Page 41 of Wicked Fate

“Are you saying they kidnapped the witch moments before Ember, Ryker, and Raven arrived at her cottage and brought her to the mansion while we werethere?” Briar’s voice cracked.

Reid leaned closer, his face paling. “She was right fucking there. And we didn’t know.”

A cold shudder crawled down my spine.

The magnitude of the vampires’ betrayal still hadn’t hit completely because this crushing new sensation all over my body made me want to drop to my knees. The mixture of both Ryker’s and my emotions were overwhelming.

The vampire queen had completely fooled us. Even my wolf had paced inside her walls and hadn’t sensed a thing. Queen Ambrosia had managed to pull the wool over our eyes perfectly. But some things still didn’t make sense.

When we’d left the second witch’s house after discovering that this witch had vanished, Raven had been attacked with us. She’d even been injured... But then a knot formed in my stomach. Maybe they’d hurt her so we wouldn’t be any wiser. What else were they capable of?

“They’ve been ten steps ahead of us this entire time.” Gage clenched his hands. “And we just walked in and made ourselves comfortable.”

“And now we know why the attacks were so precise.” Xander shook his head. “We actually told them exactly what we were going to do.”

My chest tightened. “We didn’t just miss the signs with Raven. We trusted her. We gave her everything she needed to plan the vampires’ next move.”

Ryker’s fists trembled at his sides. His rage coursed through me, icy and volcanic all at once. He stepped closer to the map and stared at the blood. “This time, they won’t see us coming.” His voice was low and lethal.

“They staged the attack on the royals and your pack and drew you away so it would appear as if you were guilty.” Reid wrinkled his nose, and the lines in his face deepened. “None of us trusted you anymore, and they leveraged it to get you to go to them.”

“They played us all,” Bruce growled. “Every single one of us. I even believed Raven for a minute.”

“At least…” Briar hesitated, her gaze flicking to me, then to Ryker. “They don’t know how the barrier works. Despite there not being one active now, they don’t know that we can’t just materialize one when needed.”

I laughed, the sound raw and hollow. “Wedon’t even know how the barrier works, but some of the guards are preoccupied thinking it’s still active. They want to figure it out.” I glanced out the window. The sun had set, and it was now that shadowy time between night and day. Twilight seemed to blanket us, and for some reason, it made me feel more unsteady. “But we do know it’s the only reason we’re still standing.”

Reid ran a hand down his face. “That’s a problem. We can’t rely on it. None of it comes from us.”

The warm magic in my blood increased in temperature, similarly to how it reacted when the strange man was near.

What are you thinking about?Ryker linked.Your emotions just changed, and I can’t tell what or why.

Of course he’d notice. I now sensed every small change within him, and our fated-mate bond was way more intense than my alpha bond with Briar had been when I’d had it. If I hadn’t experienced being an alpha for a short time and gotten used to sensing heightened emotions, I would’ve been more disturbed.I believe that the strange man is creating the barrier. Every time the barrier happens, it’s like a part of me responds to him.

Cold tendrils of fear shrank the bond while the greasy feel of jealousy caked over it. Ryker replied,I’m going to kill this guy.

It’s not like that, Ryker. I’m not attracted to the man whatsoever. His presence just feels familiar, and for some reason, he’s protecting us.

“I’m just glad whatever happened is keeping some of the vampire guards distracted,” Bruce muttered. “They’re scrambling to figure it out too.”

I didn’t have time to reassure Ryker. He could feel how much I loved him and should feel my dedication. I shouldn’t have to explain that my feelings toward the stranger weren’t even close to romantic.

“And we suspect they’re trying to determine why Ember can see them,” Ryker added, focusing back on the conversation. He took a step away from me as hurt blossomed through our bond.

Bruce focused on the map. “Then we don’t give them time to figure it out. We move fast, before they realize what we’re planning.”

“Agreed,” Reid said, leaning against Sun. “With the number of lives they took and the change in alphas, they won’t expect us to strike this quickly, especially since I was so severely injured.”

Ryker nodded. “We can’t take everyone. A smaller group has a better chance of leaving here undetected.”

“Do you have any idea where on the property she is?” Reid asked. “You’re the only ones who’ve been inside the vampire mansion for any substantial length of time.”

“I do.” The corner of Kendric’s eyes tightened. “I know exactly where they would keep her. It’s a prison on the same property, about a half mile from the main house. It’s in the western quadrant, below ground, cut into the rock.”

“Is that where they took Felix?” I remembered the night when I’d been attacked by a former human Queen Ambrosia’s son had turned into a vampire. She’d punished her son in front of everyone on a livestream for committing the heinous crime.

Lifting a brow, Bruce inhaled deeply. "You think they’d keep a witch in the same cell block as a rogue vampire?"

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