Chapter Sixteen

I'd gotten more used to meeting him, the man who had made me, the one who had told me to call him Knot, in my dreams, though it seemed more awkward now. I spotted him across a busy shop, the people around me speaking a language I couldn't understand. A glance at the menus as I passed identified it as Korean.

He didn't lift his gaze at first, staring down at a plate with a mixture of rice and veggies and sprouts, a small container of kimchi to the side. He poked at the food with the end of his chopstick, as though it hadn't quite hit the spot he'd hoped.

I approached his table, surprised at the idea that I might sneak up on him. After…well…everything, I wouldn't have thought that possible. He proved that guess right when he lifted his head as soon as I reached the table. He gestured toward the seat across from him. It made me wonder if he'd known I was coming somehow, if he'd sensed it. He'd said before that he could feel when I was upset, and fuck, who knew what else he could have felt from me. The idea that he might have caught what I'd been doing with Kelvin and Harrison made me sit and stare at the food instead of the man across from me.

"So you're still alive," he said before taking another bite of the rice mixture in his bowl.

"You already knew that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I did. Still, I was wondering how long you'd make it. You know, I don't usually step into human problems. I find them tedious and never worth the effort."

"So why did you for me?"

"I wonder." His words made me lift my gaze to find him smiling at me, the fondness in that look easing the sting of his words earlier. He could say whatever he wanted, but the truth was that he'd come forward and risked himself just to help me. It was hard not to feel at least a little charmed by that.

"Where are you now?" I asked, despite being pretty sure I knew the answer.

"Korea," he acknowledged. "I like it here. It's busy in the cities and the countryside is pretty. Besides, it's hard to get good kimchi anywhere else." His words sounded like the sort of things he always said, but they held an edge that worried me. It was in the way he glanced to the side, past me, as though looking for something.

Or someone.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He brought his gaze back to mine before laughing and shaking his head. "You really were the right choice, you know that? Anyone else would know better than to come right out and ask but you? You just do whatever you want. I like that about you—at least, when you aren't using it against me."

"That's a lot of words just to avoid answering what I'm asking."

He blew out a breath, then set his chopsticks down on the napkin. "Let's just say that I'm a bit more popular than I was before."

I frowned as I thought about the meaning behind that. Knot tended to prefer staying vague and forcing me to figure it out myself. It started to come together, though, and I didn't care for the picture it made. "You're talking about the council, right? Are you saying you're in trouble because of that?"

"I'm never in trouble, little crow, I am trouble. Also, yeah, I'm in a little trouble. I've kept my head down for a long time so no one bothered me. Now, though, the others are taking notice of me again."

"The others?"

"You've already figured that much out—the other Old Gods. The ones who made the Spirits of your world. I've never been well liked, but since I kept my nose out of their business, they ignored me—if they even remembered me anymore. They probably figured I was dead."

"But now they realize you aren't?"

"Pretty much."

"Has anything happened?"

"Not yet. I think they're still just playing games. I can feel them around sometimes, so I keep moving." He reached across the table and ran his thumb across my forehead, as though to smooth the lines out from there. "You look way too worried. This won't fall on you, so don't worry."

"I'm not worried about it falling on me."

He tilted his head, as though my words confused him, but didn't remove his thumb from my forehead. "You are such a strange little human. You always do things I don't predict. Are you telling me you're worried about me? After I changed your life so much, after everything I've screwed up for you?"

"Of course I'm worried about you. We're…" I paused when I had no idea how to finish that thought. What were we? Undeniably intertwined, sure, but beyond that?

I really had no fucking idea.

Knot chuckled, then stroked his fingers across my cheek before sitting back in his chair. "We are that. Don't worry your pretty little head over me, though. I've lived a long time avoiding the others—I can avoid them longer. No one's better at it than I am."

"I was surprised that I didn't hear from you after the council meeting. It's been weeks."

"Sorry. Each time we meet like this, though, it forms a connection. That's risky."

"So they could find you because of me?" I peered around as though I might catch the people following him in the shadows around us.

And do what exactly? We were talking about Gods. I was a big fan of knowing one's own limitations, and that included me recognizing that I was far from equipped to deal with Gods. I was hardly equipped to deal with toddlers who missed their naps!

I turned back toward the man to find him staring at me with that same look from before, one full of confusion. "I didn't not meet you because I was worried about them finding me."

"Then why?"

He lifted an eyebrow as though telling me to work that out myself.

Before I could, however, he turned his head toward the front door and narrowed his eyes. His expression was different from any I'd ever seen from him before. It wasn't playful or amused, it was downright threatening. He stared as though fully ready to fuck up whoever had come in.

I turned to look at the door, but somehow my eyes couldn't make sense of what I saw. It was too bright, too different, as though something I wasn't meant to see at all.

Knot reached across and caught my chin, forcing my face back to his. "Go back. I'll talk to you when it's safe."

I didn't have time to ask him what he meant before I felt myself thrown back into my body with a force that made me bolt upright in bed. Normally returning to myself felt like waking from a dream, something simple and not stressful. There was no doubt that this time was different, however. I had a feeling it was Knot's fault, as though he'd physically tossed me back into my own body.

But why? He'd never done that before.

His words swirled in my head, and the meaning hit me all at once. He hadn't met with me not because he was afraid of drawing attention to himself, but because he didn't want attention drawn to me.

When the fuck did he get all noble?

I sighed and rubbed my face, since it seemed unlikely I'd get back to sleep. My bed was empty, something I found oddly disappointing. Sure, I didn't expect to find Kelvin or Harrison, but a part of me thought it might not be so bad to wake up and not be alone. Fuck, it might have even been sort of nice…

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, vibrating against the wood. I reached out and grabbed it, then brought it closer, squinting against the bright light in the dark room. I'd gotten a text message, and a few taps and swipes later, I'd brought it up.

If my heart wasn't already going a mile a minute, it sure as fuck was now.

The words were short and to the point, as expected from a man like Galen, but they got across what I needed to know.

Trey is awake.

* * * *

Galen's expression dampened my excitement when I arrived at his place. After his first text message, I'd gotten a second telling me to come over in the morning. I could have called him—was almost tempted to do so—but something held me back.

It was the fear of bad news. I didn't want to call and find out things were worse than I thought, to find out it was bad news. Instead, I allowed myself the giddy few moments of believing everything would be okay.

The look on Galen's face told me I'd been na?ve.

Harrison got out of the passenger seat, having let me drive—I had stolen the car just a few days prior, so clearly he could trust me. He walked behind me, something I appreciated. Too often the men in my life liked to take the lead, liked to act as though I needed them to guide and protect me. Harrison never behaved that way. He always remained behind me, willing to step in if he thought I needed it, but quick to allow me to handle myself the rest of the time.

"You're here early," Galen said.

"You said to come at nine."

"Sure, but you're always late. You getting here at nine is unheard of."

"So, you're funny in the mornings, huh?" I paused at the front door, waiting for the first time before going in. Usually, I barged in—often completely uninvited. Things like social rules and expectations weren't things I cared much about. However, this time, I hesitated at the threshold.

I didn't want to go in. Up until now, I'd thought that Trey would wake up eventually, that he was just taking his sweet ass time. Now, though? Now that he had, I had no idea what exactly that meant. What if he wasn't him anymore? What if Galen had to kill him?

Over my dead fucking body.

Harrison stopped a few steps back, as though giving me a moment of privacy. That was fair, though. This might be an issue with the Minds, but the victim was a Were. That put it strictly in Galen's jurisdiction.

"You don't have to do this," Galen said, his voice low. "You don't need to see him."

"Guess that means I don't need to ask how he is."

"Harrison warned you that if he did wake up, it might not be good news."

I nodded, trying to force myself to smile even if I didn't feel like it at all. "Yeah, I guess he did. Still, I have to see him."

"Why?"

"He ended up on Ryder's bad side because of me. He's in whatever state he's in because of me. The least I can do is see it. Besides, who knows, maybe there's something I can do…"

I could tell from Galen's look that he didn't agree, that he'd already written Trey off. Even so, he said nothing, only nodding.

I moved past him, headed for the stairs.

"Downstairs," Galen said, drawing me to a stop. When I turned to face him, he hadn't moved at all. "He's uncontrollable, Grey. We had to put him downstairs where we can keep him from escaping or hurting anyone."

"Is Grey safe there?" Harrison broke in.

"Yeah, she will be. He's bound and in a cell."

Each word felt like a fresh slap, and I couldn't seem to get a break from any of it. Still, I wouldn't run away. I'd do what I came to do—face Trey and at least apologize for what had happened. I forced myself to walk toward the door I'd never gone through, the one that headed down to the basement. The door had no lock, and opened for me with only a loud creaking of the hinges.

The stairs were wooden, and the interior or the basement appeared lit by a warm bulb somewhere beyond the staircase. I took one more deep breath, then headed down them. From the basement, a deep, dark sound echoed up the concrete walls. It sounded almost like the vibrating of a phone on silent. Still, I walked down the stairs, toward the sound, toward the darkness.

At the bottom, I was finally able to look at the full basement. I could see why Galen never invited me down here…

Cells lined the far wall—five, it seemed like. A single bare light bulb hung from the center of the ceiling, casting dim light over the gray room. It had a certain terrorist-chic aesthetic. The doors to four of the cells were cracked open, but one sat closed at the far-left corner.

That sound came from that direction, though I couldn't see anything in the cell. My steps were quiet as I approached, as if I might be able to sneak up on whatever made that noise. I stopped when I was just before the door, the thick iron bars on the cells a sure sign they weren't just for some kinky roleplaying. I doubted a rhino could break through this thing.

Which told me I probably didn't much want to play with whatever was locked inside.

Just as soon as I thought that, the darkness inside the cell moved. Something dark and shadowed rushed forward, and I couldn't stop myself from jerking backward, startled by how fast and how aggressive the thing was.

It got to the cell door, then reached through, a black, clawed hand swiping inches from my face. My eyes were open wide, my breath caught in my throat as the light finally illuminated the thing.

It was a bear—large enough I had to crane my neck to see the golden eyes that bore into me from its massive face.

A bear locked down here could only mean one thing, right?

I swallowed hard, then spoke with as calming a voice as I could. "Trey?"

The bear tilted its head as though confused by the name. Had that reached beneath his beast Spirit? Gotten to the man beneath? It must have, because a moment later, a shadow wrapped around the bear and when it dissipated, Trey stood there, nude and clinging to the bars. He breathed hard, sweat on his brow, his gaze down.

"Trey?" I repeated.

He slumped down, sinking to the floor, his forehead hitting the bars as though he lacked the energy to hold it up anymore. That had me rushing forward, not caring about the risk. Sure, the memory of those huge claws remained in my mind, but I didn't plan on worrying about it right now. I could ignore a risk if I had reason to. I dropped down beside the door, reaching through the bars to check his head.

"How do you feel?"

"My head hurts," he said, but it wasn't the voice I knew from him. I recalled how playful he'd sounded at the school, how full of life. He sounded nothing like that. Now exhaustion and pain filled his voice.

"That happens. Still, you look better."

He shook his head, but didn't pull back, as though he enjoyed the touch of my cool skin against him. " Everything hurts. It's like each thought in my head is made of razors, slicing my brain apart as I think." He shuddered, that growling occurring again, the same one I'd heard when I'd entered.

"You'll get better," I swore to him, trying to make myself sound confident. Sure, I had no idea how to make that happen, but I couldn't just not offer help. I couldn't not try when he was here and it was my fault.

"He won't." Harrison's voice made me twist my head to look back and find him at the base of the steps along with Galen. They both wore nearly identical expressions—pity. Clearly, they both were in agreement over Trey's odds.

"You don't know that," I snapped. "You can't."

Harrison came closer, not bothering to crouch. "Of course I do. I know the sort of damage done, and there aren't many ways to fix it."

"Many ways doesn't mean no ways. In fact, it's the opposite."

Harrison sighed, as though dealing with me was tedious. "It took a very specific power to cause the wounds in his mind. The only way to reverse any of it—and it wouldn't be all of it—would be for the person who created them to resolve them." He moved his gaze from me to Trey. "And that sort of thing is extremely hard on the Mind who has to do so. I know Ryder well enough to assure you, he wouldn't do anything so selfless."

That wasn't what I'd wanted to hear, and worse, I had no idea how to argue. After my small amounts of time with Ryder…yeah, I couldn't see him going out of his way to help some kid he'd used as a dealer.

But what other option did I have? What else could I do but try?

I opened my mouth to tell him that I'd find a way, that it didn't matter how difficult or how remote the chance, I still would do it. Except, before the words escaped me, something large and furry wrapped around my throat, trapping me against the cell, my back to the bars, facing Galen and Harrison. That deep rumble from Trey hadn't stopped—in fact, it was louder and so low I feared it might just vibrate the bars apart.

"Stay back," a voice I didn't recognize came from behind me. It was feral and primal and not even close to Trey's. It reminded me that Weres were not one but two beings. One, the human, and the other?

The Spirit of the beast that resided inside them, the animal that took them over from time to time. It was easy to ignore or forget that fact, but given the hand wrapped around my throat, the claws that dug into my flesh, I lacked the luxury of forgetting or ignoring it right now.

Harrison lifted his hands as if to placate the bear, even taking a step back. Then again, Harrison wasn't someone all that dangerous up close. He could bring someone to their knees from across the room with ease. Of course…the claws said the bear didn't need much to fuck me up, either.

"Release her." Galen's voice filled the basement, somehow even more terrifying than the claws at my throat. He was alpha for a reason, and while I rarely saw this side of him, it was impossible to forget it.

"Release me," Trey shot back.

"I can't. You're too dangerous. You have to recognize that." Galen came closer, each step against the concrete like a crack of thunder. "You know you aren't in your right mind, not either of you."

"I'm fine."

"You aren't. You are half of the same whole, and your human has been hurt."

"Then I will care for him, but not here, not trapped like some performing animal. Weres die in captivity—you know this!" Trey's words were so low that they were hard to understand, hard to make out, but I couldn't deny the truth in them. Weres craved freedom, like most spirits, and they didn't do well when trapped.

"You can't care for him," Harrison said. "You may feel fine right now, but your mind was shredded just as his was. You share a mind, so you were damaged as well. You simply don't use some of the higher functions like he does, so you don't notice it as much."

"I'll kill her," Trey threatened, digging his claws into my throat. "I'll slit her throat right now."

"Do not threaten my mate," Galen said, his voice having somehow grown even more violent than before. Before he was pissed—now he sounded outright feral. In fact, his tone turned me silent, even allowed me to pretend I hadn't heard his proclamation about being his mate.

Which I sure as fuck was not.

My life was complicated enough without that bullshit.

"She isn't," Trey answered. I couldn't see him, but fuck if I didn't feel the heat of his breath as he sniffed the top of my head. And I sure as hell tried to ignore how that position would put his teeth much closer than I felt comfortable with. Not that I could do shit about it. "She doesn't carry your scent, so no, she isn't yours. Still, you dare to speak as if she were."

"He gets confused in his old age," I said with a strained laugh. "It happens to everyone, right? Let's all calm down."

"You will remove your hands from her," Galen said as though I hadn't spoken. "Or I will remove your hands."

By this point, Galen stood just before me, so closer I could have reached out and touched him. Not that I'd dare—I had a feeling that would make this all worse.

Galen stared—not at me, but at Trey. He had to stare up and into Trey's face, given he was in his bear form. I would have cowered at that, but Galen somehow didn't. He faced off against Trey as though he were a pup in need of discipline rather than the full-grown bear he was. It made me unwillingly impressed by Galen. He appeared so young, like a college kid, that I sometimes forgot the power and position he held.

"I won't let her go," Trey swore, "not until you open this door."

"Even if I open it, you won't leave."

"Want to bet?"

I swear, if a dick measuring contest gets me killed, I am going to haunt someone's ass for all eternity.

Galen reached out and grabbed the door to the cell, placing his palm over the keyhole. The lock inside the door ground as though it had unlocked, the tension of the door let up, swinging freely and causing me to fall back slightly toward Trey, the bars still between us. "Door is open. Now, let her go."

Trey seemed to hesitate, making me suspect he'd never thought the door would open, that he didn't think he'd get what he'd wanted. If that was the case, though, why try it?

Galen shook his head, the action so fast it reminded me more of a wolf. Was he that close to losing his control?

This was, in all, a very bad situation to be in—especially because physically, I was nowhere close to the weight level of these two. If they started to take swings, it would only take one to really fuck me up.

Though, hey, at least I'd found something that was too far and I could easily say wasn't my kink. That was good, right?

Trey still hadn't released me. His hand trembled, the action causing the claws to rake lightly against my exposed skin. If I could ignore the size of the man behind me, the fact that he was evidently stark-raving nuts, if I only paid attention to his actions, it all came back to one thing.

He was doing this for a reason, but that reason wasn't about escaping. He was terrified.

Galen rolled his shoulders, narrowing his glowing eyes. "This is your last chance. I've held back my wolf as well as I can, but he doesn't take it well when people threaten his mate. If I lose control of him—you will be torn to pieces. So, let. Her. Go." With the last word, Galen snapped his teeth together.

Still, Trey didn't let go. He tightened his grip, pressing the sharp tips of his claws harder against my throat. He could have cut me so easily, but he didn't.

Galen spread his arms just as a dark mist started to consume him, the sign of the start of his change and the start of a lot of fucking questions.

"Stop!" I rushed out, putting my hands up.

"Stop? He's going to kill you," Galen said, his voice having returned more to normal. Maybe my stupidity had shaken some sense into him.

"No, he isn't—right, Trey? If you wanted to kill me, you could have from the start. You were just trying to get Galen to attack you."

A noisy chuff said Trey wasn't a fan of my theory, and Galen's expression suggested he thought I was an idiot.

The thing was, even an idiot was right occasionally, and today felt like my lucky day.

"Think about it, Galen. He could have killed me already. He had to know you wouldn't just let him go, especially with Harrison right here as well. He knows you're stronger, so why would he do this?" I gave Galen a moment to think it over, to recognize I wasn't wrong.

After a second, Galen let out a soft curse under his breath, the realization washing over his face. Clearly, he'd come to the same conclusion I had.

Trey must have realized it too, because he released me. Despite the fact that he hadn't been restricting my airway, I felt like I could breathe more easily. "You're an idiot," Trey snapped. "You all are idiots."

I turned to find him there, still in his bear form, having moved away until he was against the wall, as though trying to be considerate. Funny how quickly he could move from ‘I'm going to tear her throat out' to ‘I don't want to startle her from standing too close!'

"You don't need to die," I said.

"Of course I do. You really don't think I can feel the wounds in my mind? The way someone went in there and carved it all out, leaving gashes behind that will never heal. I'm nothing more than a rabid beast like this. Death is a far better fate." He lowered himself from his back legs to the ground, then lay flat. He set his head on top of his front paws, his face turned away as though he didn't want to see any of us. He really did look the part of a wounded animal right there, didn't he?

Galen closed the door to the cell, relocking it with his palm against the door. It must have been some magic lock, something connected with his wolf. Whatever it was, Trey didn't resist the action, didn't try to get away. It went to prove even more than he'd never intended to escape, not really.

"You should have killed me," Trey said as the rest of us headed for the stairs.

I turned back to face Trey, but he still didn't look my way. In fact, for a moment I wondered if I'd heard him at all. He cleared that up when he went on, "You'll see that I'm right. You'll come to regret not doing what I wanted and ending me here, and what happens next? All the blood that gets shed? Well, you'll have to live with that yourself, because it'll be on your hands."

That doesn't sound good at all…