Page 141 of Bonds of Pain
Thane’s pupils dilate slightly, his breathing quickening as he considers my offer. The predator in him recognizes what I’m presenting—an Omega in apparent submission, offering herself to distract from his current victim.
“Clever little thing,” he murmurs, approaching my cage. His hand hovers over the scalpel for a moment before he deliberately sets it aside. “Very well. Show me what you’re offering.”
As he moves toward me, I catch the faintest movement from Cillian’s fingers again. This time I’m certain—a deliberate flex, followed by the barely perceptible shift of his weight against the restraints.
He’s conscious. And waiting.
I just need to keep Thane’s attention long enough for whatever Cillian is planning.
“That’s it,” I whisper as Thane approaches the bars. “I’ve missed you, Doctor. Missed the way you used to look at me.”
His breathing grows heavier as he reaches the cage, his hands gripping the bars mere inches from mine.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
ARES
The cement walls of this cell feel like they’re closing in, even though I’ve been in smaller spaces before. What gets to me isn’t the confined space—it’s the waiting. The not knowing what the hell is happening outside these bars while we rot in here like common criminals.
Poe sits across from me on the narrow bench, his dark eyes fixed on some point beyond the wall. He hasn’t said much since they dragged us in here hours ago, just that same brooding silence he wears like armor. But I can see the wheels turning behind those watchful eyes.
“What do you think Logan’s doing right now?” I ask, needing to break the oppressive quiet.
Poe’s gaze flicks to me briefly before returning to the wall. “Hopefully, trying to convince his father to release us.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
“Then we wait for whatever comes next.”
His calm resignation grates against my nerves. I surge to my feet, pacing the narrow confines of our shared cell. “This isbullshit. There is no evidence connecting us to Ander’s death. His father has to know that.”
“Does he?” Poe’s voice is maddeningly neutral. “Or is this exactly what the king wanted all along?”
I stop pacing to stare at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Poe finally meets my eyes, something cold and calculating in his expression. “Think about it, Ares. The timing. Right after Logan’s named heir, right after he’s publicly bonded Maya…suddenly we’re arrested for a murder that happened over a year ago?”
The pieces start clicking together in my mind, forming a picture I don’t want to see. “You think Logan set us up?”
“I think Logan’s been keeping secrets from us for months.” Poe leans forward, his voice dropping lower. “The private meetings with the king. The way he’s been acting with Maya. That business with the Inquisitor sniffing around, asking questions about pack dynamics.”
I shake my head automatically, even as doubt gnaws at my gut. “Logan wouldn’t betray us. We’re pack.”
“Are we?” Poe challenges. “When’s the last time he consulted us on anything important? When’s the last time he treated us like brothers instead of convenient muscle?”
The questions don’t have answers I want to consider. Logan has been different lately. More secretive, more isolated. I’d attributed it to the pressure of becoming heir, but what if it’s something else entirely?
“Logan saved my life,” I say, needing to voice the loyalty that’s defined me for years. “More than once. Gave me purpose, a place to belong.”
“I know.” Poe’s expression softens slightly. “He saved me too, in his way. But does that really mean he won’t sacrifice us for a crown?”
“You really think he’d throw us under the bus?” I ask, though even as the words leave my mouth, I realize I’m not entirely certain of the answer anymore.
Poe doesn’t respond immediately. He stares at his hands, flexing his fingers as if he’s testing their strength. When he finally speaks, his voice is quiet but certain.
“Look at how he’s treated Maya. Look at how he treats Cillian.” His dark eyes meet mine. “Why would we expect him to show any more compassion to us?”
The words land like punches to my gut. I think of Maya’s hollow eyes after that night in the basement, the way she flinches when Logan touches her. I think of Cillian’s careful distance, the way he’s been walking on eggshells around Logan for months.
