Chapter 41

Lucien

I stared at my wife’s mother in unabashed surprise, wondering what kind of cheap weed she was on. And if she really was serious, what the hell was she talking about?

Sydney was face-down on the floor, with a knee pressing down against her neck, her hands held together behind her back so she couldn’t perform magic. Her tear-stained face was turning red from the pressure. Anger flooded me. I was going to kill him, the man that was holding her down, but I willed myself to breathe. She wasn’t dead yet, and that was the only thing keeping me from going crazy and leaving a storm in my wake.

My gaze went back to Penny. I had always wondered about the story behind the calm façade. Who was she other than the woman who had adopted my wife? I’d never bothered to find out; I had only known what she stood for in the business world. She had done business with my father, Marcus when he was alive. I’d met them her when they’d both been having a meeting about some investment in a pharmaceutical company some years back. But that was all.

Before the ball, I had no idea she had a daughter. An oversight on my part, given that my father had always taught me to dig into the lives of my business partners. Marcus would have known since he had been in charge then.

Even more shocking was the knowledge that she was just like Olivia; half-human, half-werewolf.

How had I not seen it?

Of course, she was an Impure. I would’ve sniffed out her wolf had she been a full-blood.

Hadn’t she asked to see Mason the other day? I’d thought it weird at the time, had chalked it up to nosy mothers but hadn’t thought to think deeper into it. Now I couldn’t stop wondering whether they were both connected somehow. Had they joined forces against me? When had the planning begin? Where did Elena fit into all this?

Aunt?

It was ridiculous. My father had no siblings. I’d never known my grandfather; he’d died when I was a child of three, but I was fairly certain he’d had no other children asides from my father, much less an affair that had resulted in a child.

“You’re a fucking liar.” I threw at her. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. What had she done to Olivia? Where was she? If anything happened to her, I would die.

Penny laughed. A loud humorless sound that drew out and itched my ears. “I knew you would say that. After all, you are your father’s son. Don’t worry. I’ll kill you very soon, and then you can go ask him in hell.”

“What did you do with my wife?” Fear gripped me though I tried not to show it. If she’d killed her… I didn’t want to think about it.

“Olivia?” She scoffed, waving a hand nonchalantly in the air. “Don’t worry. Where you’ll going, she’ll come soon.”

My blood ran cold. “Penny.” I swallowed. “I had nothing to do with what happened to your mother. I hadn’t even been born yet. Please. Don’t…” It physically hurt me that I was begging for life. I was stooping to the level she wanted. “Don’t touch her. Do whatever you want with me. Just, please. Leave her and our child out of this. Your beef is with me.”

“Oh, that’s fine. You have a part of him inside you. That’s enough for me. Even I hadn’t been born when my mother had been thrown out into the street like a common rag. My beef is with the entire Steel family. Olivia is a Steel, and that means she won’t be spared.”

I didn’t understand how a mother could even harbor the thought of hurting her own child. How long had she been planning this? Had it all been her plan? To get Olivia into my life, worm her way in so she could carry out her revenge?

Her lips stretched wickedly. “I suffered for a long time. I sincerely hope you suffer too. It’s a shame Robert isn’t here to share your pain, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine. Don’t worry too much. Unlike you, her death will be swift.” Then her eyes hardened, and her lips formed a straight line. It felt like I was staring into the eyes of the devil. “Seize him.”

One by one, her men came at me. Her men. Men who had once been my men, who had fought by my side. What had changed? I fought the feeling of betrayal that was swimming to the surface, instead focusing my energy on fending them off. I was strong, but their strength lay in their numbers, and eventually, I was subdued.

In all my years of living, I’d never felt as defeated as right now. Looking at Sydney on the floor with tears running down her eyes and the image of Olivia’s eyes widened with fear running through my mind, a loud growl rippled through my throat and out my mouth.

Who was I kidding?

I couldn’t transform. There was no point. Granted, I would kill most of her men, maybe even all of them but not in time to get to Sydney. She'd be dead by the time the last body dropped. And I had no idea where Olivia was or what she’d done to her. Penny held all the cards, I realized shamefully.

There I was, with my knees to the floor and tears in my eyes, wondering precisely when it was that everything had gone wrong.

***

Olivia

My head was hurting like a bitch.

I tried to open my eyes, but they stayed firmly shut. There was a banging behind my eyes, so loud I wanted to die so that it’d shut up.

What happened? One minute I was talking to Penny, and the next, I was feeling so dizzy. Once I managed to open my eyes, I would check the time. My throat was as dry as sandpaper.

The door banged open, and I swear my head exploded just a little.

“Olivia!” That was Sydney’s voice, and was that a cry I heard? “Oh my God, Olivia. I thought something happened to you.”

It was a cry. Why on earth was she crying? It hurt like hell, but I willed myself to open my eyes, wincing. Her face was red, stained with tears. I was instantly alert. “What’s wrong?” I asked, then cleared my throat when the sound came out rough. “I need water.”

I reached over to grab the glass Penny had given me earlier, lifting it to my lips.

“Stop!” Almost as quickly, my hand was empty, and the glass fell to the floor, shattering with a loud clang. “Don’t drink that.”

“What is wrong with you, Sydney? I was going to drink that.” I whined.

She fell to her knees, bending her head closer to the floor. Then I heard a sniff. Another sniff.

“Did you fall and hit your head? What is wrong with you?” Her bent posture gave me full access to look at her neck, and I gasped when I saw a big red bruise that rounded the curve of her neck. “What the fuck happened to you?”

“It’s not magic.” She announced, standing to her feet.

“What is not magic?” She was talking, but she wasn’t saying anything. “Sydney, I’m going to need you to speak clearly.”

She sighed, swallowing. “Your mother is not who she says she is.”

My brows furrowed as I waited for more information. “Okay…?”

“She drugged you. I thought it was magic, but it doesn’t smell like it. she was obviously targeting your human side. We need to go. Something’s happened. If we don’t stop her now, everything will go to shit.”

“Woah, Woah Woah,” I held out a hand. “Slow the hell down. What do you mean she drugged me? What has happened?”

Her chest was heaving. When she opened her mouth, I froze with dread.

“Lucien’s been kidnapped.”