Page 11 of Into the Dawn (The Devil’s Claw #3)

11

BEN

" T his is what I was saying, Daddy. I brought you a present," Vanessa's voice is quiet, sheepish in a way that makes my teeth hurt.

Morning light filters through the worn curtains, highlighting the careful way she's decorated this tiny space, the hand-knitted throw I won her at a carnival draped over a threadbare armchair, and the collection of river stones we gathered on runs together, carefully arranged on the windowsill.

My beast whines at how she's made this place a shrine to us while simultaneously plotting to betray me. Every corner holds a memory. The wooden box where she keeps my letters sitting innocently on a shelf, the dreamcatcher from our first date catching the early light. Unless that was part of the plan all along, to surround me with memories and lower my guard.

"I got him here for you."

Her father blinks, and I see a flicker of uncertainty cross his features. This seems too good to be true. Through the window, I can see how isolated we are, the dense forest pressing in on all sides, the rough track leading to her cabin barely visible through the undergrowth. It’s the perfect place for an ambush. I don't blame him for doubting it.

"What are you talking about? Why do I care about this dipshit?"

Nice.

"I know what they did. I'm not stupid," Vanessa mutters sulkily, acting like a sullen teenager as she pulls down the sleeves of her long-sleeved top. "You try to keep me away from everything, but I heard about the attack in the forest. Everyone’s been talking about it and what you tried to do to Kali. About how badly it went."

Her father's eyes dart to Jed. A look of fury that would turn your blood cold crosses his features for a millisecond before he schools his expression into one of disinterest and turns to study his daughter carefully.

A cold draft whistles through the gaps in the wooden walls, another reminder of how her father keeps her living in near poverty despite his control over the clan resources.

"I knew you'd want revenge." She lifts a hand, palm up, like she's handing me over on a silver plate. Her beast's distress leaks through our bond, the mate connection we strengthened last night, now a raw, aching thing between us. But is she really torn up about this or just a better actress than I gave her credit for?

Her dad's nose twitches, and his lips curl up in a sneer as he takes in the rumpled sheets and my semi-dressed form. His eyes catch on the small touches that make this place a home, the herbs drying in the kitchen window, the carefully arranged furniture that can't quite hide its second-hand origins.

I get the impression he’s never been here before.

"You had to make a whore of yourself to capture him?"

Vanessa scoffs, but I catch the slight tremor in her voice, see how her fingers brush against the river stones for strength.

"I used the skills at my disposal. It's not like I could overpower him." With a shudder that makes me want to rip my own skin off in disgust, she meets my eye. "It was easy. I just pretended that I still wanted him."

The pain of those words cleaves my heart in two. My beast howls in betrayal, not just at the bitter sting of her words, but at how she went off plan without even trying to discuss it.

After everything we shared last night, every tender moment and whispered promise, she's back to choosing her family over us.

I snarl at her, the hurt morphing into rage, and she shrinks back. Through our bond, I feel her genuine pain, but is that just part of the act too? The remnants of our mate bond, never fully broken or consummated, makes everything feel real, even when it's not.

Last night's intimacy suddenly feels like a weapon she's wielding against me.

"And to what do I owe this sudden display of loyalty?" her father asks, rightly suspicious as he steps up close to her and uses his index finger to lift her chin, wanting to see her eyes, to see the truth when she answers him. His massive form makes the small cabin feel even more cramped, his dominance pressing against my beast's defenses.

"This is bullshit. She's never wanted to be part of this family before," Jed interrupts, eyes narrowed and face heating up. His gaze darts around the room, taking in all the little touches that mark this as a space separate from their clan. "Why would she start now? It's a trap."

"It's the worst trap ever then," her father comments without turning. "Because he's going to be dead within a week."

Vanessa pales but doesn't look away, holding her father's gaze as he watches for any deception. The morning light catches the dark circles under her eyes, evidence of her sleepless night.

It seems I’m the only one who slept like a log last night.

"Because I want a baby. And I thought that maybe bringing Ben here, acting like I wanted him back, and that I was gonna help him, would get you to help me."

Her eyes glisten, her dark lashes wet, as she continues on, ignoring Jed's mocking snort. The pain in her voice sounds real, or maybe I just want it to be real, want to believe last night meant something.

"I thought that maybe if you were happy with me, you'd let me go to that doctor so I can get pregnant."

She trails off, her pain and longing undeniable, even to these cold-hearted bastards. Behind her, through the window, I can see an empty garden, one where she can probably imagine cubs playing.

Maybe she really is going to take some money, cut and run.

Her father turns slowly to face me, one arm extending toward me and pointing squarely at my chest. The morning light makes his scars stand out stark against his skin.

"You delivered him here to me, so I'd give you money so you can go to some fancy doctor? He's just gonna tell you the same thing that I'm telling you. That you're barren, that you're not a real woman, and you're not able to have kids because the fates have decided you don't deserve them. And you know why?” he asks, pressing forward, and intimidating her with the angry gleam in his eyes. “Because you're not loyal to your family."

The Vanessa I know visibly shrinks before my eyes, her careful facade cracking. She takes a half step back, like he physically struck her, and grips onto the door frame to steady herself. My beast strains against my control, wanting to protect her, despite everything.

"I've been listening to you, Daddy," she whispers. "And you're right. I'm worthless. It's my fault, but that's why I'm trying to fix it."

She raises her eyes, and I know it costs her every bit of strength she has in her body not to curl up under the intensity of his disappointment. At this moment, surrounded by our shared memories and her father's cruelty, I almost understand why she's never been able to stand up to him.

"This is my way of showing loyalty. By proving to the fates that I know how to act like a family, and maybe after doing this, I can help you strengthen your legacy by adding to our clan."

Her father's lips press into a thin line as he thinks. The silence stretches, broken only by the wind whistling through the gaps in the walls. She’s said something he likes, maybe on purpose, maybe unwittingly, but he’s considering her words.

"One condition. I pick the father," he says, staring right at me.

I blink hard, trying to keep the beast out of my eyes, not wanting to let him see the bloodlust coursing through my veins at the idea of another man touching Vanessa. My beast's rage makes the mate bond pulse between us.

"Fine," Vanessa whispers, and I feel like the ground has vanished from under my feet.

Stunned, I stare, begging her to look at me, but she studiously avoids eye contact, rolling her shoulders in and making herself small. The dreamcatcher sways in the draft, casting dancing shadows on the wall.

Her father laughs, dark and terrifying.

"Well, I should fucking think it's fine, Vanessa, if it's my money that puts a baby in your useless belly. The least you can do for me is let me make sure that grandchild has the genes of my picking and is stronger than you two disappointments."

Jed fumes while Vanessa continues to hang her head. Finally, he gives her the briefest of nods before slowly turning back to look me up and down one more time.

"Pathetic. You let yourself get lured up here by a woman like this."

He practically spits out the words, talking so vilely about his own daughter, who's standing right there as if she's nothing. The walls of her tiny cabin seem to press in, every cherished memento now feeling like part of an elaborate trap. It makes me even more certain that if I get the chance to bring John to freedom, I'm not leaving the compound until I've killed both these fuckers.

"Maybe this is a better day than I thought it was gonna be." Clapping his hands together in glee, he takes a step closer before laughing in my face. "Put your trousers on, Ben. There's someone I want you to see."

Through our bond, I feel Vanessa's silent plea for trust, for understanding. But after being blindsided like this, surrounded by the evidence of our past and her supposed devotion, I'm not sure I have any left to give.

Last night feels like a lifetime ago, when I almost marked her, almost believing we could have a future.

Now I don't know what to believe.