Page 9 of Into the Dawn

My beast bristles at the wrongness of it all.

Everyone must be in the compound, still dealing with the aftermath of Jed's failed attempt on my cousin's life, and the subsequent police questions about what went on. They're keeping a low profile, and that suits me just fine. The less attention we draw before I get inside their clan’s secluded base, the better chance I have of getting John back.

As Vanessa climbs the narrow, rickety wooden stairs up to the front door, I try not to look at her. My beast surges forward, desperate to drink in the sight of our mate, but I force him down. Every time I give in to watching her, smelling her, touching her, a wave of crushing longing threatens to break my resolve.

It's like my body and my beast don't even remember the pain she caused us. They're only feeding me reminders of the good times, her scent when we ran together under the full moon, the way her beast used to playfully nip at ours during hunts, and how perfectly she once fit against me when we slept. My treacherous mind keeps reacting with interest to any little hint that she's not over me either.

We're mates, much as I’ve been trying to pretend we’re not.

That pull is always going to be there, for both of us. The mate bond may never have been fully completed, but it wasn't broken. That doesn't mean I should be dumb enough to give in to it though, or allow myself to be fooled into thinking she’s changed her mind.

John needs me focused, not lost in memories of what could have been.

Vanessa's fingers shake slightly, but she manages to slip the key into the lock and open it.

My beast is eager to hold our mate, to soothe her nerves and tell her everything is going to be okay. I clench my fists, fighting back the instinct because that's not my job anymore, and it would be a lie. The rejection of our bond may have nearly killed me, but her choice was clear.

I know that, more than likely, this would end in disaster. Just like last time.

As we step inside, and Vanessa slides the deadbolt into place, I choose not to comment on the fact that she has to lock her door in a town where her family is supposed to be shifter royalty. In a proper clan, she should feel safe and protected. There should be no reason for an alpha's daughter to fear someone coming through her door. She's not treated the same as the rest of them, though, and never was, but I still can't afford to start feeling sorry for her now.

My beast may see her as someone we should be looking out for, but I remember her choice. She made her bed, so now she can lie in it. We're here for John, nothing else.

"You're right, this isn't going to work," I mumble, staring hard at that bolt as it unlocks something within my brain.

Focus on John.That's what matters.

Vanessa turns to look at me, puzzled, as she kicks off her shoes and hangs her purse up on the lone hook behind the door. Her scent fills the small space, achingly familiar. "I know whyIthink that, but what makes you say it now?"

Jed might be an arrogant prick, but he's not going to believe Vanessa is suddenly on his side when they hated each other growing up. And he's sure as hell never going to buy that she's willing to deliver me, the boy she was practically shunned for speaking to, into his open arms.

It's too easy. Suspiciously so.

"You'll have to ask him for something," I blurt out. “I’m your bargaining chip, not a gift.”

Vanessa pulls the tie from her long hair, and I swallow hard as her blonde waves tumble down around her shoulders. Her scent intensifies, sweet and alluring, bringing back memories of nights spent relaxing in each other’s arms, of quiet moments when the world faded away and it was easy to imagine how it would be, just the two of us, someplace else.

My beast strains against his chains, desperate to bury his nose in those soft strands and relive those memories.

Shoving my hands deep into my pockets, I force my gaze away from her hair and to her honey brown eyes.

That’s not much better, because damn it if she isn't just as beautiful as she always was. And the power of my desire for her, a craving I thought was long dead, killed by her callous behaviour, stuns me.

But then, John's face flashes in my mind. He needs me. I can't get distracted by what used to be. Or who she used to be.

Snapping out of my trance when Vanessa tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes, and continues to wait expectantly for an answer, I step back. I didn’t realise how close I'd snuck while under her spell.

My beast protests the distance, but I hold firm, planting my feet to the floor, determined not to move.

Clearing my throat, I attempt to regain my composure. "You'll have to demand something in exchange for handing me over," I repeat.

When she stares blankly at me, I elaborate.

"Jed's not going to believe you're handing me over for nothing, but he will believe that you're doing it as part of some scheme you're working. And angle. Because that’s what he would do."

Maybe this idea is too much of a stretch because Vanessa doesn't have a devious bone in her body. Although, she fooled me once, so maybe I don't know her as well as I think I do.

"What do you want, Vanessa? Is there something you've been asking for, anything that your father won't agree to, something that Jed really loves that would kill him to part with?"

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