Donnie’s grin was manic. “She killed herself right in front of her daughter, and we made the pup cut her down.”
Kellan stepped back as though he was disgusted, releasing the shifter and wiping his hand on his pants. “Oh, our pretty mate should never have gone through that,” he murmured, his face falling. “Everything makes so much fucking sense now.”
Of all the scenarios I’d considered, I’d never expected one of them would be an omega powering an alpha until they lost their essence completely. Was that the reason there were so few omegas left in the shifter world? And if so, why the fuck would Chelsea help them?
“Whatever the reason,” Hunter snarled, his face wreathed in dark shadows, “our priority is to get our mate back. We’ll deal with the rest of them later.”
I waited for his command, determined not to pre-emptively kill again and make the situation worse. No matter how desperately I wanted to end this fuck’s life.
“Finish him and torch the place.” Hunter gave me the nod of approval as he turned and marched toward the women bound on chairs. “Kellan and I will get the humans out, and then we’re going after our mate.”
“Wait, you said I’d live,” Donnie bellowed, and Hunter’s dark laughter was the soundtrack to his final breath.
I tightened my hold, severing him right down his middle.
Once Kellan and Hunter finished their task, flames tore from my mouth to destroy everyone else in the warehouse, and then I took to the sky. Following my brothers to their vehicle.
We were finally on track to get our mate back, and this time I’d never let her go again.
CHAPTER 6
EMME
Talon stared at me for so long that I almost forgot I’d suggested he destroy Fletcher Davenport and rid the world of his evil. Not a single word passed his lips, no matter what I said or what questions I asked.
Eventually, I just babbled about whatever topic came to mind. I’d done this before with Slade, and it had about the same effect: none.
In the middle of explaining,in great detail,every step of taking apart an old Hemi engine, I found that I was only making myself more depressed. Cars were one of the few positive memories I had of my childhood, when I’d escaped by sneaking into the garage below. It was also a connection I held with the Reeves pack, who were into anything with an engine, and had a garage full of incredible vehicles and bikes.
With my eyes burning, I slumped against the bed, hoping I could stay awake. No doubt this asshole planned on taking my power by force if I didn’t give it to him, and I wouldn’t want to make that task any easier by being unconscious.
The silence stretched on as I stared at the ceiling and he stared at me, the only sound the gurgling of my very empty stomach. During my time with the Reeves pack, I’d grown usedto multiple meals being provided for me. Multipledeliciousmeals, which my pack would watch me consume, ensuring I ate first before they touched a single item…
I squeezed my eyes shut at the pain of missing them, before a knock at the door had me lurching into a sitting position and scrambling back against the headboard. Talon didn’t flinch at the intrusion, as if he’d anticipated this visitor. When the dragon crossed to the door, he pulled out a chain from around his neck, and I noted the key at the end—the key I’d need to get out of here.
Once he unlocked it, he cracked the door an inch. There was a murmur of a low, male voice from the other side, and it wasn’t familiar. Talon didn’t reply or acknowledge the other shifter as he opened the door a fraction more to accept a tray. The scent of food hit me so hard I almost groaned, and it momentarily made me feel queasy.
I’d spent a lot of my life hungry, scrounging around to feed myself, and somehow in my short time with Reeves Pack, I’d gotten spoiled enough to crumble under a little hardship and hunger.
In the middle of more hushed words from whoever was outside this room, Talon shut the door in his face, and if I wasn’t determined to hate him with the heat of a thousand fireballs, I’d have laughed. He was worse than Slade with manners, and that was saying something. They legitimately had zero fucks to give about what other shifters thought or felt about them. Which made sense once you knew they were the apex predators. The rest of us had to care to stay alive.
Talon approached the bed in his usual rapid stride, and I’d already started to note mannerisms about this shifter. For starters, he was either moving with determination or completely still—there was no in between for him. No nervous pacing or fidgeting. He gave the impression that when he was called toaction, he moved at rapid, intense speeds, while the rest of the time he was left to sit and wait.
He placed the tray on the bed, and I tried my absolute best not to even look at the offerings. My stomach screamed at me, and I spoke to it the same way I would my beast.No! We’re not eating drugged food, so they have us at their mercy. You’re not that hungry.
As I remained in a tense huddle at the head of the bed, Talon released a smoky huff and reached out to lift the bread roll and take a bite. He placed it back on the tray and proceeded to do the same with each of the small dishes. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I noticed it was rice, chicken, and a bread roll. No vegetables.
“It’s not drugged.” Truth rang out in that statement, and I got the sense that like Slade, he didn’t really lie.
Eyeing the tray, I knew there was still a risk. A dragon was so much stronger than me, and any drug in here could have been administered to him for years until he was all but immune. Still, I was shaky and struggling to stay awake. Food would fuel me… and maybe my beast.
She remained too weak for my liking. Hurt and hiding away.
I had to help her in whatever way I could.
Grabbing a bread roll, I took a bite to find it slightly stale, but who really cared when you were hungry. Swallowing roughly, I moved on to the chicken and rice, which held faint flavors of garlic, lemon, and paprika, but otherwise remained fairly bland. Talon didn’t touch anything on the tray again, watching me in that intense, unwavering stare of his. Which bothered me less than it should have.
My pack had been warming me up to the obsessive nature of alphas for weeks now, and I was starting to crave theirstares and touches and need for me.It wasn’t one sided either. Except in this case, Talon and I were enemies.
