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Not without pain, or blood, or penance.
“Why not?” Rook demanded, trying to snatch the phone from Ebony’s grip. Ebony took a step away, eyes burning.
“She was… she was really scared, mate,” Rook said. “If it’s about money, we just give it to them and get her back. It’s simple.”
“Nothing about this is simple,” Ebony replied, but he was distant, still scanning the phone screen intently, only half paying attention to us.
“Ebony, Rook’s right—” I began, but I cut off as his blazing silver eyes snapped to mine. He was closer to fully cracking than I’d ever seen him.
“You don’t get a say!”he snarled. “Youletthis happen.”
I grit my teeth. “We focus on Vex.” I had to keep us together right now. “We’re getting her back—and we’re going to do it together. I’m with Rook, if this is about money—”
“If itisn’tabout money and we say we’ll give them anything, we’re on the back foot.”
Drake made a strangled sound. “Who fucking cares if we’re on the back foot, it’s Vex—”
“There’s nothing to stop them doubling down the moment they think we’re desperate,” Ebony cut him off.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Rook snapped. “Why take her and send the video if they don’t want anything?”
“Could this be what they wanted? To… show us this and take her away?” I asked, my voice hoarse. “To hurt us?”
“No…” Drake’s voice shook. “No, because then how… how do we get her back?”
There was a heavy silence as Drake looked desperately between us. His panic came through in his blackcurrant scent as it did in the bond, his grip on our connection slipping. It was all consuming.
He was terrified.
Rook was ashen. I could see in Ebony’s eyes that he agreed with me—that there might be nothing they wanted beyond what they’d already taken. Our pack had enemies, too many to count. And too many had the kind of resources needed to pull something like this off and never get caught.
“If you hadn’t stopped me, we wouldn’t be here.” Ebony’s words were low and deadly as he squared me up.
“She…” I shook my head. “I didn’t know.”
“She’s ourmate. You treat me like I’m the broken one, but then you’re the one who—?”
“Because of you!” I hit my boiling point, all the terror and guilt suddenly too much.“You, Ebony!”My aura was out, and I had his shirt in my fist as I shoved him back a pace toward the wall. “You were the only reason I let her go.”
His lips were curled in a snarl, but he didn’t retaliate.
But he was right. He wasn’t the one who’d screwed up tonight.
I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. There should never have been a moment in which I didn’t trust her.
My mate.
Ourmate.
I’d failed her.
Still, I couldn’t distinguish my pain from the hatred I had for the man before me. His expression was bitter as he stared at me silently. Iwouldn’thave made that mistake if it wasn’t for him. I wouldn’t have been afraid of loving her.
Still, he said nothing, and it fuelled my rage. “Don’t pretend,” I spat, “that you haven’t spent your wholelifemaking sure I couldn’t have anything beyond this pack—beyond you!” I slammed him against the wall. “You got what you wanted, you piece of shit,and it’s cost you, and me, and her!”
“No!”Drake was there, his aura out as he ripped me back, fury in his eyes. “We arenotdoing this right now! She’s… she’s alone. We can’t fight until she’s safe!”
Chest heaving, I took a step back, dropping my fist and trying to find order in my scattered mind.
