Page 219 of Primal Bonds

And the decoy quartz around her neck was gone.

She lifted her head. Pain lanced her brain. The room swooped around the cage, leaving her shaking and nauseated.

“Jani.” In the next cage, Fane crouched on his haunches, his clothing in shreds, his face a mass of bruises and an egg-sized lump on his temple. “You all right?”

She closed her eyes and concentrated on not throwing up. Even talking was difficult through her swollen mouth.

“Yeah,” she managed to say. “And you?”

“I’ve been better.” Even with her eyes closed, she somehow knew his mouth had kicked up in his trademark wry grin.

“Blaer?” She spoke the fae lady’s name, because what did it matter if she drew her attention?

“We’re alone for now, except for the black wolf. I’m not sure if he’s still alive, though. He hasn’t moved once in the last half hour.”

Corban could go fuck himself. It was Luc she was worried about. She made herself ask. “Luc?”

“No. It’s only us three.”

“No. She has…him. I saw.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry.”

Her chest constricted. Luc had been there for her through thick and thin, patiently waiting for her to grow up and choose him as her mate. For a while, she’d thought maybe… But no. It had been some time since she’d known she just didn’t think of him in that way.

But even though she’d told him that, he’d stubbornly insisted on waiting. Hoping.

Tears seeped from her eyes. She cried not because she loved Luc, but because she didn’t—at least, not in the way a woman loves her mate. And now he was under Blaer’s control. If only she hadn’t been so hellbent on proving she still had what it took to be Adric’s second, he might still be back in Baltimore.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” murmured Fane. “There’s a canteen next to you. Drink. It’s just water.”

Without opening her eyes, she felt for it. The first thing she did was rinse her mouth and spit out the water through the bars of the cage. Then she took a few small sips, needing the fluid but afraid her stomach would rebel. The water soothed her swollen mouth, and she managed to keep it down.

She capped the canteen and set it back down before lifting her hand to explore the bump on the back of her skull. It was caked with dried blood, but at least it was no longer bleeding.

Next, her hand went to her front pocket. Her stomach lurched as she confirmed that she’d lost both the switchblade and the dagger. Even her stiletto would’ve been something, but she’d tossed it to Luc. She was defenseless.

Panic clawed her nape. Behind her eyelids, black spots danced.

“Hey.” Fane’s voice. “You still with me?”

She dropped her hand back to the sheepskin. Answer him.

But she couldn’t seem to summon up the energy.

He muttered something harsh. “Shift, damn it. You’ll heal faster.”

True. But there was a reason she shouldn’t. She feared letting the cat out, weak and exhausted as she was.

She lifted heavy eyelids. This time, the room remained steady.

And at least her quartz was still safe in her cargo pants. The pocket’s flap had ripped, but by some miracle, the zipper had held. She set a hand over the material covering it and concentrated on not throwing up.

Fane had dropped onto his hands and knees. His whole body spoke of his worry for her. “Jani. You need to shift.”

“Can’t,” she said between swollen lips.

“Why the fuck not?”

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