Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains #4)(63)

“I love you, too. Wait for me.”

Footsteps sounded on the basement stairs, and Avery rushed to hit the button on the camera, hiding it in the shadows right between her drawn up legs, like she was huddled up and scared.

She wasn’t scared, though. Not of Caden or Benjamin or anyone else. Not anymore.

Now, she was angry. Such raw fury roiled inside of her, she felt as if she could breathe fire like the Bloodrunner Dragon herself. Inside of her, Avery’s raven was ready to blast out of her skin and make an escape. She was ready for battle. Ready to get hurt, ready to fly, ready to succeed, ready to leave this place and never look back.

The door swung open and Benjamin entered. He left it open a crack. So tempting to flee now, but she had to wait. Not yet, raven. Not yet.

She was shaking still from nerves, from anger, from seeing Weston. Benjamin smirked. “Scared Avery. You aren’t so cocky now that you’re back where you belong, are you?”

Where she belonged? The Box? No, this puckered * was mistaken. She belonged with the Bloodrunners.

“I don’t want to marry you.”

Benjamin leaned against the opposite wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He was tall and lanky. If Weston stood like that, his muscles would bulge out. He could squish Benjamin like a blood-filled tick.

“You will want to marry me eventually, Avery. I’m a patient man. If it takes six f*cking months down here, you’ll come around.”

“Why do you want me?” she asked, trying to hold the tiny camera steady between her shaking fingers.

“You know why.”

“Because I beat you up when we were kids?”

“You humiliated me.” Benjamin’s blue eyes flashed with disdain as he twitched his head to shake his jet-black hair out of his face. He would’ve been a handsome man if hatred hadn’t made his eyes so cold. “Caden was my mentor from birth, Avery. I was born to lead our people someday, and you made me look weak. I was in the hospital for three days because of you. I hated you. Every taunt from the males in our class, every Get Well Soon card from the females who saw me as pathetic—that was your fault. But as we grew up, I began to see you differently. I wanted to punish you for what you’d done, sure, but there was something more. You’re the prettiest trinket here, Avery. The most dominant female raven, and you’ll be the most fun to break.” Benjamin’s lips curved up wickedly. “Do you know who you remind Caden of, Avery?”

She shook her head, then murmured, “No,” so the camera could catch the audio.

“Aviana King.”

“You mean Aviana Novak?”

“I mean Aviana King!” he screamed, his face turning red. “Caden told me everything. She was too independent for her own good, too. She fancied herself above the flock, like she didn’t need us. Like she didn’t need Caden. She left him for a filthy bear shifter. A filthy Gray Back. She left Caden with no heirs, no nest, no mate. And then you came along. A late Changer, and when your animal finally got her shit together and showed herself, she came out dominant. The first and only f*cked-up female since her. Since Aviana. Every time Caden put you in here—he was punishing her. Every time he heard you scream to let you out—it was her screaming. Every tear, every pathetic sob, every heartbroken sound—that was his revenge until he could get to her offspring. Her pride and joy. Her only son. Her only raven child. You were his revenge until he could reach the Novak Raven.”

Avery swallowed the bile that crept up the back of her throat. “But he didn’t,” she whispered.

Benjamin cupped his hand around his ear. “What’s that?”

Avery cleared her throat and made her voice stronger. “He didn’t get the Novak Raven.”

Benjamin’s lips curved up into a predatory smile. “Wrong again. You never stopped being the bait, Avery. I’ve read all his letters to you. We all have. Weston Novak fell for you when you were kids. He was so f*cking predictable. All we had to do was give you a few weeks with him to revive the bond and then bring you back. Your mom messed up by telling Aviana about the council’s involvement ten years ago, but Caden is the best hunter in the whole flock. All he had to do was wait patiently until you convinced the Novak Raven to forgive you. He just had to wait until he could draw Weston out of the protection of his people.” Benjamin lifted his chin and looked down his nose at her. “You brought him straight to us, just like you were born to do.”

No. They didn’t have Weston. They didn’t! He was strong and smart, and he wouldn’t let them. But Benjamin looked so triumphant. So sure.

Fuck! Now Raven!

Pain blasted through her as she pushed her Change. It was death in an instant, and then there she was, her black-feathered phoenix. Avery struggled out of the neck of her tank top, costing her a precious second. The camera was right in front of her on the tile, and Benjamin was looking at it with a deep frown. Now that dumbass was starting to get it. He was the f*cking bait. Not her!

Avery snatched it up in her beak as Benjamin rushed to pull off his shirt. Stretching her wings, she flapped furiously for the door. That crack was her salvation. Stupid Benjamin, so scared of locking himself in here with her. Caden would’ve never made that rookie mistake.

“Caw!” Benjamin cried out from behind her when she tucked her wings and shoved the door open with a vicious jerk of her beak. The camera loosened, but she held on tighter. She would not let go, she would not fail, she would not let her mate down. She would not let her Bloodrunners down. She would not let herself down. As Avery flew past, she checked the other two rooms in the basement. If Caden had Weston, he hadn’t brought him here. Fuck, where would he be keeping him?