Chapter 15

I set my fists on my waist, staring at the lavish home on the two-acre lot and blinked my grainy eyes. Beckett grazed against my black leggings, and his coarse hair attached itself to the material. We’d finally arrived where Dr. Cynthia Weber should be. After the stunt she pulled, she seemed to have no worries in the world since she stuck to her schedule.

She really must think so little of Lucian .

I was glad I’d convinced him to stay behind with the kids, though I’d been surprised my half-threat, half-beg worked. The multiple hour drive north of Arizona had been grueling. The terrain had incrementally shifted to lusher foliage as Lucian’s luxury SUV ate the distance beneath its tires.

The tree rustled where Tanner appeared, his hair windblown and shadowed from the darkness. “We have to act fast.”

“Entrance on the right,” Elliot said, appearing at the opposite side.

“Doesn’t look like anyone is awake.” Enzo narrowed his eyes. “Perfect to ambush.”

We’d discussed teams in the car. Enzo and Elliot were supposed to be nearest to me while Beckett and Tanner took out anyone potentially guarding the outskirts, taking the brunt of the attack. As much as I had argued that I’d be good on my own, I received no give from them.

“Still pouting about not getting your way?” Enzo pressed his thumb to my lips, and I smoothed my frown, lifting my glare to him.

“No,” I retorted. Stubborn ass didn’t need to rub it in. “Let’s do this.” I tightened my ponytail and dashed forward. A single curse echoed from behind me and then shuffling. Tanner dashed past me and slipped through the sliding door. She’d left it fucking open? What was this bitch’s problem? Did she truly believe herself invincible? I scoffed.

A palm pressed into my arm. In the middle of yanking away, something obstructed my foot, and I went flying. Arms wrapped around my torso and amber infiltrated my nose. Our bodies hit the ground, but Elliot took the brunt of the impact as we rolled until we came to a stop with me perched on his chest. Grass bits plastered to my cheek and tickled my temple.

“ Je suis desole , Maya,” he murmured into my hair.

“What was that for?” I hissed and slapped my hands on his chest to shove myself up. I only glared because I wasn’t willing to waste more time by shouting at him. Strands of my hair escaped my ponytail and whipped across my lips. I sputtered at the damp taste of soil clinging to it. Gripping the wooden handle of the door, I pushed it open and slipped inside. Sounds of a struggle reached my ears.

Enzo sliced talons through a shirtless man who’d clearly just woken up. A familiar male appeared at his back, and I sucked in a fearful breath—everything happened so fast, but somehow it also slowed to half speed.

“Enzo!” Tanner shouted, and his body blurred with speed. Before the kitsune slammed the butcher knife into Enzo’s throat, Enzo whirled and grabbed the arm holding the weapon. Tanner and Enzo pulled in opposite directions, tearing kitsune’s torso in half. They didn’t stop there. The momentum had them pulling the arms apart, and Enzo hurled the detached limb at a berserker flinging himself at him.

A fearful gasp behind a blood splattered white couch dragged my attention to the toes peeking around the edge. I dashed over and grabbed the back of her neck. Got her . She screamed so loud it burned my ears. Scrunching my nose, I lashed my palm out to smack her across the face but held some strength back last minute. I couldn’t kill her until I had answers.

Weber’s head ricocheted off the leg of the wooden side table. A crack exploded from the furniture, and the leg split in half, falling to the side.

She yelped as I twisted her body and slammed her chest to the floor. I sneered down at her, baring my teeth. She weakly dragged herself up, her satin nightgown dragging on the carpet.

Blood trickled from her temple and down her jaw. The corner of my lips twitched up. Her spewed words back at Moretti Academy about ‘the greater good’ and ‘sacrificing the few for the majority’ rounded my head. Look where it had landed her.

“Your kitsune isn’t here to save you this time.” My focus narrowed on her while everything faded into the background. This bitch had murdered Louis.

I kicked her side until she flipped onto her back. Her chest heaved in a jagged rhythm. She stared up at me, eyes wide and pupils dilated. I pressed my heel into her throat. A scream echoed from the distance, and Weber shuddered.

“Don’t try shifting.” I applied more pressure. Despite my curiosity, her creature form would remain a mystery to me. I rubbed my thumb over the surface of my snake ring and leaned down to hover over her face. “Don’t test me.”

I wrapped her hair in my palm and dragged her after me. She stumbled as she struggled to find her footing. Where to take her?

“Maya,” Enzo shouted behind me.

“We need to have a chat. Don’t bother us,” I snapped back. Guilt immediately stung my conscience, but none of them could be privy to the conversation I needed to have with her.

Heading down a narrow hall to the left of the living room, I kicked open one of the doors. It was furnished like any basic bedroom, and I dragged her inside. I slammed the shut behind me, then tossed her to the side like a rag. She dented the wall.

With a shake of her head, she scrambled flat against the cracked plaster, cringing away from me.

“You don’t look so tough now.” I scoffed, derisively eyeing the trembling bitch.

“What do you want from me?”

Her eyes tracked me as I approached. Crouching so I was eye-level, I lowered my voice. “Tell me how to break bonds.”

She stopped struggling and met my gaze. Fear melted away and her nostrils flared. “I’ll tell you anything you want if you let me live.”

I stared at her. What was it with this woman and her audacity? Her pupils expanded further to the point that her eyes turned black.

A grin spread on my lips. “Don’t think you can manipulate me, bitch. This interaction is on my terms. Not yours.”

In a move too fast for her to stop, I once again had her on her back. The heel of my shoe dug into her throat, and her fingers scrabbled at my ankle. I pressed harder.

Demons had Thrall. I tilted my head and let my shift ripple to the surface. Similar to using my mind for my phantom hands, I reached for the energy from my feedings and tugged it forward. Heat suffused my belly. She would do as I said.

“Tell me!” I snapped. “How. Do. You. Break. Mating. Bonds.” I shoved force behind each word. Her body jerked as if struck, and her eyes glazed over.

“ I don’t know if it’s possible ,” she spat between her teeth like the words were wrenched from her soul. She glared at me with such fear on her face.

“Then you’re useless to me.”

I drove my heel down, watching her thrash and struggle underfoot. Squishing her throat beneath my heel, I tilted my head to the side. Her throat crunched and then blood burst free. I didn’t stop until there was nothing but a gory mess of flattened bones and skin.

I pushed back my demon skin and lifted my leg. Fucking gross. My stomach roiled. But I sucked it down. Her bones had turned to powder beneath my force. Although it was nasty, relief loosened my shoulders.

A name marked off my list.

Yet on the heels of my victory came disappointment. Breaking my bonds would remove my mates from potentially being dragged down with me. I rubbed my palm over my face, squeezing my eyes tight.

I couldn’t deal if they died. Weber had been my one shot at freeing them.

My harsh breaths were aggressive to my ears. The fighting had quieted at some point.

“ Maya ,” Enzo roared.

I startled and whirled around. In the midst of my vengeance, I hadn’t heard the door open.