Page 11 of Fangs
“You should eat something.”
I glanced back at the plate of food on the floor. What was the point? I was being hauled back to Carth to die. Why did they care if I ate or not?
“Were those guards dead?” I asked instead.
His brow drew together. “At the Vault? No, just tranqed.”
Relief made me dizzy.
“Did you really think we killed them?” he asked, his head tilting as he regarded me.
I didn’t answer, dropping my eyes. For several breaths, the only sound was the crackling fire.
“So you’re, what? Twenty-two, right?”
I didn’t answer.
“How long have you been at the Vault?”
I kept my eyes on a small spider crawling in and out of the cracks on the floor. Despite the cabin being ancient and worn, it was surprisingly clean and in decent condition. How long had they been staying here?
“How’s that cut on your cheek?” Lee’s voice was calm, as though my silence didn’t bother him at all.
The sealant was still stiff on my skin where Wolf had put it. The cut ached when I thought about it, but it was barely a scratch. It’d probably be gone by?—
Lee shifted toward me, and my fucked-up reflexes roared to life. I lurched backward, nearly straight into the fireplace. I probably would have at least singed my hair if he hadn’t grabbed my arm and jerked me back away from the flames.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up. “Easy.”
I yanked my arm free and curled my shoulders inward, avoiding his eyes.
“Alright, let’s get somethin’ straight, right now,” his voice grew stern, and my stomach dropped. “I’m not gonna hit you, Ember. None of us are ever gonna hit you.”
The spider had vanished, probably scared off by my overreaction. I wished I could crawl into one of those cracks in the floor and disappear.
“Who taught you to flinch like that? Madame?”
My stomach churned, but my embarrassment was fading to anger. “Don’t you have anythin’ better to do?” I muttered.
When he didn’t respond, I glanced up at him to see him grinning widely.
“Tell you what, I’ll leave you alone if you eat something.” He winked.
I immediately took a piece of dried meat and took a bite, ignoring his chuckle. True to his word, he stood and returned to the kitchen. As he began washing the dishes, I glanced around the room, carefully checking all the shadows, but it was empty except for the two of us.
I needed to make a decision. This wasn’t what I expected. I’d planned to surrender if Wolf ever caught up with me. I knew that was inevitable, but I always thought he’d kill me. I never would have imagined he’d want to drag me back to Carth. I shuddered. No, I couldn’t go back to Carth.
I thought of Mac smiling and flashing those dimples, of Griz helping me, of Sam teasing me and making me laugh, of Jax opening up, of Raven’s gentle hands that contradicted her sharp tongue. I wanted to go home—not Carth, but the place that had become myrealhome. I wanted myrealfamily. A seed of hope took root in my chest. They were underestimating me, and Wolf himself had taught me to use that to my advantage.
“Where’s Wolf?” I didn’t have to fake the way my voice shook.
Lee turned around, eyebrows raised. “He went for a walk.”
I bit my lip, trying to look nervous.
“Why?” he added when I didn’t say anything.
I willed my cheeks to redden. “I need to use the bathroom,” I mumbled, and he looked uncomfortable.Good.
