I gape at the bed, sure that I must be seeing things, but it is clearly Geoffre Balthazar. His face is contorted in fierce lust. The woman beneath him arches up from the bed in pleasure, and I see that it really is Cilla.
Confused and slightly sickened, I return to the back of the wardrobe to wait it out. They will fall asleep afterwards. Hopefully deeply. Hopefully with the lights off.
It seems to carry on forever. When they are done, I hear the sound of him going into the bathroom. He returns a few minutes later and says something to her, and then to my relief he leaves the room. Frustratingly, he leaves the lights on.
I wait for what seems like an absolute age. He does not come back. And surely she must be asleep by now? I creep to the door again to take a look. She is on the bed lying perfectly still. I watch a while to make sure she is sleeping deeply before I push open the wardrobe door as quietly as I can.
I tiptoe towards the first door I came in from. I am halfway there when she sits up in bed.
I freeze. I expect her to scream. I expect her to charge towards me like an angry werewolf. But she only laughs.
She laughs and laughs, almost hysterically. And that’s when I realize that she is tied to the bed. Her arms and legs are attached to long chains tied to the bed posts. There is a collar around her neck.
Remembering her shrieks from earlier, I am horrified at the realization that I might have misinterpreted them.
I take a hesitant step towards the bed, my eyes wide.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
“Water,” she says hoarsely, pointing towards a glass on the bedside table. It is too far for her to reach.
I rush to give it to her. She takes it from me gratefully and gulps it down. When she is done, I put the glass back down on the bedside table and hurry to untie her. Fortunately she is not handcuffed. The long chains are fixed to thick leather straps that are buckled to her limbs and throat. I start unbuckling the collar first.
Her long golden hand closes gently around my wrist, making me worry that I am hurting her.
“What are you doing?” she says mildly.
“We have to get out of here before he comes back!”
“And why would I want to do that?”
“He tied you to the bed! He…” My voice trails off. I look at the bondage gear again, and see it for what it is.
She looks amused. “You stupid little human. Watching everything, were you?”
“I’m so sorry,” I mutter, my face flushing bright red.
I try to step back, but her grip on my wrist tightens.
“Let go of me.”
“I don’t think so,” she says coolly.
I try to yank my hand away, but she holds on with perfect ease. She is so much stronger than me. Of course she is. She is a werewolf.
I yank harder, and try to peel her fingers away from my wrist. “Just let me go, please! I never meant to see this.”
“And yet you already have,” she says, her tone so casual.
She stretches her long limbs out on the bed almost luxuriantly, perfectly at ease with her nakedness, and all the while keeps her grip on my wrist.
“You’re the one who’s been fucking my boyfriend,” she says.
“Tyler?” I ask in disbelief.
“Who else?”
“But you’re… you’re…”
“Sleeping with my alpha?” she says smugly. “Yes, I am.”
“Tyler is not your boyfriend,” I hiss at her.
“Oh, but he is. He’s always my boyfriend when I want him to be. That’s my job you see. I keep Tyler nice and distracted.”
I had been about to throw my full body weight backwards to try and break her grip, but her words stop me.
“Distracted from what?”
“From Aeron, of course. Haven’t you figured it out yet? You really are stupid. Why do you think Geoffre raised Tyler as his own son?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
She throws back her head and laughs again. “You really haven’t got a clue, have you? I thought somebody must’ve sent you here to drive a wedge between Aeron and Geoffre, to steal the power, but you’re just a silly little girl in love.”
She says love like it’s a dirty word.
“I don’t care about your power games. You’re right. I do love Aeron. I only came here for him. Nothing else.”
“That’s the problem, you little fool. Aeron isn’t allowed to love anyone more than he loves Geoffre. Not Tyler. Certainly not a nobody like you.”
I let out a shrill bark of laughter. “Love Geoffre? What are you talking about?”
She giggles. “Paternal love, fraternal love, romantic love. It doesn’t matter which kind. Whoever the bearer of the bloodstone loves most in the world gets the power of the bloodstone.”
The power of the stone?
“We can’t have Aeron adoring anyone but Geoffre,” she continues. “His adored Uncle Geoffre who raised him, who gave him a best friend to watch over him.”
“That’s why you dated Tyler? To interfere with Aeron and Tyler’s friendship?”
“You’re catching on. I wasn’t allowed to touch Aeron, of course. Geoffre wouldn’t risk that. Shame. He would have been a tasty treat. ”
I am ridiculously glad to hear she was never with Aeron.
“And the bloodstone?” I ask. “You mean Aeron’s pendant?”
“Amulet,” she says coldly. “An ancient artefact. The curse of the Balthazars.”
She starts to speak in a singsong voice. “Once upon a time there was a young werewolf named Balthazar who craved power, so he stole the beloved daughter of one of the Magi. In exchange for returning the girl, Balthazar demanded a magical spell to make him the most powerful among all werewolves. The mage took Balthazar’s blood and worked a spell that he bound to a shard from a priceless ruby, creating the bloodstone. He told Balthazar to give the stone to whoever among his kin loved him the most in the world. And so long as that one loved him the most, Balthazar would know great power.”
I frown. “You said it was a curse.”
“Balthazar gave the bloodstone to his beloved twin brother to wear, and Balthazar’s power and wealth grew beyond his imagining. But the stone was cursed, and every night the twin suffered terrible visions. He weakened as the bloodstone slowly drained his life-force and gave it to Balthazar. Eventually the twin met an early death by his own hand.”
She giggles. “That werewolf was Geoffre’s ancestor. He used the power of the bloodstone to build a pack strong enough to claim a keystone.”
“I don’t understand. Isn’t the power of this keystone enough?”
“The keystones belong to everyone,” she snaps. “They will only allow so much of their power to be used by mortal hands. One keystone is not enough.”
“So Aeron’s uncle has been lying to him?” I am so angry that I can barely get the words out. “Controlling him and manipulating him his whole life? How could he be so… evil?”
“He’s not evil,” she snarls. “He’s our alpha. And when he has two keystones, he will be the most powerful man in this world. We’ll laugh in the face of the angelli. They think they’re better than us, but soon they’ll be nothing but ash.”
“You’re talking about mass murder. How can you be so… so casual about it!”
“People die all the time. This is meant to be. Even you came at the right time, just before the angelli are gathering for their prince’s wedding. Fate sent you to bring Aeron back to his full strength, just when we needed it.”
“Why? What are you going to do to him?”
“Don’t be stupid. Geoffre won’t harm Aeron. Not yet. Not until he has an heir to bear the bloodstone after him.”
“Aeron will never help him kill people.”
“Aeron won’t even know. All Geoffre needs is the power of the bloodstone to work the spell. And for Aeron to be at full strength to survive the ceremony. This one is really going to hurt him.” She giggles.
The meaning of her words comes to me in an unpleasant rush.
“He’s been using Aeron all this time? Making Aeron weak so that he can grow stronger? He was going to use Aeron to kill people and never tell him?”
She looks amused. “Look who’s catching on.”
“It won’t work. I’m going to tell him the truth about his uncle. You said it only makes him powerful so long as Aeron loves him most.”
“You really are stupid. You think you are going to get out of here?”
I take a step towards her as if I am going to slap her. And then I throw my entire body weight backwards hard, hoping to break her grip. It does not work. I struggle and strain, but she holds on. She backhands me in irritation, and the blow knocks me sideways, making my ears ring.
“Stop making such a fuss. You’re boring me.”
“How can you do this?” I say desperately. “He’s manipulating you too. Can’t you see it?”
“I like Geoffre and all of his little games. Haven’t you figured that out? He’s so deliciously interesting.”
“He’s a psychopath.”
“Now hold still, like a good girl. He’ll be back soon, and he’ll be very annoyed with you for spoiling his plans. You were supposed to keep Aeron busy for a few more days. The more he fucks you, the stronger he seems to be. Fate knew what she was doing when she sent you here.”
But it wasn’t fate who sent me here. Someone else did. I go still.
“Do you know Dane?” I ask.
“Dane who?”
“It was Dane who sent me here, not fate. And he didn’t send me alone.”
She looks confused.
I take a breath and hold it. I swinging my hand at her face and flick open the ring. A little cloud of spray puffs out. She gasps in surprise and jerks away. But it is too late.
