Page 31 of Into the Dawn

"Hmm." I growl noncommittally, my mind immediately conjuring an image of Vanessa riding me last night, her fair hair glowing from the moonlight streaming in through her window. The memory sends another wave of heat through my blood. "No gallivanting, John. You know I just like to pretend that I'm having a wild time. But no. No mate yet."

John's silent for long enough that I start to worry that he's not feeling well. But then he speaks, his voice quiet, obviously concerned with the same thing as me: that there might be listening devices planted in our cells.

"I know you still miss her," he says. "Whatever her reasons were, hear her out. Don't give up, Ben. Nobody will judge you for giving her a second chance."

A sick laugh cuts through the shadows.

My beast pushes forward at the sound, recognizing Jed before he even speaks. His scent hits me wrong, making every hair stand on end.

"What Ben isn't telling you, John, is that it's my darling sister's fault that he's in this mess in the first place," Jed says. "She kindly donated him to me and my father, in exchange for a bounty that she needs to move on with her life. Poor Ben here fell for the oldest trick in the book."

I think he's wrong—god, I hope he is—but it still stings to hear.

"And to add insult to serious injury, he's going to watch his precious Vanessa get fucked by half the clan as my dad lets them have a test run, competing for the honor of putting a pup in her belly. Who knows, I might even have a go myself."

What the fuck?

Red bleeds into my vision. My beast erupts forward before I can stop it, claws lengthening, fur sprouting along my arms. The partial shift takes me by surprise; I usually have better control than this.

"I'll fucking kill you." I snarl, voice gone guttural and strange.

In the darkness, my claws dig into the metal bars. Unable to control my reaction, my snarl fills the echoey dark chambers as my teeth descend in my mouth, and I taste blood on my tongue. My beast's rage feels excessive, even for the horrible threats against our mate.

"Easy." John warns from his cell. "Easy, Ben. He's trying to rile you up on purpose. Even Jed here knows that his father would skin him alive if he even tried to touch his sister."

Jed laughs again, a knowing and cruel sound, as he steps into the light on the far side of the corridor. "Yes, unfortunately. Father wouldn't allow such a thing while he's alive…" He leaves the end of that sentence incomplete, hanging out there.

He's planning something.

Jed wants control, and when he has it, he'll be able to do whatever the fuck he wants. And that's going to be bad news for everybody.

We need to get out of here. Soon.

My animal paces restlessly, responding to something I can't quite understand. Through our bond, I feel answering tension from Vanessa.

The sooner we get out of this hellhole, the better.

17

BEN

"We've been discussing the best use for you, Ben," Jed continues, his voice echoing off the damp walls. "And Father's decided that any male who wants the chance to mate with Vanessa, after having a taste of her, has to fightyoufor the honour."

My beast howls at the mention of our mate, the heat under my skin flaring hotter.

"I'll kill them all," I say calmly, and I mean it, yet the words taste like copper in my mouth. “I hope none of these men are part of your plan to take down your father, because none of them will be left alive if they touch her.”

Jed pretends not to be bothered by the eerie chill to my tone, but I see the way his eye twitches as he pushes his lank brown hair back from his greasy face.

"Well, you’d like to think that, Ben, but even a badass like you will eventually get tired. And then, I'll be coming for you." Jed's scent carries a mixture of eagerness and apprehension; he wants this, but he knows he can't face me, one-on-one. At least, not until I’m tired and injured.

John sounds horrified. “And you want to lead this clan?" His voice is weaker than before despite the derision in his tone. His spirit is strong, but his body is feeling the effects of being held captive for so long.

Jed's head flicks around to look at John, the movement sending another waft of stale air through the tunnels, like the stench of unwashed hair. "You better keep your mouth shut, old man, or you'll end up in that ring along with him.”

Returning to look at me, the whites of his eyes seem strangely yellow in the dim tunnel, when he smirks.

“This is going to be fun, Ben. No rules, just utter chaos. Whoever lands the fatal blow takes all. Revenge for our clan, and the chance to sire a future heir."

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