Page 8

Ivy

The sound of the truck door slamming shut jolted me from a drug-induced sleep.

My eyelids fluttered open, heavy and sluggish.

It took a moment for my vision to adjust to the dim surroundings.

The sun had already set yet I had no feel for the time.

The door by my feet swung open with a sharp squeak and Baylor's face appeared. The interior light spilled onto his features, angling them into sharp planes and edges.

The illumination made him look exactly like one of those devilishly handsome villains in some horror movie. Unfortunately, this was real life.

He reached for the ropes, his calloused fingers working deftly to untie the knots. As the last of the ropes fell away, Baylor gripped my arm, preparing to haul me from the back seat.

Panic surged through me, momentarily overriding the tranquilizers' effects.

I couldn't let him take me to Briggs.

Mustering every ounce of strength I had left, I kicked out with both feet, catching the enforcer square in the chest. He grunted in surprise, stumbling back a step as my heels connected with his solid frame.

I seized the opportunity, sliding awkwardly from the truck, my legs nearly giving out as they landed on the ground. A wave of dizziness hit, but I forced myself to stay upright, using the vehicle for support.

Baylor's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

I swayed woozily and he made to grab me.

"Don't touch me." I could barely stand, but I'd be damned if I’d accept my kidnapper’s help.

If helping was what he was even doing. He may have been planning to throw me off the nearest cliff.

His hands came up again, slowly this time. "Ivy—”

“ Don’t touch me! ” I screeched.

A sharp growl rent the air. I stiffened. All the blood drained from my head.

From the edge of my peripheral, Briggs stepped into view, emerging from the treeline. His pale blue eyes glinted with rings of gold in the dim moonlight.

“Alpha.” Baylor’s greeting came out low and even.

Briggs closed the distance in long, smooth strides, stopping beside Baylor. His gaze slipped past his enforcer's hardened figure and locked onto mine.

My heart started pounding inside my chest. My fight or flight instincts were kicking in.

Glancing at the woods, my body tensed. Did I dare make a run for it?

“You’ll never make it past the driveway, even if you manage to get around both of us.”

I bit the insides of my cheeks and glared at Briggs. I’d hoped to never see his face again. Of course I’d never be so lucky as to get something I wanted.

"Leave us,” he said.

Baylor nodded curtly, leaving me alone with the male who’d shattered my heart into a million jagged pieces.

A scorching sensation traveled down our ravaged bond. I cringed, my fingers curling into fists at my sides.

Rieka quickly numbed the mating bond, giving us some breathing room.

I didn’t know how long she could maintain it. Distance had helped. Being in his presence would make it difficult.

Can you cut it? I asked my wolf. She didn’t reply.

The question was dumb. It could never be completely severed, no matter what.

Briggs’s chest heaved. "Stop trying to block the connection, Ivy. It's pointless."

I glared, fatigued yet fueled by the wrath I wanted to unleash. Briggs took a step closer and I recoiled sharply.

Years of bottled-up hatred and pain spilled out in a torrent. "Pointless?”

“Yes.”

“To you, maybe. To me? I’d give anything to cut this damned thing out like the cancer it is and never think of you again.”

His mouth flattened. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

The absolute gall of this male!

“Apparently you’ve forgotten, Alpha, so let me remind you. You not only rejected me, you absolutely humiliated me! You tossed me aside like I was nothing more than an inconvenient piece of trash. No warning. Not a fucking word! You were cruel in how you spoke to me. And you made sure you rejected me in front of the entire pack so they would know I wasn’t good enough for their precious leader. That I was less than that shallow twat you chose instead."

My body trembled with the force of my emotions. Tears burned the backs of my eyes. I detested showing him any more weakness than I already had.

He moved closer still, inhaling deeply, and I saw the moment he caught Baylor's scent on the shirt and my skin. His eyes flashed with an astonishing madness.

"Why is his scent all over you?" Briggs demanded gutturally.

He knew why. The jerk must have been too worked up to realize it.

My mouth slanted. “You sent your most attractive and capable enforcer to capture me. Of course his hands were all over my body. All. Over it . Maybe I’ll ask him to touch me some more, pick up where we left off.”

Onyx peered back at me through Briggs’s glowing eyes, like he was about to shift. I hoped he did so I wouldn’t have to look at Briggs’s stupid face any longer.

Maybe if I kept pushing?

"You no longer have any right to me, Alpha McClellan. You lost your claim the moment you decided you were going to forsake me for someone else."

He raised his head to the sky and roared. Razor sharp claws popped out of his fingers.

I stood frozen in shock. Though I’d never seen him lose control, it didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of it.

My mind screamed at me to run but Rieka urged me to remain still. The worst thing I could do right now was run.

In one vicious motion, Briggs tore the oversized shirt from my body, leaving me naked and exposed. I winced, afraid he might tear into my flesh with his claws.

Though used to nudity, I hunched and tried to cover my vulnerable parts with my arms.

Briggs’s eyes widened fractionally and he swiftly dropped his hands to his sides. Those giant claws retracted.

Then he had the utter nerve to stand there and look at me like his feelings were hurt.

Rieka's fury rose up like a giant wave and washed away my fear. She didn’t like it when I was afraid.

I liked it even less.

This male didn’t get to come at me like some Tasmanian devil one second and look like I’d kicked his puppy the next.

Straightening my spine, I stood tall, glaring at him with all the hatred I could muster.

"Don’t ever touch me again," I hissed, my voice shaking with rage. "You have no right to this body. None!"

His eyes raked over my bare skin, a possessive hunger in his gaze that made my stomach twist. "You're mine, Ivy. No matter how much you try to deny it, our bond is unbreakable."

I laughed darkly. "That’s funny. The last time we saw each other you were adamant that I wasn’t yours. So forgive me if I seem a little confused.”

“There’s nothing confusing about the bond’s existence. Like I said, there’s no use fighting it.”

“I'll fight it until my last breath, you heavy-handed asshole!"

Ignoring my warning to keep his hands to himself, Briggs reached for me. I braced for his touch, determined not to flinch, not to show any sign of a reaction.

Before he could make contact, a blur of movement caught my eye, and suddenly Colten was there. He positioned himself in front of me like a shield and faced his Alpha.

"That's enough, Briggs," he calmly said.

I thought the Alpha might challenge his Beta. But then he took a step back, his gaze never leaving mine.

Colten glanced back at me, concern etched into the lines of his face. "You okay?"

Colten was on my shit list, too, right there under Briggs. Those on my shit list didn’t deserve responses.

"Ivy!" a familiar voice called out, cutting through the tension.

My head snapped up, and I spotted Caleb and Emery running up the long drive. I immediately found the energy to run towards them, stumbling on shaky legs.

Caleb caught me in his arms, pulling me into a tight embrace. "Thank the Goddess you're okay," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

“Here,” he slipped off his jacket and covered me in it before pulling me back into his arms. “I cannot believe that asshole.”

I clung to my brother, burying my face in his chest as the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over. Emery wrapped her arms around both of us, and for a moment it was just the three of us, holding each other up.

“I’m sorry,” I sniveled into Caleb’s chest. “I shouldn’t have left you like I did.”

My brother shushed me and tightened his hold. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

“Not that we’re not pissed that you didn’t take us with you. You left me behind to get punished.”

Wiping my tears, I turned my head to Emery. “What do you mean, punished?”

If he hurt either one of them …

Caleb huffed. “Em here hasn’t been able to walk past the Luna or the Beta without flipping them off or insulting them. She gets put on manual labor duty a lot.”

I stared hard at my crazy friend. “You’re not flipping off the Alpha, are you? In front of anyone?”

“Bitch, I don’t have a death wish. I tow the line where I know I can.”

I squeezed her hand. “Looks like you haven’t changed a bit. But please don’t keep pushing your luck, Emery. This isn’t a joke.”

The fiery redhead smirked. “Sure it is. And the joke’s on them. Not only do I get my jabs in where I can, I’m fit as hell. My ass and arms have never looked so good.”

We shared a quiet laugh before the weight of my current predicament fell back down upon my shoulders.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked.

Emery stepped away and glanced at Briggs then back to me. Her emerald eyes filled with concern.

"Alpha sent for us, but he didn't say why, only that it was urgent. We came as fast as we could."

Caleb squeezed my shoulders. "Come back with me, Ivy. You can stay in your old room. You don't have to be here."

Before I could respond, Briggs ruined our reunion. "Ivy will be living with me, as my mate."

A hysterical laugh spilled out of my mouth. "Yeah, right."

Briggs's eyes narrowed. The pressure of his power pressed down on me, trying to force me to submit. It was useless.

At least the bond had one positive benefit.

"Ivy is coming with us," Caleb stated boldly.

Briggs turned his gaze on my brother, and I felt Caleb stiffen beside me. "You forget your place, Caleb. I am your Alpha, and you will obey me."

I watched in horror as Caleb's eyes glazed over, his will bending to Briggs's command. Emery let out a soft gasp, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Go," Briggs ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Leave Ivy with me. You can see her again when I decide she’s ready for visitors and not a second before."

Caleb and Emery turned to leave, their movements stiff and unnatural. I could only watch in horror.

The Alpha turned to Colten. “Make sure they make it home.”

The Beta took one last look at me before taking off to do his leader’s bidding.

I rounded on Briggs, my ire boiling over. "How dare you use your power on them like that? They're my family!"

Briggs was suddenly close enough to touch. Or slap. Ride like a cowgirl?

Damnit! His scent made my head spin.

"And you are my family, Ivy. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for everyone."

“We will never be a family. You already have a mate.”

“Yes. You .”

Briggs's arrogant smirk made me want to twist his head off his neck. I shook my head, backing away.

"I will never be yours, Alpha McClellan. You’re delusional for even thinking it. What, you think you can have us both? You’re sick. The thought of being with you literally makes me nauseous."

Something flickered in his eyes, an emotion I couldn't quite place. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the mask of an Alpha who would not be moved from his course.

"We'll see about that," he said, his voice a dark promise. "Now, let's get you inside. You need to rest."

"I will not live as your mate, Alpha McClellan.”

“Call me Briggs.”

“No.”

“You will call me by my name, Ivy.”

“I did, Alpha McClellan . You already have a mate who I’m sure calls you Briggs and all sorts of other cute pet names. Go back to her.”

His jaw clenched. "She isn’t my true mate. You are."

I snorted. "Could've fooled me."

"I had my reasons. You’re smart, you should know I wouldn’t make such a decision without them."

I held my ground. "I don't care about your reasons. You broke me, broke something in me you can’t repair."

Briggs inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring. "It was for your own good, Ivy.”

“Oh, you were doing me a favor, you patronizing asshat?” Apparently I was channeling Emery’s gift for insults.

“More than you know. You have no idea what I had to go through to do it.”

“What you had to go through? Oh, poor Alpha. Did your mate rip your heart out of your chest? Did your pack look at you like you were a walking disease? Were you so distraught the only thing you could do to save yourself from the pain was to run from everyone and everything you’ve ever known? To live a solitary life, fighting tooth and nail for years just to survive?”

“Ivy–”

"I hate you. I hate you so fucking much."

Briggs's gaze drilled into mine, unwavering. Then he uttered a single word.

" Liar. "

Something inside me snapped. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. The sharp crack echoed into the night sky.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, making me tremble. I expected him to retaliate, to put me in my place.

I’d just struck the Alpha of Darkwood. No one would ever get away with something like that. There was a very good reason Emery didn’t treat him like she treated the Beta and the Luna.

But Briggs just stood there, a red mark blooming on his cheek. His eyes glittered in the moonlight.

My chest heaved with ragged breaths. I wanted to hit him again, to make him feel a fraction of the pain he'd inflicted upon me.

Without a word, Briggs grabbed my arm in an iron grip and hauled me up the stairs to the porch. I stumbled, my bare feet catching on the wooden planks as he dragged me behind him and into the cabin.

I didn’t bother looking around. I had no plans to stay.

We reached the second floor and he shoved me towards an open doorway. I barely had time to get my hands out before I went sprawling onto the hardwood, pain lancing through my wrists as they absorbed the impact.

I lay there for a moment, catching my breath. Nothing felt broken, thankfully. Just a mild sprain that would heal quickly, one of the perks of being a shifter.

Rolling onto my back, I found Briggs looming over me, blocking the light from the hallway. He was staring at the wrist I was holding against my chest.

"Ivy.” His deep voice was suddenly soft. Almost tender. As if he actually gave a damn.

“Don't you dare pretend to care now.”

He took a step inside the room and I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the throbbing pain. I had to get away from him, from his suffocating presence .

I darted into the adjoining bathroom and slammed the door shut, flipping the lock with shaking fingers. Not that it would keep him out if he wanted inside.

Sinking to the cool tiled floor, I hugged my knees. Sobs wracked my body as the build-up of pent-up grief poured out.

I cried like I hadn’t cried in years. Cried until I was spent. Until I was empty. Hollow.

When I finally lifted my head, hiccupping and swiping at my damp cheeks, I realized I didn’t sense him.

I cracked open the door and peered out cautiously. The bedroom was empty.

Briggs was gone.

Relief and disappointment warred within me. I didn't want to see him, but having my mate, even one who rejected me, close by still brought a measure of twisted comfort.

"Asshole," I muttered bitterly, emerging from my temporary sanctuary.

I needed to pull myself together and figure out my next move.