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I almost choked on her delusion. Maybe a splinter of humanity remained in her soul, and she would show compassion if she found no proof of what she hinted at. Except she knew I’d seen her in the woods taking over wolfterritory.
She shoved my head back, and I hit the wall, then cringed. Yep, not a smidge of kindness left. She paced across the room like a caged tiger, while the guard stood in the corner close by, eying me withdisgust.
“When we met in the woods a few days ago,” she started, “you growled just as wolves do. Plus, the giveaway was your eyes had shifted to those of a wolf. And it got me curious. Who exactly wasScarlet?”
My eyes had shifted? My head screamed, well aware of where she was going with this. And I had to stop her. “That was me freaking out, nothing more. Everyone makes sounds.” I spoke so fast, my words blended together. “Take your guard over there. He’d been grunting like a pig before you arrived. That doesn’t make him suspect of anything. Except being in need of awash.”
His lips warped, and he raised his blade, pointing it at me. But the real threat was the priestess. She approached her protector, seized his blade, and returned to myside.
I pulled away as much as my restraintsallowed.
“Funny thing is that when I dug deeper, I discovered your parents were killed by wolves. Sixteen years ago.” She tapped the side of the knife to my cheek. “And you know what else? I keep a record of every wolf I encounter and where. Sixteen years ago, I found a wolf shifter on our land with his wife, insisting he washuman.”
I trembled, and fiery rage soared through my veins. In my mind, I kept remembering Grandma’s words. Hatred surged on the back of my throat, but I held it tight or I might as well have signed my own deathwarrant.
“I…I doubt it’s the same people. I watched my parents get torn apart by wolves near the border. I buried them with my grandma in the yard behind my shop. Dig up the ground, and you’ll see.” Hopefully, I’d buy myself time to escape with that lie, yet I kept thinking, if she hadn’t mentioned my three shifters, they must still be safe,right?
Dagen! If you can hear me, run to the Den. Take the other two with you.Please.
I couldn’t risk them coming here, getting caught andbutchered.
The priestess flicked the blade toward me and sliced mycheek.
Iflinched.
“No more lies. Your dad was a wolf, and that makes you onetoo.”
I gnawed on my lower lip, fear leeching into me at what she’d do next. “I don’t know what you want from me. I’ve never harmed asoul.”
“Yes, well, that’s the problem.” She dug her fingernails into my neck, breaking skin, and I tensed against her, my breathsspiking.
“You may not have attacked anyone yet. But it’s only a matter of time before the beast inside you escapes. I won’t risk the safety of mypeople.”
“Your people hate you, loathe everything youdo.”
Her slap across my face came fast and left me dizzy. “Enough. Now show me your wolfside.”
“Fuck you! I’m not a shifter. You kill innocent people all the time. The real monster here isyou.”
She didn’t respond but swiped the blade between us, the sharp tip biting me across the stomach, fabrictorn.
I winced aloud that time and hunched forward as much as my shackles allowed. The cut throbbed. Death flashed before my eyes. Earlier I’d held on to the slim chance I’d survive, but I’d been a fool. An idiot. And now I’d perish like my parents. Leaving behind my three wolves, the men who’d made me realize there was so much more in life. And I yearned more than anything to enjoy my future with them, maybe even have afamily.
But those stupid desires washed away as I faced the devilherself.
My throat thickened. “Please. I’m no different thanyou.”
“You’re nothing like me,” she barked as she cut me across my collarbone in slowmotion.
I yelled with pain, feeling as if a fireball had exploded in my innards. Every move felt like rusty nails diggingdeeper.
“Bring him in,” the priestess spat. The guard rushedoutside.
My heart froze, and I couldn’t take a breath. Was it Nero? Oryn?Dagen?
Santos stumbled into the prison, his face ashen, his clothes torn and cuts snaked down hisarms.
“No!” I cried. “He has nothing to do with this. He’s my assistant at thestore.”
