Page 78 of Bonded and Betrayed

Do they have a plan? They better, or else I won’t be able to stop myself from breaking free and strangling the blonde bitch until she closes her deranged eyes for good.

“Where’s Isabella?” Skylar asks, her expression grave.

Realization crashes into me with just that one question. That’s why they’re here unharmed. They came willingly to find Sky’s beta. Fuck.

“I thought that beta was good for nothing, a waste of space, but she proved me wrong.” Elise sighs and steps away from Skylar. “I guess she’s turned out to be more of an asset than I thought.”

“Where is Isabella?” Skylar asks again through gritted teeth.

“You all seem to forget that despite you being alphas, you’re not the ones in charge here. I am,” Elise announces, extending an arm with a flourish towards the empty chair. “Have a seat, Alpha Draven. The fun’s only just begun.”

The bear shifter shoves her forward, and Elise erupts into cackling laughter as Skylar barely catches herself in time. She limps the few steps to the chair and sits, keeping a careful eye on our two captors as she does so. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to snap these ties now and smash both Elise’s and the two bear shifters’ heads into the concrete wall.

I have no doubt that with all the unintentional pressure I’ve been putting on this zip tie, it will snap in an instant.

“You can go now,” Elise says, dismissing the two bear shifters with a shooing gesture like they’re little more than rodents to her. “And send him in.”

Him.Does she mean Aldric? If so, I’ll really have to restrain myself until we find out where they’re keeping Sky’s beta.

The two men grumble something unintelligible beneath their breath and glare at Elise, but finally they relent and stomp from the room, slamming the metal door closed behind them.

“Ahh, alone at last,” Elise sighs. “What should we talk about?”

She taps a finger against her chin as though she’s trying to rack her brain for a subject.

“I’m not telling you shit until I see Isabella with my own two eyes,” Skylar says cooly, raising a brow in challenge. “I’m guessing that’s why we’re still alive, right?”

“Oh, on the contrary, we have a lot in store for you.” Elise grins, picking at her nails as though she couldn’t care less. “Did you not get Aldric’s letter?”

A growl rips from my chest, echoed by my brothers at the implied threat behind her question. The letter. I’d fucking rip his head off for his threats alone if my mate hadn’t claimed his life for herself.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“You should think carefully about your next move, Elise,” Skylar says, her tone lethal. “You might have us tied up, but you should know that we have ways to attack you with just our minds, right?”

Skylar pushes her Alpha presence at her in warning, and I expect Elise’s knees to at least buckle under the force she sent out, but Elise merely grits her teeth, enduring the pressure like it was just an annoyance rather than a hindrance.

“You don’t think we planned for that?” Elise snickers, pulling a stone from beneath the neckline of her black shirt. It’s tied to a black string, the opalescent sheen glimmering in the precariously hung lightbulb. “Aldric discovered it in his travels; it decreases the effectiveness of your presence.”

Dammit.

I force my reaction at bay as she laughs and tucks the stone back under her shirt. There goes that idea, but it’s better to know they have a defense rather than rely on only that to get out of here.

“We’ll show you Isabella, though,” Elise sighs and pulls out her phone to type a message before shoving it back into her pocket. “I know he’ll want to anyway. For some reason, he still has plans for you.”

Elise strides from the room, leaving the metal door propped open behind her. I have no doubt that there are guards standing just on the other side of it. Hell, there might even be cameras in here, for all I know.

I glance around the room, my jaw tensing, wishing I could communicate with them through our pack link in our human forms or at least gauge Skylar’s emotions better. I internally chastise myself for being so stupid for what must be the millionth time. If I hadn’t been so stubborn, we could have accepted our bond, and the link would be strong enough to feel her.

Elise groans from the hallway, snapping my attention to the door as she hauls a nearly unconscious woman with her. Isabella.

She tugs against Elise weakly, a whimper leaving her lips as she turns her head to look around the room, only an oversized black T-shirt covering her despite the chill.

“Alpha,” Isabella exclaims weakly, wincing as though just speaking is painful for her.

“Stay in the corner and be quiet,” Elise snaps, dropping her onto the cold, damp floor. The beta curls into a ball, looping her bound arms over her knees as though she is trying to keep herself protected. “Unless you want me to smash you over the head again.”

As she shifts into the dim lighting, I glimpse a dark red patch on Isabella’s head, her blonde hair matted and thick with dried blood. I hope Skylar spots that, and that she also sees that the wound is healing. She doesn’t look like she’s in great shape, but at least her enhanced healing has staunched the blood flow. She peeks over the tops of her knees, trying to make herself look unassuming, weak, and helpless, but there’s a cunning gleam in her eyes, and I can tell she’s preparing to make a stand whenever we move. Good.

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