Page 15 of Into the Dawn (The Devil’s Claw #3)

15

VANESSA

S moothing a hand in front of my summer dress, I feel like an idiot. I can see the red dust coating everything outside through the grimy window, carried on hot winds that never seem to stop. The compound looks worse than I remember. There’s even more equipment rusting in yards, more paint peeling from walls, and more broken things that no one bothers to fix anymore.

I'm nervous. My beast paces restlessly, and my skin feels too tight from the afternoon heat.

Ben doesn't realise the sick traditions my father has kept going here. Through our bond, I feel his determination, his strength. He thinks he understands what we're facing, but he doesn't know how deep the rot runs here.

If someone takes a mate, it's a public claiming. Very, very public. The dusty arena where it happens still has dark stains in the dirt that will probably never wash away.

I have no doubt that after the way my father found us this morning, he'll take great pleasure in making Ben watch another man make me his. The thought makes my stomach turn, sending an unexpected wave of heat through my body. Must be anxiety. That's why he wants to do it so fast.

Heat shimmers off the cracked pavement outside, making the compound waver like a mirage. The rusted equipment scattered around the yards throws long shadows across the dirt.

"Stop admiring yourself, Vanessa. I don't think any of the guys your father's planning on tossing you to tonight really give a shit about what you're wearing."

A shiver runs through me despite the heat when Jed enters, his scent suddenly sharp and overwhelming. My beast bristles, more agitated than usual, by his presence.

I step away from the full mirror in my old house and give my brother the middle finger. Over his shoulder, I see my mother in the kitchen watching our interaction closely and taking in every word, though she’s pretending to be impartial. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a messy bun, and there's a dusting of flour across her faded blue jeans. She cooks to distract herself, but even though she's elbow deep in pastry and pies, she looks… sad.

I think the thing that hurts me the most, more than the abuse from my father, my brother, and everybody else who lives in this place, is seeing how my mother has turned into a shadow of her former self.

When we were younger, my mother would still fight with my father and stand up to him when he was going too far, pushing back against his domineering attitude, and he liked it. They had fire, and their relationship had passion. But as he became more powerful and took over the clan, he eventually snuffed out her light, deciding that any opinion of hers that didn't align with his was an act of defiance and disobedience. His actions were not to be questioned, and disputes would be quashed with force.

In the process, he made her small.

I hate him for that, but equally, I struggle not to blame her a bit for letting him, unfair as that might be.

My hands tremble slightly as I brush them over my dress again, trying to focus through the growing discomfort under my skin.

"You look pretty," my mom says simply before giving me a weak smile and then disappearing inside the pantry.

My heart aches for her, and for the relationship we've lost. If I thought she'd come, I'd ask her to leave with me, but I have no doubt she'd stay with him. And it breaks my heart to think that this is all the life she'll let herself lead.

"I suppose you think you're fucking clever, don’t you?" Jed is still lingering like a bad smell, deciding I haven't had quite enough needling for one day. His scent seems stronger than usual, making my head spin slightly.

He steps into my personal space and jabs a finger toward my chest, stopping just short of poking me, knowing from previous experience that I'll snap that digit if he so much as touches me.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Jed? I'm tired, and I'm not in the mood for riddles, so if you've got something to say, just spit it out."

I wipe sweat from my neck, wondering why the temperature feels so suffocating today. Through our bond, I feel Ben's concern spike, though he can't understand why.

Jed spits as he shouts, his face growing redder, and his anger is undeniable as he stares down at my gut. His scent hits me harder than it should, making my head swim.

I grip the windowsill, trying to steady myself.

"Getting some little runt put in your belly so Dad forgives you for being such a disappointment, and then hoping Dad lives long enough that your filthy offspring can steal my place as leader of this clan? That's not gonna fucking happen, Vanessa. If you do find some magical doctor who can fix you, and some desperate hanger-on of Dad's to put a baby in you, I'll make sure it never makes it to its first birthday. You hear me? My kids are gonna be the only ones in line for that job."

The urge to lunge at him is sudden and strong, and my beast is closer to the surface than usual.

Through the dusty window behind him, I watch another broken-down truck being dragged into the compound's growing collection of rusted metal. Focus on that, not the growing heat under my skin, or how every male scent suddenly seems sharper and more intrusive.

"What kids, Jed?"

Laughing, I make an exaggerated show of looking behind him and all around us for these imaginary children he's planning. The movement makes me dizzy, but I force myself to stay steady.

"Oh, that's right, you don't have any. Which is odd for a man who's heir to the clan. Normally, some dumb hoe would spread her legs for you, but because you're such a disgusting, vile excuse of a man, even the terrified women in this fucked-up place won't go near you with a six-foot barge pole."

I poke him in the chest, not giving a shit how he's gonna retaliate. The contact sends an unpleasant shock through my system.

My beast recoils, wanting only our mate's touch.

"So don't you dare come in here and threaten me or my future children. And we both know that if you touched Dad's grandchild, he'd cut your fucking head off and wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it."

Jed's jaw clenches tightly as he runs a hand through his lank, greasy dark hair. The movement draws my attention to his fingers, the ones on his right hand, which are covered in dried blood.

My stomach turns at the metallic scent. Everything smells too strong today.

He holds them up in front of him, spreading his fingers out, so I can see the dark, cracked red coating on all of his digits, as well as the sleeve of his shirt.

"You think you're so fucking clever, that you're above all of us, but you're not. Because if you had half a brain, you wouldn't be pissing off the one man who has access to your mate, and it would be no problem slitting his throat in the middle of the night."

Through our bond, I feel Ben's steady presence. Safe, for now. So I play along with Jed's game, letting him think he's scored a hit.

I gasp and press a hand to my chest, the heat of my skin surprising, even through the fabric of my dress. "Don't, Jed. Please."

Jed sneers, getting right up in my face and pointing to the front door. His scent overwhelms me again, wrong in ways I can't explain.

My beast wants to snap at him, to run to Ben, and to do something to ease this growing restlessness.

"You better play nice, little sister. Because when Dad's gone, you'll have no protection at all. Your name won't mean shit around here. But maybe, maybe if you prove that you can have pups, I'll have my own personal breeding bitch right here with the genes I need to ensure my offspring are stronger than anyone else’s."

Horrified, I reel back and stare at him, my stomach roiling. The room spins slightly. "You can't be fucking serious, Jed. I'm your sister, that's disgusting. And not funny."

He shrugs and lets his lecherous eyes wander up my bare legs. "Just fucking try me, Vanessa. Just try me."

I turn away from him, pressing my palm against the cool glass of the window. Through the smeared pane, I can just make out the path they took Ben down. My reflection shows cheeks flushed pink with what I try to convince myself is nerves and anger, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I know better.

We need to find Ben and John soon. Before whatever's happening to me makes everything more complicated than it already is.