There was no predicting what Castor had planned for them. No way to prepare, which meant they were walking into a blood bath, and Bass didn’t know how he was going to get his pack out whole.
He’d spent months imagining the day he’d finish the fight with Castor, planned, trained, anticipated, but in every scenario, Katalina had been safe within the heart of his home. His mate hadn’t been captured, his soul hadn’t been at risk of shattering, and he hadn’t willingly led his pack to slaughter. But it seemed Castor had played a far more calculated game than he’d first thought, and the mistake could very well cost Bass his life.
Chapter 38
Katalina
Pretending to be unconscious, Katalina kept perfectly still as she absorbed her surroundings. It was cold, and she was naked, except for a sliver of material draped over her. The ground was hard concrete beneath her, the air damp and moldy. Water dripped somewhere close by, but beyond that was silence.
No trees rustled against each other or creaked in the wind. It was the stillness of the wild, of vast open fields far from human life. To her left, the soft cries of her cousin met her ears, and Katalina gave up acting. Sitting up, she let out a hiss of pain.
Shifting the fabric that turned out to be a cardigan with her gran’s scent on it, Katalina inspected her bruised ribs. The skin was inflamed and marred with angry bruises. Definitely broken. The rest of her hadn’t faired too badly—a few cuts, some already healing, and more signs of bruising. The worst had been the blow that had knocked her out, and as Katalina gingerly touched the back of her head, her fingers came away red with blood.
“Great,” she muttered as a gasp sounded to her left.
Ignoring her body’s protest, Katalina held the cardigan against herself and faced her family. Her uncle was bleeding badly from a wound on his thigh, the scent of blood rich in the air. Her aunt held her sweater over the wound as she stared at Katalina with wide, frightened eyes, then next to them was her cousin, Dillon, and her gran.
Smiling, Katalina took them in. They didn’t return the smile or make a move to check on her. In fact, they looked at her like she was a stranger, or worse, a monster. Swallowing the growing hurt in her chest, Katalina forced herself up onto her feet but paused as they shrank back.
“I’m still me,” she murmured. “I’m still Katalina.” Taking a slow step forward, Katalina tried to ignore the growing fear in her family’s gazes and reminded herself this wasn’t an easy situation. “Can I look at your wound? It smells like it’s bleeding pretty bad.”
Her uncle looked from her face to his leg and back. “Smells?” he whispered hoarsely.
She nodded. “My sense of smell, sight, hearing is all heightened compared to yours.”
“What are you?” he asked. And Katalina had the sense it wouldn’t matter how she explained her heritage, her uncle would never look at her the same again.
“I’m a shifter,” she explained. “But I’m still the same person you knew.”
“No, you’re not,” he snapped. “The things you did. You killed those people.”
Her blood ran cold. “I was trying to protect myself and you. Those people want me dead, and I will not feel bad for ending their lives in self-defense.”
“When did this happen to you?” her gran asked gently.
“I was born this way, Gran. I’ve always been a shifter, but the change wasn’t triggered until the crash. My birth parents gave me away, hoping to prevent a situation like this.”
“So this is your fault?” her uncle snapped.
Katalina told herself it was the shock and the pain from his wound that was making her uncle act so out of character.
“Paul,” Katalina’s gran warned.
“It’s all right, Gran. I guess in a way this is my fault. I knew these people were after me, yet I came to see you anyway, even though a part of me knew it would be dangerous to see you. But I never wanted any of this.”
“Why do they want you, Kat?” Dillon asked quietly, gazing at her with huge eyes.
“My biological father is the alpha of one pack, and Bass is the alpha of another. I link the two packs together, and that makes me a target.” Katalina met her uncle’s gaze again. “Please let me look at your leg. I’ve had some training.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.
Going to her knees, Katalina peeled back her aunt’s sweater as she shifted to the side to make room. Blood soaked the material, and at first glance, Katalina thought his wound was life-threatening.
“How did you get this?” she asked carefully as dread uncoiled its steel talons.
“From one of those creatures.”
“In wolf form?”
He nodded. “Clawed me as I tried to fight them off.”
Well, if you don’t hate me now, you will soon. Katalina inspected the wound further, saw what she’d missed the first time. The wound was deep and had partially severed an artery. It was a cut that would have killed a human, but Paul was no longer a human; he was in transition—his DNA altering to become part wolf.
“Take off your belt,” Katalina asked. “We need to stem the bleeding as much as possible.” Glancing at Dillon, she smiled gently. “Dill, take your sweater off under your coat, so I can use it as a bandage.” Changing DNA or not, Katalina wasn’t taking any chances. Her uncle might end up hating her, but she’d rather him be alive and hating her than dead from blood loss.
When her young cousin handed over his sweater, Katalina let a claw spring free and tore the material in half to her family’s audible amazement.
“That’s so cool,” Dillon breathed. “You’re like a superhero.”
Katalina smiled tightly. If only that were the truth, then maybe she’d be able to walk away without any more of her packmates dying. After tying the belt tightly above the wound, Katalina used the torn sweater as a bandage.
“There, that should do it until help comes.”
“Will help come?” her aunt asked timidly.
“The packs will come for me,” Katalina confirmed. “And when they do, I’ll—” Her head whipped around, her ears straining. “Someone’s coming.” She met her family’s eyes. “Be ready to run when I attack,” she whispered.
Moving toward the door, Katalina silently pressed herself to the wall next to the door, ready to grab anyone who entered the small brick room. Counting two sets of footsteps as they approached, she braced herself, her claws curled and ready to shed blood.
The door opened, and Katalina waited for the first person to enter the room fully before lurching herself at him. Dragging her claws up the back of his leg, she severed his muscle and followed through with a blow to the back of his head as he collapsed with a yell.
The second person followed quickly behind him, slamming the door to their escape as she did. “I told my father he was stupid to not tie you up,” she sneered. Katalina had never met this young woman before, but she saw enough of Castor’s features to know she was at least a relation. Her ink-black hair was swept up into a high ponytail, her dark brown eyes narrowed with hate. “My father tends to be an idiot sometimes though. I, on the other hand, have been waiting to meet you, Katalina.”
Castor’s daughter. “The feeling isn’t mutual, Raven,” Katalina growled. “Let my family go. They’ve no place in this war.”
Her cackle filled the air. “Anyone connected to you is fair game.”
Lunging, Katalina swiped with her claws, but Raven was fast, dodging the attack at the last second. Twisting around, Katalina leaped again, all her rage bursting free, and they clashed in a fury of fists and snarls.
Blood, hot and slick, splattered Katalina’s skin as she gouged into Raven’s flesh. The woman shrieked angrily, landing a kick into Katalina’s side as she struck with her fist. They scuffled and fought, throwing each other around the room, spilling blood and bruising flesh, all while Katalina’s family huddled frightened in the corner.
“Get up. Run!” Katalina screamed, not daring to take her eyes of Raven; the dark-haire
d woman was as good as Katalina. Maybe better.
Raven kicked out Katalina’s feet, and as she fell, Katalina dragged Raven with her. They rolled and brawled over the concrete, yelling and snarling as they went until a scream broke through the aggression, followed by the booming shout of the enemy.
“Stop or I shoot.”
Katalina released Raven with a shove and climbed to her feet, palms up as fear slivered over her skin. The man she’d first attacked aimed his gun at Dillon, one hand clutching the severed muscle on his calf. “Okay, okay, just let him go.”
“About time,” hissed Raven. “Keep the gun on the kid while I deal with the queen here.”
Katalina forced all of her hatred into her gaze as she took Raven in. “I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt them.”
Raven sneered. “Can’t promise that. I guess we’ll just see how cooperative you are.” Stepping back a few paces, Raven picked up a heap of white lace Katalina hadn’t noticed until now. “Put this on,” Raven instructed as she threw it at her.
Catching the material, Katalina held it up in front of herself and took in what seemed to be a white lace dress. “I’m not wearing this,” she muttered.
“Fine. Which family member should I kill first?” Raven asked matter-of-factly.
Katalina growled. “What the fuck does it matter what I wear?”
She smiled darkly. “Let’s just say my father’s into his theatrics and his show requires his sacrifice to be dress appropriately.”
Gritting her teeth, Katalina slipped the material over her head. The garment was tightly fitted, the arms and bodice near see-through as it hugged tight, before clinging to her hips and falling to the floor. She looked like a virginal sacrifice, and the length and tight fit made it impossible to fight in.
Throwing Raven a dirty look, Katalina took a claw to the skirt and ripped it down the middle, shearing off as much fabric as she could before Raven lunged forward and seized her hands.
“Father won’t like that,” she snapped.
“Bite me,” Katalina spat. “I’m not, nor will I ever be, a damsel for slaughter, and dressing me up as one isn’t going to change that.”
“We’ll see about that.” She smiled. “Time for you to meet your maker, Katalina. I’ll make sure you’re screaming for death by the time I’m through with you.”
Raven dragged her from the room, her partner crawling after them before they shut the door, locking her family inside. Katalina didn’t resist as Raven led her away; instead, she memorized her way back to her family, because one way or another, Katalina was getting them out. She refused to accept they’d be another casualty of war. She’d lost too many people already, Katalina would never recover losing more.
Chapter 39
Katalina
Katalina gave up fighting her restraints. They weren’t coming loose, and she needed to conserve her strength. She was inside a large barn, strung up on a cross of sorts, in the middle of a purposely erected cage, which Katalina had the awful thought was more a stage then prison. The cage was in the center of the barn, giving clear view of her from every part of the building. Raven was watching her with a sick kind of pleasure, her gaze promising all kinds of pain. Swallowing her fear, Katalina refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her crumble. She wouldn’t break. She wouldn’t bend, Right then and there, she promised herself she’d die with her head held high and with vengeance in her gaze.
It didn’t matter that underneath she was terrified. That her heart was broken, and Arne’s loss was threatening to consume her. There was no time to feel it, no option to give in. Because it wasn’t only her life at risk. With her heart exposed, Bass could feel all she did. When she hurt, so did he, and if these were her last moments, she’d be damned if it was spent causing the love of her life any more pain than he was already in.
“Here she is. Beautiful even with the dried tears and blood-stained skin. But what did you do to the lovely dress I bought you?”
Katalina snarled. “Go to hell, Castor.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “It is a shame really, so beautiful, so fierce. I can see why Bass didn’t obey his father. Why kill you when he could make you his queen? And you rule so well, controlling two packs without them even realizing it. Yet you are their destruction, you’re so predictable, Katalina. I knew eventually you’d go to visit your human family. All I had to do was have men stationed nearby, ready for the word from my human spies that you’d left the protection of the pack. I’m surprised though that Bass wasn’t with you, but never mind. Bass and I will have plenty of fun before dawn.”
“I won’t be sorry for having a heart,” Katalina spat, covering the horror churning in her gut with rage. Castor was right; her need to see her human family one last time was a weakness. One that was going to get those she loved killed.
Castor smiled almost sadly. “Yes. Such a pity, you’ll not break, will you? You’ll never become my queen.”
“You’re right. I won’t.” She glared, her entire body humming with the need to draw blood, to make him bleed.
“That’s all right.” Castor smiled pleasantly, as if they were talking about the weather. “I’ve come to terms with the fact I’ll have to kill you. There was a time I’d had hopes of turning you, of holding the power you possess in my hand.” After closing the space between them, Castor cupped her face, leaning in and breathing Katalina’s scent into his lungs. “You smell of him, you know. You’re ingrained that far into his soul.
“To think you turned Alistair’s greatest weapon with only a look. We were winning. Dark Shadow was so close to ending them, to breaking Jackson for good. Bass was supposed to kill you, lay your severed head at your father’s feet. That was to be his daughter’s eighteenth birthday present. But alas, we can’t always get what we want. I thought Alistair was a little short-sighted and possibly crazy. My goals are different to his. Why would I kill River Run when I could control them? Why slaughter them when I can break them, and keep doing so, over and over, year after year?”
Raven laughed gleefully. Katalina felt sick.
“If you think you can control them, you’re as delusional as you sound,” Katalina spat. “Bass would never kneel to you, neither would my father.”
“Kneel, no. But they’ll fall. Fall to their knees as the light leaves your eyes.”
“Kill me then. Be done with it, or is your plan to talk me to death?” Katalina smirked, forcing every ounce of defiance she had into her eyes. She wanted him to do it. Wanted Castor to slip and lose control and kill her before those she loved had to watch.
Castor might not have told her his plan, but he didn’t have to. It was written all over his face, over everyone’s in the barn They’d created the perfect stage on which to do it, bound to a cross, made to wear a white dress so that it would show blood that much better. They were all inside a steel cage, large enough to put on the show of a lifetime.
Castor smiled, twisted and cruel. “Don’t worry, Katalina, your time will come, but first, let’s have a little fun. Let’s send a message to that mate of yours, drive him insane, so when he arrives through those doors, he’s half-mad with rage.”
“He’ll tear you limb from limb,” Katalina yelled, her bravado slipping, causing Castor and the others to laugh.
“Oh, my dear girl, he’ll not get within a meter of me. You see, I planned this down to the last detail, set my stage up perfectly.” He turned, waving his arms around the building. “You’ll be in this cage, and Raven here will be keeping you company.”
Raven grinned, playing with the knife in her hands, flipping it between her fingers, promising to deliver pain. Katalina suppressed a shudder.
“And I,” Castor continued, “will be up that balcony, watching as my men cut through the people you love. I’ll not kill them all, of course, just the ones closest to you, the ones who will never break to my rule.”
Oh God, it will be a blood bath. She closed her eyes for a second, prayed Bass would somehow hear
her through the mating bond. Don’t come, Bass. Please, baby, don’t come.
“But first,” Castor said, cutting into her prayers, “let’s have some fun. Raven?”
Katalina opened her eyes and stared at the dark-haired woman sauntering up to her. She ran the tip of her knife over Katalina’s skin, smiling as she did so.
“Will he feel it?” Raven whispered. “Each nick of your skin, each drop of blood?” Insanity shined in her eyes. Raven was beyond hope, twisted to her very core. “I hope he does. I hope it hurts him more than it does you. That will teach him for rejecting me and for loving you.”
The first cut sliced above her collarbone. Blood ran hot over her skin as Raven trailed the knife shallowly down her arm. Katalina gritted her teeth and refused to voice the pain. The second ran from her wrist up her arm, the third above her breast. Each one deep enough to spill blood but not kill her. Delivered with slow, precise movements, and Raven enjoyed every drop of blood, sick pleasure radiating from her eyes.
“So pretty,” Raven murmured, running the flat edge of the blade down her cheek. “Let’s fix that.”
“Raven!” Castor snapped. “Not her face.”
Her face twisted with anger. “Fine,” Raven retorted, grinding her jaw.
She ran the knife down Katalina’s body, over her throat, the mounds of her breasts and between her legs, coming to a stop at the top of her thighs. Pressing her body against Katalina, Raven hitched up the white lace dress, exposing her thigh and placed a kiss to her cheek.
Katalina struggled against her binds, moving her head as far as she could from Raven’s poisonous lips. Her blood boiled, the wolf inside her snarling and pacing, ready to tear flesh.
“I’ll leave your precious face,” Raven whispered. “For now.”
Raven’s body was flush with Katalina’s as she dug her knife in, slicing it slowly down the inside of Katalina’s thigh. Gritting her teeth, Katalina fought against the pain Raven inflicted and closed her eyes. She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, but even that wasn’t enough to contain the agony. A tear rolled down her cheek as the hatred Katalina had been using a shield faltered. Fear took over her, and no matter how much she willed herself not to, there was no stopping the scream that tore from her lips. No ignoring the hurt being imposed on her body, and as her vision blurred, Bass screamed back, the mating bond throbbing at her core.
Wolf Queen (A New Dawn Novel Book 6) Page 22
