After being under a sleeping spell, you would think I wouldn’t want to sleep, but that wasn’t the case. After my last interaction with Chase, I went upstairs and passed out. I don’t have the stamina or strength with the damn bracelet on my wrist.
Groaning, I look up at the ceiling, and my vision is blurry, my eyes feeling like sandpaper when I blink. I would rather be caged in a jail cell than have my power stripped from me. I toss off the covers, sliding my legs over the side of the bed, and my backside aches from where I fell last night. I walk into the bathroom and lower my pajama pants just a tad so I can see the damage. There, on my upper right butt cheek, is a giant bruise and scrapes.
“Great,” I grumble.
Slowly, I move to one of the windows and slide the curtains over. The vineyard was beautiful last night in the moonlight, but it’s even more impressive in the sun. As much as I loathe Chase, he sure does take care of his land. I sit down on the window seat and lean my forehead against the glass. Being here and seeing Chase’s vineyards makes me long to be back in Virginia. I never should’ve left to seek out Zayne. It only brought me misery. Luckily, it’s winter, and I know my staff has taken care of my vines. They’re fine for the time being. I just know I can’t stay here for long.
My phone beeps over on the dresser, so I walk over and unplug it from the charger. There’s a text from Brooke.
Brooke: Have you seen all the hype yet? Check out this article.
She left a link, so I click on it. The headline reads: Channon Vineyards is a hit this coming season! Better grab you a bottle before it sells out.
The writer, Sophie Bakersfield, is a journalist who travels worldwide to taste-test various wines. She loved my new Merlot and said it’s her new favorite. Before, she’d rave about Chase and the Timberwolf Winery, and my wines would always be farther down her list. In the last paragraph, she explicitly mentions how I beat out everyone, including Chase’s winery.
I text Brooke back.
Kara: Love it. Thank you for sending it to me.
Hopefully, Chase will see it.
A knock raps on the door, and I don’t need to have my wolf sense of smell to know it’s Chase. I can tell by the way he knocks on the door; it has an arrogant ring to it. Marching over to the door, I open it up and glower at him, not even caring that I look like complete and utter shit.
“What do you want?” I snap.
The corner of his lip turns up in a devilish smirk. “It’s time to get to work.” He pulls his arm out from behind his back, and there, gripped in his hand, is a Timberwolf Bistro button-down, black shirt.
Mouth gaping, I look at the shirt and then back to him. “And what the hell am I supposed to do with that?”
He holds it out to me. “Put it on.”
I scoff. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
His grin broadens. “Well, you can either spend the entire day with me, or you can go to work. It’s your choice.”
I won’t give him the satisfaction of my company. Snatching the shirt out of his hand, I step back and slam the door in his face.
He bursts out laughing. “I see you’ve made your choice.”
“You’re more than welcome to stop talking,” I shout as I toss my bag onto the bed. “Can you give me a few minutes to get ready?”
“Sure. See you downstairs in ten.”
I rummage through my clothes for a pair of black pants I know I packed before leaving for Wyoming. When I find them, I slip them on along with the Timberwolf shirt. Once I’m done brushing through my hair, I pull it back into a ponytail, wash my face, and brush my teeth. Chase is going to regret asking me to work at his bistro.
I can hear him in the living room when I get downstairs, talking to someone on the phone. He hangs up as soon as I turn the corner and glare at him. His eyes rake down my body, and he smiles. “Great. You’re ready for work.”
“And what will I be doing?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
Chase shrugs. “Not sure. I left it up to my pack.”
That is not what I wanted to hear. I begin to regret my decision not to spend the day with him, but I can’t back down. Finally, Chase opens the door and flourishes a hand for me to walk out. “Let’s go.”
I step out, and he takes the lead toward his dark gray sports car. He opens the passenger’s side door for me and then moves around to the driver’s side. It’s maddening how he can still be a gentleman but also a pain in the ass. I get in the car, and it rumbles to life. The Timberwolf Winery and Bistro are just down the hill from his house, so it only takes us a minute to pull into the parking lot. Chase doesn’t say a word when he gets out of the car, making me even more nervous. When we get inside of the restaurant, there are four people in the dining room, all shifters. They completely stop talking when they see me. I don’t know the girl, but she obviously despises me by the disgusted look on her face. She’s young, probably in her early thirties like Chase. My guess is that they were lovers at one point or another. Is she beautiful? I’ll give her that, but she doesn’t threaten me.
I recognize Cameron Volk, Chase’s second-in-command; I’ve met him a couple of times at different wine competitions. The two older wolves have to be his parents. Cameron has his mother’s light brown hair but his father’s gray eyes and looks. They are all the co-owners of the Timberwolf Bistro. Why do I know that? I always make a point to research everything about my competitors. There isn’t anything about Chase and his vineyard I don’t know about. You have to learn everything about your enemies before you can take them down.
Chase motions for me to follow him. Unfortunately, I have nowhere else to go, so I walk with him over to the others and stand as far away from them as I can.
Chase clears his throat awkwardly, but there’s a hint of amusement on his face. “Kara, these two are Orson and Elise Volk,” he says, placing a hand on Orson’s shoulder. “They run the Timberwolf Bistro.” Neither one of them smile, but they nod their heads in recognition and then disappear to the back of the restaurant. Chase points at Cameron. “You already know my second-in-command.”
Cameron stares curiously at me and opens his mouth to say something, but then the girl steps in his way. “And I’m Sierra.” She moves next to Chase and says it as if I’m supposed to know who she is. Her emerald eyes bore into mine, and she flips her chocolate brown over her shoulder, exposing her neck to Chase.
Chase claps his hand, and both Sierra and Cameron turn to him. “Now that introductions are done, I’m headed out.” He nods for Cameron to follow him. “I need to talk to you for a minute.” Then he looks at me. “Sierra will tell you what to do. I’ll be back to get you later.”
Sierra smiles at him, but the second he leaves, she scowls at me. “Follow me.”
Biting my tongue, I walk with her to the kitchen where Orson and Elise are busy prepping the food. Two young teenage girls hurry in and toss their stuff in the corner before grabbing their serving notepads off the desk and heading back out to the dining room. I wouldn’t know what it’s like to be around these many wolves all the time. All of my employees at the vineyard are human.
Sierra leads me over to the sink where there are piles of dirty dishes. Food is caked up so thick on some I doubt they’d even come clean. “Your job is to wash the dishes. And when you finish with that, you need to mop all the floors.”
I burst out laughing, but there’s no humor to it. This has to be a joke. Chase surely made her bring me in here to mess with me. Orson and Elise stop what they’re doing to stare at me, and Sierra narrows her gaze.
“Is something funny?” she asks, keeping her voice low.
“Not really,” I backfire in all seriousness. “I’m not washing the damn dishes.”
Sierra steps up to me, but we’re the same height. “You don’t have a choice.”
I’m not backing down. “I’m a royal, and I’m not degrading myself like that.”
Sierra’s jaw clenches. “Nothing is degrading about it. It’s a job. And quite frankly, you’re not in a position to be picky. You’re lucky to be alive. But, royal or not, you’ve made some poor decisions, and like all bad choices, they have consequences.”
I’m already paying the consequences of losing my wolf; that’s punishment enough. I step away from her and start for the door. “You can’t keep me here.”
Sierra growls behind me. “Where the hell are you going?”
“Away from you,” I shout back.
The next thing I know, her hands wrap around my neck, and she thrusts me into the wall, the breath whooshing out of my lungs. Grabbing her wrists, I choke in a gulp of air and try to push her off, but nothing happens. Her eyes glow and shift to her wolf’s.
“Actually, I can keep you here. All it takes is one word from me, and Chase will put you right back in the cellar where you belong.”
Her grip tightens, and I can barely get my words out. “Why would Chase listen to you?”
She squeezes my neck harder to the point I can’t breathe. It fuels my anger, and all I can think about is ripping off her head.
“Chase trusts me,” she says, releasing her hold and pushing me away. “We have history. Now get to work.”
She walks away, and I refrain from touching my neck where I know her handprint is still on my skin. Never show weakness. I’ll do what I have to do for now, but in the end, I’ll get the last laugh.
* * *
Ten hours.
That’s how long I was in hell. My hands are dry and rough from washing nonstop dishes, and my feet hurt from being on them all day. When I wasn’t on dish duty, I was pulled here and there to do this and that. Chase’s wolves had a field day with me. I’d give anything to punish them right now. All they did was laugh and do everything they could to humiliate me. I kept my head held high, though. None of them were going to break me.
The door to the kitchen opens just as I finish cleaning the last pot. “It’s time to call it a night,” Elise calls out. “Chase is outside waiting for you.”
I toss the dishrag into the sink and wash my hands for the millionth time. Sierra is nowhere to be seen, and when I walk out, I can see why. She’s outside with Chase, flirting and laughing with him. A pang of jealousy twists in my gut, and I hate myself for even caring. Huffing, I push open the restaurant door and march toward Chase’s car.
Ignoring him and Sierra, I get in his car and slam the door. Chase says good-bye to Sierra and gets in with me. Sierra frowns for a split second, and I’m not going to lie, it feels good to see the disappointment on her face. The second we’re out of the parking lot, I breathe a sigh of relief. I just want to get back to my room, shut the door, and not see a single soul.
“How did your day go?” Chases asks.
Did he seriously just ask me that? My head jerks in his direction, and I look at him with as much disdain as I can muster.
His brows lift, and he shrugs. “That bad?”
I’m so furious I can feel my insides tremble. I want to hurt Chase and everyone else, but all I have are words. Words do nothing. Turning away from him, I thank the Great Luna when we pull up to his house. I get out quickly and storm up to the front door.
Chase is right on my heels. “So you’re not going to talk to me now?”
I whirl around, my voice shaky from adrenaline. “Hope you got a good laugh from today. I sure as hell know your pack did.”
His smile slowly fades. “I don’t get enjoyment at other people’s expense.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t have thrown me to the wolves today.” Tossing my hands in the air, I fight back the burn of tears. “Why don’t you just let me go? The Royal pack is safe. Wyoming is the last place I want to be. Zayne and Amelie will kill me if I show back up there.”
Chase moves up a step, drawing him closer. “You need protection.”
I hold up a hand. “Don’t even pretend that you care about my protection. This is a power trip, plain and simple. Now that I’m weak, you and your pack can extort that.”
Chase’s eyes flash, and his anger grows. I stumble back, and my breath hitches as he closes the distance between us. He’s never scared me before, but I know I’ve provoked him. For a split second, fear encompasses me.
“You don’t know anything, princess. What you need to do is get your head out of your ass. The royal complex doesn’t work anymore. It might have centuries ago, but things have changed. You’re no better than anyone else. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need me. No one else wanted you.”
His words sting, and the bitter reality hits me again. Zayne turned his back on me two hundred years ago and let the Royal pack banish me when I was innocent. Then, my brother turned on me for a female that wasn’t even his, and now I’m alone. My heart’s been shattered more times than I can count, and I’ve left the pieces in the darkest parts of my soul, hoping I could forget about them. But tonight, I feel the weight of it all.
Turning on my heel, I open the door to Chase’s house and hurry inside, refusing to break down in front of him. I feel as if the whole world is crashing down on me. Yes, I deserve to be punished for attacking Amelie, but when will it be enough? When I get into my room, I go straight to the window to peer out at the vineyards. I’ve missed a couple of calls from Brooke, so I call her back to ensure everything’s okay in Virginia. Hearing her say that things are perfect is the only thing keeping me sane.
A door slamming downstairs catches my attention, and I look out the window to see Chase walking down the hill toward his vineyards. With my wolf sight, I’d see him clearly, but since I don’t have it anymore, he disappears into the darkness. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to make the call I needed to make last night.
My body still aches from the day, so I move to the bed and scroll through my contacts until I find Evangeline’s number. I haven’t spoken to her since I left for Wyoming, and it’s been over a year since I’ve seen her. Pressing her number, I pray like hell she answers.
“My darling, Kara,” Evangeline answers. I’ve missed hearing her French accent.
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”
“What’s wrong? You don’t sound right.”
“I need your help, E,” I whisper, knowing not to say anything more than that.
“Anything for you.”
“There might be ears listening, so I can’t say much.”
Evangeline sighs. “I understand. Don’t say anything else. I’ll come to you.”
She hangs up, and I lie back on the bed. If there’s anyone who can help me, it’d be her. Out of all the witches I’ve met in my lifetime, she’s the most powerful.