Eighteen

Her head pounded, her stomach churning with nausea. Kinsey wasn’t sure what they gave her, but she knew it screwed with her senses. She remained in her panther form, huddled on the cold floor of… She panicked. Where the hell had they taken her? She tried to inhale some scent to give her an idea, but all she could smell was the sweat of humans, the fringes of Enoch’s magic, and what seemed to be iron. Memories of what happened to her flooded her mind as she tried to move. Opening her gold eyes, she noticed the iron bars around her. A cage! They stuffed me into a damn cage.

She forced herself up onto her paws, pain screaming from her right leg when she put her weight on it. Her body was sluggish, her mind still a little groggy. The floor of her cage was solid wood, while the walls and ceiling were inch-thick iron bars. She seemed to be in some sort of warehouse. By the scents that reached her, the place hadn’t been used in a long time, dust and decay filling her nostrils. Windows set high up on the two lengthy walls gave the place its only light source. She could hear voices outside, but no one seemed to be inside the building with her. Fat lot of good being alone did her stuck in the cage like she was. Even if she shifted, she’d be trapped with no way out, and naked on top of that. No sense giving them a free show until she knew she could use it to her advantage.

Why was Daniel Everest so afraid of Fitz’s love for her? What possible threat could she pose to the man and his family that he would work with the likes of the Order of Wardens? Kinsey paced in a tight circle around the cage. She needed to get out of there. Daniel had ordered her death, and Jeremiah didn’t seem like the type of guy to hesitate on such an order, especially against the paranormal. She didn’t know how long Fitz would be with Dimitri or how long Mandy would be out walking, so Kinsey didn’t know how long it would be before someone noticed she was gone. With Enoch there, she also didn’t know if he used magic to cover her trail as they hauled her away. She couldn’t wait. She needed to make her escape on her own.

But how?

Her panther hissed as she continued to prowl the inside of the cage, hobbling around in a circle thanks to her sprained leg, her hackles raised. The wood under her paws gave a little in certain spots, giving a little bounce every time she stepped on it. On the next circuit around, she tried to remember where each weak spot was and pounced on it with all her weight, wincing with pain, hoping to make the spots weaker. If she could get it to crack, she might be able to tip the cage over and bust out of the bottom. Step one.

She stopped pacing and looked around the warehouse. If she made it out of the cage, what next? She needed to think past the first step of her escape. She needed an entire plan, or they’d have her back in another cage, a much stronger cage next time for sure. Then, she’d be even more trapped.

The windows were too high. The doors were probably guarded. The walls too sturdy. And none of that took into consideration Enoch’s magic. She’d be out of the small cage, only to be trapped in a bigger one. Not her best option. At least, not yet.

The warehouse door opened, jerking her attention in that direction. She hissed as Daniel Everest entered, alone, but with her in a cage, what did he really have to fear? He sauntered over to the cage, his hands behind his back as he tilted his head, studying her. Kinsey felt the hackles on her back rise again as she hissed at the man, bracing herself for whatever he planned to do.

He chuckled as he neared the cage, head still cocked to the side. “You’ve been such a pain in my ass,” he said with a shake of his head. “I thought for sure once you left for this—” He glanced around the area as if he could see the forests outside. “—cesspool of low class paranormals, you’d finally be out of my hair, but somehow Fitz just can’t seem to get you out of his system.”

You’ve overstepped this time, Kinsey said through the mindspeech of her animal. Do you really think by killing me you’re going to win your son back? You’ll only drive him further away.

He laughed at her; he actually laughed at her. “My dear, you don’t know Fitz as well as I do. As soon as you’re out of the picture, he’ll go right back to being the weak-minded follower he’s always been.” Daniel walked over to the cage, squatting down so he could smirk at her. It took all her restraint to keep from slamming against the cage in an attempt to get at him. “Oh, he’ll mope for a while, mourning you, of course, but in the end, he’ll return to the easily manipulated firstborn I need him to be in order to carry out my plans.”

Mandy won’t let him, Kinsey said. Things have changed. Fitz has changed. Even if you kill me, you won’t get your son back. Mandy will see to it.

“Mandy will return to being the dutiful wife her father told her to be when we first put them together,” Daniel sneered. “They will do exactly as they’re told, which is what you should have done when you left.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry, but you’re in my way. You have to be eliminated.”

The Paranormal Council will have your head when they find out you’re working with the Order of Wardens. She moved closer to the bars of her cage. You should be disgusted working with a group like that.

Daniel gave a loud bark of laughter. “Are you serious? I should be disgusted? You’re moving in on another woman’s marriage, doing your best to steal her husband and her future, and yet, you have the audacity to say I should be disgusted?” He shook his head. “No, Kinsey, you should be disgusted. Do you know no boundaries? Why didn’t you just send them back to Draven Falls when they arrived here? Then, you’d be enjoying drinks at that dive bar, instead of locked in this cage about to die.”

She hissed at him again. You don’t believe in destined mates, so you have no idea what you’re talking about or what you’re trying to tear apart. By killing me, you’ll be killing your son. We must be together. Haven’t you watched him deteriorate over the past year? Are you trying to kill him?

The warehouse doors opened, and Jeremiah Prescott strolled into the room, Enoch, the witch, right behind him. The two men could not look so different if they planned it. Jeremiah was prim, slick, his gray hair perfect, his suit pressed, shoes shined. He reeked of power and a hunger for more. On the other hand, Enoch appeared slimy as if he had been dipped in oil, and it oozed from him. His dark hair was greasy and unkempt, and his clothes resembled rags more than actual clothing. They were opposite ends of the spectrum, and to Kinsey, it seemed obvious one was disposable while the other would be the one to dispose of him. Enoch would suffer her fate if he didn’t watch his back. The Order would use him as they needed and then eliminate him, just as they planned on doing with all the paranormals.

Daniel turned to face the others, his lips pressed into a thin line. “When did the plan change to capture, instead of kill?” he asked, his disapproval clear in his tone.

Jeremiah shrugged. “When I found a buyer who collects…perversions. You don’t need to worry about the particulars. You wanted her out of the picture, and I assure you, she will be far, far out of the picture. She won’t even be in the country.”

Daniel looked at Enoch a moment, his disgust clear on his face. “And are you sure she won’t be able to escape? I do not need this getting back to my son.”

Jeremiah waved him off. “Your concerns are wasted.” He gestured to the witch beside him. “This tool you brought me will keep her toothless until we make the transfer, then she will be someone else’s problem.” He turned his gaze to Kinsey, his sneer twisting the corner of his lips. “As I understand it, my buyer has certain perversions when it comes to shifters. This little lady will wish I killed her before the month is out, instead of selling her.”

Daniel shook his head. “I don’t need to know the specifics. I just want it done.”

Jeremiah looked at him, giving Daniel a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s done. She’s safely tucked away in the cage and will be on a ship tomorrow morning. I’m just waiting for the courier to arrive to take her away. There’s no reason for you to even still be here, so feel free to leave before I forget our pact.” His expression twisted into disgust. “You’re just as much a sick creation as this animal in the cage. You all need to be exterminated.”

Daniel cocked an eyebrow at the other man. “Exterminated unless, of course, there’s money to be made? Seems even the Order’s moral compass is controlled by a price tag, so spare me your prejudiced posturing.” He pointed to Kinsey. “My eldest isn’t the one I’m concerned about when they find out she’s missing. My youngest son, however, possesses a stubborn streak that won’t allow him to let matters be. He’ll be the one to come after you and her. He’s already bested you once as I recall. You need to be on your guard until she’s safely out of here.”

Kinsey stood there, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized as much as she hated to admit it, Daniel was probably right. As much as she loved Fitz, he never had the strength to go against the grain on anything. It took Mandy to get him to Bull Creek and defy his father. Taking on the Order was just a little too much to be the force he suddenly stood up to, even for Kinsey’s life. She dropped her head. She would be lost if they managed to get her on that boat.

“It doesn’t matter if he does,” Jeremiah said. “Enoch has made sure to twist our trail and send anyone tracking us in the opposite direction. We’ll be fine.”

Kinsey felt her hope fade at his words. She counted on the ability of the others to track her to wherever Jeremiah took her, but if he used magic, then her options just ran out. She stepped closer to the bars, her focus on Daniel. You can stop this. It’s not too late. Fitz already knows you’re working with this ass. He’ll know what happened the minute he discovers I’m not at my cabin. You’ll lose him forever.

Daniel shook his head. “If I could trust that he wouldn’t keep trying to track you down, I would spare you the future ahead. But I don’t think this notion of destined mates will be that easy to shake.” He shrugged. “I may lose him for a while, but eventually, he’ll come back around. Family trumps everything in the end, and I’m his family. You’re not. Not even close.”

“Why are you..?” Jeremiah started and then stopped, shaking his head. “Oh, that’s right. You shifters can speak to each other with your minds. How conveniently sneaky.”

Kinsey’s panther opened her mouth, fangs showing. I’m more than family. I’m his destined mate; I’m their destined mate. That will trump your twisted version of family, and I hope I’m there when it does. I want to see you fall.

Daniel just laughed. “Do you really think Fitz has the balls to confront me?” He shook his head. “You’re as delusional as he is.”

“Enough of this! I despise one-sided conversations. It’s time for you to leave,” Jeremiah told Daniel. “You should be far away from here, just in case your son does know about our plan.”

Daniel nodded, never taking his eyes from Kinsey. “Good luck to you,” he told her. “I really wish it didn’t have to be like this.”

You’re really going to wish you hadn’t taken this step, she said.

Daniel stared at her some more, opened his mouth to say something else, but then shouts sounded outside and a gunshot cracked the afternoon air, reverberating in the surrounding forest.