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“When and where?” Kade swallowed the lump in his throat. The man hadn’t hesitated.
“I have a line on where my friend is being held. I’ll pay. Whatever the cost.” Wolves wouldn’t come cheap. He also couldn’t let any of them put their lives on the line without all the facts. “Do you believe in magic?”
There was a long silence, followed by, “That complicates the situation. I’ll pass on the information. It’s up to the contractors if they take the job.”
“Understood. When this is over, I owe you a drink.”
“Contact me when you have a location.” The line went dead.
He reached out with this mind and spoke the words in his head and aloud. “Hang on, sweetheart. I’m coming for you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Luna lay on the hard cot and stared at the gray ceiling. To say she was torn was an understatement. The sheer relief of being in contact with Kade was overshadowed by the fear she’d end up being the instrument of his death.
She rubbed her fingers over her lips, the sensation of their kiss lingering. What they shared was a dream, but it was more. There was an undeniable reality to it. He was willing to fight, to put his life on the line. She could do no less.
Closing her eyes to block out all distraction, she reached out.Kade.Part of her feared that whatever connection they had during their dream wouldn’t translate to the waking world. What if he couldn’t find her? What if he did?
As long as she was part of his life, she endangered him. This had shown how easy it would be for an enemy to use her against him. Her concentration faltered before she steadied herself. She almost gave up, but she’d given her word.If you’re out there, I miss you.In the short time they’d known each other, he’d become the most important person in her life, as integral to it as her art.
It was beyond weird that one single drop of blood was responsible for her gray eyes and the streaks of gray in her hair. She wouldn’t believe such a thing even possible if she wasn’t living it. Solange was like a villain in a dark fairy tale, manipulating people, putting her evil plans into place over decades. That kind of obsession never ended. Kade would never be safe as long as Solange lived. If there was a chance to end this here and now, they had to take it.
Swallowing, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. The air was cold, but it went much deeper. Locked in a cell, she was limited in what she could do. Not helpless. Never that. She’d used her mind and whatever strength she possessed to defeat Solange, but would it be enough?
The sensation of fur brushing against her cheek startled her. She bolted upright and touched her fingers to the spot. Had she imagined it?Kade?The seconds ticked away, becoming minutes. Loneliness swamped her. By design and due to her personality, she’d closed herself off from people. This was the result. It might take years for her parents to realize she’d disappeared, if they ever noticed. No one other than Kade would care enough to look, and he was the one with the most to lose.
She wouldn’t blame him if he walked away. Solange had used her abilities to manipulate them both. A smart wolf would get out of town and leave her to her fate. He didn’t owe her anything. Blood connected them, the bond built on spells and lies. How could they trust any relationship based on a foundation of deceit? There was no way to know for sure if the feelings they had for each other were real.
A growl echoed in her head. It was as if her wolf had somehow heard her thoughts and was not happy. She wanted to laugh and cry, wanted to hug him and push him away to save him. Sitting on the side of the cot, she fisted her hands on her thighs. She wouldn’t give in to defeatist thinking. While it was possible for their supernatural connection to bring them together and foster a sense of responsibility, she didn’t believe it could create the depth of emotion swelling up within her until her heart ached.
Solange craved immortality. Luna was fighting for her life and the life of the man, the wolf, she loved. Taking a deep breath, she mentally called to Kade, hoping to guide him. She also sent out warnings, reminding him not to underestimate their enemy. She needed him to be the lone wolf, the deadly, focused hunter that other wolves feared. Any distraction could lead them both to death.
The clip of heels on concrete had every muscle in her body tensing and her breathing quickening. Focusing, she continued to try to broadcast to Kade. The footsteps stopped. The back of her skull tingled, followed by the urge to look toward the door of the cell.
Digging her fingernails into her palms, she fought the compulsion. A shard of pain stabbed her skull. Wincing, she stubbornly ignored the not-so-subtle summons. Maybe she couldn’t win in the long run, but she was damn well going to make Solange work for it. She had no idea how much this took out of the other woman. Any weakness was one Kade could exploit.
Sweat beaded on Luna’s brow as the pain crept down her neck to her shoulders. It slithered downward, muscles twisting and knotting. Crying out, she dug her fingers into her neck and biceps, trying to alleviate the agony.
As unexpectedly as it began, it ended. Panting in relief, she lowered her head.
“So stubborn.” Solange tapped the toe of her shoe. “It’s pointless. In the end, you’ll do what I want.”
“Maybe.” She slowly turned her head toward the other woman. “But you’ll damn well work for it.”
She ran the tip of one manicured fingernail up and down a metal bar. Her other hand was once again wrapped around the ruby pendant around her neck. “Your petty defiance is hardly worth noting. I’m merely playing to pass the time.”
Luna wasn’t so sure. There was a tightness around her mouth and eyes that hadn’t been there earlier. Or maybe that was wishful thinking. And was her power over Luna somehow linked to the pendant? She’d been touching it each time she’d use her mind-control tricks. If the opportunity presented itself, she needed to grab it. “Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain?” While she already knew, maybe she’d learn something new. Information was important if they hoped to defeat Solange.
The corners of her red lips tilted upward. “Immortality.” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, as if she could already taste it. “It will be delicious.”
“You honestly believe it will work.” She pushed off the bed and strode toward the door, careful to stay out of touching range, not that it really mattered. Solange had proven she could harm her without it, but again, if it made her expend more energy, it was worth it. “You failed with the white wolf.” While she didn’t have details, it was obvious Devlin had somehow evaded the trap set for him.
Kade, if you can hear me, Solange is with me.It wasn’t easy to split her attention. It was like facing down a cobra. One false move and it would strike.
On a cry of frustration, Solange thrust her fisted hand in the air and brought it down hard. Luna was thrown to the floor, tossed like a leaf in the midst of a hurricane. She slid across the concrete, slamming against the wall. Stunned by the swiftness of the attack, she took inventory. Nothing broken, but her left shoulder and arm were definitely bruised. Again, she caught a faint growl in her ear. Or maybe they were simply ringing after that heavy hit.
“I underestimated the white wolf, but not this time. This entire building is one big cage. He’ll be in chains before I begin the process of draining his life force.” There was a tinge of insanity to her laugh. “I’ll drink in every last drop.”
