KEISHA’S POV

My legs were moving before my brain caught up to it.

One second I was gripping the edge of the table and the next I was on my feet and moving toward the door.

I needed to get out of here.

Everything felt like it was happening in a different location, the room tilting under me as I dragged myself forward.

I stumbled to the door and grabbed the handle which turned.

Unlocked.

Oh thank goddess—

I pulled it open and stumbled into the corridor as my feet found the floor. Immediately, I moved, one hand against the wall because my balance was wrong— everything was slightly wrong— The drug or whatever he had put in that wine was making me feel dizzy and the hallway ahead seemed to spin.

Regardless, I kept moving until I hit the stairwell door.

I was going to make it. I was actually going to—

A hand closed around my hair.

The yank was so sudden and so hard that my whole body jerked backward and a scream tore out of me before I could stop it.

My hands flew up to grab at his wrist as he dragged me back down the corridor.

No.

Tears stung my eyes immediately from the pain alone.

"That was disappointing." Orin said behind me, completely calm. "I expected more from you."

"Get off me—" My voice cracked. "Let go, let go of me—"

He pushed the apartment door open and threw me inside. I crashed into the edge of the bed, going down hard, my knee hitting the floor and my palms scraping the carpet.

I scrambled immediately, trying to get back to my feet but the room was spinning and my legs weren’t cooperating.

He was already there, grabbing my arm and throwing me onto the bed like I weighed nothing.

"Stop—" I twisted, trying to roll off the other side but his hand caught my shoulder and slammed me back down and then he was over me, his weight pinning my lower body and I couldn’t get leverage, couldn’t get anything at all.

Oh goddess— this couldn’t be happening.

"Relax." He said it almost gently. "You’re making this harder than it needs to be."

"Get off me!" I shoved both hands against his chest with everything I had but he barely moved. "Get off, get off—"

He grabbed both my wrists and pinned them above my head with one hand.

I pulled and twisted but it did nothing and the tears were running freely now, hot down the sides of my face into my hair.

"You’re so much more work than I expected." He looked down at me almost thoughtfully. "All that time watching you and I thought you’d be easier." He tilted his head. "Guess that’s what I get for picking the Alpha’s little daughters’ friend."

"I will scream." My voice was shaking. "I will scream so loud—"

"Go ahead." He smiled. "Building’s empty tonight. I made sure."

No.

No no no—

Diane was throwing herself against everything inside me, screaming every warning she could but it felt like she was so far away and I couldn’t reach her.

His free hand found the hem of my dress and I bucked hard, throwing my whole body sideways and nearly got free before he shoved me back down with his forearm across my chest.

"Stop moving." The pleasantness was gone from his voice now and now something harder was underneath it. "I’m not going to hurt you if you stop—"

"You’re already hurting me—" I choked on my words, my wrists straining against his grip. "Please— please just let me go, please—"

"You’re embarrassing yourself." He said flatly.

I drove my knee up with a grunt.

I didn’t get enough range with him on top of me but it connected with something and he swore sharply as his grip on my wrists loosened for half a second.

Without thinking, I wrenched one hand free and clawed at his face, nails dragging across his cheek.

He cursed and grabbed my wrist again, harder this time, and I cried out from the pain of it.

"That—" He traced a finger over the marks on his face, his jaw tight. "Was a mistake."

He reached for my dress again and I screamed. My scream bounced off the walls and I felt helpless. He was going to have his way and—

The door came off its hinges.

Not opened. Off the hinges. The whole frame shuddered and wood splintered as it slammed inward.

I screamed, turning my face away as dust filled everywhere.

Callum came through it first and the look on his face was the most frightening thing I had ever seen in my life, considering I had just spent the last ten minutes being held down by a man twice my size.

Dane was right behind him.

Orin spun around and for the first time since I had come through his door, something like fear and shock moved across his face.

"What the—" He straightened up, stepping back from the bed. "How did you—" He looked between them, his voice rising with something between disbelief and outrage. "The Alpha and Beta." His eyes went to me curled against the headboard and back to them. "For her? You came here for her?" He let out a short disbelieving sound. "She’s nobody. She’s not even pack. Why would you—"

Callum hit him before he could finish.

A full closed fist straight into his face that snapped his head back and sent him into the wall.

Before Orin had even bounced off it, Callum had him by the collar and hit him again and again. Each one landing with a force that sounded through the room and Callum wasn’t saying anything, just throwing his fists with a cold precision until his knuckles were bloody and the sound of cracking bone echoed.

"You put your hands on her." He forced through gritted teeth between hits. "You put your hands on her."

Orin tried to fight back. He got one arm free and swung but Callum took it without flinching and buried his fist into his ribs so hard that Orin folded forward with a sound like his bones had caved in.

"Piece of shit—" Dane grabbed him from behind and drove his knee into his spine and Orin went down to the floor as Dane crouched over him.

"Who sent you?" He grabbed him by the hair the same way Orin had grabbed me. "Who sent you to this pack—"

Orin spat blood onto the carpet and Dane hit him again with a crunching wet sound.

I had pulled myself to the far corner of the headboard, knees pulled to my chest, watching with my hands shaking in my lap and tears still running down my face that I couldn’t stop.

The room was loud and wrong and I watched them take him apart, my body trembling with fear of what almost happened.

Orin looked like he was on the brink of death, his nose was twisted to an impossible angle and his face was so bloodied that you couldn’t make out who he was.

"Stop." My voice came out small.

Nobody heard it.

"Stop!" My voice was louder this time.

Dane pulled back slightly and looked at me. Callum landed one more hit and then stilled, his chest heaving, his fist still bunched in Orin’s shirt.

"Stop." I said again. "Please."

Callum let go with a heavy breath and Orin slumped against the floor but didn’t try to get up.

Dane was at the bed immediately, his hands finding my face, tilting it up, checking. "Are you hurt?" His voice was completely different now. Almost worried. "Keisha. Are you hurt?"

"I’m okay." I forced it out but it came out unsteady.

"Your wrists—"

"I’m okay." I whispered.

Callum crossed the room, pulling me into a tight embrace, his fingers trembling.

I felt my breath shudder as I curled up into his touch, relishing the way Dane patted my hair.

"Stay there." He said quietly. "Just for a minute."

Behind us on the floor, Orin made a sound and I felt Callum’s arm tighten around me.

I pressed my face further into his chest, closed my eyes and let myself shake for a minute because I had been holding it in since the moment that door came off its frame.

My heart was pounding like crazy and my limbs felt weak.

But I felt safe in their presence. Because I knew they wouldn’t leave.

"Please don’t let him get me..." I whispered before my vision went dark.