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Thoughts of Skylar assault me as those words leave my lips, remembering the conversation we had in her office the other day.Skylar.Relief floods me at the fact that she isn’t here, that they haven’t gotten to her too.I’ll be back to you soon, little wolf.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Elise sneers. “This is a war, not a battle, and the casualties now will result in a prosperous future for us all once you’re all dead and buried.”
“That sounds like some real cult shit there. You really think Aldric is going to give you what you want?” I snap. “As soon as he takes us out, he’s either going to kill you and the rest of the pack, or he’s going to use you as his little puppets. He hates wolves, Elise, and that includes you.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hisses, her eyes narrowed into a glare. Despite the cutting look, I glimpse the smallest hint of insecurity, like I struck a chord. Good, now I just have to—
Shouts echo in the distance as the smack of a door crashes in the distance. Elise’s lips curl, and any trace of the doubt I saw vanishes along with it.
“The reason I came in here was to make sure you’re both awake,” she says as she grabs another bucket off the ground and heaves it up. “We have a surprise for you both.”
Shivers of unease skitter up my spine, my mind whirring at the sudden shift. Surprise?
There are two other chairs. My heart sinks, and panic grips me. They caught someone else, and judging by the smug grin she gives me as she dumps the bucket of water over Arsenio’s face, I know we’re going to need to get out of these restraints sooner rather than later because like hell am I going to let them do anything to my mate.
Please, not Skylar,I send the silent thought up to the goddess above while preparing for the worst.
Arsenio sputters, coughing against the water pouring over his face. Elise is focused on him, her maniacal grin spreading as she watches her handiwork. Fucking sick.
I search along the zip tie, running my finger over the edge to find the part where it fastens.
“What the fuck,” Arsenio sputters. He attempts to wipe his face of the water clinging to his skin, only to realize he too is zip tied to a metal chair.
“This is even more fun the second time,” Elise giggles, tossing the bucket to the side.
I grit my teeth as pain slices into my wrists. The tightly bound ties cut into my skin with each twist of plastic until … there. I position the clip where the two sides fasten against the edge of the metal bar and test it. The plastic strains under the pressure, not enough to break apart, but enough to reassure me it can. If I tug against this with enough strength, I’ll be able to break free.
Now I just have to wait. Too early, and I’ll give myself away, but too late … someone’s life might be on the line.
“They brought us to some warehouse, Elise wants all the power and glory that she thinks is owed to her, and they apparently have a surprise for us,” I say dryly, causing Arsenio’s head to snap in my direction. His shoulders slump slightly, his face relaxing at the assurance that we’re here together, but he stiffens a moment later as my words sink in.
“Surprise?” he asks, completely ignoring Elise now, much to her chagrin.
She growls, her jaw ticking at the lack of attention she’s receiving. “Fine, take away my fun, but you won’t be so nonchalant in a few seconds when your surprise walks through that door.”
The sounds seem to be getting closer now, but I don’t recognize the voices. Rage flickers in me at the thought of them incapacitating someone else the way they did to us. I can’t tell how long we’ve been out for, but if I’d have to guess by the pain throbbing in my skull and along my side, it wasn’t very long.
The steel door bursts open in the next moment, snapping my attention towards it as my stomach twists, my hands poised to break the tie at any second.
Zeke is shoved forward first, my heart plummeting at the sight of him. By the smug grin on Elise’s lips, I knew it had to be them, but I was still holding out hope. A bear shifter, judging by the scent of him, leads him across the room and roughly shoves him into the chair on my left. Zeke’s stormy eyes meet mine, resolve brewing in their depths as though seeing us has his plans shifting. I work to keep the look of confusion off my face at his willingness to be led forward. The Zeke I know would have that man’s neck snapped in an instant. Elise is already there with a zip tie in hand, whistling merrily as she tightly cinches the plastic to the chair.
“Next,” she demands, tapping another tie against her palm, practically salivating as she watches the door.
My lips pull back into a snarl as I glare at her in warning, but my attention quickly shifts back to the door as footsteps approach. Fury unleashes at the sight of my mate as another shifter shoves her forward. I memorize her face, taking stock of the cuts and scratches and the thick dirt coating her skin and clothes. She walks forward with a slight limp, gritting her teeth through the pain.
I’ll fucking kill anyone who laid a hand on her.
Despite the few injuries I’ve spotted, they look all together unharmed, something I’m both thankful for and worried about. Zeke is a trained assassin, and Sky can handle herself just as well, both in human and wolf form, so how did they get here?
Her eyes meet mine, panic flickering in them as she scans my body in the same way I just did to her, before doing the same to Arsenio. A crease furrows between her brows, but it’s gone in an instant as Elise strides forward.
The bear holding Sky’s hands behind her back brings them to the front for Elise, and she snaps the zip tie around them. I work to keep my confusion off my expression, my stomach sinking at just what they have in store for us that Sky hasn’t been restrained the same way the rest of us were.
I’ll get us out of here before I let anything happen to her, regardless of how many bodies will litter the floor when I’m done. I glance to Arsenio and Zeke, a look of understanding and a silent promise passing between us all.
“He has plans for you,” Elise whispers to Skylar, running her tongue along the shell of her ear. Skylar grimaces, her jaw ticking as she yanks her head away. Her hands twitch, and I half expect her to punch Elise in the face with her bound fists, but to my surprise, she maintains her composure.
A growl rumbles in my chest at the vile beta touching my mate, and my wrists are about to strain against the chair when Zeke stops me with a nearly imperceptible shake of his head.
