Or they weren’t here anymore.
I shoved that thought down hard. I couldn’t think about that. Wouldn’t think about that. Blake was here. Thomas was here. And I was going to get them out.
The sound of a door opening made both of us tense.
But it wasn’t the main door we’d been watching. This was a different door, one we hadn’t noticed before, partially hidden behind a stack of old crates in the corner. It swung open and a woman walked through, her movements confident and predatory.
She was pretty, I supposed, if you were into the crazy evil type. Blonde hair, sharp features, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She looked us over like we were bugs she was thinking about stepping on.
I made a mental note of that door. Based on where it was, it had to lead directly to the main house. Good to know.
“So you’re the one who ruined Mary’s life,” she purred, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
“She ruined that herself by being a bitch,” Hunt said from his spot against the wall.
The woman’s head snapped toward him, her pretty face twisting with anger. “Shut the fuck up. I’m not talking to you.” She took a step toward him, her hands curling into fists. “You want me to knock you out again? Is that what you want?”
Hunt scowled, his mud-caked face somehow managing to look offended. “Next time try it without drugs and we’ll see who wins,” he growled.
I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. My best warrior, taken out by a needle. I was so going to tell Noah and Cole about this.
But not now. Now I needed information.
“You’re the famous Mira?” I interrupted, pulling her attention back to me.
The woman smiled, clearly pleased to be recognized. She practically preened, smoothing down her hair with one hand. “Yes, that’s me. I see my reputation precedes me.”
“That you attacked Moonfang’s Luna and repeatedly threatened her and her kid, so much that you had to be exiled from the pack?” I tilted my head, keeping my voice casual even though my wolf was howling for her blood. “And that even your own father disgraced and disinherited you? Yeah, you could say it precedes you.”
The smile dropped off her face like I’d slapped it away. Her eyes went cold and hard, all that fake sweetness disappearing in a second. This was the real Mira. The dangerous one.
“I did what I had to do,” she said through gritted teeth. “Ryder was supposed to be mine.”
“That’s the problem with you and Mary, you see.” I leaned forward as much as the cuff would allow, meeting her eyes with a glare that had made grown wolves back down. “You think you’re entitled to something you’re not. And you can’t seem to have enough brain activity to recognize your own mistakes.”
Hunt snorted from his corner. “Guess that’s why you became friends with Mary. Birds of a feather and all that.”
Mira’s hands were shaking now. From rage or the effort of not attacking us, I couldn’t tell. Either way, I needed to keep her talking. Buy time. Figure out a plan.
“How did you two meet, anyway?” I asked, making my voice casual, almost bored. Like I was just making conversation. Like I actually gave a shit about her history.
The question threw her off. She’d been getting ready for a fight, probably planning to come at us with more threats. But my question confused her. Made her pause.
“Mary came to visit Moonfang when we were younger,” Mira said after a moment. She seemed almost eager to tell the story, like she’d been waiting for someone to ask. “We hit it off right away. Saw something in each other, I guess. After she left, we stayed in touch. Letters at first, then phone calls when we could manage it.”
She started pacing, her movements sharp and angry. “When she contacted me through a stolen phone about being imprisoned and with child, I couldn’t just let it slide. She was my friend. She needed help.” Her eyes snapped back to me, blazing with accusation. “You should have married her.”
I shrugged, not even trying to hide my disgust. “She’s not my type.”
“Not your type?” Mira laughed, but there was no humor in it. “She’s beautiful. She’s a wolf. She could give you strong pups. What more could you want?”
“My mate,” I said simply. “My mate is my type. Everything about her. The way she laughs. The way she smells. The way she looks at me like I hung the moon even when I’m being an idiot. That’s what I want. That’s what I have. And nothing you or Mary or anyone else does is going to change that.”
Something flickered across Mira’s face. Not understanding exactly. She was too far gone for that. But maybe she realized she was fighting a losing battle.
Then she smiled, and it was the kind of smile that made my blood run cold.
“We’ll see how much you like your mate once we’re done with her,” she said sweetly.
