Page 38 of Bound to the Dragon
I part my lips to answer, but before I can defend myself, there’s a knock at the door, interrupting our heated conversation.
“Go away!” Blaze barks, but the knocking continues. “Dammit.” He stalks toward the door of the suite and throws it open to find one of the enforcers standing there, pale-faced.
“I’m in the middle of something. What is it?” Blaze demands.
“We can’t find the Beta anywhere.”
I tense as Blaze glances back at me. “Do you know where he is?”
“Me?” I’m offended by the question. “Why would I?”
He scoffs and turns back to the enforcer. “Find him. He has to be around here somewhere. Maybe he’s injured or?—”
“We think one of the rogue shifters may have taken him,” the enforcer blurts out.
I gasp aloud. “What?”
Blaze’s hand tightens around the doorframe. “Why do you think that?”
“We’ve checked the entire estate, and now we’re going through the cameras. There seems to be someone dragging a cougar out into a van out back. We can’t be sure it’s him. Can you come and check and confirm?”
Blaze wastes no time following the enforcer out of the suite and into the hall, with me on his heels, but he doesn’t even cast me a look over his shoulder, as if he’s disgusted with me. My heart sinks. When he realizes I’m on his trail, he stops abruptly.
“No!” He whips his head at me. “You stay here. I don’t want you leaving the suite.”
My eyes widen in dismay. “You can’t keep me prisoner in my own home.”
“I’m not sure this is going to be your home after today.”
Shock overwhelms me at the answer. I never would have imagined that response for my honesty. But I hadn’t been completely honest with him. I had held back the truth as long as possible. Shame overtakes me as the burn of tears stings my throat.
“Blaze—”
He doesn’t let me speak as the door slams in his wake. My pulse roars in my ears at his cold rebuttal, and dizziness overwhelms me. I sink back into the settee and try to collect myself. Not for the first time, I curse my late father and Granger for the decisions they made, the betrayals that cost not only me, but so many others. How did I end up carrying the curse of their burden?
They hadn’t been thinking at all, just acting selfishly.
There has to be a way to fix this, not only for the packs, but between Blaze and me.
Ignoring his instructions to remain in the suite, I hastily dress and slip out the balcony window, sure that he has an enforcer guarding the door.
I will make this right, and to do that, I have to find Vigo.
I go to the only source I know for sure is involved, but it’s going to take some serious acting on my end to get Virginia to believe me.
Initially, she tries to close the door in my face, but I stick a foot in the threshold before she can manage. “Why didn’t you tell me what you were up to?”
She stares at me with disdain.
“Ha! It’s pretty clear whose side you’re on these days,” she scoffs, the wariness on her face palpable. “Are you here to have your enforcers bring me in?”
Nonchalantly, I try to look over her shoulder for signs of Vigo or any other captive they might have taken from the estate, but it’s oddly quiet in her small house.
“You took a big risk coming back home.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t really expect you or anyone else to come looking yet. I’m on my way out. I’m not going with you.”
“I’m here alone.”
