Page 12

Ivy

Two weeks later …

Torture came in many forms.

Whips.

Chains.

Nearness to one’s abominable yet incredibly attractive fated mate.

My wolf wasn’t faring well because of it.

Neither are you , Rieka snarked.

If something didn’t give soon I was going to lose my freaking mind.

The handle turned.

“Good morn—”

I bolted past Briggs and didn’t breathe until I was out the front door.

He could have easily stopped me but he gave me some space.

About five feet of it.

Restless, I paced along the edge of the drive.

A full moon was coming.

It only made the urge to shift stronger.

The asshat damn well knew it, too.

Rieka’s instincts were riding her hard and, thus, making life more complicated for me.

Briggs tracked my every move.

"Ivy?"

Inhale.

Exhale.

“Ivy,” he tried again, "I’m not sure what’s happening but you need to calm down."

I whirled to face him.

"I can't! Rieka needs to run. My wolf needs out.”

“I told you—”

“Stop torturing me. Please ." My voice cracked on the last word, raw with desperation.

Could I sound any more pathetic?

The two times I’d asked to let Rieka free in the woods I’d gotten an emphatic no or not yet for a response. Just days ago, I’d accused him of purposefully putting me in this state so he could manipulate me and my wolf.

His big hand scrubbed down his face and he dipped his chin. “I’ll shift with you and we’ll run. Together.”

"Alpha McClellan—”

“ Briggs .”

I sniffed. “If Rieka gets near your wolf right now. They could …" I swallowed hard. "They could mate, without our consent."

I was sure Onyx had complete consent from his human, but I was not on board.

Something flashed in the depths of Briggs's eyes before he shuttered his expression.

“I haven’t asked you for a single thing, Alpha Mc—Alpha Briggs.” There, I used his first name. “Please don’t put me in the position of being forced to accept a bond our wolves might not be able to resist. I’ll beg if I have to.”

I felt wretched and weak, begging like this.

His expansive chest inflated before he expelled a slow breath.

Finally, he gave a curt nod. "You can run the woods for one hour. I will be nearby,” he held up a hand before I could protest.

“I won’t let Onyx near you. Enforcers will be out so if you try to flee …" He let the threat hang unfinished.

My lips curled back from my teeth. "Let me guess, you’ll sick Baylor on me?" The thought of the brutal wolf hunting me down again wasn’t pleasant.

Briggs’s stony silence was answer enough.

I turned and sprinted for the tree line. Just inside the shaded woods, I ditched my clothing and reached for the electric hum of my shifter magic.

The change took hold in a crackle of energy. Rieka's form settled into place like a second skin. Freedom sang through our merged consciousness as we bounded through the underbrush, paws barely skimming the ground.

The rich loam of nature filled my nose, a dizzying cocktail of decaying leaves, small prey, and the crisp bite of evergreen.

We ran without direction or purpose, guided only by the primal need to move, to feel the wind through our fur.

For the first time since returning to Darkwood, the suffocating bands constricting my chest eased completely. Out here, racing between the towering trees, it was almost possible to forget my current circumstances.

Too soon, the shimmering expanse of Lake Alburn came into view through the thinning trees. We slowed to a trot, then froze as a familiar scent reached my nose. A scent that set my hackles rising and a growl rumbling in my throat.

Ruby's petty posse—as Emery had once dubbed them—materialized from the shadows, their lips curled in mocking sneers. They fanned out in a loose semi-circle, cutting off any escape routes.

“You were right, Scarlett!” Ember proclaimed in mockery. “It really was the little mouse’s stink you caught.”

Scarlett, Ruby's right-hand bitch, stepped forward, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Alpha's little reject. How does it feel, little mouse? That he only brought you back because his mate is dead?"

The words drove the air from my lungs. I'd suspected something was amiss with Briggs and Ruby, but I never imagined she was dead.

It explained why now, after all this time, he forced me to return. I was his backup plan. I didn’t think he could hurt me more than he already had.

How wrong I was!

Rieka’s lips peeled back. A savage snarl ripped from our throat, prompting Scarlett to dance back a step. But the smug smile never left her face.

"Face it, Ivy. You're a stand-in. A pale imitation he'll never really want."

She flicked her hair over her shoulder, superiority dripping from every pore.

A rising tide of bloodlust battered at my control, demanding release. It blurred the edges of my vision, narrowing the world down to Scarlett's taunting face.

I didn't realize I was launching myself at the female until a blur–Kiera, the third female–slammed into my side. The collision sent us tumbling across the mossy bank in a tangle of fur and snapping jaws.

Enraged, I popped up only to be knocked down again by both Scarlett and Ember whose wolves had jumped in the fight. I’d taken some damage, but I hardly felt the wounds.

The sounds of snarls and yelps filled the air as we fought, my inner wolf reveling in the release of pent-up aggression. Three against one wasn't a fair fight, but I wasn't about to back down from these stuck-up bitches.

With a savage twist, I broke free from Kiera's hold and launched myself at Scarlett once again. My claws raked across her muzzle, drawing blood.

Before I could land another blow, Ember lunged at me from behind. Rieka deftly side-stepped the she-wolf and took a swipe of her own.

The impact sent Ember stumbling backward into Kiera, causing them both to collide and fall in a heap. My wolf pounced on the opportunity and lunged at Scarlett once again.

Suddenly, the air shifted, a distinct sense of dominance spreading through the clearing. Onyx, massive and dark as night, leapt into view.

Without hesitation, he launched himself into the fray, his larger form easily tossing Ember aside like a rag doll. Scarlett yelped in surprise, skittering backward and bumping into Kiera.

He snarled at the trio who hastily backed up with tails tucked between their legs. His icy stare met mine briefly before he turned his attention to Scarlett.

Onyx flashed fangs at them, a clear order to shift. They quickly obeyed but I let Rieka hold on to our fur form.

When he turned and did the same to me, I snapped at his muzzle, demanding he move so I could tear into Scarlett's smug face. Maybe scar it up a little.

Briggs shifted into human skin. “Ivy, it’s done.”

I didn’t accept that. My attention swung to Scarlett who stood panting to the side. Bloodied and bruised, she still managed a triumphant smirk.

I’d chew that smile right off her pretty face!

I lowered, ready to spring but Briggs got to me first. Pinned to the ground with his weight pressing me into the damp earth, I was trapped.

Rieka howled in frustration, thrashing against his hold.

Scarlett's mocking laughter rang in my ears. "You should put a leash on that psycho, Alpha. Before she hurts herself."

A vicious growl rumbled through Briggs's chest, vibrating against my back. "One more word, Scarlett, and it will be your last. Now report to Colten immediately. Explain what happened and tell him I want him to decide your punishment because if I decide it, the three of you will be found floating in this lake. In pieces.”

The female clamped her lips shut. Her friends shared worried looks.

“And,” he continued, “if your story isn’t identical to Ivy’s, that’s exactly what will happen once Colten is done with you.”

Briggs's grip didn’t loosen. His body remained an immovable force above me until long after they’d left.

Slowly, the red fog began to recede, leaving me weak and trembling in its wake. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth.

Briggs’s weight lifted. His hands remained to inspect my wounds.

“Shift so I can better see which gashes are the deepest. You’re losing a lot of blood.”

With my adrenaline dropping, the pain came fast. I didn’t know which wound was the worst so I changed back into my human skin.

“Fuck, Ivy.” Briggs reached out.

I hissed under his touch. They’d done quite a number on me.

But we gave as good as we got! Rieka lauded.

The corner of my mouth lifted. We did, didn’t we?

“I need to get you to Grace.”

A ragged gasp tore from my lungs as Briggs scooped me into his arms, ignoring my feeble protests. The world spun and pain lanced through my battered body with every jostling step.

"Put me down.” The words emerged as a thready whisper.

His grip only tightened. "Not a chance."

Briggs moved swiftly through the trees, careful not to jostle me. I let myself relax in his strong embrace, too expended to care.

For the first time since I’d been back, he took me into the heart of Darkwood territory, to where members of the pack spent most of their time.

I caught glimpses of curious faces peering at me, likely drawn by traces of my blood. Embarrassment burned through me, though I had nothing to be embarrassed about.

The healer's cottage loomed ahead, a sanctuary where I’d found my calling. Where I used to spend my time, working under Grace’s tutelage.

It was next door to the larger infirmary, where I’d assumed he’d been headed. Instead, he took me into the quaint and comfy building where Grace saw patients for routine check-ups.

Briggs shouldered through the door, startling the healer. Her eyes widened at the sight of me in the Alpha's arms.

" Ivy? Goddess above, what happened to you?”

“Where should I put her?”

“Lay her there," Grace instructed, gesturing to the narrow bed in the corner.

He lowered me with a gentleness that caught me off guard. His hands lingered, brushing the tangled hair from my face.

I flinched, ignoring the flash of hurt in his gaze.

Grace bustled around the room, gathering supplies. "You should go, Alpha. I need space to work."

"I'm not leaving."

Grace hesitated but didn’t fight the Alpha. Few ever did. "Fine. But stay out of the way."

I grinned at how she sassed him. I missed her calming aura and frazzled face when she was puzzling over things. Even her messy light brown bun.

“Here, sweet girl, just a pinch to help with the pain. I’ll get you back in one piece before you know it.”

The drugs in the shot pulled me under, dragging me into a haze of half-formed dreams and distorted memories. Through it all, I could feel him watching.

And as I drifted in that twilight space between waking and oblivion, a traitorous part of me whispered that maybe, just maybe, his presence was nice and I could enjoy it. Briggs would keep us safe.

I ruthlessly quashed it. That line of thought would only lead to more heartbreak. After all, I couldn’t forget what I’d learned today.

I was a stand-in for a dead woman, and that was a truth I could never outrun, no matter how far I fled.

Later, I clawed my way back to consciousness. The persistent cloud of medicine-induced grogginess still clung to my mind.

The room swam into focus, and there was Briggs, at my bedside.

"Why are you still here?" I croaked.

He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I said I wasn’t leaving and I meant it."

"Why not?”

He stood abruptly, thankfully clothed now. "You're my responsibility now."

“You mean prisoner.”

Grace entered the room, her arms full of bandages and salves. She looked between us and frowned. "Alpha, perhaps it's best if you …"

"No."

Feebly, I turned pleading eyes to Grace. "Please, tell him it’s not good for your patient to get riled up."

The healer regarded me for several more seconds before turning to Briggs. "Ivy needs rest, Alpha. Your presence is agitating her."

Astonishingly, the big male relented. “I'll step outside for a bit, but I will return."

As he strode from the room, I sagged back against the pillows. Grace tended to my wounds. I barely registered her actions.

“Go back to sleep, Ivy. Rest will do you good. Once the worst of these has stopped oozing I’ll have you shift to speed things along.”

All I could do was nod, easily falling back back into slumber. Thankfully, I didn’t dream.

Throughout what felt like days when it was likely only hours, I drifted in and out of consciousness. Snippets of heated conversations reached my ears.

"Don’t ask me to leave her side again, Grace, because I won’t." Briggs's deep timbre echoed through the room.

"I’m sorry, Alpha, but your presence is only causing her more distress." Grace's calm voice held as much concern as it did frustration.

"She is my true mate. It's my duty to protect her, especially now when she's vulnerable."

I felt the ghostly touch of fingers stroking my hair, gently with care.

That’s nice , Rieka purred like a damned kitten.

Traitor , I grumbled.

It was the only thing I could think of to call her because she certainly wasn’t lying.