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Bad magic.

"Very bad."

“The one we made with someone from your former pack,” Candice continues. “We had an agreement. We had obligations. Everything was supposed to happen before you and Darian disappeared.”

Her fingers tighten around the bars. “But no. You had to escape before I had everything in place to kill you.”

Selena shifts closer to me. I don't move. Candice is angry now. Really angry. The smugness is gone, and every word comes faster than the one before it.

“Do you have any idea what that could have done to Zeke?” she demands. “We gave our blood. We swore an oath. If we don't uphold our end of it, Zeke dies.”

There it is. Not obsession. Not only revenge. Fear. Candice isn't hunting us because she couldn't move on after we escaped. She's hunting us because whoever she and Zeke made that blood oath with still expects payment.

“So let me understand this.” I straighten despite the weakness dragging at my body. “You and Zeke made a blood oath with someone from my former pack, promised to kill Darian and me, and now Zeke's life is the price if you don't finish it.”

“We didn't fail,” Candice snarls. “You ran.”

“Sounds like failure to me,” Selena says.

I bite the inside of my cheek. Goddess, I love her. Candice glares at Selena before looking back at me. “I'm not letting my mate die because you and Darian decided to run away and play happy family somewhere else.”

“So Darian and I die instead.”

“Yes.” The answer comes without hesitation.

“And that's why you need him here.”

“That's why I need both of you here.” Her smile slowly returns. “Together.”

Then her eyes slide toward Selena.

“You, however, were never part of the agreement.”

Selena's fingers tighten around mine. Candice looks at her swollen stomach, and something ugly enters her expression. “I could kill you right now.” My wolf surges against the poison so suddenly my breath catches.

NO!

The word is stronger than anything I've heard from her since waking. Selena.

Another pulse. Luna.

Then her anger turns toward the life Selena is shielding beneath her hand. Luna pup.

A growl trembles faintly through my chest. Silver Moon heir.

I step in front of Selena. “Touch her and I'll kill myself.” Candice freezes. The guards down the corridor go silent. Even Selena turns toward me. I hold Candice's stare. My heart pounds against my ribs, but I finally understand the rules of this game, and Candice made the mistake of telling me exactly how to use them.

“You need me alive,” I say. “Darian has to feel our mate bond. He has to know I'm alive so he'll come looking for me.”

Candice's jaw clenches.

“So go ahead. Touch Selena before Darian gets here. Hurt her. Hurt her baby. Kill her if that's what you want.”

“Arlene,” Selena whispers.

I don't look away from Candice. “But the second you do, I kill myself.” Candice's face drains of satisfaction. “My mate bond breaks. Darian knows I'm dead. Your bait is gone.” I move closer to the bars. “And when he doesn't walk into your trap, you can sit here and watch your mate die because you couldn't keep your hands off my Luna.”

“You wouldn't.”