When she went to pull back, Derren bit out, “Don’t. I just need to hold you for a minute.” He needed to reassure himself that she was fine. Safe. With him. He’d always prided himself on the fact that he didn’t need anyone. But he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t function, without Ally. He needed her, and he wasn’t even ashamed of that.
“Derren, let’s go!” shouted Eli.
Bracken hopped into the passenger seat, guessing that Derren would want to sit in the back with Ally. He’d guessed right. Without easing his hold on her, Derren picked her up and slid into the backseat, sitting her on his lap. The small cuts and abrasions on her skin made him growl; she patted his chest soothingly.
Eli immediately sped off, glancing at them briefly over his shoulder. “Ally, are you hurt? Did they hurt you?”
She shook her head against Derren’s chest, inhaling his scent and letting it calm her and her wolf. “I’m okay.”
“What the hell happened?” demanded Cain from beside her. He tried tugging her to him to embrace her, but Derren held tight—his stare daring Cain to try to take Ally from him. Cain bared his teeth but didn’t try again.
“I was drugged and dumped in a trunk by two fucking tigers.”
“They’re dead.” Derren’s voice was low and deadly. He’d find out who they were, and he’d kill them. “What did they look like? Have you seen them before?”
“They didn’t look or smell familiar. They’re both Chinese, medium height, and damn strong.”
“Tigers usually are pretty strong,” commented Cain. “Did you hear any names?” She shook her head.
“Here.” Twisting in his seat to face her, Bracken gently chucked his cell phone to her; Ally caught it easily. “It’s Shaya. I promised I’d call her when we found you. She’s a mess.”
As Ally put the phone to her ear, she heard Shaya’s voice sobbing, “Ally, if you’re not alive, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“I’m alive,” Ally assured her with a smile. “Is Bruce okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. The drugs have worn off. Hurry home. I need to see you with my own eyes.”
“Not yet. I have somewhere to go first.”
“You’re going after Rachelle,” guessed Shaya.
“Yes, she was behind the kidnapping.”
“I want to be there!”
“No, you all need to keep an eye on Miranda and Kerrie. They need to be heavily guarded in case a few of Miranda’s pack—or previous pack, as the situation now stands—come to help her. Some of the guys were smitten with her. Besides, I’ve got some backup with me.”
“Make sure Rachelle feels some serious pain.”
“That won’t be a problem. This shit needs to be dealt with once and for all.” The bitch had had the chance to leave Ally be, but she hadn’t. Now Ally needed to be the one to end it. Ally handed the phone back to Bracken, whose smile was a little bloodthirsty. Apparently he was also eager to see Rachelle punished. Derren, on the other hand, didn’t seem at all pleased.
He kissed her hair. “Baby, I get that this is something you need to do—”
“Then back me up on this.”
“—but you were drugged not so long ago. You’ve got cuts and scrapes, which I’m guessing are thanks to your crazy idea to leap out of a trunk.”
“They’re not bad, and they’re healing fast.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then, pray tell, what is?”
“Baby, do you have any idea how fucking terrified I was for you?” The fear still hadn’t left him, still threatened to break his composure. If he hadn’t known through their mating bond that she was alive, he would have lost his fucking mind long before now. “Could you not give my heartbeat a chance to get back to normal? Do you really have to walk right back into more danger?”
Ally met his dark, tormented gaze. “I have to do this now, Derren. The tigers were supposed to take me to a spot a few miles from here. Rachelle’s intention was to join them later today. I need to get to Collingwood territory before she leaves.”
“If the tigers call and tell her you got away, she’ll probably flee, worried you heard them talking about their plans.”
Ally shook her head. “They spoke in Mandarin. She doesn’t know I speak the language. And cocky as she is, she won’t believe she’ll ever get caught.” Rachelle had gone too long without having to face any consequences for her actions against Ally. “I have to deal with this now.”
“She’s right.” Cain sighed. “I don’t like that she’s right, but there’s no escaping the fact that she is.”
“Eli, we’re making a pit stop at Collingwood territory,” she told him.
The Head Enforcer glanced at Derren in the rearview mirror. “I know you’re not totally okay with this, but you know she has to do it, right?”
After a long sigh, Derren nodded. “If I’m lucky, Zeke will do something stupid, and then I have an excuse to tear out his throat.” The thought lightened his mood a little.