“Don’t do this,” I beg, shifting my weight onto the balls of my feet.
“What’s the matter? Not having fun anymore?”I try to reach for him, but he has my arms pinned to my sides.
“Please.” My voice cracks, and I’m not sure if it’s from the panic consuming me or the disgust I feel pleading to this monster.
“Make sure to scream on your way down,” he hisses, pure evil dancing across his face.
His words echo through my head, but I can barely hear them. I’m too engulfed by paralyzing fear as my body falls back toward the concrete that awaits me. The air in my lungs spews out of me in the form of an ear-piercing scream, drowning out the roars of the crowd.
It feels never-ending. Like I’m suspended between life and death, waiting for one to claim me.
“You can open your eyes now.”
The words still sound muffled, but when I peel my eyelids open, I’m met with Kole’s white irises. I didn’t even feel him catch me, but the longer he holds me, the less his arms feel like asafety net and the more they feel like a snare. I push away from him, twisting my body to free myself from his hold.
I hit the ground hard, and pain immediately shoots through my knees and wrists, but before I can even attempt to stand, all of the alcohol I ingested empties onto the concrete. Between being pushed off the roof and tossing up what little contents had previously occupied my stomach, my head starts to spin along with the world around me. I cling to one of the giant flowerpots, trying to get to my feet while the dizziness fights to pull me back down.
Kole continues to watch me struggle, looking all too pleased with an amused smile, while the leaders, still positioned at the bottom of the steps, laugh at the pathetic human pet trying to recover. I might actually mind if I didn’t feel so damn disoriented.
“Here, I got you.” Sienna wraps my arm around her neck and pulls me into her.
“Sorry, everyone. It looks like my pet has had a little too much fun tonight.” I hear Thane’s words, but I don’t bother looking back as Sienna and I make our way to the back door.
Instead, I use the last of my strength to keep myself upright. Once we make it up to my bedroom, Sienna doesn’t overstay her welcome. She starts a shower for me before slipping out with a quiet, “Goodnight.” She knows the last thing I would want right now is a pity party.
By the time I’ve brushed my teeth and changed into my nightgown, the adrenaline of the night has worn off. I head to the window overlooking the party and watch the sea of demons enjoying themselves. Muffled music blares from the garden while the leaders dance and roughhouse with one another without a care in the world. My torment was just for their entertainment. I’m nothing more than a puppet forThane to play with, and as my gaze lands on him, the hatred in my heart reignites. Whatever momentary insanity had come over me in the woods is long gone. He’s a soulless monster through and through, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the retribution he thinks he’s owed.
With that realization, I take off toward my bedroom door, and find it unlocked. If Kieran had been the one to escort me back, I’d surely be locked away, but I’m not even sure Sienna has a key to my room, seeing as how she always knocks. Either way, I take it as a sign that this is my moment.
I’m not naïve enough to think I’ll be able to just walk out the front door and make a run for it. This place is still surrounded by guards who would spot me in an instant, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do a little recon. I quicken my pace, heading for the east wing on the second floor.
Several rooms line the wide hallway, leading to a set of mahogany doors. Temptation pulls me closer to them as the curiosity in me grows. My gut knows that just beyond these doors lies the wolf’s den. Thane’s bedroom. A good part of me wants to burst through them, but I have to be smart about this. The answers I’m looking for won’t be in there, so instead, I turn my attention to the other doors. To my surprise, the first one I try is unlocked. Thane probably assumed I wouldn’t be stupid enough to go snooping in the east wing after being specifically told it was off limits.
His mistake.
The room I walk into has large maps pinned to the walls and a long rectangular table covered in papers. Different areas on the maps are shaded green, yellow, and red. The more I examine them, I realize they’re maps of the North American Territories. Some are specific cities, while others are broader areas.
The papers scattered about look like some kind of research. Data points, percentages, and medical words that I’ve never even heard of, fill each page.
Is this how they’ve created the synthetic blood?
I stare at the information a little longer before I ultimately decide it’s only gibberish to me and move on.
The next room I slip into contains a library with thousands of books. Shelves fill each wall while intricate carvings and arches line the tops of each section. A few titles immediately catch my eye, but my attention is quickly drawn to the sliding ladder that looks like it’s straight out ofBeauty and the Beast. This room and its collection are incredible, and I have a strong impulse to run my fingers along the spines of each book, but I’m on a mission, and unfortunately, this room isn’t serving that.
Jackpot.
Behind door number three is a study of some sort. I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for, but at this point, any information would be helpful. A map of where I am, a blueprint of the mansion, anything that would give me insight into Thane or his family. The desk fixed along the right side of the room seems like the best place to start, so I immediately try the drawers in hopes of finding something useful.
The top left drawer is locked, but the one below it slides open, and I begin sifting through the files. Each tab has a different name attached to it. Most mean nothing to me, but a few of them I recognize. Thirty-two in total.
The leaders.
I pull out the one marked “James” and open it to find a red X covering the picture of the werewolf Thane had killed. As much as I want to sit here and go through each one, I don’t have the time, so I put the file back in its correct spot and shutthe drawer. I’m about to start my search through the right-side drawers, but my attention catches on a book laid open on the desk.
The header reads,“Love Locked vs. Soul Bound.”I flip the cover over to find the title, Origins of the Fated,embossed in gold lettering. Just as I’m about to put it back how I found it, I notice another file sticking out underneath the book.
My heart stops when I see the name attached to it. I already know what it’s going to say, but I can’t stop myself from opening it. The thirteen-year-old girl staring back at me is void of warmth and light. Hardened by the life she’s had to live. Her eyes look vacant and withdrawn. Her smile nothing but a twisted illusion.
