How Could You?

Logan

I eyed Giselda, shocked that she wasn’t moving. Luge was struggling to heal us but we both knew that we couldn’t afford not to go after them, especially Annie. I wasn’t going to let him take her. She was everything to me and to Luge. Not  only that, but I knew if Gerald had knocked me unconscious, his plans for my mate were not going to be good. I wasn’t going to let him do anything to hurt her. Not if I could prevent it. I glanced around, searching for her before frowning at Gerald.

“Where is Annie?” I hissed.

“Dead. Didn’t you feel it?” He taunted.

I took a step toward him, biting back a groan as my ribs screamed in agony. “She’s not gone. You made me lose her before and I felt dead inside. I don’t feel dead now so I know she’s still alive. I’m only going to ask you one more time. Where! Is! MY! MATE?!” I roared.

He raised an eyebrow at me as he lifted a shifted claw to Giselda’s throat threateningly. “I’d tread lightly if I were you! Or you won’t just lose your alpha sow. You’ll also lose your beta!”

I immediately froze, as I debated about what to do. This whole thing was a fucking mess. I didn’t want to sacrifice one of their lives for the other, even if Annie was my mate. I loved Giselda too, and every single bear needed her to stay alive. My heart ached as the decision weighed me down. Finally, I took a step back, making him smirk.

“Wise choice,” he spat as he pulled Giselda into the front of him with his claw still poised at her throat. He took a step back, forcing her to move with him until he stopped beside a bush. “Come along, Annie!”

The bush started to move before Annie managed to climb out of it. My mouth dropped open when I saw her fully nude. She placed her hand on his arm, smiling brightly up at him.

“Are we leaving now, Gerry?” She asked, tearing my heart to pieces.

“Yes, Annie. Come here, love.”

She immediately stepped closer to him, and he wrapped his arm around her throat. I narrowed my eyes on her face, relaxing a little when I saw how unfocused her eyes were. At least I knew that she was only acting this way because she was under his command. I knew that she wouldn’t betray me like this of her own volition. I took a step toward them with my eyes glued to Gerlad’s.

“Just let them go, Gerald. And I’ll let you leave Havana without being hurt,” I pleaded.

“Do you really think I would believe a word that came out of your  mouth? No! My best chance for survival is to take them with me!” He stopped to smirk at me. “I’ll make sure to send you some pieces when I’m done with them!”

“NO! Please, don’t take them. Take me! Your problem is with me! Please,” I begged, terrified that he would really hurt them.

He burst out laughing. “Look at you, ‘alpha.’ Big, bad, Logan, brought  to his knees by a little whore!” He glanced at Giselda. “Two little whores. Let me guess, you fucked Giselda too. One woman isn’t enough, is she? No, I didn’t think she would be. You’re an alpha,” he sneered. “You  have a whole sleuth of willing whores to fuck, don’t you!”

“Gerald, please, just let them go! If you have ever loved either of them, don’t do this to them. Don’t hurt them! Take me,” I begged.

He stopped moving backward to study my face for a moment before grinning evilly at me. “Okay, I won’t do it to ‘them.’ Congratulations, ‘Alpha’ Logan. You get to decide which one I do it to.” He shifted his hand to grip Annie’s throat. “Do I fuck and kill your mate?” He dragged his claw lightly across Giselda’s throat, leaving a thin trail of blood. “Or do I fuck and kill your lover?”

I tensed, staring at him. “I am not screwing my cousin, Gerald! What kind of sick person fucks family?!”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I fucked up. Especially when he stiffened before baring his teeth at me.

“Choice made!” He growled before slicing his claw along Giselda’s throat again, leaving a deep gash across her throat.

Blood started spraying out of her wound immediately. Gerald turned Giselda, making some of her blood cover a still smiling Annie, who giggled.

“That’s warm, Gerry. What is it?”

He smirked at me as he tossed Giselda on the ground. “It’s nothing, baby. Come on!”

I dropped down beside Giselda, already tearing into my wrist to give her blood as I was forced to watch Gerald throw Annie over his shoulder. I massaged Giselda’s throat, forcing her to swallow while vines wrapped around my ankle, before stabbing thorns into my skin to inject me with something that sent healing energy instantly through my body. I let out a stuttering breath as Giselda gasped before shooting straight up with her eyes moving around rapidly.

“ANNIE!” She screamed frantically.

I forced her to lay back down as the vines retracted their vines. “Stay here, Gilda. I’m going after her.”

She pushed my hand off as she jumped to her feet, stumbled, and collapsed back on the ground. “FUCK! Go! Go get our alpha sow back, cousin! Hurry! Before he gets away!”

I nodded before leaping up to sprint in the direction where Gerald had disappeared with my mate. I tried to open my link with Annie, but it remained glued shut. I cursed under my breath as I continued to run, only having her scent to follow. I drew up short when I reached the gate to find him running his hands over the wall, searching for the door there, but he would never find it. And even if he did, it was locked, and Giselda and I were the only ones with the keys.

“GERALD! STOP!” I bellowed as I stepped out of the trees.

He slowly turned around to glare at me with a smirk on his face. He spanked Annie’s ass, sending her into a fit of giggles.

“GERRY!” She squealed.

“Why are you chasing us, Logan? Can’t you see that she wants to go with me?” He taunted.

“Put her down!”

“Never! She’s–”

The ground exploded beneath him as a large vine pod shot up to close around him and Annie both. I rushed forward with my hand outstretched.

“NO! NO! DON’T TAKE HER!” I yelled. “SHE’S INNOCENT! PLEASE, GIVE HER BACK!” My hand landed on top of the pod as I sank to my knees with tears pouring down my face. “PLEASE! Just give her back,” I cried.

The vine pulsed for a moment before opening up. Inside the pod, Gerald was unconscious with smaller vines wrapped tightly around him. Annie was nowhere to be seen and my heart broke in my chest.

“No! Annie,” I whimpered. “Please, bring her back to me.”

The pod started to open up, a thick layer of its skin peeling away from the outer layer to reveal a clean, still nude Annie. The vines wrapped around her to gently lift her out before gently carrying her over to me, where they laid her on my lap. I immediately wrapped my arms around her, rocking her back and forth. Annie shifted to bury her face in my chest, moaning softly. One of the vines tucked her hair behind her ear before melting back into the pod. I kissed her forehead softly as the pod disappeared back into the ground. I don’t know how long I rocked her, but it wasn’t long enough. When I heard a twig snap behind me, I carefully yanked my shirt off and put it on Annie to cover the majority of her body. A hand was placed on my shoulder before Giselda crouched beside me.

“How is she?” She asked.

“She’s okay. How are you feeling?” I responded.

“I’m alive if that means anything,” she answered. “Where’s Gerald?”

“I don’t know. The vines took him. I hope they kill him,” I told her.

“Come on, Logan. You get Annie to bed, and I’ll tend to the other alphas, betas, and gammas.” She squeezed my shoulder. “Thank you for saving us, alpha.”

“Always, Gilda. I love you both a lot.”

“I love you too, Logo.”

She squeezed my shoulder again before walking off. I carefully stood up, cradling her against my chest as I went back to the sleuth house to lay her down in our room. As soon as I walked into our bedroom, the smell of sex almost brought me to my knees. My eyes immediately dropped to Annie’s face.

“No!”

I quickly laid her down before running a finger along her lower lips and bringing it to my nose. I closed my eyes when Gerald’s scent mixed with mine and hers. I sank to my knees beside the bed, placing my cheek on her stomach, planting kiss after kiss on her skin.

“I’m so sorry, Annie. I keep failing you! I should have been here to protect you! I’m so sorry!” I told her.

After a few minutes of trying to get my emotions under control, I finally managed to push them back enough to be able to reach out to Osprey via our link.

‘Wake up! We need to talk!’ I snapped.

‘What’s wrong?’ He linked back, groggily. ‘Is Annie okay?’

‘She’s fine! At least she is now!’ I responded angrily as the feeling of failure returned.

‘What happened?’ He asked, fully alert now.

‘Gerry tried to kidnap her and Giselda. He raped Annie and tried to kill Giselda!’ I spat.

‘Impossible! He’s not capable–’

‘DON’T TELL ME WHAT HE’S CAPABLE OF, OSPREY! HE RAPED ANNIE! HE TRIED TO KILL GISELDA! WHATEVER YOU DID, DIDN’T WORK!’ I yelled.

‘How do you know that Annie and him didn’t slip back into a sexual relationship?’ He inquired hesitantly.

‘Because Annie wouldn’t have done that! She loves me! I know she does! Besides, she was under compulsion. Speaking of compulsion, he found a way to put Giselda under too!’

‘But she took the potion the vines gave us to make us immune. There is no way that he aura’ed her,’ Osprey argued

‘But she was under a command, Osprey! I know what it looks like, and she was under,’ I snarled.

‘Okay, let’s say for argument's sake that is all true, did you kill him?’ Osprey inquired.

‘No! The vines took him,’ I exclaimed.

‘The vines took him? Where did they take him?’

‘I have no fucking idea. It didn’t occur to me to ask some deadly plants where they were taking my enemy or what they were going to do with him. My concern was my mate in my arms!’ I growled.

‘Okay, I understand. I will try to reach out to him and see if I can find him. I will get to the bottom of this. I promise.’

‘You better, or the next time I see him, I will not hesitate to kill him. He raped my mate. He tried to kill his own mate. Goddess only knows what else he could have done to them when they were alone together.’

He sighed. ‘How is Giselda? How-how is Annie’s baby?’

‘I’m praying that the baby is fine. Giselda is good. She’s already up and doing her beta duties.’ I paused our conversation to take Annie’s hand. ‘I’m locking down Havana until we figure out what happened to Gerald. I am not taking any more chances. Not with Annie.’

‘Understood. I will link you if I am going to come out there. I will tell my parents to do the same.’ he took a deep breath. ‘Just take care of Annie and Giselda. I’ll handle Gerald.’

‘Good! Because he will never get close enough to harm either of them again,’ I said angrily.

‘I get it, Logan. I’m the same way about Scarlett.’

‘I know. Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight, Logan. I’ll keep you updated.’

‘Thank you, Osprey.’

I cut the link as I crawled into the bed behind Annie, instantly wrapping her up in my arms. I buried my face in her neck.

‘I love you, sweetheart,’ I whispered. When she sniffled, I stiffened. “Annie? Are you awake?”

She rolled over to face me with tears rolling down her face. “Why did you break his aura?” She asked, her voice obviously distressed.

“I didn’t. What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything.”

She wiped her face. “Yes, you did!” She accused me.

“No, baby, I didn’t. Why do you think I did?”

“BECAUSE I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!” She screamed, hitting me in the chest with her fists. “I DIDN’T WANT TO REMEMBER! AND YOU MADE ME!”

“I don’t understand, baby. What do you remember?” I asked, concerned.

She stopped hitting me to bury her face in my chest. “I remember what Gerry did to me. He raped me and he beat me. And now I remember,” she sobbed.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her again. “Oh, Annie. I’m so sorry, baby, but I swear to you that I didn’t do that to you.”

“Then who did?” She sniffled, making me sigh.

“The vines, baby. The vines must have when you were in the pod.”