Page 47
She stands near the corner of the room, her slender figure silhouetted against the light sneaking in through the cracks of the beams, making the walls. Her back is turned toward me, a mobile phone nestled between her shoulder and ear. She leans against the rough wall, an aura of cold indifference radiating from her. Then her laugh pierces through the silence - a shrill, discordant sound that bounces off the walls and echoes in my ears. It’s a laugh devoid of warmth or joy, sending chills down my spine.
“Yeah, I’m stuck babysitting her,” she says into the phone, with clear satisfaction as if she’s savoring a sweet victory by my torture. I’m unsure if being stuck with her is worse than Rhett; she hates me, so will gladly kill me if given the chance. Rhett wont, not now that I have his blazing mark on my neck.
“She’s out cold for now.” She speaks as if I’m some inconvenient burden she has been stuck with, the feeling is definitely mutual. “I’m telling you, once Rhett is done with what he’s got to do, we’re going to make our move, and I’ll make him get rid of the bitch before their mate bond causes issues.” As I suspected, she sees me as a threat to her and Rhett. Quite frankly she can have the bastard, they deserve each other. I want nothing to do with him, so her worry is unwarranted.
She pauses, listening to whoever is on the other end of the line.
Her back stiffens and she straightens up from the wall, her hand nervously playing with a loose strand of hair. “Mom, I know; I’ll take care of her, don’t worry. Rhett assured me she won’t get in the way of us.” Her tone is softer now, pleading, as if she’s trying to convince herself as much as the other person. I almost scoff at her words, mainly because now I bear his mark. I can feel him so much stronger and his bond pestering the hell out of him to come back to me.
“Mom, I know you don’t have to remind me. Rhett knows that’s the only way to get her to mark him. But once she goes into heat her wolf will take over, she’ll mark him and the bond will be complete. Then he’ll get rid of her once her pack is secured.”
The room around me spins, her remark echoing in my head. A cold dread seeps into my bones as I realize the gravity of the situation. Please Moon Goddess, don’t be so cruel to send me into a heat over that jerk. As if things couldn’t get worse! It’s bad enough I’m alone, in enemy territory, with no one to trust. Rhett is gone, and Bianca… Bianca is waiting for the perfect moment to end me and now I need to worry about his mark sending me into heat.
I want to yell, to scream. Chuck a damn tantrum at the thought. But my throat feels parched, like a desert barren of moisture, and my head is a whirlpool of foggy confusion. I also don’t want to deal with Bianca. There’s a sharp, biting burn in my limbs, an agonizing sensation that can only mean one thing - they’ve filled my veins with wolfsbane once more. The poison seeps through me, turning my strength into weakness and chaining my wolf while sizzling every nerve, my skin burning.
Despite the torment, I gather what little strength I have left and pull against the cruel ropes binding my wrist together and trapping them to the chair. The rough fibers bite into my skin as I strain against them, the rope only twisting the more I strain. For now, immobilized in this damnable chair. My only option is to swallow down my frustration, to bide my time until I can loosen these ropes enough to slip a hand out.
Bianca stomps her foot, her heel clicking on the hard floor. “I know, Mom, I said I would handle the bitch, she’s pumped up on wolfsbane… I can take her, some faith in your daughter, Mother would—”
Bianca’s voice abruptly halts mid-sentence as she turns to glance at me, her focus shifting toward me. Her eyes flicker in surprise before dancing with amusement as a sly smile creeps onto her face. She holds the phone away from her ear before hanging up without a second thought, not even bothering to bid her mother farewell.
“Well, well,” she purrs with sarcasm as she saunters toward me. Her smile is like a predator baring its teeth - all malice and vile satisfaction. “Look who’s awake at last.” She folds her arms across her chest. “Took you long enough. How long were you eavesdropping?”
“Long enough to know your mother is worried about being left alone with me.”
“She worries for no reason, Alpha blood or not, you are still no match for me even if you somehow got out of those binds.” Her words are daggers of ice, but I don’t flinch. Instead, I meet her gaze unperturbed by her threat.
“Why don’t you untie me and we find out?” I taunt, glaring at her, my hatred for this woman boiling in my chest. Bianca scoffs, pocketing her phone.
“Nice try, you can’t even shift, exactly what do you think you’ll do while full of wolfsbane, you’d be smart not to provoke me while so vulnerable.”
The way she taunts me, as if she’s already won makes that hatred fester violently, she is so fucked if I get out of this chair, if Rhett’s warriors couldn’t contain me in an elevator, this prissy bitch stands no chance on her own.
I clench my fists, feeling the ropes cutting into my skin as I fight against the restraints, still, I start working my wrists back and forth, trying to get some give. I just need enough to get a hand free. With the amount of wolfsbane pumping through my system, I won’t be able to shift or even extend my claws. The more I move, the more this wolfsbane burns my nerve endings. I welcome the rope burn; it distracts me from the throbbing of my head and keeps my focus on her and not provoking her while I’m defenseless.
“So, Rhett left you here alone?” I finally manage to rasp out even though my voice sounds pained as I fidget with the ropes, yet it is still filled with anger, which I can’t seem to keep from my voice. The cabin creaks with every movement, swaying slightly as the waves crash against the wooden pillars beneath it. The salty air seeps through the cracks in the walls, carrying the scent of the ocean inside. Despite the dimness, the distant calls of seagulls and the gentle lapping of water, make me wonder where the heck I am to go if I get out of here.
Bianca’s eyes narrow in displeasure as she scoffs, her face twisted in a cruel smile. Her heels click against the hard floor, each step closer making my skin crawl. She crouches down, her face inches from mine, her face set in a triumphant smirk. Her hair falls in waves, framing her perfectly made-up face and emphasizing her sharp features.
“Of course, he did; he knows I can handle myself,” she replies with a trace of pride as if Rhett’s confidence in her abilities is a badge of honor. Yet, I can’t help but recall how Bianca struggled at training with the warriors. The one time I did go with Rhett, Bianca was barely managing to keep up. The thought crosses my mind that Rhett’s faith in her might be misplaced, the glint in her eyes tells me she believes every bit of it.
She is so close her breath sweeps across my neck. The scent of her perfume is sickly sweet, overpowering and cloying in the confined space. It masks the smell of the musty room but makes my stomach turn. It’s a scent I’ve grown to associate with her, and it only adds to my revulsion of her.
“Why? Are you scared knowing your mate isn’t here to save you if you piss me off?” she sneers. Her gaze, cold and condescending, pierces through me, treating me like I’m a pathetic joke. But there’s a fire burning within me; she underestimates me. And she forgets that I’m not a regular she-wolf. I carry Alpha blood coursing through my veins, and my father had me training with his warriors from the moment my tiny legs could bear my weight. The moment these ropes release their grip from my wrists, she’ll realize her mistake.
Bianca laughs in my face, her amusement echoing ominously through the room as she rises to her feet. “Don’t worry, we still need you alive for now,” she says nonchalantly, a twisted smile playing on her lips. “At least until our plans are set in motion. Although,” she adds with a chuckle, and flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder, “I would love nothing more than to slit your throat, like I did your Daddy.” she snickers and my stomach sinks at the reminder, but also boils the blood in my veins even hotter.
“Rhett has just gone to make sure everything is set, then he’ll return for us, and you’ll be out of my hair.” she sighs. “So many plans, so little time. I can’t wait for this to be over, I need a manicure, you ruined my nails with that pathetic escape attempt!”
Chapter 23
• Aubrey •
Bianca’s impatience starts to show as she paces in front of me, her steps slow and deliberate and she keeps pulling her phone out like she is waiting for a call or message. However, despite her patience, her confidence is as palpable as it is unsettling. “You didn’t sound so confident about Rhett’s plans earlier,” I taunt. She stops abruptly, her predatory gaze fixes on me.
“Excuse me?”
“Wherever you held me last time. I heard you both arguing, you seemed worried.”
