Page 37 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

It didn’t matter. It was all over.

Panic washed over me. They were going to take me back. They were bringing me to Akron. No one knew where I was. I’d left Sam that stupid note, but the whole point of that had been “don’t follow me.” I hadn’t exactly written what direction I was going in or how he could trace me.

I was on my own. Which, ironically, was what I’d wanted.

Several of the underlings flew overhead, darting above the tree line, presumably to report my capture back to Akron. The rest of the procession moved along in silence. Farrow had been right when he’d said there was no use in trying to get away. Not when I couldn’t shift. I could barely sense my wolf at all. It was like she’d been gagged. The thought alone was enough to make me seethe with anger, but there was nothing I could do with that rage.

My thoughts went to Sam. I hoped he was all right. I hoped he wasn’t going to do something stupid like try to come after me. I didn’t want anyone hurt because of me. Especially him.

That was one positive. If Akron got me back, then he wouldn’t care about the town anymore. Brixton would be safe. Sam and the rest of the Silver Wolves would be safe. I had no idea what Akron was going to do to me after everything I’d done, but at least my being gone from Brixton would do some good.

It wasn’t a great consolation, but it was something. At least Sam would be safe. Just the thought of him sent an ache through me, both of longing and guilt. I never should have left. Not because I’d wanted him to protect me, but because I wanted to be with him more than I had realized when I’d run away.

But it was too late now.

We walked through a small town that was strangely deserted. No, not deserted—I could see various semi-familiar-looking shifters lounging about, and underlings seemed to hang around everywhere. And all the buildings looked well cared for, though few seemed to have people in them.

And then I realized why. Akron had taken over the town. He was using it as his home base. He’d killed or kicked out an entire town for his needs. The thought was enough to make my stomach churn.

I wasn’t sure where they were going to take me, but I wasn’t expecting to be led to a different giant house. I guess the demon had particular tastes when it came to where he lived. His new mansion was near the outskirts of town. Various shifters and underlings in the yard watched the procession as we moved toward the front of the house. The underlings leered at me, and the shifters sneered. I wasn’t going to get any help from them.

We reached the porch, and the large oak door creaked open.

I wasn’t going to bother pleading. I knew it would fall on deaf ears. But the moment the door opened on its own, I almost did, anyway. My heart began pounding in double time. Before I could get a grip on myself, Farrow grabbed my arm and dragged me inside.

The door closed after the two of us had stepped inside. Farrow dug his nails into my flesh as he dragged me down the hall.

“Do you realize how much shit you put me and the pack through, bitch?” Farrow snarled. I could feel the beginnings of claws pressing into my flesh, but not drawing blood. “I’ll be glad when I don’t have to deal with you anymore. I just hope he has the common sense to teach you a lesson.”

“Do you actually think he’s going to let the town go when you hand me over?” I asked. “He’s got his tendrils wrapped tight around the pack now. Do you really think he’s just going to let go of them?”

Something like alarm or unease flashed in Farrow’s eyes, then they hardened to steel. “And whose fault is that? Me, or the girl who put herself before the good of the pack? If you’d just done what you were told, none of this would have happened.”

A month ago, I would have withered under a comment like that. But now, it barely registered. “He would have done it, anyway,” I retorted.

Farrow growled and rounded on me. He slammed me against the wall, one hand going to my neck above the collar and the other tightening on my bicep. Something warm slid down my arm as the claws dug in.

“You’re as insolent as your mother, you know that?” he growled.

Then it clicked.

“You wanted to mate Mom, didn’t you?” I asked. The look on his face was all the confirmation. I started laughing “That’s it, isn’t it? She picked someone else and you decided to take it out on me once they died. Was Dad an outsider? Is that why you banned it when you became alpha? Too late for you, though.” I laughed harder, even as his fingers began tightening on my throat. It wasn’t until he slammed my head back against the wall that I stopped.

“You listen here, you little bitch,” Farrow snarled. His face was red with fury, and his eyes had turned wolfish in anger. I watched his teeth lengthen to fangs. “I could crush your windpipe right now and tell him you tried to escape. And if you don’t shut up, I’ll do it.”

“You wouldn’t,” I said, eerily calm. Farrow’s threats seemed to wash off me at this point. “You’re too frightened.”

“Try me.”

“I believe I told you to bring her back unharmed,” an icy voice drawled from down the hall.

Farrow immediately released me and backed away several feet as if I were on fire, eyes on the ground as he refused to look at the speaker. I turned to look at the newcomer, already knowing who I would find and dreading it.

Akron was standing directly in the middle of the hall. Last time I’d seen him, he’d been wearing an arrogant smirk. This time, however, everything about his posture told me he was furious. And his coal-black eyes were trained on Farrow.

“Sorry,” Farrow said hastily, not making eye contact with the demon. “She was trying to get away.”

“It certainly didn’t look like it.” Akron stalked forward until he was standing directly in front of Farrow.

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