“Oh, no,” Muriel said. “We don’t work for Jett. We’re just lucky to have a shifter in agreement with our organization. We were hoping you’d be as cooperative, considering your connection to him.”
I narrowed my eyes. Surely he hadn’t told her that I was his mate. “What connection?”
“He knew about your blood,” she said. “I’m sure that’s not something a lot of people know. The vampires aren’t going to be telling anyone about it, that’s for sure.”
“Okay, so Jett’s colluding with humans to wipe out vamps,” I mused aloud. “And I’m just the pawn. Cool.”
For some reason, it almost hurt worse that he’d throw me under the bus for his agenda than because he had a personal vendetta against me. He didn’t even care about me enough to hate me. I was just a means to an end to him, a tool to be used for something he’d wanted long before I showed up.
“You just let us know when you’re ready to cooperate,” Muriel said, flicking her syringe before she jabbed it into me again. “Until then, we’ve agreed to Jett’s demands that you not be restrained. Unfortunately, that means we have to increase your dosage to keep everyone safe.”
I bared my teeth at her, feeling my survival instinct kicking in, closing off other thoughts. My mate’s betrayal didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but living, just as it had in the pits. Then, they had wanted me strong, had made me work for them. Here, they wanted me weak, wanted me to lie here and be passive while they took what they wanted. In the end, no matter how different it was, it boiled down to the same thing. I wasn’t my own. I was a prisoner, and I had to survive. That was all that mattered.
When the doctor and her guards left, I was so weak I could barely stand. I made it to the wall where the door always appeared, but all I could do was slide down it and rest. When someone brought dinner, I could barely lift the spoon to my mouth to eat the soup before falling asleep.
The next time I woke, my head felt clearer for a moment. That meant the poison was wearing off, and the nurse was going to return to inject me soon. I sat up, my whole body trembling. Something inside me stirred insistently, pressing up on my consciousness, urging me to fight though I had no energy.
“Morning, Quicksilver,” said a deep, drawling voice. I twisted around to see Jett sitting in a chair next to the mirror.
“What are you doing here?” I snarled.
“Nice to see you, too,” he said with a smirk.
“Why would it be nice to see you?” I asked. “You’re draining the life out of me just like the vampires you hate so much.”
Jett rolled his eyes. “Are you going to quote Nietzsche again?”
“Who?”
“Nietzsche,” he said, looking at me like I was missing a few brain cells. “You know, the nihilist guy you quoted last night? ‘Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster.’ That guy.”
“Sounds pretty smart,” I said, shrugging one shoulder. “I don’t know him.”
Jett shook his head. “That’s right. You were raised by vampires. Do you even know how to read?”
“Yes, I know how to read,” I snapped. “In case you forgot, my parents didn’t die until I was twelve. Maybe you didn’t learn to read until after that, but I must be advanced.”
Jett grinned. “So, the last book you read must be… What do twelve-year-old girls like to read? Twilight? No wonder you think vampires can be redeemed.”
“Actually, that’s the second time I’ve heard you mention that book. Seems like it’s what you like to read.” I held up both hands. “No judgment.”
“I prefer Friedrich Nietzsche,” he said, looking annoyed.
I crossed my arms over my chest and screwed my lips to one side, studying him. “So, you’re well read. Interesting. I didn’t peg you as the bookish sort.”
“I’m a man of many talents,” he said, eyeing me with an appreciative glance that made a completely inappropriate tremor awaken inside me.
“And in all that reading, you never learned not to kidnap a girl and start a war?”
“Start a war?” he asked, glaring.
“Yeah,” I said. “Don’t you think the other clans are going to be pissed when they find out you kidnapped their mate and poisoned her with silver? You don’t actually think you’re going to get away with this, do you?”
“We’re not going to kill you,” Jett said. “I had them untie you, and we’re not hurting you. We’re going to let you go as soon as we figure out how to artificially replicate what your blood contains. The other clans will be glad to be rid of vampires, too.”
“Wow,” I said, shaking my head. “I might be a little behind on my reading, but at least I’m not completely delusional.”
Jett crossed his arms, his posture mirroring mine, his biceps bulging inside his purple T-shirt. “I can’t decide if I like you better when you’re insulting me or begging me to mate with you.”
My mouth dropped open in indignation. Finally I spluttered, “I never begged.”
“That’s right,” Jett said, flashing his white teeth in a grin. “You ordered me to mate with you.”
“I didn’t order, beg, or demand anything,” I said through gritted teeth. “I told you that you were my mate. Obviously, that’s not going to happen after this. Even if you were the only mate I’d ever get, and I didn’t have the other three, I’d never be able to trust you again.”
Jett’s lips pinched together, and he rocked back on his heels, staring at the wall above my head.
“You can’t even look at me,” I said. “You should feel guilty. And guess what, Jett? I do have the other three. They’re going to find me, and they’re going to get me out of here. And when they try to make you pay for what you did, I’m going to stop them.”
Jett’s gaze snapped back to mine, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
“That’s right,” I said. “They’re going to want to kill you for this, but I’m going to forgive you. It’ll be enough for me to know that I have three mates who love me. The only companion you’ll have for the rest of your life is regret.”
Jett’s eyes hardened. “You’re being unreasonable,” he said. “All we’re asking is for your cooperation. When the vampires are gone, you’ll see that it was worth it.”
“If you were asking for my cooperation, I’d have a choice,” I said. “I could refuse, and you’d respect that. This isn’t asking, Jett. It’s taking what you want, whether I agree to it or not. It’s turning vampires human, whether they agree to it or not. Maybe they like being vampires as much as we like being shifters. How would you like it if someone took away your panther?”
Jett’s nostrils flared, and he glared at me. “I can see we’re not going to get anywhere this morning,” he said. “I’ll visit later. Hopefully you’ll have come to your senses by then, and you’ll see that this is the only way shifters are ever going to find peace. I don’t know how you haven’t figured that out in the past two weeks. The vampires will never stop attacking until you’re dead, Ariana. They’ll never let you live now that they know what you can do. You’re a biological weapon to their people. Either we take them out, or they take you out. There’s only one choice you need to make here—you or them?”
11
Cash
“You’ve reached Jett. Leave a message.”
I growled and slammed the end call button on my phone. I must have called the panther alpha a hundred times, but he was still avoiding us. Unease crept through me, swelling into a ball of dread in the pit of my stomach. I saw the way Maximus and Owen exchanged a suspicious look every time Jett didn’t answer. I saw the flash of suspicion in their eyes, but I couldn’t relate it to the man I’d grown up with. Jett and I might not be as close as we once were, but I still liked to think of us as friends. A friend wouldn’t betray me.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before opening them again. I looked to the dark night sky twinkling with stars. You didn’t get this kind of view in the city.
“No answer?” Maximus asked.<
br />
I sighed. “No.”
I didn’t need to turn around to know that the alphas were once again exchanging a glance. They thought Jett was up to no good, and I was starting to agree with them. It had been hours since Jett answered his phone. Either something had happened to him, or he was up to something.
I hoped it was the former, despite the fact that meant he’d be in trouble.
“I’m going to try Cassandra,” I said. I flipped open my contact list and scrolled until I found Jett’s sister. Though she was a few years younger than Jett, she’d always followed Jett and I around when we were friends. He’d been just a teenager, and I’d been...somewhere around that in dragon years. Jett had always tried to ditch his sister, yelling at her to leave us alone, but I didn’t mind her. Who cared if his little sister followed us into the woods while I stretched my wings and Jett his paws?
“Good idea,” Owen said. “Maybe she’s heard from him.”
I hit the number for Jett’s second, held the phone to my ear, and listened to the buzz for only half a second before she picked up.
“Hello? Jett, is that you?” Cassandra asked. Her voice was high with desperation, pulling on my heartstrings.
“You didn’t save my number? I’m hurt,” I said, a smirk tugging at my lips. In truth, she probably hated me worse than Jett. After his father’s death, Jett had blamed me, and he’d cut ties. Of course that meant I hadn’t spoken to Cassandra since then. She’d grown from a pesky sister following her brother around to a powerful, well-respected Second-in-Command in that time, but she would always be little Cassie to me. To her, I’d probably always be the jerk who had made her brother want to ditch her and hang out with a cool, older dragon. Not to mention she might blame me just as Jett did. After all, I had been much older and more experienced than Jett, and I’d given him the advice that was best for his clan--and worst for his family. At the time, I’d thought I was doing the right thing. I’d done what my own parents would have wanted me to do in that situation. Only later had I realized that Jett’s relationship with his father was world’s away from the one I had with my father. There was no right answer in that situation. Either way, something horrible would have happened. Either way, Jett would have needed someone to blame, and I was the easy choice.
“It is you,” Cassandra said, interrupting my bitter thoughts. “Damn, I haven’t heard that accent in awhile. How’ve you been?”
My eye twitched involuntarily. “I’ve been better,” I said. I didn’t want to lie to Jett’s sister, but I couldn’t convey my suspicions to her, either. “Listen, I can’t explain everything right now, but have you heard from that troublesome brother of yours?”
A weighted silence remained on the line for several long moments, making nervous sweat dampen my palms.
“Cassandra?” I asked.
“I’m here. Sorry.” Again, she paused. “I was hoping you called because you’d heard from Jett. I haven’t seen or heard from him in two days.”
“That’s not like him,” I said. He and Cassandra were close from what I understood of their lives now.
“Right?” Cassandra sighed. “If you hear from him, tell him to call me. We need him right now.”
Curiosity got the better of me. “Is something wrong with the panthers?”
“You know I can’t tell you that, Cash. Don’t even ask.”
Damn. “Well, at least I tried.”
Cassandra laughed half-heartedly. “Seriously, though. We need him. If you hear from him, tell him Cassie said to get his narrow ass home.”
I smiled. “I will.”
“Thanks. I’ve got to go. Duty calls.”
“Talk to you later, Cassie,” I said.
“Later.” The line went dead and I let go of the sigh that had been building in my chest.
“She hasn’t heard from him, either?” Owen guessed.
I turned back to face the living room. Owen sat forward on the loveseat nestled by the fireplace, his elbows on his knees and his hands clenched together. I shook my head. “No.”
Maximus stood suddenly, a growl rumbling from his throat. “I can’t believe that feline bastard.”
“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” I said. I’d defend my old friend until I knew for sure something was wrong. Though my talk with Cassandra had confirmed something was up with the panthers, it seemed like Jett was ignoring them as well. What did it all mean?
Where are you Jett?
Owen sat back on the leather sofa. “Let’s calm down. We don’t know what’s going on with Jett. We’re just riled up because of the waiting.”
I groaned internally. The waiting. It was fucking agony. It had been hours since I messaged my friend on the NYC police force and still nothing. I knew we had to be patient, but it was getting harder and harder by the minute.
“I think we all know what’s going on,” Maximus rumbled.
My eyebrows furrowed. “What?”
“Jett is involved in this somehow. How else do you explain his sudden absence or string of suspicious behavior?”
“There could be a hundred things going on right now,” I argued. If it weren’t for Ariana, I might argue that Jett had a new woman in his life, and he was sneaking off to be with her. But though the panther alpha didn’t want to admit it, I’d seen the look on his face when he first saw Ariana. He was as much hers as I was. He just hadn’t accepted it yet.
“Clearly, something is up,” Owen said. He stood, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. “But we don’t want to accuse Jett of anything yet. Right, Maximus?” The bear alpha narrowed his eyes at the wolf.
I’d never seen someone more dominant than Maximus, but the second his shoulders slumped and he sat back down, I gazed at Owen in wonder. Did he realize what he’d just done?
“Let’s all take a seat and stay calm. I’m sure we’ll hear from your friend any minute, Cash.” Owen sat back down, his foot bouncing anxiously despite the calm in his voice.
“You’re right,” I said. I slipped around the loveseat and joined Maximus on the long three-person sofa. “Any minute.”
Owen smiled tightly and nodded. “Any minute.”
12
Ariana
You or them…
Jett’s words echoed in my dreams along with a never-ending string of vampire attacks. I watched helplessly as every one of my mates was struck down, and I was all that remained. When the tears finally stopped and my inner beast burned for revenge, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t call her. They were all gone. My beastie. My wolfie. They were stripped away from me, and I was left weak and alone. For all intents and purposes, I was human.
That’s what Jett wanted me to do to the vampires, and after witnessing my mates sucked dry before my very eyes, I was tempted to let it happen. Let the vampires be wiped from this earth. If they killed my mates, I had nothing left to live for.
But before I could be released from my nightmares, there was one last thing my subconscious wanted me to see: the consequences of my actions. If I didn’t listen to Jett, to Dr. Siegfred and the humans, not only would my mates be taken from me, but so would their clans. The bears would be wiped out. Owen’s family. Maximus’s pack, the wolves who welcomed me into their home, would be killed. The entire Dragon Council would burn, and the shifters of New York would be struck from history.
I squeezed my eyes shut and screamed, pouring the frustration I felt out of my lungs until my throat ached and I could no longer breathe. Only then did a light appear at the end of the tunnel, and my name was whispered on the breeze. Calling me… calling me…
Light burst before my eyes as I finally awoke from my nightmares. I was covered in sweat and panting like I’d just run a marathon. I pulled my legs up to my chest, taking deep breaths until the pounding in my chest slowed, and the bloody images in my mind faded.
I was exhausted. It felt like I’d been running all night. How was it possible that I was more tired now than before I’d fallen asleep? I sighed and closed my e
yes.
“Ariana.”
I jumped, my eyes wide as I scurried off the bed. Metal flooring burned my toes with cold, and I blinked in surprise at Dr. Siegfred standing next to my bed.
“Good morning,” Muriel said, an amused smile on her face. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Well, you did,” I snapped, my throat aching. That colloidal silver was a real bitch.
“Apologies,” Muriel said. “But I have a surprise for you.”
I looked past the doctor to find a wheelchair sitting next to the open door. Two guards stood on either side of it, and I could see more through the door. “Where are we going?” I asked. This had trap written all over it.
“Like I said, I have a surprise.” Muriel smiled and motioned for me to take a seat.
I looked between the doctor and the guards. Though I liked to think I made the choice to sit in the wheelchair and let them strap my ankles and wrists to it, there was no choosing. Either I did what they said, or I stayed in the small lab room and returned to my nightmares.
“Good girl,” Muriel crooned. She took the wheelchair handles and turned me to the door, wheeling me out while the guards walked a few paces behind. “I want you to get a better idea of what we do here, and what we’re working towards. I know you’ll come around, even if it takes time. Maybe this will help push you in the right direction.”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t help it. They all wanted me to roll over and play dead. They wanted me to be their good little doggie, just like Dante had. My fingers tightened on the arms of the chair until they creaked.
I am no one’s pet.
As long as I lived and breathed, I would fight for freedom. But for now, I’d play along. My mates would never give up. They were coming for me. I just had to survive until then.
Muriel stopped, and I heard a click as she locked the wheels of the chair. She walked around the chair until she stood in front of me. “I almost forgot.” She produced a small spray bottle from the pocket of her smock. It was hardly the size of a tube of lipstick, but it held more power than my shifter body.
Her Bear: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 3) Page 7
