“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” The doors slammed and I couldn’t see her anymore. “Keep your mind open to me, Tyla.” I knew she could take care of herself, but I had to know she was okay. If I would’ve known for a fact she’d be safe, I’d have killed every one of those fucking wolves.
“I will. I’m getting into Jaret’s car now. Don’t worry about me, just please focus on Amelie.”
Amelie sat in the corner of the van with her hands over her face. I felt sorry for the girl. Turning to her, I tried to get her attention. “Amelie?”
She lowered her hands. “I’m so confused. Why would Jaret do this? He said he wasn’t part of a pack.”
This was one of the very reasons every wolf needed to belong to a pack. She had no defenses being out here on her own. “He lied to you,” I said. “His real name is Jaret Connery, not Bleddyn. I believe you know who his father is.”
“Oh my God,” she cried, slapping a hand over her mouth just as Tyla did when she was upset. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
She doubled over and I rushed to her side, putting my arm around her. “You didn’t know,” I soothed. She coughed and dry heaved, but nothing came up. Her despair was all I could feel.
“Why would he mate with me?”
Thoughts of my friend Alina plagued my mind. She too had been taken by a Connery, and paid the ultimate price. I wished every day I could turn back time and save her, but I’d failed. “To follow in his father’s footsteps; it’s what he grew up watching. But in your case, it was probably more about revenge. He’s been killing your people for years, including your parents.”
She cried even harder and shook her head. “They’d warned me something wasn’t right. I should’ve known it was wrong when I couldn’t hear his thoughts. The signs were all there. And now my parents are dead because of me.”
“That’s not true, Amelie. Connery was coming after you no matter what. You just happened to be the one he picked to charm.”
“And I fell for it,” she spat. Her overwhelming sadness had morphed into intense anger. “What’s worse is, I believed the asshole. How could I be so stupid? I trusted him and his sister. Other than Tyla, she was my best friend.”
My pulse spiked. “Sister? What does she look like?”
Amelie wiped her face off on her shirt. “Beautiful. She has silky red hair, and blue eyes. Not exactly the look of a gray wolf, but she was one. I’ve never seen her shift though . . .”
That was because she took after her mother and Jaret probably brainwashed her. “Did she ever talk about her mother?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Only that she’d died a long time ago. She was obviously skilled in magic. Laila’s very powerful as well. She taught me a lot about stones and their magical properties.”
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the moonstone. “What about this one? Do you know anything about it?”
Eyes wide, she grabbed it. “It’s Laila’s. Where did you get it?”
“In your room. We found it on top of your journal. It’s how we knew you were back.”
She squinted and shook her head. “How?”
I pointed to it. “When Tyla touches it, she’s able to see inside your mind. While you slept, she saw your dreams. While you were awake, she saw through your eyes. You were kept in a dark basement the past few nights.”
As if the memories haunted her, she shuddered. “I don’t understand. Why would the stone be linked to my mind?” She handed it back to me and I put it in my pocket.
“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll find out.” One way or another, I needed to find Laila and tell her the truth.
“What is he going to do to Tyla?” she asked, turning her tear streaked face to mine.
My blood boiled. “I don’t know. But whatever happens, I’m not going to stop until he’s dead. You will never be free until he’s gone.”