Page 55 of Secrets and Ruin

Maybe my Fenris is still in there…It couldn’t have all been a lie, right?

“Well, if they’re watching, and they probably are, I’ll switch to something I know they understand,” Rainer said with a clap of his hands. “This isn’t about you, Jacky Leon! Landon, take your father’s slut home and keep her there.”

Somehow, Landon was silent, even though the rage in his scent told me he wanted to be anything but.

“You can have DirkBrandtback when I’m done,” Rainer continued, not bothering to hide his derision for Dirk’s last name. “Unless Nikolaus or either of you does something stupid. I don’t need to kill everyone in the forest tonight, but make no mistake. I will if I must.”

I heard bark crack and reached out to touch Landon’s hand. He released the tree trunk to grab mine, squeezing a bit. Rainer was being an asshole. It was fine. I wasn’t insulted, and he didn’t need to be insulted for me. It was a waste of our time to get upset with his words.

“You know them, then?” The man seemed surprised by the development, and I couldn’t help but wonder what role the riders were playing in this.

“Yes, I do,” Rainer confirmed. “But they don’t knowme…though they should know better than to continue involving themselves. They should know that much.”

“Then we shall leave you to continue your hunt. We will continue to enjoy the long night, watching.” Turning her horse, she bolted into the trees, once again disappearing with her husband.

Rainer was left the only remaining visible person in the clearing. He turned to the shack, sighing.

“I guess we might as well make this fun. Jacky likesfun.” He went to the door, and with a simple wave of his hand, it opened. I couldn’t make out what I saw in the darkness, straining to make out any detail to no avail.

Landon was shaking beside me, leaning forward to see anything, but like me, once Rainer went inside, it was impossible.

“Get up,” Rainer ordered, his words loud enough to leave the shack. “You know they’re here, don’t you? Your favorite auntie is here, that werecat no one likes. So is Heath’s favorite son, the one you think you’re in love with. I know they came right up to the door, pup. What was the plan?”

“Does it matter?” Dirk dared to ask. His voice was much weaker, not only in volume but strength. I started to move down, but Landon had the restraint to stop me. He was shaking, but he held my bag, forcing me not to move. “And they have names. You know them. They know you.”

“It doesn’t matter, not really.” Rainer sounded okay without an answer, but a thud accented by Dirk’s groan of pain made it clear he didn’t like the disrespect. His chuckle was menacing as another thud made me wince. “They don’t know me. Remember that.”

“It’ll be hard to forget,” Dirk managed to say, a bit of defiance in his words. I had to focus to hear them. They were so weak now. “How weak that fucking was.”

“I should have killed you the moment I heard your fucking name,” Rainer snarled. “You’re lucky I need you.”

“An eight-hundred-year-long grudge, and the only thing you could think of was using me as bait. Yeah, you do need me,” Dirk spat back, some fire coming back.

Stop taunting him, Dirk.

“Hopefully, Everson teaches you to mind your tongue one day. I don’t think your lover will appreciate it when you lose it for your smart mouth.” Rainer growled. “I’m tired of managing you. Go. Run for it, kid. That’s what you wanted to do earlier, wasn’t it?”

“What?” Dirk’s surprise matched my own.

“Go,” Rainer snarled, making my chest rumble in the trees.

Dirk stumbled out of the shack, looking over his shoulder as he limped. He had a black eye, a busted lip, and a few nasty bruises already forming on his face that his days of beard growth couldn’t hide. I couldn’t imagine what he looked like underneath his dirty clothes.

My heart sank, but Landon’s grip was strong, so I couldn’t run to him. It was all I wanted as I saw Rainer appear, standing in the doorway.

“You grew up in these woods. You should know how to get home,” Rainer called, smiling viciously. Only his scars made me think of the Fenris I knew. Everything else about his face, the expression he wore… reminded me of the Fenris who had lost his shit and attacked me the first time we met, but it was multiplied tenfold in its intensity.

Dirk stopped at the treeline, looking back once more.

“He won’t fall for this,” Dirk called out.

“He won’t need to. If he doesn’t come, you’ll be dead. So will your two little saviors.”

My heart started to race, adrenaline waking me up. Landon released me, and we both started climbing down the tree.

“You just said you wouldn’t kill them if they didn’t get involved,” Dirk said, stepping backward ever closer to the tree line. Landon and I hit the ground, soft landings for both of us.

“We both know they won’t take that deal,” Rainer said, his expression unmoving.

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