Chapter 17 THE BLACKMAIL
Ginnie
I gasped, instinct taking over my body as I dropped the glass of water, my legs scrambled to run—but the arm around me tightened instantly, yanking me back hard against a hardcore chest.
“Try to move again,” the voice breathed warm against my ear, “And I’ll slice your throat open before you take another breath.”
Pain shot across me as the blade sliced a bit through my neck, just enough to promise it could do much worse. “Good girl,” he murmured, “Now I want to listen very carefully.”
My pulse pounded so loud I was certain he could feel it beneath the knife, “Who…” my voice cracked, “who are you?”
A low chuckle brushed my ear. “Does it matter?”
“Yes,” I replied, fear clawing its way into every part of my body, “What do you want from me?”
The knife pressed harder.
“I said—listen.”
“You’ve been very careful,” he continued casually, as if he wasn’t holding a knife to decide my fate. “I mean…for a human, you’ve done a good job in keeping your secret hidden for years now.”
I swallowed hard, each of my inhales and exhales scraping against the metal knife pressed against my throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered, though my voice betrayed me.
A humourless laughter escapes through him again—nothing funny about it, “Oh, you do,” he shot back. “You just hoped no one else would ever find out.”
“F…find out what?” I forced the words, “If you’re trying to scare me—”
“You’re not her sister,” he interrupted smoothly. “You’re her mother.”
My whole world tilted, the sound of his voice faded away, replaced by a roaring in my ears so loud I barely registered the words that followed.
“Not only that,” he added, “I know that your precious little Lily is not human…but a halfling.”
“No,” I whispered. “That’s not true—it’s all just fucking lies.”
He tightened the blade around my throat, leaning closer until his lips brushed the shell of my ear, “Stop trying to deny the truth, Ginnie…it’s rather too late for that. I know who her father is,” he said quietly, “You of all people should know what happens to halflings in Bleeding Rose.”
“You don’t know anything!” I choked. “You don’t—“
“I know she needs treatment,” he cut me off before I could finish, “Her dizziness and faintings will get worse. Her wolf will surface whether you want it to or not. And when it does…everyone will know what she really is.”
Tears threatened to spill but I forced them back, my body shook violently now, terror ripping through me in waves.
“What do you want?” I whispered.
He released the knife slightly, just enough so that I could breathe without choking, though the knife remained close—a reminder of the consequences if I tried to do anything stupid.
“Now we’re having a proper conversation,” he hissed. “I can keep your secret, and even die with it if you want.”
A laughter tears through me before I could stop it, “Why would you want to do such a thing?”
“Because secrets are valuable,” he replied. “And yours…fragile little human is worth more than you realize.”
“What the fuck do you want?” My voice came out harsher than intended.
“The Alpha’s family seal,” he said.
My breath hitched.
“W…what?” I whispered.
“You heard me. I want the Draven family seal, which has been locked away for generations… I need you to steal it from Varkos.”
“I can’t,” the words left my mouth forcefully. “I don’t even know where he—“
“You have one week,” he cut in, “Seven days to decide,” his voice dropped, lethal and quiet. “Unless I expose your little secret to Varkos myself.”
Varkos’s name landed like a death sentence, but I forced myself to stay calm—or rather to act calm. “He will never believe you,” I breathed.
“Oh, trust me, he would,” he said easily. “Especially when he learns that Lily is his daughter—“
“No,” I sobbed. “Please, she’s just a child. She doesn’t belong to him.” I twisted, desperate to see his face, to make him understand why I did everything that I’d done—but he stepped back swiftly, avoiding my gaze.
“You get me the seal,” he said, “and I’ll arrange Lily’s treatment. He'll, I’ll even get you and her new identities to disappear from Bleeding Rose forever.”
“I can’t,” I whispered quietly, the tears spilling freely now. “I can’t do that. Varko’s will kill me if I get caught.”
“Maybe,” he shot back, “But if you do nothing…Lily will die because of your stubbornness."
My body trembled violently as I shook my head in protest, silence crashing down between us as the knife hovered near my throat for a while.
Then—
The pressure vanished.
Air rushed into my lungs as I stumbled forward, choking, spinning around—
No one was there.
The kitchen was empty, with no footsteps or shadow to show that someone had been here—just the dull glow of the chandelier and the dripping of water from the kitchen sink.
“Lily…” my voice shook. “I need to go check on her!”
My legs moved before I could think twice about it, down the corridor, my breath rising and falling in and out of my lungs as if I was being chased by death itself.
Fuck—fuck—Lily.
Please be fine. Please be sleeping. Please let nothing bad have happened to you.
My heart hammered so violently I thought it might burst through my ribs as I turned corner after corner of the staff quarters, leading to our room.
I should never have left you alone. I should never have gone to the kitchen. God …please.
I finally reached the staff quarters and slammed the door open, a shock wave of relief spreading through me the moment my eyes met Lily. She was still curled up on the bed, her chest rising and falling in soft, steady breaths like nothing in the world could harm her.
“Oh… thank God,” I whispered.
I crossed the room slowly, careful not to wake her up as I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands shaking as I brushed her hair back, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
The one truth I’ve tried so hard to bury for six years—had been finally dragged into the light. Worse…staying here was suicide, not when Varkos was on the verge of finding out the truth—
He would never forgive me.
He would take her far away from me.
And I would rather die than let that happen.
I straightened slowly, my gaze fixed on Lily’s sleeping face as something dark and unyielding settled in my chest.
“Tomorrow night,” I muttered. “I have to escape with Lily tomorrow night.”