Chapter 20 - Amber
They dragged her to a camp on the outskirts of town.
It was a large camp, with tents dotting the hill surrounded by the dense forest. At least four or five shifters stalked around the camp, some in wolf form, others with guns.
They watched the procession with interest. Eric dragged her through the cluster of tents and past a roaring fire, his hand grasping her arm in a vice-like grip.
She tried to tug her arm away from him at one point, but he just held her tighter.
“Take a seat.” Eric flung her toward an upside-down crate propped next to a tent. She stumbled, thrusting her hand against the rough canvas to stop herself from falling. She twisted around to glower at Eric.
“Stay there until I tell you otherwise,” Eric said.
“Do we need to tie her up or anything?” one of the other shifters asked, looking her up and down.
“Nah. She’s not the type to flee. She’s too timid.
She’ll listen as long as you give her orders.
” His eyes narrowed when he saw that Amber was still standing.
“Though sometimes it takes a couple of repeats before it manages to sink in. She can be a bit dense. I said Sit down and stay put,” he barked at Amber.
She remained standing.
Surprise and alarm flickered across Eric’s features. She’d never disobeyed him so brazenly. He marched over, grabbed her shoulder, and forced her onto the crate.
“I said sit down,” he hissed. “Now start behaving before I make you behave.”
She stared up at him, her eyes hard. But she didn’t retort, didn’t try to move. After a moment, he nodded, satisfied, and released her.
She rubbed her bicep unconsciously, staring up at him with narrowed eyes. “What exactly do you want from me?” she asked. “You were more than happy to sell me weeks ago.”
Eric laughed. “I really should have recognized him when I first laid eyes on him. But if he was willing to pay that much for you, then he’s clearly willing enough to go to great lengths to hold onto you. No idea why he’d take that much of an interest in you, but there’s no accounting for taste.”
She had forgotten just how often Eric had insulted her like that. A few years ago, each jab had made her flinch and wilt. Now, however, she just stared back at him.
How was I ever afraid of you? she wondered.
Something in her gaze must have unnerved him, because he frowned when she met his gaze. It was as if he saw something there he hadn’t before. Something that he didn’t like.
“So how are you planning on using that?” she asked blandly.
“You’re going to be insurance.” Eric walked back to her and began playing with her hair.
She leaned away, avoiding his touch. His eyes narrowed, and he tugged her upright by pulling on the lock of hair.
“I’m going to tell them that as long as they step aside and hand over the Silverrose pack without fuss, you can go, and they and the rest of the town will live. ”
Amber couldn’t help but laugh. “You think they’re actually dumb enough to believe that? They’re going to see through that in a heartbeat.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But I would rather try to avoid a drawn-out fight.”
“Say they believe you, and they decide to actually back down,” Amber said. She batted away his fingers, still toying with her hair. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t react otherwise. “What’s really going to happen? Because you’re not going to let them live.”
“Look at you,” Eric smirked down at her. “You’re actually thinking a bit.”
“So you’re going to kill them and take over the town no matter what they decide,” she said. “In that case, what happens to me?”
“Depends on how well you behave,” he mused.
“I might sell you again. Or, if you’re lucky, I’ll decide to keep you.
” He grasped her by the chin and hauled her to her feet.
His other hand went to the small of her back, tugging her closer until she was pressed up against him.
“I’m not going to lie. I’ve missed having you around. ”
Her lip curled in disgust. “Enjoy it while you can. I’m not going to be around for very long.”
Eric let out a mocking, derisive laugh. “What? Do you think your new owner is going to save you? That asshole attacked one of my men. I’m not going to take that lying down.
No, he’s forfeited his life.” He grinned down at her, and her stomach curdled.
“I’m looking forward to when he comes looking for you.
He’s going to be in for a world of pain. ”
He was going to kill Cillian.
Her eyes narrowed. “Good luck with that,” she said, trying to keep the concern from her voice, pretending that she wasn’t afraid. “He’s a lot more clever than you give him credit for.”
“Oh, I know all about him,” he said. “I thought he looked familiar. When Chase told me what happened, I remembered the first time we met years ago, when his crew tried to destroy the Night Pack the first time. So I did some research into him.” He smiled down at her.
“Really, I should be thanking you. I never would have found him again if it weren’t for you, and I doubt that encounter would have gone quite as well as it had for me if you hadn’t been right there.
What, did he see you and decide you were so helpless and pathetic that he needed to play hero to protect you? ”
The jab stung. He was right, after all. Still, the insult felt muted, less of a blow. She met his gaze, and once again, his eyes flickered with something like alarm. After a moment, she stood again.
“He’s going to come after you,” she said, trying to keep her voice even.
Eric smiled. “I know,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. I have a few ways I’m thinking about killing him; I haven’t decided quite yet. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that you have a front-row seat.”
Before she even realized what she was doing, her hand flew up toward Eric’s cheek. Eric caught her wrist just before it would have made contact.
His eyes flashed dangerously. She recognized that look from when they were dating. It was the look he got right before that smarmy arrogance turned to pure rage. Her breath caught.
Silently, he considered her hand, twisting it as though fascinated. “You’ve gotten some backbone recently,” he mused, then gave her a sickening grin. “I think we’ll have to break that nasty habit. Now, sit.”
He released her, shoving her back. The backs of her calves struck the overturned crate, and she collapsed back on it, nearly toppling over. Eric turned away.
“Keep an eye on her,” he told one of the other shifters who had been watching with interest. “Make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble.”
The shifter nodded. Eric shot Amber one last, smug glance, then strutted away, hands in his pockets.
She glanced in the direction Eric had sauntered off in. A few weeks ago, she had been paralyzed with fear by him. That unease still plagued her whenever he spoke, firing off an insult or making a sly jab. But it felt different, as if he was doing it to someone else, not her.
In a way, he was. She wasn’t the same person she had been the last time they met.
Her fingers tapped against her opposite wrist as her mind began to churn. She needed to figure out how to get out of here. She needed some sort of plan. But she didn’t know how to get more than five feet without someone grabbing her.
Chewing the inside of her cheek, she glanced around. She doubted she could run. She was in the middle of the woods with no real way of finding a path through the trees or getting away without being tracked. Trying to escape wouldn’t do her any good.
There’s nothing you can do; Eric’s voice jeered in her head. You’re useless.
Only that wasn’t true. She might not be able to run, and she couldn’t fight, but that didn’t mean she was useless. If she bided her time, she might be able to do something helpful.
She watched, waiting. She kept her eyes on the shifters milling about, counting how many she could see, noting their weapons.
It was unusual for shifters to lug around guns, unless they were military.
If she’d had any doubts as to whether the Night Pack was planning something big, those weapons were enough to dispel them.
She couldn’t let them get anywhere near the town.
Her eyes lingered on the fire a ways off.
“I’m cold,” she said to her guard. “Can I sit next to the fire?”
The shifter looked at her, skeptical.
“Please?” she asked, shivering and rubbing her arms. “I get cold super easily.”
He frowned, then glanced at the fire. He shrugged. “Come on,” he said. He grabbed her elbow and hauled her over to the fire, shoving her down onto her knees. She gritted her teeth as stones dug into her skin, but she didn’t cry out.
There was another crate. She clambered onto it and sat, staring into the fire, the flames licking the air. Heat brushed against her face, warming the already humid summer night. She took a deep breath, brushing the dirt from her palms, letting her mind settle.
Once again, her eyes strayed around the camp.
Her gaze lingered on a large tent, one that people seemed to be going in and out of on a regular basis.
At one point, she watched two men step inside, then come out carrying large guns a few minutes later.
She tore her attention away from them, trying not to appear too interested in the large tent.
She watched the flames dance before her.
The heat was nearly scalding this close.
She stared down at the branches that fueled the blaze, looking at each of them, trying to keep her expression neutral even as she calculated.
An idea began to form in her mind. An utterly reckless, incredibly stupid, and dangerous idea.
But she wanted to cause some chaos, a distraction. Here was her perfect opportunity.
For a moment, she faltered. Eric’s jeers ran through her mind, calling her weak and pathetic, telling her that she didn’t have the guts to do anything, that she should just give up.
At one point, those comments would have pierced her like a knife, crippling her and causing her to draw in on herself.
This time, though, she wasn’t going to give in that easily.
She wasn’t going to fold in on herself. She wasn’t that girl anymore, and she wasn’t going to let Eric turn her back into that girl.
Her fingers twitched, a final hesitation.
Then she steeled herself. If she was going to do this, she needed to act quickly.
Without giving herself time to hesitate, she darted forward, reaching toward the fire.
She grabbed a long branch that only had one end stuck in the fire.
When she pulled it out, it was like she was grasping a flaming torch.
Before anyone could even register what she had done or guess what she was planning, she lobbed the fiery branch toward the massive tent.
It struck the side and rolled down, but it did its job.
The fabric of the tent began to smolder, and then the fire caught.
Somewhere nearby, someone yelled. She didn’t pay attention. Instead, she reached for another log. The heat wrapped around her hand, but she didn’t care. She took another branch and threw it toward the tent.
A hand grasped her wrist just as she finished tossing the second burning branch, but it was too late. The damage was done. The flames around the tent engulfed it. People scrambled out of it, looking back in bewilderment.
“What the hell did you do?” the shifter holding her snarled, yanking her to her feet with a painful jostle that made her cry out.
Her knee rammed straight into his crotch.
He groaned, releasing her. She stumbled away, turning and racing away from the scene.
She doubted she would be able to get far, but maybe far enough that she could cause a bit more chaos.
She sprinted toward the woods as fast as she could manage.
The tree line was growing close, and so far, no one else had noticed her fleeing. She might be able to make it.
She made another push. If she was lucky, she could get into the tree line without anyone chasing after her. It seemed impossible. The entire attack had been a risky gambit; she hadn’t expected it to pay off. But still… she might actually get away before anyone caught her.
A hand grasped her by the back of the neck and jerked her backward while another hand snaked around her waist, pinning her against firm muscle. She struggled, trying to wrench free, but her captor held her tighter, her struggles useless.
“You’re causing a lot more trouble than I would have expected,” Eric hissed in her ear. “It seems like I’m going to have to keep a closer eye on you than I thought.”
Somewhere behind them came a bang.
“Sounds like you have some bigger problems than me,” she retorted, a smirk spreading across her face. “Just how many of your weapons got destroyed in that fire?”
He growled, his grip on her neck tightening painfully. She winced. After a moment, that grip loosened, and the snarl mutated into a chuckle that was almost as bad. The sound made her shudder, and she would have flinched away had Eric given her even a modicum of wiggle room.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re going to pay for that before this is all over. I might have to be a bit more creative with your punishment than normal, though, considering all the trouble you’ve caused. Now come on.”
He yanked, dragging her back into camp, the acrid stench of smoke enveloping them.