Page 34 of Into the Dawn

I remain silent, refusing to validate his misogynistic comments, but also not wanting to put my foot in it and ruin our chances before they've even begun. Through the dust and the mingling scents of the converging clan, I catch a hint of Ben's scent drifting from the direction of the barn.

"So then, what's the plan?" I ask, forcing my eyes away.

"Well, the plan is we have a meeting. I tell the clan that I've got Ben King here, and that they're gonna have a chance to get payback for the death of their son and brother. Then I'm gonna tell them about the bonus prize." He extends a hand in my direction, his anticipation thick in the air. "And then we're gonna have some fun, moonshine, a little barbecue, then some fucking and some fighting."

My blood runs cold as bile rises up my throat. "You're not really gonna make me have a public claim, are you, Daddy?"

If some asshole tries to push his luck indoors, inside a cabin, at least I’d have a chance of getting one up on him and escaping. I'd kill them if I had to. But in the middle of a crowd of beasts, I don't stand a chance. They'll hold me down, I've heard about them doing it before, and I know witnessing that will break Ben. He'll definitely do something to get himself killed after witnessing that.

"Can't be seen making an exception for you, Vanessa," Dad says, his brows drawn down into a deep V as though he doesn't understand my reticence in the first place. "It's up to the winner. Some guys like to show off, while others get crazy possessive and don't want anybody else watching while they're having some fun." He shrugs. "It's the luck of the draw."

I grimace, cold sweat breaking out despite the heat.

Through our bond, I feel Ben's rising fury. Whatever’s going on in that barn, he’s pissed off too.

"What time?" I ask quietly, trying to figure out just how long I have to get to Ben without anybody noticing, and break him and John out. I look up toward my house and see my mother staring out of the upstairs bedroom window, her expression weary.

Maybe she'll help me create a distraction to keep my dad and Jed occupied long enough for me to get gone. I've already swiped her car keys from the hook beside the hall mirror. Surely, she'll forgive me for stealing it if I send her a cheque to replace the battered piece of shit car my dad has her driving around in.

My dad laughs, dark and creepy, slinging an arm around my shoulder, and holding me against his side a little too tightly. We're not the hugs and kisses kind of family. Physical touch, other than in punishment, is not something I'm used to, and I immediately stiffen.

His scent hits me wrong, making my head spin. I can’t bear to be near him, even more than normal.

Something's not right here.

The compound stretches out before us, more a graveyard than a home now.

Dad steers me around the back of the house where rows of beer kegs and crates wait like tombstones. Chairs and stools circle a fire pit that looks more like an execution ground. His preparations mock any hope of reaching Ben in time.

"How about now? Don’t want you getting cold feet."

19

BEN

"So, you really didn't tell Evan where you were going?" John asks in utter disbelief.

I don't blame him for being disappointed. From where I sit, pressed against cold iron bars, it doesn't look like I'm here to rescue him, or at least, I’m not doing a very good job of it, even if that is still my intention.

"Did nothing I taught you sink in?"

He always drilled into us that when going hiking or running, even though we're practically indestructible and the biggest apex predator in these forests, you always tell someone where you're going. Accidents happen. Or someone might need to contact you. It's just common courtesy to tell somebody where you're headed.

Not that it helped him.

Water drips somewhere in the darkness, punctuating the silence while he waits for me to explain myself.

"I didn't tell him, because first, he would have tried to talk me out of it, and second, when he couldn't talk me out of it, he would have come along. And then he'd be locked in here alongside us."

I can almost hear John's disappointment in the darkness.

You’re brothers. You stick together.

Or that’s what he always said when we were arguing over something small and insignificant that seemed like the biggest deal in the world to two hormonal teens with maturing beasts looking to assert their dominance.

"No, he wouldn't be locked up because he wouldn't have just walked into camp like a lamb to the slaughter."

It's hard not to be offended that he believes I'd be so easily captured, yet Evan would never be in this position. I shrug, even though he can't see me. "I didn't exactly walk in."

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