Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two
The tunnels that led under the house and surrounding acreage of Dominic’s retreat were cramped and moldy. Everyone had to duck as they made their way through the dark. Catherine was wedged between Dominic,who led the group, and Gerald, who continued pushing her forward by force.
“So tell me Alpha Gerald, what exactly did it take to turn on your entire species?” Catherine mocked.
Gerald chuckled. “Does there have to be a reason other than money and power?”
“Greed and gluttony. How fitting.”
“Say what you want about Alpha Dominic but he’s never gone back on a blood oath,” Gerald continued.
“That’s what this boils down to, huh? You’re pissy because your little girl couldn’t screw who she wanted?”
“I could have fucked Grey if I so chose!” Morgan protested. “He and I would have made a powerful pack. Instead he got caught up with you. Fated mate or not, he should have known what going back on a blood oath would lead to. You’re the reason he’ll be dead by sundown.”
Catherine spun, taking Gerald by surprise. She managed to slap Morgan before Gerald shoved her backward. Catherine landed on her tailbone and cried out. Dominic grabbed Gerald by the shirt collar, pushed him aside, raised a new pistol and shot Morgan between the eyes. Morgan crumpled forward, her eyes staring vacantly at Catherine.
Catherine’s skin tingled in a mixture of shock and awareness. The silence around them was broken only by Gerald’s shocked harsh breathing.
“You… my…. Morgan… I…”
“Shut the hell up, Gerald. I warned you to keep her on a tight leash. She insulted my mate enough times and was slowing us down. Let’s go.” Dominic swiveled and tucked the pistol in his waistband as he continued down the tunnel.
Catherine continued to stare at the pale, lifeless face in front of her. Morgan was a bitch. There was no way around it but… Did she deserve to die? Because of her? Tears streamed down Gerald’s face as he too couldn’t seem to look away from his dead daughter. His eyes suddenly cut to Catherine and the look in those endless depths made her shiver. Gerald took two, quick steps in her direction.
Towering over her with his fists clenched he whispered, “Maybe not today, or even tomorrow, but one day you are going to pay for this.”
“Keep it moving, Gerald,” Julia warned. “You’ve officially become the weakest person in this tunnel. Don’t forget that.” Gerald huffed and walked off. Julia held her working arm down and helped Catherine up. “Don’t worry,” Julia reassured Catherine. “She was never going to be kept around anyway. Dom was going to just use her a few times and get rid of her.”
Julia shrugged her shoulders as if to say this was a normal daily occurrence. She lifted her hand, urging Catherine forward. Catherine took one last look at the girl who was just another piece of collateral damage because of her gift, then she returned to walking through the tunnel as if she weren’t about to vomit out of fear.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Dominic and Gerald waited for the girls to catch up. Dominic nodded and glanced up. Catherine noticed a hatch above his head. He looked at her, grabbed her hand, and hauled her into his chest. Catherine fought to get away from him but his fingers around the back of her neck tightened until she stopped resisting.
“When we go up, you’ll stay by me. Do that or Julia here,” Dominic said, bobbing his head to Julia. “Will work you like a puppet and make you follow my commands. It isn’t fun. Trust me. Nod that you understand.” Catherine narrowed her eyes but nodded. It wasn’t time to rebel just yet. Dominic nodded in return and looked back at the two others. “You know the plan. Stuart is waiting with the plane. It’ll all happen there and then we’ll head north.”
“What will happen, Dominic?” Catherine asked between her teeth.
He smiled and brushed his free knuckle over her lips. “I won’t ruin the surprise.”
Dominic pushed her back slightly but kept hold of her hand as he forced the hatch open. Gerald went up first and then Catherine was handed up. Gerald glared at Catherine but he quickly erased the expression when Dominic pulled himself up. Gerald helped Julia and the group hurried through the woods. In the distance Catherine could hear the whirring of a plane engine. Her fear morphed and raced along every nerve ending in her body. She dug in her pocket and touched the crystal Graham had given to her to break the remaining bracelet. Luckily Julia hadn’t noticed the other one was loose.
Catherine needed to pick her timing carefully. She needed to make sure all the right players were present. No one could be left behind because then this would all happen again. She also needed to make sure she was at full strength because taking down even one person would drain her immediately.
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Her mind was muddled as Dominic continued to pull her down a game path in the thickening woods. Branches scratched her face and thorns pulled at the hem of her jeans. A howl came from the distance. Catherine froze. Dominic stopped too and looked back at her. He shook his head and yanked her forward to keep running.
She recognized that howl. It was that of a lycan, an alpha lycan. Her heart raced. She lifted her nose and tried to focus as her lungs commanded her to take in as much air as possible. She scented the Blackmoore pack… and they were close. She saw a clearing up ahead. Just as Gerald was about to break into the sunlight, he skidded to a stop. Dominic came up behind him and the two girls slowed.
Very close. Catherine thought as she looked across the clearing and spied not just Jensen, but two other figures: Alpha Elliot and Muriel. Tears sprang to her eyes. There was no way Dominic would succeed now.
Gerald moved forward first. “Well, well, well… Hello, Brothers,” Gerald greeted.
“Don’t call yourself our brother,” Jensen spat. “You’ve broken every law in our charter. You will die this day.”
“So now you care so deeply for your daughter?” Gerald taunted. “If only this fatherly love had come at a better time… when it actually mattered.”
Jensen lurched forward but Muriel stopped him with his cane.
“You’re surrounded,” Elliot informed them. “As of this moment my men and the Blackmoore men are defeating the rogue army you’ve built.”
“Aww, poor fellows,” Julia said with a puckered lip.
“You’re idiots if you think there’s only the rogues to contend with,” Gerald scoffed. “The Blackmoore lycans may get the rogues easily enough but taking down my men? Hah! Fat chance. Elliot’s men haven’t delivered so much as a paper cut in nearly a century.”
“That’s true,” Elliot said with a sigh. He looked at Jensen.
“So true,” came another voice from the woods on the opposite side of the clearing. Gerald’s eyes bulged out of his head as Dane sauntered into view. “Luckily for you, Elliot, you’ve got some of my battle-ready men at your back. Remember how that last showdown went, Gerald?”
“You’re letting him get away with this?” Gerald asked and flicked his hand toward Jensen. “He made fools of all of us!”
Dane shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged before a grand smile creased his face. “We made a new deal that I’m more than happy with. Now, how about you all just surrender and we can get home before supper time.”
“That’s not how it’s going to happen,” Muriel whispered.
Julia started to laugh. Her eyes were glued to her father. “You all better listen to the great oracle himself! He really knows what he’s talking about… at least up until a few minutes from now. Isn’t that right?” Julia crossed her arms and popped her hip. “You’ve missed my last few birthdays, Daddy. Are you here to make it up to me?”
“You and I both know how this ends,” Muriel growled.
“You’re right, so why stall any longer?” Julia took a step but Dominic stepped in her path.
“We had a deal,” he whispered in anger.
“Yes, and I fulfilled my end. You can take it the rest of the way, Dommy,” Julia said as if she were his mother. She cupped his cheek. “I believe in you.”
“Our deal isn’t done until I’ve marked her,” Dominic growled.
Julia laughed. “I. Don’t. Give. A. Fuck. I wanted one thing from you and now I’ve got him. Do you want to do something about it? Want to give me a little warm up round?”
Dominic appraised her carefully and relented with a nod. “Just wait until we get past them and then you can have your fun.”
“Look at you, a compromise? I’m proud.”
Catherine, duck!
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Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two
Catherine didn’t hesitate as the voice of her father screamed in her mind. Catherine covered her head and hit the dirt just as a rusty brown lycan soared
through the air. Catching Dominic off guard, Graham managed to sink his claws into both of Dominic’s shoulders and the two rolled over each other into the
clearing.
