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Chapter Nine
Diana
Idream of water cool on my lips and lunge forward on instinct, pressing my mouth against the edge of the glass. It tips forward and I guzzle thirstily at the sweet, mineral-tasting liquid.
But I’ve barely begun to slake the thirst turning my throat into a barren wasteland when the glass is suddenly pulled away.
Lids flying open, I try to reach for the water and realize two things simultaneously—one, this isn’t a dream. And two, my hands are bound and the man looming over me with a now empty glass of water is probably the one who bound them.
Narrowing my eyes, I jerk at the ropes looped around my wrists. “Let me go. Now.”
“I will,” he says in a deep, rumbly voice. “But we need to talk, and I didn’t want to waste time fighting you. Or chasing you down if you tried to run again.”
“Fuck talking. I’m not talking until I’m not a prisoner.” I’m tied to a bed in the corner of a dimly lit cabin, propped up in a seated position against two very soft pillows. I appear to be unharmed, but I don’t trust this guy, even if he does look weirdly familiar.
Familiar…
The man’s words before I passed out echo in my head and I ask, “How do you know Jacob?”
“He’s my brother,” the guy says, making me snort.
“Jacob doesn’t have a brother. He’s an only child.”
Something that looks like pain flashes behind the man’s eyes, but it’s gone by the time he says, “That may be what he was told, but it isn’t the truth. Our pride has an arrangement with a local coven. They provide our compound with spells that protect and conceal it from our enemies. In exchange, once a generation, our Alpha sends them a child to raise as a familiar.”
“I don’t buy it,” I say. “I’ve met Jacob’s dad. He would never have agreed to that.”
“He didn’t have a choice,” the man says. “Without magical protection our pride would have been destroyed decades ago. We’re outgunned, outnumbered, and other shifters have always felt entitled to take what’s ours.” His full lips press into a judgmental line. “Especially wolves.”
I bite back the retort on the tip of my tongue. I’m not a fan of being tied up, but I’m not a fan of the way most wolf packs currently operate, either. “If that’s the truth, then I’m sorry. A lot of wolf packs suck, but that doesn’t justify holding me prisoner. I have to go. I have to get back to my pack before my brother destroys the world.”
“I’m not holding you prisoner,” he says. “I’m protecting you, and I’m prepared to untie you as soon as you agree to my terms.”
I scowl up at him, hating how much his eyes remind me of Jacob’s. I can’t think about Jacob—or what has probably happened to him since I left the camp—or I’ll fall to pieces and be of no use to anyone.
“That’s not how being friends works, friend,” I seethe. “I’m assuming you want to be friends, right? Since you gave me water and are sharing your life story with me and stuff? And you apparently know Jacob and I were—are dating.”
The slip of the tongue makes the back of my eyes sting, but I shove the wave of emotion away, and concentrate on glaring holes into my captor’s skull.
But he’s no dummy and my quick word swap clearly hasn’t gone unnoticed. His gaze softens even as worry tightens his features. “They won’t kill him. Beat him, maybe, but he’s too valuable to kill. At least not yet.”
I try to swallow, but the lump forming in my throat is too big. “You don’t understand. I ran away from the camp. When my brother finds out, he’ll want to punish me and Jacob’s the best way to do that. Bane’s crazy, he won’t care that he needs soldiers to fight his war or—”
“Bane’s dead,” the man cuts in, making my jaw drop.
“Wh-what?” I finally stammer.
“He’s dead. They brought his body back to the camp early this morning.”
“How do you know that?”
“I have my ways. And my spies,” he says vaguely. “And a little magic of my own. You don’t grow up around witches without learning a thing or two.”
I exhale, relief making my arms tremble at my sides. “So, Jacob’s okay? He’s still alive?”
“For now,” he says, not looking nearly as hopeful about Jacob’s future. “But the spell they’re planning to work with that sword tonight is pitch black magic. Even if they manage to pull it off, it’s a tripod, an unbalanced spell. It will need to be shored up with additional sacrifices.”
I shake my head. “No, they can’t do the spell. Willow and Maxim escaped. I heard Bane talking before I ran. That’s why he was beating Kelley. I…I thought he was going to kill her.”
