Chapter 103: Aurora

My grandmother looked at me for a long moment, and I couldn’t read the expression on her face.

“No,” Augusta said at last. “But I don’t trust Montague to share, either. And that means playing nice, even when we hate it. Now go talk to Coleridge so he’ll get out of my hair.”

She hung up.

I sighed and leaned back in Dane’s office chair. It smelled like him in here, and I liked it. I didn’t want to leave. But Augusta was right. Sometimes, in business and in pack politics, we had to do things we despised. Things we feared.

I stood and walked to the door. Two of Dane’s guards were outside.

“I’m going to use the restroom,” I told them when they started to follow me.

Maybe that wouldn’t have worked on a female guard, or someone as practical as Trajan, or even Dane’s beta, Archer. But these two were only pack soldiers, and not very old. They exchanged looks, and their cheeks flushed.

“Be quick, please, Luna-heir,” one said.

I nodded and strode down the hall. I had better come back from this meeting unscathed, or Dane would have that guard’s hide, and that would also be my fault on top of everything else.

I found Holden outside. It took me longer to find him than I wanted. I knew Dane’s guards would be looking for me soon.

“There you are,” he said. He smiled as he rose from the lawn chair to greet me. He was sitting in the shade of a tree near one of the flower gardens on the property. His wolves stood guard around him.

It looked like every single one of the wolves he’d brought to Blue Ridge was there, which made alarm bells start to go off in my head.

I paused several feet from him. I should have let Dane’s guards come with me, but Augusta had insisted I meet Holden alone.

“My grandmother said you wanted to meet with me,” I said.

“Yes. I’ve wanted to apologize to you. And I wanted to let you know that Fall Line is using every resource it has to help search for the twins.”

“In that case, thank you, and goodbye.” I turned and started to walk away.

“Hold on!”

Before I could go more than a few steps, Holden’s hand closed around my wrist. His guards were moving, slowly surrounding us. My heartbeat kicked up.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Holden sighed. He didn’t let me go. “Like I said, I wanted to apologize. Words aren’t really enough. I was hoping you’d sit. I have a gift for you.”

Reluctantly, I nodded. Dane’s wolves would be raising the alarm that I hadn’t returned soon enough. Then they’d come looking, and Holden wouldn’t have a choice but to let me go. I always hated not having a wolf, but I hated it most at times like this, when being able to call for help on a pack bond would have prevented me from being completely helpless.

I sat.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked.

I crossed one of my legs over the other and leaned back in my chair. If the illusion of cool grace was all I could have in this moment, I’d use it. Let him think I wasn’t afraid. Let him see me remain always in control.

“Do you want to play this game?” I asked crisply. “You tried to assault me, Holden. I thought you were my friend. Instead, I find out you are vile. Do you know what that betrayal felt like?”

His eyes flashed. I could tell it angered him that I was refusing to play his game. A moment later, he managed to pull the fake smile back onto his face.

Goddess, he was dangerous. I felt like I was walking a tightrope wire over a pit full of spikes. One wrong move, and I would slip. But in reality, I feared I had already lost my footing. I’d fallen into this trap, and it was too late. My eyes darted around the yard, but there were no other wolves. My mind darted through ideas, but I couldn’t think of anything that would get me away from him.

Dane, I wish you could hear me…

Holden pulled a small box out of his pocket. I looked at it suspiciously. “What’s that?”

He opened it. Like I’d feared, it was a ring. He moved around in front of me and got on one knee. But he didn’t propose. He just said, “You’re mine, and I’m taking you.”

I tried to shout, move, call for help, but one of his wolves moved up behind me. I felt the bite of a needle at my neck.

I slumped forward, and Holden grabbed me in his arms as everything faded to black.