by Haley Weir
Caleb stared at her and frowned. "Why? I mean nothing to you. You shouldn't have risked—”
"Because I needed to," she interrupted. "I woke up one day, and suddenly, magic and monsters exist." He flinched at her words, and Rina crawled closer to him. She cupped his cheek. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't see you as a monster..."
He turned his head and kissed her palm sweetly. "You still shouldn't be here, Rina."
"Well, I am. There's no going back now. We can either talk about things we can't change or we can find Seth and break out of here."
"There's no way we can get out of here alive..."
"How many exits?" she asked, ignoring his pessimism.
"Just the lift. It's the only one that goes to the surface."
"Smart."
"Easier to defend a fortress if there's only one access point. What do you have in mind?"
She chewed her bottom lip and stood up to observe her cell. Rina looked around with a focus he had never seen on her face. It was a reminder of just how little he knew about her. Rina pointed to the ceiling. "There's sprinklers...that means there might be systems in case of an emergency. Sprinklers for fires...but what about floods?"
"I'm not following."
"We're on an island, Caleb. What if there's an issue with water? Those drains in the ground or the plumbing could become flooded when the tide is high. What then? They can't all fit in one elevator."
"You want to flood the fortress?" he hissed. "You'd kill us all, Rina."
She smiled and ran over to the bars. "Maybe."
"There's no maybe. We would die."
"If we start a big enough flood, it could trigger an emergency evacuation. The doors would open, Caleb. We could get Seth out of here and reach the surface before the damage is done."
"That's insane!"
"I'd bet my life on it."
"Mine too, apparently," he huffed. "How do you expect us to start a flood? If you haven't noticed, we're locked in these godforsaken cells."
Rina touched his bare chest and wiped away fresh tears. Caleb hadn't seen himself in weeks, but he was more than aware of the damage that had been done to his body. "I need you to get close to the leaders. Tell them whatever you think they want to hear and get out of the cell. When you're free, cause a diversion."
"What good would that do?"
"I'll slip through the bars and find Seth. We'll block the pipes and turn on the sprinklers."
"How?" he asked.
Rina dug into her pocket and pulled out a pack of matches. "We left prepared. Olivia got away, but...never mind. The point is that this will work. It has to."
"I don't know..."
"Trust me. If I have to start believing in magic, then you have to believe in me." Rina drew him closer and pressed a kiss to his chapped lips. He tasted the salt of her tears and trembled. It felt good to hold her again—even if it had to be between bars.
"Isn't this sweet," Octavius laughed. "You ready to talk, pretty boy?"
Caleb pulled away from Rina and approached the door of his cell. "I...want to talk to my brother. If we're going to attack the castle, he'll need to know its weaknesses."
Octavius snickered as he opened the cell and yanked Caleb into the corridor. His thugs were there to make sure he complied. The startled gasp from Rina was like a kick to the gut. He hadn't told her what his enemy wanted, but it was out now. And he would have laughed at the furious glare she shot Octavius if not for their dire situation. Caleb desperately hoped her plan worked.
The guards shoved him towards the large staircase. Caleb nearly stumbled, but he righted his balance and followed Octavius down the stairs. Madeu sat on a throne at the heart of the cavernous chamber. It was carved from stone and adorned with a pair of elk horns. He looked like a real barbarian king. "I'm glad you decided to join us, Caleb. My men tell me your mate put up quite a fight. She will make a good bride."
Mate...Rina was his mate? Caleb shook his head and snorted. "Neither of us are interested in old traditions, I assure you."
"She wears your mark. What has been set in motion cannot be undone," Madeu said. "You...didn't know?" Caleb lowered his head and tried to process what Madeu had told him. "This is almost too perfect. The favored sons of a warmongering king have mated with humans. I should kill her just to make you watch."
"I'm here to help you."
"And I wanted to help my father!" Madeu snapped. "And yet he murdered my mother for birthing a human bastard. Imagine how that felt! I grew up in the shadows with nothing while you and the others were beloved by all."
"I won't deny that you've been through pain, but you see the marks on me. I was no favored son; I was a disappointment." The truth of his confession stung Caleb more than he ever realized. "So, are we doing this or not?"
Chapter Nine
The Reckoning had made a big mistake bringing Rina into their facility. She slipped through the bars of her cell and into the corridor. The cells had been built to hold bear shifters, not curvy human women. She walked along the hall, listening through doors and peeking into rooms. The corridors were long and narrow without many places to hide, but she listened and watched with an intensity that was shocking.
Up until the moment Caleb Black saved her on that mountain, her life had been somewhat normal. Now, she crept through an underground fortress in search of her date's missing brother. Rina stopped outside of a different sort of cell that was just off to the left of what appeared to be the kitchen. There was a vent for the smoke to filter to the surface above the stove. Rina smile as she tinkered with the lock on the cell, careful to not be seen by the servants.
The door above the stairs opened and she slipped into the shadows. One of Octavius's lackies opened the cell and tossed a bucket of water inside along with a few scraps of fish. Rina carefully eased a chip of wood in the doorway.
When the guard closed the door to the cell, the piece of wood kept the lock from latching. She did a little happy dance in her mind and waited for the area to clear once more. When she was sure it was safe, Rina slipped inside of the cell. Her heart clenched at the sight of the dangerously thin man hunched over the scraps of food. She plugged her nose as bile crawled up the back of her throat. The stench was unreal. Rina's eyes watered as she moved closer. Beyond the fringe of greasy hair and a thick beard was the unmistakable resemblance all of the Black siblings had.
"Seth?" she whispered. He scurried back and glanced up at her with fear in his eyes. Rina held her hands out and crouched down beside him. "My name is Rina. I'm Caleb's...I'm a friend of Caleb's. Come on. We have to get out of here and we need to move quickly—”
Sirens blared in her ears, and Seth looked at her with questions in his eyes. He opened his mouth, and she realized his tongue was missing. She nodded her head and reached out for him. "That's Caleb. He's causing a diversion."
The fortress erupted into chaos. Rina helped Seth to his feet and slung his arm over her shoulder. She pushed open the door to his cell and propped him against the wall before striking a match and tossing it through the air. The small stick of sulfur caused a much bigger explosion than she expected. Seth shielded her with his body and ran for the stairs as quickly as his body was able. The stove had been lit with a low level of gas that ignited when the match rolled underneath.
She wiped the soot from her eyes and hurried beside Seth. The ceiling of the lower level began to cave in, and the alarms grew louder. Sprinklers were triggered by the flames. Rina stopped into a few rooms and shoved anything she could find in the drains. Seth caught on to her plan and kicked one of the sink pipes. Water sprayed everywhere, causing a sizable amount of water to pool on the floor. They kept out of sight as best as they could, but a group of guards appeared. Rina tossed her hair out of her face, ready to fight until her last breath. Seth growled and rushed the group. He was much thinner than his brothers after being held captive, but he fought with a mind-blowing speed.
Rina ducked as a man reached for her. She wasn't much of a fig
hter, but she knew enough to defend herself and buy them some time. The door at the end of the hall burst open, and Caleb appeared in the doorway. Rina took a blow to her side, and her stomach heaved. Caleb's blood-chilling roar caused the hair on her arms to stand. He moved in a blur, beating down his enemies with a skill that was awe-inspiring. Rina made her way towards him, hearing the sound of thundering boots behind her as they splashed through the water. She reached out for Caleb and he lifted her off of her feet. Seth limped beside his brother as they ran for the elevator.
A man stood up from a majestic throne and rippled with magic. A nightmarish beast broke through the wall and lunged for Caleb. Rina's mouth opened to scream, but she was tossed into the elevator. Seth and Caleb fought against the Reckoning with every ounce of their strength, right up until the doors slid closed. They vaulted towards the surface.
There was an unsettling silence that greeted them on the other side of the doors. Rina had never been happier to see the snow. If just a few hours had felt like a lifetime in that place, she couldn't imagine how Caleb and Seth felt. Rina took the lead and headed towards the trail she had followed from town. She searched the ground for the bag she had dropped when she had been captured by one of the rebels. A sigh of relief puffed out in a cloud of steam as she pulled clothes from the bag. Rina tossed some pants to Caleb and Seth before she changed out of her waterlogged clothing.
Caleb gave her a strange look as he tugged a shirt over his head. She helped Seth with his shirt and shrugged her shoulders. "I told you that I came prepared. Olivia forced me to watch supernatural shows the past few days and I guess I picked a few things up." Rina stuffed her wet clothes in a plastic bag angrily. "I can't believe they took his tongue!"
"They didn't."
"What?"
"He bit it off so they couldn't get information out of him," Caleb explained. Seth lowered his head as if he was ashamed of what he had done.
She tilted his chin up and held his gaze. “What you did to protect your people—what you did to protect your family, is nothing less than honorable."
~*~
Castle Black
Destiny, Alaska
Caleb didn't like Rina's hands on his brother. There was a part of him that was worried that one of his brothers was more her type. And, though he knew Rina disliked domestic men like Seth, there was an insane surge of possessiveness that swept through him like a raging storm. He stomped down the trail, feeling the pain of his body trying to heal itself as he walked. The castle wasn't far. Caleb couldn't wait to feel like himself again.
That place...changed him.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and forced open one of the secret entrances to the palace. Seth and Rina caught up to him, and they stepped into a dimly lit tunnel that led to the painting behind the king's throne. It was an emergency escape route in case of an attempted assassination. Thankfully, it allowed Caleb and the others to sneak into the castle without causing a spectacle.
Rina brushed past him and unhinged the clasp on the painting. It swung open, causing a maid dusting the chandeliers to jump in surprise. She scurried from the room as they climbed down from a small ledge. The doors to the throne room opened and Giddeon ordered his guards to take Seth and Caleb to the infirmary. Caleb jerked out of their hold and bared his teeth in a snarl. Rina tucked her hand against his elbow and steered him away. "You should really get looked at by a doctor."
"I'm already healing."
She pulled him along until they reached his bedchamber. Caleb swallowed nervously, but he followed her inside. Rina turned and began to strip his shirt off. It got caught under his armpits when he refused to lift his arms. Caleb chuckled and finally gave in when she gave him a frustrated pout. Rina tossed the shirt aside and checked his wounds. She winced as she traced her hand along old and new scars before leading him towards the bathroom.
His bare feet touched the marble floor and the light twinkled on overhead. Rina removed her clothes and gestured for him to remove his pants as she turned on the shower. The hot spray of water hit the glass enclosure and steam began to rise in the bathroom. Rina smiled and summoned him closer with nothing but a nod of her head, but he was helpless to deny her anything for reasons he had yet to understand.
Caleb stepped into the shower and nearly moaned when the water first hit his face. Rina lathered soap onto her hands and began to gently wash away the filth and grime that covered his body. She took care to avoid any wounds that were still healing and cleaned him up thoroughly. Caleb watched her with unbridled adoration as she scraped his fingernails, shaved the scraggly stubble from his jaw, and washed his hair with a touch so gentle that it felt like a faint breeze gliding across his skin.
Rina stepped back and looked at her work with a satisfied smile. Caleb grabbed her by the hips and pulled her against him. She squealed a little but didn't stop him from returning the favor. Caleb washed the smears of dirt from her cheeks, looking into her eyes as he ignored the urge to kiss her perfect lips. His hand trailed down the curve of her neck. She giggled and squirmed in his arms as if she were ticklish. Caleb smiled and filed that away for another time.
A faint gasp echoed in the shower as he cupped her breasts, washing them carefully even as his thumbs brushed teasingly over her nipples. Caleb slid his hands down her sides. Rina jumped back with a shout of pain. Worry replaced the excitement that had been brewing inside of him, and Caleb noticed dark bruises forming on her ribs. He cursed under his breath and washed her with painstaking care until the dirt and soap were washed away. Caleb picked Rina up, grinding his teeth against his own pain, as he carried her into the bedroom.
"No! The bedding will get wet," she protested, but he paid her no mind. Caleb prodded along her ribs and found several of them had been injured in the fight for their freedom. He jumped from the bed and ran for the door. His voice boomed into the corridor as he called for Giddeon. The Alpha appeared instantly with the help of his magic.
"What is it? I'm busy tending to Seth."
"Rina is injured. She needs healing," Caleb said as he shoved his brother towards the bed. Rina clutched the sheets to her body to maintain some modesty. Giddeon planted his feet firmly and shook his head.
"Rina will heal naturally with proper care and time. If I attempt to heal her, I run the risk of depleting my powers before I can finish helping Seth."
"Do it! Help her!”
"She may be human, but she is not so fragile that she cannot heal from a few bruised ribs, Caleb. Though, I find your concern for someone other than yourself refreshing," Giddeon turned back towards the door and left without another word.
Chapter Ten
Most people think a run in their pantyhose during a job interview was awkward—or perhaps headbutting their crush during their first kiss, but nothing compared to Rina's situation. She laid naked in Caleb's bed while Damien silently attempted to heal her bruised ribs. Rina would have much preferred to run into an ex at a party or trip in public. She observed the uncomfortable tension between the two shifters as they stood side by side. If Damien's touch lingered for more than a second, Caleb snarled like a beast.
The unnerving back and forth set her teeth on edge more than the pain. Damien brazenly kissed her hand when he was finished with the healing and Rina had to jump in between them in hopes they wouldn't kill one another or tear her to shreds for stepping in. "Thank you, Damien. I know we left things on bad terms last we spoke, but I'm grateful."
"What happened?" Caleb asked, looking between them with a furrowed brow.
"Nothing you should worry about." Damien's words were uttered with a fierce rumble. "What happens between Rina and I is none of your concern."
Rina placed her hand on Caleb's chest to keep him at bay, but she turned towards Damien. "First of all, there's nothing between us, Damien, and you know why. Secondly, I'm not your property, Caleb, despite what this mark on my neck may suggest." She dropped her hand and reached for the robe Casey had brought to her. Rina slipped the garment on
and escaped into the bathroom for a moment. She splashed some water on her face and pulled her hair back into a bun. The mark on her neck tingled as her knuckles brushed the sensitive flesh.
It felt strange being surrounded by so much wealth and luxury after nearly dying on Kodiak Island. Rina feared there was nowhere she could go without looking over her shoulder. The rebels were bound to retaliate sooner or later. She wasn't like Casey, though. Rina wasn't the sort of woman to battle the inevitable. Though life as she knew it was more or less over, she was determined to persevere no matter the hardship she faced.
There was, however, one aspect of her life that she wanted in her control. Rina wanted to choose who she spent her time with and not to be dictated by a mark or some unspoken obligation. A soft knock came, and Rina huffed, "Come in."
"I'm sorry to have upset you," Caleb said as he leaned against the door jamb. His shirt remained unbuttoned and his slacks hung low on his hips. Rina could no longer deny that Caleb made quite a tempting sight to behold, but she wouldn't change her ways just because he flashed that smile. "You know I can't control myself around you."
"Clearly, neither can Damien. But I'm not a toy, Caleb. The two of you fight over me." She hopped up onto the vanity counter and crossed her legs. Caleb's eyes traveled up the line of her calves until they stopped at the crease of her thighs. "I might be open with my body and the way I express myself, but I won't be treated with less consideration than I deserve."
"Of course," he said, moving closer as if he were summoned by a power beyond his control. Rina's breath caught as he approached. Her heart thrummed loudly in her ears. She licked her lips and uncrossed her legs. Caleb placed his hands on either side of her hips, and he stepped between her thighs. Rina hated the way her body submitted to the natural dominance that radiated from him. Caleb leaned down, and Rina arched against him, feeling the heat of his breath against her cheeks. "You saved my life and my brother's, Rina. Even if I have to swallow my pride and deal with you seeing other people...I'm yours."