Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law
Chapter 84: One Choice

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: One Choice

Elliot looked between his future bride and his mate. He could hear the sound of the rogues getting closer. He could only carry one of them and still manage to get past the wolves that were almost upon him.

He paused, hesitant.

Who should he save first?

Jasmine or Isabella?

His wolf was vehemently demanding that he save Jasmine. She was his mate, and if that pack of rogue wolves found her down here naked, they would pick up where their friends had left off. Her sweet scent was probably attracting them, making them crazy with need.

Then, they would surely kill her.

Jasmine was his.

She was his mate. It was bad enough that those rogues had stripped her and touched her. The thought of anyone else bedding his mate made him crazy with jealousy.

Then, he looked at Isabella, who was drifting in and out of unconsciousness. She was his ticket to becoming Alpha of Ashborne. Without her, he would never have the power that he so desperately sought. If he didn’t save her, Gareth would never give him the position of power that he so desperately wanted, that was so rightfully his.

Both of them represented two different futures for Elliot.

Two girls.

One choice.

Sweat dripped down his face and onto the cement floor. He swallowed nervously, and his hands shook. Elliot had never felt more torn in his life. And he had no idea what the right choice was. But the rogues were near, and he had to make one.

Now.

At that moment, Jasmine’s ocean blue eyes met his.

“Elliot...please,” she whispered.

He had no idea what she was begging him for, but whatever it was, he couldn’t give it to her.

And with that, his choice was made.

After another half second of hesitation, Elliot tore his gaze away from his mate. He broke off Isabella’s chains and lifted her off the ground.

“I’ll come back for you,” Elliot muttered to Jasmine, who was now writhing in need on the ground.

As he ran out of the cell, his wolf was screaming at him, clamoring for him to go back and get their mate. Guilt and terror shot down his spine, and he had to stop himself from returning to the cell and swapping Isabella for Jasmine. His steps even slowed for a moment until he thought better of it and kept going.

He comforted himself with the knowledge that he would go back for Jasmine right after he brought Isabella to safety. He would protect his mate from the rabid pack of rogue wolves that were almost here. No one would touch what was his. He would make sure of it.

But as Elliot rushed out of the house with an unconscious Isabella in his arms, he stopped dead in his tracks.

There wasn’t an army of rogues coming for him. It was a different army altogether.

Gareth Laken was sprinting toward the shack. Right behind him were Beta Kevin and his Gamma warriors. They were all running toward Elliot like they were about to ambush him.

***

Gareth’s eyes widened in shock when he saw Elliot—who was as naked as the day he was born—run out of the shack carrying his daughter. Cold fear ran through him when he saw that Isabella was unconscious.

“What the hell is going on?” Gareth demanded, coming to a stop in front of Elliot. “Did you hurt her?”

His other senses were assessing the situation, sniffing, and straining his ears for signs of Jasmine or the kidnappers.

“Of course not! I rescued her. I fought the rogues who had Isabella chained up,” Elliot quickly explained. “I killed most of them. Only one of them managed to get away. They drugged her with something. I’m pretty sure it was wolfsbane. She needs medical attention right away.”

Gareth scanned his daughter for injuries. She had a head wound, bruises, and her dress was torn. He was pretty sure that a doctor would be able to fix her up. He could tell that she was weakened by drugs, but his heightened hearing picked up on the sound of her heart. The steady rhythm beating was like sweet music to his ears. The tension in his shoulder lessened slightly now that he had seen for himself that she was alive, but he narrowed his eyes in suspicion when he looked back at Elliot.

There was no possible way that Elliot could have arrived here before him and his warriors. Of course, he knew that Elliot had connections. He had Alpha blood and knew people in positions of power, but Gareth was the Lycan King. He was the one with the most manpower and the vast network of influential people.

So, how had Elliot done it? Gareth had a feeling that the boy had a hand in kidnapping his daughter and Jasmine. Elliot had more than enough resources to stage something like this. Was this another way for Elliot to manipulate both women?

Gareth couldn’t be sure, but his instincts were telling him that Elliot was somehow involved in this horrible situation.

And as the most powerful Alpha in the world, Gareth always trusted his instincts.

First, he was going to have one of his warriors take Isabella to the doctor. Then, he would find out where Jasmine was being held and do the same for her. Lastly, he was going to question Elliot further until the boy cracked. He would get the truth out of him by whatever means necessary.

Before Gareth could even execute the first part of his plan, he heard the unmistakable sound of a group of wolves running at full speed.

They were near. A growl ripped out of Gareth’s throat as he smelled their rotten scent. It had a similar smell to the swamp they were standing next to.

His head whipped to the side just in time to see an army of wolves sprint out of the trees. They fell in line with their leader in the front, the rest of them fanning out behind him, their teeth bared with hostility.

Clearly, they were ready for battle.