Page 83 of Depraved
He could be.
My mind races—he brought us down here to tell us before the ceremony because he knows how I’m going to react. He’s going to lock me in that fucking room until I—
Matthew flicks on the flashlight from his phone, and it nearly blinds me. He turns and points the camera inside the storage room.
The shelves have been taken away. Instead, there’s nothing but cement walls. That and anchors for two silver chains that drag across the floor.
Matthew’s light cuts a line through the darkness, shearing the shadows so we can see what lies beneath their curtain. The chain snakes along for a bit until it floats up into the darkness. A manacle attached to a huge hand emerges. The light traces up the hand, over a bare muscular arm, to dark curly hair sweeping over a broad shoulder. Finally, the light settles on Black’s face. His eyes are firmly closed.
What the fuck is this?
Alarm and shock make me glance at Matthew, then over at Jonah, trying to see if they know what’s going on here. Jonah takes a protective step closer to me, but he looks just as clueless as I am. Matthew, on the other hand, looks sad and resigned.
“Alpha Maddox, your guests are here.”
Black nods once, and then Matthew lowers his light, turns it off, and tucks his phone into his pocket.
I’m still startled into complete silence as the butler turns toward us. “You will remain silent. Just listen. I’ll be back to get you … after.”
After what?
Anxiety ferments inside me, sending up nervous little bubbles.
Jonah steps right up to my side so that his jacket sleeve brushes against my arm as Matthew leaves. His footsteps are slow on the stairs, and for a while, they’re the only sound.
Then … I’m left with just my heartbeat, the dull thrum of the air conditioner, the swish of fabric as Jonah adjusts his posture, and the clank of chains when Black moves.
“Elena, if I had to bet, you’ve picked a lot of shit items for this wedding that you don’t even want because you’re mad at me. If I was a better person, I’d feel bad about that. But I’m not. I hope that when Jonah feeds you a bite of that disgusting-ass espresso chocolate cake you ordered, you think of me.”
It takes me a full minute to register what he just said and when I do, I feel dizzy.
That can’t be right.
He said Jonah would feed me cake …
But that’s what grooms do.
I turn to look up at Jonah askance. He looks as pale and shell-shocked as I do.
“Jonah.” Black says my mate’s name, but then there’s a long pause. I hear the chains jangle, and his hand smashes into the wall. When he finally speaks again, it’s as though he’s speaking through clenched teeth. “First, I need to say that I’ll provide any authority or protection you need in the future. I don’t want it to be an issue. And then … I need … Your love for her doesn’t just make you a better man, it makes you a stronger wolf. You deserve her.”
A snarl erupts from the darkness, startling me and making me jump. My stupid heels nearly make me trip, but Jonah grabs my upper arm to steady me. I glance up into his blue eyes to see tears forming.
The reality of what’s happening finally hits me.
Black isn’t forcing me to marry him.
He’s letting me marry Jonah.
I undergo an internal landslide. Reality cracks and tumbles down around me, and the thunderous tumult fills my ears.
A tear streaks down Jonah’s cheek.
A matching tear streaks down mine.
A wild roar erupts from the storage room, and Black tries to lunge through the doorway. His eyes burn molten gold, and I watch as his sweatpants shred as he turns from a nearly seven-foot-tall man into an alpha beast, a white nightmare. His arms extend, and he snarls, scrabbling to get at me, his feet shredding the little bit of carpet that his claws can reach. The silver chains on his arms burn red rings into his pale fur, but he’s oblivious. His wolf is enraged, furious, slavering, and wild—yanking on the chains with all his might. Clearly, the man and the monster don’t agree.
I blink slowly at the violent sight because I’m in shock. This is too much. I can’t think through the hazy fog of disbelief surrounding me. Never, not in a thousand years, did I think that Black would say something like this.
