Page 147 of Contested Crown

“He said he pumped you full of it, but you can still shift, so I guess Thorn is just a very pricey mistake. Do you know how expensive it is to develop a drug? I spent over ten million on this. Leon put in his share too. All for nothing because I saw you’ve still got your wolf.” Declan shook his head and swung his chair back and forth with his foot. “Waste of good cash, that’s what Thorn is.”

“What was itsupposedto do?” I asked.

“What’s it supposed to do?” Declan looked at me like I was stupid. “What’s it supposed to do?”

He was wasting time, waiting for something. I leaned forward and grabbed the knee I’d stomped on earlier.

“Declan.” I squeezed, and he whimpered, his face contorting in pain. “Let me be as clear as I can be. You’re going to tell me what I want to know, or I’m going to see how I likeyourhead on my wall. You understand me?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Declan made a squealing noise when I squeezed harder until I felt something give under my fingers. “Thorn inhibits wolves.”

“Why?”

“Why anything? Money.” Declan whimpered again. “I figure I get enough wolves on it, and then they get to the threshold, boom. I can charge top-dollar prices just to cure them of a disease they gave themselves.”

“Money,” I said, and the anger I didn’t let into my voice went into my fingers, holding on so tight that I heard a snap, something important giving in Declan’s knee.

Declan wailed, and the room went still.

Beside me, Cade murmured, “Miles.”

“That’s all we are to you, isn’t it? Wolves? We’re just cash, justmoney.That’s all. Eleven years I’ve worked for you. All I’ve done for you, and that’s what you think of me too.” I growled and stood, pushing the chair back and walking over to the window.

Declan laughed. “Oh, like you’re some prince. Look at you now. Torturing me? You’ve done worse for me. You sure didn’t care about the cash when I was paying you.” Declan smirked at me. “Now you want to pretend your hands are clean, Miles? I knowexactlywhat you did for money.”

Spinning, I said, “I was a kid?—”

“Yeah, for how long?” Declan sneered.

“I was sixteen when you found me. I didn’t have to be a weapon!” I ended on a shout.

“No, but you sure took to it like a duck to water, didn’t you?” Declan was grinning now. “Boo hoo. Poor little werewolf who didn’t care about all the people he got hooked on Reaper, loved coming to me for a pat on the head and a nice bonus for being the best Reaper slinger I’veeverseen.”

Growling, I lunged for him, my hands outstretched, but Cade stepped between us. When I looked at him, his eyes were crystal blue, and it was like plunging into freezing waters. I felt like I could breathe.

Cade looked at me, and despite all the blood on my hands, he didn’t care. Cade loved me.

I cradled that thought to me. Therewasa part of me that Declan hadn’t poisoned.

“So you developed Thorn for the money,” I said without looking away from Cade. Cade relaxed, looking up at me like he needed me as much as I was desperately drinking in his gaze. Forcing myself to look back at Declan, I raised an eyebrow. “Why didLeondevelop Thorn?”

Declan’s smirk twitched. I’d hit a nerve, one more sensitive than the knee I’d destroyed.

“See, here’s the thing, Declan.” I took my seat again and leaned forward, my hands clasped together. “Thorn stops you from being able to access your wolf, sure, but it also drains wolves of magic. As you pointed out, I know from personal experience.”

“Yeah, well.” Declan’s teeth were displayed, but it was no smile. “We each got something from it.”

“But he got something better, didn’t he?” I pressed. “He got magic, and he kept you out of the loop.”

“No, I knew,” Declan bluffed. “I knew. I keep my ear on the ground. I knew he wanted something else. I knew that once he got the drug in with the other houses, that was when we were gravy. He gets their magic, and I get their money. Win-win.”

“Yeah, did you hear that from Leon or from your man Keith?” I asked.

Declan glared at me.

“I couldn’t figure out why Keith was listening at doorways. At first, I just thought he wanted to see Cade’s downfall. He hated him enough.” I didn’t look at Cade; I didn’t want to see his expression at knowing howmuchpeople in his house had hated him. “But then he was so panicked. I realized why Leon had to kill him, why he couldn’t let anyone find out what Keith knew. Because Leon figured out you didn’t trust him, that you’d turned Keith—the guy he had bringing him information about the serum.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Declan said, but he was looking around the room. “Who the hell is Keith?”