Page 33 of Midnight Hunt (Wolves of Midnight #4)
32
VIOLET
I gently touched my collar for the umpteenth time, even though I knew I wouldn’t find an off switch.
The metal was smooth on the outside and tight enough around my neck that I couldn’t wiggle my fingers under it. If I wanted it off, I’d either have to break it—and risk triggering the needles hidden inside—or find the device that controlled it. I was currently thinking about the latter option, certain that one of the males had a remote control that could deactivate the collars.
Or activate them.
I needed to find out who had it if we had any hope at all of escaping during The Claiming. Once the collars were off, we could shift again, giving us the upper hand. The males outnumbered us by far and had weapons, but if the collars were off, we had a fighting chance.
I just had to convince the other females that submitting wasn’t the only option. Problem was, they probably didn’t realize my little stunt in the cafeteria had been an act. I’d have to do damage control first and quickly. We needed to all be in this together for an escape to work. If even one female panicked, it could spell doom for us all.
We were currently in the communal bathroom across from the female dorm room, preparing for bed. Jensen stood at the entrance, but with the sound of running water and flushing toilets, I decided to make my move.
“Remote,” I whispered to the blonde girl using the sink beside me. I’d chosen her after watching how she carried herself in the cafeteria earlier. I didn’t know if she was an alpha female, but she certainly wasn’t an omega. She still had fight in her despite the abuse she’d endured. When she glanced at me, I lowered my toothbrush to tap on my collar. “Where?”
She peeked at Jensen before whispering back, “Atticus.”
“No talking,” the surly male barked. She flinched, but that didn’t stop her from miming a chain around her neck with a device attached to it.
Thank you , I mouthed back, then resumed brushing my teeth in silence.
Only when we were shuffled across the hall to a dark room full of cots did I dare to speak again. Using the sounds of creaking springs and shifting bodies to mask my words, I turned to the girl nearest to me and breathed, “Escape. Tonight. Pass it on.”
She gaped at me with terror in her eyes, but there was something else too. Something that hadn’t been there before now.
Hope.
I gave her an encouraging smile, and after only a moment’s hesitation, she turned to the girl next to her and relayed the message. Every time one of them spoke, I coughed or cleared my throat to mask their voices. Jensen openly glared at me from the doorway, but I ignored him.
When the last female delivered my message, I finally settled against the thin mattress and shut my eyes. I didn’t sleep, though. I was too busy plotting, too busy worrying about the worst case scenarios, too busy hoping that Griff would arrive just when I needed him.
He will. Your mate will come for you , Sable whispered as if she too was afraid of being overheard.
Mate. I liked the sound of that. Loved it, actually.
Letting my mind picture his smiling, handsome face, a face I knew better than my own, I relaxed my tired body and waited for the inevitable.
For The Claiming that would either free us . . . or doom us all.
Hours later, just as I was starting to drift off, a bright light flooded the room.
“Time for The Claiming, ladies. Get up, get up,” Jensen’s booming voice said. I sat up and squinted, trying to adjust to the bright light. The other females did the same, and even though my senses weren’t fully back, I heard more than one heartbeat start to race.
They were terrified of what was to come, and rightfully so. My own heart had picked up speed despite my steady resolve, old feelings of inadequacy threatening to distract me. My plan could utterly fail, and I could end up hurting these females more than helping them, but I wouldn’t let that fear stop me from trying. They needed the strength and support of an alpha female, and I would fight like hell to protect them from these bastard males.
As we lined up and shuffled from the dorm room, still wearing our collars and matching tunic outfits, I noticed that Jensen kept looking at Desirae. When she passed by him, he suddenly grabbed her arm and breathed in her ear, “You’re mine.”
I was moving before I could check myself, boldly wedging my body between theirs. Jensen looked startled, then angry. He bared his teeth at me, but before he could say anything, I said, “You can’t stake a claim on her yet. The Claiming hasn’t started.”
At that, fury contorted his face. “Why, you little—” he began, raising his hand to no doubt strike me. I held my ground, staring him dead in the eye.
Right before he could hit me, a deep voice from behind him snapped, “Don’t touch her.”
Jensen stopped. Just barely. Still glaring at me, he replied to the other male, “It’s a mistake including her in The Claiming tonight, Ivan. She should be kept in seclusion until her spirit is broken like all the others.”
“That isn’t your decision to make,” Ivan shot back. “So unless you want me to report this little incident to our alpha, I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself and stick to doing your job.”
Jensen continued to glare at me, but I could sense that some of his ire was now directed at his second in command. Seizing the opportunity, I gave him a little smile and crooned, “Better listen to him, dickface. He outranks you by far.”
His face flushed scarlet, the veins in his neck and forehead protruding. Despite the murderous look he was giving me, Sable snickered under her breath.
You go, girl .
My smile widened, and Jensen slowly turned purple. Before he could explode like an overripe watermelon—or kill me—Ivan muscled his way between us and grabbed my arm. As he dragged me into the hall out of harm’s way, he grumbled, “Stop causing trouble.”
I blinked at him innocently. “Yes, Alpha. I mean, Ivan. Forgot you weren’t in charge for a second.”
Something dangerous sparked in his eyes, but I didn’t shrink away from it. He wanted me, and I had to pray that meant he wouldn’t report this little incident to Atticus and get me sent back to isolation. If he did that, he wouldn’t get a chance to claim me tonight, and I could tell he desperately wanted to leave his mark on me before his alpha could.
So instead of diffusing the situation like an omega would, I stepped closer to him and whispered, “Hope you’re on your A-game tonight. Wouldn’t want someone else to claim me before you can.”
A growl rumbled from him, and he jerked me closer until my chest bumped his. I allowed the contact, knowing that it would further stoke his need to claim me. As I heard him inhale my scent, I held perfectly still. He undoubtedly smelled Griff’s claim, but there was another scent just beneath that, a scent that drove both unmated and mated males wild.
My heat.
It wasn’t as strong anymore, but the pheromones were still dancing in the air, tempting even the most stalwart male to give in to his baser instincts.
Firming his grip on my arm, Ivan breathed the pheromones in for another moment before rumbling, “Mark my words. You will be mine.”
I didn’t comment. I didn’t need to. He’d played right into my trap, and I was inwardly cackling with glee right alongside Sable.
You’re absolutely wicked , she chortled. I love it .
Keeping a straight face was nearly impossible, but I managed not to smile as Ivan released my arm and gestured for me to follow him down the hallway. The other females fell into line behind me, Jensen bringing up the rear. When we reached the end and a door buzzed, allowing us to pass into a stairwell, adrenaline shivered up my spine.
Were they letting us above ground? Dare I hope that they were letting us go outside?
That would definitely make it a lot easier for us to escape. Once we were topside, I could focus all of my efforts on getting our collars removed. The plan hinged on Atticus, though, so I replayed all the scenarios I’d spent the past several hours concocting, making sure I had solid backup options in case my original plan fell through.
When Ivan took us up a flight of stairs, my hope grew, but when he opened a door to the outside world and the first thing I saw was snow , my heart blipped to a halt.
Snow in Alaska this time of year could only mean one thing. As I stepped into it with my bare feet, breathing in fresh, cold air for the first time in what felt like forever, my fears were realized with a single glance.
A mountain. We were on top of a freaking mountain .
Dismay settled in my gut, but I straightened my spine anyway and forged ahead, knowing that the other females were counting on me to stay strong. Being on top of a mountain wasn’t ideal, but with our collars removed, we would be stronger, faster .
We could still do this. We had to. I wouldn’t accept any other outcome.
Our boys will come for us , Sable reassured me.
I knew they would, but our time was running out. The Claiming was happening now , and I couldn’t wait for them to rescue us. No way was I letting these terrified females be claimed and mated against their will. It was up to me to save them. There was no other option.
A few snow flurries struck my face, the chilly wind teasing my hair and bangs. If I was human, the cold would no doubt have me shivering and blue within seconds. But despite the silver still lingering in my veins, my werewolf DNA kept me toasty warm, including my bare feet.
“Come, females. Your destiny awaits,” a loud voice boomed from up ahead. The females behind me crowded in close, their hearts pounding like jackrabbits. We could all sense it, could all hear the dozens of excited heartbeats just around the bend.
The entirety of Rogue Pack was waiting for us.
Sure enough, as Ivan led us to the front of the ugly cement building, at least thirty males were standing in the snow, each of their faces hungry for what was to come.
In front of them all was Atticus Bane, and his expression lit up at the sight of me. Bile climbed up my throat, but I forced it back down and scooted a little closer to Ivan. Atticus saw, and I watched with satisfaction as his eyes darkened.
When we were still several yards away, Ivan stopped, and so did we. The males ahead shifted on their feet, clearly impatient for The Claiming to start. After a few more moments of tense silence, Atticus took a step forward and said, “My fellow rogue brothers, I know you’ve been eager for this moment for a long time. With no females to call our own, our existence has been lonely and rife with tension. Our needs have gone unmet, our desire for connection and family denied. But today, we finally have hope. Today, we become a true pack.”
Dozens of males howled in reply, raising their faces up to the night sky. The sound was so feral that goosebumps erupted over my flesh.
Atticus lifted his hands to quiet them down and continued, “I’m aware that we currently don’t have enough females for the entire pack, but the strongest among us will claim their mates tonight. After The Claiming is complete, we’ll seek out more females until everyone here has a mate.”
More excited hoots and howls echoed through the air, along with a jubilant stomping of feet. The females behind me cowered, scared witless by the males’ hungry response.
Disgusted by their primal display, I took my own step forward and loudly said, “Why kidnap hybrids?” Complete silence descended over the crowd. Every hair on my body stood on end as dozens of unmated males paused to look at me, but I plowed ahead anyway. “You could have pursued willing females. There are hundreds of them all over the world looking for mates. So why take hybrids? Why us? ”
Reading Atticus’s growing obsession with me correctly, instead of punishing me for speaking out, he rewarded me with a response. Still, there was a clear warning in his eyes as he replied, “I thought that part was obvious. We’ve seen the power hybrids wield and want to populate the world with more of you. Imagine how great Rogue Pack will become once we’ve sired hundreds of new hybrids. We’ll be the world’s most powerful pack, and there won’t be a single werewolf who would dare turn their back on us.”
Before I could process his horrific words, he added, “One day, Miss Rivers, you’ll thank us for this incredible opportunity. We’re changing how werewolves see us outsiders. Together, banished rogues and hybrids will become the new superpower, but we’ll need a strong alpha female for that to happen. After tonight, I’m hoping that female will be you.”
I stiffened, all too aware of what he meant. He wanted me to be his mate and rule beside him, dangling the proposal before me like it was a prize. But I knew all too well what his real intention was—to bribe me into cooperating so the other females would follow suit.
Sick to my stomach by his twisted vision, I couldn’t help but say, “You know hybrids aren’t created that way, right? The celestial beings inside us choose who to share their spirits with. Just because the parent is a hybrid doesn’t mean the child will be gifted a spirit at birth.”
I thought for sure this would pop his delusional bubble, but all Atticus did was smile a little and reply, “Either way, every single male here is willing to take that chance. The mere hope of siring a hybrid is enough to make them try several times over. I myself am willing to sire dozens of children if it means becoming the father of even one hybrid.”
As hunger burned in his eyes, hunger for me , an overwhelming need to run trembled through my bones. I couldn’t imagine what the other females were feeling, but if I didn’t act soon, I was going to lose them. They would panic, and my flimsy escape plan would crumble to dust.
So, despite the terror filling my own veins, I stood taller and said, “If it’s power you seek, then you need to earn it.”
He cocked his head to the side in curiosity. “I’m listening.”
Holy crap, I didn’t think he would go for that. He must really want me as his alpha female.
All too aware of Ivan standing still as stone beside me, I said, “I don’t know what your plan is for this claiming tonight, but if your pack’s goal is to claim and mate the females here, then a traditional hunt is the only way to earn that right.”
Just as I thought, excitement rippled through the pack of males. It was in their DNA to hunt and chase their prey, and that included their pursuit of a mate. Now that I’d planted the idea in their heads, they wouldn’t be able to resist it.
Sure enough, the hunger in Atticus’s eyes deepened. “Go on.”
“The females are given a head start. The males must wait until they can no longer see them before giving chase. If the male catches a female and she submits, then he’s allowed to claim her.”
The males rumbled their eagerness, clearly on board with the plan.
“But there’s one problem with that plan,” I continued, and the males fell silent. Pointing at my collar, I said, “If we run, we trigger our collars. Where’s the challenge if we’re all on the ground, writhing in pain?”
Aaaand I’d said the magic word. Challenge . Every dominant male loved a challenge, and calling them out for cheating kicked every single one of their inflated egos.
“Where’s the challenge, indeed?” Attitcus mused, watching me closely as he tugged on a chain around his neck and revealed the attached remote.
My heart skipped a beat, but otherwise, I didn’t react. So close. So close . All he had to do was push the button and unlock the collars. Sable rose up as much as she was allowed, preparing to take over the second the collar fell away. She yearned to sink her claws and fangs into every single male here, especially Atticus, but I’d seen the pile of weapons stacked behind them.
One silver bullet to the heart could kill me. My need for vengeance was strong, but my need for survival was stronger. Once we were free of the collar, Sable and I would have to ignore our instincts and flee. It was the only way we could lead the other females to safety.
Toying with the remote for several torturous moments, Atticus finally said, “Unfortunately, removing your collars gives you too much power, and we have no intention of losing any females tonight.” I watched with dismay as he tucked the remote back inside his shirt. “Don’t worry, though. The collars won’t be triggered so long as you stay within the five mile perimeter surrounding the compound. There are traps just beyond that, so I highly suggest you don’t try to escape. And don’t forget that any attempt to remove the collar, shift, or use magic will result in an extremely painful silver injection.”
With each word he spoke, my plan crumbled more and more. We were helpless with the collars on, especially with the ever-looming threat of the needles.
As I watched our only leverage slip away, I blurted out, “No weapons, then.”
Atticus lifted an eyebrow at me.
“It’s only fair,” I pressed. “The females aren’t being allowed weapons, so the males shouldn’t have any either.”
Atticus stared at me hard, no doubt calculating the risks—and wondering what I was up to. I stared right back, lifting my chin a notch.
After a few moments, a smile slowly spread across his face. “Deal,” he purred. “My men will wait to begin the hunt until every female is out of sight. Without weapons. Let The Claiming begin.”
My breath seized in my lungs.
His smile turned downright wicked. “That’s your cue, ladies. I suggest you all run.”