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"Nor did you."
"You're right, I didn't," Pierce agreed. "You always liked to think you were better than me, that you had the heart that a true alpha needed to lead. Tell me, Joaquin, where's that heart now?"
"Still here," I grumbled. "You haven't... broken it yet."
Pierce's gaze grew feral as he pulled out the knife from the holster strapped to his belt. The blade was clean of my blood from the last time he used it. "You say that now, but how will your heart take me claiming back what you stole from me?"
My body stiffened at the sight of the blade, which didn't get past Pierce's knowing gaze. He smirked down at me. "What's wrong, Joaquin, afraid of a little knife play? What a shame, I thought it would help spice up our relationship."
"If I had... enough food... in my body... I'd throw up," I said.
Pierce unlocked the cage door, swinging it open with a creek. Stepping inside, he squatted down until we were both at eye-level. "I have some interesting news to discuss with you."
I furrowed my brow, wondering what he was going on about this time. Pierce rose back up and stepped out of the cage, only to come back with the vapor machine he used to spray the wolfsbane gas, and a portable oxygen mask for himself. He set the machine down and hit the on switch. The oxygen mask slid onto Pierce's face seconds before the gas began sizzling out, and I held my breath like my life depended on it—which may very well be the case.
Pierce went back to squatting down in front of me, his haunted blue eyes sending shivers running down my spine. "Now then, are you aware that your little friend left the pack grounds shortly after you were brought down here?"
"What? Who?" I asked, still trying to hold on my breath for as long as it took.
"Sabina," Pierce responded. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"
Sabina was gone too? That would explain why she hadn't stopped by to check in on me, but where was she going? She made it clear that she wouldn't be accompanying us when we discussed our plans for leaving Kingsrose, so she wouldn't have taken off to catch up with Rosie and the twins, would she?
I shook my head, unable to figure out what her motives would be for leaving.
Pierce kept an expressionless look on his face, unable to let me read how he felt about my answer. It was why I didn't see the punch to the gut coming until it happened, and all the air I was holding was coughed out of me. Unable to help it, I took in a lungful of air, which also let in the wolfsbane. Immediately, the effects of the deadly aroma began poisoning me throughout my body. Breathing was becoming more difficult and my heart was slowing down. My wolf whimpered in agony, losing all its strength. Our connection was frazzled, but still intact. My vision blurred, causing me to struggle to stay focused on Pierce.
"That's better," Pierce commented snidely through the oxygen mask that was protecting him from the gas. If I could move my hands, I'd yank it out of his face and let him experience what it was like to have your body slowly shut down.
"Now let's try this again." Pierce held out the blade, pointing the tip to my left bicep. "Do you know where Sabina took off?"
"I don't... know," I got out, and meant it. I really didn't know what Sabina was up to.
"You know with your heartbeat so slow, it's really hard to tell if you're lying or not," Pierce said in a mocking tone. "Let's see if this jogs your memory."
I screamed as Pierce pushed the blade into my arm, the sharp tip breathing through the skin, and blood started gushing out of the open wound. The bastard brought it down slightly, cutting through the skin like soft butter, opening the wound more. The blood was coming down and dripping along my collarbone and pectoral.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Pierce asked rhetorically as he pulled the knife back. "I'll ask again, do you know where Sabina went?"
"I don't know," I got out through gritted teeth, fighting the nausea building up in my throat.
"Hmm." Pierce tabbed the tip of his knife to his chin, pretending to think about my answer. "I don't think I believe you."
Another scream ripped out of me while Pierce stabbed my other arm near the spot behind my elbow. "I don't know where she’s going. I swear it!" That was all I got out before he cut along my arm, and I shouted until my throat hurt too much to utter another sound. Hot tears ran down my cheeks as fast as the blood running down my body. My insides felt cold and heavy. I fought to stay awake, but I wasn't sure why anymore. Sleep seemed too enticing to pass up. It meant no pain. Even death was starting to sound like Utopia to me. My wolf was too weak to protest. We both knew the minute we gave up consciousness like this, it was game over, but I needed to shut down. Anything to get away from the pain Pierce was inflicting on me.
Rosie's face appeared in my mind's eye. Her fiery determination to never back down from Pierce. Her helping me realize that Pierce needed to be stopped if we ever hoped to have a future together. I wanted that future, more than I wanted my next breath. I wanted to keep fighting, not just for me but for Rosie and the twins too. Rosie passed on the Wolf Moon's gift to me, so I shared her responsibility to make sure it didn’t fall to his hands. If I only we knew what the hell was so special about it.
Mother Moon... if you have any shred of mercy for those who bear your gift, please help me.
"Your will is strong, Joaquin," Pierce said, lifting my chin with the bloodied knife so I could look into those devious eyes of his. "Too bad you never had the guts to challenge me."
"Just wait... till I get out of here," I seethed. "I'll do... what I've should've done... long ago."
Pierce quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? Finally discovered your balls, brother? It's about time, but too little too late. You've lost your chance to be a real man and fight me for your precious pack." He pointed the tip of the knife to where his heart would be if he had one, lightly tapping the spot. "That's why I'll always be the better alpha, I'm not afraid to do what I have to do. The strong survives this world, while the weak end up on their knees."
"A king is not... a king... if he has no subjects... who will follow him," I panted out. "You think our pack... follows you... because you're a great alpha? Because they like you? They don't."
"Who says I want to be liked? Have you learned nothing, Joaquin? Look at where you are, then where I am. You led with your heart, and that was why you couldn't find it in you to kill me. Whereas I challenged my father and killed him with no remorse."
