Chapter 184: Chapter 184
"Mark Chief! Wait! Please!" Someone was screaming in the background.
Dron barely heard them. He didn’t need to know who it was. The answer was the same no matter who it was.
No.
He wasn’t going to wait. Wasn’t going to slow down. He didn’t care if every last person in the group was mauled by a beast or if they fell into a deep pit, he was going to get to Tempest.
He’d taken off into a run the second he was out of the hunter’s pit. He couldn’t go as fast as he wanted since he had to get around obstacles and pit himself. What help would he be to Tempest if he were dead himself?
Dron slowed only slightly when he came across a fallen tree. It was massive, and the only logical way to go was around.
Dron wasn’t logical right now. He was operating solely on his need to get to his mate. He grabbed the tree and tried to lift it out the way. At first it didn’t budge. Dron checked his options. If he did try to go around, he would have to climb up pretty far onto one of the cliffs. That wouldn’t do.
He tried once again to lift it, this time he roared loud. The tree creaked, and the more rotten parts of it began to break off. Dron could feel every muscle in his body straining and flexing as he used strength coming from a deep primal part of his essence.
Moments later the tree lifted from the ground, and Dron tossed it to the side like an empty bottle. He didn’t stop to appreciate what he’d just done.
It was of no matter to him. He just kept running. This time when he continued, he could hear what sounded like footsteps behind him.
An enemy.
Another alpha was closing in on him.
Dron knew he should turn and get rid of the threat. His focus was being pulled in too many directions. He had to get over this distance in a much shorter time than should be possible. He needed to deal with the threat. He had to get to Tempest.
Finally, his urge to get to Tempest won out. Whatever the threat behind him was would have to just continue chasing him. He wasn’t going to stop.
The alpha must be strong. He was catching up to Dron. Instead of looking over his shoulder, Dron just sped up. The alpha on the chase began to fall behind.
There was a roar, and Dron heard something being flung through the air. Whatever it was bounced off the rocks attached to the cliff face right next to Dron.
In a sudden flurry, a rockslide forced Dron to stop.
Perfect, another cursed obstacle. Dron looked up, waiting for the rocks to stop cascading to the ground, but it was just another distraction. For a second he didn’t hear the threat behind him, and then he did.
A large body barreled into Dron from behind.
Dron snarled as the two of them wrestled on the ground for a second. The enemy trying to keep him pinned to the ground and Dron scrambling to get up and keep going.
"Mark Chief! Stop! You have to stop!" The words bounced around Dron’s head, but he couldn’t process it.
His vision had already gone red, he finally pushed the man on top of him off and got to his feet. His entire body tensed and crouched as he got into a fighting stance. Dron roared and stared at the enemy, still trying to adjust to the sudden movement of Dron.
"Dron, listen to me!" The enemy started.
Dron wasn’t listening to anything he had to say. He charged the enemy and swung his arm so hard the wind whistled as he attacked.
"I’m not going to fight you. You’re not in your right mind! Dron, focus. It’s me. Kraznek." The alpha rolled out the way.
Kraznek...?
Dron’s discipline started to kick in. He realized that it wasn’t a so-called enemy but one of his own men who had caused the rockslide and stopped his progress. Maybe he was an enemy after all.
It would make sense.
What if they were all put here just to make sure that he was away from Tempest. The high royals made it clear that they didn’t think Dron should have Tempest. They could have put Kraznek and the rest of the group could all have a different mission than what Dron thought he was here to do.
He wouldn’t let them stop him.
"Did you do this?" Dron snarled at the man.
Kraznek put his hands up in a surrendering position. Dron lunged forward, ready to take the man up on his gesture.
Kraznek darted to the side again, just out of reach.
Dron was sure the minute he got his hands on him he’d rip the traitor’s head off.
"How could I have done this? I’ve been with you the entire time. I don’t even know exactly what’s going on. All I can tell you is your fated mate sickness is in an acute stage. You’re not thinking right." Kraznek’s voice was soft. It sounded as if he were talking to a child and not a power alpha such as Dron.
The disrespect.
Dron had spent so long being disrespected that he couldn’t allow it to continue now. Not from anyone. He knew what he was running to was the right decision. There wasn’t a thing anyone could say that would change his mind.
"I am thinking clearly! You are with them. The High Royals. You made it so Tempest and I were separated. I won’t let you tear us apart. I’m going to get her...I’ll get her. I will." Dron said it over and over.
"Mark Chief, listen to yourself. None in your group are fans of anything the high royals have done. No one wants to tear you apart, if anything, we want you to get to your fated mate as soon as possible. It gives the rest of us hope. If someone like you could—"
A deep rumble vibrated through Dron’s chest and outward, "Someone like me? You mean a blight! A cursed monster!" Dron rushed Kraznek. In the distance he heard more footsteps converging on their location.
He had to do away with this problem. It was a waste of time. Time he didn’t have.
"No, Dron, stop!" Kraznek shouted and once again tried to roll out of the way. Dron was ready for him this time. Dron dodged in the direction Kraznek rolled and managed to get his arms around the alpha’s waist.
Dron wrapped his arms around Kraznek and squeezed. Lucky for Kraznek, he’d managed to pull one of his arms down in between Dron’s grip and his midsection. Not even the armor Kraznek wore was a match for Dron’s strength.
The armor groaned and cracked right along with a plethora of bones in Kraznek’s body.
Just a little more pressure. Just a little more—
Dron was completely focused, he turned his head at the last possible second.
Verux stabbed him right in the neck with a small dart. Three more followed.
Dron felt the strength instantly being zapped out of him. He let Kraznek go and fell to the ground.
The rest of the alphas that had apparently been chasing after him jumped on top of him. Dron pushed two off but the others continued to hold him down.
The first thought that crossed his drug-fogged mind was the fact that this was a waste of time. He should be closer to Tempest already.
Right after that was the pain.
A pain he’d only felt traces of in the past.
The fated mate sickness had taken full hold of him.
Dron roared with such strength that it startled the people holding him and they jumped back.
He didn’t attack. He didn’t curse their names.
Dron simply curled up on his side as the pain rocked through him. His alpha instincts was keeping it away but now that he was under the effects of the alpha suppression darts, he could feel it all.
His stomach felt as if someone had reached inside of him and twisted the organ around his spine. His muscles seized and contract.
Even his cock hurt.
The feel of the dirt against his skin was too much; his clothes were too much; the feel of the sun against his skin was too much.
"We’ve got you, Dron. We got you." Verux spoke.
Dron didn’t know whether it was a whisper or not.
He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for this pain to go away. It didn’t; in fact, it seemed to compound with every moment that passed.
Soon it was just too much. He turned onto his back and looked up at the sky. He wanted it to be over. His chest tightened up, and he couldn’t breathe.
He didn’t even want to.
Dron closed his eyes. He could feel himself giving up.
He failed Tempest when she needed him the most, and now he would have to go to his death knowing that.
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⏸ PAUSE■ STOP
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