Page 67 of Taming the White Wolf
“Don’t let her upset you, Charles. She’s a survivor, a fighter. Those attributes are part of the reason the white wolf was attracted to her.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re right, my dear.” He caught her hand and brought it to his lips.
Just who was in charge? Charles obviously believed he was, but Zoe wasn’t quite as sure. “So what if Devlin comes? What then?” The longer she kept them talking, the longer she put off what they had in store for her. Whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Not for her.
“What then? Surely you’re not that stupid.” He shook his head. “That would be a disappointment.”
She licked her dry lips, wishing for water for her parched throat. The throbbing in her head hadn’t let up at all. It wasn’t easy to converse, but it was better than the alternative. “You think you’ve figured out a way to steal his immortality.”
“Not think.” Solange strolled toward her. “Know. I’ve had decades to experiment on regular werewolves, to figure out what went wrong the first time around.” She crouched down and stared into Zoe’s eyes. “This time, everything will work perfectly.” She glanced over her shoulder at Charles. “This time, we gain immortality.”
Laughing, she rose and brushed a nonexistent piece of dirt off her pristine jacket. The creases of her pants were razor-sharp. Her appearance was more CEO than crazy mage, but there was no disputing she believed what she was saying.
“You can’t expect Devlin to walk in and hand himself over.” It was unthinkable.
“That’s the beauty of the plan. That’s exactly what he’s going to do if he wants to save you, and you better hope he does. If he doesn’t value you, then you’re of no use to us.”
She bit the inside of her mouth and dug her nails into her palms to keep from weeping. No way would she give them the satisfaction. She’d been right. Whatever was between them had somehow been manipulated by these two. Was any of it real or was it all by magical design?
Stop doubting yourself.
That was what they wanted. If she and Devlin were to have a hope in hell of surviving, she had to act smart. Time to rethink her strategy.
Pulling her legs up, she buried her face against her knees and allowed her shoulders to shake. “He won’t come for me. He stalked me, forced me to go with him. And if you wanted me alive, why did you send wolves to kill me?”
“Pathetic,” Charles spat out. “Are you sure he’ll come for her? I sure as hell wouldn’t.”
Solange laughed. “I think she’s playing with us. Are you playing with us, little girl?”
Rather than rise to the taunt, she continued to shake, keeping her head down. Not all the reaction was fake. She was scared to death. Scared Devlin would come, scared he wouldn’t. There had to be something she could do.
“Look at me.” Solange snapped out the command.
Zoe’s head jerked up. The pain in her temples was excruciating, but she gritted her teeth and held it at bay.What the hell?The muscles in her neck strained as she tried to look away. Her body wasn’t under her control. Sweat beaded on her forehead and rolled down her temple.
Hand wrapped around the large ruby pendant, Solange smiled. “Do you honestly think you’re stronger than me? I’ve been alive far longer than you. Longer than the white wolf.” She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Charles. “Longer than him. Your will is no match for mine.” Her fingers tightened around the gemstone.
A sharp pain pierced her, as though someone was squeezing her heart. She doubled over, clutching at her chest.
“That’s enough, my dear. We need her, at least for the time being.”
The agony continued for several eternal seconds before finally subsiding. Sprawled on the floor, she rested her fevered cheek against the cool concrete and sucked air into her starving lungs. Every beat of her heart hurt. She wouldn’t be surprised if her entire torso was bruised, inside and out.
The enormity of what she was facing threatened to break her. The temptation to lie there and do nothing shamed her.Get up!Every muscle quivered in protest, but she managed to shove herself into a seated position.
Charles was still relaxing in his chair. Solange was back beside him, looking like a smug cat that had just toyed with a mouse. The casual cruelty was appalling. These people held no value for any lives but their own.
A sense of dread and inevitability descended upon her. Solange hadn’t even broken a sweat. If anything, she’d held back. As a regular human, there was no way she could battle magic. The ease with which she’d physically manipulated Zoe and given her pain should be impossible. “How?” she asked. “How did you control me like that?”
Before she could answer, the air thickened and stirred. Charles rose from his chair. Both he and Solange stared toward the door. A sense of anticipation hung in the air.
Larger than life, Devlin stalked into the room. Wearing only a pair of faded jeans, his chest and face streaked with blood, he was a primal power, and a stark contrast to the studied sophistication of the other two. His deep voice echoed through the space. “That’s what I want to know.”
…
He wasn’t too late. Zoe was alive.
The relief was overwhelming and short-lived. The stench of her fear burned his nostrils. The erratic rhythm of her heart was worrisome. Her hands were cuffed together in front of her. A dark bruise covered one cheek. The rest of her face was deathly pale. Her hair was disheveled, her clothing dirty and torn in several places.
