Page 112 of Follow Your Instincts

Was that a real thing?Panic surged, but I beat it back. I needed to buy more time.

I could feel Soren in our bond. He was pissed and scared but he was determined, sending me waves of courage. I held onto hope that they would find me.

“That won’t work,” I said disdainfully, rolling my eyes and settling into the couch like I was completely unconcerned. “I just had my heat, you can’t force another one.”

Todd and Paul exchanged glances. “Is that true?” Paul asked.

“The bitch is lying,” Todd said, but he didn’t sound sure.

“We have to wait for Freddie anyway,” Paul said, smiling again. “He’ll be thrilled with our surprise.”

Their calm attitudes were disturbing me more than anything else. How could they be so blasé about kidnapping a woman? Two women, really, by the looks of Greta. She did not appear to be here by her own free will.

Todd looked down at me. “I want you to be able to use those hands later, so I’m taking off the cuffs. But if you try anything and it won’t just be you who’s punished,” he said, flicking his gaze to Greta.

Paul walked over to Greta. She flinched away and he snapped out his hand to grab her hair. “You have some making up to do for lying to me,” he said, pulling her head forward to grind her face into his crotch. My stomach roiled in disgust. “Maybe you girls can put on a show for us as an apology.”

Todd came around behind me to unlock the cuffs and I stayed completely still. I wouldn’t do anything to put Greta in danger.

Once the cuffs were off, I rolled my wrists and blood started flowing down into my hands again.

Paul finally released Greta’s hair.

“Be back soon,” Todd said. They left the room, and I heard the door lock click behind them.

“Are you okay?” Greta asked as soon as they left, rushing over to me. She grabbed my hands and squeezed them.

“I’m… I mean, this is not great, but I’m okay, I think,” I said. “Are you okay?”

Greta laughed bitterly. “No, definitely not.”

“How long have you been here?” I asked.

“Two days. I tried to leave the pack house when I overheard Todd and Paul talking about you, and they lost it. I managed to calm them down a little, but they still won’t let me leave,” she said.

“We’re going to get out of here,” I said, trying to sound as confident as possible.

Greta shook her head. “Hardly anyone knows about this warehouse, and there’s never anyone around. And the only way out is the way you came in.”

“Is the jewelry here?” I asked. It made sense for the pack to have a hideaway to stash stuff. And after seeing how comfortable they were with committing multiple crimes, I doubted this was the first time they’d been involved in a robbery. It made sense. Todd was a huge piece of shit.

“They were. They’re gone now. I didn’t know they were like this, not at first. Stephen, my cousin, introduced me to Paul. He seemed like he was interested in me, even though I’m just a Beta. We started going out, and then I met Frederick and Todd, and they made me feel… important,” Greta said miserably.

“They told me they wanted me to help them with the job, and I thought Todd was joking at first. He wasn’t. I knew theywould hurt me if I didn’t do what they said. So I made sure all the most valuable pieces were on the floor and in one specific case that day. And they had Stephen do the actual robbery.”

That made sense and even explained why she’d been so terrified that day, even though she’d technically been in on it.

“I’ve wanted to leave this whole time, you have to believe me,” Greta continued desperately.

“I know. I’m so sorry they did this to you. But listen, my pack is coming for me. I know they’re going to find me,” I said. “Todd took me from my apartment and left his stench everywhere. Soren is going to recognize it. It’s just a matter of time before they figure out where this place is and get us both out of here.”

Greta didn’t look convinced. “I hope you’re right. But in the meantime, just please do what they say. They are… not good men.”

That’s the understatement of the century, I thought. I met her eyes, though, and nodded. “I won’t put you in any more danger,” I promised. “But what do you know about that heat hormone? Where did they get it?”

Greta’s eyes shuttered. “I know that it works. They’ve used it on me a couple of times. I’m not an Omega, but it made me want to… do things I never would’ve wanted to do normally.”

A fresh surge of rage pulsed through me on her behalf. I was going to make these men pay for what they’d done to her.

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