Page 24 of Twisted Desire
Gus stepped forward and faced the group of hunters. “Give me the name of the man who hired you, and I’ll consider easing your punishment.”
Cam felt the command deep in her bones. Gus was obviously a strong Alpha. One of the strongest she had ever felt. Hell, she wanted to shout out the first name that popped onto her tongue just to get out from under the Alpha influence that Gus had wielded.
“Fuck you, old man. I know my rights. I don’t have to say shit. This is America!”
Cam shook her head. That guy had some serious balls to resist the command.
“Erin, let him go. I want the others to see what happens when you dare to defy the Council.”
Erin obeyed the command, letting go of the smart-mouthed scumbag while keeping the others wrapped tightly in her majik.
“Bring it on, old man. You think you scare me?”
Gus didn’t move. Not a single muscle, yet the man dropped to the ground screaming in pain. He shifted to his wolf form, and tried to lunge forward.
The smirk on the faces of the Council members told Cam all she needed to know—the scumbag should have stopped while he was ahead.
“He’s shifted to his wolf form hoping to ease the pain, but he’s made a mistake. Gus wanted him to shift into wolf form,” Calder explained.
“Why?” Cam couldn’t imagine why the leader of the Council would want his opponent to shift to his stronger form. Especially if Gus planned to stay in human form.
“The punishment Gus is about to render is one you never want to be sentenced to.”
Another question popped onto the tip of her tongue, but she yanked it back as a distorted howl sprung from the wolf’s mouth.
His face slowly shifted back to that of a human, puss seeped from the man’s pores. Screams of agony flew from his mouth.
Cam gasped, horrified by the events that were unfolding. “I don’t understand what’s happening,” she whispered.
“His wolf spirit is being stripped from him. It’s a very painful and very slow process,” Calder explained.
Ethan pulled Cam into a tight embrace, offering comfort that she desperately needed. The sight of such a drastic punishment rocked her to her core. She had no idea something so barbaric was possible or an option when it came down to it, thinking maybe the Council had their own Supermax prison to hold dangerous and freakishly strong criminals.
Bile rose in the back of Cam’s throat as each of his limbs sluggishly shifted from wolf to human. Thick globs of mucus covered the ground. Scream after agonizing scream tore from his mouth. When the process had finally finished the man lay on the ground, his breaths labored.
Gus glanced to the others still held captive by Erin’s majik. “Someone will give me the name of the person who issued the contract on Ethan Lockhart. If not, each of you will suffer the same fate.”
Several voices sounded at once. Cam couldn’t blame the men one single bit. She’d rather die than feel the pain of having her wolf ripped from her body.
Gus motioned to one of the men. “Erin, let him go. I don’t think he’ll try to pull a fast one on us.”
Erin did as she was told and released the man Gus had pointed to.
“I’ll tell you whatever you want.”
“Then speak, and make it quick,” Gus ordered.
“We were told to kill the traitor; that he’d broken a contract with the Alpha of Red Foot Pack.”
“You were lied to, gentleman. The woman who Ethan had refused to kill, according to the contract, was an innocent—and Ethan knew that,” Gus explained.
Murmurs sounded through the group. Cam caught a few cusses thrown in here and there for good measure. She was able to pick up genuine surprise from most of the men. Anger and resentment contorted their faces when the realization struck that they had been used.
Cam’s gaze flashed back to the men. Most of them looked either mad or terrified—all but one. One looked ready to kill. Was he the man who’d issued the order to kill her mate? The one behind all the heartache and grief that Ethan had suffered?
One glance back at her mate confirmed her suspicion. She opened the connection to Ethan.“Is that him? The one who looks like he’s ready to explode?”
“Yes.”Ethan’s voice filled her mind.
