The Wolf Prince's Fated Heart - Page 58

“That’s fine,” Alyssa confirms. “She’s your mate, after all.”

It dawns on me that they’re talking about Cassidy.

They’re right to be suspicious, my wolf comments. We were, too. Still are.

I don’t like to be questioned, I growl back.

It’s a matter of life or death, he replies. Whether we like it or not, Garren and Alyssa are our monarchs. We have to show them some respect.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Great. We all want to keep Tiana alive, after all,” Alyssa says. “Here’s the second video.”

It comes to life with the camera capturing only the floor of a building.

“Get up,” the guard growls at Tiana. There’s a pause. “I said, get the fuck up!”

The sound of a loud slap that connects with flesh follows.

Gavin growls. Before he married Leia, he was the Alpha of the Pack of Shadows, and Tiana was his Beta. It’s expected that his protective instincts would come rushing out.

“Touch me again, and I’ll tear you apart,” Tiana hisses. To prove her point, she summons the shadows. It’s an impressive feat, considering she’s unfamiliar with the room and her eyes are covered. Her wolf senses must be strong.

“Stand down, or I’ll shoot you on the spot,” the man warns. Though Tiana can’t see it, she can surely sense it as he lifts the gun and aims it at her forehead.

“Do it,” she snarls. “It doesn’t scare me. I’ve been through shit you can’t even imagine. Death doesn’t scare me. I welcome it.”

All the wolves inside the conference room turn to look at each other. Even without the official training as leaders, we understand the depth and darkness that hide within a shifter who speaks like that.

“That’s enough,” another voice says, coming through Tiana’s shadows. “Put the gun down and leave us alone.”

There’s a rustle of feet, and the sound of the door closing, and then the new voice continues, “Undo your fucking ties.”

Tiana doesn’t hesitate. In one swift motion, she tears the strings that bind her hands and legs.

“Why are you doing this?” the voice asks. “Why did you choose to betray your kind?”

“Are you fucking serious?” Tiana hisses. She takes off the hood and now sees the same as we do on the camera.

An older man with sandy blond hair, brown eyes, and unmemorable features. The only thing eye-catching about him is the silver pin on his clothes with a shiny scarlet R.

“Who are you?” she demands.

“I should be the one asking you that,” he muses. “You were spotted sniffing around, trying to find out a way to us. Tell me what you want with the radicals.”

“I want to join you,” Tiana replies. The man raises a brow. “I want the wolf royals to pay. They shouldn’t hold so much power, not when their own wolves are weak. We should return to the archaic rules of kill or be killed. Only the strongest should survive, and only the most powerful should rule.”

The man considers her words. “Where do you stand on the witches?”

“I won’t go out to look for them, but if they cross my path, I won’t hesitate to kill them,” Tiana replies, her entire demeanor changing to something much darker as the hatred seeps through every pore of her body. “Nature made us enemies. Who are we to change its laws?”

He looks at her with calculation. “You know,” he begins. “I do trust that you’re sincere, but even if you pass our background checks, how can I be sure that you won’t turn on me the second we let our guards down. My mother was a witch after all.”

Tiana growls. “Anyone I know?”

“Jasmine White,” he replies.

The video pauses.