Page 115 of A Wolf's Heart

Three sides of the cell were iron bars, and the fourth was a cement wall. The room was completely empty, except for the lantern and the table on which it sat. The coolness answered one of my questions—we were in a basement or cellar of sorts. What was the obsession with wolves and underground floors?

“You smell like Cridhe. I doubt you will give him what he wants, which means the only way out for you is a body bag. It was his mistake to think a member of Cridhe could give him details.”

I turned around and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Cridhe don’t talk. For a pack as large as theirs, they hold a loyalty to their alpha like no other.”

I scoffed. “Likely a loyalty carved out of fear.”

There was a pause as I heard the deep inhale. He was taking in my scent once more. “Who are you?”

“Didn’t you just determine I am Cridhe?”

“Beyond the stench of death, there are three male scents surrounding you. Whose mate are you? Which one?”

I could tell by the way he said it that he knew exactly who the males were. “All of them.”

His movement had me backing up against the bars, keeping space between us as he strode into the glow of the lantern. He was as tall as Kage, but nowhere near as muscular, and at least twenty years older. His dark hair was greying at the sides, his face beat up and bloody, lip swollen, eye bruised.

He was clearly a shifter—I could smell it—but why hadn’t he healed? My gaze fell to the collar wrapped around his neck, the little grey box on the side of it with a green blinking light.

His green eyes ran over my body, assessing, before he threw his head back, laughing. “You belong to the triquentra? That rat fucked up now. I apologize, I must’ve missed the ceremony while holed up in this hell.”

I relaxed but only slightly. “You missed nothing, and I belong to no one except myself. I didn’t exactly get a choice in the matter.”

“Fated?” he asked. I said nothing, and he went back to his corner, sitting on the floor. “He really won’t let you go, then. No matter how much you give in to his demands. I see Markus’s tactics now. He’s going to keep you locked up and use your safety to control Cridhe. Eventually, he will use your bond to bring them to their knees.”

I frowned. “Is he allowed to do that?”

“Does it matter what is allowed? Shifters do what they want. There are no morals or high values among packs anymore. No order or control. The balance is broken and has been for quite some time.”

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Malcolm Ophidian.”

“You’re in your own prison?” I raised an eyebrow, and then it clicked for me. “You’re the missing alpha.”

In the shadows, I could see the slight nod of his head.

“Why?”

“Markus cannot kill me without first challenging me, and he knows he would not win. If he does win, he will have a line of challengers waiting. He is strong, but not strong enough. Causing me to disappear was the only way he could step in as alpha. Holding the spot until I amfound.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “I should’ve seen the rat for who he was since the beginning.”

“So, I guess you and I are stuck being prisoners forever. There really is no way out?”

“No. He controls you with the collar. The minute you step off territory, you will be jabbed. You cannot shift, call through your bond, or use any abilities.”

“No shifting?”

“No.”

“Do abilities include healing?” I asked.

“Yes. It uses your hearts power.” He confirmed what I had suspected.

“Yet I can use other abilities, such as scent.”

He cleared his throat, hiding a laugh. “Yes, young pup. Your senses are yours, they do not come from your heart.” His tone was very condescending, and I felt the need to defend myself.

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