Callum didn’t let go, but he yanked me upright, forcing me to my knees. The silver dug deeper, and I bit back a scream. The world spun for a moment; I retched dryly, nothing left to vomit.
“Welcome back, Savannah.” My father’s words were perfectly measured, as though I were a misbehaving student in his office. “Your surprise at being here is disappointing. You must have known it would come to this.”
I didn’t respond. I stared at the floor, willing the nausea to subside.
Dominic kicked a box over to me. It landed with a hollow thunk. “Drink,” he said. His accent was unmistakable—Midwestern, polished, predatory. He didn’t look at me as he spoke. “Or die of dehydration. Makes no difference to me, but it’s not the outcome your father wants.”
I ignored the box, ignored the burn of thirst in my throat. I’d been in worse situations. I could outlast them, if not in strength, then in spite.
My father cleared his throat, the sound slicing through the gloom. “We’re two hours out from Chicago. Dominic is being gracious enough to host us until the council hearing.”
I looked up, letting hatred burn through the fog. “Council?”
He smiled. “There are protocols for these things, darling. Your… mating, for example.”
He said it like a slur.
I shook my head, just enough to make the world tilt. “You’re wasting your time. As you said, I’m already mated. The bond is real.”
Dominic’s face flickered with something ugly—jealousy or rage or both. He knelt down to my level, close enough I could see the sheen of sweat on his upper lip. “You think he’ll come for you?” he whispered. “You think that mongrel will survive two hours with my men waiting at O’Hare?” His hand shot out and caught my jaw, squeezing until my teeth ground together. “You belong to me. Your father made a deal. That’s how these things work.”
“You’re going to hell,” I said, though the words slurred out more like a moan.
He grinned, then let go, letting my head snap forward.
Callum circled behind me, his boots scraping the deck. “Don’t bother. She’s got nothing left to fight for.” He bent low to my ear, his breath hot and venomous. “They’re going to rip that mate mark off your neck, you know. Maybe even skin it. Wouldn’t that be something? Maybe Dominic will let me keep it as a souvenir.”
I turned my face away, trying not to breathe.
My father watched this with an expression of faint boredom. He drummed his fingers on his knee. “You are here to listen, Savannah. That’s all that’s required. If you can manage not to embarrass yourself for two days, I might even consider some leniency.”
He paused, then added, “Otherwise, your life will be very, very short.”
Dominic stood and dusted off his hands. “She’ll cooperate, Declan. She doesn’t have a choice.”
I kept my mouth shut. I’d learned in the labs that silence is sometimes all you can weaponize.
Callum was less patient. He grabbed my chin, twisting it so my eyes met his. “Did you hear what father said?”
I stared at him with all the hate I could summon. “Loud and clear.”
He slapped me, a backhand across the cheek that made my ears ring. “Show some respect.”
I spat blood onto his boots. “Fuck you.”
Dominic laughed. “She’s spirited. I like that.” He squatted again, getting in my face, his voice low and smooth. “You’ll learn to like it, too. Eventually.”
The three of them conferred as if I were nothing but cargo, a feral animal they had to restrain until its new owner arrived. They spoke in code about “the subject,” “the council session,” “the protocol for removal.” It was obvious none of them considered me a person any longer. Just a liability, a body to be exchanged for power and face-saving.
When they thought I wasn’t listening, my father let his true feelings bleed through.
“She’s a disgrace,” he said. “But if the bond is real, it will be dealt with. If not, we’ll take care of her. Either way, Dominic gets what he wants.”
Dominic’s voice was cold as the hold. “I don’t want damaged goods. She’ll behave, or I’ll have Callum teach her how.”
Callum snickered. “Gladly.”
The plane rocked through another pocket of turbulence, and my chains pulled tighter. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for the impact that might end it all.
