by L. P. Dover
The way he says it makes shivers run down my spine. I’m not sure what his idea of fun is, but I doubt it’s anything but that. He opens the door, and I follow him outside. The tall, brick wall I saw from the window expands around his property, locking us in. “Fun, huh? Why am I not getting that vibe?”
He glances back at me and smirks. “Lighten up, my little wolf. You’ll be thanking me once this is all over.” I highly doubt that. It takes all I have to bite my tongue.
We walk around the side of the house, and I still haven’t seen anyone else. There’s a pool in his backyard and gardens all around. “Where’s your pack? I’m surprised you don’t have me locked up.”
“That’s not what I want, Faith. I want you to be comfortable here. I told you before you’d be treated like royalty, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
He takes me around the gardens, and we head through the field to the giant workshop building at the edge of his property. “What is that place?” The closer we get, the more my gut clenches with uncertainty.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out what looks to be a garage door opener and presses the button. The massive door to the building opens, and I hold my breath, wondering what I’m going to see on the other side. When everything comes into view, it’s not what I expected at all. The walls are full of built-in shelves filled with various tools and piles of wood. And in the middle of the room are two giant drafting desks and table saws.
“Woodworking?” I ask.
Killian runs a hand over one of the desks. “Yep. It’s my hobby.” He grins at me as if there’s a joke in there I’m not understanding.
Gaze narrowed, I stare at him. “So, if woodworking is just a hobby, what do you do for real?”
His eyes flash, and I can feel his excitement. “Follow me.”
We exit through a door that leads us further into the workshop. The hallway is narrow, and when we turn the corner, there’s another door. Killian opens it, and there’s a stairway that leads into darkness. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. I can smell blood and death mixed with wolfsbane, even if it is faint and covered up by the scent of bleach.
“What the hell is down there?” I growl.
Killian chuckles. “You’re not afraid, are you?”
“No, but I’m not stupid. I don’t know what you do in your basement of Hell, but I know it’s not something I want to see.”
“It’s all for you, Faith.”
If blood and death are all for me, I don’t want anything of it.
“You can do this,” Tate assures me. “I have to know what he’s planning.”
Inside, I groan. Why me?
With a heavy sigh, I wave for Killian to continue. “Go. I need to see this.” I dread getting to the bottom of the stairs. The walls are solid concrete, and it’s dark and cold.
Killian turns the corner first and flips on the light switch. I step off the last stair and peek my head around the corner. My mouth gapes when I see the underground world Killian had made for himself. When I think of the building above us, the basement is three times larger. It had to have taken years for Killian to construct something like this. Unfortunately, I now know where the blood and death come from. There are three fighting rings, surrounded by cages and barbed wire at the top. Hundreds of stadium chairs circle all three. Visions of people cheering on others as they fight to the death in the ring flash through my mind, but I push it out.
“Oh, my God.” I can feel Tate in my mind, but his silence makes me nervous. He most likely thinks what I’m afraid to think.
Killian flings his arms out wide, proud of his masterpiece. “This is how I make my money.”
Mouth gaping, I circle around, taking it all in. “How’s that?”
He cuts a glance my way. “Seriously, Faith? You don’t know?”
Clenching my teeth, I huff. “You make money off fights. I’ve heard about this stuff with humans, but not our kind.”
His grin widens. “That’s the beauty of it. Human fights are boring. Our people know how to make it gritty and exciting.”
I throw my hands in the air. “What the hell are they fighting for?”
Killian shrugs. “Money. Power.” He pauses for a second. “A mate.”
“Motherfucker,” Tate thunders in my head. “So that’s what he’s doing.”
I didn’t want to think it, but I was afraid it would lead to that. “How can you fight for a mate?” I snap. “The magic of the moon doesn’t work like that.”
Killian shrugs again and steps toward me, his face more serious than I’ve ever seen him. “Maybe, maybe not. It’s not only unmated males who yearn for a mate, Faith. You may not believe this, but it was the women in my pack who agreed to this arrangement many years ago when my father was alpha. It made them happy to be mated off to men who’d fight and die for them. I continued the tradition for a while, but when word got out about the royals, suddenly normal female wolves weren’t good enough.” Stunned into silence, I was not expecting to hear that the females came up with the idea. Guess it’s not far-fetched to believe it. Women have needs just as strong as men. “All I know is that your pack members are being matched with the strongest of our kind. Take for example, your sister and Ryker. He defeated the Yukon pack, and now he’s more powerful because he’s a royal’s mate. Their kids will have the royal bloodline. The same thing goes for Tyla and Sebastian and your good friends Laila and Cedric.”
My mouth gapes. “How do you know all of this?”
He throws his arms in the air. “Everyone knows. Why do you think I got you out when I did? If I didn’t take you, someone else would have, and I bet they wouldn’t have been as nice as me. I could’ve easily killed your royal protector and your friend, Grayson, but I didn’t. At least, you’re safe now, and the men who wanted to come after you can fight for their chance.” His smile comes back. “Speaking of which, I told your buddy he could see you again if he was willing to pay the price. Do you think he’d come here and fight for you?”
“You better fucking believe it,” Tate hisses.
“I don’t know,” I reply. “Why don’t you call him right now and find out?”
Killian’s eyes twinkle. “Oh, I plan on it. I think he’ll make a great fighter. Plus, he wants you just like all the other men.”
Anger fuels through my veins as I slide past him to stand next to one of the fighting rings. There are bloodstains on the white mat and fur caught in the barbed wire. I don’t want to imagine Tate inside the cage fighting against another wolf. “So how will this go exactly? You make bets on the fighters, and then whoever wins gets me?” I turn and glare at him.
He gives me a devilish grin. “Oh, no, my little wolf. The men are paying to fight for you. Only the strongest will win. You deserve the best.”
“The best?” I shout, storming over to him. “What if the winner’s a complete and utter asshat? I’m not mating with anyone against my will. Your plan is absolutely fucked up beyond belief.”
“It won’t be like that. I promise.”
I push past him and head toward the exit. “Calm down, Faith. I’m just as pissed about this as you, but you have to play along somehow,” Tate warns.
I stop mid-step and close my eyes. How in the hell can I play along with this? But then, an idea comes to mind. I face Killian again and stare right into his flashing green eyes. He doesn’t even conceal his need for me. “How do you know it won’t be like that?” I ask. “You can’t control who wins this fight.”
He stalks toward me. “No, but you can. I’ll let you figure out how you want to do that.” He stops only a breath away from me and peers down into my eyes. “I need you to trust me, Faith. I’m not here to hurt you in any way. It’ll be a win-win.”
“Something tells me this fight will be rigged from the beginning,” I say to Tate.
I can feel his rage. “You’re right. We just have to figure out a way to beat him. I wonder if he’s competing himself.”
“Okay, I’m in,”
I huff, staring back up at Killian. “When do the fights start?”
“Tomorrow. My men will be meeting the contestants at a secure spot at Baker’s Ridge and bringing them here.”
He’s too close, so I step back and walk to the stairs. When I get there, I glance at him over my shoulder. “What’s in this for you?”
His heat-filled gaze bores into mine. “The chance for a mate. I’m competing too.” Now I know for sure it’s rigged. He would never allow anyone to come into his turf and beat him. He nods toward the exit. “You’re free to roam around the grounds and go wherever you like. I’ll discuss more of the details at dinner.”
Heart racing, and not in a good way, I take the stairs one at a time, wondering what the hell I just got myself into.
Chapter 23
Tate
The bond between mates works in mysterious ways. If I concentrate hard enough, I can almost see through Faith’s eyes. I can hear what she hears and see what she sees. Having that privilege can also be detrimental. Controlling myself when my mate is around another unmated wolf who wants her doesn’t make things easy. I warned Faith about controlling her temper, but I made it more difficult for her. She can feel my rage, just like I could feel hers.
We just landed at the Baker’s Ridge airfield. There isn’t much in this part of Canada. You can only get to the area by plane. I can see why the Blue River pack can stay hidden and how no others can sneak and attack them. If I succeed in getting Faith away from Killian, it’ll be challenging getting out of Baker’s Ridge. It’s something we’ll have to deal with when the time comes. I don’t want Faith knowing my concerns, so I intentionally block her from those thoughts. She needs to focus on keeping her head in the game.
Colin peers out one of the airplane windows where you can see the small town several hundred yards away. We could probably walk the entire span in thirty minutes. “There’s only one hotel here?”
I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I’ve already told him and Micah everything that’s going on, but I’m still waiting on that call from Vilkas. “Yep. Along with one bank, one grocery store, one gas station, and so on. There were only two rooms left at the hotel when I called. I’d imagine they’re pretty booked up with all the shifters in town.” I reserved both of them, one for James and the other for the rest of us.
Micah stands and picks up his bag. “I wonder how many are competing.”
The thought infuriates the hell out of me. Faith is mine. “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s a fuck ton.” Faith has been quiet since she walked away from Killian and his underground fighting dungeon. There are times when she blocks me out just like I do with her, but I don’t say anything. We both know what we’re up against. My guilt eats away at me for not being able to protect her.
James opens the door to the cockpit. “Isn’t this an interesting place,” he jokes.
I snort. “You have no idea.”
He opens the jet door, and we take the steps down. I can sense shifters all around us in the town. I look up at James. “You have a room at the Baker’s Ridge Hotel. I put it under your name.”
James nods. “I’ll check in once I’m done here.”
“Sounds good,” I say. “I’ll keep in touch. When the time comes, we might have to get out of here pretty quick and fast.”
I don’t know what Chase has told James, but he never asks any questions. “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready,” he replies. He disappears back into the jet while Colin, Micah, and I walk through the airport property to the exit.
“Do you think he’ll be okay on his own out here?” Micah asks. “This place is overrun with shifters.”
“It won’t be for long.” If what I suspect is going to happen, most of them will be dead soon.
When we get out of the airport gate, the town is just a few steps away. It consists of six streets, the three main ones being businesses and the other three are full of small houses.
“Have you heard anything more?” Micah asks.
I shake my head. “Faith’s keeping her emotions from me right now. She’s alone walking through the gardens.”
Micah sighs. “That’s where she likes to be.”
“She’s supposed to eat dinner with that cocksucker tonight, so I’m sure we’ll get more information then.”
Colin grumbles. “I can’t even imagine what it’s like for you right now. She’s my sister, and I’m pissed off as hell. If this were my mate, I’d be murderous.”
I’m trying to keep my anger from Faith, but it gets harder the longer I’m away from her. “Trust me, I am.”
By the time we turn the corner to one of the busy streets, that’s when several shifters come into view. There are a couple here and there, going in and out of the buildings. However, when the three of us get noticed, the level of hostility in the air thickens.
It’s not hard to figure out why. “They know you’re both royals,” I say to Colin and Micah.
Colin projects his power out like I knew he would. He likes the attention, whereas Micah keeps it more lowkey, just like me. “Good,” Colin growls. “They need to be afraid.”
Micah scoffs. “These men don’t seem afraid at all. If anything, you’re adding more fuel to the fire. Knock it down, Storm.”
Colin huffs. “You’re no fun.”
“And you’re being irresponsible,” Micah counters. “We need these people to underestimate us.”
Royals can conceal their strength, so Colin obliges by toning down his power. What they don’t know is that I can do the same thing.
“They’ll be surprised when you unleash it,” Faith murmurs in my head.
I smile. It feels good to have that connection with her. “I like being underestimated. It’ll be a good fighting strategy.”
“I should know more at dinner. Right now, I’m enjoying being alone. Although, I have the feeling I’m being watched.”
“Of course, you are. Vilkas isn’t going to leave his grand prize unattended.”
Micah bumps me with his shoulder. “What’s Faith saying? I can tell you’re talking to her.”
I huff. “She’s saying how she’ll get more information at dinner.”
“It’d be nice if Vilkas would call,” Colin grumbles. “I’m ready to know what the fuck’s going on.” That makes two of us. I can’t afford to be hotheaded like him, not with Faith’s future and my life at stake.
We come upon the small hotel, and once inside, the place is a little rundown with its worn-out lobby furniture and dusty smell. There are two shifters at the bar who glare at us, but then they go right back to their drinking. The young lady at the desk is human and must be no more than twenty-five years old. She grins wide as we approach, especially when she locks eyes with Colin. “Good afternoon, gentleman. Are you here to check-in?”
“We are,” I say, drawing her attention to me. “It should be under Grayson.”
She clicks away on the old computer. “Is there a bachelor party or something going on? We’ve never been sold out like this. I’ve had over two dozen young men check-in today.”
If she only knew. “Something like that,” I reply.
She turns and grabs a set of keys off the wall. “All right, I got you on the third floor, second door on the right.”
I take the keys. “Thanks.”
We take the stairs, which creak with every single step until we get to the third floor. I don’t expect much when I slide the key in and open the door, but it’s surprisingly not as bad as I thought. The room is clean, and there are two queen beds. I toss my bag onto one of the beds and look out the window. There’s one long road that leads out of town toward the mountains. Killian lives out that way. If he doesn’t call, I’ll have no choice but to figure out a way to get her out.
“His property is surrounded by a brick wall and guarded by people at the gate, Tate. I don’t see how you could get in without getting yourself killed,” Faith says.
“Listening in on my thoughts?”
Her sigh soun
ds sad in my head. “Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t, but it gives me comfort to listen to you.”
“Same with you,” I reply.
My phone rings, and I pull it out of my pocket to see a number I don’t recognize. “Is it him?” Micah asks.
Turning around, I look at him and Colin. “Don’t know, but we’re about to find out.” I press the speaker button. “This is Tate,” I answer.
“Ah, Grayson, it’s so good to hear your voice.”
I nod at the others, so they know it’s him. “Vilkas. I can’t exactly say the same for you.”
Killian bursts out laughing. “Now, now, I told you I would call. But if you don’t want to see Faith again, I can let you go.”
I growl. “You know I do, asshole. What do I have to do?”
“For starters, you need to fly to Baker’s Ridge, Canada, and arrive by tomorrow morning. Think you can do that?”
“I’m already here.” The line goes silent, and I smile. “Yeah, that’s right, cocksucker. You’re not the only one who can find people.”
“I’m intrigued,” Killian replies. What I love is that I can hear the uncertainty in his voice. “Are you alone?”
“Does it matter?” I snap.
“It does. There’s only room for one more fighter. You see, the wolf who wins the grand finale gets the prize. From what I know about Faith and her pack, I can assume either her protector or brother came with you.”
“And if they did?”
Killian chuckles. “You’ll have to figure out amongst yourselves who’s going to compete. If Colin’s with you, I’m sure it would make Faith happy to have her brother with her during the fights. The last thing I want is to keep her family away from her.”
Colin’s eyes widen, but he stays quiet. I don’t like this game Killian’s playing. “Does Faith know this is going on?” I ask him.
“She knows some of it. I’m going to explain the rest to her at dinner. Is it safe to say I can tell her that her brother will be here tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Colin growls.
“And me too,” Micah cuts in. “Not unless you’re scared to have her protector with her.”
