Coyote sneered in her face. "Never meant for this to happen?" He mocked her tone of voice. "Is that the lie you tell, you whore? Where did you meet him? Was it before or after I was tortured for over a year for protecting you?"
Guilt gnawed her into pieces. He was right. He had suffered so much for her.
But it was wrong to throw that in her face, and she knew it. "I'm sorry. I am. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please understand. I know in time you will."
She turned and walked across the floor, toward the door.
"I'll win you back, Butterfly!" he shouted after her. "Watch me. You'll see. You're mine. Now and always."
What a jerk ...
"Shhh," Coyote whispered to her as he rubbed her forehead and her dreams of the past dissipated. He traced the line of her brow. Something that made her skin crawl.
"What do you want with me?" she asked him.
"For you to fulfill your promise."
Abigail widened her eyes. "I didn't promise anything."
He gave her an evil smirk. "You always had trouble remembering your promises. Keeping your word. But not this time. You owe me. And I intend to collect it."
Yeah, she had something she was going to pay him with. But she could pretty much bet he wouldn't like it.
He definitely wouldn't enjoy it.
Pulling away from her, he cocked his head as if he heard something. He shoved her back into the darkness and withdrew, then shut the door.
That's right. Run, Coyote, run. No matter what Choo Co La Tah or Coyote thought, she wasn't Butterfly. She was Abigail Yager. And she didn't give up or give in.
Yes, she'd spent her childhood in fearful submission to her Apollite parents. But that had ended when they died. From that day forward, she'd been reborn as an assertive woman who refused to cower to anyone.
"Abby?"
She stopped her tirade as she heard the most wonderful voice in the world in her head.
"Sundown?"
"Yeah. Are you okay, baby?"
She definitely was now. "Didn't I tell you to stay out of my thoughts?"
"You can beat me later. Just do it naked."
In spite of the danger and her being tied up, she laughed at his humor.
Until she remembered Ren might be with him. "Jess, listen. We have a spy in our midst."
"What?"
"It's true. Did you know Coyote is Ren's brother?"
"No. No way. It's not possible."
"It's definitely possible and extremely creepy. Keep your eye on Ren. Whatever you do, don't turn your back on him."
"Okay. Are you somewhere safe?"
She glanced around her jet black prison. "I really can't answer that. I'm tied up in some kind of little room without any light whatsoever."
"All right. I have Sasha tracking you. I'm going to stay here in your head with you until we get there ... if that's all right with you, that is. I don't want to intrude."
Those words made her smile in spite of her danger. "Thank you, Jess."
"There's no reason to thank me, Abby. You say the word, and I will always come for you. No matter what."
That promise choked her and brought tears to her eyes. Never in her life had she had that kind of security.
Not even with Kurt or Hannah. As the oldest of the three of them, she'd allowed them to rely on her. Not the other way around.
The closest thing she'd had, had been Jonah. But even he hadn't been reliable.
I love you, Jess.
How she wished she could say that to him. But she knew she couldn't. He would always be a Dark-Hunter, and they couldn't marry.
"You still with me, Abby?"
"I'm here. How many more hours till dawn?"
"Less than two."
Ouch. They were running out of time. Choo Co La Tah needed to finish his ceremony and make an offering of her blood to Mother Earth.
"Where are you guys right now?" she asked.
"Not close enough to you for my money."
"How close would that be?"
"By your side."
"You keep talking to me like that, cowboy, and you might get lucky tonight."
"I already got lucky tonight."
"Mmm, so you're a one-shot-a-night guy, huh?"
He laughed in her head. "Ah, now, sugar, I didn't say that. The stallion never minds an all-night ride, especially when it's a wild one."
"Stallion? That's some ego you have there."
"It's not ego when it's true."
A chill went down her spine at that phrase. It was the same one Buffalo had used with Butterfly.
Could it be true?
Before she could pursue that thought, she heard a strange noise outside her door. Was Coyote coming back?
Something large struck the door hard a split second before it was wrenched open. Reacting purely on instinct, she charged the newcomer and kicked out with everything she had, hoping it would be enough to overpower him.
He fell straight to the ground, where he rolled back and forth on his shoulders in utter agony. A loud groan filled her ears. She moved to kick his groin again.
"Abigail!" he snapped, lifting his arm to prevent her infamous nut-cracker stomp. "Stop!"
Unsure whom she was dealing with, she narrowed her gaze on the man. "Are you Ren or Coyote?"
He flashed into the body of the crow. But it didn't last long. A heartbeat later, he returned to his male form.
Granted, he was still a little green around the gills ... and cupping himself. But he was Ren again. And he was whimpering.
"Oh, come on, you big baby. I didn't hit you that hard."
"I completely disagree. You kick like a damn mule, and I swear both my testicles are now lodged in my throat." He let out a long breath as he pressed his hand to his groin. Then slowly, he rose to his feet. Biting his lip, he let out several sounds of severe pain before he stood and glared angrily at her.
She backed up, unsure of his intent. Would he kill her for his brother?