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Killian laughed. “You hear his heartbeat. It races to the sound of his fear. The power that adrenaline induces is unlike any other. Why fight it?”
She turned to Killian. “Because I’m stronger than you. When offered the chance to save your children, to be the man your wife expected, you failed. I’m not that weak.”
Killian flinched, shoving the teen away from him. “You’ll take your place at my side. Like Julius, you will be a lieutenant in the reaper army. As the only female of your kind, you will be a symbol of power. My power.”
“You’re deluded.”
Killian approached her, smiling before he grabbed her hair and yanked it back. He leaned down, so his breath whispered against her cheek. “I don’t think you appreciate the advantages of being a reaper. Humans are cattle. You will be a princess.”
Dannika strained her neck, pulling from Killian’s grasp. “What else? There’s more to this. I don’t mean anything to you.”
He smirked. “You’re right. I care nothing for familial ties, but you are intelligent. You are also a symbol. One you are yet to understand.” He waved his hand regally. “Remove the boy. Put him in a cage beside Raine. Let his blood taunt the leader of the wolves.”
Dannika’s eyes narrowed on Killian. “What aren’t you telling me?”
His eyes flickered. “I need to prove to my clan I can control you. You believe you are special because of your blood. That’s simply a side effect of what makes you unique.”
“What does that mean?”
“Whether reaper or shadow, you can bear children.”
She swallowed the bile in her throat. “I think you’ve ensured my mate will have nothing to do with me.”
“True, but Raine is not the man I have chosen for you.”
She shook her head. “I will never choose another. Raine is my mate.”
Black waves rolled off Killian’s shoulders. “You will accept the man I have chosen for you. This is not a debate. Would you like to meet him now, or on your wedding night?”
CHAPTER9
Dannika gripped the scratched wood of the rickety armchair. Her body tensed as her wolf growled within her head, desperate to fight back and remove the monster before her. “No.”
Killian smirked. “You’re speaking as if you have an option to decline. My brother tried to cajole you into choosing a cougar mate. His weakness gave you the impression that you had a choice. That is not the case here.”
Black smoke whispered over her skin as she fought to contain her demon. “I will never take another mate. Raine is my choice. You can coerce me into doing your bidding, but I will never choose another. Besides, I’ll be a reaper. Having a mate will be irrelevant.”
Killian’s eyes flickered. “You will not lose your animal. That’s the power of the Priestess’ blood. You will not lose your ability to mate. We will breed you, and your daughters will become the brides of my men.”
Her chest squeezed. “No. That’s impossible.”
What he described was a fate worse than the destiny he’d foretold. She didn’t want to believe him, despite detecting no lie. She couldn’t. Not for herself, but for her children. She’d die before she allowed her family to be born into slavery.
Her heart rate accelerated. The tiny office, with scattered papers and aluminum walls, closed in on her as black spots formed behind her eyes. Her breath became deep and ragged as she clutched the material of her shirt.
Killian grabbed her shoulders. “Dannika, breathe.”
Julius materialized by the door. “What is happening to her?”
Killian pursed his lips. “A panic attack. She clings to her human life and is reminded of the closet she was locked in when her foster brother died.”
“Will it kill her?” The hopeful inflection in Julius’ tone was perceptible.
The room faded to black as she continued to fight for breath. If she kept her demon at bay, could she die a human death? Her skin turned to ice as Killian’s shadow enveloped her.
A breeze and smell of wildflowers had her opening her eyes. The tree she sat beside crested the forest, a sentry to the lush greenery and cloaked darkness. The breeze lulled her into a sense of normality, a glimpse of hope before she noticed the salvage yard sat at the bottom of the hill. Killian had taken her just far enough to ease her confinement, to sate the panic attack, but not enough to make her feel safe. To think she could orchestrate an escape.
Killian took a couple of steps away from her. The tall grass brushed against his pants as he looked down at the warehouse district of Graydon County. “In time, you will accept human weaknesses no longer affect you. Julius took years to acclimatize to reaper life. You are far more intelligent than he is. I expect you to rebound quicker.”
