Page 67 of Once You Go Pack
Please trust me,her emotions whispered through their connection.
“But if we’re going to do this, you’ll need to untie my hands first. I want to show you exactly how much I want you,” she continued with false desire.
The words made Cade physically ill, but he forced himself to remain still. His clever mate was playing a dangerous game, and he had to trust her instincts.
Through the window, he watched Zarik move closer to the bed where Mila sat bound. The Shadow Moon king’s massive frame blocked most of Cade’s view, but he could see enough to make his wolf snarl with possessive fury.
“Smart girl,” Zarik murmured, and Cade heard the soft sound of rope being cut. “I knew you’d see reason eventually.”
Cade’s vision went red as Zarik leaned in, pressing his face to Mila’s neck. The sight of another male’s lips on his mate’s skin sent waves of primal rage through every fiber of his being. His wolf demanded immediate action—consequences be damned.
But then Mila’s eyes found his through the glass, and she gave the slightest nod toward the back of the cabin. Her expression was steady and determined, completely in control despite the precarious situation.
Moving with predatory silence, Cade circled to the rear of the structure. An old hunting cabin like this would have multiple access points—trappers needed quick escape routes in case of territorial disputes or rogue animal encounters.
His luck held. A window near what appeared to be a storage area stood slightly ajar, its rusted latch more decoration than security. Cade eased it open with painstaking care, every muscle coiled for action.
He slipped inside just as voices from the main room grew more heated.
“That’s it,” Mila was saying, her tone breathless with fabricated want. “But I need you to be completely comfortable. Why don’t you get undressed first?”
Cade crept through the dim storage area, stepping over old hunting gear and moth-eaten blankets. The layout was simple—one main room with a sleeping area, a basic kitchen setup, and this back storage space.
When he reached the doorway separating the rooms, what he saw made his wolf growl silently with rage.
Zarik stood beside the narrow bed in nothing but his boxers, his discarded clothes scattered across the floor. Mila lay against the pillows in her lace bra and panties, having apparently shed her clothing to sell the illusion. Her hands were free now, and she was reaching up toward Zarik with what looked like genuine invitation.
The hunting knife Zarik had worn lay forgotten on the floor beside his belt, glinting in the pale afternoon light shining in through the window.
“Come here,” Mila whispered, her voice husky with false promise. “I want to feel how strong you really are.”
Zarik climbed onto the narrow mattress as Mila shifted to accommodate him. The sight of another male positioning himself over his mate sent Cade’s control spiraling toward the breaking point.
Just as Zarik settled his weight above her, Cade moved.
“Sorry to crash your party,” Cade growled, snatching the discarded knife from the floor.
Zarik’s head whipped around, his eyes blazing with fury at the interruption. But instead of backing down, the Shadow Moon king moved with lightning speed, hauling Mila upright and spinning her around so her back pressed against his chest.
One massive hand wrapped around her throat while the other twisted her arms behind her back with bruising force.
“Well, well,” Zarik purred, his grip tightening until Mila’s lips began to take on a bluish tinge. “The weak king comes to rescue his precious human. How touching.”
“Let her go, Zarik,” Cade commanded, but he didn’t dare move closer with Mila’s life literally in the bastard’s hands.
“Or what? You’ll take me down?” Zarik laughed, the sound harsh and grating. “I don’t think so. See, once I learned about your mate’s fascinating ancestral bloodline, I realized she’s worth far more than just a warm body in my bed.”
Cade’s grip tightened on the knife handle. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Her wolf guardian heritage, you fool. Do you have any idea what someone with her abilities could accomplish with the right... guidance?” Zarik’s smile was pure poison. “Imagine using her natural affinity to lure humans here—not as equals,but as servants. Workers. An entire slave labor force drawn by her ancestral magnetism.”
The sheer evil of it hit Cade like a sickening punch. “You’re insane.”
“I’m a visionary. Your father’s legacy of unity and cooperation is dead, just like the old man. The future belongs to those strong enough to seize it.” Zarik’s grip on Mila’s throat tightened further. “And she’s going to help me build an empire that makes your precious Ice Moon pack look like children playing at being wolves.”
Cade took a careful step forward, but Zarik immediately responded by increasing the pressure on Mila’s windpipe. Her eyes were wide now, her face growing paler by the second.
“Ah ah ah,” Zarik warned. “One more step and I’ll snap her pretty little neck right here. Is that really how you want your great love story to end?”
