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1
BRYN
I sat up with a sharp gasp, my body shaking. I knew that something—possibly everything—was wrong.
My eyes snapped open, revealing nothing but pitch blackness. The ground beneath me was cold, damp, and rough against my back. The air smelled like the musk of wet moss and swamp. I tried to lift my hands, and found my wrists bound. My ankles, too, were tied with rope. I sat up with a whimper and scooted back, back, back until I felt a craggy, jagged wall at my spine.
A cave? I thought, my mind reeling. But how? Why?
The moment the question entered my mind, the answer came rushing back to me.
I was walking up the steps in Violet’s cabin, headed toward the restroom to freshen up after talking with Tavi and Violet. On the stairs, my wolf suddenly stirred, scratching at me to let her out.
Someone knocked on the door. Violet went to answer it. Before I could warn her, before she had even touched the knob, the door was kicked open. We froze as the figure of the man I had believed (hoped!) I would never see again filled the doorway. He wore all black, matching the darkness of his eyes. He looked from Violet, to Tavi, who had gotten to her feet, and finally to me.
The moment his eyes met mine, I was positive that he had figured out that I was different now. The expression on his face morphed from rage to curiosity, and then finally to delight. I felt my bones shiver as his lips pulled away from his teeth in that terrible grin.
“Long time no see, Bryn,” he said, stepping further inside. “We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
His two closest men entered behind him: Samson, whose dirty blond hair fell in his eyes like a mop, and Harlon, who kept his black hair in a buzz cut. They also wore only black, wrapped tight around their unbelievably strong bodies.
“Get the hell out of my house, Troy Redwolf,” Violet snapped. There wasn’t a trace of fear in her tone. “If you know what’s good for you, pup, you’ll turn tail and—”
Troy’s hand snatched out, gripping her upper arm with his wolf’s claws extended. The scent of Violet’s blood—sharp and metallic and tinged with her sweet, floral scent—cut through the air. Troy’s teeth became fangs and he pierced them into her neck. Violet would have screamed, but he pulled his head back, viciously ripping through her skin. More blood spurted from the wound, drenching the wall with blood.
The sight of the beautiful, strong Violet falling to the ground nearly broke me. It sent me back to the time before I had a wolf, before I found out I was a shifter, when I had been at my most vulnerable. I sank down to a crouch, my body shaking as I watched the terrible scene through the wooden railing. Troy wiped blood from his chin with the back of his hand.
“Violet!” Tavi called, her voice a half-growl. She launched out of the kitchen with all the grace and terrible focus of a predator. She lunged at Troy, but Samson grabbed her and slammed her to the ground so hard, the entire cabin trembled. The breath was forced from Tavi’s lungs in one awful, sharp second, and as she writhed on the ground, Samson covered her with his body and knocked her unconscious.
Troy laughed as Harlon mounted the stairs. His dark brown gaze riveted on me, and I was so paralyzed with fear that all I could do was watch as he approached. I winced as he grabbed me by my shoulder and lifted me to my feet. He forced me down the stairs, each step bringing me closer to Troy and his horrific smile, which was stained red with Violet’s blood.
“That’s a good girl, Bryn,” he said as Harlon forced me onto the landing. “Just as meek as I remember you.”
Just then, Pax—precious Pax—burst into the cabin. The room froze as every eye turned his way.
“P-Pax,” I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.
His hands began to sharpen to little wolf claws, and his ears became pointed and tufted with fur. He scratched at Troy, who watched him with cold, passionless eyes. Crimson dripped from Troy’s hand, the one still smeared with Violet’s blood, and fell to the floor, forming a small pool. Troy’s claws twitched as Pax tried to bite him.
“Pax, no!” I yelled, fear for him forcing me into action. I elbowed free of Harlon’s hold. “Pax, get out of here!”
But it was too late. Troy lifted the boy by the back of his shirt, and Pax yelped. The sound of it tore me in half. Harlon, surprised by my sudden strength, recovered quickly. He grabbed me by the back of my neck and forced me against the wall. I tried to push away, but he gripped my hands and held them behind my back. I squeaked with pain as he pressed me to the wooden wall.
Troy chuckled and approached with Pax, who fought and kicked and whimpered to little effect. I watched with wide eyes. My wolf was quiet, which only added to my terror. Once again, I was alone, with Troy leering down at me. I tried to fight Harlon’s hold, but he tightened his grip until I felt the joints of my wrists pinch against each other.
“I see your love for pups hasn’t changed,” Troy said. I felt his hot breath on my face; it reeked of Violet’s blood. “I’m going to kill this boy and your friend the same way I killed that old bitch.”
I forced myself not to look at where Violet lay with blood pooling around her.
“I’ll make you watch me bleed them dry,” he said, staring into my eyes, his gaze piercing my soul.
“No!” I said with tears in my eyes. “Troy, I—I’ll go with you willingly—just, please, let the boy and Tavi go.” It hurt to say, but I meant it. Though I had formed lifelong relationships with the Wargs, though I had found the love of my life here, I would leave it all behind so long as it guaranteed the safety of Pax and Tavi.
Troy chuckled. “That’s what I like to hear.” He looked at Harlon and winked.
The next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain at the back of my neck, and my vision swam. I sagged against the wall. The last thing I heard was Pax’s whimpers.
And now I was here in this cave, with only the occasional drips of water from the stalactites above to keep me company. I pulled my knees against my chest and wrapped my arms around them. The darkness pressed in around me, oppressively opaque…until I heard a howl from somewhere distant.
