“I’m actually starving,” I admit, my stomach growling in agreement. “But don’t bring me anything if it will get you in trouble.”
“Nicolai will never know I left.” Jax’s eyes gleam, and he takes a step back from me.
“How are you going—”
One second, Jax is standing in front of me, the next he’s gone in a cloud of black smoke. I look around the room and don’t find him anywhere. It reminds me of a bad magic show, but this time I think it really is magic. When the smell of that black smoke hits me, it all begins to click. When I first met Jax, I smelled smoke. He must have done this then as well.
That’s so cool!
I make a mental note to ask him what else he can do. I wonder if he’s able to shift into a wolf as well and what other magic he has up his sleeve.
A sudden wave of jealousy hits me. Jax can do all sorts of things, and all I’m able to do is occasionally grow fangs and claws. And if I were able to fully shift, I wouldn’t be here since I’d already be mated with Ryker. I’d be useless to Nicolai.
I pull my shirt over my head and use it to dry my face. I wish I was able to take a real shower, but splashing some water on my face is going to have to do for now. I don’t know how long Jax is going to be gone, but I decide to take advantage of not being chained to a table and clean myself up as best as I can. I look down at the damp shirt in my hand and wonder if Jax could score me a new set of clothes.
I walk out of the bathroom in my sports bra and leggings and move to hang my shirt over the plastic chair to allow it to dry out. I barely make it a foot into the room before the main door swings open, and Nicolai saunters in. His hair is sticking up all over his head like he had been nervously pulling at it, and his pale eyes are wild-looking. I immediately take a step back and hold the shirt in front of me, not wanting him to see me in just a bra.
It’s probably better not to add any fuel to that fire.
“Why aren’t you chained?” he questions when he scans the room and then me. “Where’s Jax?”
“He stepped out for a minute.” Not wanting to get Jax in trouble, I don’t offer any more information than that.
“I see the hellfire didn’t work.”
“What, really? I totally thought I had grown a tail and a set of pointy ears.” I pat my head before turning around to look at my rear end. I turn back to Nicolai and attempt to look disappointed. “Oh shoot, better luck next time?”
Nicolai roars in rage and flies across the room at me so fast I don’t have enough time to react. He slams us into the wall behind me. My spine and shoulders take the brunt of the hit, and I groan in pain.
“I’m so fucking sick of your mouth,” he growls, his breath hot on my face. “I really didn’t want to mutilate you since you’re so enjoyable to look at, but I’m seriously considering cutting your tongue out.”
“We both know you won’t.” I smirk. “You get too much pleasure out of our witty banter.”
“You’re overestimating my fascination with you. I wanted your mother, and while you’re a strong alpha wolf and would make a great addition to the program, you’re still not her.”
“If you don’t care about me, why don’t you let me out of here?” I ask.
“Because I still want what is owed to me. I will break you, Grey—I can promise you that. I will break your spirit, and then I’ll break the binds that hold your wolf prisoner. And lastly, I’m going to break you physically. And I know exactly how I’m going to do it.” The look of delight on his face makes me very nervous. “Go ahead, ask me how I’m going to do it.”
I don’t do what he asks at first, so he presses me harder into the wall and digs his claws into my upper arms where he holds me.
“Fine,” I huff. “How are you going to do it?”
Nicolai leans forward and speaks low into my ear. “I’m going to make you watch as I kill Ryker, but first, I’m going to make him watch as I fuck you.”
I jerk back and glare at him, confused. “You promised you’d leave him alone. I did what you said—I voluntarily came with you! You said you wouldn’t hurt him if I did.”
“You’re right, that is what I said. I believe I also said as long as Ryker stayed away and didn’t try to find you, I wouldn’t touch a single hair on his head.” Nicolai releases me and takes a step back. “Well, guess who’s found you?”
Ryker…
Nicolai didn’t chain me back up when he left, so I pace back and forth across the small room while I wait for Jax to get back. I’m a combination of pissed off and elated Ryker has found me. My skin prickles at the idea of him being close to where I am, but my stomach twists in knots and fear at the idea of him being close to me. Because it’s not just me who he’s getting closer to, Nicolai is here too, and he wants blood.
I’m pissed because in the clearing and also in the video I left, I begged Ryker to stay away. Like I had told him in the video, all of this will be for nothing if he shows up and is killed by Nicolai. I’m also angry Elias or Sawyer would allow him to go after me. I had made them promise to keep Ryker safe, and him coming here is anything but safe.
“Fuck!” I shout, slamming my fist into the drywall. Dust and debris fall to the floor when I remove my hand.
“What the hell?” Jax says when he suddenly appears across the room with a grocery bag in his arms. The smell of smoke fills the room before quickly fading. “What happened to you?”
“He’s coming here, and Nicolai is going to kill him.” My voice is flustered when I speak. “And he’s going to make me watch as he does it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jax shakes his head as he digs around in the bag of food. “Granola bar?”
“What? No!” I slap his hand away when he holds up a green package. “You’re not listening to me! Nicolai is going to kill him!”
“Again, I don’t know what or who you’re talking about.” Jax puts the bag down on the table and turns back to me. “Slow down, and tell me what happened.”
“Ryker found out where we are, and he’s on his way here.” I try to get the words out as calmly as possible. “And Nicolai said he’s going to kill him. Ryker has no idea what he’s walking into. I’ve only seen part of the facility, but from what I’ve seen, this place is a fortress.”
“He’ll never make it past the front gate,” Jax agrees. “He’s basically on a suicide mission.”
“Oh, my God! Don’t say that!” I know my voice is shrill and full of panic, but I can’t stop it. “I doubt he’s here by himself. I would bet money Remi is with him, and if she’s here, then the twins probably are too. Fuck! I left all of them to save them and now…” I can’t even bring myself to finish the sentence.
“How does Nicolai know Ryker’s on his way here?”
“He said someone called him to warn him.” I push my hair off my forehead and tug at the strands. “That’s not important. How am I going to help them? How am I going to warn them about the ambush I’m sure is waiting for them now.”
Nicolai is smart. I’m sure he’s getting a team together as we speak to take out Ryker and whoever’s with him before they even get to the gate.
Jax stands there staring at the wall behind me, a series of emotions rolling over his face. “You’re right, you can’t warn them.” Jax gives me a look I can’t quite decipher. “But I can.”
I pause in my pacing and look deep into those violet eyes. “You’d do that? Even if it means risking your chance of finding Sterling?”
“You told me I’m more than just a demon, and that made me realize I’m also more than my revenge. You also made me realize I can’t sit back any longer and allow this all to happen. So yes, I’ll help Ryker and you.”
“And when the time comes, I’ll help you find Sterling.” I act without thinking and pull Jax into a hug. He immediately stiffens up and jerks back a little. But to my surprise, a moment later, he relaxes and hugs me back. I mean it when I tell him I’ll help him find Sterling. I make a promise to myself that i
f one day, Jax shows up asking for help, I’ll drop everything and go—no questions asked.
“Just promise me one thing, Blondie,” I hear him whisper.
“Anything.”
“Kill him. Kill Nicolai.” I hear the change in Jax’s voice. It’s thick with anger. “Promise me you won’t let him get away with this.”
“I promise.”
41
Ryker
“Pull over,” I order when we’re a couple miles away from the facility. From what we’ve been able to find online, the building Nicolai has Pru in is part of an abandoned industrial park he bought. The official papers say it’s used as a distribution center for Volkov Industries, but we know now what it’s really used for. “We need to come up with a plan.”
Dad pulls the car over, and we all climb out and gather around the hood of the car to look at the pictures and map. Before we left William’s condo, Remington had printed out satellite images of the facility, so we have a good idea of the layout.
“My main concern is there is only one road in and out of the facility,” I tell them as I pick up a picture to get a better look at one of the main buildings.
“That’s if we can even get out,” Ransom says under his breath.
“That’s another thing,” I sigh and look away from my family. “I think I should be the only one to go in. I don’t want any of you getting hurt, and we all know how Pru feels about putting you guys in danger,” I add, thinking about how protective my little mate is of her family and pack.
When no one says anything in response, I lift my gaze and find them all staring at me, each of them looking equally annoyed.
“Ryker Alexander Weylyn, you’re fucking delusional if you think I’m going to allow you to go in there by yourself,” Dad snaps at me. I don’t have to question how serious he is since he cursed and used my middle name. He always reserves those for serious moments. Like this.
“We don’t really know what we’re walking into. Nicolai has proven time and time again that he’s smart but also ruthless. I’m okay with me getting hurt or worse, but not you guys.” I shake my head. “What if I go in alone, and while they’re distracted with me, you guys find Pru? I only care that she gets out safe, and all of you leave here alive.”
“Ryker—” Remi starts to speak, but the sound of someone clapping from next to the driver’s side door of the SUV has us all spinning around. I smell something burning for a moment, but the odor floats away in the wind.
A tall, lanky man with dark hair leans against the silver vehicle. He continues his clapping for several more seconds before crossing his arms and smirking at us. “Wow, that was so moving. I’m very impressed with the whole—martyr thing. I mean, Pruitt sure as hell won’t be happy to hear about you being the sacrificial lamb. She’s already pretty pissed you’re here, so we probably shouldn’t add any fuel to that fire.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ranger asks the man.
“Or right, sorry. Hello. I’m Jax,” the man—Jax—says, grinning at us. “I was the one tasked with torturing Blondie, but I think we’re friends now—no wait.” He holds up a hand and tilts his head to the side like he’s thinking about something. “Yes, I can confidently say we are friends now.”
“You have a lot of balls showing up here and admitting to torturing my mate,” I growl at the man. My wolf bristles at the thought of Pruitt being tortured and my claws lengthen on their own. After the past few days, my wolf is ready to sink his teeth into something, and he’s more than happy to start with Jax.
“You must be Ryker.” He nods in my direction as he pushes off the car and stands straight. “I wasn’t sure which one of you was. Also, Blondie, I mean, Pru, isn’t mad at me about the whole torture thing. You shouldn’t be either.”
Images of Pruitt being tortured and in pain fill my head, and my legs push off the dirt road shooting me forward toward Jax. Fueled by rage, I bring my fist back, fully intending to smash this guy’s face in, but in the blink of an eye, he disappears, and the smell of smoke fills the air. I look around and don’t see him anywhere. My family does the same thing, their gazes glancing frantically around the car and the nearby treeline for him, but he’s nowhere to be found.
“What the hell?” Remi drawls.
“Only part hell, sweet cheeks.” Jax suddenly appears at Remi’s side. “Try to kill anyone recently? I think the guard you almost took down while you were being held by good Ol’ Nico had to go to therapy.”
“How do you know me?” Remi takes a step back from him and scowls. “How are you doing that?”
“I was lurking around when Nico brought you back to his hideout in Montana. As for your other question… I’m part demon, and I’m fairly good with the whole hellfire thing—it’s a rare ability, but I can use it to travel between the physical planes of the world…” Jax trails off and gives her a look. “I—is this really important right now? Don’t you think we have more urgent business to attend to?”
“How do we know you can be trusted and you’re not just one of Nicolai’s loyal soldiers?” Ransom questions him before I can.
“You people are so paranoid,” Jax says, huffing. “Pruitt asked me to come here and help you guys. Nicolai told her his plans for Ryker, and she’s freaking the fuck out since she knows he’s more than capable of doing what he promised.”
“I still don’t know how we’re supposed to trust you.” I cross my arms and narrow my eyes at him. “You’re a demon, after all. They are notoriously untrustworthy.”
“Part demon,” Jax corrects. “Pru told me that the last thing she told you before she left was she would find a way to be okay, but if we wait out here any longer, she’s not going to be okay.”
I hadn’t been able to wipe away the tears streaming down her face when she told me that since I was under the effects of the paralytic, but her words had broken my heart. She was trying to be so strong for me—for all of us. There is no way for Jax to know what Pru whispered to me in the clearing without Pru telling him herself.
“Okay, I believe you,” I concede. “Now how do I get my mate out of there alive? Preferably with all of us alive?”
“I have a plan, but we’re going to have to act fast if it has any chance of working.” Jax takes a couple steps down the road before turning back to look at all of us. “Leave the car here, it will probably be for the best you don’t literally drive through Nicolai’s front gate.”
I’m the first to follow the demon, while my family hesitates at first. Each of them has a worried look on their faces. I should probably be more worried than I am, but I’m less than a mile away from my mate, and that’s all I can think about. My dad is the one who finally makes a move to follow us, and then my siblings fall in line behind.
As we pass the back of the SUV, we all hear the muffled sounds of someone gagged and trying to call out from inside. There’s also a slight thumping noise that follows the faint calls.
“Is there someone tied up in your car?” Jax raises a brow in question when he looks back at us.
“Yes. It’s Pru’s uncle, actually.” Remi grins proudly.
Jax looks between the car and us before a smirk appears on his face. “Awesome.”
The satellite images were a couple years old and didn’t show the ten-foot brick wall with barbed wire on top of it. And from what I can see from our vantage point behind a thick cluster of trees, the only way in or out is the metal gate has been conveniently left open. Being wolf shifters, we’re able to see really well in the dark, so while the human guards patrolling the area can’t see us, we can see them.
But for Jax’s plan to work, they can’t see us until we want them too.
I wait for a guard to pass us before reaching for William, who’s still bound and gagged. We had put a silver cuff on his arm before we left his apartment building, so he’s unable to shift. His eyes widen in fear when I drag him closer to me. Jax had laughed when he saw William hog-tied in the back of the car, and honestly, under other circumstances, I wo
uld have too.
I grab hold of the tape over his mouth and rip it off. Lucky for him, he’s clean-shaven, so I doubt it hurt as bad as it could have.
“Dammit!” he growls in pain.
“Shut the hell up, you big baby.” Remi rolls her eyes at him.
“I’m going to laugh when Nicolai tears you all apart.” William sneers at us. “And you,” he adds, glaring at Jax. “When he finds out you’re helping these people—well, you’re going to wish you were never created.”
“Too late for that, buddy.” Jax flips him off.
“Shut up,” I growl at them all before I push William out of the treeline we’re hiding in. He stumbles but quickly regains his balance. “Go call for help and pray to God I don’t ever get my hands on you again because if I do, I’m going kill you.”
William gives us all one last look before he takes off running down the dirt road. His movements are weird and awkward since his arms are still tied behind his back.
“They’re down there! Someone go fucking kill them!” he yells at the guards. “Why are you just standing there? Did you not hear what I said? They’re right there!”
The guards do exactly what we thought they would do. They run from their positions and gather around William. From where I stand, I can see at least fifteen men now standing in clear view and out in the open. Which is right where we want them. This way, we don’t have to go search for each of them. Instead, they’ve revealed themselves to us.
“Ready?” I ask Jax.
“This is going to be awesome.” His eyes flash bright before he disappears in a cloud of smoke.
We watch as Jax appears in the middle of all the guards. At first, they don’t notice him, so he lets out a small whistle, and they all turn around to face him. Jax holds both of his hands out, palms up, and he sends out a flash of hellfire. Jax had explained to us that it was like a bomb of sorts. The hellfire will attach itself to anyone within fifteen feet, hence the reason we’re staying back. I don’t know much about how hellfire works other than that, but I do know it’s supposed to be the worst pain imaginable if it touches you.
Wolf Bound (The White Wolf Prophecy Book 1) Page 28