“Levi—” his cousin warns from across the room.
Levi pries my thighs open with his knee. “Well, I suppose the Underworld’s prodigal son goes by many names. If you’re lucky, you’ll die before he ever learns yours.”
Prodigal son? Wait—he means the Blood Master. Remick. His name isRemick.
Hands seize my throat as his pants hit the floor.
“Wait. Stop!”
Sharp canines graze my earlobe. “I’m your Alpha now. If your pussy feels as good as you smell, perhaps I’ll keep you as my little plaything. Maybe you’ll give me a pup or two.”
This isn’t happening. It can’t be.
Reaching for Axe, I am met with a combination of rage and determination. Though I can’t feel his exact thoughts through the heartline, I imagine he’s saying,Wherever you are, stay alive. Hold on.
I push through a thought of my own.I’m trying . . .
A sharp cry escapes me as Levi’s hips slam against my rear, tearing through vulnerable walls of flesh. I thrash and twist, fighting against the burning rope barriers. The next powerful thrust forces me to go slack against the pole, unable to hold myself up any longer. His groans fill the room as his hand coils around my neck, cutting off my airflow. His other arm holds my hips, forcing me to stand on battered legs.
Stay calm. Do not give him the satisfaction of watching you fall apart.
“Mine,” he roars.
Sobs scrape my throat. As I writhe helplessly against him, his teeth sink into my shoulder. Desecrating me.
Blood seeps down my shoulder, yet a tingling calm settles over me. There, in the bedrock of my conscious mind, stirs a familiar voice. Have courage, Vessa.You are not alone.
Please,I plead to the gentle presence.Whoever you are, show him the way to find me.
I raise my head, locking eyes with Esmé in the doorway. Tears streak her tan cheeks as she slowly backs out into the hall.
Pain barely registers anymore. My eyes roll back into my head, where an image of a cabin covered with blooming vines takes shape. A breeze carries a fragrant smell along the porch, sweet and inviting.
The voice nuzzles my ear again, soft as a raven’s wing. “All will be well.”
I reach for the doorknob?—
But I am thrust back into the present. I register the sound of snipping rope. My wrists are now free.
An intense camera flash startles me. Exhausted, I stumble forward, faceplanting on the ground. With a groan, I bury my face in my hands, shielding my eyes from another burst of light. Numbness seeps into my legs, pulse thrumming as I ride out the waves of shock.
Levi steps over me and tucks himself back in his slacks, barking an order to Yvonne. “Get her cleaned up.”
Chapter 41
AXE
Demi drops us in Evanswood, a small mountain town roughly ten miles from the second largest city in the Agathoran Heartlands. Elder River, Preston’s pack, is the closest lycan settlement to human civilization that remains. The group that lives here has flourished in recent years since it volunteered to merge with the surviving Iron Heart wolves, who Cora and her mother once belonged to. Many of its people who work in the city dwell on the edges of its boundaries, or in Preston’s case, in the heart of the mossy forest.
Dominik is almost unrecognizable, wearing a baggy hoodie and jeans. The door to the car rental agency swings behind him with a jingle. I tip my cap. Halfway across the lot, Dom tosses the keys to me. We load up quickly and strap into the vehicle, programming our GPS as the engine rumbles to life.
Five minutes in, my fingers grip the steering wheel in a chokehold. If there’s a speed limit enforced in these parts, I wouldn’t have a clue as to what number is posted, nor would I give a damn.
My wolf whines, scratching at my chest.I know, I answer.Every minute counts.
Dom clears his throat. “When we get back, there’s something I need to tell you and Demi.”
“This better not be about the loan you just took out for the new bar,” I sneer.
