The threat was very, very real. I’d just watched an alpha do it to my father, only hours before. Something cold slithered through my veins. No matter how well they were treating me, they still weren’t my friends. I kept my face blank, not allowing him to see my fear. He could probably smell it, but I raised my chin anyway and met his eyes.
Kaden pushed away from the bars and walked to the door. “I thought you’d want revenge on the Leo pack for what they’ve done to you.” He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. "I can give that to you. No one else will have the guts to stand against them. Think about it. It’s the only offer you’ll get from me.”
With that, he turned and left me with nothing but my thoughts and half a bottle of water to keep me company, while his parting words echoed in my skull.
Chapter Eleven
Another day passed, with meals being discreetly left inside my cell as if by an invisible visitor. But the next morning, as I got up, I noticed something else. Whoever left the food had also given me a change of clothes. I reached for them and then glanced around. I couldn’t help the feeling of being watched, as if Kaden’s heavy gaze was on me constantly. It was a ridiculous notion, and shifters accepted nudity as a way of life, but I still hesitated to get undressed in the middle of my cell.
Stop being pathetic, I told myself, then yanked off the oversized clothes. If he was watching, it wouldn't be anything he hadn't seen already. And maybe, just maybe, a small part of me that I didn't want to acknowledge actually liked the idea of him watching.
I'd been given a pale blue t-shirt with some anime character on it and some black sweatpants, and this time they actually fit me. A peace offering from Kaden, perhaps?
I was grateful to have the clothes, but what I really needed was a shower. I reeked, and when I reached up a hand to run it through my hair, I grimaced. There was still blood in it. It could have been mine, or my father’s, or someone else’s. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care to either.
I sat back down on my cot and devoured the food—this time, a burger and fries, plus an apple. Once I finished, there wasn’t anything else to do except think and pace, and I wasn’t about to give the invisible Kaden surveilling me the satisfaction of showing my nerves. I could see how people went insane from periods of long capture. I was just about over it and I’d been here for maybe a couple of days if the feeding times were anything to go by.
I tugged my mind away from that. It would be best not to dwell on it, or I’d find myself slipping into something bad. I needed to stay focused, and luckily, Kaden had given me exactly the thing to mull over.
The idea of getting revenge on the Leo pack intrigued me. The thought of knocking off the smug snarl on Jordan’s face played through my mind several times before I snapped myself back to reality. They deserved to pay for what they'd done to my pack, and to my family. My throat clenched at the memory of Wesley being taken down. For his death, I would burn the entire Leo pack to the ground.
The unpleasant part was being the bait. I didn’t want that, any more than I wanted to go back to the Cancer pack, whatever remained of it anyway. But what option did I have? The Ophiuchus pack was terrifying, and from what I’d seen of Kaden he was dangerous and unpredictable. But maybe that was exactly what I needed right now.
I had no pack to call my own, not anymore. No one would take me in and shelter me. There was nowhere else for me to go. The Ophiuchus pack might be the only ones who could keep me safe from the Leos, and if they were offering me revenge on the people who killed my brother and stole my future from me, I would take it.
But why did Kaden want to take down the Leos? The Ophiuchus pack had come to the Convergence and asked to be made part of the Zodiac Wolves again but were turned down. The Leo alpha had been an asshole about it, but so had many of the other alphas. Was there another reason Kaden wanted vengeance on the Leos in particular?
Before I could ponder it further, the door opened again. This time, Kaden wasn’t alone. Two big, muscular male shifters appeared on either side of him, staring at me blankly. I looked between the three of them, my pulse skyrocketing. Shit, shit, shit, I thought but kept my voice even. “Is this where the torture starts?” I asked. “Did I not make my mind up fast enough for you?”
Kaden gave me a sharp look, then gestured to the other two shifters to stay back. He walked up to my cell, and I tried to hold perfectly still. He went from playing my friend to threatening to kill me from one moment to the next, and it was impossible to read him. I didn’t know him well enough, but I had the feeling that even if I’d known him my whole life, he’d continue to surprise me.
“Have you thought about what we discussed last time?” he asked.
“Are you serious about helping me get revenge?” I had several smartass remarks available, but I wanted a straight answer from him.
“I am." He looked me dead in the eye. I tried to find any deceit in those blue depths, but they were a mystery.
“What’s in it for you?” I asked.
“I have a score to settle with the Leos personally. But it’s not just them." A villainous smile crossed his lips. "I want all the Zodiac packs dead or defeated. The Leos took out the Cancer pack for us, but we still have eleven to take care of.” The words sent a chill through me. All twelve packs, defeated? What could he possibly have against every single pack?
"Why?"
“It’s time the Ophiuchus pack was recognized. I tried to play nice with the other packs, give them a chance to let us back into the fold. They turned us away like unwanted puppies.” He drew himself up, eyes going dark. “The thirteenth pack is done being outcasts. Now we’re going to rule, and anyone who doesn’t bow down to me as alpha will burn.”
On some level, I understood. I’d been an outcast my whole life, rejected by those who were meant to help me and keep me safe. I felt no remorse over the loss of the Cancer pack, except for a few people like Mira's parents who had always been kind to me. Once the initial shock of Dad and Jackie being killed in front of me had worn off, I didn't feel sadness, only a strange loss at what might have been. It was only Wesley’s death that truly gutted me.
Thinking of my brother brought back the hatred of the Leo pack and the deep pain of loss in equal measures. I was almost bowled over by the intensity. I hadn’t had time to properly grieve, and I didn’t know when I would. I had to be safe first, and it wasn’t happening in a cell.
As for the rest of the packs? They’d either sided with the Leos or run away like cowards, leaving the Cancer pack to their fate. Even the Pisces pack hadn’t helped me, after years of camaraderie with the Cancer pack. Maybe they should all burn. There was obviously something wrong with the Zodiac packs, something festering from within, and perhaps it was time for a complete overhaul.
I’d make sure that Mira was safe, but everyone else could go to hell, for all I cared.
"I can hear your heart racing from over here," Kaden said. "Have you come to a decision? I do hope it’s the right one.” He leaned against the cell bars casually, but there was menace in his voice. “You can either join us in taking down the other packs, or I’ll send you back to the Leos in a gift-wrapped box. You can be their problem, not ours. I don’t have time to torture you, anyway.”
I pushed away his cruel words and glared at him with defiance. “As long as you help me get vengeance on the Leo pack for killing my brother, I’m in. I don’t care about the rest of them.”
“Good,” Kaden rumbled, the word sounding like more of a growl than anything else. "Put these on."
He threw some shoes at me, and I quickly slipped them on my dirty feet. Then he opened the door of the cell and stepped back. Just like that. I blinked at him, hesitant that he’d try to punch me in the gut the moment I stepped out. Kaden made a frustrated noise, jerking his head for me to come out.
I stepped out of the cell, bracing for an attack. It didn’t come. I glanced up at Kaden. His face still revealed nothing. The other two shifters didn't move either.
&nbs
p; I stopped in the doorway, squinting in the sunlight. It felt like ages since I’d looked up at the sun, and I had to hold my hand in front of my eyes, blocking most of the light for several moments before I could even take a few stumbling steps forward. I was still missing most of my strength, apparently. Everything that had happened the night of the Convergence had been healed, but my body needed more time to recover from it. My soul, on the other hand, might never recover.
I took in my surroundings as my eyes adjusted. The sounds of a small town rushed in, replacing the overwhelming sensation of being outside again. I could see a few stores and what must have been the town’s version of a main street, along with rustic houses in neat little rows, surrounded by tall trees on every side. It looked picturesque, like something I’d find on a postcard depicting a woodland town couples visited for romantic weekend trips. I could hardly believe the most feared pack lived here, of all places.
What was most surprising was the smell of the forest all around me. I took a deep breath in, noting how pure the air was. I closed my eyes, soaking in the summer sun and the fresh air.
When I opened them, Kaden was watching me, looking almost smug. “Welcome to the Ophiuchus pack lands."
Kaden and the other two shifters I’d nearly forgotten about all but herded me to a large house on the edge of town that looked like a lodge in the middle of the woods. It was all dark wood and natural stone, very masculine, yet inviting and warm too. The kind of place you'd want to stay in during a snowstorm, sitting by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa. The border of the forest crept around the edges of the house as if trying to subtly suck it back into it, making it disappear forever.
As I was looking up at it, Kaden came to stand beside me, and I tensed. He’d said he wouldn’t kill me, but that didn’t mean we were friends, and I certainly didn’t trust him any further than I could throw him.
He either didn’t notice or chose to ignore my response. “This is where you’ll stay for now."
“For now?” I asked.
“Until you either prove yourself useful to me, or I decide to get rid of you.”
"Right." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“You’ll have a roommate since space is always an issue for the pack, but she's about your age. Try to get along with her.”
I nodded and bit my tongue before I could say anything back. No need to antagonize him and make him tear out my throat. There weren’t any bars keeping him from launching himself at me now.
“The pantry is well-stocked, and you’re free to go anywhere in town. Clayton or Jack will have to be with you, of course,” he said, jerking his head to the two males who stood behind us. “Don’t try to leave town.”
“I’m not quite that stupid,” I couldn’t help but quip. Before Kaden could growl something at me, I quickly asked, “Where are we? Canada, or the United States?”
“You don’t get that piece of information yet,” Kaden said, and I fought the swell of frustration in me. “You’ll have to become a full member of the pack for that to happen.”
My mind shuddered to a halt. Wait, what? “Are you serious?” I asked, looking over at him, trying to find any hint of a joke on his way too handsome face. “Is that even possible? I thought the only way to join a pack was to be born into it or mated to someone in it.”
“The Ophiuchus pack has taken in other rejects before,” Kaden said. “After all, we’re the outcast pack. Most of us know what it’s like to be rejected and unwanted."
I certainly knew how that felt. Hope began to rise within me. I couldn’t help it. Was this the answer to my silent plea to the moon goddess? I looked away as we continued walking closer to the house until we stood right next to the porch steps. Could this lost pack provide me with the home I’d been searching for my whole life? A place where I would feel accepted, not shunned for being different? "How do I join?"
“If you want to be a part of this pack, you’ll have to follow my orders and prove yourself to me. Loyalty is earned, not given.” He crossed his arms. “Your training starts tomorrow, and every day you will prove your usefulness to the pack by cleaning a building I assign to you.” He smirked as if it brought him joy. “From now on, you’ll be the pack janitor.”
And just like that, I was back to being the outcast, the lowest of the low, a position all too familiar to me. They were no different from the other packs, and fuck, I was so tired of being treated like trash.
I glared up at him. “So it’s not enough that you want me to risk my life for you as bait? Now I have to do your dirty work too?”
Anger flared in his eyes as he moved toward me with a clear threat. I stumbled back until I hit the wall behind me, my breath leaving me in a rush. He pressed his hands on either side of the wall beside my head, effectively trapping me so I couldn’t slip out from under his arms, and leaned in close. Very close.
His body was hot and hard and only inches away from mine. Now I couldn’t catch my breath for an entirely different reason. Despite his awful personality, I couldn’t help the rush of desire that ran through me, especially when I breathed in his scent. It drove my inner wolf wild, and though I was terrified of him, I wanted him too. Even with the guilt tearing me up inside, reminding me he wasn't my mate, that I belonged to someone else—even if that someone else wanted nothing to do with me.
“Let me make one thing crystal clear,” Kaden said in my ear, lips so close I could feel the warm air as he spoke. “I’m the alpha. This is my pack. My family.”
I shivered at the possessiveness in his voice. What would it be like to have an alpha who cared about me that much? Or a mate, for that matter?
“I’m giving you a chance,” he continued. “If you prove your loyalty, you will never be mistreated or abused, only welcomed as family. But if you do anything—anything—to betray or hurt my pack in any way…” He trailed off and inhaled deeply. Probably smelling my fear and my desire, mixed together. “You won’t live long enough to regret it.”
"More threats," I said, unable to help myself. Being so close to him made me feel reckless. "But would you really go through with them? Or is your bark worse than your bite?"
He took my chin in his hand, forcing me to meet his eyes. "If you keep challenging me, you'll find out soon enough."
As we stared at each other, the heat between us became undeniable. My chest rose and fell as I looked into those hard blue eyes, and then my gaze fell to his mouth. Was it bad I secretly wanted to know what his bite was like? I licked my lips, a knee-jerk reaction, and his fingers tightened on my chin in response. For a second I thought he’d lean in, either to nip at my lips or kiss me hard, and it surprised me how much I wanted that. I held my breath, staying completely still as I waited for him to make his move. I must have made some small noise because his eyes left my lips, and when he met my gaze again, his face turned hard once more. He let me go and stepped back, crossing his arms as he waited for my answer.
I stood up straighter and tried to regulate my breathing. "Fine, I'll be your janitor. Anything else?"
"Just get inside," he growled. Then he turned away and stalked into the forest without another word.
Chapter Twelve
I watched as the trees swallowed Kaden up, and then I was alone with my two bodyguards, who were conveniently looking everywhere but me.
“Is he always like that?” I asked, trying to diffuse the strange tension that still lingered in the air. I thought they’d both ignore me, but the smaller one cracked a grin.
“Pretty much,” he said.
“Shut up, Jack,” the bigger one growled, lightly shoving the smaller male’s shoulder.
“He's always so dramatic,” a female voice said, and I turned back to the house, startled by the sound. Only another shifter could have moved so quietly. A young woman with shoulder-length dark hair stood on the porch, an easy grin on her face. “Don’t let him scare you too much,” she said. “Once you get to know him, Kaden’s a big softie.”
"Somehow I find tha
t hard to believe," I muttered.
She grinned wider at that. “I’m Stella."
“Ayla,” I replied. “How do you know Kaden?”
“Oh, he’s my brother.”
Brother? The thought of Kaden having a sister who could smile and joke seemed impossible. It stood to reason that with an attitude that bad, he’d inherited it. Looking over her once more, I could see the resemblance. If Kaden smiled more, he’d probably look strikingly similar to her.
Stella jerked her head toward the house. “Come inside.”
She opened the door and motioned me through. I stopped in the entrance, taking in the dark wood and vaulted ceiling, along with the huge windows that let an exceptional amount of natural light in. The house was huge but somehow still felt cozy, and looked like a fancy ski lodge from one of the photography books Wesley had gotten me. The forest was visible on all sides, making it feel as if the house was part of nature, instead of a shelter from it.
Stella gave me a quick tour, through a large kitchen that had been remodeled recently, featuring dark oak cabinets mixed with stainless steel appliances. The attached family room was huge, with overstuffed chairs and a large leather couch circled around a huge wood-burning fireplace. A sliding door led out onto a huge deck with some outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and a grill. I felt a pang go through my chest. This was a home for a family.
“We’re going to be roommates,” Stella said, grinning at me.
“Do you live here alone?” I asked, remembering what Kaden had said about limited pack space.
Stella laughed. “No. It’s Kaden’s house. We live here together.”
Shit. Just when I thought I’d get a break from him, I found out I’d be living in his freaking house. I pictured myself waking up to find him sulking in the kitchen, snarling at me as I tried to get my morning coffee. Kill me now.
I opened my mouth to say something—to protest or ask if there was somewhere else I could stay, I didn’t know—but Stella cut me off before I could say anything.
Moon Touched (Zodiac Wolves: The Lost Pack Book 1) Page 9