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Adora’s eyes were squeezed closed, and she opened one. Andreas chuckled, speaking softly to my sister, just loud enough I could hear. “Six chambers. One bullet. Want to take a chance again?”
Bile rose in my throat. They just wanted to toy with us. Play with our emotions before killing us. I knew it, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“Let her go so I can have you? I already have you,” Mathis retorted, searching behind me. “And without your dog to save you, it would seem.” He smiled, his canines reflecting the light. “But I came prepared for her too.” He patted his jacket near his hip, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out he was carrying a gun as well.
A small growl rumbled in my throat, but he shook his finger at me. “Temper, Dannika.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping that stalling for time would allow me to form some sort of plan. “What do you want?” I asked, trying to steady my breathing as I flicked my eyes between Mathis and the gun barrel jammed against my sister’s temple.
“I wanted my son to have a better mate,” he said in disgust, taking in my form. “But fate decided he wasn’t worthy of one, and then he wasn’t strong enough to kill you when he should have. I told him to kill you or fuck you, and he’s done neither. He does nothing but disappoint me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “No, he did what he should’ve done in the beginning. He rejected me.”
He raised a brow, tilting his head. “Well, isn’t that a twist?”
“Why?” I asked, careful not to make any harsh movements as I loosened my clenched fists.
“I had hoped losing you would be his end.” He shrugged. “Losing a mate is truly terrible. It tries to destroy you. Eats at you from the inside out. You wither away. Just look at your mother.”
“You son of a bitch.” I took a step forward?—
Click.
Another empty chamber, and I froze. Adora groaned in anger and relief, her body shaking in rage and fear.
“That’s two out of six,” Mathis reminded me, walking toward my sister. My heart beat wildly, pounding in my temples. He stopped in front of her, and her deep loathing glare could have bored a hole through anyone else. Angling his head to the side, he made sure I was watching as he yanked the knife out of her shoulder. Beneath her gag, Adora screamed, leaning forward, blood flowing freely from the gash.
“Stop it!” I yelled, feeling utterly helpless. I ran my fingers through my hair. “Why are you doing this? You never wanted me to begin with. You’ve hated me. Punished me. Sicced your dogs on me. Why didn’t you just let my family leave the pack and go somewhere else? You didn’t want me as your son’s mate.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Mathis clasped his hands behind his back, teetering on his heels. “You’re worthless as a shifter, but having you mated to my son would’ve kept your family under control. All of those loyal to your father would have had no choice but to step in line. Dead would have been nice too, of course, but Markus could give me neither.”
I didn’t even know what he was rambling on about. My family? Loyalty? We just kept our heads down, forced to stay in a pack that barely wanted us. The Inland pack was loyal to my family because of Abbey, but they were just as quiet as we were. If none of us caused a scene, we were able to live in relative peace. Did he think we were building some secret squad to assassinate him and take over?
I held my hands out, palms facing him, trying to show him I wasn’t a threat. “Mathis, we haven’t done anything. I want nothing from Fire and Fluorite. We aren’t going to cause any problems. Markus rejected me, and I’m not part of your House anymore. You’re free of whatever burden I am to you. I know you want to kill me. Fine. I just want you to let go of my sister. Let her leave.”
“So she can run to Elias? You think I don’t know what Blood and Beryl wants? What your king is trying to do? He isn’t as smart as he thinks. I have people close to him.” The sneer on his face was nothing but cruel. “I hear he is quite taken with you, but it’s a shame you aren’t mated yet. It would hurt him that much more when he realizes you’re dead.”
A rush of adrenaline sent a hot flash through me, and the color drained from my face, but I refused to speak a word. I had no idea how he knew, but he could read the question on my face.
“Dannika, child. If you were truly mated, Elias would be here.” His eyes flicked to the pack I carried. “And you wouldn’t be running away.” Still, I said nothing, and he chuckled. “Did you reject him too?”
“Maybe I did,” I said. My voice sounded strangled, and I couldn’t hide the sadness it carried. No, he rejected me.
“Perhaps you know your place more than I realized,” he mused. “You are nothing. You don’t belong anywhere.”
Adora growled at him in anger, stomping her foot.
Click.
My stomach roiled at the sound, and I choked out a sob. Turning to my sister, he splayed his hand against her shoulder, then stuck his thumb into the knife wound, pressing against it.
Adora’s eyes squeezed shut, and she screamed, her body shaking as she tried to wrench herself away from the onslaught of pain.
“What the fuck do you want?” I screamed, panic and dread filling me.
Footfalls pounded far off in the distance, headed in our direction.
“Alpha,” Andreas said. “Someone’s coming. We can’t be seen here.”
