Chapter 38: Chapter Thirty-Seven

SAVANNAH

Being queen was a royal pain.

I’d only been aware of the supernatural world for a mere two months, and already I’d been kidnapped by the lycan king, discovered I was a hybrid, and now I was being cornered into choosing between the roles of queen and luna.

And then there was the matter of my father. Why had my mother warned me not to trust him? Was he the mastermind behind the attack on my mother’s pack, or was Grammy the real culprit? What could he possibly want from me?

It was a shame she couldn’t remember. Or… perhaps she did. Maybe a visit to her would shed some light on everything.

Daxton gently cradled my neck, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. “We’re going to figure this out.”

I nodded, brushing away the tears that had trickled down my cheek. With legs trembling, I rose to my feet, glancing up at Daxton as he did the same.

He looked enchanting in the morning light, his hair tousled and his eyes heavy with sleep. Everything about him sent my world spinning.

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, we won’t make it off this balcony,” he teased.

I smiled, my voice barely above a whisper. “That doesn’t sound so bad to me.” I kicked a leaf with my bare foot. “I need to visit Grammy today, and I’d rather Liam didn’t know about it, just in case.”

Daxton nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. “Let’s get dressed and make a break for it then.”

I pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, the autumn chill starting to make its presence known as September drew to a close.

Daxton shadowed me down the stairs, his footsteps silent as a whisper. We were almost at the door when Wesley appeared from the foyer. “Savannah,” he began hesitantly. “Leaving so soon?”

I turned to see Liam leaning against the hallway wall behind Wesley, his arms crossed over his chest.

I was a terrible liar, and Daxton knew it, so he leaned against the doorframe above my head and flashed a smile.

“We’re heading to the pack house to discuss some matters with my parents. Can you two manage things here while we’re gone?”

I held back a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders.

Wesley returned the smile. “Of course. I’m showing Liam around the perimeter today, since he’ll be taking over while you finish your schooling.”

“Great.”

“What about Trent?” Wesley asked.

“Oh, I dealt with him,” I replied. “He won’t be coming here again. You can release him and let him find his own way out of the forest.”

Liam pushed off from the wall and approached us. Suddenly, I realized I didn’t know much about him at all. His expression seemed different today.

Perhaps I’d been too shocked to meet my father, and potentially get to know him, that I’d overlooked all the warning signs.

“You think that’s a good idea, Savannah? The boy used you for years and practically handed you over to the lycan king.”

“Well”—I cleared my throat—“What do you suggest, Liam?”

Daxton tugged at the back of my shirt, right above my jean line, a silent warning not to give us away.

“Death,” he suggested casually. “We can’t trust him.”

The thought of killing Trent sent a shiver up my spine, or maybe it was his nonchalant tone about death. He’d told me he wasn’t cut out to be a king, and I was starting to believe him.

“No,” I said firmly, turning to Wesley. “I don’t want him harmed. He won’t come back, or I’ll go after his family. He knows this, so let him out in the woods behind the Kingdom, and let him find his own way.

We’ll be back,” I added, pushing the door open and stepping out into the crisp morning air.

Daxton remained silent until we were settled in his Jeep. “Are you seeing him in a different light today, Savannah?”

I nodded. “Yeah, and I think I’ve made a terrible mistake, because I have serious daddy issues.”

Daxton rested his hand on my thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Baby, this isn’t your—”

“I know. It’s not my fault. I’m tired of hearing that. I know it’s not my fault, but I’m sick of… everything.”

Dax chuckled. “Well, hello Ms. Attitude this morning.”

I gazed out the window, watching the pine trees blur by as we drove toward Grammy’s house. “I’m sorry,” I said after an hour of driving.

We’d reached the middle of nowhere before I’d calmed down enough to apologize.

Daxton glanced over at me, his dark eyes twinkling with amusement, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re forgiven. You’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

I certainly had been.

“I once read an alpha romance book,” I confessed out of the blue. “Before I knew that werewolves were real.

You’re a lot nicer than the alpha in that book. My attitude would have pissed him off. Is that just a fabrication in books? Or did I just get lucky?”

A golden hue danced in his irises, and his fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

“Some alphas let their wolf take over,” Dax explained. “They become arrogant, and frankly, assholes. I wasn’t raised to be like that. I try to keep my wolf separate.

He comes out occasionally, but I want to be able to treat my luna with respect.”

“I admire that,” I said. “But I don’t mind him coming out when we…”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh? You’re suggesting you want me to take control? That’s your wolf talking,” he said. “She’s naturally submissive to her alpha, even if she’s a queen. It’s in her blood.”

“She’s been craving it,” I admitted, when something on the side of the road caught my attention. “Hold on.” I pointed to the woman standing next to her car. “That’s Amber.”

Daxton smoothly pulled over in front of her smoking vehicle and parked.

“What’s she doing?” I asked, puzzled.

Dax was the first to jump out, meeting her in front of his Jeep. I slid out of my seat, suddenly feeling a strange unease, as if we were being watched from the nearby woods.

“Daxton,” I called, trying to get his attention. But when he turned, Amber’s gaze met mine, and she gave me an apologetic ~I’m sorry~ look before unexpectedly grabbing Daxton’s shirt and throwing him into the ditch.

My body hummed in transition, but before I could react, an arm wrapped around my neck and started dragging me backward. I’d recognize that leather jacket anywhere.

My mother had been right. I should never have trusted Liam.

***

When I came to, I found myself in a place I never thought I’d see again. The dungeon. I had no idea how I’d ended up here without anyone noticing, but I was certain of where I was.

The stench of Trent’s urine still hung in the air, but there was no sign of him. Maybe Wesley had let him out, and Liam hadn’t had him killed.

I stretched out my legs and looked around the dimly lit room. Daxton’s figure was in the cell next to mine, his hands gripping the bars and his head resting against the cold steel.

“So, my mom was right,” I said, standing up and dusting off my dress. “Turns out Liam is a piece of shit.”

Daxton looked up, his face a shadowy mix of sharp lines and angles. “Looks like Amber is too. They’ve been in this together.”

“Do you remember how we got here? He must have knocked me out, because I don’t remember anything.”

Daxton frowned. “He used some kind of dust on you. It looked like magic. He didn’t use it on me.

They brought us in the back way, behind the main house and through a door I didn’t even know existed. No one knows we’re here.”

The cold floor of the dungeon sent a chill up my spine. “That doesn’t sound good,” I murmured, tugging at the bars. “Any chance we’re getting out?”

Daxton reached through the bars and offered his hand to me. I took it, and as I looked into his dark eyes, I realized he’d been dragged through hell because I was a damn hybrid.

“I’m sorry your mate is a freak.”

Daxton smirked. “You’re right, you are a freak, but I love it. I love you.”

I sighed heavily, resting my forehead against the bars. “I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this, Alpha.”

He closed his eyes, and ran his fingertip against the top of my hand. “I don’t know either, but I swear I won’t let them hurt you, baby.”

The door to the dungeon opened, and the sound of footsteps echoed as the stairs creaked under the weight of someone’s feet. Daxton held my hand tightly as Amber and Liam descended together.

Liam looked different, his entire demeanor screamed ~lycan~, and not the good kind. The kind that reminded me of the lycan king and Luther.

Not Wesley. Or the others.

Liam cleared his throat. “How are you feeling?”

I fought the urge to try and squeeze through the bars to claw his eyes out. “Does it matter?” I asked sweetly. “It seems this fatherly persona you’ve put on has worn off, Dad.”

The corner of his mouth pulled into a smirk. “You got that smart mouth from your mother.” He chuckled.

Amber’s gaze was fixed on the floor, and it piqued my curiosity. Was she being forced into this, or did she feel guilty?

“I’m curious,” I said. “How did you get involved in this, Amber? Did Dad threaten you, or did he charm you into submission? What is it? Do you want the Lycan Kingdom?”

She slowly lifted her gaze. “Liam was always mine,” she whispered. “I’m barren, and I couldn’t give him the hybrid he wanted.”

Daxton scoffed and rubbed his forehead roughly. “God, does it ever end?”

“Careful,” Liam warned. “I’m only keeping you alive so Savannah doesn’t die after we perform what we have planned. I do care enough not to end her life.”

I ignored the urge to ask what they had planned for me, because if it were up to me, that wouldn’t happen. “Why did you bring me to Grammy’s house?” I asked. “Why not raise me so you could get what you wanted?”

Liam shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t ~do~ kids, Savannah, and sadly, I had to wait until you turned eighteen before I could get what I needed. I just needed everyone to trust me.”

Daxton stirred beside me, and I noticed the frown on his face. His eyes were glued to my father’s forearm. He’d taken off his motorcycle jacket, which left him in a short sleeve T-shirt.

“Those marks. They mean you’ve taken someone else’s wolf,” he whispered. “You didn’t take your mother’s memories and her wolf because she killed those wolves. You took them to become powerful.”

Liam’s smirk was as chilling as it was confident. “You’ve got more brains than I gave you credit for, Allaire. Once I get my hands on Savannah’s hybrid, I’ll have the power to rule over both the wolves and the lycans. I’ll be invincible,” he declared, his steps echoing ominously as he advanced towards the cage.

I watched as the sunlight danced on his forearm, revealing markings that were unfamiliar to me. They weren’t friendly or inviting, but rather sinister, with their fiery red edges and sharp black symbols that were beyond my comprehension.

“Now, my dear,” he cooed, reaching forward to pinch my chin and flick something into my face… yet again.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me, causing me to sway on my feet.

“And how are we feeling now?” he asked, his voice dripping with false concern.

My backside met the cold, unforgiving cement floor, and I reclined slowly, my gaze drifting over to Daxton. He was desperately pulling and tugging at the bars of the cage, his face etched with fear. That was the last image I saw before everything faded into darkness.