“Talk to me, Dad,” Alarick pleaded. His eyes said what his words didn’t—don’t die. The silence on the phone echoed, making us all hold our breath.
Chapter Fifteen
Pixie
“Checked in as a human,” Raff wheezed after a moment, and we all breathed a sigh of relief, though from the looks they traded, I realized none of us knew how long it would last. “Told them I had a horrible flu. My son was coming to get me. Not to let anyone else up. List me as unregistered.”
“That won’t last long,” Ian told him.
“Then be fast,” Raff hissed, a bit of his spark coming through.
“Just breathe, Raff,” I ordered, trying to keep Luna calm. “Tell us a little at a time.”
Alarick’s eyes were wild as he glanced back at me. “We have to get to him before they can issue the challenge.”
“I got that, I just don’t get why. And I don’t understand why you think Borris poisoned you.”
Raff groaned. “Vervain in my food. Something else too. Foxglove maybe?” Ian swore, making my eyes wide.
“Hang on, Raff,” he encouraged, his voice low. “You’re strong. You’ve got the pack’s strength behind you.” That was right, wasn’t it? Hadn’t he said something about that when we’d first met? About the level of the wolf meaning they could heal more or faster?
Raff was breathing heavily as Luna sobbed into my shoulder. “I started to feel ill on the second day of the trip, before the conference had even begun. Nothing too off, just a bit out of sorts. It was getting worse throughout the journey, but it was still mild. Some stomach upset, muscle cramps. A bit of dizziness. Nothing my own healing abilities couldn’t handle, I told myself. Foolish alpha pride.” He coughed, and the sound was wet enough to make me wince.
“When did it change, Raff?” Ian pushed.
“Yesterday,” he replied with another wet, hacking noise. “I decided I couldn’t put off seeing a healer any longer. My own abilities should have fought off whatever this was by now. I asked for a healer to be sent to my rooms.”
Trees were flying by our window now, and I knew Zev had to be pushing our car to top speeds, counting on the fact that Alarick would use his command power on any police car that stopped us. Nothing would prevent him from getting to his father as fast as he could.
“Borris brought dinner up to me, said the healer would be there soon. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, we were in an SUV.” Raff’s voice had slurred slightly now. “I knew then he’d drugged me.”
“What the hell?” Chann yelped. “How is that possible? Borris is the omega. I’d swear on my life he’s loyal to the bone. Drugging you? Let alone poisoning you?”
“Had to be in the food,” Raff insisted. “More last night in what he gave me, probably injected more after he knocked me out.”
“And only the omega makes and handles the food,” Alarick added, shaking his head, his eyes glued to the road in front of him.
“It can’t be,” Shannon whispered. I didn’t have to be an empath to feel the waves of shock rolling off of her.
“We can figure that part out later,” Ian snapped. “Raff, how close were they?”
“Close,” he answered. “They were stupid. Went too long between drugging me. I had just enough left to command Borris to take me here. Knocked him out. Stole his phone. Locked him in the car. Got the room.” His voice was weakening now, and I could feel tears fill my eyes. “Called the emergency line.”
“Dad, we’re close,” Alarick told him. “I don’t care if you call the human cops and get yourself arrested for something. You can’t let him issue that challenge.”
“Someone explain,” I snapped.
“It was Gwyar,” Zev replied, the engine roaring as he pushed for more speed, weaving around cars on the highway. “Somehow, he managed to drug and poison Raff to weaken him. He’s an alpha, so he’ll probably survive that part. But he wants to issue a challenge before he can see a healer. He knows he can’t take Raff on at full strength, even at half strength. But when he’s like this? Hell, even Luna could win against him.”
Raff snorted, though the sound was ugly. “Thanks for that, pup.”
“He wants Lupine Hollow,” Alarick snarled. “If he issues an alpha challenge, demanding control of the pack, my dad can’t refuse it.”