Ethan just chuckled, setting my teeth on edge. “What’s the matter, Alpha? Can’t handle hearing how our little hunter likes to be fucked? How she’d scratch at my back and scream my name?”
My wolf surged, wrath boiling in my veins. The thought of his hands on her, his body claiming hers, was provoking. But I couldn’t let him see it. I couldn’t let him—or Joanna—know how much his words affected me.
Because I wasn’t sure why they did.
Joanna stepped forward, her voice like ice. “You pathetic piece of shit. Is that the best you can do?”
Ethan’s smirk faded… “I want you to admit it, Joanna. Admit that you loved having me inside you. You loved using me to ease your pain, to fill the void left by your dead sister.”
Joanna’s hand moved so fast that I barely saw it. The sound of the slap bounced off the cell walls as Ethan’s head snapped to the side. Blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.
He turned back to her, his eyes burning with fury. “You little bitch,” he snarled.
I stepped between them, my body a barrier, my voice low.“She’s not the one chained to a wall, Ethan. And the only reason you’re alive right now is because you said you had information about Joanna’s sister. So, start talking.”
He smiled.“What does intel get me?”
“A trial by your peers.”
Joanna scoffed from behind me.
“Fine.” Ethan leaned back against the wall, his eyes bright with a calculating gleam.“Turns out Latoya was a hornier bitch than you are, Joey. CCTV footage has her wasted and dry-humping some werewolf outside of Club Luna. Imagine my surprise when I learned the werewolf was a member of the revolution.”
My ears twitched. “Revolution?”
Ethan’s eyes flicked to me. “Neither of you can stop what’s coming. So, the only way to survive is to join the cause.”
I didn’t take my eyes off him, but I could feel Joanna’s frustrated gaze on me—probably because it was my fault Ethan was no longer talking about her sister.
I knew Ethan’s games, his manipulations. Hell, I taught him half of what he knew. I wouldn’t let him goad me into recklessness. “And what cause is that, Ethan?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm.
Ethan’s eyes widened. “The cause of our kin, Marcus. Freedom. Humans have lived in ignorance for too long. They think they’re the apex predators, the rulers of this world. And it’s time they learned their fucking place.”
Beside me, Joanna tensed. “You’re talking about exposure. You want to out your own kind? That’s suicide.”
Ethan chuckled darkly. “Suicide? No, Joey. It’s evolution. It’s the next step in our existence. We’ve been hiding in the shadows, afraid of what the humans might do if they find out about us—but no more. It’s time for us to take our rightful place in the world. And if that means a few humans must die along the way…” He shrugged, a chilling nonchalance in the gesture.
“So, the humans you slaughtered? They were only casualties of yourcause?” Joanna demanded, marching toward him.
“Oh no, kitten. They were an experiment. One body each month.” His gaze traveled to her lips. “To see how long it takes until my hunter comes running back to me.”
Joanna grabbed Ethan’s chin, shoving him hard against the wall. “There were two bodies last night,” she hissed between her clenched jaw. “Or did you forget?”
Ethan’s chest heaved with laughter as he pulled his head away from Joanna’s hand.“I… got carried away last night, I’m afraid. Especially when the scent of my alpha was mingling with yours.” He closed his eyes, a smile still on his face. “Shit. I got jealous and had all these fucking questions running through my head. ‘Why are they together? Did she tell him about us? Is he trying to claim what’s mine?’” He opened his eyes, staring at Joanna with a sickening hunger. “‘How badly does she miss the way I taste?’”
This was a waste of time. If there was a revolt happening, I needed names, plans. “Who’s leading the revolution?”I asked, my voice steady despite myself.
A sly smile formed on Ethan’s lips. “That’s such a great question, Alpha.”
“Ethan, if what you’re saying is true, then we need to know who’s involved. We need to stop it before it goes any further.”
Ethan laughed. “Why would I want to stop it, Marcus? Besides, it’s already in motion. And as for who’s involved…” He leaned forward. “Naw. I’m not going to spoil the fun.”
Joanna cracked her knuckles. “Give us a name.”
Ethan’s smile widened. “Isn’t it funny how one little word can hurt someone’s feelings? You and I used to be an ‘us.’”
I could feel the frustration building inside me, the urge to shake the answers out of him growing stronger with each passing second. But I knew that wouldn’t get us anywhere, because Ethan was enjoying this. He was enjoying the power he held over us.
