Chapter 14: Grace: Sent Back
By evening, I’m still alive—but now I don’t want to be.
The man’s an absolute psychopath.
Psycho. Path.
Since when does “go straight to the source” mean waltz into the middle of the grand event welcoming the fucking Lycan King?
And, even if that is what it meant—which it isn’t—what madman throws a bound and gagged woman to the floor in the middle of the room?
Him. That’s who.
My skin burns with everyone’s eyes on me, and I know my face is redder than a tomato. Everyone can see the state I’m in, and there isn’t a single friendly gaze in the bunch.
The meticulously decorated event hall is gorgeous, filled with random, expensive-looking floral arrangements. Everyone in the pack is here, from Alpha and Beta down to the lowliest omega; the main lodge is the only building on pack lands large enough to handle a crowd this size.
There’s a long table at the front of the room to seat the guest of honor and his party on one side, and Alpha and other high-ranking wolves of the Blue Mountain Pack on the other; it’s a standard seating arrangement.
Several Lycans already sit there, leaning forward with interest, but the Lycan King’s seat—next to Alpha—is empty.
And Alpha…
My heart sinks at the look on his face.
Alpha’s knuckles blanch white against the dark wood of the table. His jaw clenches so tight, a muscle twitches beneath his skin. A vein in his forehead pulses steadily.
“What is the meaning of this?” His voice comes out low, controlled—the kind of control that precedes an explosion.
The stranger yanks me up by my bound arms, forcing me onto my feet. Pins and needles attack my legs, leaving me swaying against his grip. A whimper escapes through the gag, and I find myself missing my betrayer wolf friend. He might be disloyal, but at least he cares about keeping me warm and alive.
“Found this thing in the woods.” The man’s grip tightens on my arm, and I can already tell they’re leaving bruises. Though that’s the least of my problems right now. “I thought you might want to explain why a human smells so much like your pack, Brax.”
The color drains from Alpha’s face at the challenge, and he bows his head in a show of submission I’ve never seen from him before.
“My deepest apologies, High Alpha. I should have informed you of her presence beforehand.”
Wait. For Alpha to treat him with such deference… So this psychopath really is the Lycan King?
“A rogue wolf pack attacked her family when she was young.” Alpha’s voice softens with false sympathy. “We found her alone, traumatized. I couldn’t leave an innocent child to die.”
My jaw would drop if it wasn’t already forced wide open from the gag in my mouth. Lies spill from Alpha’s mouth, smooth as honey.
“She grew up among us, causing no trouble. Until recently.” Alpha’s eyes narrow. “When she began interfering with pack matters.”
The Lycan King’s grip loosens, but the relief is short-lived as his scrutiny burns through me. “You took in a human child, Brax?” There’s a warning underlying his words, but I’m not sure why.
The stranger—the Lycan King—turns to me, leaning down to yank the gag out of my mouth, his fingers scraping against my cheek as he does so. The rough fabric scrapes against the corners of my mouth, and I wince at the sharp sting.
Oh, now he wants me to answer his questions? He’s definitely a madman.
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