Turn of the Moon (Royal Shifters #1)(44)

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 f*ck?”

“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 f*cking 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.