Caged

Chapter 42

**| Sang's POV |**

Cleaning up was a blur. We went back to check on Luke. North and Sean were working together to move him while he slept. All that sleep would speed up his healing at least. Once I licked his hand and knew he'd be okay, I followed Alpha back to the compound where the other shifters were going through the bodies, IDing who they could and making sure they collected any of theirs who didn't survive.

My nose twitched with so much blood and death. The stench practically burned my nose as I stayed at Alpha's side. His expression was completely closed down as he talked with other alphas, giving them final directions.

"Are you sticking around?" one of them asked. The one who couldn't control his wolves. My eyes narrowed. Weak. A weaker alpha. Alpha-man could easily take him on.

Do not mistake his method as weakness. Alpha's voice whispered through my head. I bumped into his leg, letting him know I heard him. Outloud, he responded to the alpha. "No. I need to get Luke and this one back now."

He placed his hand gently on top of my head. Tingles focused on that one spot, and slowly spread down my back in comfort. I wanted more of it. I practically whined, needing more of such a simple touch, but bit back the instinct.

Are you going to shift back, Alpha asked.

I didn't reply, following as we headed to the vehicles. Victor was there already and when he saw us, opened the door for me. I sniffed him before hopping into the truck. I settled into the middle and curled around, closing my eyes. I heard as others settled in and then the truck rumbled on and we were off.

The drive was quiet and tense. I curled as best as I could in the seat, trying to get rid of the taste in my mouth, still tasting the blood of my enemies. With my eyes closed, the cries of their deaths only became louder. It was still satisfying, but it also created something empty in me that I didn't know what to do with.

They were dead.

I had to keep telling myself that.

"She can't stay like this," Victor whispered. My ears twitched at the sound of his voice and I peeked an eye open, looking at the side of his head in the passenger seat. While Alpha drove, he sat there, and Silas was in the back seat with me. Nathan was on my other side.

Victor glanced back at me with a frown and when he realized I was glaring at him, his eyes widened as he turned back around. Victor was probably the one I knew the least about. We didn't interact much, so I was wary of him.

"She won't," Alpha responded. The way he said it had everyone falling completely still. His energy flooded through the small space.

An involuntary whimper left me as the other three seemed to become smaller, making themselves submissive.

And it stayed like that for way too long. I was beginning to feel trapped.

"Calm down," Nathan whispered. I had shifted again and bumped into him, my tail hitting his shoulder. It was too cramped in here.

Silas reached over and practically picked me up. He moved me so I was half on his lap, able to stretch out more. I closed my eyes, letting his presence and touch calm me. My heart and soul settled and I was able to calm down.

A phone rang and Victor answered, putting it on speaker. "There's a motel nearby. We will stop there," Kota said. "There's a spot we can use in the woods." Then he hung up.

"I know the place," Victor said. He directed Alpha to take a turn then we went down a winding road. The whole time, Silas kept petting me, keeping my calm and still. I didn't mind as I pressed further into him, letting him work his magic. It felt too good to give up. If wolves had a version of catnip, then Silas was my version of it.