Page 21 of Into the Dawn

Last night feels like a lifetime ago, when I almost marked her, almost believing we could have a future.

Now I don't know what to believe.

12

VANESSA

My father reaches his hand behind his back and lifts up the tail of his shirt, and I take a terrified step forward when I see what he has tucked into his waistband. My words from earlier, those cruel lies about Ben, still taste like poison in my mouth.

What have I done?

Was this really better than letting him walk into the compound on his own terms?

But Jed throws an arm out to block my way as my father wraps his fingers around the handle of the blade and pulls the knife from the back of his jeans. My beast is ready to attack, to protect our mate, despite the careful plan I've set in motion.

"No," I say when he brandishes it at Ben. The word escapes before I can stop it, raw with genuine fear. Strangled with terror as he steps toward Ben, the knife stretched out in front of him, I fight against Jed's hold, but Ben doesn't move, doesn't flinch, doesn't retreat.

Through our bond, I feel his strength, his determination. Not an ounce of fear.

His eyes glow as the animal within him pushes forward, ready to defend himself, but he's not afraid, and I admire him so much in that moment. And I recognize how different we are. I've let my life be ruled by fear, and here Ben is, in a real life or death situation, and he's not shying away. Just like last night, when he held me with such tenderness, despite knowing the risks.

My father continues to advance on Ben, and Jed chuckles darkly to himself when instead of moving to attack Ben, as I’d expected, Dad reaches forward and slices the extra strong rope I used to trap Ben to the bed.

My stomach churns with guilt at the betrayal, even knowing it was necessary.

"I'm not sure how you let yourself fall for that one, son," he says to Ben, mockingly. "I don't care how hot a bitch is, I'm not letting her tie me to nothing."

Ben rubs his slightly red wrist and doesn't comment, but I see the way his jaw works as he grinds his teeth together. Through our bond, I feel his rage, his hurt, his confusion. He hates my father, just as I do, but he's clever enough not to be provoked.

Last night's tender moments feel like a dream now, shattered by the harsh morning light.

Keeping his eyes fixed firmly on my family, he puts the other leg into his jeans and pulls them up, buttoning them and fixing his belt like he's got all the time in the world.

Jed grabs his T-shirt from the chair just inside the door and fires it at him, hitting him square in the chest. The waft of Ben's scent from the flying material makes my mouth water, but I force myself to stay still, to maintain my act of indifference, even as my beast whines at the distance between us.

Ben tugs his T-shirt over his head, barely breaking eye contact with Jed, who seems irrationally angry about Ben's presence. Is he not happy to get a chance to exact revenge for thedeath of his friend? Or does he sense something's not right about this situation?

It's hard to know what my dad thinks. Maybe he's delighted with this little present, maybe he's suspicious, or maybe he's just playing his cards close to his chest, but I'm not going to get a real reaction from him until later.

The uncertainty makes my skin crawl. I've based everything on predicting his reactions, but what if I'm wrong?

He likes to keep people on their toes, his family included. Years of his psychological warfare have taught me that much, at least.

Jed's not that smart though, and I can tell by the way his face is red and swollen, that if he had his way, he'd just kill Ben where he stands and send him back to Sutton in little pieces to torture Evan, and anyone else he thinks looks down on him.

I've tried to explain to him before that they only look down on him because he's a complete ass.

"So what now?" Ben asks. "You have me backed into a corner here, what do you want from me? I didn't kill anyone."

Eyes narrowed, Ben glares at me. The accusation in his gaze makes my heart stutter. I hope this is all for show, but who knows. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to blindside him with this one, but I had no choice and very little time.

Didn't I?

I'm starting to doubt myself as the threat to Ben becomes very apparent, and my father presses the huge knife in his hand against Ben's chest until a drop of blood rolls down the shaft.

The plan had been to walk into the compound, and maybe that gave him an extra layer of protection. People would have seen him walking in, so they'd ask questions about what happened to him if he was never seen again, whereas here in my tiny cabin in the woods, Jed and my father could kill him, bury him, and nobody would be none the wiser that he was ever here.

My beast paces anxiously, aware of how badly I might have miscalculated.

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