Chapter 27

Billie

A kind of light-headedness came over me as the hours went on and I remained in the Hexen's living room. The wooziness came from the heavy silver locket hanging around my neck. The metal against my bare skin sapped my wolf's power. Silver was poisonous to werewolves if it entered our bloodstream. Although the silver was only against my skin, it had weakened me enough to prevent me from shifting. And with my hands restrained behind me, I had no way of getting it off. My inability to transform had my wolf pacing inside me, and my skin itched at the feeling of being so trapped.

I'd edged back into the corner of the room, my skin crawling with how on display I was. I hadn't been surprised at how David and Catrina had treated me like a commodity. Only a few minutes after I'd arrived, Catrina had bound me with rope, ordinarily used in David's taxidermy, and placed the silver locket around my neck. David had silently penned a note before sending it off with one of his packmates, whom he ordered to deliver it to the Grandbay sentinels patrolling the border.

My face heated with shame at the thought of Oslo or Gretel reading the letter, telling them that David had me. The fact that I'd come so close to the Dalesbloom border of my own accord, avoiding Gretel and Oslo, felt like a betrayal of them, too. The two Betas had welcomed me into their home like a second daughter, and this was the way I'd repaid their kindness.

I'd put my whole pack and Muriel in jeopardy because I'd been worried about Colt. A worry that had been entirely misplaced. Because not only was he fine, but he'd treated me with nothing but coldness.

In fact, Colt's treatment of me made me want to retch. After he'd fixed me with a stony look that had matched his father's, he'd watched his father write a note to Gavin with indifference. I hadn't seen a flicker of emotion on his face, not one.

Once David had dispatched the note to Grandbay, both Lothair and Sibyelle had returned outside. Presumably, they were back in their dragon forms, ready to defend Hexen Manor should Gavin and the Grandbay Pack try to attack. Catrina had taken up a position in the double archway, leaning against the frame, as if eager to be the first to see whoever arrived at the door.

My arms pebbled with goosebumps at the thought of Gavin and my pack getting hurt all because of me. Waves of guilt and shame crashed through me. I felt as if I'd become encrusted in remorse, like the stiffness that had set in my limbs as I stood, tense and waiting.

I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, trying to get the feeling back in my hands and feet that had long turned numb with cold. An ache shot through my sternum as my gaze went to Colt, who was sitting in one of the wingback chairs only ten feet from me. Within the room, he was nearest in proximity. But he seemed more like an unfeeling guard than the person I'd been closest to most of my life.

He hasn't even gotten me clothes.

I felt exposed and vulnerable, which was exactly what David wanted me to feel. My gaze zipped to the Dalesbloom Alpha, who was pacing along the edge of the room, his eyes wandering over the far wall where the majority of his taxidermy collection was mounted above the grand staircase.

I'd always hated this main room. The gallery was what the Dalesbloom Pack called it, where David displayed the pack's kills with pride. This room was the reason Hexen Manor fitted the name the Hunting Lodge that the Dalesbloom Pack had given it. The walls were adorned with a brocade damask pattern that would have made most rooms feel cramped, but the vast space still felt huge with its lofty ceiling.

I stared up at the glassy, beady-eyed elk on the wall. Most were bulls with antlers, but here and there, a well-proportioned cow had made it to the wall. A huge chandelier made of antlers adorned the center of the room. Once again, my stare wandered to Colt, who was actually scrolling on his phoneas if this were a night like any other. My disappointment muddied with anger—the more unmoved he revealed himself to be.

How can he sit there and say nothing to me?

My eyes wandered over to David again. My heartbeat quickened as I found his focus on me. He'd stopped pacing, too. A shiver crawled down my spine. Having this man's scrutiny on you was never a good thing.

The Dalesbloom Alpha exhaled heavily. "Perhaps, Billie, you're not as important as I thought you were." His considered stare made my stomach clench.

As his words hit me, I realized he'd been expecting Gavin to have written by now or, perhaps, even have come here. My chest tightened, but I told myself that I was pleased. Gavin couldn't jeopardize his safety or the pack's for mine.

Catrina laughed, her throaty chuckle grating against me. "I'm not surprised, Dad. She may belong to Grandbay, but there's no way Gavin even looked at her. Isn't that right, Billie?"

Anger thrummed through me. I wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that only earlier tonight, Gavin and I had shared a moment of desire and affection that was deeper than any she could ever hope to experience. But I bit my tongue, forcing myself to swallow down my contempt. Besides, the memory of that moment sent another wave of regret rolling through me. How could I have thrown away all the hope and joy I'd felt growing between me and Gavin?

My adoptive sister's blue eyes gleamed with malice. She'd always enjoyed toying with me, but there was viciousness edging her expression and tone as she centered it on me. Something about the way she was looking at me reminded me of her black wolf, her eyes wild and mouth frothing as she'd aimed for my throat.

Something that made sense as Catrina said, "May I carry out the sentence?"

"Gavin still has another hour until dawn," David answered, "but if he fails to show, then she has no value to me, and you may carry it out then."

Catrina's eyes glittered, and my heart thrummed as I understood what they meant. They were going to kill me. Catrina was going to kill me if Gavin didn't come. My heart climbed into my throat as I looked out through one of the huge windows. I saw that the moon's brightness had waned. The promise of dawn shrouded the air.

My breathing shallowed as it hit me that this might be my last hour. Despite feeling cold, I couldn't find it in me to wiggle my fingers and toes as I had been. My heart felt heavy with the knowledge that my actions had put me here. I fought back the warmth pricking behind my eyes. But as my gaze wound to Colt and he still didn't glance up from his phone, I couldn't stop a tear from slipping silently down my face.

As I tried to gather my courage and brace myself for whatever fate my own foolishness brought me, a sudden commotion erupted outside the manor. The sound of snarling wolves and the drum of wingbeats punctured the quiet.

Another storm of emotions hit me at the noise. Hope and fear sparked through me. I both wanted and feared that Gavin would walk through those doors. As half of me peeled with hope and the other half with fear, I didn't know which I was more afraid of.

In a flurry of movement, the grand oak doors of Hexen Manor crashed open, revealing Gavin. He marched in in his human form, sweat prickling over his brow and chiseled chest, showing the speed with which he'd journeyed here. Two wolves flanked him on his left and one on his right. I could hear from the snarls and growls that continued to puncture the stillness outside that the rest of the pack must be assembled and likely occupied by Sibyelle and Lothair and the rest of the Dalesbloom Pack.

In surprise, Catrina had backed into the main room, and Colt had stood up from his chair. Both of the Hexen siblings were now alert as they watched the Grandbay Alpha and the wolves crowd into the vestibule.

Gavin's blazing hazel stare gave his already taut body an air of menace. The gold in his eyes looked molten with righteous fury. But as his gaze found me, I thought I saw it soften. It was a fleeting look, and his eyes quickly found David.

"Hexen, release Billie, now," Gavin's voice boomed with authority, the dominance of his Alphahood radiating off of him in waves.

David's face contorted with anger, but before he could respond, a white light emanated behind Gavin, and my heart beat like mad as I recognized its purity.

Incredulity beat through me as a middle-aged woman, with soft silvery hair flowing down her shoulders and radiating with an ethereal light, emerged from the shadows of the vestibule behind Gavin.

"Release Billie, and in return, I will hand myself over to you," Muriel's voice reaffirmed Gavin's order. My friend's open gaze didn't come to me but remained on David.

"No," I shouted. My pulse spiked with warning. Even as Muriel's presence felt like a healing balm to me, I refused to let the ancient hum of magic that was radiating from her fall into David's hands. Dread bloomed through me as David's expression raked over my friend with greed. But Muriel's attention didn't slip from the Dalesbloom Alpha, and I saw she was determined to sacrifice herself for my sake.

David's grasping voice rent the air, "After you have stepped over here, Muriel, I will release Billie."

I shook my head, dread punching through me. My wide eyes darted to Gavin again. "Please, Gavin," I urged. "You need to keep Muriel safe." My gaze darted to Catrina. "If you don't defend her, Catrina and the Inkscales will have all they need to take over Grandbay."

Gavin's jaw tightened as my words washed over him. But I caught the softness in his gaze as it landed on me again, and I knew that he wasn't going to listen to my plea.

I held my breath as my pure-hearted friend delivered herself over to David. My panic soared as David pulled a knife out from his waistband. What was he doing? He needed Muriel for the ritual.… Surely, he wouldn't hurt her yet?

But he slashed her arm with his blade. I gasped, wishing more than ever that my wolf could lunge forward and defend my friend.

Muriel wobbled where she stood, suddenly collapsing onto the floor in a heap.

"Muriel!" I cried out, my chest heaving as I watched my friend's breathing become labored.

Muriel's voice shook, "Your blade has seen murder."

My heart thumped as I realized that David's knife was what had weakened her. In the same way that werewolves were weakened by silver, unicorns were weakened by objects that had been used for killing. My blood chilled at the thought of who David had killed with the weapon in his hand.

Gavin's determined voice rumbled through the room once more, "You have what you asked for. Now release Billie."

David looked at Colt, only ten feet away from me, and instead of ordering him to release me, commanded, "Mark Billie, now!"

Shock pounded through me, and my throat tightened. Colt wouldn't. My best friend wouldn't mark me against my will. But as Colt turned around, his blue eyes hardened like ice. I sensed his wolf's magic thrumming on the air as his teeth started to transform. The elongated canines of his wolf glinted. Then, he came at me.