Page 35 of Into the Dawn

"Then you were captured. That's even worse," John says, and I frown.

"More like caught feelings and got stupid." I correct, making him groan. The slap as his hand hits his forehead echoes in the tiny space. I chuckle, happy to let him laugh at my stupidity while I get to shoot the breeze again with the man who I thought was dead.

"Glad you’regetting back out thereat least," John says, before laughing again.

I get it, we’re in a prison, and we’re not getting out any time soon. I just don’t find it quite as funny as he does.

“Oh dear.” His chuckles turn into coughs as he trails off. His voice sounds weaker than before, which is making my beast anxious.

"So, I was right? I said it was someone from town taking those women."

The shift in the atmosphere is jarring, and we both fall into a sombre silence, each thinking about the missing women from Sutton, and wondering how someone could even do such a thing.

"Scott was a big enough surprise, but Serena? That blindsided all of us. Didn't see that coming." The name tastes bitter on my tongue.

Serena never liked me, but I can live with the idea that a psychopath didn’t find me charming. My animal bristles at the memory of her scent on Kali when we found her injured in the forest. If I could go back in time and tear her to pieces myself for the pain she inflicted on her, I would.

"How'd they know you were onto them?" I ask, fighting back the vicious growl that’s building inside me. John’s human. He should have been left out of it, altogether.

"Selena saw me sneaking around the butcher shop. I figure that's how they got rid of the bodies, along with the other waste." He sighs, the sound heavy with regret. "I didn't cover my tracks well enough because I didn't suspect her, even for a second. So, I guess I'm not the only one who gets stupid around a pretty face."

I snarl. "Vanessa's not just a pretty face." My sharp tone bounces off the stone walls, the atmosphere darkening, even though I know that's not what John meant.

"You don't need to tell me that," he says softly. "So, are you guys... rekindling your romance?"

“I’m not sure what we’re doing.” The memory of last night sends another wave of heat through my blood, and I clench my fists. The urge to claw my way out of here is strong, even though I know it won’t work. "I kidnapped her when I found her close to where Kali was attacked by Jed and his buddies."

John says nothing for a beat as he wraps his head around all that information. I can’t make sense of it myself. It was a complete spur of the moment decision, and not one that I really thought through too well.

"Kidnapped, eh? Smooth."

Before John can bombard me with questions, I ease his mind. "Kali's fine. I met her mate, Griffin. Thanks for that, by the way, for the heads up that you were bringing a new shifter our way, who didn't have a clue what he was. Some warning might have been good."

John coughs, and I wince. The cold and damp is getting to him more as a mere human. Jed's probably too stupid to realize he'll get sick if they leave him down here for too long without sunlight.

"It wasn’t my place to tell anyone else when he didn't even know himself." But then, I hear the smile in his voice. "I hoped he was Kali's. He’s a good guy."

Grumbling, I cross my arms and lean my back against the bars. I'm still bitter about him not telling us where Kali was, but if anyone understands the animal inside us acting a bit crazy over their mate, it’s me.

Refusing to return to Sutton without my mate was how my beast protested the way things worked out. I wasn't off having a good time or starting a new life. I was waiting, at his insistence, for her to come looking for me. To realise what she was missing.

It was only years later when Kali came to visit and mentioned seeing Vanessa, fit and healthy, that he relented and let me return.

"Jed and his buddies attacked Kali and Griffin, who came off the worst. When we were leaving, I caught Vanessa snooping around. I thought she was spying on us, going to give Jed our location, but she says she was just watching out for us. So I took her, just to be on the safe side."

John scoffs. "Don't give me that. One sniff, and you knew that she was telling the truth. That girl could never lie."

Again, he's right.

"I was going to do an exchange. Try to swap you for her, but then somehow, she convinced me that getting inside to find you and breaking you out was a better idea."

Frowning, I rub a hand over my stubbled jaw. It did seem like a good idea at the time, but not so much now.

"Oh man, you have it bad," John says, clearly thinking my attraction to Vanessa has clouded my judgement.

It probably has, but not like that.

"I couldn't have handed her over to them, anyway. She's mine," I say quietly, and he curses, understanding exactly what that means for me. Even if I get him out, I have no idea what I’ll do if she doesn’t want to come with me. Again.

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