Betrayed by My Beta Mate

Chapter 88

22 Pain

Clara POV

As soon as Cayden breaks the link, I rush to Eli’s office. The fear I feel after my brother cut the link is making it hard to breathe. I don’t even knock when I reach the door. My mother rushes in behind me and the sight of my mate lying motionless nearly does me in. She grips my arm to steady me. “He’s breathing, Clara” she says to reassure me. I focus on the fact I need to make sure my mate is alright and find out where the hell Cayden went. I can’t fall apart right now. I have to be strong. I bend down and place my hands on Eli’s face. “Eli, please wake up.” I bury my head in his neck, praying that my scent will bring him back to me. I feel two strong arms wrap around me. I feel a momentary spark of relief knowing that Eli is here with me. I pull back and he smiles. As quick as the smile came it fades. “What happened Eli?” He starts to try to stand and my mother and I help him to his feet. We lead him to the couch that sits under the bay window. He takes my hand in his. “Cayden is gone” he says. My heart starts to beat faster and I feel sick to my stomach.

“Where did he go?” I see the pain on his face before he finally answers me. “He went to the Black Mountain Collective.” My mother gasps and I fight back tears. What the hell is he thinking? Without a word to Eli, I link Lily. “Clara, what’s wrong” she asks. “I need you to come to the office please”, I say and I’m sure she can hear the panic in my voice. I never thought I would see Cayden again and now he has gone back to the wolves’ den without a word. I’m scared and angry at the same time. Lily appears and I stand walking toward her. “Lily, I need you to take me to the Black Mountain Collective.” A growl sounds from behind me. “That will not be happening.” I turn on Eli and his eyes are black. “I can’t let him deal with those evil ba**ards alone. I should be there with him. It was us that they tortured for all those years. He is still trying to protect me.” The tears I’m trying to hold back begin to run down my cheeks. Eli comes to stand in front of me. “Clara, I know how strong you are, but our pup is growing in

your belly. I need you both to be safe. Please let me handle this. I will do everything in my power to bring Cayden back safely.” I look at my mother and I can see she agrees with Eli. I know that they are both right, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing. He pulls me into his arms. “Clara, our mate will help Cayden. We need to keep our pup safe” Cora says. I manage to stop the tears. “Eli, I need you to come back to me.” “I will always come back to you, Clara.” He pulls back and presses a kiss to my lips before he bends and kisses my belly. Goddess, I love this man.

Cayden POV

As I cross into the territory, I mask my scent. I want to reach that ba**ard and witch before anyone can let them know I’m here. I had hoped I would never see this awful place again but I need to do this for Clara. I push those thoughts away because I need to focus on the evil in front of me. I approach the cottage that I was taken to before I escaped. “Be careful, Cayden. Something doesn’t feel right”, Riggs says. Before I can even respond, I feel a pain in my back. It feels like all the air was knocked out of me. I try to pull air into my lungs but it’s impossible. I hear laughter and growls. “Cayden, we need to get up now.” “I’m trying Riggs.” I manage to get to my knees before I’m knocked onto the porch of the cottage. “It seems despite being a warlock, you’re still just a worthless mutt” Franklin says. I can feel the rage consume me just hearing his voice. Memories of the times this man hurt Clara flash through my mind. Riggs growls and we manage to get to our feet.

This time I dodge the energy ball that b**ch throws. I shift and we start to make our way through Franklin’s men. Riggs rips through three rogues while dodging the witch’s attack. I can hear a commotion behind me but I can’t stop now. I have to reach them before my sacrifice is for nothing. Fifteen men are standing in front of Franklin and Lydia. I shift back into human form and he smiles. I hear growls from behind me and I know that more of his men have surrounded me. “It seems that Grant will get his wish after all mutt. I should have killed you and your b**ch of a sister when you were just pups.” I feel a calm wash over me. “Cayden, it’s time. Focus and the magic will do the rest,” I hear my father’s voice. I open my arms and all my thoughts are about ending this collective. When I lookNôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

back at Franklin, I see fear in his eyes. The men start moving toward me when the cottage behind us burst into flames.

The wolves’ focus shifts from me to the next building that bursts into flames. I start to stalk toward Franklin and Lydia. I watch her reach for his hand. Before he can take it, I surround him in a purple orb. She looks back at me with panic. “You ba**ard” she screams before she disappears. Franklin begins to scream her name and I take great pleasure in his misery. Despite not being mated, she has always protected him, but this time she saved herself. Her day will come. I will make sure of it. I drop the orb and he shifts running for the trees that surround the collective. “He will not get away from us”, Riggs says. I shift and Riggs runs as fast as he can toward the trees. We slow down and stalk forward making sure he doesn’t attack us first. I have no idea if Lydia came back for this a**hole. I catch his scent and move forward. He is hiding like a rodent in the tall grass. I wave my hand and the grass disappears. “Cayden, I can help you get revenge on that ba**ard Grant for what he did to you and your sister.” I growl that he dare speak of Clara. “This was all his doing. I can help you kill him, Cayden.”

“Now I’m Cayden instead of a mutt.” I can feel my eyes are glowing and I know I need to calm myself down. “I need nothing from you. You deserve a slow torturous death, but honestly, that would make me a monster just like you.” I raise my hand and picture his blood moving fast in his body. His face turns red and he screams in pain. His body begins to swell before he explodes all over the trees. I drop to my knees. “That was amazing, Cayden. You did it, you ended that ba**ard” Riggs says. “I did but Lydia got away.” “We will find her and she will suffer the same fate.” I hear wolves growling in the distance and I manage to get back to my feet. “Riggs, can we shift again?” I know how exhausted I am but I’m not sure how my magic affects him. “Yes, I’m good. Let’s shift and finish off the rest of these wolves.” We run back toward the cottages and I stop when I realize that Eli and Lily are here. They have killed the remaining rogues. I head toward the cottage that houses the cells. When I get inside, there are two female wolves lying on the floor of the cell. They are in rough shape but they are both breathing.

I rush to where the keys hang on the far wall. I start to try each key. It sounds like a stampede coming down the stairs. I look up to see a very pissed off Eli and a smiling Lily. He heads straight at me and punches me in the face. I know it isn’t as hard as he can or I would have been knocked out. “What the hell were you thinking? How do you think she would have felt if something happened to you?” He reaches out his hand to pull me to my feet. He pulls me into a hug. “Next time you let us help from the beginning.” I pull back and nod. I go back to trying to find the key. “Do you know these women, Cayden?” “Yes, they are sisters. That ba**ard had them taken from their pack when they were about five years old.” The last key finally works and I push the cell door open. Eli and I scoop up the girls. Once we are upstairs and far away from the cottages, Lily turns them all to ashes. I don’t have time to enjoy the fact that this place will never hurt another person. We need to get the girls to the pack hospital. Without warning, Lily places her hand on my forearm and we reappear back in the pack.

We rush inside the hospital and the doctor and nurses bring over two gurneys. They rush the girls to the back and I take a seat in the waiting area. The adrenaline that was flowing through my body is starting to subside. I’m suddenly exhausted. Lily sits next to me. “Though I agree with Eli that you shouldn’t have gone alone, I’m still proud of you.” She wraps her arm around my back and her words make Riggs puff out his chest. I chuckle and the hospital door flies open. My sister and mother rush toward me. I stand and when Clara reaches me she pounds on my chest. “How could you be so selfish?” Her tears break me. I manage to pull her into my arms. “I’m sorry I worried you. I needed to protect you from them. I had to try.” She quiets and lifts her head to look at me. “No more running off without talking to us. Family takes care of each other and my pup needs their uncle.” “I promise” I say before my mother wraps us both in a hug. The doors open again and Micah and Mason walk in this time. They walk toward me ready to take my hand. “Mate” they both growl and I smile.