Chapter 11 #2
“It’s them,” I confirm. I swallow, my throat dry. “I recognize that one.” I point to the man closest to me, the one I’ve locked eyes with. His expression doesn’t change. He knows what capture means. He understands what I need to do and why. “What are you going to do to them?”
Caleb shifts his stance. “We’ll question them. Then we’ll kill them.”
I shake my head, hoping it comes across as frantic. “No!” I’m proud of the tears I’m able to produce on command. “I want them dead now. The things they did to me….” I trail off, pretending my throat is clogged.
My pleading is met with silence.
“Please, Caleb,” I beg again. “I just want it to be over.”
Caleb cups the back of my head, his fingers sifting through my hair. His hand is enormous, covering almost the entirety of my skull. He nudges me, urging me to face him. I do, refusing to look away. His gaze lingers on the fading bruise above my right eye before traveling to my wet cheeks.
“Please.” My voice cracks.
Caleb shuts his eyes. “Okay, Evelyn. Whatever you need.”
He walks away from the HPAW soldiers, his footfalls steady. When the soldiers are no longer in our line of sight, he flicks his hand over his head, gesturing lazily toward the men.
“Have at it,” he says.
Screaming reaches my ears a second later. It’s complemented with the sounds of growls, grunts, and gut-wrenching crunching. I bury my face back against Caleb’s neck, hiding from the sound.
I’m not upset that Caleb is killing the men who he believes hurt me. If this situation were real, I would want them killed. They’d deserve it for what they did to me. It’s the fact that these are innocent HPAW soldiers that affects me most. They were only following orders.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. HPAW soldiers were never supposed to die, but I suppose it’s better to be done now than after days of torture.
I know what the shifters do to us. They enjoy tearing our skin from our bodies. They eat us alive. They take a sick pleasure in it, and this is the most humane ending I can give our men. It’s the only way to save the mission, too.
Caleb brings me to his car, placing me in the passenger seat. “That’s enough for today,” he says. “You should be resting.”
How did the shifters find the HPAW soldiers? I want to know every detail, but I keep silent. Truthfully, I don’t want to think about them any more than I need to. What’s done is done, and I should move on.
That’s easier said than done. Their screams echo in my ears. Is that what will happen to me if I’m caught? Will Caleb have me brought before a crowd of shifters? Will he aimlessly flick his fingers with the calm order to attack? Will they rip me apart?
I draw in a shaky breath.
Caleb begins driving. “I believe we were discussing Grace before our interruption,” he says.
He’s trying to change the subject. I appreciate it. I can’t let myself dwell on the risks of this mission, and Caleb is offering the perfect distraction.
“Yes,” I say. “We were.”
Caleb purses his lips, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel. I pay attention to the roads, wanting to memorize his pack. If he lives here, it’s safe to assume other high-ranking wolves do as well.
It’s unfortunate that HPAW didn’t realize the female shifter they’ve been watching for the past year is Caleb’s sister. Sash is valuable. If they had known, they’d have captured her while they’d had the opportunity. Caleb seems to love her. He’d give anything to get her back.
After I kill Caleb and escape, I’ll tell HPAW about Sash and any other siblings I discover.
“You asked what she and I have done together,” Caleb starts.
“I have never intimately touched a woman, Evelyn, and there were no plans for me to do so. Had the marriage gone through, Grace would’ve been artificially inseminated and we would’ve lived together as nothing more than co-parents.
She had a mate, and he isn’t me. We would never desecrate our bonds. ”
Is that true? I’m at a loss for words, so I stare out the window as I process that information.
“I would’ve continued to save myself for you,” Caleb continues, “and my marriage to Grace would’ve been annulled the moment you were discovered. She and the entire pack were aware of that from the start.”
Are the shifters truly this beholden to their mate bonds? It’s unbelievable.
Caleb makes a quiet noise in the back of his throat, then swerves to the right and pulls the car to the side of the road. I barely have time to react before he’s shoving his marked hand in front of my face.
“Do you see how light my mark is?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Marks darken whenever the bond is dishonored, and mine remains white. I’ve been honest to it, to you.”
Is that true? I almost don’t want to believe it.
My hand shakes, a slight tremor that’s impossible to hide, as I take Caleb’s marked hand.
He lets me, remaining silent as I trace the path of vines trailing up his middle finger and onto the back of his hand.
He twitches as I touch the webbing between his middle and ring fingers, but he otherwise remains still.
“My mark is dark,” I say, placing my hand beside his.
“I’ve noticed.”
Where his design is white, mine is a deep red. The color has grown more pronounced over the years, but I assumed the change was due to aging. It began darkening shortly after puberty, which I realize now is the same time HPAW encouraged me to seek out the company of men.
I suppose this explains why Caleb avoids my mark. I’ve caught him occasionally glancing at it, a slight frown marring his features, before quickly looking away. Does he know what I’ve done? At the very least, he must wonder.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Don’t be.”
He shifts away from me, breaking the tension, and resumes driving. Is he not going to ask what I’ve done to make my mark so dark? Can I blame it entirely on sex? I’m sure my work with HPAW has contributed to the discoloration. I’m actively working against Caleb. I’m planning to murder him.
I cast a subtle glance at my mark, trying to gauge whether it’s grown darker in these past few days.
I can’t tell. I’ve always avoided looking at the marking.
I hate what it stands for, and I’ve grown used to pretending it doesn’t exist. I’ll need to keep a close eye on it until I complete my mission.
“Are you—” Caleb pauses, clearing his throat.
“Are you upset about Grace?” He hesitates, then continues.
“It wouldn’t be considered indecent if you requested me to relocate her to a different pack, but I’d prefer not to do that.
She’s been here her entire life, and she’s my sister’s best friend. She’s a kind woman, and I—”
“She can stay.” My voice is snappy, and I wince at the sound of it. “I’m not upset.”
I’m jealous. It’s absurd. I hardly know Caleb, and I’m planning to kill him. Not to mention the fact that he’s a fucking shifter. Jealousy is the last thing I should be feeling.
“Thank you, Evelyn.” Caleb drops his hand to my thigh, his fingers curling around the muscle. I stare at it, unable to look away from his mark. So fucking white.
“Ev,” I correct him.
“Pardon?”
“You can call me Ev.” I’ve never had a nickname, but I’ve always fantasized about it. Now’s as good a time as any to choose one.
Caleb squeezes my thigh, his lips curling into a soft smile. “Ev.”
My heart thumps, and I nod.
“I like it,” Caleb says. “Ev.”
It sounds good rolling off his tongue, and I place my hand on his before relaxing back against my seat. I can do this. Only a few more weeks and I can put all this behind me.