Page 19 of Into the Dawn (The Devil’s Claw #3)

19

BEN

" S o, you really didn't tell Evan where you were going?" John asks in utter disbelief.

I don't blame him for being disappointed. From where I sit, pressed against cold iron bars, it doesn't look like I'm here to rescue him, or at least, I’m not doing a very good job of it, even if that is still my intention.

"Did nothing I taught you sink in?"

He always drilled into us that when going hiking or running, even though we're practically indestructible and the biggest apex predator in these forests, you always tell someone where you're going. Accidents happen. Or someone might need to contact you. It's just common courtesy to tell somebody where you're headed.

Not that it helped him.

Water drips somewhere in the darkness, punctuating the silence while he waits for me to explain myself.

"I didn't tell him, because first, he would have tried to talk me out of it, and second, when he couldn't talk me out of it, he would have come along. And then he'd be locked in here alongside us."

I can almost hear John's disappointment in the darkness.

You’re brothers. You stick together.

Or that’s what he always said when we were arguing over something small and insignificant that seemed like the biggest deal in the world to two hormonal teens with maturing beasts looking to assert their dominance.

"No, he wouldn't be locked up because he wouldn't have just walked into camp like a lamb to the slaughter."

It's hard not to be offended that he believes I'd be so easily captured, yet Evan would never be in this position. I shrug, even though he can't see me. "I didn't exactly walk in."

"Then you were captured. That's even worse," John says, and I frown.

"More like caught feelings and got stupid." I correct, making him groan. The slap as his hand hits his forehead echoes in the tiny space. I chuckle, happy to let him laugh at my stupidity while I get to shoot the breeze again with the man who I thought was dead.

"Glad you’re getting back out there at least," John says, before laughing again.

I get it, we’re in a prison, and we’re not getting out any time soon. I just don’t find it quite as funny as he does.

“Oh dear.” His chuckles turn into coughs as he trails off. His voice sounds weaker than before, which is making my beast anxious.

"So, I was right? I said it was someone from town taking those women."

The shift in the atmosphere is jarring, and we both fall into a sombre silence, each thinking about the missing women from Sutton, and wondering how someone could even do such a thing.

"Scott was a big enough surprise, but Serena? That blindsided all of us. Didn't see that coming." The name tastes bitter on my tongue.

Serena never liked me, but I can live with the idea that a psychopath didn’t find me charming. My animal bristles at the memory of her scent on Kali when we found her injured in the forest. If I could go back in time and tear her to pieces myself for the pain she inflicted on her, I would.

"How'd they know you were onto them?" I ask, fighting back the vicious growl that’s building inside me. John’s human. He should have been left out of it, altogether.

"Selena saw me sneaking around the butcher shop. I figure that's how they got rid of the bodies, along with the other waste." He sighs, the sound heavy with regret. "I didn't cover my tracks well enough because I didn't suspect her, even for a second. So, I guess I'm not the only one who gets stupid around a pretty face."

I snarl. "Vanessa's not just a pretty face." My sharp tone bounces off the stone walls, the atmosphere darkening, even though I know that's not what John meant.

"You don't need to tell me that," he says softly. "So, are you guys... rekindling your romance?"

“I’m not sure what we’re doing.” The memory of last night sends another wave of heat through my blood, and I clench my fists. The urge to claw my way out of here is strong, even though I know it won’t work. "I kidnapped her when I found her close to where Kali was attacked by Jed and his buddies."

John says nothing for a beat as he wraps his head around all that information. I can’t make sense of it myself. It was a complete spur of the moment decision, and not one that I really thought through too well.

"Kidnapped, eh? Smooth."

Before John can bombard me with questions, I ease his mind. "Kali's fine. I met her mate, Griffin. Thanks for that, by the way, for the heads up that you were bringing a new shifter our way, who didn't have a clue what he was. Some warning might have been good."

John coughs, and I wince. The cold and damp is getting to him more as a mere human. Jed's probably too stupid to realize he'll get sick if they leave him down here for too long without sunlight.

"It wasn’t my place to tell anyone else when he didn't even know himself." But then, I hear the smile in his voice. "I hoped he was Kali's. He’s a good guy."

Grumbling, I cross my arms and lean my back against the bars. I'm still bitter about him not telling us where Kali was, but if anyone understands the animal inside us acting a bit crazy over their mate, it’s me.

Refusing to return to Sutton without my mate was how my beast protested the way things worked out. I wasn't off having a good time or starting a new life. I was waiting, at his insistence, for her to come looking for me. To realise what she was missing.

It was only years later when Kali came to visit and mentioned seeing Vanessa, fit and healthy, that he relented and let me return.

"Jed and his buddies attacked Kali and Griffin, who came off the worst. When we were leaving, I caught Vanessa snooping around. I thought she was spying on us, going to give Jed our location, but she says she was just watching out for us. So I took her, just to be on the safe side."

John scoffs. "Don't give me that. One sniff, and you knew that she was telling the truth. That girl could never lie."

Again, he's right.

"I was going to do an exchange. Try to swap you for her, but then somehow, she convinced me that getting inside to find you and breaking you out was a better idea."

Frowning, I rub a hand over my stubbled jaw. It did seem like a good idea at the time, but not so much now.

"Oh man, you have it bad," John says, clearly thinking my attraction to Vanessa has clouded my judgement.

It probably has, but not like that.

"I couldn't have handed her over to them, anyway. She's mine," I say quietly, and he curses, understanding exactly what that means for me. Even if I get him out, I have no idea what I’ll do if she doesn’t want to come with me. Again.

"She'll come through," I say to John in the darkness, trying to convince myself, as much as him.

"She better, or we're both fucked." I can almost feel his pity for me as I blow out a long breath. "I'm not saying she wouldn't want to, Ben, but Rusty’s in her head. She might want to stand up to him, but I don't know if she can. Not through any fault of her own. I love that girl, and I know she has a heart of gold. I just don't know if she's going to be strong enough to break free, even for you."

I say nothing, and as the silence stretches between us, I can practically hear the cogs turning in John's brain.

What if she doesn't help us? Then the two of us will die together.

"She'll come through," I repeat simply, because I have every faith that she will. If she can. I'm praying that Jed was just fucking with me, and that he's not setting things up so he can have her all to himself.

Shaken from my thoughts by noises from above, I push back, stepping away from the bars. There's the sound of wood dragging on wood, and multiple sets of footsteps stomping down the roughhewn steps.

Our reunion is over.

"Party time," Jed says as he appears in the doorway. His long, straggly hair is slicked back and tucked behind his ears. The lantern light catches on old bloodstains on his clothes. He has a less dirty pair of jeans on than earlier and a denim shirt. This is clearly Jed's version of dressing up.

His friends open the door while he steps back and allows me space to exit, cleverly staying out of arm's reach. The tunnel air grows thicker with their fear-scent.

"My father would have come to get you himself, but he's busy interviewing suitors for Vanessa. There's quite a long line of men up there, all looking to steal your girlfriend, Ben. I hope you can stay calm when you see what happens here. We're not as domesticated as you. We like to do things the old way. And Vanessa, well, if she wants to breed, she's going to have to shut up and put out."

He spit out the word, domesticated, like me and Evan have turned into cute little lap dogs that can’t fend for themselves in the wild anymore. It’s a bit of a stretch.

My beast snarls just hearing our mate’s name on his lips.

"This is so fucked up," John mutters. The despair in his voice makes my heart sink.

So much for rescuing him. We’re in even more trouble than we were before.

Jed leads me out, and I willingly walk in front, keen to get out of that prison, even if it means walking to my death. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but hell, at least it's better than doing nothing.

"What about him? I’m not leaving him down here. He’s sick." I don't want anything to happen to John while I'm gone. Maybe now that they have me, and Jed's decided he's going to take his father out, he doesn't need him anymore. He definitely won't want any witnesses who can ruin his plan to make Evan believe he's trying to turn over a new leaf.

Jed stops and turns to face John. "You want to come up here and watch your son being beaten to a bloody pulp? Fine by me."

John mumbles something, which Jed takes as acceptance of his offer, and then his door is swung open, allowing him to join us in the narrow, damp corridor.

"Don't fucking try anything." Jed warns. "You." He points to John. "Stick with me. If you even attempt to make a run for it, my beast will hunt you down and throw you on the fucking barbecue for everyone to enjoy. I miss the hunt. I could do with a chase to remind me of the good old days."

As we exit the underground tunnel, I take in a deep lungful of fresh air, my beast feeling a little better now that he can see the sky.

The cool evening breeze carries multiple scents. There’s wood smoke, cooking meat and cheap beer, and underneath it all, something wild and electric that’s making my blood run cold.

My beast strains toward that scent, recognizing our mate, even as my mind struggles to focus.

The scene before us looks like something from a nightmare. Firelight casts twisted shadows across weathered buildings, while drums beat like war calls from somewhere in the gathering darkness. Red dust swirls in the wind, making the entire compound look eerie and deserted.

Through our bond, I feel Vanessa's fear twined with something else, something making both our animals restless.

Vanessa's here. We're both still alive… But that's about the only positive I can come up with from this situation.

As Jed's guard gives me a shove in the back to encourage my feet to keep moving forward, I grit my teeth against the growing heat under my skin. Around us, the compound has become an arena, and the clan is ready to watch a fight.

So, that’s what they’re going to get.