The Colorado mountains are lovely, but I can’t enjoy a single second of it, not when I’m going to my doom. Once off the highway, we travel for another hour or so until we reach a valley with not a house in sight. Then, we crest up a hill, and as soon as we’re over it, there’s a large cabin in the distance with a few others close by. It’s almost as if it’s their own little community.
Saul pulls up at the wrought-iron gate and types a code into the black box. The gate door opens, and he drives us to the front of the biggest cabin. Two men walk out, and even though I can’t sense them, I know they’re wolves. With royal arctics, we all have common features like blond hair and blue eyes. Then again, that’s not always the case because Stark and Dany have green. They are a rarity. Unfortunately, black wolves don’t have any common attributes. Soren has dark hair and blue eyes, but the two men who walked out of the cabin are dark blond, with one having golden eyes and the other silvery gray. How many black wolves are there?
Soren opens his door and glances back at me. “Welcome home.” He gets out, and I can hear him talk to the others.
“The other royal is with Piper. I think she’s handling him very well. Do you want anyone standing guard there?”
“No,” Soren replies, his voice low. “I need everyone here.”
Dany jerks her head to me, and I clench my teeth. I don’t know how I will kill him with so many of his wolves around. But I can’t lose hope.
The door on Dany’s side opens, and Saul reaches in to grab her arm. He pulls her out and waves for me to follow. I slide out and squint against the brightness of the sun. We’re still in Colorado, but I don’t know where. Even if I did see, I wouldn’t be able to inform Micah. Soren’s blood has blocked all access to my true mate.
Soren walks away from the two men and nods toward the house. “You can come with me.”
“What about Dany?” I counter.
Eyes gleaming, Saul clasps a hand around Dany’s arm. “She’s coming with me.”
I’m about to protest, but Dany stands tall. “I’ll be fine, Rae.”
My gut coils in tight knots as I watch her walk away with Saul toward one of the other cabins.
Soren grabs my hand and tugs. “Come on, sunshine. I know you’re hungry, and I’m sure you’d like a shower.”
Snorting, I willingly let him pull me into the house. My mouth drops when I see what’s inside. Soren didn’t live a lavish life in South Dakota; his house was medium-sized with only the bare minimum of furnishings. This place, however, is entirely different. Everything is upscale, from the furniture to the tapestries on the wall, to the decked-out kitchen. Even the fancy art pieces displayed in the living room corners are probably worth thousands.
“Where are we?” I ask.
We turn down a hallway where a guy stands guard in front of a closed door. He nods at Soren and moves out of the way.
“This is my home, Raelynn,” says Soren as he opens the door.
I don’t see how any of it is possible. Soren nudges me into the room, then shuts the door behind us. The room is larger than any bedroom I’ve ever seen. The walls are a deep gray with a giant, king-sized bed that’s covered in a silvery comforter. Then, in the corner and on the dresser is a photo of Soren with a man who looks exactly like him.
“Let me guess, that’s your father?”
Soren walks over to the photo, and a haunted expression passes over his face. “It was. He was killed a long time ago along with my mother. But we’re not going to talk about them.”
Two can play this game. I try to search through his mind like he’s done with me a million times, but he shuts me out. “Don’t,” he warns, turning his glowing eyes on me.
“If we’re going to be mates, you better get used to it. You’re not the only one who has the right to go poking in other people’s minds,” I challenge.
Running a hand over his face, Soren huffs. “So fucking stubborn.”
I don’t back down when he pins me with his lethal glare. “Who is that guy out in the hall?”
Soren’s gaze shifts to the door. “He’s in my pack, my true pack.”
“What about the others in South Dakota?”
Sighing, Soren leans against the bedpost. I want to stay as far away from the bed as I can. “The Black Hills pack belonged to my family for generations, but it was always temporary. They’re doing fine without me. This is where I truly belong.”
“What exactly is your plan?” I wonder, scanning the room for ways to escape.
“Simple. I want us to be stronger than the Royal pack. I have the last two royal females.” He comes up behind me, his warm breath on my neck. “When I mate with you, our power will be twice as strong as the mated royals. No one will be able to defeat us.”
Sliding his hands around my waist, he turns me to face him. “You can’t tell me that doesn’t excite you. Think of all the power you’ll have.” His body presses against mine, and I can feel his lust.
“I don’t care about power,” I ping back.
Soren’s gaze slides down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “You will.” He steps back and walks over to a door across the room. When he opens it, I can see the bathroom on the other side. He strolls in and steps into the shower, turning the water all the way hot; it steams within seconds. Soren nods down at my wrists and the open blisters on my skin from the wolfsbane. “Your body will heal once you wash the wolfsbane off.”
“Yes, I know.” I jerk my head toward the door, but Soren leans back against the bathroom counter, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He’s not going anywhere. Huffing, I turn around and quickly take off my clothes before stepping into the hot water. A hiss escapes my lips when it touches the burns on my wrists and ankles. Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes for my skin to heal once the wolfsbane washes away.
I grab the shampoo, squirt some in my hands, and rub it all through my hair. I want to wash every trace of Soren’s scent off my body, but it won’t do any good. I dread the thought of what’s going to happen later tonight. What terrifies me more is not knowing if Dany’s okay.
Keeping my back to Soren, I rinse out my hair and then quickly wash my body down with soap. “What’s the plan once we’re mated?”
Once the soap is rinsed off, I shut off the water and step out. Soren holds out a towel but makes no effort to move closer; he wants me to come to him.
Bastard. The closer I get, the more potent his need fills the air. His eyes roam down my body, and he pulls me close, sliding his hands over the curve of my ass. Soren is stronger than me, and with one of his men just outside of the bedroom, I won’t be able to get away if I try to run. The thought of his hands on me makes my stomach twist in knots.
Soren kisses my neck and wraps the towel around me. “My goal is to dominate the world.”
“That won’t be easy to accomplish.”
He looks down at me with glowing, heat-filled eyes. “We can handle it. You’ll soon know what I mean.”
A knock sounds on the door, and Soren steps away. “I’ll be back later. Be ready for me.”
He turns on his heel and disappears out the door.
“Oh, I’ll be ready,” I hiss low. “You’re in for a rude awakening.”