40. Mara
Mara
The air inside the small regional airport terminal is stale and tastes of recycled air and cheap coffee.
It's a single room with a few uncomfortable-looking chairs and a counter manned by a woman who seems more interested in her nail file than the handful of passengers waiting for a flight to Denver.
Outside, the runway is buried, a solid field of white the plows are still grinding their way through.
We're trapped. And I'm trapped in here with them.
Jonathan sits beside me, his back ramrod straight, his long legs crossed.
He's radiating a cold fury that has nothing to do with the temperature.
On his other side is Jason, who's scrolling through his phone, a picture of bored indifference, but I can feel the impatience rolling off him in waves.
Mason is pacing, his heavy work boots squeaking on the linoleum floor, his restless energy making the small space feel even smaller.
"I hate small towns," Jason says, not looking up from his phone. "One runway. One coffee shop. And the internet is probably dial-up. It's like living in the dark ages."
"Patience, Jason," Jonathan purrs. "This is a necessary delay. We'll get to Denver. And then we can sort everything out."
He reaches over and takes my hand, his grip tight, possessive. He squeezes my fingers, and I have to fight the urge to flinch. On my wrist, the diamond bracelet he clasped back on me in the café glitters under the harsh fluorescent lights, a beautiful, cold shackle.
A pilot walks in, his face red from the cold. "Sorry, folks," he says, his voice weary. "The plows still haven't cleared the main runway. We're not going anywhere for a few more hours. I'll let you know as soon as we have an update."
Mason groans, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Just great. We're stuck in this godforsaken place."
Jonathan doesn't seem bothered by the delay. In fact, he seems to welcome it. It gives him more time.
"This is why we're here, Mara," he says in a low, confidential tone that makes my skin crawl.
"You're going to pay for all the billable hours I'm missing out on while in this shitty place.
This is why we had to come get you, whore.
Your little… adventure with your little pack. It caused some complications."
My blood runs cold. "What are you talking about?"
"Your friend, the lawyer," Jonathan says, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "Daniel. He's been making noise. Threatening the Academy with some kind of investigation. He seems to think he can challenge a legally binding contract."
A cold dread washes over me. Daniel. He was trying to help me.
"He cost me money, Mara," Jonathan continues, his voice dropping even lower, a venomous whisper. "A significant amount of money. The placement fee I paid for you. The money I invested in your future. Our future."
"I'm not an investment," I say, the words a quiet, defiant whisper.
He laughs, a harsh, humorless sound. "You are to me.
You're my property. And I've decided the best way to solidify that, to make sure there are no more…
complications… is to make it official. We're finalizing the bond the moment we land in Denver.
I've found my way around that little witness clause.
A legal, binding contract that no one can break. "
I shudder, a full-body tremor of revulsion and fear. I remember the last time he was angry, the way his hand moved so fast, the sharp, stinging slap across my cheek that had left a bruise for a week. He's not just a manipulative bastard; he's a violent one.
And he thinks he owns me.
"I'm not your property," I say, my voice shaking but firm.
"Oh, but you are," he says, his eyes glinting with a cold, hard light. "And I'll do whatever it takes to remind you of that fact."
Just then, the door to the terminal swings open, and a gust of cold air blows into the room. I look up, my heart leaping into my throat, expecting to see a pilot.
It's Sheriff Reddick, his face grim, his hand resting on the butt of the gun holstered at his hip. And behind him, like a vengeful god of old, is Daniel. Gray and Leo are with him, Tess a step behind them, their faces hard, their eyes locked on me.
The tension in the room snaps, changing from a cold, simmering dread to a hot, explosive fury. Jonathan is on his feet in an instant.
"You," he snarls at Daniel. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here."
"I could say the same for you," Daniel says, his voice dangerously quiet. He takes a step forward, placing himself between Jonathan and me. "You're not taking her anywhere."
"This is a private family matter," Jason says, standing up, trying to sound important, but I can see the flicker of fear in his eyes.
"Funny, because I'm pretty sure we're her family," Daniel says.
"Fuck you!" Mason says.
Leo smirks. "Oh, save one for me."
Jonathan lunges at Daniel, but Daniel is faster, sidestepping and landing a solid punch to Jonathan's jaw that sends him stumbling backward. Mason goes for Gray, but Gray is a wall of muscle, easily deflecting the blow and landing one of his own that sends Mason to the ground.
Jason tries to make a run for the door, but Leo is there, blocking his path with a speed that is surprising for a Beta, a blur of motion that ends with Jason on his knees, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
Sheriff Reddick pulls his gun. "That's enough!" he bellows, his voice echoing in the small room. "All of you, on the ground! Now!"
The fight stops as quickly as it started. Jonathan, Mason, and a groaning Jason are surrounded by a couple of deputies who followed the sheriff in. They're handcuffed, read their rights, and led out to waiting cars.
I stand there, shaking, watching them go, a surreal sense of unreality washing over me.
When they're gone, when it's just the five of us and the bored-looking airport employee, the adrenaline finally recedes, leaving behind a hollow, aching silence. And then Tess is running to me, her face streaked with tears, and she's pulling me into a hug so tight it almost hurts.
"Oh, Mara, I'm so sorry," she sobs into my hair. "I'm so, so sorry. I was a bitch. I was angry and hurt and I took it out on you. Forgive me. Please, forgive me."
I hug her back, burying my face in her shoulder, the scent of her familiar shampoo a welcome comfort. "It's okay," I whisper. "I'm okay. We're okay."
When we finally pull apart, Daniel is there. He gently takes my face in his hands, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. "Are you okay?" he asks, his eyes searching mine.
I look from him to Gray, to Leo, to Tess. My pack. My family. They're here. They came for me. They saved me.
"Yeah," I say, a real, genuine smile touching my lips. "I think I am."