Harvey threw me to the cement floor. The uneven surface grated my palms when I caught myself.
“I’m really sorry, but I’m not going to participate in your father-son bukkake bonding session. It’s just not my jam.” I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut.
Harvey laughed before he kicked me in the jaw. My head snapped back. Pain lanced from my chin to the back of my skull. I swallowed my groan because I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
I leaned back, my weight on my stinging palms. “Are you going to kill me and tell the pack that I died in a boating accident?”
Someone in the pack would question a lie like that. Connor would know. My dad would know. I liked to think that Haylee and Kelsey would absolutely know. Would they act on that, though? Would they rise up and say that Alvin had finally crossed the line?
Or, would they go back to their peaceful lives built on lies? That would be the safer option. I didn’t blame them for wanting to protect themselves, but that peace wouldn’t last. Someone else would piss Alvin off. So long as I was here, Alvin had someone to hurt that wasn’t my packmates.
Fuck, I hated making myself the sacrificial goat. Why did I keep doing it?
Alvin crouched beside me. His upper lip twitched as he looked me up and down. I could see his hatred for me simmering inside him. No matter how he tried to keep his cool and appear strong, my presence managed to unravel him.
“Abandon the outsider, and you might survive the hunt,” Alvin said.
Ah, so that’s what this was about. I knew Alvin would be threatened by Ryder, but I hadn’t imagined he would go so far as to kidnap me.
“Audra Miura is going to go looking for me when I don’t show up to work tomorrow,” I said.
I didn’t know the validity of that statement. I liked to think that Audra protected us, but we didn’t even know if she had the power to do so.
No one could come for me right now. Ryder was still healing from the poison. Connor was a dipshit. My friends had all gone to bed. I was alone, again.
“You’re going to stay down here until the outsider leaves,” Alvin said. “If he doesn’t give up by the time the hunt starts, then you’re going to have to fight hard to survive.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do you even hear yourself? I can’t tell Ryder to leave if I’m stuck in your basement. You should let me go so I can tell him to his face. I don’t even have my phone.”
It was on the side of the street near Cerri’s apartment from when I shifted in a hurry. I’d been too distracted by Ryder’s pain to notice if it’d started raining there or not. However, that gave me a great idea.
My hound perked up, but she was still panting from the two shifts tonight. I told her that we would try it later. If I was lucky, then Alvin and Harvey would go to bed, soon. I might be able to get in a nap so that I could shift again. The storms that followed me around would act like a beacon over Alvin’s house.
All of Lakesedge would know where I was.
The way Harvey watched me made me doubt I would get any sleep. My skin crawled as if I’d stepped into the witch’s house again. It wasn’t that she’d cast a ward over this house. Harvey had his own creepy aura that set off alarms.
Alvin stood. “You better hope that the outsider gets the message.”
“How can he?” I asked, exasperated.
I flinched, expecting a boot to the face. It never came. When I cracked an eye open, I noticed that Alvin had retreated to the stairs. He shook his head in disappointment. Meanwhile, Harvey still hovered over me.
“If only you hadn’t given in to the witchcraft.” Alvin shook his head in disappointment.
“Are you seriously going to blame a prophecy on me? I didn’t ask for that. Your son, here, bought a curse. If you hate witchcraft, then crucify this dipshit’s ass.”
My words weren’t going to free me, yet they made me feel a little better. Once I got out of here, I was going to drink a gallon’s worth of iced hazelnut mochas. I was going to get sushi from that place outside the city.
When I got out of here… Fear slithered up my spine in a cold wave. Ice formed in my veins and made me shudder.
No. I wasn’t going to consider any other option. I was going to escape this basement one way or another.
Harvey stepped closer. I lurched back and scrambled to my feet. Unfortunately, that put my back against the wall. My hound growled, making my chest rumble. I could feel her preparing to fight. My entire body stiffened.
Connor wasn’t here to witness anything. They hadn’t dragged him down here with me, so I foolishly hoped that Harvey wouldn’t try to hurt me. It was a strange hope.
Remember how you said you wanted to violate me in front of Connor? Well, he’s not here. Can I get a rain check?