“Hey, beautiful,” he said softly.
Without warning, fresh tears pricked my eyes. “My entire life is a lie,” I whispered.
“That’s not true.”
I shook my head, tears making hot paths down my cheeks. “He’s been controlling me since I wasfourteen. Everything I thought I’d accomplished was him. My degrees. My research.” A shudder passed through me. “He called me his creature.”
Beck took my hand, his fingers tight around mine. “You earned those degrees. You don’t belong to him, Charlotte.”
“How can you say that? You heard what he said.”
“Yes, but I also know more than you about vampires. Everett analyzed your medication. It contains trace amounts of vampire blood. That’s how Henry maintained the bond remotely, even when he wasn’t physically feeding from you.”
Bile burned my throat even as confusion gripped me. “What does that mean?”
“Vampire blood is highly addictive. The vampires control their prey with blood exchanges, luring victims and getting them hooked. If Henry had treated you like a normal member of his stable, you would have never been able to function away from him, let alone travel to Alaska.”
I blinked away tears. “I don’t understand.”
Beck traced gentle circles on the back of my hand. “The pills he gave you were a slow-drip supply designed to keep you functional but dependent. He built a connection light enough to control you while allowing you to maintain your independencewhen you’re away from him. Everett thinks he’s probably only been feeding you his blood for a short time.”
I nodded, hope flickering in my mind. “He gave me the pills six months ago.”
“The insomnia was probably caused by the medication itself,” Beck said. “Henry needed a way to keep you taking those pills.”
I pulled my hand free so I could remove my glasses. I rubbed at my eyes, soothing the sting. “Why didn’t you tell me all this?”
“I couldn’t.” When I lowered my hand, regret covered Beck’s features. “The blood bond gives Henry access to your mind. He can probably slip into your dreams and rifle through your head while you’re unconscious. Telling you about him would have left you vulnerable. If he thought you were compromised, he could have ordered you to…” Beck clenched his jaw. “I couldn’t risk it.”
His meaning sank in. Henry had taken everything from me. Now, he threatened Beck and all of Bear Cove. “Why?” I rasped, fresh tears welling. “What does he want?”
Beck’s mouth formed into a grim line. “I don’t know. The vampires have always considered us beneath them. We’re not a threat like the werewolves. There are too many wolves for the vampires to take on without significant losses. But we’re small and isolated. The vampires could destroy us in a single night if they wanted to.”
Fear sank its claws deep. If Beck and his brothers were that vulnerable, what could I possibly do to help them?
“Rupert Henry is a real scientist,” Beck said. “That’s what scares the hell out of me. For some reason, he wants the research you’ve collected during your stay here.”
“Because you think he’ll expose you?”
“It’s possible.” Beck rubbed a hand over his mouth. “The vampires have always wanted to wipe out the werewolves. If he can expose bear shifters, it won’t take much to convince thehumans that wolf shifters are real. It’s the only thing I can think of.”
An idea sparked in my mind. I sat up straighter, the blanket slipping from my shoulders. “I can’t change my data, but I can make it seem like my experiments were tainted.”
Beck stilled. “What?”
I shoved my glasses back on as a plan took shape in my head. “I can take the fall. Make it look like I messed up the instrument calibration. If I admit to procedural errors, my data becomes worthless. No one will publish it. No one will take it seriously.”
Beck’s eyes widened. “Charlotte?—”
“It’s the only leverage Dr. Henry has. If I discredit my own research, he can’t use it to expose you.”
“That will ruin your career.”
Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them away. “I can’t let your entire community be hurt because of me. I can’t let him destroy Bear Cove.”
Beck moved his hand to my thigh. “We’ll find another way. You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do. It’s my fault he found you. My research led him here. I have to fix this.” Determination coursed through me. “Iwillfix this.”
