Page 22 of Into the Dawn

"We bring you back to the compound and decide what we're going to do with you. I'm a man who likes a plan, and while my gut instinct is to get revenge for my fallen men, I think there might be a way of getting more value out of your presence than that."

That sounds awful.

"Maybe we give those you hurt another chance to fight you and earn back their honour."

"Honour?" I scoff at the ridiculous notion.

My dad turns to glare at me, and I feel Ben's attention sharpen through our bond. None of the men who live near us know a thing about the word, honour. I can imagine what my father has planned. Something barbaric, no doubt. There are plenty of good people who live in our clan, but they've been cowed into silence through fear, afraid to stand up for what they believe.

And so the loudest few rule, and those also happen to be the ones who suck up to my father, who adore his blood thirsty, violent ways. Like baying hounds, they'll want blood, even though the entire thing was their own fault for going after Kali.

"When we get back, call a meeting. We'll have a vote on what to do with you."

Jed shifts his weight from foot to foot, the way he does when he's got something to hide. My father gives him a withering look.

"And you, until I've decided what's going on, you don't touch him. And I expect you to make sure nobody else does either. If I find him bruised and battered and in no fit condition to fight, I'm going to be pissed, Jed, and it's going to be you who takes his place."

Jed pales and holds my father's eye defiantly for a second before looking away and nodding without comment. He mighthave notions of taking over once my father is gone, but he's definitely not in any position to challenge him yet. He's not strong enough. So he bites his tongue and eats some humble pie, accepting my father's decree, knowing that if he dares to disobey him, or allows anybody else to, he's going to be in deep shit.

Without realizing it, Jed's hand goes to his right forearm, and he rubs back and forth across the skin there, a faint scar still marking the place where dad snapped his arm just for giving him lip. The break was so bad that the bone came right through the skin. The memory makes my stomach turn.

How many times have I seen him do this to others? How long have I let this continue?

Jed learned the hard way how to toe the line.

"Outside." Dad snarls at Ben. "We'll have you in your new home in no time."

Without giving me a second look, Ben stuffs his feet into his boots, not bothering to lace them, and walks out the door, head held high.

My beast aches at his deliberate dismissal of us, even knowing we deserve it.

My father walks confidently at his side, with Jed bringing up the rear.

I'm about to follow them out, grabbing my coat off the hook, when Jed turns and holds up a hand, blocking my way through the front door. "Where do you think you're going?"

I blink up at him, confused.

"With you. I'm the one who caught him. I want to see what happens."

My father looks at me, assessing as always, so I add for good measure, "And I want my money."

The words feel dirty in my mouth, like I'm really selling Ben out.

My father rolls his eyes but gives Jed a sharp nod, the only indication that he's going to follow through on his word.

"Give her the damned money when we get to the compound." Then he turns his icy stare on me. "But you're not going up there reeking of him. Not when I need to convince one of my top guys to breed with you." He spits out, looking at me with disgust.

Through our bond, I feel Ben's beast simmer with possessive rage. My own answering growl catches in my throat.

"Go take a fucking shower. And Vanessa, wear something nice. Hopefully, I can convince somebody to fuck you and give me some grandkids purely based on the family name, but you can at least make yourself look semi-presentable."

Swallowing hard, I fight back the embarrassed blush stealing up my face. He's talking as if I'm some kind of monster.

Years of his emotional abuse crash over me, but this time, something's different. This time, I feel fury instead of shame.

"Don't fuck with me, Vanessa. If you come up here with a face on you, acting all superior, the money's gone. And loverboy here is gone. Do you hear me?"

I nod, but panicked, I can't help the question that tumbles from my lips.

---