Caged, page 31
“I’ll see you later.”
I didn’t stop her from leaving this time. I’d said my piece, now it was up to her. And my day of tough conversations wasn’t over yet.
Liam was sitting at his desk when I walked in. I was surprised to see him sitting instead of pacing for several reasons, not the least of which was the state of his aura. Even if I hadn’t seen the look on his face, I would have felt his turmoil. Not the heat of anger, but more a snapping tension, as if the room were full of static electricity waiting for the right touch to spark.
The alpha looked up when I entered the room, and he stood when he saw me. Under any other circumstances, I would have been happy to see the hope in his eyes, the expectation that I would bring something to the table. And I was bringing a possible solution.
I just wasn’t happy about it.
The collar I’d once used on Stephen sat on Liam’s desk. The thick leather and silver studs didn’t look as scary as it should have, given what it was capable of.
“Kristine took it,” Liam said without looking. “She’s the one who raised the concern with Ruth to make her check on it.”
“Just trying to cause more trouble,” I guessed.
“Seems so.”
He didn’t add any more, and the silence dragged on.
I cleared my throat. “How is everyone doing?”
Liam shook his head without breaking eye contact. “We had to sedate them. All seven of them. They’re downstairs now, and I don’t know what I’m going to do with them.” He gestured to the floor near his desk. I stepped to the side, and realized Blake was lying on the floor beside his desk. Still in wolf form. Sonar was there too, still wearing her German Shepherd glamour. The two wolves looked at me.
“I’ve tried to change them back. But I can’t reach them.” Liam gestured at Blake. “He’s the strongest of them, and even with both of us trying at once, nothing happens. That spell is holding.”
He braced his fists on the top of his desk, and the muscles in his forearms bulged, revealed by the rolled up sleeves of his blue button-down shirt. “I had to cage them,” he said in a low voice. “They fought like hell when my people went to get them. They didn’t stop fighting. They all want to go back, and I can’t get them to listen, let alone try to shift. They act like they don’t recognize me at all.”
I winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “Tell me you know how to help them.”
“I do have an idea,” I said. “One idea. It’s not…” My voice came out hoarse, and I cleared my throat again. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Then tell me.” Liam’s voice was hard, almost a challenge for me to give him more bad news. It didn’t make what I had to say any easier. Maybe I should have waited until after lunch…
I squared my shoulders. “Remember when you helped me find those missing kids? The ones that were Taken?”
His stare continued to bore into me. “I remember.”
“I was too late to steal them back. I had to free them a different way.”
A shadow danced between his brows, just a hint of confusion. “How?”
Andy didn’t say anything, but he nodded, ever so slightly. Encouragement.
I forced myself to meet Liam’s eyes, needing to see his reaction. “I took their place,” I whispered. “I signed a contract with a leannan sidhe. Indentured servitude for one year. I have eight months left.”
I’d expected a big reaction. Partly because of how Liam had behaved the past few days, partly because everyone in the Otherworld knew what it meant to be indentured to a sidhe. Liam didn’t react at all.
And that was more terrifying than anything else.
He was silent for so long, my skin crawled with the need to move. The tension in the room thickened, my chest so heavy I could barely breathe. Just when I was about to scream, he spoke.
“He owns you.”
I clenched my teeth, biting back the urge to argue. It was true. “For eight more months.”
Liam didn’t look away. His facial expression never changed. The stark difference between this cold facade and the heat of the last few days left me frozen in place.
“Your knowledge is his knowledge.”
And there it was. “Not about this case,” I said calmly. “Andy drew up a confidentiality contract like the ones I sign before I work with him on FBI cases. I don’t have to tell Flint Valencia anything I saw here.”
Liam opened his mouth, then shut it. He stared at me for a long minute, and it took every ounce of self control I had not to take a step back from that cold, hard expression leaching all the warmth from his eyes.
“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming,” he said finally.
I nodded, giving myself a second to work past the lump in my throat. “He’s a leannan sidhe, with the ability to inspire and push someone beyond their natural limits. With his help, I’ve been able to cast spells beyond my normal abilities. I believe that if you let him, he could boost your ability to force a change.”
“You think with his help, I could change my wolves back.”
Goddess, why had I been afraid he’d be angry? This inscrutable calm was so much worse. “Yes.”
“You think I should accept a favor from a sidhe.”
His tone said what he thought of the suggestion.
“From what I’ve heard,” I started carefully, “if you accept help from another alpha, it’s as good as handing over your pack. You’d have to admit you’re not strong enough to take care of them. Flint would have no such claim over them. He’s not another alpha, he’s just…a resource.”
“And your encouragement for me to take a favor from a sidhe wouldn’t have anything to do with being his minion? You wouldn’t be trying to—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Anger made me brave—or stupid, hard to tell—and I marched forward. Fury carried me farther than I’d expected, close enough for me to jab a finger in Liam’s chest. I remembered Andy’s words.
“Be deserving of trust, and demand the trust you deserve.”
“Don’t you dare suggest that I’m here, that I’m helping you, because I’m trying to ensnare you for my master.” I put as much disgust into the last word as I could. “I deserve better than that.” I glanced at Andy, bolstered by the approval in his eyes, then looked back at Liam. “I’ve earned better than that.”
Liam studied me for another long minute, his face unreadable. Then a knock at the door drew all our attention. Liam stiffened as Stephen opened the door and stood on the threshold. “Excuse me.”
Stephen wasn’t alone. Emma stood behind him, along with a large group of people. The same group who’d been with Stephen yesterday, the ones Emma had led to safety when Kristine had attacked. My anger vanished abruptly, and I resisted the urge to call my magic. This was not going to go well. And it would go worse if I interfered.
Andy came to stand next to me, and we watched as Liam crossed the room. Stephen stepped back into the hallway and Liam followed.
“What’s going on?” Liam asked. His tone suggested he already knew the answer.
Stephen kept his back straight, but there was an aura of deliberate ease to his shoulders, as if he were trying very hard to be reasonable and nonthreatening. “I’m leaving. With my pack.”
Liam looked at the crowd gathered around Stephen. He met each of their gazes in turn. I couldn’t see the whole crowd, but those I could see didn’t seem able to meet his eyes.
“It’s going to take a long time to understand just how much Kristine manipulated everything here,” Liam said finally. “Everyone. I know she manipulated you. It’s a relief to know that I didn’t imagine the progress you made at first. And it’s good to understand, finally, why things between us soured so badly after that. She made you think you were ready to have your own pack. It must have chafed when you had to stay here.”
“No,” Stephen said simply. “It was freeing. It was good to have someone confirm what I already knew. That I don’t need you to tell me what to do, or decide who I should be.” He nodded to Liam. “I think I proved that to you yesterday.”
“How’s that?”
I shared a look with Andy. I recognized a teachable moment when I heard one. Liam was leading Stephen into something. I’d bet my last Reese egg Stephen wasn’t going to like it.
“I could have left,” Stephen said evenly. “I had my pack, I protected them when there was danger. I could have left with them. But I didn’t. I got them to safety, then I came back.”
“So you protected your pack and you didn’t leave a pack mate to die.” Liam tilted his head. “Is that all it takes to make a good alpha?”
Stephen’s face darkened. “I—”
“You did what you’re supposed to do,” Liam said evenly. “You did what I expect of every member of this pack. You owe the members of this pack your loyalty, your allegiance. You don’t get extra credit for it, and pulling your weight doesn’t mean you deserve your own pack.” He paused, considering Stephen the way a father looks at his son on his eighteenth birthday. “I believe you’ll make a strong alpha one day. But today isn’t that day.”
“I’m leaving,” Stephen said firmly. “And you can’t stop me.”
“Yes. I can.” Liam let out a breath, and there was a sigh buried in that one exhale. “If you try to leave, I will stop you. And the punishment for your attempt will be severe enough to stand as a sign to anyone else who may think it’s up to them to decide if they’re ready to lead a pack. A reminder that it’s my decision that matters.”
“You’re threatening to beat me?” Stephen’s voice took on a dangerous edge.
Liam stared into his eyes. “You have a choice. Stay and prove to me you’re ready to be an alpha. Learn what that really means. Or try to leave. And spend the next year collared.”
Stephen tried to hide it, but there was no mistaking the flash of fear that passed through his eyes, the pain at the thought of wearing the enchanted collar for a full year. A ripple went through his pack.
“When my sister went missing,” Liam said quietly, “you chose to use that loss to dig at me. To make me suffer. You didn’t worry for her. You didn’t step up to assure your pack, make sure everyone felt safe. In fact, you used that fear to split off a section of this pack to build your own. That’s not what an alpha does. That’s what a thief does. A thief, and a coward.”
Stephen snarled. “I have spent every night since our last fight training for this moment. I could beat you.”
“You could try. But let me ask you this. Let’s say you manage to beat me.” He shrugged. “What then? You’re an alpha that can fight, but can you lead? Can you protect? You wanted extra credit, praise for not leaving your pack to fight alone. What does that say about you as a potential alpha?”
Stephen paused for a long minute. Finally, he sneered, “Nevermind. It won’t feel like a real win to fight you now, not when you’re injured after being Kristine’s bitch for so long.”
He turned to leave. Liam’s voice stopped him cold.
“Submit before you turn away from me.”
Stephen froze. Slowly, he turned his head. “What?”
“You don’t get to challenge me, and insult me to save face because you know you can’t win,” Liam said. “Acknowledge that you can’t beat me, or prove otherwise. And wait for my permission before you walk away.”
I wanted to look away. Seeing the hatred burning in Stephen’s eyes, knowing what it cost Liam to have that directed at him… It was a lot to witness, and I couldn’t imagine how Liam felt right now. But I didn’t look away. I wanted to see Stephen’s reaction. It would say a lot about his future.
There. There it was, a glint of realization in Stephen’s brown eyes. Knowledge that whatever he wanted to believe, he knew he couldn’t win.
He bowed his head, and when he spoke, he sounded as if his voice were being dragged over hot coals laced with shrapnel. “May I leave?”
“Go to your room. Alone.” Liam looked at Emma. “Take these people back to their rooms. Make sure they’re all right.”
Emma held Liam’s gaze, but she stepped closer to Stephen, making her allegiance clear. “Yes, Alpha.”
Her tone was cold, but polite. A clear sign that though she wasn’t willing to risk being made an example of, she wanted him to know how she felt. Kristine’s death hadn’t changed anything. The damage she’d done working behind the scenes would take a long time to heal. If it ever did.
“One more thing.” Liam looked at me. “Get the collar off my desk.”
Shock rolled over the crowd, quickly followed by a heat wave of panicked auras. Desperately hoping my reaction wasn’t as plain on my face as I knew it had to be, I retreated into the office, grateful for the excuse to walk away from all that heat, even for a moment. Blake and Sonar had risen to their feet when Liam left the office, and they stared at me as I forced myself to reach for the collar. The leather and metal felt cool against my clammy palms. Blood and bone, had it always been this heavy?
Stephen stared at me as I approached. I had a moment of déjà vu, remembering our first meeting. I hadn’t wanted to repeat that experience.
“Put it on him.”
I fixed a witchy look on my face, used it to hide my own dismay. I hated to do this. But I knew why it was necessary.
“I submitted,” Stephen said, his voice strained. “I’m not leaving.”
“That’s why you’ll only wear this for a month and not a year.” Liam nodded to the collar. “This is for leaving your room after I forbid it. You didn’t think I’d forgotten?”
Stephen stood there, frozen. Liam nodded to me again, and I raised the collar toward Stephen’s neck. Panic flashed in his eyes. His hand came up, so fast I didn’t have time to get out of the way.
Liam’s hand caught Stephen’s arm on the way down, stopped it from smacking the collar out of my grasp. His grip tightened, and Stephen let out a hiss. He clenched his free hand into a fist, then forced it to his side. His breathing grew ragged as he forced his head down. Offering me his neck.
I put the collar on as quickly as I could. Not because I was afraid Stephen would struggle, but because I wanted it over and done. I wanted to get it over with, and more than anything, I wanted to go home. Go home and forget all about the last few days.
The change in the gathered crowd was immediate. No one made a sound as Emma herded them away, her eyes bright with unshed tears, her teeth clenched so hard I thought she’d break her jaw. I forced myself to stand beside Liam and watch them all return to their rooms. When they disappeared into the elevator, and into the stairwells, Liam pivoted and stalked back into his office. Once we were all inside again, he shut the door, visibly fighting not to slam it.
He spoke without looking at me. “Call the leannan sidhe.”
Chapter 28
“He’s here,” Peasblossom hissed.
“Yes, I see that.” I stared at the taxi weaving through the parking lot on its way toward the front doors of New Moon. The familiar face visible in the window made my skin crawl, all Otherworldly attractiveness aside. He didn’t belong here. This was a mistake. I never should have raised him as a possibility.
Liam didn’t look away from the taxi when he spoke. “I know what I’m doing.”
The awning over New Moon’s front door shadowed his face from the sunlight, making his blue eyes look almost black. If he were as upset as I was—as upset as he should be—his eyes would be gold.
“Agree to payment before he does anything,” I said for the hundredth time. “And make sure you’re very, very specific. Even if it seems innocuous.”
The taxi rolled to a stop before he could respond. As the leannan sidhe unfolded himself from the backseat, soft grey cotton shirt molding to the muscles of his upper chest and biceps, blue denim jeans hugging his hips, two thoughts occurred to me.
One, Flint did not look like a man who was entering a place where he was already hated despite being there to help. Ostensibly. To see him stride toward us, one might have thought he was extended family coming for a rare visit.
Two, if he’d taken a taxi here, there was a distinct possibility it was because he intended to get a ride home. Probably with me. Which meant he either wanted information, or he thought he’d have something to discuss with me.
Blood and bone.
I stared at Flint as he approached, and my stomach rolled. I’d never really expected Liam to agree to this. I’d expected him to be furious with me for hiding my relationship with Flint. Expected him to tell me what a foolish, stupid choice I’d made, to tell me he would never make such an obvious mistake.
Flint’s hazel eyes glittered as he looked from me to Liam. I hated that look. I hated all his looks, but especially this one. The look that said he was sizing us up. Individually, and as a unit. He couldn’t have planned this, but I couldn’t help but think he already had an idea about how he would use this to his advantage.
He ignored Andy entirely.
“Greetings, Liam Osbourne, alpha of the Rocky River Pack.” His voice was smooth and deep, formal without a hint of mockery. He inclined his head without lowering his eyes from Liam’s. “How can I be of service?”
Liam stared at Flint as if he could pin him down with no more than the force of his irritation. He looked at me and his gaze lingered in question.
“A kitchen witch bound his wolves into beast form,” I said carefully. “She’s dead, but the spell remains. Can your inspiration increase the potency of Liam’s call?”
Flint tilted his head, considering the question without a hint of his usual amusement. “When you try to make them change, can you feel their human halves? Or are you blind to all but the beast?”
“I can feel them,” Liam said tightly. “But they can’t answer me.”
Flint nodded slowly. “I can help you.”
“We’ll start with Blake.” Liam gestured to his side where Blake stood in wolf form, the full weight of his lupine gaze locked on Flint. I could practically see him grinding his teeth, waiting for his alpha to give the okay to bite the leannan sidhe on principle. “If you can help me change Blake, then we’ll go inside and change the others.”
