Pride Unleashed (a Wolf's Pride novel, book 2) (16 page)

Knowing I can’t let that happen, that I’ll use any means possible to save him,
I steal a quick glance at
the boy who brought so much into my life.
I
can feel him reaching out to me, warning me to stay strong, to give away nothing.
But how can I stay strong in the face of such
ruthless
torture
?

How can I not?

The master
jerks his head toward Logan.
“I want to know where his pack is.”

I take a moment to think about what Logan would want me to do,
what he’d
want me to say.
While I can’t bear for anything to happen to him, I know I can’t let him down either.
We’ve been through too much together for that.
I pause for a long moment and consider Logan’s state of mind and the
number
of
bruises coloring his body
.
I
understand the words I deliver
next
can put an end to his pain and suffering.
But they could
also
damage an entire community.

M
y hands tighten into fists and I exhale a long slow breath
, knowing what I have to do
—what Logan would want me to do—b
ut not liking it just the same.

“I have no idea where his pack is, or even if he has one
,
”
I answer with quiet confidence
even though everything inside me is screaming in agony
, my wolf begging me to kill the master and free my mate, but with the gun pointed at my head I know I’ll be dead before I
ever
reach his throat.
And
if Logan can stay strong in the face of the master, then no matter how much it
rips me apart inside
, I have to
stay strong
,
too
.

F
or all o
u
r sakes
.

T
he master’s
steely voice cuts through me when he grips my chin and
his gaze is cynical when he
says, “I thought we agreed on no more games.”

“
We did,” I say unflinchingly as his fingers bite into my chin.
He turns my face from side to side, studying me darkly, looking for some telltale sign of my deceit.

W
hen
Logan
takes a deep shu
dd
ering breath,
I know he can taste my fear.
I stiffen,
and work to harden myself, to leash my wolf because
I c
an’t show worry.
Can’t let
the master know
the bond we share.
But it does give my wolf a measure of comfort to know that someday I’ll let her off her leash, and
let her
do
exactly
what the master taught her to do.

Kill.

“
Do you take me for a fool?”

“
That would make me a fool,” I say
.

H
e lets go of my face and crosses his arms
over his chest
, the lapels of his expensive suit bunching under his arms
.
“Are you telling me that for the last three weeks, he never once mentioned his pack to you?”

“
That’s exactly what I’m telling you.
I was concentrating on my mission
, doing whatever was necessary to stay alive
so I could
get
us
back here to you
.”

“And did that mission mean running for three weeks
?
”

“I ran to avoid the paranormal task force.
If they caught me, you’d never get the rogue.
”
I try to sound casual and give an easy wave of my hand when I add, “
So y
ou can let him down.
He’s a lone wolf who doesn’t know anything.”

“He knew enough to get that tracker out of your neck,
didn’t he
?
” he challenges.

“That wasn’t knowledge
.
T
hat was luck.”
I roll one shoulder.
“
We were being hunted and
I
figured if he screwed up I was dead either way.
”

“But you didn’t die
,
did you
.
”

It’s a statement not a question, but I answer anyway.
“Tha
t’s because you taught me well
.
I
knew i
t was a way for me to
gain his trust and let him think I was on his side
so he
wouldn’t
run
away
from me
.
”

T
he master glares at me, his eyes
are
dark,
full of
suspicio
n
.
“Maybe I taught you too well.”

“
D
id
you think he’d just follow me back
here?
I had no choice but to let him cut
the track
ing device
out of m
y throat
.
I couldn’t let him think I was leading him, or
allowing
hunters
to
follow us.
He would have bolted for sure.
”

“Where did you get the gun, Pride?”

I lift my head like he should be proud of me.
“I took
down a
n officer
and
stole his gun, then I turned it on your rogue
,
”
I say
,
easily pushing the
fabrication
past my lips.

As he stares at me long and hard, I realize
my
scripted
lies
must
be packing a punch
,
because
even Logan look
s
worried
.
Like he might actually
believe
I’d led him back here on
p
urpose
.
But after everything we’ve shared, intimacies included, he knows me well enough to know
that
I’ll do anything
,
a
nything
,
t
o ensure his safety.

Whether he likes it or not.

Just then I hear a noise outside the office.
When the master looks past my shoulder, I
wonder
what all the commotion is about.
The master makes eye contact with
Lawrence
.
He gives a curt nod, a signal for the handle
r
to
open the door
.
Lawrence turns and
I can hear his baggy jeans rubbing and his boots scuffing when he steps
out
into the hallway
.

I slowly angle my head and catch him
s
peaking
quietly
to Mica
, not quietly enough to prevent me from
over
hearing, however
.
But it isn’t what they are saying that holds my attention and has my stomach fluttering
.
Oh no, it isn’t the food they are discuss
ing
that excites me,
at all.
I
t’s what I see to the right of the door that fills me with hope
and has my heart racing
.

As the overhead light glistens on the rectangular
security
box
h
anging
on the wall behind the door
—its
cover
slightly
ajar—I
spot
rows and rows of
spare
keys
all lined up like obedient soldiers.
I look closer and when I see one key, all shiny and new, I remember my
pad
lock.

Could that be the key to my escape?
 

My mind races
quicker than my heart as I plot and strategize a way to get my hands on it.
But sensing the master
’s deadly gaze
drilling into
my back,
I feign disinterest
, turn toward him
and
keep my face neutral as I
study
my nails
, the same way
I once saw
Gem
d
o.

But t
hinking of Gem has my
stomach knotting
.
I need to find her and free her from the master
’s clutches
before we can make an escape.
I
can only assume he’s keeping her close because of me, a token to hold over my head
until he
determine
s
whether I’ve been broken or not.

Lawrence comes back and my
stomach
clenches in distress as he places a tray of sandwiches on the master’s desk
.
U
nder th
e
circumstances I couldn’t choke one down even if I tried.

The master
moves back to his seat and
reaches for one
.
As
he takes a generous bite, I wonder what kind of cruel, sick man nearly beats another
person
to
death then washes down the blood on his hands with a cucumber
sandwich
.

“Have one, Pride,” he says
, his eyes
gauging
me
.

Even though I
suspect
I’ll only throw it up
later
, I know better than to refuse.
When I reach for one, the master asks, “Who is the girl?”

“Girl?” I
question
, stalling
as I work to come up with a reasonable explanation
, even though I know full well he’s talking about Gem.

“The one I found wandering around the estate.”

It takes
effort to chew my sandwich as my stomach tries to push it back
into my throat
.
“I have no idea who she is.”

“Do
n’t
you think it
’s
odd that she showed up the same time as you?”

I don’t for one minute think the master believes in coincidences so I say, “I think she might have followed us from the mountain.”

He watches me chew for a long moment, then says,
“
Either way,
I think she’ll make a nice addition to the pack.
Good breeding material.”

Emotions press against my heart and
I try not to show a reaction as I take a
nother
small bite of my sandwich, then
, even though I know I’m pushing it,
I boldly ask.
“
Why are you impregnating all the females?”

He gives me an odd look,
like Sandy’s pregnancy means so little to him that it’s not worth remember
ing
,
then he
responds with,
“Ah, you mean Sandy.”

“Yes,” I say
, working hard to keep my anger in check
.

His head nods with satisfaction.
“I expect good strong alphas from her.”

I use that opportunity to turn the conversation back to Logan.
“
Speaking of alphas
,
y
ou probably shouldn’t kill him,” I say, trying to keep the desperation from my face, but I need to do something, anything to put an end to his pain and suffering.
“He
can
give you good strong pups.”

“You think so?” he asks, the corner of his mouth turning up in a
knowing
smile.

“I ran with him.
”
I swallow so hard
the sound carries in the bare room.
“
I know how powerful he is.”