Page 104 of Hart's Redemption

The blow that landed in my gut lacked follow-through, but didn’t want for overall power. I gritted through hit after hit, not bothering to restrain my grunts or growing snarl. Each punch further crystallized my rage.

I am a Lycan Detective, for fuck’s sake. The most elite soldiers in the world and the deadliest of lycans have cowered at the mere mention of my name. And these… thesecretinsthink they can treat me like this? Not even hell will save them from my wrath.

Outrage boiled in my veins and I shot the lycan about to throw yet another punch a withering glare. He faltered, and thewerebeside him instantly slid in to resume where he’d left off. I doubled over and panted through the aching pain dominating my abdomen. Werewolf healing could do a lot, but even it had its limits, and it did nothing to anesthetize.

“Stop.” Conrad Mallin’s command was both unexpected and unwanted. I could handle anything these untrained lycans put out, and I intended to return every iota of it twofold at the first opportunity.

I straightened up, doing my damnedest not to betray how weak my core was after the repeated abuse. The two thugs stepped back, massaging bruised knuckles. I curled my lip in distaste at their lack of discipline.

Mallin walked back to the entrance of the room where he quietly poured a glass of oddly tinted water from the pitcher he’d brought with him. Once the cup was full, he crossed the room yet again until he was standing a scant meter away. He held it out to me, its contents sloshing out to land in a bluish puddle on the unfinished floor. “You must be parched.”

I put every ounce of loathing I could muster into my glare. He could have me tied to a chair and beaten, but I could make his death last for hours, days if I was patient.

“No?” He took a sip and held it back out, closer this time. “Are you sure?”

My nose twitched. Whatever was in that glass mostly smelled like water. There was a hint of something eerily familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

Maybe if black spots weren’t dancing across my vision, I’d be able to focus enough to pin it down.

Either way, whether he’d drunk from the same cup or not, I didn’t trust anything he offered me. In a move that had my middle screaming in protest, I brought my knee up and knockedthe cup clear. Liquid splayed across the room and splashed against the far wall as the cup itself rattled to the ground.

Anger flashed across Mallin’s face, only for him to immediately hide it with a mask of indifference. “So be it. I don’t need your confession. The entire world knows I’m free to do whatever I want with you. In less than fourteen hours, Elijah Bennett will beg for your life.” He paused for effect.

I didn’t give him the satisfaction.

He sniffed. “You should know, there is literally nothing he could say or do to sway me to spare your miserable existence. You made your bed the moment you stepped foot on my land.” Mallin leaned down to get in my face, the stench of his arrogance clogging my already swollen nose. “Tomorrow, in front of the entire Klamath Pack, you will die… and then so will he.”

Panic briefly eclipsed the throbbing agony dominating my body.

Does he know about the bond? How did he find out? Who could have possibly told him?

Mallin straightened and waved for the others to follow him topside. The door at the top of the stairs thudded shut, and all of my control went up in smoke.

I fought in vain against the chains that held me. Each violent lurch brought a fresh wave of searing pain as the spelled metal found rejuvenated skin to burn. I continued to struggle, nearly toppling the chair, until there was no fight left in me. A howl of hopelessness stuck in my throat. I choked on it, unwilling to give Mallin so much as a syllable of my suffering, and wept in silence.

Please, Elijah, please find a way to live.

Chapter 31

Elijah

IglancedatEric,whogave me a subtle nod before disappearing into the crowd. For as long as I had lived, I’d never figured out how he managed to be so quiet. I shook my head and returned my attention to the crowd gathered in front of the House. Literally everyone in the Klamath County Pack was here. The last time all of us had been in one place was over a year ago. I tried not to think about how poorly that had gone.

This is going to work. I can make him understand. He has to. If he doesn't… If he doesn't, I'll offer to leave. It's what he's always wanted. I'll take Josh and we'll go.

Despite my pep talk, I remained dubious. Conrad had had it out for me for years and seemed to disagree with whatever Isaid on principle. Not to mention all the variables in play. If Eric couldn’t get Tommy and Kale out of here in time, we ran the risk of them unintentionally outing Josh as an Alpha.

Once again, I found myself wondering if anyone had told them that their allegiance had shifted yet. I still found it odd that Tommy had gravitated to Josh despite our history together, but something told me that hold would only be severed by Josh’s death. And where Tommy went, Kale wasn’t far behind. No way would they be able to stand idly by while their Alpha was in danger.

I swallowed thickly, unsure if I’d be able to either. This whole plan hinged on me being able to remain calm and Josh staying impassive. Josh, I wasn’t worried about. Me, however…

Minutes trickled by, and the crowd started to shift anxiously. Several curious glances darted in my direction. I didn’t want to think about what they were looking for, but the knowledge was there all the same. They wanted guidance, clarity on how they should be reacting to this unprecedented situation. They wanted leadership.

Will they think I’ve betrayed them when I support Josh?

My gut twisted. How many times had Eric warned me that my refusal to take on the role of Alpha was messing with the pack? Face-to-face with it now, I couldn’t hide any longer. The pack had slowly been crumbling. It was only a matter of time before it dissolved altogether, something that had been happening more and more since the UFH and CoS arrived on the scene. The fact that my own pack was on the verge of collapse was heartbreaking. They deserved better than that. They deserved better than me.

My anxiety continued to increase the longer the wait stretched. Noon came and went. The sun burned high overhead, and that same nervous energy coursing through my veins rippled through the pack. I fought to keep the reflexive instinctto influence in check, a battle I was painfully aware I was losing with each minute that passed.