You mother fucker. Nix was on alert.
Rick quickly shifted. “I don’t know if you are Amy’s friend or working with Amy, but Vince has these woods locked down. Magical traps set for days. I don’t know how you even got out here.” He paced away and I looked away from his naked skin. I didn’t need to see him like this. “I thought with her magic Amy could get in here to see. Fuck.” He came back, whispering. “I needed to catch you. I’m sorry. I will message Amy as soon asI get back to let her know we have you, but Vince won’t believe you managed to get free with me here.” He looked panicked until there was a snap of a stick a ways off. The look died in his eyes, and a new coldness that I had never seen before was there. It was like the Rick I knew was dead and all that was left was this man I didn’t know. “Over here. I got her, but she won’t shift for me. Do you think you can force her Vince?”
A new pit opened in my chest. They couldn’t find out who I was. There were footsteps, and eventually I was surrounded by naked men. “Maybe I’ll have to borrow something from Verity or the twins.” He crouched down near my head but I snapped at him. He grinned. “Feisty.” He roughly grabbed the back of my neck and I allowed him, for now. “I’ll enjoy breaking you, bitch.” He leaned in. “And I will break you. Once I have you in human form, I will fuck you every night until you beg me to stop. But even then, I won’t.” His grin almost made me vomit. “I will shatter you so thoroughly you will beg for me by the end.” He leaned in too close and I snapped at him again, catching him off guard.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Vince yelled as he tossed me to the ground. Morgan kicked me as soon as I hit the dirt, chunks of grass and twigs flying, the swift kick to my stomach sending me into a tree. I yelped as my shoulder broke, along with a few ribs, but Vince just looked at me with surprise as a chunk of his face slowly knitted itself back together.
I looked at him through hooded eyes, but I watched with satisfaction as his cheek slowly rebuilt itself. Blood poured from his left side of his face. The lip hung loose, cut adrift from the portion of his cheek. I ripped away. His teeth were visible, and the surprised look in his eyes made the slow healing a little easier to deal with.
Brandon looked at his father with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” He went to move closer, but that was the moment I spat out the hunk of meat I had in my mouth, as if his blood was poison.
Vince didn’t look away from me. I sat up and wretched, like I was going to vomit. His blood and bits of flesh clung to the inside of my mouth. Once it was clear, I sat, babying my one side that had the broken shoulder and ribs, then I looked at Vince. I allowed the anger, the hatred I had for him to bubble up. He watched me transform into a wolf who absolutely hated his existence, and as far as he was concerned, he had never even met me.
“Who are you?” His cheek finally knit itself together enough that he could speak without dislocating his jaw. I just sat and tilted my head. His eyes narrowed. “I don’t recognize your wolf or scent. You are on my land…who the fuck are you?”
I tilted my head the other way and let out a low growl. I felt my shoulder and ribs heal, the snap audible around the clearing as the bones snapped into place, but I didn’t flinch. The men, all of them. I watched the skin tighten around their eyes as I put weight on my leg and then settling back onto my haunches.
They thought I would shift and beg them to let me go. They had another thig coming. I waited. I watched. And when I see them vulnerable, I’ll strike. Rick watched with his arms crossed, face dead, but I could see a tiny flash of panic.
And he should be. I wasn’t expected to be back for a few days. How was I supposed to heal the kids up again by the end of the week? I felt worry bubble up, but I pushed it down. There was no way I would allow them to see that I was worried.
“Make her shift.” Brandon walked closer to me and reached out a hand towards me.
“Are you fucking stupid?” Vince went to pull him back, but I lunged. He was quick, but I was quicker. I snapped my jaws, and Brandon screamed, blood pouring from his hand. Vincepulled him back and turned him to face him. Morgan and Rick turned to look, and both winced when they saw I took three of his fingers. Brandon was screaming, holding up his hand and watching the blood pour down his arm. Vince was holding his hand up and looking at the severed stumps. “What the fuck were you thinking? We cornered her, and she already took off half my fucking face. Why would you try to fucking pet her like a fucking dog?” I watched Vince mutter a few words, and the blood stopped. We all watched the fingers start to grow back, slow and painful.
Brandon dropped to his knees and vomited from the pain. “Stupid fucking whore.” The retching made the name calling amusing, and I allowed my smile through.
“Is she fucking smiling?” Morgan watched my face as I grinned wider.
“Who the fuck is this?” Rick’s question would remain unanswered.
“We will find out.” Vince walked closer and crouched a safe distance from me. “You think you are safe, girl, but you’re not. I can force your shift.”
I chuffed out a laugh and shook my head. Vince’s eyes widened as Rick nearly screamed out a laugh. “Did she just say you can’t force her to shift?” I turned to look at him and I allowed my anger, my rage, to enter my eyes. Because how fucking dare he. How dare he play the victim when he was one of the perpetrators? He took a step back. “What the hell did I do?” He laughed, but I could tell it was forced.
“She looks like she fucking hates you, Ricky.” Morgan teased, and so I turned to him. I might be mad at Rick for putting me into this situation, but Morgan…Morgan I just want to kill. And for the very first time, I could allow him to see it.
“She looks like she is going to fucking kill you there, Morgan, and by the look in her eyes, she is going to enjoy every fuckingminute of it.” Rick’s voice wavered as he stared between me and Morgan.
Morgan, stupid Morgan, just laughed. “I’ll take my fill once Rick is done with her…if there is anything left.”I sat still. I knew I couldn’t run away without being caught, so I would sit, watch, and wait. I was going to hold back on any magic use until I was somewhere else. Since Rick said the forest was covered in magical traps, this was once I was out I would be safe.
I just needed to get out first.
Vince narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t going to come quietly, are you?” I just settled on the ground. I wasn’t stupid, but I wasn’t going to just fall in line, either. He chuckled and turned to Morgan. “Watch my son. Don’t let him get close to the wolf.” Morgan nodded, but Vince was already turning away. “Rick, come with me. You can carry me back here with our shit and the pup.” Rick’s eyes tightened again and then he nodded.
He smiled. “Yeah. Poor thing has to survive another week.”
He shifted and left the clearing while Morgan and Brandon glared at me. “Are you seriously still going after Amy’s mom?” Brandon sagged against a tree. “I mean, I get it. She’s hot. And the power of the women in that family is especially potent. But she will kill you if she figures it out first.”
Morgan nodded. “Hell yeah she will, but that is a part of it. Plus, we really need their money.”
“Why?” Brandon pushed off the tree. “Who cares if some lycans survived?” What the fuck did he just say? Some of the Lycans survived… “Who gives a fuck about the first family? Why is he so obsessed with either of them?” Morgan sighed as he looked at me, but Brandon just laughed. “Who the hell is she going to tell…she’s going to be dead soon enough.” I laid down, unimpressed or worried about his words. None of them actually scared me. “So tell me, you said once I was out of college, you would tell me. It’s been months and I’m still in the dark.”
Morgan watched me for a moment and I have never wanted someone to become a typical human bad guy in my entire life.Please monologue. Please.
Do you really think they are that stupid?Nix huffed out a tired laugh.
