Chapter 110

Mira

The wolf in front of me was not my husband. I had to keep reminding myself that.

I chose flight over fight in the split second I had before I knew he would be rushing at me, claws out, aiming for my throat.

Unless I could get through to him.

“Dominic, it’s me!” I shouted as I backed up and out of view. My words were met with a snarl and movement that knocked over most of the contents to bathroom counter.

“Dominic!”

I tried reaching him through the link we shared, hoping my Fated Mate was coherent enough not to kill me.

“Kill.”

The voice was responded was not Dominic’s, but some deeper possession that was holding him hostage. And whatever he had consumed from that bottle was not one of my calming tinctures but something that would cause this destructive behavior.

Just as I was reaching the side table where my medical kit sat, Dominic lunged out of the bathroom. He had to turn around the corner to find me across the bedroom, but it didn’t take him long. I gripped my hand tightly and sent a prayer to every goddess of protection that I could think of.

“Dominic, please!”

It was all I could say before he ran at me. I moved left and basically somersaulted over the edge of the bed, just enough to evade his first attack. I knew I didn’t have much time, and my freedom ended too quickly. I felt him grip my ankle and pull me across the mattress.

“Stop! Dominic, it’s me!”

He paused, his body now hovering over mine as lay on the corner of the bed. One arm was next to my head, propping himself up. The other was raised, held in mid air, the murderous claws looking suddenly unsure of their purpose.

“Dominic, I know you’re still in there,” I said, trying to stay calm. My eyes were full of tears that were starting to fall sideways to my ears. “Please, it’s me, Mira, it’s me!”

He lowered his arm, his eyes searching, his nostrils flaring as he took in my scent. I allowed myself to close my eyes for a breath just to escape the situation, wishing he was my Dominic again.

“Mira…”

His guard was coming down, he was starting to recognize me. He was distracted enough not to notice when I raised my arm and jabbed him in the neck with a needle. His eyes became desperate at the impact and pain, and I was already pulling myself out and away from him.

He fell onto the bed in the space where I had been, griping furiously at the needle until he could extract it from where it was nestled in his fur.

“I’m sorry.”

I was backing away, afraid to run and give him reason to rally. He followed me with his eyes, panting heavily, feeling the contents of the syringe flow through his veins. I had pulled a higher dose than normal, knowing I wouldn’t kill him but should knock him out for a while.

But then he started to rise.

He threw the needle across the room, and let out the worst howl I have heard him make. I didn’t wait to see what he would do next, but ran out of the bedroom slamming the door behind me. It was not a great line of defense, but was all I had.

I ran towards the kitchen thinking I could grab a knife or something to use as a weapon, and heard him rip open the bedroom door behind me. When I passed a side table I knocked it over behind me, but it did little to stop him from coming.

I ran around the kitchen island, grabbing a pot off the stove and a knife from the block beside it. I didn’t know how I could really use either to defend myself, but it was better than nothing. The wolf was in the doorway quickly, but then seemed to be enjoying the fact that I was trapped. The kitchen was large, but still only had one door in or out.

I was crouched behind the island, crab-walking as silently as I could as I followed his pace around the island. Deciding I didn’t really want to slice my husband, I threw the knife behind me towards the breakfast table in the corner.

The diversion worked for an instant as he lunged quickly towards the sound, and I stood to try to make a run for it. Unfortunately the pan I was carrying went out in front of me and clambered off the floor as I stumbled to rise, and before I could blink the wolf leaped over the entire island structure and grabbed me.

The wind was almost knocked out of me as I hit the wall, the wolf’s paws pressing against my chest and shoulders. I had just enough leverage and strength in me to swing the heavy frying and hit him twice in the shoulder, causing him to jerk and let me out of his grip. I ducked under and came around, throwing the pan once more with all my strength against his back. Then I ran like hell out of the room. I dove over the couch and hid behind it, knocking over a chair in my wake. Dominic picked up the chair and threw it against the wall, the wood splintering upon impact.

His snarling roar was interrupted by the front door opening.

“Alpha, Luna, is everything—“

Wyatt stopped in his tracks as he came into the living room, seeing his boss and friend transformed into a rabid beast and ruining his own home.

“Mira?!” Wyatt shouted, bringing his hands up in the air as if they alone could defend us.

“I’m here,” I said in a desperate whisper.

Following the sound of my voice, Wyatt took careful steps in my direction. The wolf stayed in the center of the room, regarding this intruder with curiosity and disdain. Maybe he recognized the Beta or his scent, and was feeling conflicted about attacking.

“Dominic, Alpha, my liege,” Wyatt was trying to coax him out of it, “I am your friend, not your enemy.”

The wolf was salivating while listening, but I couldn’t tell if he could hear us through the fog of his rage.

“Dominic, come back!” I screeched from my hiding place, raising my head just enough that he might see my eyes, remember my face. “Please, my love!”

The wolf twitched, a small fit passing over his brow and his eyes darting around the room. Then he howled, long and frenzied, and lumbered towards the hall and front door. The smash and crunch told me he had damaged the door on his way out.

“Mira, what the hell happened?” Wyatt crouched next to me, checking me for injuries.

“He took something, something I didn’t make,” I said in between heaving breaths as my body came out of fight or flight mode. “Wyatt, he’s out of control.”

“I know, I know,” he said, allowing me to fall into his chest as tears exploded from my eyes. “I’ll alert the guards.”

He reached for his phone and pressed one button.

“Lucas, code black,” he said quickly. “The Alpha is on the loose.”