Page 65 of Mate
“Turns out it survived. It’s been hidden deep underground for a long time, but there’s traces of his bloodline within her. Sure, it’s diluted, but can you imagine that kind of power?” a third said.
“I overheard Madame Juana and Bruce talking about it. She’s their sole focus right now,” the first added.
I wondered if Bruce was Mr. Big and Mighty. It would certainly fit him. No brains and all brawn.
Dickhead.
A fourth voice entered the conversation, low and calculated. “And the mate bond, that was the key. It activated some of that Silvermane blood, so it’s running through the system now, probably wanting to be claimed. Now that it’s been activated, we’ll just take her blood, and that power will be ours. Our alpha will be the alpha of all alphas. Our pack is going to rule the world, and we’re going to start with them—Juana said to take the brainy ones first. They’ll either be good for our side or good to have dead if they won’t join.”
The words sent a chill down my spine, and I tried to stifle the shiver that threatened to betray my awareness. They spoke of me as if I were a pawn in some dangerous game, and I gritted my teeth.
She-Hulk could come out any time now. I didn’t care if I had to sell my soul to the devil at this point. I just wanted to be somewhere safe far, far away from these psycho power-hungry assholes as fast as possible.
As quietly as I could, I shifted my wrists back and forth, but the ties were strong. I wasn’t going to be able to break through the rope, not with my strength alone. The rope creaked quietly, but not loud enough for the men gossiping to overhear. In all likelihood, they were just there to serve as guards until they did whatever they wanted with me—whether that was to kill me or bleed me dry.
At least they couldn’t sacrifice me as a virgin because I wasn’t one. Take that, fuckfaces.
“We need to be careful,” the first voice cautioned. “The alpha and the beta from her pack will come looking for her. Bruce needs to make his move before they arrive.”
“Why not just kill her? The mate bond will rid us of them. She dies. They die. Wouldn’t it just be easier that way?”
“So we can force them to bow to Bruce. Then, we’d have access to their fortune, the rest of their pack, their territory, and all the power they’ve built up over the years pretending to be good little humans in a great big world. They’d have no choice now that we have their mate. We could do whatever we want with her.” One of them chuckled, the harsh suggestion in his tone causing an icy cold spike of fear to furrow deep into my belly.
For the first time, I acknowledged that I was truly scared.
“I bet she’s got a tight little pussy, too,” one of them murmured, and I glared in the direction of his voice. I couldn’t see him, but if looks could actually kill, I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity.
My nerves only strengthened. I didn’t want them to touch me. I only wanted two wolves in that way, and none of the men inside this building were them.
“Her tits are especially nice. Bet they’d fit real nice in the palm of my hand,” the second one chuckled.
“Not as nice as my dick fits in that tight cunt,” the first blurted out, and the whole group started laughing. Their voices picked up as they discussed all the sordid things they’d do to me, and I knew that now was the time to make my move.
I began to rock the chair back and forth, hoping that the worn wood would give way under the strain. It creaked and groaned, its old frame protesting the abuse.
With a final, desperate push, the chair’s aged legs finally gave in to the overwhelming strain. A loud crack echoed through the room, but it was buried beneath the conversation about exactly how much dick I could take until I passed out. The chair tumbled backwards, sending me sprawling onto the musty floor.
I lay there for a long moment, hoping my efforts remained unnoticed. The conversation outside the door continued, and I sighed in relief.
Thank God. I needed a little luck today. I fuckingdeservedit.
When I was certain that it was safe, I shimmied my ankles until they were free of the broken legs of the chair. My hands bound behind my back still posed a problem though, but I was pretty flexible. I could work with this.
Being double jointed sure had its perks. I’d never been thankful for that until this very moment.
Carefully, I slipped my hands beneath my butt and lowered myself down to a sitting position. Then, I pulled my legs in and slid my bound hands beneath my legs. I struggled for the briefest of seconds until I was able to pass them over my feet. My shoulders cracked and then my hands were in front of me instead of behind my back.
I looked down and studied the knot keeping the rope together. Using my teeth, I slowly tugged the end free. I worked for a good long while until I got the ropes loose enough to slip my hands out. When I did, I sighed in relief. Even in the dim light, I couldtell that there were marks on my wrists from the coarseness of the rope. Ignoring them, I untied the knots around my ankles.
I scanned the debris of the broken chair, searching for something, anything really, that could be used as a weapon. Among the splintered wood and discarded pieces, my gaze landed on one of the chair legs. It had splintered into a sharp, jagged point, and I knew it could serve as a makeshift weapon if the need arose.
Too bad none of the rogues outside were vampires, then this would really have come in handy.
I could go allBuffy the Vampire Slayeron their ass. Fuck, yeah.
Gripping the broken chair leg firmly, I concealed it against my side and moved closer to the doorway, trying to figure out what my next move would be. The conversation about what cup size my boobs were proceeded with enthusiasm, and I sighed. As silently as I could, I leaned down and peeked underneath the space between the bottom of the door and the floor, trying to see where each man was located.
Wendy’s dirty Mardi Gras necklace escaped the collar of my shirt, and I reluctantly tucked it back inside. I wasn’t certain what it did, but I hoped it would help keep me alive for whatever shit cropped up next.