Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
My fates had stepped out of the way, revealing the jewelry box resting innocently on the table behind them.
“Give that back!” I ran at them.
“Don’t,” Orion shouted, ripping open the box and pulling out a letter. “You’ll never climb this dais fast enough to stop me burning it, so don’t bother.”
I ground to a stop so fast, I looked as comically frozen as Liza did. Breathing hard, I fixed on my mother’s letters—her last words to me. “What... do you want?” I rasped.
“Sit.”
I sat.
My chest heaved, rising with big gulping breaths even though I felt the band wrapping tighter and tighter around my rib cage. “How did you get those?”
“Oooh, that was the easy part.” Edric clapped Paxton on the shoulder. “See, when we realized you were trying to drive a wedge between us through Paxton, we let you think it worked.”
I stopped moving. Stopped breathing. What? What is he saying?
“All that punching him in the face, him standing up for you, and getting him thrown out of alpha class was all an act,” Nyx continued, grinning away. “All so when he said he was on your side, you’d believe him.”
“More than that,” Orion went on, clutching my letter in a crumpling grip that made a scream leak through my teeth. “It’s so when he slunk into your room with his tail between his legs, you wouldn’t question he belonged there, or his scent.”
“You searched my room.” It wasn’t a question.
“A lot more carefully and thoroughly than those dumbasses did,” Paxton confirmed, smirking away. “Didn’t find anything the first, second, or third time, but then, I don’t watch as much mundane television as you clearly did over the last year. Hidden in the floorboards. Classic.”
I held my breath—trying to calm myself. Relax my face. “Yes, you found my mother’s letters. Good for you. But if you’ve read them, you know there’s nothing of value in there for y—”
“But it’s not about their value to us.” Badr’s voice was odd. He sounded... almost... My gods, he sounded pleased. “It’s about their value to you. So valuable you took them with you and kept them safe for all those months on the run. So valuable, you couldn’t resist bringing them here with you, instead of leaving them somewhere safe.
“So valuable, you’re going to call that vampire worm right now, and tell her you’re calling it all off. Tell her you changed your mind about the video. She’s going to delete it. Today. Right now.”
“But—”
Orion’s hand caught fire. Flames consumed the letter.
“Noooo!” I screamed, jaw cracking. Tears sprung to my lids so hot and fast, I couldn’t have held them back if I tried.
“Consider that your only warning.” Orion snatched up two letters. “If you don’t do what you’re told the first time, I’ll burn more.”
Edric stepped to his side, turning his back to me, and leaning over Orion’s ear. “Hey, easy, man. We said we’d only use them to scare her—”
“And she’s looking pretty scared to me,” Orion snapped, shoving him out of the way. “Do it, Volana. Make the call.”
My mind raced. Lucia and the threat of that video was my only protection. Without it, there was nothing stopping the alpha council from locking me away, and forcibly breeding the next generation out of me. Because that’s what they would do if I continued refusing my fates.
They’ve wanted this next generation of super wolves. They wanted it bad, and nothing would stop them, except Lucia.
I eyed the letters, tears spilling. But... Mom.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone. Lucia answered on the first ring.
“What do you want?”
“Lucia.” My voice was dead. “Get rid of the video. Delete it. I don’t need it anymore.”
Silence sounded on the other end.
“I see,” she replied. “They’ve got you, don’t they.”
It wasn’t a question.
Orion held up the letters like a maniac manhandles a hostage. “Tell that disgusting dead worm you’re done with her for good.”
“I’m done with you for good.”
His eyes flashed. “And the rest.”
Grip tightening on the phone, I gritted, “You disgusting dead worm.”
“Don’t worry, Daze,” Lucia said. “I know what to do.”
“Hang up and smash the phone.”
Heeding Badr’s orders, I hung up and smashed the phone. “Now what?”
“What do you think?” Badr nodded at Ava. “Your trial begins.”
“My trial?” I couldn’t stop the derision that bled into my voice. “What’s the point of this charade? You put me on trial for killing your brother, find me—surprise, surprise—guilty, and then you do all the terrible things to me that you’ve been waiting to do.
“Why don’t we skip the bullshit, and go straight to the end?”
Badr’s expression didn’t change. “You’re right, Volana. And you’re wrong,” he replied, crumpling my brow. “I’m not putting you through a charade so that I can justify hurting you. Even if I wanted to, my wolf wouldn’t let me, and your vow wouldn’t let you. It’d be the shortest, most nonviolent battle in history.