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Timber tried to push up on one arm, but the pain in her head was excruciating. She was dying! She fell back down to the hard surface she was lying on, squeezing her eyes closed against the dizzying pain in her head.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The pit-pat of her blood hitting the floor by her ear concerned her.
Where was she?
Timber tried to remember anything, but her brain was so fogged.
Wreck.
She remembered Wreck.
Josiah,her mind whispered.
She remembered his name uttered from another woman’s mouth.Kendra,her mind whispered.
Fuck.
She pressed her hand to the gash at her temple, and held in a scream at the pain. Was she bleeding to death?
“How was I supposed to know they had the Almost Alpha in their woods? I wasn’t the one doing recon! Blame Murphy! Oh, they have the Cursed Bear? They have Bash?” Silence. “We knew they would call on Vyr, so I did my part. I took care of Vyr, and I am pulling the phoenix away. I wanted to be in the war, but you said this was more important! Now I’m babysitting some bitches who are barely alive. Don’t give me that bullshit about innocents. The human is with the phoenix! She’s with the Fastlanders!”
There was a pause, and then, “Screw you, Rook. You’re the one wanting to be King. If you want the Pride, you have to make the hard decisions. What do I care about some human bitch? Stop calling her an innocent. She’s the mate of Wreck Itall. She ain’t innocent. I’m one of the best lionesses you have for war, and you sidelined me for this bullshit. Now you’re getting me in trouble for what? For knocking her out? What did you expect me to do? Ask her nicely if I could abduct her? You know, you’re real high and mighty right now, sitting back, ordering everyone to do what you want like we’re your little puppets, but who is the one who got Riyah? Who is the one who grabbed Wreck’s mate? Who’s the one pulling the fire-starters away from Damon’s territory so the allies I got for you can do your dirty work? A little fuckin’ gratitude, Rook. I am the mostvaluable player here. Remove your orders, and let me join in the war. I want to be the one to kill Silver for you. I have Holland blood in me. I will earn my rank and avenge our people for what that bitch did to you. She made you look weak, but I can help make our Pride strong again. Remove the orders. Let me fight.”
There was silence, and then, “Yeah, well I couldn’t get close enough to Clara, or I would’ve gotten her too! If Vyr comes for Riyah, which he will, Damon will follow his son. And how the hell did they have such a heads-up we were coming? Why are they all camped out in Fastlander woods? Why is Vyr in the mountains at all?” She was yelling now, and her voice held the grit of someone who wasn’t human. “This was just supposed to be the Fastlanders, and now they have too many weapons. You need me out there.”
The blood drained from Timber’s face as she listened, leaving a cold sensation in her cheeks. This woman, this shifter—Kendra, or whatever her name was—was pulling the fire-starters out of the mountains? She’d taken her to get to Wreck? She remembered Kendra coming up to her window when she was in her truck and asking if she was all right, but then…nothing. She’d knocked her out?
Wreck. They were pulling Wreck off something. War. Kendra had talked about the war, and she’d said Holland. Her head hurt so bad, and all her thoughts were blurred and jumbled.Think!
Damon was the blue dragon.Think. Vyr was his son. He was the red dragon. Damon had brought him in for…for…war. Lions. The Holland Pride? The war was here? And she was being used as bait to drag Wreck away from the mountains. She was thinking clearer now.
“Psst.”
Timber startled hard. She wasn’t alone in the dark. She wasn’t alone here in this room!
“Who’s there?” she whispered shakily. The woman in the other room was still yelling.
“I’m Riyah.”
“Riyah, mate of the red dragon?” she whispered through her terror.
“Yes.”
Vyr’s mate was here in the dark with her.
“Are you okay?” Timber asked on a breath, hoping Riyah could hear her over the sound of Kendra yelling.
“She’s given me something. Some kind of shifter suppressant. I can’t Change, I’ve tried.”
“What are you?”
“Polar bear, and witch. I have neither right now, and I’m bleeding.” There was fear in her voice. “I’m not healing. Whatever she gave me is powerful.”
Shit. Timber whispered, “It’s going to be okay. Where are you?”
“There’s a wall at my back. Follow my voice.”
