Chapter 110
Holden’s instructions were burned into my mind. Now, Aurora, darling, once you’ve found the answers to certain things I need to know, I’m going to let you go. You are going to walk straight to Dane. And when you find him, this is exactly what you’re going to do…
First, you aren’t allowed to tell him about our bond. You can’t speak it, write it, sign it, or play charades. You are forbidden to communicate it in any way whatsoever to anyone, ever.
Second, you are going to act like things are normal. If he wants to kiss you, by all means, give him a kiss. If he wants to fuck you… do it and think of me. We can’t let our little secret get out, can we?
Tears ran down my face as I forced the memory out of my mind. I thought finding Dane would be a comfort, but seeing him, feeling his arms around me, and gazing into his trusting eyes just made it worse. I kept trying to find a way around Holden’s commands so that I could tell Dane what had happened, but “you are forbidden to communicate it to anyone, ever” covered everything I could think of.
Chapter 110
The howls of Holden’s wolves came again. Dane grabbed my hand. He and Evelyn had both shifted into their lycan forms. Dane crouched and commanded me to get on his back. I did. What other choice did I have?
You aren’t allowed to act like anything is wrong. I did. Holden’s Alpha powers would strangle me. You aren’t allowed to hurt or kill yourself. I wouldn’t have left the twins. You aren’t allowed to run. Stay by his side as much as is reasonable. As much as you would if you were still in control of yourself.
With that, my final hope left. If I couldn’t even protect Dane by leaving him, what could I do?
Dane sprinted through the dark woods, and I kept my face buried against his neck, my hands fisted in his dark gray fur. The land flew by. Even though I knew my presence was now toxic, and I was like a knife positioned at Dane’s throat, I couldn’t help but melt into his warmth. His strength. We had been so close to finally having each other. I had been so close to having the man I had loved for eight years.
Chapter 110
But Holden had made me into a spy. A time bomb. I thought Dane and I had done everything possible to poison our love during our marriage. But it turned out that was nothing compared to what Holden could do. That he could take something as beautiful and life-giving as a second chance at love and turn it into something that might be the death of us all. All because of his jealousy and greed.
Just as I would get control of my tears, hopelessness would overwhelm me, and I’d start crying all over again. It went on like that for hours, until the howls of Holden’s wolves faded away.
He wasn’t really hunting us anyway. He wanted Dane to take me home. Keep me close to him. But he’d forbidden me from saying that, too.
In my misery, I lost track of time. When we finally stopped again, it was the middle of the night. I was bone tired, and I didn’t recognize where we were. Dane helped me down from his back, and I stretched sore muscles. The nights were getting cooler, and I shivered without his warmth. He turned to face me and shifted into his human form, then pulled me against him so tightly it made my ribs ache.
Chapter 110
“We found you,” he whispered. “We found you.”
I scrunched my burning eyes against more tears and cleared my throat, which had started to close. “H–how did you know where to look?”
His brow furrowed, and he told me the story of the strange rogues.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I said, totally confused. “Who are they?”
“I still don’t know, but they said we’d find out, so I expect we’ll see them again,” Dane said.
I glanced around the little clearing we were in by the side of the moonlit river and only then realized Evelyn was gone.
“We’re close to Blue Ridge territory,” Dane said. “I called Archer to meet her. They’ll go ahead of us to the pack house to check on things.”
“Oh.” I exhaled shakily and moved away from Dane, toward the edge of the wide, slow-moving river we were following. I hugged myself and stared at the wavering outline of the moon in the black water.
Goddess, I thought, how could you have let these things happen to me? Why didn’t you just let me die all those years ago before I could become a weapon to be used against Dane over and over again?
Chapter 110
She didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure if she ever had. But then, if I was a child of the darkness, surely the goddess hated me, just like everyone else.
Dane walked up behind me and wrapped his hands around my elbows. He pulled me back against his strong body and kissed my hair. “I know you’re afraid for the twins. But I got you back. Our luck is changing. We’ll find them, and everything will be all right.”
I trembled because Dane was wrong. So wrong. Our luck wasn’t changing. It was only getting crueler.
My hand brushed my pocket, where a silver knife was tucked into a sheath. Holden’s last command echoed through my mind.
Let him be close to you. Let him love you. And when the moment is right, when he’s least expecting it, I will give the command… …and you will kill him. He’ll never see it coming.