Chapter 15 - Thea

After he threw on his clothes, I practically shoved him out the door, trying to keep my legs and hands from trembling. How could I have been so stupid?

He turned around on the doorstep. "Thea—"

"Leave me alone."

"Thea, if we can just talk about this," Tannen said.

"No," I snapped. "Now leave me the hell alone. And if I catch you following me, I'll… I'll…"

I couldn't come up with a threat menacing enough to match what I would do to him. Instead, I slammed the door in his face.

Walking back into the house, I wiped my eyes. Stupid. I shouldn't be this upset over someone like him. But I couldn't help it. Still, I should have thought more about what would happen when the claim was broken. I would have fought harder to keep him at arm's length.

I paced back and forth in the living room, trying to get a grip on everything. It didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't doing any good. I needed to get out of here.

Making sure Tannen had actually left, I hurried out of the house and into the woods. The moment the forest surrounded me, I instantly felt better, taking a shaky breath and letting the cool wind wash over me and soothe me, letting my mind settle after everything that had happened.

It took longer than I would have liked to get myself back under control and able to think straight. By the time I felt like myself again, the moon was shining high overhead, the night sky glittering with a myriad of stars. I needed to get back before Astrid started to worry. I could figure out how to deal with Tannen later. It was only a matter of time before he or Mark or someone found a way to break the bond. It couldn't happen soon enough. I could only hope that it wouldn't involve me being in the same room as Tannen.

Still, it was time to go. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the forest, the damp earth, the smell of prey—

The smell of leather and dirt. The scent of a familiar shifter.

Damien.

I froze, heart pounding as my breath stuck in my throat. It wasn't possible. Was it? There was no way. He was dead. I had seen him fall. But I would remember that scent for the rest of my life.

A rustle of leaves behind me.

I didn't wait another second. I ran, knowing that there was a chance I had enough of a head start to—

A strong hand grabbed my wrist and jerked me back. I screamed, but a second hand covered my mouth as I was pressed against a large, muscular body, pinning me there. I craned my neck upward, already knowing what I was going to see before Viktor looked down at me, a sickening grin on his face.

"Heya, cutie," he said. "Did you miss us?"

I screamed, writhing and thrashing against him, kicking, trying to pry his hand from my mouth, clawing at him as I snarled. I might as well have been a limp ragdoll for all the good it did me.

"No husband to come save you this time, is there?" Viktor mocked, ignoring my muffled screams and chaotic flailing. Other wolves gathered around, leering at me with amusement and glee. "I'm looking forward to picking up where we left off."

His other hand went to my throat, beginning to squeeze. My shrieks weakened, turning into coughs and wheezes as I struggled to breathe. I stopped trying to get away and thought only about prying his fingers away from my throat. My vision started going black around the edges. I stopped struggling, waiting to pass out.

"That's enough," a cold voice cut through the air.

The hand around my throat vanished, and I sputtered, coughing against the hand still covering my mouth. Damien stepped out of the shadows. A long gash ran along the side of his face, bruises and cuts covering his body. He looked down at me, a sinister smile spreading across his face even as his eyes burned with hatred.

"You seem surprised," he said conversationally as he studied my face. He jerked his head at Viktor, who removed his hand from my mouth.

"I am," I said after taking a large gulp of fresh air. "Weird seeing a dead man after watching him fall from a ravine. Not exactly something I could have anticipated, you know?"

He grinned, the sight making my stomach curdle. "Next time you try to kill someone, you might want to check to ensure they're actually dead," he said. "It certainly wasn't one of my favorite days, but, as you can see, I made it out just fine."

"How?" I asked. "That was a hundred-foot drop, at least."

He shot me an annoyed look, then rolled his eyes. "I caught a ledge hidden by some bramble. Are you happy?"

"Not particularly," I admitted. "I'd be much happier if you'd just died."

He raised an eyebrow, lips curling into an amused sneer. He looked at Viktor. "I think we can forgo our normal precautions this time," he said.

A blinding pain slammed into my temple. I gasped, brain scrambled and unable to think as the pain blossomed and spread. I blinked the stars out of my vision, then glanced back at Damien, who was staring at me with cool impassivity.

"Continue backtalking, and you'll get worse," he warned. "I'm through playing nice with you."

I ignored the warning. Like hell I was going to cooperate with him after everything he'd done. I glared at him defiantly. "Go ahead and sell me," I said. "You saw how well that went last time."

He chuckled, the laugh making my stomach churn with dread.

"We will eventually," he promised. "But I need you around for other reasons. After that, then I'm sure we'll find you a suitable new home. Assuming we knock that willful streak out of you this time."

"After what?" I asked, my throat dry. He gave a menacing smile, and I realized I knew the answer. "After you kill Tannen," I said.

He gave a feral grin that showed all his teeth. "We'll be waiting for him when he comes for you. You'll get to watch while we tear your Silver Wolf to shreds."

"You're wrong," I said. "He isn't going to come after me. We hate each other."

He raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. "There's a reason we had him claim you," he said. "Claiming is a good insurance policy."

I sucked in a breath, knowing he was right. Even if Tannen hated me, the bond made him more protective. There was no way he would stay away from me for long. He wouldn't be able to help it. And he'd walk straight into Damien's trap as a result.

"He'll come," Damien promised, giving a sly smile. "And when he does, I'll have to repay him the favor for my lovely little trip down the ravine."