His eyes lifted to mine and I froze; they flashed from green to blue and then back again. Something wasn’t right. Before he could thrust inside, I pushed against his chest. “Not yet, baby. I want to taste you first.” Grinning wide, he licked his lips and laid down on his back. His eyes flashed back to blue, solidifying my suspicions, and my heart sank.

He stared at me, his body waving with impatience. “Well, what are you waiting on?”

Ryker would never talk to me like that and when he’d taken my blood, I didn’t have a vision. There was nothing but silence in my mind. It was as if something inside me clicked and all the magic seemed to fall away, except for the necklace now hanging around my neck. The room I was in disappeared, revealing Kade’s darkened bedroom. And when I looked at who I thought was Ryker, was now Kade himself, grinning from ear to ear.

Grabbing the lamp on the bedside table, I slammed it down on his head. It shattered on impact, but it did nothing to deter him. “You son of a bitch,” I shouted, jumping off the bed.

Laughing, he dusted off his shoulders and got up. “I have to admit, you’re better than I thought. It’s a shame I didn’t fuck you when I had the chance. I guess that’ll just have to wait for tonight. I think I like the screaming and clawing version of Bailey better anyway.”

“You do like that, don’t you? Why don’t you remove this necklace then? I didn’t realize you were such a pussy.”

His gaze darkened and he slapped me hard across the cheek. My head snapped to the side, tears welling in my eyes. Grabbing my arms, he pushed me into the wall, his body shaking with rage. “You stupid, fucking cunt. The only pussy around here is the one I’m going to fuck until it bleeds. You will obey me, even if I have to break you.” He slammed me against the wall again and then stormed out of the room. I was back in the nightmare.

I’d tried to escape, but I couldn’t get out the door without running into an invisible wall. I was trapped. Wrapped in a blanket and huddled in the corner is where Maret found me when she entered the room.

“It’s time,” she announced happily.

I scoffed. “Time to be raped? You’re one sick, twisted bitch.”

“Oh, don’t look at it like that. Think of it as the beginning of a new era. Kade may have a bit of a temper, but if you give him what he wants, I have no doubt he’ll be a suitable mate. Once you hold those sweet, adorable babies in your arms, you won’t even care what he’s like anymore.”

“Do you hear yourself?” I spat, getting to my feet. I marched up to her, my body trembling with the need to shift. “When I get out of here, you’re going to be at the top of my kill list.”

She giggled. “Many have tried and all have failed. Now stop being silly and let’s go. The moon will rise within the hour. It’s time to get you ready. The last thing I want to do is force you, since I know you’ll be dealing with your fair share of that tonight. You’re a lot stronger than I thought though.”

“Why, because I could see through the lies?”

She nodded. “No one has done that before.” Turning on her heel, she started down the stairs.

“Where are we going?” I didn’t want to follow her, but I would rather be anywhere than Kade’s bedroom.

The men standing guard at the front door opened it and she stepped out. “My special place. It’s where I practice my magic. Your mother is there now, drawing your bath.”

“She’s not my mother,” I snapped.

“No, but she did raise you for the past fifteen years. In my book, that counts as a mother. Now follow me.” I walked past the guards and followed Maret, lifting my gaze to the pink sky above. Night was upon us and I could feel the magic of the moon rising. Great Luna, help me. I was running out of time.

Ryker

“Get ready to go,” Seraphina whispered.

I got into place with Sebastian at my side, and Tyla alongside Micah. There was nothing but a wall of trees in front of us, but about a half mile through them was Bailey. I was so close. Cedric stood off to the side and I nodded him over. “As soon as we’re through the wall, make sure Seraphina is out of sight while you wait on the others. If we get caught inside, they’ll be out here searching. The only job I ask of you at that point is to make sure she gets out. Got it?”

He nodded. “I swear it.”

Holding her hands up in the air, the invisible wall shimmered when she touched it. “Maret is a strong one. Lots of dark magic involved here.”

“Can you get us through?” I asked.

She sighed, her gaze troubled. “I can, but I don’t know if I’ll have the strength to get everyone else in. If I can’t, you’ll be on your own.”

I nodded and turned to the others. “I would never ask anything of you. If you want to sit out, I understand.”

Sebastian stepped up to the wall. “Well, I sure as hell aren’t going to let you go in alone. Someone has to save Bailey.”

“And someone has to save you,” Micah teased, slapping him on the shoulder.

Smiling, Tyla shook her head and joined us. “And someone has to save you from each other. Might as well be me. I’m in.”

Sebastian gazed at her in awe. “Woman, you sure do have a set of balls on you.”

She winked. “What can I say? I like to fight.”

Taking a deep breath, Seraphina bowed her head, mumbling words under her breath. The wind began to blow and I could feel the magic swirling around us. Her hands shook and her face contorted in pain. “Go now, before it’s too late.”

An opening appeared beside her and we all rushed in. When we got inside, the opening closed and Seraphina fell to the ground, out of breath. Cedric approached the wall, his eyes wide. “Where did they go?” I stood right in front of him and he didn’t see me.

“They’re just on the other side,” Seraphina replied. She looked in my direction. “Go, my child.” Cedric helped her to her feet and she stood in front of me, even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m all right. Go.”

Now that we were inside the wall, I could feel the wolves. There weren’t any where we were, but there were dozens where we needed to go. “Our best chances are to split up. This isn’t where I lived when I was part of the pack, so I don’t know where exactly to go. Wherever Kade is, I’m sure Bailey will be close by.”

Micah nodded. “Tyla and I will circle around and come up from the south side. We’ll meet you in the middle.”

Sebastian shook his hand and pulled him in for a hug. “Be safe, brother.”

Micah slapped him on the back. “Always am. I can’t let you get rid of me that fast.” He smiled before darting off into the woods.

Tyla waved back at me. “I’ll be safe too, Whitemore. Don’t worry about me.”

They disappeared off into the woods, leaving Sebastian and me alone. “You ready?” I asked.

“Yep, let’s go fuck some bitches up.”

With it being the night of the full moon, the need to shift would run high. Soon, the Yukons would be heading into the woods to hunt. We needed to get Bailey out before this happened, so when they ventured into the woods, my people would be ready to attack.

Approaching their town square, there was a group of wolves congregated right out in the middle. I studied each and every one of them and recognized a few, but there was one who caught my undivided attention. All I could see was red.

“Whitemore, stop,” Sebastian hissed, slamming a hand on my shoulder. He pulled me behind the cover of a tree, his eyes blazing. “What the fuck are you doing? I know you want to go after your brother, but you can’t right now. Think of Bailey.”

“He needs to pay for what he’s done,” I growled low.

“He will. But this as an advantage. Bailey isn’t with him, which means she’s somewhere else.” We watched him disappear inside a building with a handful of other wolves. Bailey wasn’t in there. Her trail was faint, but the closer I got, I could finally sense her.