Chapter 4
His fingers dug into my neck, causing my blood to jolt, the worst thing possible around a vampire. At least it wasn’t a fizz. I wasn’t sure how I could protect myself if it came to that.
“I may be part of the society and must get along with the members, but that doesn’t mean I must obey them.” A sinister smile slowly spread across his face, and his thumb pressed harder into my artery. “If I think you’re a risk, I’ll eliminate you. For now, you get a pass, but know it’s because I choose to allow it.”
I hated how helpless I felt, and I missed the hum of my blood. Even if I couldn’t control it, at least it did something to protect me—apart from the few times I could have died from it.
Raffe seemed to make that all better.
Warin leaned forward, raking his teeth against my neck. I jerked away, and he chuckled.
Dammit, I needed to not react, but how was that possible? I bit the inside of my cheek, and he leaned his head back so I could see his face once more.
His nose wrinkled, and he smacked his lips. “You taste faintly of wolf shifter, which lessens the allure of your blood. How is that possible?”
I swallowed hard, ignoring the increasing pressure of his hand. My blood must taste different because of my partially completed bond with Raffe. He’d bitten me when we’d had sex. He’d mentioned that his scent would change since he’d mated with me, but being human, I hadn’t expected mine would as well. However, the thought of people knowing I was his thrilled me, especially if it made vampires pause before biting me.
The door opened, and Warin released his hold. My body slid down the wall until my feet touched the floor. Luckily, I somehow didn’t crumple to the floor.
At least I’d kept a little dignity.
My throat throbbed where he had clutched it, but I forced my hands to remain at my sides. I’d already given the jackass too much power by reacting to his threat. My skin crawled as I thought of his teeth on me in the same place Raffe’s had been. I wanted to wash the area and erase him tainting it from my mind.
“What in the stars do you think you’re doing?” Glinda asked as she strode into the room. Her gaze settled on my neck, which was probably red.
Warin rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. I didn’t bite her. I just wanted a little taste, which was greatly disappointing. She tastes of wolf.”
“That makes this a whole lot more challenging.” Glinda huffed and ran a hand through her hair. “I suspect she’s Prince Wright’s fated mate. He must have bitten her already.”
I hadn’t expected them to figure that out so quickly, but there was no way in hell I’d be ashamed of it. “Yes, we completed our bond before Dave kidnapped me.” I lifted my chin, refusing to cower. My blood began to jolt as my emotions resurfaced, but I didn’t want them to know the drug was wearing off. Glinda wouldn’t hesitate to use a higher dose.
Warin hissed, and his fangs extended. “Then we kill her. If she’s already loyal to the wolf shifters, she’s a threat to us.”
A gust of wind slammed into Warin, lifting him into the air, over the bed, and into the wall that connected to the bathroom. He was as far away from me as he could get.
It still wasn’t far enough. He might be handsome on the outside, but he was ugly within. Before this was over, I vowed I would hurt him in any way possible. Nothing was off the table.
“We will not kill her. Yes, their connection complicates things, but this is a good thing. The goddess wouldn’t allow her to be born at this time if she wasn’t meant to make things right for our people.” The wind ruffled the comforter, but the bulk of it remained directed at Warin. “If you can’t behave, I’ll get another vampire representative. We can use their bond to weaken the royals further.”
“I won’t help you.” The last thing I’d ever do was cause Raffe problems. Clearly, Glinda didn’t understand how fated mates work. “I can’t live without Raffe.”
“See?” Warin gritted out, his words muffled by the wind. “Have you ever seen a connection between fated mates? With your limited life and how rare they are, I think not, or you would feel differently about her.”
“There’s an easy solution to the problem.” Glinda nodded at me. “We’ll make sure that, once the power imbalance is resolved, Raffe stays close. We would never want to hurt you in any way, Skylar. You’re the one who will help us make things better, and we wouldn’t want you to be miserable. We can spell a room like we’ve done here, so you can have relations with him at your choosing.”
She thought making Raffe available so I could have sex with him would make things okay? Warin was right. She had no clue how fated mates worked, but one thing was clear—I needed to get the fuck out of here.
“Warin, we need to talk.” Glinda lowered her hand, cutting off the wind. “Skylar, finish eating, and I’ll be back in a few minutes. There is something Warin and I need to discuss.”
I nodded. I’d much rather be alone than with either of them. They were both awful in their own right. Glinda seemed nice, but she was the one drugging me and had made the stupid comment about keeping Raffe at my disposal. Warin was evil, but he was up front about how he felt. I needed to remember that I wasn’t safe here with anyone.
Warin rolled his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair. His lustrous locks were tangled, but other than that, he stood straight and confident.
Something I was certain I’d never be able to muster.
When the door shut and I was alone again, I sat at the desk. I didn’t want to eat, but I needed my strength. I took a sip of water and forced bite after bite down.
The strong emotion in my chest heated to a boiling rage, the likes of which I’d never experienced before. It was so strong that it nearly took my breath. If I smelled like a wolf, maybe my bond with Raffe had strengthened more than we’d realized it could because the essence inside me felt like Raffe. If it was him, he was upset, and that made me more desperate to get to him.
Taking a ragged breath, I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation.
“This isn’t good,” Glinda murmured.
My breath caught. The words were damn near inaudible, but with my eyes closed, I could make out Glinda and Warin’s conversation as if my hearing were enhanced.
“Wolf shifters are coming into the woods.” She huffed. “How is that possible? She’s human.”
“She’s more than human. I keep telling you this.” Warin huffed. “Their bond exists, at least partially. She smells of wolves, but you’ve spelled the outside, so they won’t find the entrance. I’m not sure why you’re worried.”
Of course they’d hidden the entrance, same as they’d done with the coven library, but at least I knew Raffe was near and searching for me. If I could find a way out, I wouldn’t have to go far to find him. A little bit of that hope surged within me.
“If he’s anything like his father, he won’t give up. I need to step up the timeline. I’d planned on letting Skylar get some rest, but we need to show her everything that the wolves have done to us in case something happens.”
She was getting nervous, which was both good and bad. Good that the threat of Raffe finding me had her on edge, but bad because that could make them desperate. I couldn’t have Warin attack me with the drug affecting my blood. There was no way I’d survive.
“Go keep watch while I talk to her alone,” Glinda said. “You make her uncomfortable.”
“If you want to waste your time on her, be my guest.”
The doorknob turned, and I opened my eyes and took the last bite of my food. I didn’t want to come off like I’d heard anything, so I tensed and glanced behind her as if I was expecting Warin to follow her.
“Don’t worry.” Glinda smiled and shut the door again. “Warin has some duties to handle, so it’s just the two of us.” Her gaze settled on the empty plate. “I’m glad you ate.”
“I was hungry.” I forced a smile. If I wanted them not to get desperate, I had to play along. Besides, it would be good for me to see their side. They had followers, and there had to be some merit to their grievances. I suspected I already knew some of them, based on things Hecate and Zella had told me.
She licked her lips. “I understand that being kidnapped makes it more difficult for you to trust us, but I swear we don’t mean you harm.”
I sank back in my seat, wanting to appear sluggish. “I find that hard to believe. Warin has threatened to kill me several times.”
“He’s the pessimist of the organization.” Glinda took a seat. “And vampires are known to lose their empathy over time. What the wolf shifters have done to them doesn’t help. In fact, it’s encouraged the vampires’ withdrawal and isolation.”
Thatwas how she was going to spin it. It physically hurt to keep my eyes from rolling. “I’ve seen vampires on campus. I even stumbled on one feeding.” I left out what had happened to Edward, knowing that would lead her in a certain direction. I wanted Glinda to guide the conversation.
“They can’t eat in the cities anymore because the wolves ran them out.” Glinda shook her head. “Vampires do best in large, populated cities. A vampire requires a substantial amount of blood, but the wolf shifters don’t care. They think vampires are at risk of outing the supernatural world despite their hunting skills. Wolf shifters began killing vampires who hunted in cities, forcing them to live and feed remotely, which caused many vampires to become bloodthirsty. At first, vampires resorted to keeping human prisoners to help with their needs, but the wolf shifters began patrolling vampire households and killing any that held hostages. They said humans would be searching for the missing people. So now, most vampires live on the verge of being blood-crazed and can be near snapping.”
The memory of Dave fighting his lust for my blood surged into my mind. Even though he’d helped kidnap me, I remembered the pain and hunger in his face when he’d fought for control while my blood was humming. “Is that why vampires struggle so hard when my blood hums?”
She nodded. “If they weren’t on the verge of starvation, they wouldn’t struggle as hard even though you would still be tempting.”
Although the thought of a vampire feeding off someone didn’t sit well with me, starvation wasn’t good for anyone. “If the shifters lose their influence, the vampires will flock back to the cities and resume their feeding practices?” I suspected it wouldn’t be that easy. If they were starving, they might go back and lose their minds and kill people.
“Of course. And if they’re no longer underfed, vampires will start reproducing again. Since this change, they’ve struggled to reproduce, and there hasn’t been a child born in fifty years.” Glinda clasped her hands in her lap. “And the covens could again gather and perform rituals to strengthen our magic and practice our craft together.” She inhaled dreamily. “I’ve heard stories of how all the covens used to meet and celebrate the solstices and scour the Books of Twilight to learn ancient spells and form new ones. So much of our history has been stripped away from us, and people who do visit the Evergreen Elite coven library must be careful and come in low numbers to prevent detection. The information isn’t easily accessible, thus giving the wolf shifters more control.”
“Wait … vampires don’t turn people?” If that was true, my heart ached for them even more. It wasn’t fair if the wolf shifters were holding them back and keeping them from their history and their present potential.
Glinda mashed her lips. “No. Like wolves, vampires can’t turn people with their bite. The books have it wrong.”
Yet another element working against them. I hated that vampires were suffering and almost starving. “I understand. I want to know my heritage too, and I don’t have access to any of that knowledge.” Pieces of me were missing, and even though Raffe had filled a large part of the void, I needed to learn how to control my blood.
Glinda smiled. “See, I knew you’d understand. And the more we talk, the more you’ll see things differently. We just needed to get you away from them.”
My blood jolted, and I clenched my hands under the desk to hide my anger. “Raffe is different. If you’d talk with him and explain—”
She shook her head. “You’re letting your bond cloud your judgment. Wolf shifters don’t care about the covens and vampires. They care only about themselves and their packs’ needs. They covet power. There will be no getting Raffe to see. He’s a puppet for his father.”
If I knew one thing about Raffe, it was that he thought for himself and didn’t only do what his father told him. “He’s not. He’s a great man. If you give him a chance, you’ll see—”
She stood and scowled. “That’s enough. You need your rest. We’ll continue this conversation tomorrow. I have evidence you need to see.”
I wanted to yell, wait, but I swallowed the word. She was already annoyed with me.
The door shut, and I heard the click of the lock. Even though the drug was wearing off, I was exhausted. I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, pulling up an image of Raffe.
I’d do anything to be in his arms.
The anger in my chest molded into hurt, mirroring my own. I clung to it, hoping it was a true connection to Raffe and fell asleep crying.
The next twodays were the same as the last. The only difference was how much I was drugged. Warin was the administrator, and he enjoyed each injection time, using his vampire speed and strength to control me. I suspected they were using smaller and smaller doses because the medicine wore off faster each time.
I played the part of being very drugged, hoping they would eventually give me something that barely affected me and I’d have a greater chance to escape.
After the first day, I realized I had to change tactics. I stopped arguing on Raffe’s behalf because, each time I did, Glinda became angry and left. I had to gain her trust. She seemed desperate for me to buy into her stories, probably because of what I’d overheard the other day.
I could also still feel the strange emotions within me, angrier and more determined every hour.
It had to be Raffe.
Today was the third full day of me being here conscious, and Glinda seemed more frenzied. I’d been forced to listen to her read various accounts of all the bad things the wolf shifters had done and were doing to vampires and witches. The stories were heartbreaking. Vampires dying from starvation. Covens isolated and not free to practice their magic the way the goddess intended.
I agreed that change was needed, but the problem was how the Veiled Circle wanted to handle it. They wanted to oppress the wolves and impose restrictions on them, such as not being able to shift and run and other things that would impact their health and happiness. The secret society wasn’t about making things fair—it was about getting revenge for the injustices they felt had been inflicted upon them.
Both sides were in the wrong, but I couldn’t do a damn thing about it right now. I was just a human with ancient magic, mated to a wolf-shifter prince. Glinda was treating me like I was the hope everything depended on.
Tonight, both Glinda and Warin watched as I ate my dinner. Warin didn’t speak, just glared at me hatefully then administered the drug when he deemed I needed it. Controlling my blood by thinking of Raffe was becoming harder and harder when the medicine wore off.
I took a bite of the turkey sandwich, and Glinda paced in front of the desk, holding a manilla envelope in her hands.
Once I took my last bite, Warin grinned.
He rarely smiled, and when he did, it was invariably about something that would be to my detriment.
“I’ve been waiting for the right moment to share this with you.” Glinda tapped the envelope in her hand. “And I think that’s now—since you’ve become so open to listening to us the past few days.”
I nodded slowly, acting as if the drug had taken effect.
“Now I need you to see.” She removed a few photographs from the envelope and placed them on the desk in front of me.
My stomach clenched, and my blood fizzed.
No.