Page 132 of Knot All is Crystal
I can only hope that Puck received the call and will be able to keep Gage safe.
My skin tightens with a chill that has nothing to do with the room’s temperature. I am naked and exposed in front of the predator who has spent years trapping me in his web with no sign of escape.
His fingers move rapidly over the phone screen as he types out a message before he puts the top-of-the-line device in his pocket.
“Wait here, Queenie. I’ll be back once my son is taken care of.”
He doesn’t stick around long enough to hear the gasping sob that escapes from me at the thought of something happening to Gage.
I have to be strong. I have to believe that Puck will take care of him as best he can.
I know I am not getting out of this, but maybe my pack can.
Before I can think better of it, I’m rifling through Kieran’s desk. My fingers brush against a firm brick of plastic, and when I pull it out, I sigh in relief when I see it’s a cheap, prepaid cell phone.
I want to call Maverick and Emmanuel, but I don’t have their numbers memorized. I want to tell them how much these last few weeks have meant to me.
But I can’t.
Instead, I call the only number I know by heart - my sister’s.
Of course, she doesn’t pick up. No one picks up numbers they don’t have saved anymore. There are too many spam calls.
Voicemail clicks on, and I sigh at her familiar voice. It soothes some of the fear inside me, even though it’s just a canned message on a recording.
“Hey, sis,” I say softly. “It’s Crys, obviously. I, uh, sorry, I’m calling from an unknown number. Some stuff has happened, and I lost my phone. Can you put me on speaker for Hannah real quick? I’ll wait.” I wait a pause, imagining my sister running to find my sweet little niece and letting her listen in.
“Hey, peanut. I just wanted you to know I love you so much. I’m sorry I’m not going to make it to your party. If I could be there, I would, but something has come up. I love you all the way to the moon, around the stars, out to Pluto, even though it isn’t a planet anymore, and back again.” Tears pour down my face, and I choke up, emotion clogging my vocal cords.
I never thought I would leave a voicemail like this.
“Okay, you can take the phone off speaker,” I say once I regain my composure. “Eve, I’m so sorry to do this to you. Kieran, the Alpha you met, is more dangerous than you know. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to be able to escape his wrath. No matter what you hear after this, please know everything I did, I did to keep you and Hannah safe. You sacrificed so much for me over the years, and it was my turn to take one for the team.” I chuckle nervously, but it does nothing to stop the tears flowing down my cheeks.
“Anyways, don’t call this number. This phone is not safe. Don’t call back. Don’t come looking for me. I love you so fucking much, sister. So much. I’m sorry.”
I hang up the phone and shove it back into the desk before I double over, arms wrapped around my stomach, and sob.
* * *
I don’t knowhow much time has passed when the door to Kieran’s office slams open. I’ve been curled into a ball on the floor since I called my sister. What started as sobs of devastation has become ones of pain.
My insides feel like they’re trying to make the outside their home, and I’m burning up.
It’s another heat spike.
Who knows if the blight bond is causing it, or if it’s all the fizz I’ve taken since my last heat, or being around my scent matches? And honestly, who cares?
It doesn’t change the fact that I’m sobbing and in pain on the floor of the man who wants to ruin me.
The toe of his boot slams into my hip from behind, and I shout in pain, my vision going white momentarily.
“Get up,” he snarls.
His voice has an edge of danger that wasn’t there before, and I feel sick. What happened with Gage? Is he hurt?
Is he…
I roll over to my knees and slowly push myself to stand, but I collapse as soon as I see Kieran.
