Page 117 of Bite of Sin

“Yes,” I said firmly, ignoring the ache carving itself through my chest. “Do it.”

“Don’t,” Warner snarled when Zan reached for him again. “You fucking piece of shit. Look what you did to her.”

Zan ignored him, grabbing Warner’s jaw again in a tight hold. Warner swung his fists and struggled, but only for a moment until Zan caught his eye. The fight quickly left him as Zan entranced him.

“All you remember from the time at Impulse was that you were trapped in a cage. Kali was there too, but she didn’t say a word to you the entire time. You know nothing about vampires that you haven’t already told the Clovers about.” Zan spoke slowly, as if choosing each word carefully. “When you were both rescued, Kali seemed different. More sympathetic to vampires.”

My gut twisted, but I stayed silent, wiping the tears away as Zan continued.

“Kali helped me escape. She planned it so we could find this cabin. She’s the reason your men are dead. She’smine.She chose me over everything.”

Warner didn’t move a muscle as he listened. Viggo was moving across the cabin toward Matt. Garrett was still cutting his face, and he could barely hold the knife now. His face was nearly unrecognizable, and I wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to keep doing it before passing out. But I didn’t bother to worry about him. Not when my best friend was now being fed fake memories that would make him hate me.

“Matt will back up your story,” Zan said. “You two barely escaped this cabin with your lives after we tried killing you both with Kali beside us. She doesn’t care about you anymore. Or about the Clovers. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Warner answered, not looking away.

“The cabin caught fire, and you and Matt ran into the woods. And after this conversation, you will not see her as family again. I want you to walk out the front door and start running with Matt. Do not look back. You’ll only remember seeing the cabin up in flames. This is all you’ll remember. Until I say otherwise.”

I choked back a sob, my heart breaking as Zan stepped away from Warner. This was it. I wouldn’t see Warner again. I had no one to save me this time. The Clovers would kill me if they saw me again. Warner would kill me. I had no one.

Viggo was talking in a low voice to Matt, making me guess he was telling the same story that Zan had just told Warner. Pax stayed leaning against the wall, and when he met my gaze, pity filled his eyes. He felt bad but wouldn’t go against Zan on this. I doubted he’d ever help me again after what happened when he lied for me before.

“Go.”

Zan’s one-word command had Warner bolting to the front door with Matt on his heels. I couldn’t help myself. I ran to the door, watching the two of them disappear into the trees.

“We need to go before they find others and come to check out the cabin,” Viggo said.

I stayed in the doorway, debating whether I should run too. Zan wanted me alive right now. But what if that changed? What if I went back to their city, only to be used as a human to feed on like Warner said? They wanted to wait until my birthday because, for some reason, they wanted humans who bled black. What if I was an ordinary human? Would I lose my value to them? Fear invaded my bones as my thoughts raced, and I tensed.

I’d rather try to survive on my own than live in terror until they killed me. Zan might have saved me with his blood, but then he’d used me. I let him feed, and he escaped. I slept with him, and fuck me for feeling something because of it. Because I couldn’t trust him. I couldn’t allow myself to. Not when they were hiding so many things.

“Don’t run, Kali,” Zan murmured, like he knew exactly what I was thinking. “You wouldn’t get far.”

“Why do you want me so badly?” I gritted out without turning around.

“For one,” Viggo drawled. “You can’t be entranced, and you now know we can walk in the sun. Can’t let you run away with that information.”

“Because I want you with me,” Zan answered, sounding annoyed by his brother’s answer. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

I finally spun around to look at him. Pax was standing in front of Garrett, speaking so low I couldn’t hear him, but I kept my eyes on Zan.

“For how long?” I asked, my voice getting high. “Until my twenty-fifth birthday? Until I disobey you? Then what? You kill me? Or turn me? Those are the only options that keep me from being a liability.”

“We’re not talking about this now,” Zan said gruffly. “We need to go.”

Without thinking about it, I crouched down and snatched up the stake I’d been making earlier. Zan watched, raising an eyebrow as I held the stake in front of me.

“I told you this was a mistake,” Viggo muttered. “She’s going to try to run the second she can.”

“She won’t get the chance.” Zan slowly prowled closer to me. “Put it down, Kali. I entranced Warner and let him go like you wanted. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Can you promise you won’t turn me?” I shrieked, my grip on the wood turning almost painful as I held it tighter.

“I can’t promise that,” he said carefully. “But I don’t want to turn you.”

“I’d rather take my chances alone in the world than become a vampire,” I hissed, backing up until I was nearly outside.

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