Hunger Awaits
Chapter 23

Matto's POV,

It was after midnight and Kendra still wasn't home. I was starting to get worried. I grabbed my cell and tried to call the cafe, but I got no answer. I called Jace next.

"Hey Matto, what's up?"

"Kendra still isn't home and no one is answering at the cafe. I've got a bad feeling man. Can you take a drive with me?"

"Of course. Koda and Tenaya are awake. Do you want them to come to?"

"No, have Tenaya come stay here in case she comes home. Have Koda do a search around in the woods for her. Maybe she had an accident and is out there somewhere. I will be at your place in a few minutes."

"Alright. See you soon."

I hung up the phone and headed out to my truck. I didn't like this feeling, but I was hoping she just was running late. I made it over to the other cabin and Jace hoped in the truck as Tenaya and Koda took off to my cabin and to start searching the woods. "So, do you think something has happened to her?" Jace asked. I nodded my head.

“I don't know, but it's not like her to not at least check in. The cafe closed two hours ago. She should have been home." He stayed silent as we drove into town. God, please let her be alright. I said to myself. The hope for her to be okay soon faded as we approached the cafe and saw the red and blue lights.

All the color drained from my face as I parked the truck and jumped out. I ran up to the cafe door but was stopped immediately by the sheriff. He was an older gentleman that was a regular at the resort. So we knew each other on first name bases. "Matto, Matto, you know you can't go in there. Why are you here?" He asked me. I looked up at him.

“Roger, my girlfriend works here. She was suppose to be home hours ago. Is she in there?" He studied me for a moment then sighed.

“No, there is no one here. We were called by the alarm company when the alarm went off and they couldn't get anyone on the phone. Who is your girlfriend?" I took a deep breath and tried to regain my composure.

“Her name is Kendra Meeks. She has been working here for just over six months now. She was closing tonight with the cook Leo."

Roger was making notes in his notepad as I was talking. "Does Leo have a last name?" He asked me. I shrugged my shoulders.

“I never got his last name, but I am sure the owner of the cafe, Samantha, should have it. Roger what's it look like? I am really worried about Kendra." He put his hand on my shoulder and shook his head.

“Right now, it looks like a possible abduction. We found a set of keys in the door when we arrived and some blood on the glass and ground." I felt myself holding my breath as he talked. "All I can say for now is to just go home and let us do our jobs. I will be up in the morning to talk more with you. There is nothing you can do tonight." I released the breath I was holding and nodded at Roger.

“Thank you Roger. I will see you in the morning." I turned to walk away, but he stopped me.

“Matto is there anyone out there that would want to hurt her?" He asked.

I knew exactly who had done this, but I wanted to deal with him my way. I turned back to Roger and shook my head. "Not that I know of." I lied and I felt a little guilty about it at first. He nodded back at me and I walked back to the truck. Jace has stayed there and immediately knew something was wrong. I got back in the truck and we drove off.

“What happened?" Jace asked. I kept my eyes on the road but I felt my anger rising.

“Ryker." Was all I said. Jace didn't have to ask anymore questions, because he already knew the answers. This meant war, I mean I knew we could take on his little group. Now we just had to replace them.

Kendra's POV,

I slowly opened my eyes and felt the pounding in my head. I looked around and then the memories came flooding back. Someone had hit me from behind and knocked me out. I sat up and realized I was in a bedroom with bars on the windows and one door. I was laying in a bed but I wasn't wearing my work uniform. I was wearing one of my dresses. What the fuck? I said to myself. The dress was a simple black dress that flowed out at the bottom. It was the only thing that I had kept that Ryker bought for me. Ryker! That has to be who is behind this. I was so over his bullshit now. "Ryker James Hart! Get your ass in this room! Let me go!" I yelled out. I had stood up and started looking for something to use as a weapon. I will be damned if I was letting this happen again. Unfortunately, I couldn't replace anything useful.

The door opened and the bastard walked in with a smile on his face. "Hey Kendra, baby, why are you yelling?" I couldn't believe how nonchalant he was about this whole thing. He walked over to me and touched my cheek. "What's wrong love? I thought you wanted to be with me?" I slapped his hand away from me.

“Ryker, I have never wanted to be with you any less than I do now. I fucking hate you. I love Matto, he is my mate." I spit out at him. I watched as his smile faded and was replaced with anger. Before I could react his hand came across my face knocking me to the ground.

“I don't give a shit who your mate is. You are mine! Your parents gave you to me and you will learn your place. Soon enough your precious Matto will be dealt with anyway."

I felt the blood trickling from my lip and soon the rage was building. This time I knew what to do. I allowed it to take over me and before I knew it I stood before him on all fours ready to lung at him. I jumped but he moved and shift himself and grabbed my neck and threw me against the wall. We were loud and before I knew it there was five more wolves standing between us, protecting Ryker. Since I was in wolf form, I called out for Matto or anyone that could hear me. "Help me! Ryker has me." I heard snickering and realized that Ryker was laughing.

“If anyone replaces you they will die. So go ahead and call for them. It will make it easier on me." Ryker's voice echoed in my head.

“How are you doing this? I thought only pack members can communicate with each other?" I said staring at him through the other wolves in the room.

"I have learned how to brooding my communication skills. I can hear any wolf in the area and I can block anyone I want from hearing me if I choose to." Ryker said. I was in shock. Then I heard Koda's voice. "

“Kendra? Is that you? Where are you?" I quickly responded because I didn't want him to come to me.

“Koda, stay away. Ryker has me, but he said he will kill anyone who comes for me. Tell Matto I love him." I said.

“I am coming for you." Matto's voice entered my head.

“No Matto stay away. Please." I shifted back before Matto could respond and shut him out. I soon realized that I should have waited to shift until the other wolves were gone, because now I was standing fully nude in front of six, lust filled wolves. I knew they had to be all men because I had never seen woman around Ryker, except for the bitch he cheated on me with.

I grabbed the blanket from the bed and covered myself. Then just like that all of them walked out of the room leaving me alone. I sat back on the bed and within a few minutes someone opened the door. I didn't look up at first. "Here's some clothes for you." The person said and I recognized the voice immediately. I looked up and couldn't believe my eyes.

“Leo? It was you? But why?" Leo handed me the clothes and just looked down. He didn't answer me or look at me he just walked back out of the room. So, this whole time Ryker has had his men watching me. It hurt that the person I had thought I could trust, was a whole different person. I put the clothes on and then started to rethink everything. I believed Ryker when he said he would kill anyone who came for me. I just hoped Matto would stay away, but something tells me he won't.

Ryker's POV,

I stood there watching her reaction as my men entered the room and stood between us. I heard her call out for her precious Matto and laughed. Once I told her that I could hear her and everything anyone said to her. She was shocked then I told her I would kill them if they came for her. She quickly told them to stay away and I heard Matto say he was coming. She told him no and shifted before he could respond. That was a mistake. I could hear all the men saying how much they wanted her and my anger rose. "Get out now!" I said as she covered herself. I walked out with them and rimmed them all. "No one touches her. Do I make myself clear!?" I said. They all acknowledge me and went their own ways. I shifted and went to my office. I got dressed and called for Leo.

He came in and looked at me. "Take Kendra those clothes over there and then come back. I have something else for you to do." He looked like he was going to say something but decided against it. He took the clothes and left the room. He returned a few minutes later.

“What is it that you need done?" He asked me. I looked up at him.

“It's time to hit Matto where it hurts. I want you to take out that woman in his pack." He looked at me in shock.

“Why? You have Kendra. Why take out his pack?" I laughed.

“Because if we don't then he will come for her. I want to end this now." He just nodded and left the room. "Game on Matto." I said.

Matto's POV,

When we got back to the cabin something looked wrong. The front door was wide open. Tenaya shouldn't have left it open. Jace and I got out of the truck and walked towards the cabin. That's when we heard Koda yell out. We ran in and found him holding Tenaya in his arms. She was covered in blood. "What happened?" I asked as I knelt down next to Koda. He was crying and just rocking with her in his arms.

“I don't know. I found her when I got back." I went to say something and heard Tenaya moan.

“She is alive! We have to get her help." I said. Koda quickly picked her up and ran to the truck. Jace and I followed behind him. There wasn't enough room so I told Jade to take them to the hospital. He nodded and I watched them drive off.

I felt the anger and before I knew it I had shifted and was running towards one of the peaks of the mountain. I reached the peak and I called out. Okay well it was more of a pained filled, angry mental yell. This son of a bitch not only had the only person in this world that meant more to me than my pack, but now he was also attacking them. She had told me to stay away, but I couldn't do that. I had to regroup and come up with a plan. I headed back down to the cabin and waited to hear from Jace or Koda. About an hour later Jace came back to the cabin. His eyes were full of sorrow and I feared the worst. "How is she Jace?" He looked down and I knew it wasn't good. That's when we both heard Koda's yell of pain in our heads.