Page 3 of Fated Exile

I can't help but wonder if she's only complying because she believes that she's leading me to my doom.

Two

Bastian

"The restraints on me aren't tight enough," I point out, earning a sigh of irritation from Niall. "What? You're the one who volunteered to escort me back to the house. I'm just making sure you're aware enough to do your job."

Shooting me a look, he pulls his truck over to the side of the road and double checks the nylon rope tied around my ankles, loops up to my knees to hog tie me. The restraints came from the back of Kieran's old pickup truck, and are dirty and worn from being used to hold furniture and boxes down. He adjusts the knots so that the strongest part of the rope is around my ankles, then reties them.

"You know, those would do nothing if you shifted," he points out as he puts the truck back into gear. "A werewolf could rip right out of them. They're only for decoration."

Maybe. But they, and the zip ties keeping my wrists cuffed behind my back, make me feel better. In the seconds it would take me to shift and betray my people again, at least they might have the chance to get free.

Unlike Ella.

She didn't stand a chance against me.

"You have a point," I tell Niall as he pulls out onto the road. "I could rip out of these. Or any restraints we find. Tying me up isn't a long-term solution to what I did."

The older man's mouth turns down, and he flatly says, "I'm not killing you."

"I'd deserve it. Many leaders would do exactly that," I point out softly. "But I don't think it's going to be up to you."

"No, it isn't. Roarke will make that choice." He swallows. "Or Delilah."

Delilah. Sweet, beautiful, purple-haired Delilah, who is too good for me yet has chosen to take me in. It's a mistake she's going to regret—unless I figure out how to change things so she doesn't.

Even now, I can hear the voices inside my head, whispering dark thoughts.Return to us, Bastian.They promise safety and security at their side. Three square meals a day, all the power I want, and freedom.This time, we won't put you in a cage. We'll keep you at our right hand.

I know that they're lying. The vampires enjoy toying with werewolves, but they'd never elevate one of us to a position as their equal. They're only here to take Delilah, use her hybrid powers for whatever it is that they want, then sacrifice her to their quorum of Elders, who will walk in the sunlight for years after feasting on her flesh.

I know what my sister would say if she were here. She'd tell me to buck up, be strong, kick the vampires out of my head, and be the man Delilah needs. That's the reason why Ella was always the braver of us. She was the one who ventured far from Mom and Dad's watchful eyes. She was the one who proudly declared that she would start her own pack, the Carver Pack, and took pride in growing up on her own.

My heart twists at the thought of her. The wrong one of us died. I'll have to be ten times as good, a hundred times as strong, to grow into the legacy she left behind.

"Here we are." Niall pulls up the drive to Delilah's house, where the Stone Pack SUVs are waiting. John deLance has already gotten out and is striding towards our car, his expression impatient. "Watch out for that one."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Niall has to help me swing my feet out and slide out of the truck without the use of my hands. By the time I'm out, the Stone Pack alpha is here, frowning fiercely in Niall's direction.

"Where is Delilah? Why hasn't she returned?"

"I imagine she's being very thorough with the border check," he says in a placid, patient tone. I can practically feel the way he uses his calm personality to defuse tension; it's easy to imagine him standing beside an alpha as his second for years. "Once she's done, she'll return here, just like we talked about. And then we can discuss whatever terms she wants to come to with you."

DeLance frowns thoroughly, this time cutting his eyes in my direction. "And this one? I saw him attack his own kind, clear as day. What's to be done with him?"

Niall doesn't look at me as he says, "Whatever we do, it won't be your decision."

This makes the alpha huff, but he stalks away without further incident. I have to hand it to Niall—he has a way of using the least amount of words, in the most boring tone possible, to keep tempers in check and conversations even-keeled. In his place I probably would’ve stumbled over my words, or worse, gotten mad and started a fight. He's the exact opposite of fiery.

Speaking of, the verydefinitionof fiery is coming out the front door right now, heading down the stairs and straight in our direction. Cat gives the visiting werewolves a cursory glance before spotting me and Niall, and she hurries over to us with a speed that a tiny female human shouldn't be capable of. By the time she's close, her brows are furrowed, and she's looking me up and down with confusion.

"What's going on? How did it go? Delilah hasn't texted me back at all." She shoves her phone screen out towards us, revealing a number of very one-sided messages. "Why is Bastian tied up? Why aren't all these pack-stealing fuckers nursing their black eyes, tucking tail, and running away?"

A few Stone Pack members, close enough to overhear, rumble in mistrust. Niall hastily puts a hand on Cat's shoulder and says, "Let's go inside to discuss things."

"Like hell!" Cat throws his hand off, stalks forward, and puts a finger to the man's chest. "Tell me where my daughter is, or I'll go find her, and sucker punch everyone who stands in my way."

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