~Kade~
I woke up with a headache from hell, wishing I could cut my head off and put on another before starting the day. Unfortunately, not even werewolves would survive decapitation. I groaned and rolled over; my feet hit the carpet, and I shook my head and smiled as my ribs pressed against my heart in agony. It was Layla who told me to put a carpet down by the side of the bed, both my side and hers, she said it was nicer than stepping on a cold floor the first thing you did in the morning. I ran my hand through my hair and stepped into the shower. The water hit my chest and down my core; I closed my eyes and leaned my hands against the tiles.
Her face came into my vision, and then slowly her body began to form.
She stood there, right there with that big smile on her beautiful face. Her hand reached out and touched my cheek; her thumb grazed over my lips and she took her bottom lip between her teeth. “Fuck,” I felt myself getting hard from the mere memory of my mate.
“I need you back here with me.” I turned off the water and got out. She was coming home; she had to, because there was no way I could do life without that woman.
I opened the door to the cellar and turned on the lamps.
Sebastian, his father, and Dimitri were all sitting in their cells. Darian was pressed up against the far-end wall and glared as I walked past his cell.
When I got to Justin’s cell, I saw him decked out on the floor.
“What’s the point of me giving you a mattress if you still prefer the concrete floor?” I asked and banged on the cell.
He flew up and looked around. He ran a hand over his face and stood on weak legs. I looked him over, and something didn’t feel right.
“I didn’t think wolfsbane affected you that much?”
“Huh?” He looked dizzy and fumbled over the mattress before falling forward and gripping the bars.
“It doesn’t,” He said and looked at me quizzically. “It shouldn’t,” He said.
I looked at the mattress that my mother forced me to give him. After hearing that he told Layla to trust that Nathaniel guy, I didn’t have it in me to do him a favor, but here we were.
“I need to know everything about the Emberclaw pack, the terioritry, from where it starts and how far it stretches, and also the best way to get in.”
“You’re kidding, right?” He asked and leaned against the bars.
“I don’t do that.” I grabbed a chair and sat down in front of his cell. I heard one of the others dragging on the floor; they wanted to listen in, but why they were interested was beyond me. They’d most probably die in this dungeon unless I felt merciful one day and sent them out as rogues…or bait.
“The land isn’t big, Kade, but it is filled with only the most powerful werewolves in existence.” “That’s not what I asked.” I seethed.
“Knowing the woods won’t give you any type of leverage or higher chances of success against them!” I ripped open the cellar door; the chair flew back, my hands fisted his shirt as I pressed him up against the wall.
“My mate is in there with your psycho leader, so if you don’t tell me how the fuck to get in and get her, I will break your fucking neck and use your spine to strangle your king!”
“Her life will be in more danger if you attack them there!”
“I WILL MAKE THAT DECISION!”
“Except you won’t!” He growled and pushed back, he fell from hands and stepped back.
“And why the fuck not?”
“Because he loves her too.” Both of us turned and looked at Danielle, who had just walked in. Everyone else was standing with their noses pressed against the bars.
Justin was looking at Danielle; his brows suddenly hunched down, and he squinted as he scanned her face.
“Danielle,” he said.
My arm rose, my fingers rolled in and my fist made contact with his jaw in a split second. I heard how the bones in his jaw broke, and his body fell against the wall.
“You’re in love with my girl?” I grabbed his throat and raised my hand, but this time it never came back down.
I looked back at Danielle, who was holding my arm.
“Don’t, but now you know who he is. He doesn’t care about you or her, only himself and what he wants. Can you really trust the word of a man who wants your mate?” Her voice rang out softly, and her fingers caressed my hand as they moved down my arm, and then she let go.
“Kade,” Justin said and stood back up. I walked out of the cell and closed the door.
I turned around and saw the smug smirk on Dimitri’s face. He smiled as he looked at Justin behind the bars.
“You’re done.” Justin looked between me and Danielle; his lips parted but no words came out.
As soon as the doors to the dungeon closed, Danielle grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the stairs. “We have to talk.” She circled her arm in mine and as I passed Anna, I could feel her burning glare stare at where our arms met, and knew that was something I’d have to deal with. However, it was the last thing on my mind.
We went into the office and Danielle locked the door. I looked at her quicially and the look didn’t go away for the several hours that we sat there. It took every ounce of restraint in my body not to go off on her.
~Justin~
Danielle was the person I saw last night. At first, when I woke up and Kade was there, I was sure it was a dream, but no, I’m sure she was here, and she was talking to Darian. He slipped her something earlier; there was a piece of paper in his hands, and now it was gone. His hands held around the bar as he watched me with malice burning in his eyes.
His lip pulled up in a snarl as he backed away into his cell. Something was going on between them, but telling Kade now would do nothing. He thought I was in love with Layla.
’You are’
It’s a crush
’It’s love’
It was something but nothing I would ever admit. Layla was special; she saw you, the real you, whereas others just saw what they could use. Being raised in a pack like the Emberclaws didn’t leave room for imperfection, and you had to learn the ropes quickly or they would find another way to teach you. The cheerful, loving classes that Layla saw weren’t the real ones; the real ones started when you turned ten. You weren’t allowed to eat or sleep until you stepped up at least one step in your training. The ones who opposed were beaten into submission.
“Why didn’t you beat him?” My brows furrowed when I heard his question. I stood from the mattress and walked over to the bars. Sebastian was leaning against the corner and watched me. “Why should I?” I asked and looked at the little punk. Layla had told me a lot about him, and just seeing him had me questioning their Alpha bloodline.
“You’re stronger than he is; you could’ve beaten him up and walked. Why’d you let yourself get a broken jaw?” My jaw was all healed up but damn that shit hurt. Kade may not be an Emberclaw, but he sure as hell lives up to his reputation.
“I came here willingly; running would be futile.”
“Why’d you come?” This kid was nosy, or maybe just bored, maybe even a little lonely. He was picking out dirt from under his fingernails. He was tiny and fragile and many of his wounds hadn’t healed. Maybe he was just dealt some bad cards in life; I knew a thing or two about that.
“They needed my help,”
“Doesn’t look like that,” I groaned and nodded my head.
“He’ll come around,” or so I hoped. Whatever Danielle was telling him could be pushing him further away. That manipulative bitch always had a thing for stirring shit up.
“How do you know Danielle?”
“We belong to the same pack. Danielle joined us later, but it didn’t take long for her to leave a mark.” I heard a menacing laugh echoing in the cell. It was dark, but my eyes were adjusted and the mist of wolfsbane was now down to normal, so it had no effect on me.
“Can I help you with something?” I said through gritted teeth and watched Darian.
“Oh no, you have helped out enough.”
“Dad?” Sebastian said and tried to see his father.
“Nobody told you the dangers of speaking in front of strangers, did they?” He said and snarled. “My strangers are locked up in the same cells I am, so I’m not that worried.” I said and stepped back.
“You’re a fool, Justin Track; did you really think he wouldn’t know you would come here?” I froze, my body stiffened, and my shoulders went rigid.
“He will have your limbs torn from your body for this, as an example to anyone else who dares question his authority and loyalty.” His voice grew darker, and he pressed himself further up against the bar. His eyes looked to the side and he watched me like a madman.
“You love his prized possession; you know all of the dirty little secrets about the pack, and you are telling them to that filth of man.” He seethed as spit flew from his mouth.
“Things he won’t know until it’s too late.” I said.
He smiled, a smile that told me he knew things that I didn’t. He shouldn’t know about the King.
’But he does and it seems the information was stored to be delivered’
Darian opened his mouth, he pried with his fingers behind his teeth, and blood dripped down his lips as he pulled out a small wire with a thick curved edge. He watched me as he entered it into the lock and began twisting.
The lock clicked, smoke started seeping from the keyhole, and the metal started melting and the door slowly swung open.
“It is sad how Alpha Kade is fighting so hard to bring back his mate. Once Nathaniel hears the information I have and he is finished with her, she’s dead and nobody will be able to save her. It’s sad and also fun.” He stepped over the threshold and drew a breath.
“Ahh, sweet freedom, I’ll make sure to say hi to Layla for you, if she’s still alive when I get there, that is.”
“No!” I pulled at the door and felt the slight break of the lock.
“We’ll say hi to her ourselves, thank you very much.”
“Huh?” Darian turned around, his eyes widened and his hands flew to his stomach. I got the door open and ran up beside Danielle.
“You bitch.” He stammered as blood started dripping from his mouth; she twisted the knife, and he fell to his knees.
“Dad!” Sebastian ran up to the bars but quickly pulled away when the acid started eating at his hands. He clearly hadn’t been given the remedy that made Darian immune to the wolfsbane.
His face contorted as he drew his last breaths. His lips jerked, they pulled up in a smile and his bloodied teeth showed in the darkness, enhancing his golden eyes.
“You think this is over? no…no, this isn’t over, and…and you cannot stop it.” Danielle squatted down in front of him.
“At least we got to see you die.” She twisted the knife two more times and he fell limp down on the wet floor.
“Get some sleep; I’ll see you tomorrow.” Danielle walked out, the door slammed closed behind her and I stood watching Darian’s lifeless body bleeding out on the floor, and his son on his knees in the cell crying for his dead father.
Dimitri eyed Sebastian down, but his eyes were glazed with pools of tears and a defeated look. He pressed up against the wall and stared at his lifelong friend.
’There isn’t much time, Justin. We have to tell him’
I know, we’ll tell him in the morning
