“Sareena, I need to look out the window,” He told her, prying her hands off his arm. “I’m not going far, just over there so I can see if anyone is outside.”
She looked at him skeptically for a few moments before nodding and allowing him to move. He wasn’t a doctor, but he didn’t like the way she looked. Her face was pale and drenched in sweat. He also looked like she was having a hard time breathing, and it made Quintus worry they might not get out before her cubs were born.
Slowly, Quintus stood and walked over to the window and confirmed his suspicions that they were on the second floor of the house. He could also see people walking around, as if they were looking for something or someone. He started banging on the window, but no one stopped what they were doing.
“They can’t hear you,” someone said behind him, and Sareena gasped.
Quintus turned to see Lucas Brooks standing in front of him. The dark, foul being stood behind Lucas as a pet stands behind it master waiting for its next orders.
“You can cut the act. I know exactly who you are, Loki.”
Loki smiled—it was a shame that it was the only bright thing in the room.
“I see my nephew told you who I was finally. Did it break your little heart to know he’d kept such secrets from you?”
Quintus ignored the sarcastic remark and looked at the being behind Loki.
“Why are you doing this? Why did you kidnap my sister and me and use our father to do it?” Quintus looked at his father standing behind Loki and hated what he saw in the man’s eyes. “Being who you are, you must know how much we fucking hate our father.”
“Oh, this isn’t your father,” Loki said scoffing. “He is a soulless beast who does whatever I say. I made him believe he is your father because I told him so. I guess I should relieve you of your guilt and tell you that your father’s soul passed on to the underworld the night he died. Or rather, the night you killed him.”
Quintus couldn’t understand why Loki was doing this. Quintus knew Loki hated Baldur because he’d given birth to Odin’s heir. But he couldn’t understand what Sareena had to do with whatever problems Loki had with Odin giving Scott the throne.
“Let my sister go, please,” he begged. “She doesn’t know about any of this.”
“Did you think it would be that easy? Bat your pretty, long lashes and beg to have your sister released? I am many things, but I am also a man of my word. I promised my beast that he could torment you two however he saw fit, and I would give him new souls to devour. With enough of them, he will regain his senses and maybe a new life. Aren’t I a wonderful master?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Vengeance and hate,” Loki answered, which was something Quintus didn’t expect.
“Scott is going to kill you,” Quintus said, feeling his own anger rising to the top.
Loki started to laugh. “The faith you put in your mate is astonishing. Your weakling demigod cannot do anything without his bearer wiping the snot from his nose and kissing him better. And yet, he is who Odin chose as his heir. Right now, he’s running around looking for you. I hope he finds you before his time is up. By my calculations, he only has an hour and a half left.”
“Please…”
Quintus was about to beg Loki one more time to let Sareena go, but a loud clap of thunder rocked the house. Sareena screamed as Quintus fell to his knees, looking for something to hold onto. Loki growled, sounding very unhappy.
“Maybe he’s not as dumb as I thought.”
He disappeared from their sight, leaving his monster behind—it hadn’t stopped looking at Sareena. Quintus crawled over to her and held her in his arms. He couldn’t let her give birth here, or that monster would devour her cubs as soon as they’d entered the world.
“Sareena, I need you to listen to me. You can’t give birth yet. Just wait a few more minutes, okay? Scott’s here, and he’s going to save us.”
“I can’t,” she wailed. “It hurts.”
“I know, baby girl. But I need you to calm down.” Releasing her, he took off his T-Shirt and started dabbing at her face and neck—cleaning off the sweat. He needed to think of something quick, and then it came to him—BDSM.
“Close your eyes.” It took her a few seconds before she listened and closed her eyes. “I want you to take deep breaths with me and let them out slowly. Can you do that?” She nodded, and Quintus started inhaling and exhaling with her. He looked at the being standing at the door as its darkness and stench started filling up the room.
“Okay, Reena. Now think of somewhere pleasant you and Zion want to go after your cubs are born.” She was going to open her eyes, but Quintus stopped her. “Keep your eyes closed. And tell me about where you and Zion want to go one day.”
She smiled, and he could tell she was calming down. “Zion wants to visit his great-grandparents in Africa. He says it’s beautiful there.”
Quintus listened, and as Sareena talked the being slowly backed away,along with its stench.
It only wants to be close when Sareena and the cubs are in distress. I need to keep her calm. Please, Scott. Hurry. I don’t know how long I can keep her or myself calm.
