by Kimber White
“It’ll be okay, Mia,” he said. “It’ll just be for a few weeks...days! Then you can come back. Pick up right where you left off.”
I turned back toward the window, away from John. It’s what they always said. When I tried to start college six years ago, it lasted a whole semester before someone started following me home from class. It could have been nothing. But we couldn’t take a chance.
When I was sixteen, I went to Scotland to live with my grandmother on the Isle of Knoydart. It had been the happiest summer of my life. Until a rumor came back to us that my presence caught the attention of a Ring operative passing through town.
I spent time in Kentucky then. That was the worst of it. I lived underground in a network of caves some friends of ours still kept from another war, thirty years before I was born. Hiding. Cloaking. Running. It’s all I’d ever known.
But here, back in Illinois, I’d finally found my place. We were helping other displaced shifters find their forever homes. A place to settle down after the chaos and uncertainty we all faced.
“Mia?” he said.
I found a smile for him. It wasn’t John’s fault. It wasn’t any of their faults. It was the Ring. It was the shifters who had betrayed us and started this war. And it was me. He never said it, but sometimes I knew my father blamed himself. If he hadn’t mated with my mother, I could just be human. I could be safe.
Maybe.
“I’ll go,” I said. “Send word to my dad for me. We all know the drill. I’ll just stay here tonight. I won’t leave the park. Promise.”
“Oh, Mia…”
“It’s okay,” I said. Though it wasn’t, and we both knew it. “Tell them not to worry. I’ll check in. Standard protocol and signals. I can take care of myself.”
John gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Okay. But I mean it. It’s temporary, Mia.”
I resisted the urge to tell him that’s what they always tell me. Only once I left a place, I never, ever went back.
We settled into a familiar rhythm after that. I brought John up to speed on my client list. His client list now. All the work I’d done. All the goals I had here. I would have to let them go.
Again.
It was nearly dark by the time John left my office. I heard him down the hall talking to my father on the phone. I knew he’d want to talk to me too, but I just didn’t have the strength for it. I didn’t want to cry and bear his guilt.
So, I went down to the park. A full moon had already started to rise. My wolf stirred. I took a breath and did what I always did when I was out in the open like this. I called on the only bit of dragon magic I had and cloaked myself.
Oh, you could still see me. Just a human girl walking along the riverbank. But to any shifter or magic user nearby, they would not know me as a shifter. If I needed to, I could even make myself invisible for a second or two, though it drained me to do it.
I found myself back by the clearing where I’d taken Keith and Dominick Heiden. I wondered what would happen to them. This park was perfect for them.
Had it been me? Had I gotten careless and let them sense my otherness? It was just...I’d heard something too.
I looked up at the bridge. The park was closed for the night. I walked up the embankment and climbed around the guardrail. Keith and Dominick had looked this way.
I tilted my head and scented the air. I ran my fingers along the railing. It was cold to my touch. I was just about to pull my hand away when something changed.
The metal burned my fingers. The remnants of a wolf’s scent hit me like a blow to the chest.
Alpha.
I knew it as well as I knew my own name. Strong. Big. He had no business here.
I turned. I lifted my knee, meaning to run. Strong hands came around me, dragging me backward.
“Be still,” he said, his voice a growling whisper. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Like hell,” I said.
I dropped down. It broke his grip for a split second. Long enough for me to round on him and throw the first punch.
It landed squarely against his chest. It should have knocked the wind out of him. God. He was big. The biggest Alpha I’d ever seen, and I had Kalenkov blood running through my veins.
Black as midnight. Ice-blue eyes.
I lunged at him, driving him back on his heels. But he was ready for me.
“You’re mine,” he hissed against my ear.
Heat shot through my blood. Ancient. Primal desire flared through me. A fight response. Instinct. My wolf strained to get out. I kept her at bay.
“A feisty one,” he said as he advanced, getting his arms around me. He pulled me against him. His fangs dropped. Heat throbbed at the base of my neck.
“I said I won’t hurt you,” he said.
Then, quick as lightning, he wrapped a chain around me. I could have broken through it in an instant. But if I did that, he’d know what I was for sure. My God? Did he already? The chain glowed.
Dragonsteel. A length of the stuff could disable any shifter. Any shifter except me.
My captor pulled me off my feet and threw me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing. I could fight him. But then he would know what he really had.
Common sense prevailed, and I went limp in his arms. Let him think he’d won. For now. I’d have to bide my time and make sure we were alone and unwatched. Then I’d rip his face off and feed him to the bears.
Chapter 3
Viktor
“Don’t move. Don’t scream. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She sat with her knees drawn up, the Dragonsteel chains wound around her. Her eyes blazed. Her nostrils flared, defiant. No scent. Not magic. Not even human. But more than any of that, no fear.
It took me nearly four hours to get her here. Denall had given me one of his special vans coated in Dragonsteel. Overkill for a human. I think he meant for it to remind me how easily he could have disabled me if he wanted to. I’d like to see him try. Still, it wouldn’t hurt her. And if any of the wolves I’d seen her with tried to follow, I’d have an easy way to deal with them too.
“Get your hands off me,” she said. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
She kicked out as I got closer. I’d just managed to get her over the property line to the Clairmont House. I’d thrown her over my shoulder and dammit if I didn’t like how that felt. She threw off a heat that stoked something in me.
The mansion was just through the trees, but she wouldn’t know that. For all she knew, I’d taken her to the deepest, most desolate part of government lands. This was Ring territory all around.
So why the hell wasn’t she scared?
“You can walk the rest of the way,” I said, setting her down. “I’ll loosen the chains that much. Or I can throw you over my shoulder again. Your choice.”
“You’re supposed to be the big, bad wolf,” she said. “So why do you need these chains at all?”
It was a good question. Did she know it was Dragonsteel? She’d lived among wolves long enough. Of course she knew.
I drew closer, letting my wolf out just enough. I could feel my snout elongate. My fangs drop. I got within inches of her face. Still, no scent that identified her as anything but human, and barely that.
“Amelia,” I said. “Call?” No. No one called her Amelia. I have no idea why that thought popped into my brain. I just knew that it was true.
I let my lips curve into a smile as I said her fake last name with venom. It made her eyes widen. It was the first sign of anything resembling fear. It sent a shudder of pleasure through me.
“Mia,” I whispered. Her eyes widened. I kept my composure, but it shocked me just as much that her name came to like that. I pushed away thoughts of what that might mean.
“Who are you?” she asked. “Whatever you were promised for me, it won’t be worth it. Trust me.”
“Fine,” I said. “Over my shoulder it is.”
She let out a squeal as I heaved her back over my shoulder. Lord. To
have that sweet ass of hers under my hand. Never mind, I couldn’t place her scent. There was something about her. Something deep inside that called to me.
I charged through the brush. Clairmont Hall loomed in front of us, casting a long, jagged shadow across the expertly manicured lawn. There were no lights on. I went to the back of the house where I knew I’d find a cellar door.
Keeping a firm hand on Amelia’s ass, I pulled the steel door open, cracking the handle.
I brought her down the stairs and picked a spot against the far wall. I set her down gently, then took a step back.
No tears. No fear. Who the hell was this girl?
I hit a light switch. The room was large and square with cement walls and not a lick of furniture. Not even a workbench. For now, it was perfect.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Your new home,” I said. I went to her, squatting in front of her. I licked my lips. I wanted to lick her. Taste her. There was something. I was sure of it.
She leaned forward, going up on her knees against the hard floor. Another act of defiance. The wicked parts of me wanted to test her.
“What do you want?” she spat. “Ransom? Is that it? Your Alpha promised you what, this land?”
I couldn’t help a tiny smile. How the hell had she guessed that closely?
“Do I look like I have an Alpha?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m only going to warn you once. You just kicked the wrong hornet’s nest. You took me off of pack lands. There’s a price for that. There’s a treaty, asshole. And you just violated it.”
She was clouding my head. Being this close to her felt like taking a hit off some powerful drug. I was drunk with her.
Shit.
Had Denall set me up? Had he failed to tell me that small detail? She had magic. I knew it. I just couldn’t place it.
“There’s no need for these,” she said, letting her shoulders sag. She lifted her wrists, letting the heavy Dragonsteel chains dangle. She strained from the effort.
“I thought you said I had no idea who I was dealing with,” I said.
“What are you afraid of, wolf? You know I can’t match your strength. Your speed. Your...anything. Well, maybe your intellect. But these hurt. They’re digging into my skin.”
Sure enough, I saw the makings of a bruise around her wrists. Pain shot through me. A wave of desire nearly knocked me on my ass. I dug my claws into my palms to keep myself from lunging toward her, throwing off each and every chain.
It was a trick. She was a Kalenkov, after all. Which meant she’d spent a lifetime around wolf shifters.
Still, I didn’t want to hurt her. Never mind whatever was going on in my own head, that wasn’t the deal with Denall. He asked me to get her here. That was all.
I reached for her, unwinding two lengths of chain, but leaving one in place.
She sighed. The weight off of her arms gave her relief.
“Thank you,” she said. “So, are you going to tell me who you are, wolf?”
“You first,” I smiled.
“You trying to tell me you risked a treaty violation and the wrath of more wolf packs than you can count, without knowing what I’m worth?”
I sat back on my heels. It took some doing, but I managed to quiet my wolf. It made her eyes flash and for a second, I wondered if she’d rather deal with my animal. God. The moment that thought crossed my mind, an even baser instinct stirred. I wanted to kiss her. Dammit, I wanted to bite her.
“Call,” I said. “It’s a lie. That’s not your name. Is it?”
She bristled.
“I saw you,” I said. “Yesterday. With those two betas. You were doing something to them. Keeping them calm.”
Her lips parted. I’d startled her.
“That was you? Son of a bitch. You cost me a half a million-dollar sale, asshole. I should have known they could detect your stench. So that’s two treaty violations. You know what happens when they catch you?”
She drew a finger across her neck. “I might even enjoy watching. I’ve seen them do it before, you know. Even the Ring has its standards. There are rules, even for licensed procurers. And I know you aren’t one.”
She grew bold, leaning forward. Lifting her chained wrists, she pushed my sleeve up my arm, looking for the tattoo that wasn’t there.
“Hmm,” she snorted. “That’s what I thought. Wow. You really are stupid.”
I jerked my arm away. Her touch seared me, made me feel unsteady. I rose to my full height, towering over her. She looked small and strong all at once. I wanted to run my fingers through her sleek, black hair. She raised her chin. My eyes went to the hollow of her throat. Darkly tanned, she had high cheekbones and pure blue eyes. Sapphires. If I bit her, would they glow?
“Get up,” I said, surprised by the venom in my own voice. She bore no scars. She was strong. This woman had never known hunger in her life. Hell, she’d likely never had to fight for it until now.
Safe. Protected by the Kalenkov money and name. She thought the Ring could never touch her. Never been chased.
She rose. Her expression shifted. Maybe she read something in my thoughts. I took the loop of chain around her wrists and drew her forward up the staircase. Though I hadn’t been in the house in years, I knew every inch of it. Now, it would be mine.
Dust cloths draped over the furniture as we passed through the main hall. I led her up the spiral staircase. Motion lights came to life as we passed. I took her to the third bedroom at the top of the stairs and kicked the door open.
A simple room with a giant four-poster bed in the center and a bench at the foot. I took her to the bed and ordered her to climb on. I wound the chains on her wrists around either post, spreading her arms wide. A wicked thought flashed through my mind as I had the urge to do the same with her legs.
I turned my back on her.
“Where are you going?” she asked, the first sign of fear laced her voice. It gutted me. I stiffened my back and kept on walking. Slamming the door behind me, I bolted it from the outside. This wasn’t the first time someone had used this room to hold someone captive.
Tearing a hand through my hair, I made my way down the stairs. Though I couldn’t place her scent, I would never mistake it again. Even if she miraculously busted through Dragonsteel and an old-fashioned deadbolt, there was nowhere on the grounds she could go without me sensing her.
I needed air. I needed five minutes to collect myself. I got two before my phone rang. I knew it wouldn’t be Denall. He never reached out to me that way. No. He’d just appear in a dizzying blink of light to show off.
It was Luka. My cousin. The wolf who by his birthright should serve as my lieutenant and would have. If Andre Kalenkov had never been born.
“Luka,” I answered.
“You okay?” he asked. “No one’s heard from you in two days.”
“I know,” I said. “I’ve been...working something.”
“Something you want to share with the rest of us?” he asked.
“Not yet,” I said. “And not over the phone. We need to find a way to meet. Do you need anything? You and the others…”
“Viktor, we’re fine. You’ve made sure of it. We just don’t like being kept in the dark.”
I pressed a hand to my forehead. I’d made Luka so many promises. I’d kept most of them. Save for one. The biggest. Freedom.
I looked back up toward the house. Now, only one light flickered. The north bedroom where Amelia...Mia lay tied to the bed.
“Viktor!” Luka shouted.
“I need you to do something,” I said.
“Anything,” he said. “You know we’ll come to you in a second.”
“No,” I said. “Not everyone. Not yet. Just you and the closest cousins. Only the ones you trust the most. I’m at the Clairmont House.”
Silence. Luka took a breath. “Clairmont? Are you serious? Have you…”
“I need you to bring me the package you hid for me. You know the one I mean?”
“Yes,” he said, his tone sober.
“Meet me at midnight tomorrow,” he said. “Come to the woods on the north end of the property. Make sure you stay on our side of the treaty lands. Don’t even risk stepping a toe into the Neutral Zone. And for the love of God, make sure no one sees you.”
I hung up before Luka could answer. I knew he’d do what I asked. I slipped my phone in my pocket and stared up at Amelia’s bedroom.
Amelia. Mia. Kalenkov. Andre Kalenkov’s granddaughter.
Were the rumors...the legends true? Could she really be what they said she was? If she was, Denall had been shrewd to give me the Dragonsteel. If Luka came through for me and brought me what I asked, no magic on this earth could let that girl hide her truth from me.
Chapter 4
Mia
One jerk of the chain and I could rip the headboard right off. The metal warmed against my skin. If I closed my eyes, I could feel the ancient fire used to forge it. I could see his kaleidoscope eyes. Red. Blue. Gold.
He.
Yes. It was a he. He’d been young. So strong. His fire had been forced from him, probably by a different kind of magic. Or by threat. A thousand years ago, during the last great shifter wars, dragons had been enslaved by mages and fae. Their mates chained before them. Tortured. Their lifeblood drained away.
I opened my eyes.
My captor stood in the doorway, his own eyes blazing. I relaxed my body. He was tall. Taller than any of my uncles or cousins. But he carried himself in a familiar way. Shoulders back. He walked with a predatory grace in a way only an Alpha could.
My breath caught as he came to the end of the bed and set a tray of food down. Nothing fancy. Pastries. Bagels. A bottle of chilled orange juice. Some fruit.
“I’ll unchain you,” he said. “Unless you’d rather I fed you myself.”
He might have meant it as a threat. Something dark and primal went through his eyes. I imagined his fingers on my lips, parting them, gently placing a strawberry on my tongue.
