Page 111 of Tangled Hearts

I opened my mouth to say something when the sound of a chair moving made me stop. Zev got up from his chair, walking to Oria. I growled when he took her hands, but a soft hand on my arm had me looking back at Katarina, giving me a look to calm down.

“I will do everything in my power for you to get your mates back. If you get taken, I will lose everything, the love of my existence, my pack mates and… and our child,” he said, as more tears fell down her face. “I promise to give you every resource, all the money and everything in my power to help you.”

“Why did you pull the baby card?” Oria laughed, but then cried and he held her. “That’s not fair.”

I was supposed to be her rock, and the growl was at the tip of my tongue.

“Your mates were thinking of the bigger picture even if it was a little selfish. We all have a lot at stake, and I’d like it if we all got what was stolen from us,” Zev said, pulling back. “Let’s make them pay.”

Oria’s eyes glanced over at me.

It was selfish. I’ll always put you before me. I thought.

I’m still mad, but I guess I understand.

“Ok, let’s make them pay,” she said, looking at Zev and then the rest of us.

“Then, let's get cooking, Blondie,” Aeon said, getting up.

“It’s Oria,” she said immediately.

“Of course, I’m sorry,” Aeon said immediately.

“Soren calls me Blondie.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

Aeon's face fell. “I didn’t?—”

“It’s ok. Come on, Sol, let's get our family back,” I said, getting up and holding my hand out to her.

I felt our tension ease as she held my hand. It was the first step in the right direction. We spent the rest of the night making everything she needed and replenishing her necklace. Now all we needed was a plan.

31

SOREN

Ithought I had experienced fear before, but nothing was worse than thinking Laima was so close to capturing Oria. Her pleas along with her tears almost had me jumping on Max with her, but Ryder and Gray held me back. I also couldn’t risk Laima getting to her and if I could give her even one more minute to get away, then I would die for it.

Death would have been the easier solution, but Laima wasn’t stupid. She knew we were the key to Oria, and we were the only people between her and her supply of Oria. It didn’t take long for her minions to overpower the pack and take us. The guys and I would never admit it, but I had my doubts on how far her depravity could go to get what she wanted.

“Where is she?” our jailer yelled as I tensed. I was waiting for the blow to hit me, arms were strung up over my head in the center of the room that held the guys and me.

I stayed quiet, staring at his ugly mug with no intention of speaking. We stared at each other, my attention unwavering because even if I was at a disadvantage there was no way in hell was I going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to me.

“Fine,” he snarled, lifting a knife and pushing it into my shoulder.

I tried to keep a straight face, but the agony of it slowly going into my shoulder was enough to make me crack. I grunted in pain, throwing my mind to a place where I could tolerate this. Oria’s beautiful face came to mind. Her laughs, smiles and goddess, her moans.

He pulled the knife out, making me grunt again before punching me in the gut a few times. I wasn’t ready for the stab on my thigh; the sharp metal sliding through my skin and muscles made me cry out.

“Just tell me what I want to know, and it ends here,” he growled, pulling the knife out.

Blood trailed down my shoulder and thigh. My vision was getting blurry, the blood loss intensified my hunger. If he continued to bleed me out. I’d be lost to blood lust.

“You better tell me or you’re going to regret it when she comes in here,” he snapped, walking around me.

A few grunts broke the silence and when he asked again, none of us responded.

“Your fucking funeral,” he snarled, pushing my body on the chain system they had. I was pushing against the wall in between Ryder and Gray, who were also chained the same way I was.

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