The next morning, I was kicked awake by one of Simon's goons, and I grunted in pain as more of my ribs cracked. But my wolf was now awake, and as I ate the fried bacon they gave us for breakfast, I broached the uncomfortable subjects of the night before.
'We have no choice,' my wolf said unhappily. 'Either you become a sex slave and breed more cubs to be used, or you allow yourself to heal and do his will.'
I sighed. 'I thought you might say something like that. But how the hell can I face Doreah when one day I might end up confronting her across a battlefield?'
'She's your sister,' my wolf reminded me. 'She'll know you were forced into serving Simon so as to not become an even worse slave.'
'Thanks, Kira,' I muttered. But she was right. 'I don't like it, though.'
'No one in their right mind would,' Kira agreed. 'But the alternative is losing what little dignity you have left. I know what I'd rather do.'
I nodded. 'Fair enough,' I agreed.
I still hated the idea. Simon had almost exterminated three counties' worth of packs. And he'd been personally responsible for the deaths of my parents. But if a way existed for me to take him down from within, I'd grab it with both hands.
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When we arrived at the packhouse in Penzance, my jaw all but dropped, and the other captives were just as awestruck. The packhouse was, in fact, a huge mansion, set amidst a sprawl of farmlands and woods. It had a bit of a dilapidated air about it, though, and the pool looked as if it hadn't been used in years. And that, Simon told us, as we gathered in the front hall, was to be the task of us captives. "I want this place shining from top to bottom," he said, his eyes hard as he looked at us all. "I'm giving you all a month. If you fail to have this place in top form by then, wolves are going to start dying."
Dread replaced the awe, and I shivered, feeling as if a cold hand had suddenly run its fingernails down my back.
Simon's smile had far too many teeth for it to be pleasant. "And as an extra incentive..." He walked over to one of the captives, placed his hands on her head, and said something in Irish Gaelic. She screamed and fell to her knees, clutching her head as pain wracked her from head to toe. Simon ignored her and moved to the next captive, who likewise screamed in pain. I felt the chill grow stronger, and Kira began growling as Simon came to us. His eyes glittered as he placed his hands on either side of my head, as he'd done with the other captives, and I braced myself, heart pounding.
"Ni ceart go cur le cheile," he said, and the world turned white as pain tore through me. I heard Kira howling, and then the pain completely took hold. By the time my spinning senses recovered, I was on my knees, sobbing, arms wrapped around myself as the pain slowly receded. The memory of it was still there, however, and as I got unsteadily to my feet, I soon had another reason to scream; my link to Kira had been blocked, meaning I couldn't talk to her, nor could I draw on her strength as needed. My heart felt like a leaden weight in my chest as I stared at Simon, who smirked as he stepped back. "That," he said, "is to prevent you from cheating. You're going to use your own resources, not that of your wolves."
"Bastard," someone muttered, and I tensed. Simon sighed.
"Deal with that," he said to the tall man standing next to him. The man cracked his knuckles and approached the speaker, who cried out in pain as the tall man punched him in the jaw, and a collective wince went through the captives. The tall man walked back to Simon's side, and I felt a new chill go through me as I recognised him; he'd been the man to warn me to watch my mouth the day of Doreah's shifting party, and I knew he was not a man to be inclined towards kindness.
"Have we any other objections?" Simon asked, and this time, everyone had the good sense to keep their mouths shut. "Good. Now, get inside. You'll be assigned rooms, but don't think you'll be allowed to slack off. James will assign your duties, and if I hear one word of complaint from any of you, your wolf will die."
The worst part, as we all followed James inside, was that he meant it. He would not hesitate to kill the wolf of any captive who disagreed with his orders, and he seemed the man to take offence at even the smallest slight. This made me resolve to be the perfect slave, to give him no reason at all to think I was complaining or disagreeing with him. If he wanted unquestioning obedience, he was going to get it. And though my gorge rose at the thought of having to play the role of bootlicker, it was either that or lose Kira. I'd already lost almost all of my family; I wasn't going to lose my wolf as well. 141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMqLVrIzMN
