Page 50 of Protecting The Gray Wolf
“Hell no. Crossing paths with him once was enough. You lone wolves do leave destruction in your wake.” He hooked his thumbs in his front pockets. “I’m talking about the broker.”
Not much shocked him anymore, but this did. Who exactly was the broker that he’d have contacts in the werewolf community? And could he leverage them to help him find Luna?
“Stan Rostenkowski, alpha of the Brooklyn Pack.”
The broker had gone right to the top. “Kade Alvarez, the gray wolf.” Taking Luna’s purse with him, he retraced his steps, going straight to his knapsack and pulling out a clean shirt. “Can you handle this mess?” If not, he was leaving it and to hell with the authorities and the human world. Nothing was more important than finding his woman.
Stan picked up the broadsword, pointed the blade toward the ground, and leaned on the pommel. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I owe you.” The worst of the blood scrubbed away and dressed in a clean T-shirt, he hooked both bags over his shoulder.
Stan shook his head. “I owed the broker. Now that debt is cleared.”
Leaving the carnage behind him, Kade jogged back toward where Luna had been snatched. Sniffing the air, he followed the faint whiff of magic.
Chapter Sixteen
Luna paced the eight-by-eight-foot cell. Floors, ceilings, and walls were concrete. The door consisted of long metal bars that were spaced too closely together for her to squeeze through. There was no way out unless she could somehow get her hands on the key. The likelihood of that happening was practically nil.
“You’re all right. You’re all right.” If she repeated the mantra enough times, she might actually believe it. She had no idea how long she’d been here—wherever here was.
Stopping, she placed both hands against the concrete wall and lowered her head. It had all happened so damn fast. The fierce and savage sounds of the fight had followed her as she’d raced away, even as every cell of her body screamed at her to stay and fight beside him.
But she’d have been a hindrance, not a help. It went deeper than her having no training when it came to personal defense. Even if she knew some form of martial arts, the men after them weren’t human.
Her breathing was getting faster so she forced herself to take long slow ones. A panic attack wouldn’t help. Passing out wasn’t an option. Bad enough she’d been rendered unconscious and transported to this prison. It made her queasy to wonder what her kidnapper might have done to her while she’d been out cold.
“Don’t think about it,” she whispered, trying to bolster her courage.
Physically, she was in one piece with nothing more than minor bumps and bruises. Emotionally, she was a wreck.
“I hope you’re enjoying your accommodations.” Solange strolled up to the door, looking as though she’d come straight from a corporate meeting. The suit she wore was snow white, the skirt hugging her curves, the jacket molded to her breasts. She’d been wearing a black one when she’d stepped out of a dark SUV and right into Luna’s path, stopping her mad dash to freedom.
Straightening, she faced her captor. Adrenaline flooded through her body; the fight-or-flight response was primitive, but it was alive and well inside her. Luna wanted to smack the smug smile off Solange’s face. Instead, she let a practiced smile curve her lips. “Not particularly. It’s lacking in amenities.” She sniffed in the direction of the narrow cot bolted to the wall, small metal sink, and metal toilet with no lid. There was nothing she could utilize as a weapon.
The mage’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her lips pursed. She didn’t like that Luna wasn’t cowering and sniveling. “Haven’t you heard you catch more flies with honey?”
“Personally, I’d rather use bug spray and kill the pests.” Maybe it was stupid to antagonize the woman, but she had nothing to lose. If Solange wanted her dead, she’d have already killed her. Luna served a purpose. Until that changed, she was safe…hopefully.
Solange threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, you are feisty. I can see why the wolf would be attracted to you.” She trailed her fingers over the narrow bars. Luna fought the urge to lunge. She’d never been a violent person, but it was easy to envision her hands around the other woman’s slender neck wringing the life out of her. “Smart, too,” she continued. “You can’t beat me. You can’t touch me. You’re nothing but a pawn.”
While she had little understanding of chess, there was one thing she did know. “A lowly pawn can bring a queen to her knees.”
“Hmmm, maybe another but not me.”
“What did you do to me?” Luna’s memories were murky, everything a jumble of blurry images without context.
Her jailor waved her fingers. “Magic.” Then she chuckled. “Actually, while you were distracted by me, my driver hit you with a Taser. Quite useful gadgets. A mild sedative to keep you compliant and here you are. Unlike the gray wolf, you posed no real challenge.”
She desperately wanted to ask about Kade but instinctively understood that would be a mistake. Solange was a predator who’d pounce on any sign of weakness. She’d enjoy getting into Luna’s head and twisting her emotions.
“You’re lucky that’s all I did. You were a naughty girl having my tracking spell removed. You didn’t manage that on your own. You had help.”
Oh, she really didn’t like that. A frisson of fear skated over her, for herself and for Onyx. If Solange ever found out, she’d kill the other mage. Rather than back away, Luna took a step closer to the door. “I’m afraid I didn’t like being tagged like an animal.”
“But that’s what you are, and you belong to me. I created you.”
What the hell was she talking about? She swallowed back her question and did her best to relax her entire body. Not easy when she was vibrating with anxiety. Kade had told her mages were human…sort of. She had no idea if the other woman possessed enhanced senses or if her power was solely derived from magic.
