Then he froze.
A collective gasp echoed on the walls.
The candlelight morphed, shooting into brilliant flames with the force of emotion tearing into the room.
Rhys' brain shut down as raven black hair spilled over the female's shoulders.
His heart stopped as ruby lips gasped and quivered.
His world shattered as terrified, midnight eyes met his.
His soul screamed with the force of a thousand banshees as he looked into the face he'd scoured the swamp for, the soul that was joined with his for all eternity.
Tears of burning lava etched into his cheeks.
Makenna.
The light of the candles extinguished with a hiss, throwing them into gaping darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY─TWO
Tainted Heart
Her world could not be this fucked up.
Makenna swallowed, tasting blood. Rope bit into her wrists and ankles.
Before the low light from the candles extinguished, she'd seen Rhys' face. More than that, even in the darkness, she’d felt him.
The wolf and whatever else was inside her were dead silent. As if they too had difficulty believing their predicament.
Her pulse pounded as fury dug deep. That bitch had given orders, and it had been Rhys who'd followed them.
He’d said he cared about her. Wanted to help. That he'd never leave her. What the fuck ever. The lying bastard was doing someone else's dirty work all along. Now here she was, banged up and trussed up. Oh God. Mr. Labeaux. What had they done with him?
“You fucking coward!” Makenna couldn't hold in the venom any longer. “Mother fucking worthless piece of shit!” Her head exploded with her words, but she didn't care. She needed to get out of here and find Mr. Labeaux. “Taking on a woman and an old man. Real tough. Come on, you lying asshole. Face me!”
Light erupted from the candles. The light showed grotesque artwork, blood splattered all over the walls. What the hell? Was he in some sick cult? How had he fooled her?
She aimed her rage toward Rhys. “Say something, you pathetic shit stain! Face me like a man!”
Yeah, she was scared out of her gourd. She was also beyond furious. She had power and wasn't afraid of using it. One way or another, she'd get out of here, and she'd make him pay.
Finally, Rhys stepped into the light. But it wasn't only rage on his face. Disbelief, betrayal, and agony etched into deep lines. They slammed into her full force as he drew close, doubling her over with their intensity.
He'd said they were mates. That they'd bonded. Did that mean feeling what the other felt? Because they sure weren't her feelings. Or maybe they were. Maybe they were feeling the same about the whole mess. Whatever the case, mate or not, he'd hurt her and tried to kill her and Mr. Labeaux.
Nothing would ever make that okay.
“Why did you come here?” His voice sounded like crushed gravel.
Her heart almost broke for him. Almost. If she hadn't been kidnapped and tied up, she might have had the capacity to feel bad for him.
“What the fuck are you talking about? You brought me here! You ambushed me and Mr. Labeaux! Where is he? Did you kill him? If you did, I swear, I'll fucking bury you!” Makenna was screaming in pain by the end.
The one person she could count on, and she'd let him down. Just like everyone else unlucky enough to get close to her.
Just like the haunting pain on Rhys' face. No. He was the enemy. His pain didn't matter. Even though it was eating into her soul and had her wolf whining.
Yeah, her wolf. She could admit it. She may be a lot of things, but she wasn't a moron. She'd seen the claws, used them. Heard the howl leave her mouth. At least everything Rhys had told her hadn't been a lie.
He stepped within reach, then back a step. As if he didn't trust himself. “You and three more came here to kill us. Kill me. Why, Makenna?” Rhys fell to his knees in front of her. Her first instinct was to reach out. But then he raised his eyes. Betrayal and fury lived there. “How could you turn your back on me? How could you choose Kylian over your own mate?”
An eruption of gasps filled the room. She had no idea what they were shocked about and didn't care. Makenna couldn't help the face she made. Sheer and utter confusion took over. Her animal and the other being froze, heads tilting. They didn't know what he spoke of any more than she did.
She balled her hand into a fist. “I didn't try to kill anybody except for the bastards who attacked me and Mr. Labeaux. Then that bitch came, throwing a bunch of weird light. She took down Mr. Labeaux, then they chanted some weird words and I passed out. I woke up here.” Makenna shook her head. “I don't even know that fucking Kylian guy. And I never betrayed you. You're the one who betrayed me, you fucking asshole!”
By the end, she was vibrating.
A hand came out of nowhere, slapping her so hard her head snapped to the side. Her brains rattled. She growled. When she lifted her eyes again, it wasn't Rhys who'd done it. Thankfully. He’d risen to his feet and held the arm of a huge beast of a man with hair similar to Rhys’. The blazing fury in the man’s green eyes matched what she felt.
“Trystan, stop!” Rhys shoved the man away, then leaned into Makenna's face. “What do you mean? Who tried to kill you? What woman? And what have you done to Labeaux? Answer me!”
“Rhys.” A man Makenna hadn't even noticed stepped forward and placed a hand on Rhys' arm. His flowing brown hair and soft eyes kind of made him look like Jesus. “I believe she speaks of Brianna.” He turned to Makenna. “Labeaux is an old friend. We would never harm him.”
Makenna latched on to that shred of hope. “You know him? Then where is he?”
She pulled against her bonds, but they remained secure.
“Bowen, what the fuck is going on here?” Rhys turned to the man, his face a mask of pain.
Bowen sighed, looking from Rhys to Makenna. Then he closed his eyes. Waving his hands over her, an orange light appeared, aimed right for her. Makenna tried to lean out of reach. Firm hands landed on her shoulders, stilling her. She jerked back to see the one who had slapped her.
Her face still smarted. She growled before turning at the sound of another growl. Rhys. Trystan made a noise in his throat and released her.
Bowen opened his eyes. He looked like someone had just killed his best friend. “There's a trigger. Implanted deep. So deep I didn't sense it before.” He gave Makenna a sad smile. “This isn't your fault. You are innocent.”
Makenna stared at him like he'd grown three heads. “Of course I'm innocent! What the hell are you talking about, a trigger?”
She fought against the ropes again. She needed free.
She closed her eyes and pulled at the ball of light inside, trying to burn through the ropes somehow. She had no idea what she was doing, but it was all she had.
The ropes lit fire, but instead of burning through they burned her. She yelped. The fire on the ropes died down.
“What the hell was that?”
A woman stepped forward. Tears decorated her long face. A face that looked so similar to Makenna's own. She chose not to think about that. Or the fact she felt as if she knew the woman, though she'd never seen her before.
The woman spoke. Her voice was soft and sad. “The ropes are magical. The only person who can free them is the one who bound you.” More tears welled in her eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
Makenna shook her head, her heart crying out to go to the woman. To embrace her, protect her, and dry her tears. She didn't understand the overwhelming feeling, so she remained mute. Too much was happening that didn't make sense.
Another man stepped forward. He appeared to be related to the woman. They had similar facial features and thick, raven hair. He took the woman's hand. “What about me? Do you know me?”
Makenna fought the same urge to go to him. To hide in the shelter of his arms. Home. He looked and smelled like home. But that couldn't be. She'd never seen either of them before. But her heart, her soul, her wolf, knew
them. Tears leaked down her face as she shook her head. Then she straightened.
If she belonged to them, why did they take her? Why hurt her? She sought out Rhys, needing something familiar even if she did hate him.
No, she wanted to hate him. But despite everything, she couldn't. She cast questioning eyes on him.
Rhys sighed. His shoulders sagged like the weight of the world rested on them. “Bowen, are you certain?”
Bowen nodded. “Yes. And the containment spell. It will disengage in less than thirty minutes.”
Makenna's head shot up. “Wait, the spell you told me my aunt and uncle cast? The one to hide whatever powers I have?”
If what she'd done at the store, at home, in the alley, was with powers that were partially contained, what could she do in half an hour when they were turned loose?
She could get out of here, that's what.
“Yes. They were dear friends of mine.” A shadow passed over Bowen’s eyes. “I helped them weave the spell. Your power, it is too much for one of us to contain.”
“Then if you were their friend, you can help me.” She spoke carefully, quietly.
This man seemed kind. Surely he could talk some sense into the others. Into Rhys. She turned her attention to him. They'd shared so much in a short time. They were mates. Surely she could get him to see reason.
“Rhys, please. Let me go. I don't know why you have me here, but I can't help you. I don't have anything you want. I don't know anything.” She pleaded with him. “You know I don't.”
“Rhys, don't listen to her.” Trystan glared at her. “She's Kylian's. She'll say anything to get free and go running back to him. Or try to slaughter us all.”
She stayed focused on Rhys. “I'd never even heard of Kylian until you told me about him. Please, you have to believe me. We're mates. Can't you feel I'm telling you the truth? Isn't that how it works?”
She was desperate. She couldn't let Trystan change Rhys’ mind. He was softening. He wanted to believe her. She could see it in his eyes.
Bowen rested a hand on Rhys' shoulder. “She's right. She doesn't know anything. She couldn't. The trigger is buried so deep, the one side would not know what the other does.”
Rhys eyed her. There was a war going on in him. He wanted to release her. She could see it. But another part of him was angry. Hurt. He was wary. That part feared if he let her go, it'd come back to bite him.
“Rhys, please.”
“Don't listen to that bitch! Rhys, you saw it yourself. You're the one who took her down.” Trystan vibrated with rage. He looked to be two seconds from knocking her out of the chair. “Trigger or no, she has to pay for what she's done.”
Makenna growled at him. Her wolf lunged. She fought against her bonds with renewed effort. She could feel the power infusing her body. So much power. In a few minutes, she wouldn't need Rhys to release her.
She felt her eyes change. The swirling colors consuming her sight, the sharpening focus. Now, she knew that when they did that, they were wolf. The animal wanted out, wanted to defend her against this man who wanted her dead.
She growled as she fought. The man and woman who looked so much like Makenna moved toward her, whispering soothing words, trying to calm her. While she registered their presence, felt the calm they tried to give her, her wolf was focused on Trystan.
He was a threat that must be eliminated.
“Look at her.” Trystan pointed. “She's rabid. Mate or not, Rhys, you can't let her free.”
He got up in Rhys' face and for a moment, Makenna thought he'd strike him.
That was all it took.
Makenna jumped, light radiating from her. The ropes gave. Shouts filled the room as she went for Trystan. The other man and woman and Rhys jumped in between them. Rhys held Trystan back while the man and woman held Makenna.
Shouting. Bodies colliding. Growls and whines. It was chaos as they restrained the two.
The man wrapped his arms around Makenna from behind and whispered in her ear. “Makenna, it's Talon. Please, calm down. We'll fix this. We'll fix you. I promised I'd help you and I will.” As he wrestled with her, his voice wavered, cracking with agony and love.
How could he love her? He didn't know her. She felt the same emotion pouring from the woman as she stroked Makenna’s back, trying to soothe her as she fought against them. Wait, did he say he'd promised he'd help her? When?
The confusion and strange emotions distracted her from the threat to her and Rhys. Her wolf calmed. They lowered her back to the chair, but this time she was allowed to remain free. She looked up as they stepped back. Curiosity burned within her. Who were they to her?
The night was getting crazier and crazier. Her head was splitting. She was so tired. Her back burned from wounds she couldn’t see but felt. She shifted her gaze to Rhys, who stood in front of Trystan, shielding him from her with his arm.
Rhys looked at Bowen. “Can you break it?”
“Aye. It may take a while, but I can do it.”
Makenna forced her attention from Rhys to Bowen. “You mean the trigger? I don't understand. The spell my aunt and uncle cast was for protection, right? How is that bad?”
Bowen gave her a patient, sorrowful look. “They’re two separate things. The spell was to contain your power and keep you hidden. The trigger is a magical device planted by Kylian to control you. When given a command, you would carry out his orders. Then when you were done, they would put you into a deep sleep. When you woke up, you wouldn't remember anything. It’s called a sleeper spell.”
Makenna's mouth dropped open. So she'd been doing things she didn't know about. Working for some evil man. That wasn't possible. She'd know if that had been happening. The past six months or so of going to sleep at night but never waking rested, of feeling like she’d worked out at the gym all night when she woke up, ran through her mind. No. It couldn’t be.
She shook her head. “You're wrong. There's no way I'd work for him. And no way I wouldn't remember doing things. Wait. What did I do?”
Suddenly, a knife speared her heart.
With the little she knew about Kylian, and the little she knew of her abilities... Oh God. The fight in the alley that night with Rhys. How she'd killed so easily. How she'd decided to kill without a second thought when she and Mr. Labeaux were attacked.
Makenna whimpered. “No. I didn't. I couldn't.”
She searched out Rhys' eyes hoping for a denial. The only thing living there was pain and sorrow.
Her stomach wretched. The room spun. Rhys knelt in front of her. He took her face in both hands. Looking into his eyes, she saw the truth. He hadn't kidnapped her. His soldiers hadn't attacked her and Mr. Labeaux.
She had been taken by Kylian, the beast within her had awoken, and she'd been set loose.
To kill Rhys.
To kill her own mate.
Her stomach heaved again, and Rhys pulled her forehead to his, hands shaking.
She'd accused him of something so terrible when all along she was the one doing terrible things.
Rhys pulled back. His eyes glistened, and his voice was rough. “Kenna, we can break the trigger. We can set you free. But you have to consent. Will you? Will you let us help you?”
Trystan lunged forward, and Talon caught him.
“No!” Trystan yelled. “She needs to be put down! She's a killer!”
Rhys pulled her face to him, not letting her look at Trystan. “Ignore him. Do you consent?” He leaned their heads together again as tears ran down both their faces. “I can't lose you, love.”
His words broke her.
Of course she wanted the trigger gone.
Not just for herself. For Rhys. She'd do anything for him. The man had fought for her when she didn't even know it. He'd tried to help her come to terms with who and what she was.
But she was a killer. He was bonded to someone who'd been working for his enemy, against his people. The people he said she was to rule and protect with him.
More tea
rs streamed down her face.
She'd let them break the trigger. Then she'd leave. He shouldn't be tied to someone like her. His people would never accept her, as evidenced by Trystan. She'd let them free her, then she'd set him free. All she ever did was hurt the people she loved. She'd be damned if she hurt him anymore.
“Do it. Break the trigger.”
CHAPTER TWENTY─THREE
Go To War
Rhys' heart stuttered.
Hope.
It was the first real hope he'd had all night.
Ever since finding that his Kenna had been the one after him and his people, his soul had broken. Betrayal had cut so deep he'd almost walked away and let Trystan have her.
But he couldn't.
Regardless of what she'd done, she hadn't done it of her own free will. She’d never betray him like that. Deep down where absolute truth lived, he knew that.
Rhys pulled Kenna close and kissed her forehead. He gave her the best smile he could muster. It was going to be a long night.
Breaking the trigger was only the beginning.
The room filled with light. Red light coming from Kenna. Her power was concentrating. Soon it would break free, and the wolf would emerge. Maybe even the raven. He didn't know. All he knew was he'd be with her every step of the way.
He locked gazes with her. “I'll be right here. I'm not leaving you.” She nodded and tried to smile back at him. Rhys rose and motioned to Bowen. “See it done.”
“What the fuck?” Trystan broke free of Talon, but Amanda stepped in front of him. He slammed into her but didn't push past her. “What are you doing? She's the enemy!”
Rhys watched as Bowen settled in front of Makenna. “No, she's not the enemy. She's my mate and Kylian’s victim.”
“She's no victim.” Trystan snarled. “She killed Ciarra, Rhys. And she tried to kill me.”
A boom of shocked silence dropped. Bowen paused, then continued with his chant. Makenna's confused eyes met Rhys'.
Rhys had known she'd probably killed at least a few of his people. But Trystan's blow hit its mark. As did the fact his Beta had been keeping something from him. Something that could’ve destroyed his world.
Sleeper (Rise of the Fianna Book 1) Page 24