by Bella Jacobs
Almost immediately, I feel the stone working, flooding my body with a cool, tingly feeling like I’ve just jumped into a vat of peppermint muscle balm. My stomach is a little queasy, but otherwise, I feel relaxed, calm, and completely defenseless.
I know I’ll hate that part once the stone’s power taps out, but for now it’s a pleasantly novel sensation, like swooping down from the top of a rollercoaster.
Hermione leans down, doing a visual check with me. I nod. She nods, makes a face that clearly questions my sanity, then turns back to the tiger, “You have five to six questions before the juice runs out. Make them count.”
Sitting up straighter, his eyes lock on mine as he asks, “Did you try to kill your father?”
“No, I didn’t,” I say easily, not feeling the need to elaborate the way I usually would. But that’s part of the magic of the stones, they cut to the core of a question, no beating around the bush.
The tiger’s brows lift in seeming surprise, but he has his second question ready only a second later. “Did you forbid your brother from ever returning home upon penalty of death?”
“No, I didn’t,” I say, still feeling very calm, though deep inside my head a part of me is howling in protest.
Did my brother tell him that? Is Bane the one painting me as a villain?
My second answer seems to shake the tiger more than the first. His lips part but he shuts them again with a grunt. “No point in asking the same question twice.” He glances up at Hermione. “He really can’t lie? When his eyes are all fuzzy like that?”
She shakes her head. “No, he can’t.”
His breath rushes out. “Fuck.” His fingers dig deeper into his thighs. “Did you give Kelley poison to make her infertile?”
“No, I didn’t,” I reply, too dumbfounded to even know what to think about that.
The tiger, looking progressively more disturbed asks, “Did you kidnap Willow? And have you been holding her prisoner?”
Those two questions stump me for a moment, but just a moment, and then the stone cuts to the truth of that, as well. “I did not kidnap her. I have been holding her prisoner, on and off.”
He scowls. “Why?”
“At first because I didn’t trust her. Then because I didn’t trust myself around her.”
The tiger hesitates for a second, then says, “Why don’t you trust yourself around her?”
“Because I’m falling in love with her,” I hear myself say. A second later, the stone turns to acid in my mouth, and I spit it out, gagging at the bitter taste left behind.
But the damned thing gave out one question too late.
Now there’s no denying the way I feel about Willow. I know it, Hermione knows it, as does this tiger who’s looking pretty ashamed of himself all of a sudden.
And I’m about to find out why…
I nod toward the stone in Hermione’s hand, “Your turn. Let’s get to the bottom of this pile of shit and start digging our way out.”
“You don’t need the stone,” he says, in a raw, broken voice. “I’ll tell you the truth. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
And he does.
And then we verify that he’s telling the truth with the other truth stone.
And then I go upstairs to find Willow and break the news that we’d better start fucking with a purpose.
Fast.
Chapter Thirteen
Willow
Pacing the floor in Diana’s kitchen, I cast another impatient look toward the clock above the stove.
Where the devil is she?
It’s nine-thirty. If she doesn’t get here soon, I won’t have time to work with my pack gift before Maxim arrives at ten.
I suppose I could go it alone in the bathroom with the mirror to help me out, but I really wanted Diana’s guidance. She knows this pack and the dynamics of Human Side shifters far better than I do. She’ll know what questions to put to my gift to get answers as quickly as possible.
The irony that this is exactly what Maxim was trying to do the night he tied me up in his study isn’t lost on me, but it’s different now.
Firstly, I’m a willing participant, not a hostage.
Secondly, I trust Diana more than I trust Maxim.
Not a great sign considering she’s not the Thorn sibling I’m fated to marry, but…it’s the truth.
I want to trust Maxim, but he’s so confusing. One minute, he’s vulnerable and honest, granting me a glimpse into his innermost self. The next minute, he’s strutting around barking orders and ordering me to my room like I’m a child, not his future mate.
I mean, I guess I could find that kind of romantic if he were doing it to protect me, but that’s not the vibe I get. He locks me up to control me, not to keep me safe, and I don’t want to be controlled anymore. I either want to be an equal partner in making decisions that will affect my life and the safety of my future children or…
“Or what?” I mutter to the empty apartment.
I don’t know.
I can’t run from Maxim the way I ran from Pax. I don’t have anywhere left to run to. At least nowhere that would offer me a decent chance of survival. I imagine the outcast pack in St. Louis that offered my parents refuge would take me, too, but they’re a group of misfits and rejects. They have very little power and survive mostly by flying under the radar.
If a woman who features prominently in a prophecy that’s obsessed half the shifter world joined their ranks, the entire pack would be destroyed in a matter of weeks.
Maybe less.
I can’t bring that danger to their doorstep. It wouldn’t be right, which leaves…no one.
I could seek sanctuary with one of the witch covens, I suppose, but I have nothing to offer them in return. I have no magic, no money, not even a green thumb for helping grow herbs and flowers for spells. I would likely end up someone’s maid, which would not only be a waste of six years of college education, but insanely stressful.
From everything I’ve heard about witch households, the drama and infighting between the generations living under one roof is epic and staff members tend to get caught in the crossfire. I have no urge to live the rest of my life with a sweet potato growing out of my nose because I didn’t hit the ground fast enough when my employer starting slinging spells.
A number of witch enchantments can’t be reversed. It’s one of the reasons most other supernatural creatures give them a wide berth.
Another is that witches are exceptionally jealous lovers. They’ll cut your dick off first and apologize for not realizing the pretty woman they saw you talking to in the park was your cousin later.
After it’s far too late for you and your dick to be reunited…
I always thought that was horrible, and that I would be incapable of that kind of violence, no matter how hurt I might someday be by a romantic betrayal.
But I confess that the more I think about Maxim fucking other women after our marriage, the more cutting his dick off—or locking him away in a deep, dark dungeon where he won’t be able to fuck anything but his own hand—sounds sort of appealing.
It’s crazy, of course. Maxim never promised to love me and is being bullied into this marriage. He doesn’t owe me fidelity or anything else except basic human decency and the respect I intend to earn with my behavior.
But still…
I know if I let him into my bed, I won’t want to share him.
And as much as I’d like to deny it, I really, really want him in my bed. When I woke up and found him standing over me, all broody and cross, my first thought wasn’t—Ew, Maxim, I can’t stand him. How dare he barge in here while I’m sleeping?
It was—Get those clothes off and get under these covers with me, you sexy beast, because I can’t wait to taste every cranky inch of you.
And that’s what I’m thinking about—tasting Maxim—when he stalks through Diana’s front door without knocking.
I stop my pacing and turn to him with huff, propping my hands on my hips.
I’m about to ask him if he has some sort of genetic defect that prevents him from knocking or exercising other common courtesies, when I get a better look at his face and my heart dives into my stomach.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “Was there another attack?”
He shakes his head. “No. I…” He exhales, dragging a clawed hand through his hair. “The tiger’s name is Christopher. He’s going to help us. He’s on our side now.”
My brows shoot up. “What? Really? And you…trust him? To be an ally? Just like that?”
“No, not just like that. I took steps to verify he was telling the truth.” He crosses to the island, setting a tablet I didn’t notice he held on the smooth black marble. “And he gave me access to more evidence. It’s something you should see. Now.”
I nod slowly. “Okay. Evidence of what?”
Maxim’s jaw muscle clenches into a knot as he swipes the tablet to life and punches in a code. “You’ll see. Just…watch. It’s one of their recruiting videos. It should give you an idea what we’re up against.”
I slide in beside him, staring down at the screen as he presses play on a video.
I’m not sure what I’m expecting, but it sure as hell isn’t my sister, gorgeous in a pale blue robe, standing beside a man Maxim tells me is his brother, Bane. They’re standing in front of one of the fattest, oldest trees I’ve ever seen, while Bane speaks in a deep, soothing voice about the evil that has burrowed deep into his brother’s mind, causing him to poison their father and Kelley, in an attempt to make my sister barren.
My jaw drops, but before I can speak, Maxim points to the screen again, “Just watch.”
“But we are not helpless nor hopeless in the face of this evil,” Bane says. “With your passion and support, we will walk into the new age as brothers and sisters of good faith, bathed in the warmth of light and love. We can banish darkness and stop my brother’s shadow court. We can and we will!”
Kelley lifts a small sword into the air and shouts, “For the light!” while an unseen audience breaks into cheers so loud the tablet’s speakers can’t handle the noise. They crackle and hum as the camera pans to reveal an ancient forest absolutely packed with people.
No, not people…warriors.
The men and women aren’t wearing uniforms, but they’re all dressed for battle, in a mixture of traditional leather armor and more modern tactical gear. There are even a few glowing, fairy-enchanted protective tunics in the mix, which means Bane and Kelley must have convinced some of the Fey to join their cause. Only fairies are allowed to wear that armor.
Which means…
“Shit,” I mutter as the screen fades to black.
“Exactly,” Maxim says. “I hope I don’t need to tell you all of the things they said are lies. I would never hurt my father or your sister.”
“No, of course not,” I rush to assure him.
“I testified to as much to Christopher under the influence of a truth stone,” he says. “That’s how I got through to him, and he began to realize that he’s been lied to and…brainwashed, I suppose. Apparently, Bane has most of the Human Side shifter packs convinced that I’m the Shadow Prince and must be stopped at all costs. They’ve been working underground for years to prepare to take the tower and do away with me.” He glances my way. “And you, I suppose. If they decide you’re on my side. As of now, Kelley’s been telling them you’re a prisoner here, that I kidnapped you to force you into fulfilling the prophecy. She must want to spare you if she can.”
It feels like someone’s slipped a knife between my ribs.
But, of course, Maxim must be feeling even worse.
I rest a careful hand on his shoulder, “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking.”
“I imagine they’re thinking that lies and manipulation are the quickest way to get what they want,” he says, before adding in a softer voice, “Or maybe they’ve both lost their minds. That would be…easier.”
I bring my hand to his back, rubbing in gentle circles between his shoulder blades. “It would. I can’t imagine the Kelley I knew being a part of something like this.” I pause, my hand falling to my side as a possibility flits through my head. “Is it possible they’ve been deceived, too, maybe? That someone else is pulling the strings and…tricking them somehow?”
Maxim seems to consider that for a moment but then shakes his head. “I mean, maybe, but Bane should know better. He’s my brother. He knows who I am. Or he damned well should. I never even wanted to be Alpha. I grew up knowing the only way I would ever lead the pack is if something happened to my brother and I…” He swallows. “I fucking idolized him. I wouldn’t wish a head cold on him let alone death.”
My stomach balls into a knot. I want to say something to ease his pain, but I don’t have words for a situation like this. So, I just whisper, “I’m so sorry, Maxim. And I am on your side. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
He turns to me, hope and wariness warring in his gaze. “Really? Even after I’ve been more awful to you than…” His breath rushes out. “Well, anyone. You caught me at a bad time, when I was feeling protective of my people after Dad’s poisoning, but that doesn’t excuse all of it.”
“No, it doesn’t.” I cock my head, studying him, hope fluttering cautious wings in my chest. “But maybe we can start fresh? If you’re open to that, I am. It sounds like we could both use someone we can trust on our side.”
He nods, but his focus shifts to the floor as he mumbles, “I’d like that.”
My lips curve. “You sound pretty thrilled about it. Keep a lid on the enthusiasm, Thorn, or you’ll give me a big head.”
His lips twitch, but when his gaze returns to mine his isn’t smiling. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to be excited about anything right now. It all feels…dark. And like we’re running out of time.”
I frown. “Did the tiger, Christopher, tell you what they’re planning? Are they going to attack the tower again?”
“He didn’t have any information on that. Bane is being careful to keep the pieces of the puzzle separate, so that if any one person is captured, they won’t be able to be coerced into giving up the master plan,” he says. “But Christopher echoed what Maggie said, that it all hinges on the baby. That’s why Kelley stole a fertility object from our treasure room. Apparently, they’re having trouble conceiving.”
“Because you allegedly poisoned Kelley? Even though you haven’t seen her in years, and we all thought she and Bane were dead?”
“Correct.” His mouth twists into a crooked line. “Which is insane, of course, but they’re fixated on having a baby as quickly as possible. And that’s the only way I can see this ending without bloodshed—if it’s obvious to their followers that we conceived first.”
My head rears back, shock blanking my brain for a moment.
I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised—it’s part of what we were discussing with Maggie earlier—but Maxim wasn’t on board with babies, or the prophecy, a few hours ago.
“B-but you don’t believe in the prophecy,” I stammer.
“At this point it doesn’t matter what I believe. Either we convince the crazy half of the shifter world that we’re the good guys or, at the very least, that fighting us is a pointless endeavor or…my brother murders me.” He motions to me. “Maybe murders both of us, if you truly intend to throw your lot in with me.” His forehead furrows as he adds in a softer voice, “You can still leave if you want. I’ll help you get out of the city. I won’t force you to marry me or bear my child, though…I confess there’s a part of me that wants to.”
I take a step back, lifting my hands in the universal sign for “stop the insanity.” “Okay, did I miss something somewhere? Didn’t we just decide to start fresh and work together? Like…two minutes ago?”
“We did,” he says, “but my people still come first. If the only way to protect them from my brother is to make sure you’re pregnant with my baby…”
My blood going cold,
I drop my arms and curl my fingers into fists at my side. “You wouldn’t dare. Not after… Not after what you know happened with Pax.”
To his credit, a truly miserable expression twists his handsome features, and he sounds tortured as he says, “I don’t know, Willow. If we’re going to be partners, then I owe you the truth and…” His breath rushes out. “I don’t fucking know. And I hope you won’t force me to find out. A fertility specialist will be here first thing in the morning. She’ll chart your moon cycle and see when you’ll be fertile and…we’ll go from there.”
I glare at him through slitted eyes. “And if I decide I’m not ready to get pregnant and toss an innocent baby into the middle of this insanity? If I think we should do more research and try to find a way to help these people see the truth without rushing into something so serious? What then?”
His jaw muscles tense again. “Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s a realistic option. It could take months or even years to get through to these people. Do you know how hard it is to deprogram someone once they’ve joined a cult? It’s practically impossible. Their entire identity and community becomes wrapped up in that belief. If it proves untrue, their entire world falls apart.”
“But the truth is the truth,” I insist. “And the truth has power. We can start with getting your dad to tell these people that you didn’t poison him.”
“They’ll just say I’m forcing him to say that or that he’s a doddering old man who doesn’t want to admit that his son is an evil shadow prince.”
“Okay, then Christopher,” I say, pointing a finger at his chest. “He believes you. We get him to help talk to the others, convince them that—”
“There’s no time, Willow.” Maxim cuts in. “He’s one man and there’s no way he’ll be able to change enough minds in two weeks, even if Bane and Kelley don’t catch on to what he’s doing and have him eliminated. These people think this is all going to be decided quickly, and they’re prepared to help the prophecy along with well-planned, coordinated violence. The best way to throw a wrench in all of this and throw them off their game is to make it look like we’re the chosen couple. Then, once you’re pregnant, we can work on defusing things further.”