“Look,” Christine said, obviously the leader. “We can do this one of two ways. You can go along with it, or we can drug you. Take your pick.”
Jaime's eyes went wide. “Drug me? You're sick.”
“Well, we don't have much choice. Your cooperation is worth the trouble.”
“You're going to drug me and send me to lunch with your Alpha?”
“If we need to. We have our orders.”
Jaime stared at them like they were crazy. What kind of man was this Magnus? What kind of wolf? The three women seemed matter-of-fact about it, as though there was no question what would happen if she turned up dirty.
Part of her wanted to fight, to spite them anyway... but that would be pointless and stupid. She couldn't be drugged on the night of her wolf-moon. She sighed. This was not going to be pleasant. Jaime braced herself, realizing she was helpless to do much else, and stepped into the water, lowering herself into the warmth. All of her sore muscles relaxed, and she felt as though her skin was buzzing, so sensitive that even the water caused pleasure to seep through her. She sighed, leaning back against the edge of the tub, subdued by the warmth.
“Told you,” the third of the women said, an older wolf in her thirties. “It's the only way to calm 'em down.”
Jaime zoned out as they worked on her, relaxing in the hot water and letting her mind travel far away, to the moments with Sirus in the rain, to the look in his eyes as he had watched her walk away. What was she trying to prove by doing this? That she could make her own decisions? That he trusted her? She couldn't put it into words, only that it was more about her family than it was about him. This was about laying the past to rest, putting down old pain. She couldn't live with Sirus, not until she knew Magnus was dead, not until she had closed that chapter of her life.
And Magnus had admitted to it, right there in his study, as though stating a fact about the weather. As though killing her family was nothing, just another day in the life of an Alpha. He had taunted her with it... and she still felt like a fool.
The bath finished and she sat up, getting out of the water with assistance, her legs loose and rubbery. Everything was tingling with pleasure, making her feel soft and feminine, hot and flushed. The dress slid over her sensitive skin and even the soft cotton made her want to moan. She wanted to demand underwear, but she didn't think she could stand the extra material against her skin.
They spent the next thirty minutes on her hair, making her presentable, and then her makeup, until she hardly recognized herself. It was a surprisingly good feeling, though she wished she wasn't wasting it on someone like Magnus the Gray. They better not undo her wrists, because she was going to launch at his throat the moment she got the chance.
Jaime waited, but they made no move to undo her wrists. In fact, they had hardly spoke a word after their initial entrance. When they were done doing her makeup, they stood her up and started for the door, keeping her in line with the leash as though she was some mutt. Jaime held her head high, trying to ignore the short length of the dress, the way her bare thighs rubbed together. She kept the back pressed down with her hands, ignoring the looks she got from the wolves on duty. She knew the energy of her wolf-moon was like a magnet through the entire house.
Debora met them at the base of the stairs, giving her a shallow glance and raising an eyebrow, as though asking That's the best you could do? Then she took the chain and stalked away, yanking Jaime into step behind her. Jaime clenched her fists, unable to retaliate, glaring holes in the back of the woman's head.
She was led through a hallway towards the back of the house, to a medium-sized room with broad windows, opening out onto a garden that was wild and overgrown. She supposed this was some attempt to impress her... it had to be, why else would he not just throw her a hunk of bread in the attic? She prepared herself to remain cold and distant, already feeling an automatic snarl twist at her lips. His scent was stronger, closer; it made her angry.
“Ah, you clean up nicely,” his gruff voice reached her. A table was stationed next to the long row of open windows, the scent of flowers drifting in on the warm air. Everything had the slightly shimmery look of fresh rain or sprinklers. Magnus stood out like a dark shadow against the backdrop of the garden, large and hulking, old and scarred. She tried not to focus on him. She couldn't stand his presence.
Debora handed him the chain with a toss of hair, then gave her a cold smile. Magnus ignored the woman, instead yanking Jaime towards him, forcing her to catch herself on the wooden table. He nodded to the chair next to her. “Sit down.” There were sandwiches set out and lemonade.
“You're sick,” she grunted, glaring at him, but he tightened the chain slightly and she found herself sitting down anyway. She didn't need any more damage done to her neck. At the sight of food, a sudden stab of hunger hit her gut and her knees almost buckled. She hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, a bag of chips on the plane. Too bad her hands were still tied, otherwise she would have dug into the sandwich like no tomorrow.
“Sick, hm? I could be, but that would just put you in a worse position.” He smiled slowly at her then sat down, starting into his own sandwich. Jaime felt her temper begin to rise. She could barely hold back the snarl in your throat.
“Why so distressed?” he asked after a moment, taking a sip of his lemonade.
“Distressed?” she muttered. It was all she could say. Anything more and she would start screaming. Everything about him put her on edge, made her cringe with disgust; the way he chewed, the level plane of his buzz cut, the jutting hook of his jaw. That cocky glint in his eye. “You're pathetic,” she growled.
“Am I?” he chewed, nonchalant. “And why is that?”
“Because you tie up little girls and stare at them,” she snapped. “You're just some pervert, some sorry excuse for an old man.”
His eyes glinted at her, but he said nothing. Jaime wondered if she had hit a button yet. She didn't know how to read him, he was so stoic and cold. These kinds of conversations had always been fun with Sirus. Not so much with this bastard.
She snarled, trying another tactic. “So what, are you just going to sit there and eat in front of me? I'm hungry too, you know. Fuck this, give me food!”
He raised an eyebrow, watching her squirm angrily in her seat. “How about I have Debora here feed you? I'm sure she'd enjoy that,” he murmured, glancing over to the dark-haired woman. His Beta stood poised at the door, ready to be of assistance. Jaime glared at her, showing her fangs.
“Hah! I'd eat her fingers first,” she snarled, trying not to show her fear. Despite her hate, Magnus' had a strong energy; he was a powerful Alpha, the most powerful she had ever met... it made her body want to cringe and bow, to tuck itself under the table. The wolf was so close to the surface that it was difficult to resist her instincts; she wanted to follow the Alpha, lower before him, roll over and show her belly.
Never! She stared at him viciously, meeting him look for look. Finally the humor faded from his eyes.
“Debora, come over here and assist my mate with her sandwich,” he said sourly, his brows lowering. Jaime felt a shiver of trepidation move through her. “And if you bite her, little girl, you'll be very sorry tonight. I can promise you that.”
A tremor of fear ran through her, but Jaime suppressed it, instead watching as Debora made her way quickly across the room to kneel next to her. The woman gave her a warning look when her back was to Magnus, but Jaime didn't give any response — as though she gave a fuck what the woman thought. She continued to stare at the Alpha, looking into his hard gray eyes, remembering the fire of her apartment building, the corpses falling from the windows. A surge of rage coursed through her.
Debora picked up the sandwich and moved it close to her lips. Jaime waited until the woman was less than an inch away, then she dove sideways, her fangs elongated, going for the finger closest to her with every intent of biting it off.
Snap!
The yank came from nowhere, choking her, sharply d
ragging Jaime from her chair. She tumbled onto the floor where Magnus yanked her again, making her gasp and cry out in pain. If it hadn't been for her wolf-strength, her neck would have snapped for sure. He pulled her close and then kicked her viciously in the side, sending her crashing into the floor, where she lay dizzy and disoriented, struggling to breathe. She moaned and tried to get her feet under her, tried to stand up, but by then it was too late. He already had his hand on her collar, and he used it to drag her up against the windows. Her feet were almost off the ground. It was a familiar position.
“This is getting tiring,” he grunted, glaring at her. “Are you alright, Debora?” he called over his shoulder.
“Uh... y-yeah! She didn't bite me....” the woman's voice sounded shocked, uncertain.
Jaime let out a broken cough, ending in a smug laugh. “Hah!” she wheezed.
Magnus saw her smug expression and snarled, pushing the metal against her neck, slamming her head back against the wall.
“Very funny,” he muttered darkly. “We'll see who's laughing tonight, my dear. I'm looking forward to it.”
Jaime's face paled at the reminder, and she was momentarily lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. At the same time, the wolf inside rose up, gnashing its teeth, eager to challenge the male in front of her. A surge of heat moved through her at his sudden closeness, sending a bolt of pleasure through her.
“Ah, delicious,” he growled, noticing her body's change.
“I hate you,” she grunted back, eyes narrowed. “You're going to die tonight.”
He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes flat and dark with some unknown emotion, like two pools of ice. Then he swung her around, throwing her bodily across the room, watching her slam into a bookcase and sink to the ground. She lay there, coughing and wheezing as a few books tumbled around her. Her hands were pushed uncomfortably against her back.
“Sounds to me like you need more time in chains,” he said darkly. “Debora, take her back to the attic. Make sure she is prepared for tonight. I want everything ready.”
Jaime didn't know what that meant, but she could guess. She wanted to leap up and fight, but her throat hurt like wildfire and she was having a hard time breathing. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the woman got up and walked cautiously over to her. A moment later three other men joined her, one of which grabbed the chain. The others made to pick her up.
For once she didn't have the heart to struggle. Jaime went limp as they picked her up, done fighting, realizing it was useless. Sirus had scared her, but Magnus left her feeling like she was a toy, someone utterly dispensable.
She didn't look away from the Alpha's eyes until they carried her out of the room. Then they took her up to the attic. Finally she found herself in the familiar, dusty space, the wall-chain replacing her leash. The men filed out, though she sensed them pause outside the door, and then the blond girl came in again, putting down pillows and blankets, not meeting her eyes. Debora watched with a cold, hard stare, but then the Beta turned to leave. It was her and the blond girl, alone.
“Look,” Christine said quietly, grabbing something out of her pocket — it was a candy bar, a Snickers. Jaime immediately felt her mouth water, despite her sore and swollen throat. She didn't have a choice, she needed to eat. The girl unwrapped it quickly and held it up to her mouth, and Jaime took big bites out of it, chewing as thoroughly as possible, tears building in her eyes when she had to swallow. She was careful not to smear the chocolate around her mouth.
She stared at the girl, still chewing, and grunted around a mouthful, “Why...?”
“Never mind why,” the girl hissed, quickly taking the empty wrapper and shoving it in her pants. They could hear the other wolves circling below, waiting for her to come back down so they could lock the door. She glanced at Jaime and looked over her, her hazel eyes large and sad.
“Look, Debora just hates you because you took her place,” she said, speaking soft and fast. “She thinks Magnus is her lifemate. Crazy, I know. I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but I just want you to know I'm sorry, okay? We're not all bad here.”
“Uh.... O-okay,” Jaime responded, her eyes wide. The girl looked at her helplessly. She wanted to ask if they were going to help her escape, if someone could free her... but she could already see the answer in the girl's eyes. They were all too afraid. Magnus was not to be messed with.
“Christine!” Debora's voice snapped from the stairway. “Hurry up!”
The blond girl gave her one last sympathetic glance, then leapt to her feet, scurrying to the doorway. She moved quickly, closing the trap door firmly behind her, blond pony-tail disappearing beneath the floor. Jaime sighed and sat back, at least grateful that she had something to fill her stomach, even though the taste of sugar just made her hungrier. She listened as the metal covering slammed into place, the deadbolt sliding across ominously. There was the sound of footsteps... then nothing.
Jaime sat back in the corner, a hand to her swollen throat, wondering what the hell Sirus was doing and why he hadn't rescued her yet. How long was that asshole planning to wait? She realized she hadn't seen Tabari at all that day, not since the rock had shattered the window last night and he had gone running. What was going on? A sick wave of a doubt slipped through her, and she forced herself to ignore it. No, of course he was on his way. He would just pick the best time. That had to be it.
It had to be.
She sat there, staring out the window, watching the sun slowly sink from afternoon to evening, the sky turning deep orange. The trees were little more than black outlines against the gold light. She bit her lip, listening to the forest, listening for a sign... for anything.
So far, there was only silence.
Chapter 18
Night was growing close.
Maddy looked through her binoculars at the house. They had a semi-clear view of it through the trees, at least from the back of the big red Ford where she rode with Gareth and a few other wolves. They were close now, barely a mile off the property, hidden around a crook in the road. She would be staying in the truck with medical supplies while the wolves jumped off and headed the rest of the way on foot.
She wished she could be there for Jaime, but knowing what the she-wolf would be undergoing tonight, she wouldn't be of much help. The full moon hung in the sky like a white bone, slowly making its climb, an eerie energy overtaking the pack. Everything felt static, crackly, as though the air was alive with electricity. The wolves were restless and shifty, eyes darting to the shadows, movements quick and jerky. Maddy had seen it before dozens of times. As far as she was concerned, she couldn't wait for them to be gone.
The door opened and slammed shut, Sirus climbing out of the car, his two packmates beside him. The Seneca Alpha nodded to Gareth. “Take Darren and Aiden,” he said. “I have some business to take care of.”
Maddy listened with interest. She saw her lifemate pause. “What kind of business?”
“Personal business. With a Tracker.”
“Ah.” Gareth glanced at Maddy, though it was just a flicker of eyes. Then he nodded to the other two wolves at Sirus' side. “We're going to surround the house so we can take the pack from all sides. We have a good forty gathered, already staked out.”
“We've been getting into position all day,” the blond wolf said, the leader of the rebels — Evan, she had learned.
Darren and Aiden both nodded. She wondered at that. She remembered Sirus's dramatic exit the night before, Aiden following on his heels, the two heading directly for the woods. She wondered what they had found at the old manor. Neither of the wolves had mentioned it, but Sirus had seemed especially tense all day, on edge, his eyes practically yellow with electricity. He had looked at her more than once, baring his fangs, as though she were a form of prey. She had learned to ignore such threats from werewolves... but from him, it was especially unnerving.
The men began to jump down from the back of the truck. Gareth walked over to her, raising a bac
kpack to her hands. “Here's the First Aid,” he rumbled, then pressed something small and hard into her hand. “And this is the key. The moment we're gone, I want you to lock yourself in the front of this truck and don't open it to anyone who isn't human, got that?” He gave her a meaningful look. “Don't help anyone you don't recognize. I'll be back at dawn.”
She nodded numbly, wondering if she would ever fully adjust to his wolf nature. She knew what he was going to do tonight; he was going to hunt, kill, feast on warm flesh and howl to the moon. It was one of the many things she hadn't quite accepted – she wondered if she should stop trying. They had never directly talked about it.
“Be safe,” she murmured, kissing him lightly on the cheek. His hand rested over hers for a moment, then he pulled away, turning to the rest of the men. He nodded to them, not saying a word. Maddy watched, unable to resist the swell of pride that filled her heart when she watched him lead. He was so strong and confident.
It took her a moment to realize it was just her and Sirus left at the truck. She turned to look at the Seneca Alpha. She still wasn't sure what she thought of him — she could remember how he had treated Jaime and she had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, werewolves could be fierce and untamed, accustomed to using a strong hand. But could a strong hand heal a broken heart?
Sirus noticed her looking at him. “Get in the truck, little girl,” he grinned. There was something unnerving about that smile; it left her feeling exposed, vulnerable. “Lock the door.”
Why had she wanted to come so badly? Jaime leapt from the truck bed and ran to the driver's side, then climbed in and shut the door behind her. She did not mind putting a barrier between her and Sirus of Seneca — not at all.
She laid down across the seats of the truck, looking at the sky out the window, watching the stars glimmer and glint. The moon was climbing steadily. It was going to be a long night.
* * * *
Sirus headed into the trees, sniffing the wind, sensing out his prey. He could tell which side of the mountain Tabari was on, and he knew the black werewolf waited for him. The Tracker had been waiting for the last three years... but Sirus was more than ready to deal with him. One less asshole on the planet.
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