Zara’s POV
“I guess you ran out of things to say,” Jamie taunts with a grin. He had finished setting up the candle circle around me and was admiring his work. He seemed pleased.
“It’s really a pity,” he went on. “I actually enjoy talking to you. If it were under better circumstances, I might even like you. We have the potential to develop a close friendship.”
“Not a chance,” I sneered, rolling my eyes. “I could never be friends with someone who turned his back and betrayed the Moon Goddess….”
Jamie pouted and nodded his head slowly as if he was considering what I just said.
“And you are about to do the same….” he chuckled, finding the situation humorous and ironic.
I raised my gaze to find his. I had that burning need to slowly claw that grin from his face.
My temper boiled over, and I growled, fighting against the ropes that he had tied me down.
That made Jamie laugh even louder.
“So feisty!” he said. “No wonder Alpha Jack instructed me to bound your magic. You have your father’s temper….”
“What did you expect?” I snarled. “I am an Alpha’s daughter and a silverback wolf!”
Jamie’s smile widened, and some unknown emotion crossed his eyes.
“An Alpha’s daughter?” He taunts, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes! It’s expected to be aggressive and temperamental, especially toward scumbags like you,” I hissed.
“Oh, is that so?” Jamie asked. “So no one ever told you that Beta John is your real father?”
Jamie held my gaze while he watched the air escape my lungs.
I couldn’t believe what Jamie just told me. It couldn’t be true!
Shaking my head, I replied, “You are lying!”
“Oh, come on, Zara. Why will I lie about something like that?” he asked, holding my gaze. “I have never once lied to you, have I?”
I shook my head. So far, Jamie has been very open about everything, but this was a challenging one to swallow and accept.
Jamie stepped closer and jolted his head down to my ear, causing me to shiver.
“Just one more thing,” he whispered, his lips forming a veiled smile. “He is dead…”
My stomach turned upside down, and my throat ran dry.
Is that what Levi wanted to tell me?
Was Beta John one of the fallen protecting the pack?
Jamie turned around and stepped away from me; he seemed excited. He abruptly turned his head back, looking over his shoulder at me.
“And I had the privilege of sinking my canines in his throat and killing him…” he said, smiling widely. “I watched the light in his eyes dim.”
My chest heaved. I couldn’t bear to listen to him any longer.
“Alpha Nicholas was the intended target of the attack,” he said bitterly.
Does that mean Nicolas survived?
“But getting rid of Beta, John,” Jamie went on, his eyes glittering with excitement. “That was even better. He has been a thorn in my side for years! Always interfering! It was amazing to see him die by my hands.”
I lost it. I roared, struggling against the restraints. Anger consumed me. I wanted to rip Jamie apart and feed him to the pigs!
“Calm down, Zara,” Kaya quickly interrupted. “Help has arrived… Nicolas isn’t far. He is well and alive. He and his troops are hiding and watching….”
I took a deep breath; anger still radiated from me.
“Are you ready to take your first step as the Queen of Darkness?” Jamie asked. “It is almost time. The moon will reach its peak in any minute.”
“I will never betray my people,” I spat back at him, an angry smile forming on the side of my lips. “Alpha Nicholas would never let me become the…”
“Well,” he interrupted, his arms crossed over his chest as his gaze swept over mine. “Your dear boyfriend is not here to save you, is he? Besides, once I remove his mark from your nape, Alpha Nicolas will cease his search for you immediately…”
Jamie’s words trailed off, and he cocked his head to the side. He was trying to read me.
“You were saying?” I asked innocently, my smile growing.
“It’s impossible!” He growled in disbelief, shaking his head. “No one knows where we are, except….”
Jamie’s gaze turned ashen, and he slowly shifted his gaze toward Alpha Jack. Were they mind-linking? Could they? Technically he wasn’t a wolf?
Alpha Jack’s gaze hardened, and anger grew on his face. He snapped orders toward his guard and gestured to them to check the tunnels.
“Nothing is impossible with Alpha Nicholas,” I warned, raising my chin. “He will go through hell and back to find what belongs to him. He will destroy everything in his path if he has to. I just hope you are not in his way when he decides to make his presence known….”
Jamie took an unwilling step back. I guess he heard about Nicolas being ruthless in his ways.
“I won’t let him take you from me until I get my Allen back!” he hissed angrily.
Jamie quickly grabbed and opened an old, brown leather bag. A moment later he retrieved an old-looking spellbook and urgently started flipping through the old yellow and brittle pages in search of the spell he needed. His hands were visibly shaking as he browsed through the book.
My gaze shifted and swept over the cave walls, hoping to spot Nicholas. I couldn’t smell him; he probably hid his scent, but I knew he was close. I could feel him wandering the darker sides of the cave.
The sound of Jamie’s fingers flipping through the old pages abruptly stopped, and my attention snapped back to him. He placed the old book down.
“Shit!” I muttered under my breath; he must have found the spell he was looking for.
Jamie waved Alpha Jack and the others closer. They looked startled that Jamie wanted to begin the ritual.
Alpha Jack raised his gaze to the cave ceiling and knitted his eyebrows in confusion.
“What is the rush?” he asked, pointing at an opening in the ceiling. “The moon isn’t at its peak yet. It is way too early to start. The spell will not work.”
I started fiddling with the ropes, desperately needing to free myself before Jamie started the spell.
I struggled, finding it difficult to shift my hands into claws.
“Be careful,” Kaya warned. “There is wolfbane on the ropes….”
Kaya’s words were still echoing in my mind when I hissed in pain. The rope had cut into my wrists, and I could feel the wolfsbane burning as it entered my bloodstream.
“Kaya, you’ll need to assist me,” I exclaimed. “We can’t let him do this! We can’t let him open the gates of the spirit world…!”
“What do you want me to do?” She whimpered, the wolfsbane making her weaker.
“I need you to help me break free from these ropes before he starts that spell,” I replied.
Kaya’s head dropped. She seemed sleepy. The wolfbane was draining her energy. I need to keep her awake. She needs to protect my unborn pup!
“Kaya!” I snapped at her. “Go find my magic…”
“I will try my best,” she replied, and she started moving toward the darker parts of my mind. “But I can’t promise you that I will succeed…”
“I know,” I whispered. “Just try, please!”
I turned my attention back to Jamie. He seems annoyed with Alpha Jack’s lack of urgency.
“We don’t need the moon to start with this ritual!” he snapped, anger and determination on his face.
But the most unexpected thing happened a moment before Jamie could start the ritual…
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