Page 18 of Bound to the Dragon
The questions and denials only make me sound guiltier, especially when they fire out in a torrent.
Blaze’s expression echoes my thoughts. “The prisoners looked at you like you knew something.”
Blood drains out of my face. “What did they say?”
“What do you think they said?” He leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and stares intently at me, the distrust palpable.
“I have no idea. I don’t know any of those shifters. I’ve never seen them before in my life.”
That’s all true, and Blaze must have caught a note of sincerity in the statement. “Fine. Let’s go find out for sure then.”
He stands, and I stare at him blankly. “What?”
“There are still two down there. One of them will talk if they want to live. I want you there with me when they do.”
Dread knots my stomach. Now is the time to tell him, to spill the entire sordid story and let him know what my father had done. But the truth sticks to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter, and I only stand, unable to formulate the words.
How can I possibly tell him gently that he has allied himself with such a treacherous pack?
“Are you coming?” He waits for me at the door.
My mind races with excuses. I discard them, one after the other. Sooner or later, the truth will likely come out.
But maybe this attack had nothing to do with the rogue shifters who have hunted our pack since my father’s unforgivable betrayal. Maybe this really is something unrelated. And I’m not going to reveal the truth until it’s absolutely necessary.
“Yep. I’m coming.” Squaring my shoulders, I hold my head high and remember who I am.
I’m Madison, Luna of Shadow Pine.
CHAPTER 6
BLAZE
She knows more than she’s saying for sure. I have no doubt that Madison is holding something back now, and that alarms me more than I can put into words. I have just been mated to a female I can’t trust.
One eye remains firmly on her as we begin yet another descent to the jail cells. Every step fuels my determination. I will get answers about what this is about, either from the rogue shifters or from Madison herself. One way or another, someone is going to give me something. The question is, what do I do with that information afterward?
But as my foot touches the last step, I sense more chaos before the chatter of my enforcers reaches my ears.
“…let this happen?” Vigo yells as I round the corner. The room reeks of tension, and I stifle a groan.
Now what?
His face is redder than I’ve ever seen it before as he towers over one of the other enforcers. I step between them.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Look!” Vigo gestures at the cell.
It immediately becomes clear what all the fuss is about. Every one of our captives is dead, piled on the dirty, cement floor.
I pale. “I told you to leave two alive!”
“Two were alive! And I left this idiot with them for ten minutes. When I came back, one killed the other one and then himself!” Vigo is so incensed, I can practically see steam coming off him, and he’s not even a dragon shifter.
My head whirls toward the inattentive guard. “How did he manage that?”
“I-I don’t know! I didn’t see or hear anything. I just turned around, and they were both?—”
