6. Bexley

6

BEXLEY

I toweled off in the bath house just before Merida slammed back through the door. She seemed to be deep in concentration, and the look on her face didn’t instill the greatest shred of hope known to man. I watched her rush around, plucking ingredients hanging from strings off the walls and gathering glass vials and tubes in her arms.

She rushed around me as if I wasn’t even there, and I took that as my cue to leave.

I quickly slipped back into my clothes before heading out of the bath house. I wondered what the hell had Merida in such a focused tizzy. I heard her rushing around, clinking glass together and muttering to herself, even as I stepped out of the bath house and onto its small porch. Everything seemed off. The compound was quieter than normal. Shifters poured from the woods, rushing to their homes and sprinting across the compound. My head was on a swivel, trying to figure out where Dom went.

I was intrigued by our conversation, and I wasn’t ready to be done with it yet.

“Dom!” I exclaimed, cupping my hands over my mouth. “Dooooom!”

I watched the edges of the woods as Ronyn’s troops stormed out of their darkness. But, I didn’t see Ronyn anywhere. The hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end. Panic gripped my heart as it fell into my stomach. Why were Ronyn’s troops back, but not Ronyn himself? Did something happen? Is that why Merida came charging into the bath house like a bat out of hell?

I resisted the urge to call out for the guys again, and instead, backed myself into the shadows of the compound. I slinked around in the night, silencing my footsteps and stalking those men like prey. I watched some of the troops race back into their homes. I watched a couple more of them hobble over to the bath house. There was a man cradling his stomach, and I watched with curiosity as a woman helped him into the bath house itself.

“Voss, wait up,” I heard Dom command.

“Get on it, or get off it,” Voss snarled.

I whipped toward the sound of their voices, but all I found was the darkness from the forest cloaking their figures. I eased my way into the woods, watching them move away from a pack that clearly needed them. I peered over my shoulder and watched as some of the women from my pack helped the troops into the bath house. I watched as Little Billy and Little Annabelle stayed on the porch of the house they were staying in, watching everything unfold from the porch railing.

Could I really leave them vulnerable to follow the guys?

Did they give me a choice?

“What are you guys up to?” I whispered to myself as I headed deeper into the woods.

I stuck to the shadows, watching as Dom and Voss made their way deeper into the night. I had a bad feeling about everything, and it forced me to stay silent. What the hell were they up to? Why wasn’t I allowed to know? Clearly, it was important enough that it required all three of them. So, why wasn’t it important enough to clue me in? I didn’t like that they were keeping secrets. I didn’t like that they always felt the need to keep me out of the loop. So, I kept a safe distance behind them and followed their footprints.

Until their footprints turned into paw prints.

“Shit,” I hissed as I took off running.

No matter how quickly I ran, however, I couldn’t catch up to them. All I had were their paw prints, skid marks, and a bit of fur here and there that got ripped off by the trees and branches I passed by. I found a tree with lower branches and shimmied my way to the top. The tree swayed in the breeze, and I forced myself not to look down as I gazed out over the whole of the treetops. As far as my eyes could see, there were mountains and forest, coming together at the darkened skyline as the stars twinkled by the millions in the air above our heads.

Had it been any other moment, I would have sat there and cherished the breathtaking view.

But I had a mystery to figure out.

When I saw trees rustling off in the distance, I slid back down the tree and took off. I ran as quickly as my legs would allow, tracking them with everything at my disposal. I came across fur and the freshly mangled carcass of a small deer. I reached up and plucked a bit of white fur from a jagged tree that looked like it was about to fall. After rushing behind them for what felt like hours, a mountain finally emerged in front of me. It loomed tall against the navy-blue backdrop of the sky, and it didn’t take a genius to know they were inside.

Their paw prints led right up the mountain to that cave, which meant I had to find another way in.

I crouched down behind a massive rockface and studied the cave itself. It was inlaid into the mountain, and if I played my cards right, I could scramble to the top of the cave and listen to whatever the hell was going on. I slipped silently away from the rock and gave myself enough clearance around the mouth of the cave. I moved to my left until the cave was completely out of sight, then I used my tiptoes to climb up the steep rockface of the mountain. I clawed my nails against the smooth stone, taking in deep, silent breaths to steady my nerves. And as I climbed up and around the cave, I perched on the curved roof near the mouth’s edge.

I sat down, crossed my legs, and listened.

“What’s her plan?” Ronyn snarled.

A voice I didn’t recognize chuckled. “What makes you think she’s got a plan?”

A resounding crack pierced the night and my eyes widened. Did Ronyn just slap someone?

“Answer his question,” Voss snarled.

That same chuckle wafted from the mouth of the cave and up to my ears. “I did. You just don’t like my answer.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” Ronyn growled.

SMACK!

“Let’s try this another way, then,” Dom said as his voice piped up. “Why did Delilah leave you behind?”

They had a vampire in that cave? Is that what they were doing? Interrogating that fucking thing like a bunch of savages? They were about to find out that one of the reasons why I almost quit my fucking job was because of Delilah’s advanced interrogation techniques. And if they thought for one millisecond that I’d allow them to indulge it, then they had another think fucking coming.

No one deserved to be slapped around like that.

Not even someone’s mortal enemy.

“You really do hit like my sister,” the vampire said smoothly.

Then, that same voice choked before Voss spoke back up. “What is Delilah’s plan? Why the fuck is she still coming after us?”

The vampire gasped as I forced myself to stay put. I had to admit, it was a good question. It was a question I needed an answer to as well. But I already had a feeling I knew why Delilah was pursuing us.

And the vampire confirmed my fears.

“What makes you think Delilah’s coming after the likes of you?” the vampire asked.

“So, you’re coming after Bexley, is that it?” Dom asked.

“Over our dead bodies,” Ronyn snarled.

The vampire snickered. “Trust me, I can make that happen just fine. You know, like I did your other little friend?”

CRACK!

THWAP!

BLURGH!

“Voss!” Ronyn barked.

Voss’s voice trembled with his thunderous anger. “Are you the one that bit Angela? Are you the one that made that little girl an orphan!?”

The vampire cackled with delight. “She wouldn’t be an orphan if you guys hadn’t murdered her.”

Tears crested my eyes as the sounds that poured from that cave wafted nausea throughout my system. The vampire cried out, shrieking in pain as bats leapt from the trees and took to the sky.

“You murdered her!” Ronyn bellowed.

The vampire’s voice dropped into a dangerous register. “Last I recall from that night, I wasn’t the one that bled her dry into the fucking river. That was your little bitch that did that.”

“That’s it,” Dom snarled.

Before I thought my actions through, I grabbed onto the edge of the cave and swung down. I dropped in front of the mouth of the cave, bending my knees to absorb the impact of the descent. I slowly rose up as I took in the four figures etched into the darkness of the cave, slowly stepping through the threshold as anger and venom dripped over my features.

I stalked up to Dom, leveling my gaze with his.

“Cut. It. Out,” I commanded.

Ronyn hissed behind me. “You’re not his Alpha.”

I spun around to face him. “Yeah, but I am your mate. Does that not give me a say in what’s currently happening?”

Ronyn chuckled bitterly. “It doesn’t give you a say in anything.”

“Can it, Ronyn,” Voss said flatly.

But, the vampire shackled to the cave wall laughed. “Did you just say ‘mate’?”

“Oh, boy,” Dom murmured behind me.

The vampire’s head fell back with laughter. “Mate!? Oh, God, the bosswoman is gonna love hearing about this.”

I watched in horror as Ronyn’s hand cracked against the vampire’s jaw.

“Ronyn!” I exclaimed.

He grabbed the vampire’s neck and shoved it against the wall. “You won’t be going back anywhere with anything. Not until you give us some answers.”

“Ronyn, stop!” I yelped as I lunged toward him.

Before I knew what was happening, I pried his grip away from that vampire and shoved him clear off his feet. It took every ounce of energy I had, but I managed to knock him away from the shackled prisoner. The vampire continued laughing as I struggled against Ronyn’s muscles. I climbed him like a fucking tree, digging my thumbs into his eyes before wrapping my arms around his neck.

I managed to choke him as he stumbled back into the cave wall, slamming me against the rockface. I didn’t let up, though.

I didn’t let up until he dropped to his knees.

“What a show!” the vampire exclaimed. “My, my, how capable you are, Bexley.”

“Stop it!” Voss commanded as I felt his hands on me.

I shrugged him off as I continued to cling to Ronyn, whose hands kept trying to pry my arm from around his neck.

“Settle down, Ronyn,” I said breathlessly. “Just settle down.”

“Raaaaaaah!”

He flipped me forward, sending me catapulting toward the other side of the cave. The rock wall came quickly into view and I used my body weight to flip myself around before my feet slammed against the wall. I pushed away from it, tumbling down to the floor and morphing my body’s movements into a barrel roll. And when I hopped back up onto my feet, my gaze locked with Ronyn’s black stare. No, Ronyn’s wolf’s black stare.

I watched talons grow from his fingers. I watched steel gray hair emerge from beneath his skin that matched his stone-cold eyes. It was as if the entire world came to a grinding halt as we stared one another down, soldier against soldier.

“Go ahead,” I said as I held out my arms, “but no one is going to use whatever advanced interrogation tactics you believe you hold. Not while I’m around.”

“Then, leave,” Voss said as he stepped in front of Ronyn.

“Move,” Ronyn commanded.

“No,” Voss said plainly as he continued to stare me down.

My eye twitched. “You’re seriously okay with this, Voss? As an Alpha?”

He shrugged. “Who do you think originally built this cave?”

It took me a moment to gather my words. “You’re really okay with this, aren’t you?”

“Hah, hah, haaaah! Now, she gets it!” the vampire shackled to the wall exclaimed.

Voss locked his gaze with mine as he slammed his fist out, punching the vampire straight in the jaw. He opened his arms, as if to welcome whatever attack I had for him as punishment.

But, all I did was straighten my back and lower my arms.

“This is really who you are?” I asked. “A monster? Just like them?”

Voss’s nostrils flared. “When the death of my family has yet to be avenged? Yes.”

I took a small step away from him, making the vampire laugh yet again.

“Seems the woman doesn’t like your savagery, Alpha,” he sneered. “That doesn’t bode well for the future of your dick.”

“Keep her existence out of your fucking mouth,” Dom hissed.

Ronyn slammed his fist into the vampire’s gut, causing it to gasp for air.

“That’s it,” I said through clenched teeth.

But before I could even make a move, that ear-shattering whistle of Voss’s filled the cave.

Dom quickly slipped in front of my vision and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Come with me.”

I tried stepping around him, but he matched me, movement for movement.

“Move, Dom,” I demanded.

He shook his head as placed his hands on my shoulders. “Just come with me, okay?”

I slapped his touch away. “Are you really okay with this, too?”

He took a step toward me, forcing me to take a step back. I didn’t want those assholes anywhere near me. Not if they were like this.

Not if this was their true character.

“We need to talk,” Dom said as he moved toward me, “but not here. Not in front of that thing.”

“Awww,” the vampire said, catching its breath, “and here I thought I was going to witness something special.”

I pointed at the vampire from over Dom’s shoulder. “Just because I don’t agree with what they’re doing doesn’t mean I don’t agree with you being chained up for answers. So, don’t push it.”

The vampire’s face sank. “I’d love to see you try.”

My eyes grew wild. “Then, you should know your boss was the one who trained me.”

That got the vampire’s attention, and its eyes grew wide. Yeah. That fucker needed to be scared. Just because I didn’t agree with beating the hell out of someone for answers didn’t mean I wasn’t trained to do it.

I just wasn’t proud of being trained to do it.

“Come on,” Dom said as he whipped me around and led me out of the cave.

I spun back around and shoved my hands against his chest. “Touch me again without my permission and it won’t be a vampire you need to be worried about.”

The vampire barked with laughter from the darkness. “I like her. She’s got spunk. No wonder Delilah wants her so badly!”

“I knew it,” Ronyn snarled.

THWAP!

SLAP!

BLUMP!

I tried rushing back to the mouth of the cave, but Dom scooped his arms around me. He held me in position, keeping me from pursuing things any further as he backed me down the mountain. He kept turning me around, flicking his hands against my shoulders with a strength that almost shocked me.

As he pushed me away from the cave, it wasn’t until the sounds of the interrogation fell away that I leaned against a tree.

“You okay?” Dom asked.

He tried to get closer to me, but I slipped away. “Stay the hell away from me.”

“Bexley…”

I whipped around and pointed up at him. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

He shook his head softly. “Do we have any other choice?”

I stalked toward him until I was in his face so close that I felt his breath pulsing against my lips.

“There is always a choice,” I said as I stared into his dark blue gaze.

I whipped around and stormed off into the woods, following the footprints and paw prints all the way back to the compound. I didn’t know how I felt about the guys any longer. Only hours ago, I think I would have convinced myself to stay with them. To live among them. To accept whatever the fuck this mate shit was so that I could live a life that felt I was almost destined to live. A life of peace and serenity. A life of thriving, not merely surviving. But not if it was like this. Not if they were like this.

There was no destiny waiting for me in the hands of torturers.

I didn’t breathe a word to Dom the entire way back to the compound.