my jacket I slipped it over Cassie's shoulder and closed it over her nakedness. Bill was waking up and he had seen enough of my wife's body as it was.

What else had he done to her body? They were both covered in blood. I shook the thought away.

"Alpha?" Ian drew my attention back to him.

Pulling Cassie into my side I stepped toward to look down at the man who would soon have the name Ian carved on his tombstone.

"What happened to him?" I gazed down at the bloody face. It looked like someone had taken a cheese grater to his face and then mashed it with a meat tenderiser.

"I did." Still shaking Cassie drew herself up to her full height.

"I knew it." Ian muttered. "What a woman."

Beaming with pride I glanced down at her. She really was a fascinating woman. Amazing even and stronger than any other woman I had ever known.

"How did you knock him out? You're such a little thing." Ian joked and under his boot Bill groaned.

"I drugged him."

"Then beat him." Ian shook his head in wonder. "Cassie you really are a bad ass. I am so glad you are ok."

I couldn't stop looking at her. "Are you ok?" I asked suddenly.

She nodded. "What are you going to do to him?"

I didn't believe her. She was strong and capable but I could tell by the wild cornered animal look in her eyes that she was holding on by a thread.

"He can't be allowed to live. Not now." I stuttered. "Not after touching you. Of taking you."

"I didn't think you would come." She bit her lip hard probably to stop herself from sobbing.

"Of course I came. You are my wife." Bending down I kissed the top of her head. "This next part isn't going to be pretty."I whispered against her skin. "But you can stay and make sure the job is done. I promise you he will never hurt you again."

She pulled away slightly. Her eyes moving from my face to the swollen bloody face of the man who had hurt her. He looked terrified, she looked resigned to what I needed to do next.

I knew she would want revenge on him. I could see it in her eyes but she was also a doctor. She healed people.

Finally she shook her head.

"Ian can you call a car and stay with her?"

"Already done alpha." Gently as he could he took her from my arms. Holding her arms as he lead her shakily away and out of the door.

I listened to their footsteps going down the stair and then stepped forward and I let the rage take over. I let it overcome me completely. I wanted to shield Cassie from this part but I knew she could hear what I was doing to the man who had dared to touch her.

And I wasn't sure I cared.