20. Vivianna #2
I turning his arm over so the soft tender skin of his forearm was displayed, giving me the perfect angle to slice away his skin from elbow to wrist. The trick was to make sure I didn’t cut too deep and hit the veins, causing him to bleed out too fast. I wanted him to be awake for all this, not drifting off in a pain induced haze.
“Why put yourself through this? If all you wanted was for your legacy to live on, then mission accomplished, job well done,” I chatted as I did the same thing to the other forearm. “Just be honest with me for once. Tell me where my daughter is.”
As I started to peel away part of his chest, he finally broke.
“Bighorn National Forest...”
I paused, leaning back to look at his face. “What about it?”
“Jason... that is where he’s alluded to having a secret bunker.
I... I don’t know where... he was very careful not to give many details— but I do know he spends a lot of time out there.
If he wanted something to vanish, that’s where he would start.
It’s not safe to move Hope too far with how little she is and without the support of your immunities through breastmilk. ”
Frowning I lean forward, letting the knife dig into the raw exposed muscle of his arm. “She is a pure werewolf why would she need my immunities?”
“Part of the genetic altering medication was to suppress her healing, otherwise she wouldn’t have responded to the treatment.
Until she has time to adjust to being without the drugs, she is closer to being human than a werewolf,” Faulk explained, his eyes glassy with the pain he was in.
“I didn’t want them to separate you so soon, but you couldn’t be trusted. ”
Well, he’s not wrong, we can’t be trusted to do as we’re told.
What more do we need out of him before I rip his heart out?
Let’s see if he knows of any packs that might not be under the two dicks control.
Think we could trust information like that?
What makes you believe him about Bighorn?
I cocked my head to the side and studied the bleeding, sobbing man in front of me. I’m not sure. I just know that he’s telling the truth.
Then trust your gut with his answer on this, too.
“If you don’t want me going on a suicide mission to save my daughter, who can I turn to for help? There have to be some packs out here that aren’t under Jason’s control.”
Faulk lifted his head and licked his lips.
“There is a system of rebel wolves that are fighting against Jason’s control.
They are losing, but only because of the sheer number of wolves he has in his back pocket.
The other day I heard them discussing an uprising in a small town in Colorado near the border— the Crimson Feather pack.
If you find them, they will be your best chance to get Hope back. ”
Standing I walked away from him, dropping the knife and scrubbing my blood soaked hands over my face.
I hate to be a bother but... is there a reason you aren’t ripping his heart out right now?
There is one other thing I want to know from him, but I’m not sure I want to hear it.
Let me guess— Daddy Dearest.
Is there any point in understanding that man? Nothing I learn from this is going to help in the long run... I almost asked him this back in the safehouse when they rescued me.
If it’s still on your mind then I think you should ask, you won’t be able to move on if you don’t.
“The man who called himself my father... How did he get involved in all this? He isn’t a werewolf, so what good would hiding away the one female who could bring them back to their former glory bring him?” I asked, unable to look at him as I waited for his answer.
Faulk gave a wheezing cough followed by a whimper of pain.
“That man will do anything if it will give him more power and prestige. Do you think that Vadik and Jason will be content with just ruling the wolves, hidden away from the world? No, they want to be the ultimate power, and remind those who are but human where they stand on the food chain. The Dark Moon pack has been known throughout history to be the most bloodthirsty of them all in regards to human life. Ambassador Beck was promised the ultimate reward for his duties of raising you to be the proper mate to Vadik... though it seems he failed that part of his mission.”
“What reward,” I pressed even though I knew the answer. I just wanted to hear it said.
“To become a werewolf of course. Bitten by Vadik himself and given a play in his retinue,” Faulk answered with a harsh laugh. “The man signed his own death sentence, there is no way he would have been strong enough to live through the bite.”
Turning frowned at his phrasing. “Are you telling me he’s dead?”
“Vadik gave him his reward before he came to get you on the island. The look of horror on his face as he realized the truth once the pain started, made Vadik smile with such delight as Beck understood his mistake. Vadik is not a man who forgives mistakes— ever,” Faulk sighed, sagging into the ropes holding him to the chair.
“You are more similar than you know, you and Vadik, because I know that I’m not going to live much longer.
I have done the ultimate betrayal to you more than once.
Violet would have survived if we had let things happen naturally, she wasn’t responding to the drugs, they were killing her... ”
Unable to let Faulk say another word about my beautiful baby girl, I lunged forward, gripped his face, gave a sharp twist, and yanked his head clean off his shoulders as I let out a roar of anguish.
With that last act I let the pain that I’d kept locked away loose, letting it sweep over me. Shifting, I let my wolf take control as I curled up around the image I had of holding both my children, and shut everything else out.