Chapter 44

Chapter 44

“Well, well, well, I have to say, this is unexpected,” Deborah, Luna Regent of the Shadowmoon Pack, and witch said, looking down at me from her throne.

“What can I say? I missed your hospitality,” I replied. This time, I hadn’t bothered to steal anyone’s clothes. I hadn’t bothered sneaking in at all. I’d stood at the edge of Caldwell and almost begged them to capture me.

Lyle was over to one side, bandaged and glaring murderously at me.

I gave him a wink.

“Don’t think I will allow you to challenge my son a second time,” Deborah warned me. “He’s proven… most disappointing in that department.”

“Sons are like that. Ask my mother,” I said. “She wanted to get my mate killed on a spearhead team.”

Deborah’s trill of laughter filled the throne room. “As though Kora would have been in any danger. Then she gave me a hard look. “I am wondering, young man, the real reason you are here.”

“It’s quite simple, really. I’m here to trade myself for Oswald Monroe.” I rocked back on my heels for a moment, letting that sink in.

“And why, when I have you well within my clutches already, would I release Oswald?” Deborah asked, though there was a glint of interest in her eyes.

“I’m told for a witch to own your spirit, you have to give it willingly,” I said. “Or did I hear that wrong?”

The old witch was nearly salivating. “You would be willing to trade your will for Oswald’s freedom?”

“I mean, there would be other conditions, of course, but I’m just here to see if you’re interested,” I responded.

Deborah leaned back on her throne, tapping her l*p with one long, manicured fingernail. “It would be QUITE a coup. I’m sure one of the conditions is that I will not be getting control of the Fullbright Pack.”

“You’d be correct,” I said.

“And that I’m to let Kora, Shawn, and Oswald go,” Deborah mused.

“You’re on a roll,” I replied.

“Hmm. Delicious.” Deborah smiled at me, a truly evil smile, “We have an agreement. The next full moon is tonight, as it happens, and I will be able to break his bonds and spin yours the same evening.”

“Sounds fun,” I said with a tight smile of my own.

“In the meantime, allow my guards to show you to your room,” Deborah purred. “Can’t have you getting cold feet, now can we?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I turned to go with the guards.

Deborah’s laughter followed behind me. I didn’t take that as a good sign.

We walked across the castle courtyard to an outbuilding that reeked of blood and death. “Up you go,” one of the guards said, suspending me from the ceiling by a chain and silver cuffs.

I grunted. The cuffs burned. I could also smell the fear and the pain of packmates I’d grown up with who, thanks to

Lyle Shadowmoon, were no more.

“Never got herself an Alpha before, another guard snickered. He poked me in the belly, and I bared my teeth at

him.

“WE’VE never gotten an Alpha before,” Lyle’s harsh voice growled from the doorway.

The guards spun around and stood at attention. “Alpha Shadowmoon!”

“Ah, you do remember who I am. That’s heartening.” Lyle leaned on a crutch and motioned for the guards to leave. “Get out.”

They left, and Lyle began to circle me.

“Here for your pound of flesh?” I asked.

“Oh, I think you took more than a pound,” Lyle seethed.

“I’d have taken your head if Mommy hadn’t stopped me,” I pointed out.

Lyle’s hand lashed out, claws extended, and he slashed my side.

I spun in the air, biting the inside of my cheek against any sound. While the side wound was painful, being spun by your wrists while it felt as though they were on fire was a special treat.

“You’re not too bright, are you? What kind of a man trades his life for his mate’s father? What kind of ALPHA does that?” Lyle snorted.

“The kind who deserves her,” Kora said..

Both our heads snapped to the entrance of the outbuilding.

“Kora, what the HELL?!” Lyle and I shouted together, though probably for very different reasons. I was concerned. she was here.

He was likely more concerned that she was holding the head of one of the guards by the hair. She dropped it to the ground with a wet thud.

“Release him,” Kora ordered.

I could see Shawn’s back through the doorway, guarding the entrance. There wasn’t much time. “Kora, don’t worry, I’ve made a deal. The Luna Regent is releasing your father from her spell. You can all go home come moonrise.”

“Mason, I love you,” Kora responded without breaking eye contact with Lyle, “but you’re a big, dumb idiot.”

Lyle bared his teeth at my mate, and that got a growl from me.

“Shift change in thirty. We’re going to want to be gone by then,” Shawn said, turning his face briefly toward the doorway.

“Let him down, Lyle,” Kora demanded again.

A smarmy smile spread over Lyle’s face. “Come on, baby, don’t be like that, he said, sashaying toward her. “I was just having a little fun with him.”

“Fun’s over.” Kora stabbed a finger in my direction. “Him. Down. NOW.””

“Aww, but we’re so good together, baby. We can be like that again,” Lyle oozed, running a finger down Kora’s cheek.

His other hand was laid loosely at his back, his claws starting to grow.

“Kora!” I yelled.

Lyle slashed. Kora dodged.

“Come here, you little bi tch! I might be willing to lose a challenge to an Alpha, but I’m not about to be bossed around by you!” Lyle snarled.

Kora rolled under another attack.

I struggled in the cuffs. “Shawn! SHAWN!”

“Stay back!” Kora growled. “This is between Lyle and me.”

“Listen to the lady,” Lyle chuckled darkly.

While Kora and Lyle circled each other, however, Shawn did come inside. He edged past the combatants to lower me to the floor and take off the silver cuffs.

I rubbed my wrists and was just about to shift and tear Lyle apart when Shawn put a hand on my shoulder.

“Let her work it out,” Shawn said in a low tone.

I gritted my teeth and stood back a bit. Much like Lyle’s mother, however, I had no intention of letting Kora get irreparably hurt.

“Why couldn’t you just be a good little Luna for me? Give me a few pups. We both know we’re compatible in the sack,” Lyle goaded Kora.

“I don’t love you. I won’t ever love you. And you are a sad excuse of a mama’s boy for an Alpha,” Kora shot back.

Lyle gnashed his teeth. “I think you’ve gotten a little too comfortable speaking your mind. You weren’t this talkative when we were f*cking.”

“That whole two minutes, huh?” Kora replied.

“You were mine before you were ever his!” Lyle snapped. “You belong to me!”

“That’s not what this says.” Kora rolled her shoulder down so Lyle could get a better look at her mating mark.

Lyle’s growl turned to a roar. “You had NO right!”

“I had every right. You rejected me. We’re done. I found someone a thousand times better than you could ever DREAM of being.” Kora said.

With a sound of unholy fury, Lyle launched himself at Kora.