Page 136 of Darling Wildfire
Nothing mattered anymore because Vetticus was dragging my daughter down the steps.
My daughter—who was very much alive.
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Pain.
It was all consuming to a point where it was a state of mind now, encompassing my entire body. I could feel shock begin to set in as I clutched my hand to my chest, taking deep breaths. Seeing Atlas get whipped was like enduring the lashes myself, although I knew that didn’t compare to the pain he was feeling. The fury I felt was unlike anything I’d experienced before. It was almost like its own entity inside me—hot, festering, wanting to be unleashed.
Now we both watched as Vetticus dragged a young girl down the steps of the cabin and North fell apart. It wasn’t hard to put it all together—it had to be his daughter. He went crazy, launching himself towards her only to get knocked down and continue his struggles in the dirt. It was hard to watch as he was beaten back by three of the guards. It took all of them to hold him as he continued to fight, his chest heaving in sobs and angry curses.
Vetticus had the girl by her hair. It was probably once a beautiful blond but it was matted and dingy now. I caught a flash of gray eyes strikingly like North’s before Vetticus shoved her to her knees a few yards away from North. North was panting, both arms restrained behind his back and another man holding him in a chokehold but it was like he couldn’t give up. He jerked against the hold they had on him, his eyes locked onto the girl.
“Emersyn—” His voice broke.
She was crying. Her tears made dirty streaks of mud down her face.
“I knew you’d like this surprise,” Vetticus said cruelly.
“I’ll go back with you—I’ll do—anything,” North said hoarsely. “Let her go—”
Vetticus barked out a laugh. “Come on now, Kraven—you know me better than that!”
“If you’ve touched her,” North snarled, a fire in his eyesunlike anything I’d ever seen.
“What if I have?” Vetticus taunted. “You couldn’t do a thing to stop me.”
“What do you want?” North demanded, sounding on the edge of panic. I’d never heard this edge to his voice before or seen him this undone. It broke my heart.
“What do I want?” Vetticus repeated. “I want you to submit—you’ve played your games, you’ve had your fun thinking you’re in control—but that’s over now.You’re mine.”
He waved his free hand at the guards holding North. “Let him go.”
They hesitated and Vetticus sneered at North. “You move from that spot before I command you and I’ll slit her throat right here.”
The men released North and he slumped on his knees, devastation twisting his face into grief and pain.
“See, Kraven, you haven’t really learned who’s in charge here,” Vetticus said. “I thought you did—you definitely had me fooled in the beginning. But thanks to your little stunt at the dinner, it’s all been made very clear to me.”
Vetticus ran a hand down Emersyn’s face and she flinched. An audible growl came from North and his hands were shaking where they sat in fists on his thighs.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” he snarled.
“Again, I think it’s how you look at me—I should have shut it down early but I happened to like your fire. Now it’s simply annoying me. I won’t make that mistake again, that’s for sure. So we’re going to do this right now.”
Vetticus drew his knife again and held it to Emersyn’s cheek. North stiffened and glared hatefully at Vetticus, moving as though to get to his feet.
“Stay!” Vetticus barked and North froze. “Look around you, Kraven. Do you really want to test me? Your team is a mess—your daughter is next—you havenothing.”
My gut twisted with nausea as I watched North’s devastation. The hopelessness pulled his shoulders down to a point I’d never seen before. Even through all of Vetticus’ abuse and all the fighting and killing, he’d never looked so lost. The fire dimmed and sputtered as his gaze remained locked on Emersyn and I knew he’d do whatever he needed to do to ensure her safety. I just wasn’t sure it was going to be enough.
Vetticus shoved Emersyn to one of his men and approached North who’s eyes jumped up to his and the glare returned. Vetticus smirked and stopped a few yards from North.
“Crawl to me, Kraven,” he said.
North hesitated for barely a moment before he crawled to Vetticus through the dirt. When he reached him, he sat back on his heels and looked up at him hatefully.
