“How do you feel?” Maret asked.

I glowered at her and at the driver who peered at me through the rearview mirror; he was a wolf as well. “Peachy,” I replied sarcastically. I tried to reach for the necklace and couldn’t. It was like a force field surrounded it, blocking me.

“I told you I had other ways to make sure you don’t escape. At least this way, you don’t have your hands bound and you get to wear a pretty necklace.”

“What’s in it?” I felt weak and nothing at all like myself.

She snorted. “I can’t give away all my secrets. Basically, you should feel like a normal human girl. You’re not as strong, and you can’t shift. All of your wolf attributes are subdued while you wear that necklace.”

If I couldn’t take off the necklace, I was doomed. Without my strength, I was nothing; I wouldn’t be able to escape. Maret glanced out the car window with a triumphant smile on her face. “We’re almost home. Take a look.”

Reluctantly, I glanced out the window and saw nothing but a vacant road with forests all around. “I see trees,” I grumbled.

She laughed. “Exactly. Close your eyes and then open them back up.”

I closed them quickly and when I opened them, everything had changed. “Holy shit.”

She moved closer to the window. “It’s magnificent, isn’t it? To the unwelcome eye, we don’t exist. It’s how we stay hidden when we don’t want to be found.”

The driver turned down a side street and headed down a gravel road toward some cabins. There were a bunch of them with lots of other buildings. People were milling about. It looked like a small town.

“Did we just disappear behind an invisible wall or something?” I asked.

She nodded. “Only Yukon pack wolves can get through, unless we let someone in, like you. You’ll be one of us soon enough though.” The driver stopped the car in the middle of the town and got out. He opened the car door and helped Maret out first. She waved at the men standing guard before glancing inside the car. “Come on now. Kade’s waiting for you.”

Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Kade would be seeking vengeance for what I’d done to him. Licking my dry lips, I stepped out of the car, my heart beating achingly hard in my chest. All eyes were on me as I followed Maret to the largest house in town. She opened the door and ushered me inside.

“Welcome home, Bailey. I believe Kade’s upstairs. There’s also someone else who wants to see you as well. So don’t be too long. Dinner will be in an hour.”

“You’re leaving me here?”

“Why not? You can’t escape with that necklace on. And I don’t think Kade’s going to let you out of his sight. Better get used to it.” She walked out of the door and two men stood guard, blocking the way.

Fuck me.

“If only my brother could see you now.” Kade laughed. Frozen in place, I didn’t even want to look at him. He came up behind me and put his hands on my hips, turning me around. His blond hair was wet and he was naked. I wanted to rip his cock off and shove it down his throat, but I couldn’t do that being a weakling.

“He would see me, his mate,” I spat.

Chuckling, he grabbed the back of my neck, making me gasp. “Wrong, my dearest bitch, he’d see my mate. You’re mine now. Once Maret does her magic, you’ll be spreading those legs for me anytime I want. I might even have to videotape it and send it to my dear, sweet brother. Wouldn’t that be a mind fuck?”

“That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it,” I growled.

Squeezing my neck, he pulled me to him, his arms tight around my waist. “It will happen and the best part is, you’ll love it.” He opened his mouth and sank his teeth into my neck, marking me. I tried to fight him off and all he did was laugh at my futile attempt. When he pulled back, my blood was on his lips and he licked it off. “I haven’t forgotten that night you tried to kill me. One way or another, you will pay the price.”

Roughly, he let me go and I fell to the floor. I tried to touch my neck, but I couldn’t because of the necklace; his bite mark throbbed. He disappeared upstairs and my first thought was to go into the kitchen and grab the largest knife I could find. Before I could get to my feet, a soft hand came down on my shoulder.

“Bailey.”

I froze, recognizing the voice. Jerking away, I got to my feet and glared at the woman who had pretended to be my mother for the past fifteen years. Her hair was pulled high in a bundle of curls and she wore one of the dresses I used to love. She looked down at my neck, her gaze sad.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I snapped.

Pursing her lips, she sidestepped me and grabbed a wet washcloth from the bathroom. “You’re going to get blood on your dress.” She lifted the cloth to my neck and I smacked her hand away.

“Don’t fucking touch me, bitch.”

When she lifted it again, I tried to push her away, but she had more strength than me and held both my wrists in her hand. “I’m not your enemy, Bailey. I’m your mother. Now hold still.”

“You’re not my mother, Annika.” She balked at the mention of her name. I couldn’t move so I stood there while she cleaned my wound. She smelled the same as before, like lavender; it made my chest ache. “How could you do this to me?” I whispered hoarsely. I refused to cry, but my eyes burned like fire.

“I didn’t want to hurt you. Believe it or not, I loved you as if you were one of my own. I still do.”

I scoffed. “Even after I killed your mate?” Her eyes went wide. “That’s right, mother dearest, it was me. When Darius came and had his men torture an innocent female to get to me, I helped rescue her.”

She shook her head. “He would never do that.”

“Believe what you want, but he did. Before he could hurt anyone else, I drove a limb through his heart. He deserved much worse after what he did.”

Her eyes misted over, but she stood firm, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry I lied to you all your life. I was just doing my duty to the pack.” Turning on her heel, she hurried out of the house.

As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn’t. I missed her, and deep down, I still loved her. “Wait,” I shouted, chasing after her. Before I could even take a step out of the door, the two guards blocked my path.

“You’re not allowed to leave the premises,” one of them growled. Over their shoulders, I watched Annika run off into the woods. When she disappeared from sight, I backed into the house and shut the door. I had to see her again.

Bailey

I had hoped my mother would be at dinner, but it ended up just being Kade, his Uncle Rollin, and me. “Take a seat,” Rollin announced as we walked into the dining room. He held out a chair for me and I sat. What I really wanted to do was shift and rip him apart. It was because of him that my family was dead, not to mention Ryker’s.

Kade took the seat across from me, and Rollin took the head of the table. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

I batted my eyelashes and forced a smile. “Not in the least.”

His smile faded, his annoyance just under the surface. “Pity. I had hoped to have a civil dinner tonight. Very well, if you don’t eat, I’m sure my son will be more than happy to shove it down your throat. Either way, you will do as I say.”

“Your son?” I glanced back and forth, from Kade to him, and then it all started to make sense. They had some of the same features. Holy shit. “So that’s why you didn’t cast Kade out. How is this possible?”

Our food was brought out and he pointed to it. “Eat first, and then I’ll tell you everything.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I sat there and glared at him, desperate for the answers. He slammed his fork down and huffed. “If you don’t eat, I won’t tell you a goddamned thing. You need your energy for the full moon.”