46. Abducted

“Edom,” Sona hissed, writhing in his grip. It was ironclad. “What the fuck are you doing? Let go of me.”
The Gamma’s hand covered her mouth and put his near her ear to growl, “Keep quiet and we won’t have any issues. Don’t try to escape. If you do, there will be hell to pay. Is that clear?”
*Where was Taos?! He said this place was known only to the leading pair, so how is…?* Oh. He spied and snuck in, of course. But how had neither she nor Taos scent him or even hear his vitals?
Sona nodded. Edom removed his hand slowly, giving her the chance to scream at the top of her lungs, *“Taos!”*
Edom swore and threw her roughly over his shoulder. Her gut slammed into the muscle. “I said *shut up*, healer.”
“Where is he?” she demanded. “What did you do to him?”
The Gamma started walking, forcing her to grip onto the back of his shirt to steady herself, not toward the tunnel but along a thin path between the rock wall and the pool. Her body jounced as he carried her further into darkness, the glowworms growing dimmer with every heavy step.
Her mind scrambled to understand and navigate the situation. There was little she could do in a dark, cramped space. She was half the size of Edom; in either her base or wolf form, there was no way she could fight him off or even outrun him—in this environment, at least. She’d taken on Conri and won. There was a good chance she could still take a chunk out of him if she really tried. And if luck was on her side.
Which, right now, was not. The Redbone Gamma had somehow incapacitated Taos and was now abducting her. *Why and what the fuck*.
“Where are we going?” she asked, forcing her voice to be soft and quiet. 
“Shut up.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Shut. Up.”
“I know why you hate me so much.”
Edom’s gait stuttered for a fraction of a second, then he shrugged his shoulder hard, knocking the breath out of her, snd snarled, “*I said shut the fuck up.”*
Sona’s lungs struggled to drag air back in. “You want the best for Taos and I’m not it. I understand your frustration, but is abducting me really a solution?”
Again he didn’t answer. They were heading straight until he made a hard right that slammed Sona’s head against the corner. She yelped in pain and felt hot blood bloom from a gash near her temple. It slid down the contours of her face and tainted her lips with the iron taste. Instead of spitting it out in front of her, she twisted in Edom’s grip and spit straight at his cheek. 
He roared; it disturbed shale and even the few glowworms as they plunked silently to the ground. Edom dropped Sona on her feet facing him, grabbing her upper arms in a grip tight enough to hurt, and bared thick white teeth. Fear shot through her like a spear.
“Do you not know the word *cooperate*?” he snarled. This time she didn’t answer, and he roared again in frustration. “Fine. Maybe you will when I tell you that your grandfather and son are being taken hostage as well speak and if you do not come quietly, they will be killed on the spot.”
The thought alone was horrific and terrifying. Sona swallowed hard, but it didn’t stop her voice from trembling. “Who are you working with? How do I know you’re not bluffing?”
“Do I look like I bluff, healer?” 
The answer was no. 
“Smart response. Keep quiet and let’s get this over with. Now. Can you use your legs or should I be them for you?”
She glared. “I can walk myself, thank you.”
“Great. Now *walk*.” 
Edom shoved a palm into her back to thrust her forward. Ahead of him Stumbling forward, Sona lightly touched her injury. Sticky blood, but the gash had thankfully healed.
She heard him grunt and scrub at his face. She was glad she couldn’t see it or the rest of his unnaturally massive body. He had sent jolts of fear through her in the few times she’d seen him, but now… Maybe it was because she didn’t see him that she didn’t feel the same fear. No doubt she was in danger. She just knew she wasn’t as panicked as she should be.
Edom directed her down one more corner that sloped upward until there were slivers of starlight ahead. Sona sighed inwardly. How many nights would she be awake through? Wolves weren’t entirely nocturnal. Today was a long day; she didn’t anticipate it ending in being taken hostage.
When they reached another curtain of vines, Edom grabbed her shoulder in a grip so tight she winced, holding her back so he could exit first. He stuck his head out and she heard him grunt in satisfaction. “Come on.”
He yanked her forward and through the vines. Sona stumbled out into a field of grasses, forest tree lines far, far in the distance. She had no idea which direction they were facing; no idea whose territories those forests were. They hadn’t walked *that* long, had they? Was this still Redbone land…or a different pack’s?
Sona scanned the night for dark shapes. Nothing moved or made noise but for the swaying grass in the faint breeze.
“Edom,” Sona began.
“Call me Gamma,” he interrupted derisively, pushing her ahead once more. “Keep quiet.”
“But there’s no one here.” 
“Not for lurkers. For me. Your voice irritates me to my core.”
His tone sounded similar to Taos’. Deadpan sarcasm. Except Edom intended only insult.
“Stop.” Edom snatched her collar. Raising his voice, he barked, “Show yourself!”
Sona’s blood chilled when a familiar voice called back, “You got her without hassle?”
“It was too easy. The benefits of an Omega—always submissive.”
She snarled at the jeer. “You’re disgusting.”
“Call me whatever you want, healer,” drawled Edom, not even looking at her, “I couldn’t give the slightest of shits. Hurry it up, I have better things to do.”
She heard footsteps crunching through the grasses. Now fear was taking over. She put her back to the approacher, ready to beg the unyielding Gamma. “No. Edom, please. *Please*. I can’t—”
He shook her off, palm slamming into her chest—colliding into another’s. Arms snaked around her waist, a chin resting on her shoulder. Once a home, now a prison.
“Don’t run away this time, my love,” Conri purred.