Page 13 of Pack Rage (The Splintered Bond #4)
Chapter 12
Insult and Injury
brAND
I t took every ounce of control I’d learned over the years not to shift and tear out Aidan’s throat. To hear these dishonorable fucks speak of my little mate in that way was almost more than I could stand. My wolf was clawing to emerge and rip them to pieces, so they would never make the mistake again.
But for now, he was not only the Council Alpha, he was my host. I had to resist.
Though it may have been foolish to take my attention off the monsters in the room, I closed my eyes, allowing my wolf to reach down the bond to Flor. I felt her concern, and a wave of support from her… and then, through her, from Glen. He felt warm, reassuring, his energy flowing freely to her. Keeping her safe, even when I was too far to do so.
It would have been enough, should have brought me back, but something fell on my arm.
My eyes shot open. Elina had her hand on my forearm, her fingers resting lightly on my skin. My arm felt like thousands of spiders were crawling on it, racing to the rest of my body, each prickle a pin, holding me in place.
I couldn’t move.
“So much anger. So much power,” she murmured, licking her lips.
I shot a look at Aidan, but he was staring down at his glasses, toying with the frames, as if he was totally unaware of what his mate was doing.
Elina dug her fingers in. “Just be still, Alpha. Just let me in.”
Something that felt like sand blasting at my mind started up inside my head, infinite tiny claws scraping their way into my mind.I couldn’t speak, and I was suddenly glad, so grateful, that Flor was not here. If this witch could do this with a touch, there was no way I could have protected her.
I had to move. I had to… I managed to open my mouth to speak, and uttered one word. “Witch.”
“What a terrible accusation.” Her red lips twitched. “You’re one to speak, baby Alpha. Those eyes of yours have magic that hasn’t been seen in centuries. Just imagine what a witch could do with them, plucked out of your thick head.”
I had no doubt that was exactly what she had planned, but I couldn’t tear away from her. Though I knew she could probably feel something happening to me, I refused to reach for Flor again; I wouldn’t drag her into this. My whole body felt cold, almost icy, as Elina’s fingernails dug into my flesh, drawing blood. The room grew silent, or perhaps my ears had stopped working. I couldn’t even hear my own heartbeat.
Perhaps it had stopped altogether.
But then the lights dimmed, the power in the house interrupted by something. There was no storm outside, though, and if the main power went down, the Mansion had generators.
They didn’t kick on.
Elina bared her teeth, still focused on me, but I could feel her control slipping. The lights grew even darker, and stayed that way for a long moment. Somewhere in the Mansion, guards shouted. A woman shrieked.
Then the lights came back, and something inside me… warmed. I let the feeling grow, not sure what it was. It became more intense, almost as if whatever thawed the center of the ice was approaching.
The door slammed open, and Elina’s hand dropped from my arm as a rush of energy and sound chased away the odd, deadly silence. “I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon, brother.”
Luke. Thank the moon, he was here, and alive. He looked far gaunter and paler than he had been the last time I’d seen him, but he hummed with energy.
He strode to my side and half-lifted me from the chair. I felt a surge of energy coming from his hands as he gripped my forearms, smiling into my face, though his eyes were shadowed. “I’m glad you’re here. I thought it might just be me and Alpha McDonnell for the meeting tonight.”
The collar of his shirt was open wide enough to see the bite mark on his neck. “Nice bite,” I whispered.
Aidan interrupted. “Yes. He’s mated, though it shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s mated to your mate, after all. The whore.” Luke’s nostrils flared, but I squeezed his forearms in warning as Aidan went on. “And she needs to appear before the full Council for questioning.”
As he was speaking, Niall entered the room, panting. He’d obviously been chasing Luke, and the look Elina shot him promised he would be punished for not keeping the Southerner away.
Behind him, another half-dozen Enforcers pushed through the entry, the one at the front moving to face Aidan, and bowing his head. “Alpha—” Aidan held up a hand.
Luke’s grip still firm on my arms, giving me strength, I turned to the McDonnells. “Why would I bring my mate before the full Council for questioning? Whoever that full Council may consist of. From what I can tell, her fate would be determined before she opened her mouth to explain our situation.”
“You dare to question the Council?” Aidan protested. “We’ve done nothing but uphold the law.” He wasn’t lying; there was no scent of deception. That was his way, finding loopholes and technicalities, to make sure he was seen to be following the law. Though he tore at the spirit of what pack was meant to be with every law he twisted to his own ends.
I snarled my reply. “You’ve imprisoned the Hilliers, called for the execution of their son, and your mate just tried to break into my mind and—” When I mentioned his mate, Aidan’s eyes narrowed, his wolf peeking out.
The strength I’d always thought lacking in Aidan showed in his wolf’s eyes as he challenged me to continue. I almost respected it. The wolf. Not the man.
“I think we all need to calm down, Brand,” Luke said. “You’ve been traveling and you’re tired. Tana has been taken. If we want to be able to work together as a Council when all this is over, and keep the North American packs whole under new leadership, we need to be clear-headed about many things.” He pulled me away. “Come on, I’m sure there’s a room ready for you.”
Aidan and Elina allowed him to pull me to the door. I glared back inside, ignoring the gasps from the Enforcers who noted my eyes. Elina called out before we exited, “We’ll see you at dinner,” like nothing had happened. Three of the guards followed us, though Aidan commanded Niall to stay.
“Is there any sign of her?” Aidan’s murmur from the sitting room was more enraged than concerned.
“None, Alpha. It’s like she vanished. There was one flight going to Rome that we suspected, but there was no scent or trail of her. We need you in the city.”
“I can’t hold an emergency meeting over the fucking phone,” Aidan spat.
The door shut, but not before Elina snapped out, “The full Council meeting is all that matters. Call our Italian connections and get them to meet—” Her voice was muffled but agitated as we crossed the entry and walked quickly down a hall.
“You look like shit,” I muttered to Luke.
“You look like you’re two seconds away from going feral,” he replied. “Nice eyes.” I took a breath to explain, but he nodded to the corner of the room. “Eyes everywhere.”
I noted the cameras with a nod. “Where are you taking me?”
“I have a room. We can be alone there.”
Alone. As long as it was away from the McDonnells, that was fine. “Where’s Finn?”
“I haven’t seen him all day,” Luke told me, his tone filled with concern. “Not since he went to the lower levels.”
“The lower levels?”
“His mother took Grigor Dimitrivich prisoner.” As if the name itself was a curse or a spell, the lights dimmed once more, casting the hall into darkness. Even the small red camera lights went dark. The only illumination was what sunlight could make it past the blinds.
“I know,” I admitted. “ She wants me to check on him.” I wasn’t going to speak Flor’s name out loud in this house. I was already panicking, just thinking about her coming here.
Elina had almost had me under her power. How could she be that strong? I hadn’t even been able to break away from her grip. What if she got her hands on Flor, and I couldn’t save her?
“Finnick went to do just that. I was worried the old guy might be dead, but I felt something just after you must have arrived. I reached out to him through our connection, and he… slapped me away, shutting it down. He’s alive, but he’s feral, starved for power, it feels like. If Finnick gets too close, I’m not sure what’ll happen.”
Shit.