Page 26 of His Loved Lycan Luna

“Who brought you out here, then? Daley couldn’t have. She wouldn’t have got down the back steps.”

“The Butcher did, sir,” he says as he stares at me, his entire body trembling.

“Come on, you and your brother are coming home with me; Iwon’t hurt you, but I need you to come inside where it is warm; Liam is inside. You will like Liam; he is making pancakes,” I tell him.

I carry him inside before stepping into the kitchen.

“Where’s Daley?” I inquire, noting her absence and Liam turns to face me, his eyes take in the boy, but he says nothing about his state.

“She went to get more flour,” Liam informs me, offering a sly wink.

I smirk, taking Logan to the living room, where I wrap him in the warmth of a blanket retrieved from the couch. Returning outside, I gather firewood and stoke all the fireplaces, trying to get some heat flowing throughout the space. The aroma of pancakes wafts through the air. Just as I finish setting up the living room fireplace, a woman who must be Katrina walks in, her presence announced by a sniff of the air. She glances at me nervously, her gaze fixating on my face.

“Who are you?” she inquires, her voice tinged with apprehension. Catching a whiff of her fear, I glance at her.

“I’m Gannon. Liam is out there. I assume you’re Katrina?” I respond.

She nods in confirmation as I set the fire poker down.

“Where’s Mrs. Daley?” she asks nervously.

“In the basement, getting flour for the pancakes,” I inform her, prompting a flicker of concern to cross her features. She opens her mouth to speak, but abruptly halts upon spotting Logan by the fire, causing her eyes to widen with surprise. Rushing toward him, she attempts to grab both him and Oliver. Instinctively, I reach out and grasp her arm.

“I won’t harm them; I’m not like Daley,” she assures me firmly, I release my grip. She hurriedly tends to the boys. Letting out a sigh, I make my way toward the door.

“Assist Liam in feeding the children; consider yourself promoted to headmistress,” I instruct Katrina, receiving a nod of acknowledgment from her. As I stride toward the kitchen, the anguished groans and cries emanating from thebasement grow louder.

“Do you need any help?” Liam offers, his body covered in a dusting of flour and pancake batter covering his hands.

“Nope,” I reply curtly, seizing the knives from the counter before swinging open the basement door. The sound of the radio suddenly fills the kitchen as Liam switches it on, music blaring from its speakers.

Descending the stairs, I discover Mrs. Daley sprawled on the ground, desperately attempting to crawl away. Her legs tangled in the wheelchair, she claws at the floor in a futile attempt to escape.

“Change of plans. I want to hear you scream,” I proclaim, my voice dripping with venom. Reaching down, I seize her hair and yanking her head back. “And trust me, you will scream,” I snarl, relishing the fear in her gaze.

Chapter Nineteen

Two long and agonizing days have passed since Kade abandoned me in this wretched brothel, leaving me to rot in the depths of my despair. Each day, he comes to torment me, a cruel reminder of the power he holds over my life and the little I can do about it. So, when the door swings open once again, I am not entirely surprised to see a woman step inside. However, my surprise quickly turns to shock when I recognize her as the woman who used to park outside my cabin.

Her heels click menacingly on the creaking floorboards as she makes her way toward me. Today, she wears a short black dress that clings to her every curve, the outline of her thong visible through the tight fabric. I avert my gaze, not wanting to subject myself to such a vulgar display. I can’t help but wonder what purpose she serves here. Is she here to inject me with more of the vile substance that Kade has been using on me, so I can’t shift? Or perhaps she has come to inflict some new form of torture upon me. I refuse to shed tears for her because by the sly smile on her face, she has come to witness my torment. She does not deserve the satisfaction.

Inwardly, I long for Blaire’s return. I need reassurance that she is safe. I haven’t seen her since that dreadful night when I was forcibly brought to this despicable place, but I’ve heard whispers through the walls, and I can’t get the sound of her screaming out of my head after Kade beat her when he was done with her that night. The woman crouches down beside me, her grip on my chin forcing me to meet her cold gaze. A sneer twists her lips as she shoves my face away with an air of distaste.

“Kade is on his way,” she hisses, her voice dripping with malice. “And you better be on your best behavior for my husband.”

I swallow hard, the sting of her words resonating deep within me. She’s his wife? If she thinks I’ll fight for him, she is wrong, she can have him. I want no part in the life she shares with that man, and I feel foolish for ever believing in the possibility of happiness or the strength of mate bonds.

“It seems your precious friend, that bitch queen of yours, has been asking about you,” she continues, her voice laced with venom. “You so much as breathe a word that jeopardizes the life I have with Kade, and it won’t be him you need to fear. I’ll order every pack warrior to tear through you, treating you like the home-wrecking whore you are.”

A bitter laugh escapes my lips. Of course, Kade’s wife would be just as depraved as he is. “It must have been quite a blow when you learned he had a mate,” I retort, glaring defiantly at the woman.

Instantly, her hand strikes my cheek, the force of the blow causing me to grit my teeth in pain. And then she grabs hold of my hair, yanking my head back with a cruel force that makes me wince.

“Accidents happen, my dear,” she whispers menacingly. “This is my pack. Kade is my mate. You will learn your place.”

“My place isn’t here,” I spit, my voice filled with defiance. “Ivy will come for me.”

She laughs, a sound devoid of any mirth, before tightening her grip around my throat. “Why do you think Kade is coming? To see you?” she taunts, clicking her tongue.

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