Page 15 of Sinful Shifters

His cock presses against my thighs, nothing but fabric between us.

"It'll take longer though, won't it," I remind him. "If I'm in pain, the pheromones won't work as well."

I don't know if it's true, but either it is, or he buys my lie. Irritation crosses his face, and he loosens his grip on my throat.

Tossing me to the ground, he declares, "I"ll have Teller remake the potion he made for my brother, but mask the taste. Just remember this moment, though. I've been kind to you—so when your heat takes over and Fern comes back for me, don't you dare fucking fight it."

As if. But I keep my mouth shut and let Klaus make his own mad conclusions. Shoving his erection back into his clothes, he disappears.

Moments later, he comes back with Teller. The general has an annoyed look on his face. No doubt he was just overseeing the battlefield. But he came with Klaus anyway—which means either pleasing Klaus is important to him, or forcing me to go into heat is, for reasons I can't quite figure out.

This time, he isn't alone.

Ali is with him, tied up and at his mercy. Her plan must have failed—we've both been kidnapped.

My heart breaks, and I wish for the thousandth time that my wolf were stronger. I'd rip Klaus's throat out and disembowel him if I could.

Meeting my eyes, Ali mouths, "Trust me."

Chapter12

Adar

Questioning hostages is one of my favorite wartime activities.

They say that torture is unreliable because it causes victims to lie to their interrogator. While I won't argue with statistics, I will note that things change when the hostage you're torturing is capable of healing themselves.

I've got the so-called First Alpha in the ruins of our mansion, surrounded by four partially destroyed brick walls. The sounds of the battlefield are distant: roars and snarls, screams and explosions. Right here, right now, it's just the two of us.

And my rage.

"You summoned him, didn't you." I narrow my eyes at Eli, who has apparently gone back to his original name, as well as his original wolf form. "I can smell the wellspring on you. You must've sacrificed something to get him. Why the fuck did you do it, Eli?"

"You don't understand." Eli raises a face that should be battered black and blue, but has healed already from my multiple punches. "You don't haverealbrothers. You wouldn't sacrifice anything for them, much less your manhood."

This is when I realize what he gave up to get Klaus back. Hisknot.He's no longer an alpha capable of mating an omega.

It sends shivers down my spine, because it means that history is repeating itself even more forcibly this time. Last time, Eli was just born different—no one knew why. He had the influence and pheromones of an alpha, but without the knot or violent tendencies.

When he rallied his people, mostly betas, they followed him voluntarily. And between that and the magic of the wellspring of his people, he was able to rewrite the bonds that brought werewolves together. A new age was born—one without violent alphas who forced packs together.

It's happening all over again, only in reverse.

Which means, just like last time, omegas will die out.

I shake it off, throwing fire at Eli and sending burns running up and down his arms. "What are Teller's plans?"

He howls in pain, healing slowly and panting, his teeth bared.

"I don't know," he insists, again. "It doesn't matter how many times you burn me, Istillwon't know."

But hemustknow. There's no reason for the general to go along with Eli's plans, recruit Klaus, or kidnap Rina. None of those things fit with his supposed plan to destroy all werewolves.

Unless he's going to somehow use her omega abilities to poison all the pack bonds. The thought disturbs me, but it's possible. If she remains an omega but isn't tied to an alpha—or even worse, if she's tied to an alpha with the wrong intentions—then her connection to the wellspring here could doom them all.

It terrifies and infuriates me to imagine another alpha mating her.

Grabbing Eli by the throat, I look down into his eyes and decide to get more specific. "You knowsomething.Clearly Teller wants an omega for a reason. Is that why your brother is here—is he going to have to Klaus mate with her? If so, why?"

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