Page 170 of Claimed

He dragged me into Jared’s trailer, called me a traitorous bitch and backhanded me four times as he ranted about Arcana Falls alphas trying to take his pack from him, destroying his business, how I stood back and let it happen, then correcting himself that no, I actually got on all fours for Greyson Blackwood while it all happened, being a useless, traitorous whore.

He went on to talk about taking more from them. Taking everything from them. He carries no scent and doused me with something that burned in my nostrils before it dissipated. It’s got to be different from what Aphra gave him before becausethat never burned in my nostrils. He’s obviously masked my scent and put more on himself and Sherry, so he’s gotten more potions from somewhere.

Some of the facts that came out during his rant made it clear he had to have someone in the village feeding him information at least for the first while after we arrived. I’m assuming the information stopped coming when the men were put into the barracks because he hasn’t mentioned Brody’s intention to become the new leader of the pack.

Something is crystal clear though. Wyatt is desperate and has come absolutely unglued with his rage. He’d been ranting nonstop about Arcana Falls, about Grey, about how what he’d be doing next will end the Arcana Falls council’s reign once and for all. He demanded to know how the fuck the women he sent to someone named Paul wound up back in the village.

“Greyson is going to annihilate you,” I spat. “And I can’t wait to watch. I bet the rest of the pack feels the same after you sent their daughters and sisters to a human whorehouse. After finding out you told Larry to pick off so many with that soup.”

He punched me in the face, hard, then roared in my face like an angry ape before he laughed maniacally, telling me he was looking forward to snapping my neck in front of “that fuckin’ dick” before he shoots him between the eyes with a special bullet. I said nothing, just stared directly into his eyes with hatred.

“Taking that super alpha’s cock give you some bravery, bitch?” he clipped, holding air quotes over the wordsuper, his voice dripping with disdain.

I didn’t answer, just kept glaring straight into his eyes, and he hauled me to my feet, wrenching my arm again, before he hit me in the face again, hitting so hard that time I blacked out andwoke up like this. Tied up. And we’re pulling Jared’s trailer with Boyd’s truck, so he put Sherry in here and abandoned whatever vehicle he and Sherry had been in. He must have got us out of there before anyone noticed.

They were in an all-hands-on-deck mode because of the sewage backup. Wyatt did it. Somehow, he made that happen to distract them and I played directly into his hand, didn’t I? Because if I hadn’t left the mess hall and stepped out of sight, he wouldn’t have been able to take me.

I’m so angry with myself. Grey told me not to be unaccompanied. It was only for a minute. And that’s all it took. Just one minute, just one bad decision. Story of my life.

But something inside me doesn’t let me wilt with despair. Because there have been stupid decisions made that have turned out all right. Like my decision to follow Wyatt’s orders and shoot Tyson. Because it led me to Grey and that led to Wyatt losing his grip on the pack, led to all those people healing and getting well with a promising future in front of them.

Grey will come for me. He’ll come for me and he’lldestroyWyatt.

Wyatt is watching me in the rearview mirror.

“I’m no longer afraid of you, Wyatt,” I inform. “You have no power over me or any of our people. You’re on borrowed time.”

“We’ll see who has the last laugh,” he replies.

“You’ll spend your life in prison. Unless my mate kills you first.”

“He can try. But I’ve got seven special bullets in my gun.” He pats his jacket. “One for every member of that council. Right between the eyes and they’ll be done immediately. No shifting to heal, no nothing from them ever again. Got the idea from you, actually. When you told Jimmy you’d dipped the bullets in a mixturemade with that powder I gave you to feed those assholes. Tried something similar with those darts and that didn’t do much, obviously, so this time I got a witch to help. And these bullets, this potion? They’ll actually work.”

There’s a ding from the dashboard and he mutters, “Fuck. Wasn’t countin’ on having to fill this gas tank.”

A minute later, he’s pulling into a gas station, muttering about how his last sixty bucks better get us where we’re going because he needs a bottle of whisky, too.

“Child locks are on and don’t even think of trying to climb up here. Do not fuckin’ pull anything or I’ll snap your neck now, little sister. I mean that.” He points at me as he leans toward me, making me flinch thinking he’s about to physically lash out, but instead he caresses Sherry’s face.

“It’s okay, sweetness,” he coos, “We’ll stop for the night soon. Nice trailer. This was a good find. Tonight, I get to fuck my mate in a soft bed. That’ll be sweet, won’t it?”

A tear trickles from her eye as he gets out of the truck and jogs toward the building with cash in his hand.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Sherry whimpers. She’s curled into a ball with her head on the seat beside my hip. Though my hands are tied in front of me, the rope attached to my ankles as well, I have just enough room to twist to the side so I can loop my finger into the corner of the bandana gag over her mouth. I pull it down.

She swallows thickly and starts talking low and fast, “He’s taking you to some witch first. She needs something from you that when she gets it will mean she can give him more of something he wants. I heard them on the phone. He already went to see her, locked me in the trunk and got more stuff that hides ourscent, but I heard her say the special bullets will get rid of his problems for him. He’s gonna hold you for ransom with Grey, get him to come and then he’ll use a potion to knock him unconscious. If it’s given to any one member of our council, it’ll disable them all through their council link. That means my brother and the others too. They’ll all be unconscious, and he can pick them off one by one with those bullets. She called him to come back saying if he brings either you or Grey to her, she’ll get him a potion that’ll make the whole pack in The Falls follow him loyally.” She winces and mouths, “I think he’s coming. Fix it!” She buries her face into my thigh, trying to rub the gag back up into place against my jeans just as Wyatt opens the door and puts a bottle of whisky on the empty passenger seat before rounding the front of the truck, lifting the fuel nozzle and pressing buttons. When he’s busy pumping fuel, I quickly hook Sherry’s bandana with my finger so it’s again where it’s supposed to be.

***

“Where are we going, Wyatt?” I ask.

We’ve been on the road for another hour and he hasn’t said a word. He’s been swigging a fair amount from that whisky bottle while driving though.

“You’ll see,” he mutters and then he laughs. “Fuckin’ traitorous cunt. You’re nothing to me. Nothing, you hear me?”

“I’ve never been anything to you, Wyatt. What’s the difference?”

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