Beauty and the Rogue (Undergoing Editing)

Chapter 10- Edited

Audrey's POV

As I woke, I brought my heavy hands up to pounding head.

I curled my body into a ball and found every muscle in my body sore and strained. Why hadn't Cole found me yet? It had been almost 4 days, still I was in John and his Kaiden's reach.

I felt a large hand wrap around my arm and pull my up as I winced. My bruises all over my body hurt just as much as my head did. As far as I could tell we were still in the woods and close to midnight as the hand around my arm continued to pull me. I didn't dare to open my eyes, seeing as every time i did it would be to see johns fist coming in hard contact with my body again, leaving another bruise.

Finally we stopped and I heard water, maybe a stream, before I was sent flying into a freezing river. My clothes were now drenched as I stayed where they had put me, not longing for any more throbbing bruises. My hair dripped as I sat, shivering in the cold night.

Where was Cole? I kept asking myself the same question. Had he forgotten about me? Had Kate finally gotten to him and convinced him that she was his only love? I almost growled at the thought of Kate in my mate's arms before I remembered where I was. I hadn't eaten in the 4 days I had been in the Kaiden's possession so to say the least I was hungry.

"Where's your Alpha mate Audrey?" John asked me mockingly. "Wasn't he supposed to protect you?" he said as be splashed my already soaked body. I winced at the touch of the water, remembering his fists that probably weren't far off. Where is my mate?

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Cole's POV

"Where is my mate?" I yelled banging my fist hard on the table the rest of my pack was gathered around, trying to figure out where John could have taken her.

"We searched the entire West Woods, alpha. There was no sign of either of them." Someone said at the table, but I was too furious to look up to see who.

"Where else did you search?" he asked raising my voice again.

"All of town." My dad answered solidly, not afraid of my mood like the rest of the pack was.

"She has to be somewhere!" I threw my fist down on the table again, successfully making everyone jump.

I sighed and sat down with my face in my hands, rubbing my tired eyes which hadn't gotten any sleep since the beginning of the week. I couldn't sleep until she was safe in my arms again. Suddenly, I felt a pain in my side like someone had punched, but I quickly looked up to find everyone just watching my sudden reaction to.. Nothing. No one was even close enough to punch me, all still scared of my temper.

Audrey. I felt the pain she felt. I growled as I felt it again, making even me wince at it's force. Everyone looked at me worried now as the pain registered on my face.

"We have to find her." I said softer. I felt Sarah's hand on my shoulder.

"We will find her, Cole. We'll get her back."

"Go search in the woods again!" I heard my beta, Collin order to the pack behind me.

"Which woods?" I heard someone ask.

"All of them!" he replied.

'Good answered' I thought to him through the pack mind link. He chuckled, as I knew he could hear my thoughts I didn't guard since he was in my pack. I heard everyone run out of the house to search while Sarah's hand stayed on my shoulder and Collin pulled up a chair beside me. My parents sat the other end of the end, my dad holding my mom in his arms. Everyone here had their mate beside them, with an exception of mine. I knew my mom was just as worried about Audrey as I was. Even in the short time she's known my little mate, she was like a daughter to her. I dropped my face to my hands again, straining to stay awake.

"Cole you really need some rest." my mom suggested.

"I'll asleep when Audrey is safe in my arms." I answered getting up to go look for her.

As I felt another jab on pain in my ribs, and my anger overtook my exhaustion as I shifted and ran after my pack, vowing to find my mate.

'Aloha, we caught a faint scent that resembles Audrey' to the north. We're close.' One of my scouts informed me.

'Follow it. I'll be there as soon as possible.'

As I caught up with my pack I heard a small scream from the north and I bolted ahead of them, knowing that scream was from my mate. I burst through the trees and bit the first throat I saw. All the Kaiden whirled around to face my pack. I instantly scanned for my mate and I saw her lying next to the river, drenched and even worse, motionless.

I ran over to her and I saw John stepped into my vision. I instantly leaped for his throat, but he side stepped barely out of my reach before I angled myself and slashed his chest with my razor claws, leaving four red bloody lines across his chest.

As I turned to face him again, he was bending down to my silent mate as he grinned at me. Before he could touch her, my teeth sunk into his arm and he wailed in pain. I growled and lunged at him again, catching him with my teeth again square in the shoulder.

'Collin!' I thought loud, I knew he was almost here.

'Coming!' he thought back as he burst through the bushes and growled at John, distracting him so I could run to Audrey's still motionless body. My heart clenched at the thought of the worst out come.

I gently nudged her with my nose, but she didn't move. I nudged her again and felt her tense in fear. I whined for her to look at me, but she never did.

'David! Bring a pair of jeans and a towel. Quickly!' I thought to one of my pack members that was just on his way to us. Not but a minute later he ran up to Audrey and I with the jeans and towels I asked for. He motioned to the trees with his head, handing me my jeans. I took them and ran towards the trees before I shifted and pulled them on.

As I ran back out to Audrey I looked over to Collin, limping away from John's limp body, covered in blood.

"Are you alright?" I asked him. He just nodded his wolf head and motioned for me to help Audrey. I wrapped the towel around her now shivering body and scooped her up in my arms. I looked over at my pack, standing among the dead Kaiden, watching me and Audrey carefully. Some were wounded, but none were lost, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

I ran home with Audrey in my arms and Collin by my side still in his wolf. I could feel Audrey's pulse slow in my arms as we neared the house and willed my tired legs to run faster. As I stepped into the house I couldn't hear her subtle breath any more.

"Here" My father said quickly taking her still body out of my arms and up the stairs. "The pack doctor came as quickly as he could. He's upstairs now so she's in good hands." My mom assured me. My body began to shut down from exhaustion as the adrenaline in my system wore off and my mother helped me over to the couch before I collapsed.

"She's safe now, Cole. Sleep." she said as I closed my eyes and I was asleep before she finished her sentence.