Page 25 of Magic Claimed
His nostrils flared, and he narrowed his eyes. In them I saw exactly what he wanted to do to Esoti. Scary, scary Alpha. “We are not Esoti,” he said.
No, the wolves weren’t like Esoti, but they still wanted to own me. Still wanted something I had no intention of giving. If I gave in to him–to them-I’d never be free. “It doesn’t matter who you are. I’m a slave. Esoti won’t hand me over to you.”
He considered my words. “I could buy you from him. You would be free with us.”
I scoffed. “He won’t let me go. I’m his special plaything, didn’t you know? If he knew you would buy me, he would make my life extra miserable and he does a good enough job of that already.”
“Why won’t he let you go?” Alerick said.
I shook my head, making a snap decision. I couldn’t tell him the truth, but I could divert his attention. “I’ll tell you what you want to know, and then you have to go. Esoti had two other members of The Six here when I returned. They talked about a conclave and Drisella gave Esoti a key. They talked about a location but they don’t know where it is yet. They’re waiting for word from Christian. That’s all I know.”
Alerick cursed under his breath. He worked his plump lower lip between his flat, white teeth and I wondered how he could make such a gesture sexy as hell before I tugged my gaze back to his eyes that were levelled at me. “I hate that this will put you at risk, but you have to get that key, Little Mate.”
“Oh sure. Get the key from around Esoti’s neck. Easy,” I snarled. Easy for him to issue orders. It wasn’t his ass on the line.
“There is more going on than I can tell you for your own safety. Believe me, I would not put you in this position if there was any other way. I would take you to our cabin and treat you like a Princess.” The way he looked at me almost had me believing that he meant every word he said, but I was expendable. There was only one person who would look after me, and I was doing a piss poor job of it as it was.
“I don’t know whether to tell you to go to hell because you want me to do the impossible, or because you think I’m going along with this bond. This ends now. I got you out of trouble. You got me out of trouble. We’re even,” I hissed.
His eyes glittered like diamonds. “Little Mate, there is no way I’m letting you go. The bond is deeper than you can perceive at the moment. If you allowed your wolf to surface, you’d know.”
“I’m never going to do that. Fate has it wrong,” I said. I scratched my arm and at the ants crawling beneath my skin.
“I don’t know why you haven’t Changed before, but understand this, I will find out. That itching under your skin you’re feeling now will only get worse the longer you keep your wolf locked inside. She will demand release unless you let her out and you won’t be able to stop her,” Alerick said.
The itchingwasgetting worse. It had grown stronger. I’d passed it off, but it flared with an energy of its own. My wolf wanted out. I glared at Alerick. “I don’t know how to Change.”
He paused and nodded, “I’ll help you.”
The last thing I needed was his help or to spend more time in his presence, but what choice did I have? It looked like life was treating me the way it always had. Taking everything away before I had a choice. I clenched my jaw and asked, “What do I have to do?”
“We can’t do it in the castle.” I snorted at that, but he ignored me. “I will send word when and where to meet. Can you hang on?” he asked.
“How will you send word?” I asked.
He leaned towards me as far as his broad shoulders could fit in the cut-out I’d fashioned into a door. “There are friends within these walls, Little Mate. I will do everything within my power to free you and then you shall see.”
How I’d love to trust him. To take his word as though he meant them, but when it came down to it, I was convenient. An expendable slave close to his target who would definitely not be missed if something went wrong, but I had no option but to learn how to control the wolf inside me. As bad as my life was, Esoti could make it worse. Those who were taken to the dungeons never came back and I could spend a lifetime there because I couldn’t die. I gestured to the collar about my neck. “You remember Esoti can call me back any time he wants.”
Alerick glared at the collar as though it was a personal affront. “I’ll keep you safe.”
I slumped against the back wall, exhausted from fighting. Surviving. Arguing. There was no way he could keep me safe, but if he took comfort in his word, then I’d let him. “Fine. Let me know when I am summoned.”
The grin that lit his face was unfair, taking his features from handsome to devastating. “You’ll enjoy this.”
I scoffed, sure I wouldn’t. I was going to lay some ground rules, starting now. “There are rules if I come. No touching. No more kissing.”
Because if he did, then I wasn’t sure I could stop. It wasn’t just him I was worried about. He wasn’t my only mate and the three of them together were an unstoppable force straight to my core. My cheeks heated, thinking about all of them kissing me. At once. And not only on my mouth. All over my body. At once. Damn my brain and my ability to conjure vibrant images.
He smirked, “Your wolf will want those things.”
I bared my teeth. “She’s not in charge. I am.”
He chuckled and the sound made a mess of my heart. “We shall see, Little Mate. We shall see. I’ll call for you when it’s safe.”
He closed the door before I could kick him in the face. Then I ripped the dome off the plate and devoured possibly the best meal I’d eaten in my life. I salted it using Esoti’s canister.
Chapter Fourteen
