Dear Readers,
I hope you enjoy this installment of the latest Lyssa and Emmett story.
KemMyst
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Lyssa never got a chance to run.
He wheeled right into a shed without slowing down until the last second. He was so close on her side he took the side mirror off.
He slammed the vehicle into park before it had stopped and grabbed her wrist, yanking her across the console and out the driver's side door. She grabbed at the door and he pulled her off of it. She wasn't using her full strength against him, not yet. She'd use it to escape if she needed to, if it looked like he might hurt her. But she really wanted the police to find her here.
Ron Sr. dragged her, dead weight, toward the wall where he grabbed ahold of a rope and yanked, pulling open a trap door. This meant he'd planned this. Unless he'd used it before on someone else.
He shoved her into the hole and slammed the cover shut. She heard a bolt slide home.
The drop wasn't far, but she landed awkwardly, twisting her ankle.
There was no light, but a bit filtered in through a couple of cracks. Enough that she could see a bit of what was down here with wolf eyes. The walls were earthen, with some wood supporting the corners. The floor was packed dirt and the only thing on it was a small bucket. She assumed that was for peeing in.
How long did he plan to keep her here?
Where were the damn cops anyway?
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Emmett was fairly vibrating with the tension. Severn hadn't been able to help much. While they were, many of them, law enforcement, they operated under human law, which meant Lyssa wouldn't be considered missing yet. They could only watch.
They scouted out the Wilson's properties, calling out at each one. Caleb found the location. She told him where she was. That she was OK. And to leave her there. To tell Em she loved him and would be home soon.
His mate wasn't in the den with him; he wouldn't be able to sleep without her. And he'd have to go back to the damn human courtroom in the morning. The lawyer had told him that, if he didn't show up, they could throw him in a cell for contempt of court. Whatever the hell that meant.
He'd already beaten up Erich and Alex in practice sparring. Randall had occupied him for a period of time but, even he had had enough after 45 minutes of back and forth pummeling. So, after checking on little Em, he went for a run. He made it twice around the range, interrupting those who were on sweep.
Nothing was making him tired enough that he'd sleep.
[Beta, please come to medical.]
Emmett skidded to a halt, snarling. What in Luna's name did Natalie want?
Growling, he padded back to the den and down the stairs. As he came through the door he looked at Natalie, one of their healers. He inhaled [What..?]
He registered the chemical smell just before he felt the prick of the needle. He turned, snarling, toward Wade, who was holding a syringe. One step forward, [Hold, Beta!]
His Alpha's voice commanded him to stop from showing Wade his displeasure, as had happened before. He should have known better; the Alphas had done this to him the last time. And then his brain went fuzzy and he dropped to the floor.
[You need to rest, Beta.]
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Lyssa had tried to figure a way out herself. The trapdoor was too high for her to reach. She tried standing on the bucket but it wouldn't hold her weight. That meant she was pretty well stuck in here until someone got her out. Severn knew where she was which meant Emmett knew she was OK.
But it was dark and damp and she was uncomfortable in human form. It would only be less uncomfortable as wolf but it would be less so she changed. She curled up, the tip of her tail covering her nose. And tried to fall asleep.
-------
Something was wrong. The bed felt wrong. It wasn't as warm as it should be nor did the mattress tilt slightly, as it usually did. Emmett cracked an eye open. And snarled.
Right. Lyssa. Kidnapped. The trial.
He dragged his hand over his face and growled. [How is my mate?]
[Beta, please come to my office.]
Everyone got out of the way as he stalked to Randall's office, growling the entire time.
Erich and Madeline were already there with the Alphas. Ross was also there. Emmett growled at him, not understanding his presence. He quailed. "B, B, B, B, Beta..."
"WHAT?!"
Randall stepped between them, drawing the seething Beta's attention. Emmett ground out, "What is it?"
"There's evidence that Wilson's father took your mate."
"What evidence?"
Ross turned the computer screen around. A video was playing, showing Lyssa in front of the courthouse. Ron, Sr. approached her, grabbed her arm, and led her away. "What is that?"
Erich interjected, "Somebody caught Mr. Wilson taking Lyssa. It's gone viral."
Still growling, "OK, what does that mean?"
"My friend, the police now have proof your mate was taken. They will hunt for her now, bring her back to us."
Emmett stood, lightly furred, claws cutting in to his palms. "When? Is she alright? Have you heard?"
"Nathan is currently at the site and checked in with her a short time ago. She is uncomfortable, but uninjured. We have called the police and they are looking at the surveillance cameras from the courthouse."
"The trial?"
"Our lawyers are going to ask for a day's postponement."
"I need to be there."
"Paul will drive you as soon as you reassure your pup."
Emmett blew out a breath. Emmanuel, while he didn't have full use of the wolves' mode of communication, may have heard something but would definitely have picked up on the mood of the pack.
[Emmanuel? Where are you?]
"He's in our suite, Emmett," Madeline says, quietly. "He was too upset to stay with the other pups and couldn't wake you up. That scared him so he came to stay with us. He was still asleep when we were called."
Emmett glared at Randall, who had obviously told Wade, their healer, to sedate him. He turned on a heel and strode to the second Beta's suite.
Emmanuel was curled up, in wolf form, in the center of the bed. His paws were twitching. A dream.
"Emmanuel? Son?" Emmett approached the bed as little Em gave a particularly violent twitch and woke with a snarl. "Hey, Em." Little Em launched himself at his father as a small boy. "Daddy!" Emmett held his son close as he sniffled. "Where's mama?"
"It's OK, son. She's OK. She's trying to catch a bad man."
"More bad human?"
Emmett gusted a sigh. Little Em knew one of their pack had been killed by a human, had, actually, bitten the man on the Day of Discovery. "Remember the human you bit when you were with mommy?" Little Em nodded. "His daddy is bad, too."
"Lotsa humans bad.
Emmett held his son more tightly. "Some are, son, but not all. Remember, some of them are helping us."
Emmanuel examined his father's face. "OK. When mama come home?"
"I'm going to get her now, son."
"OK."
"Give your father a kiss and go find Caroline."
"OK." A quick hug and a smooch and he set his son down. Little Em headed out the door.
[Erich. Madeline. Thank you.] [Paul, I'm on my way.]
[Understood, Beta.]
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Lyssa saw the barest bit of light in her little dungeon. There wasn't much room to pace but she was cold and stiff. She stood and stretched. Then, having nothing better to do, curled back up in the warm spot she'd left. [Lyssa, there is a viral video of your abduction. We're hoping a judge will grant us a warrant shortly.]
[Would be nice to get out of here.]
Footsteps. She backed away from the front edge of the pit. First, it would make it more difficult to see her and, second, it would give her an opportunity to make a possible leap out, if she needed to.
The bolt slid back and the trap door opened minimally. A bottle of water and a piece of meat that was turning dropped in with her. The door was again locked up. She moved closer and sniffed. Only his scent. So, it didn't look like he had anyone else working with him. That was good. She would, however, need hands to drink the water.
The meat, however, was well past its prime and nothing she'd consider eating, even as wolf. Though some in the pack would still find it palatable, she hadn't been born wolf and had a lower tolerance for meat that had begun to rot. She dug a small hole in the corner, shoved it in, and covered it up.
Her stomach grumbled in protest. It had been a day since she'd eaten.
She heard the car start and drive off.
The trial. He had to go make an appearance or it would look suspicious. So, that meant it had to be about 8 a.m.
Try to get out again? Or wait for rescue? She knew she couldn't reach the trapdoor in her human shape; she'd already tried. Could she make some headway as wolf? She was already in that form - what could it hurt?
She was about to find out.
Lyssa knocked over the bucket and nosed it in to place. Although she didn't have a lot of room to build up speed she started from the opposite end of the pit and launched herself off the bucket toward the corner of the trapdoor.... OW!
Her landing was awkward and she shook her head.
OK, so not a great idea trying to break open a door with your head.
She couldn't bite it or scratch her way out with her claws. She wasn't going to be able to twist and get her shoulder against it. Damn. She let out a frustrated whine.
Well. It was wait to be rescued then.
Her independent nature was annoyed by that.
So, now the question was - wolf, or not.
The decision really wasn't too difficult. It would look worse for him if she appeared as a woman who had been held captive.
How long?
Damn, she wanted out of here. [Em?]
Lyssa got her clothes and began dressing. She was gonna sit on her butt on a cold, hard, dirt floor until they came. [Em?]
[I'm here, Madam Beta.]
[I know. But I want my mate.] OK, she had allowed him to take her but figured she had reason to whine a little.
She hadn't been away from him this long since, well, since the last time she'd been abducted. That time she had been collateral - she'd just happened to be with Joanna when members of the Ross pack had grabbed her. She had been sedated for 4 days, until she gained enough awareness to be able to startle them so Joanna could escape.
