Chapter 60 You can't escape me
"Fuck off, demon. She's not yours to toy with and in no condition to deal with your games," Saint grunted, settling beside me in nothing more than a pair of loose-fitting shorts. "Inhale," he ordered, holding the joint to my lips. I licked my chapped, blood-covered lips, and he sighed, nodding to the men leaning against the wall, silently watching us. "She needs water, more blood, and that fucker's head. In that order, gentlemen." "I'll grab water," Phenrys announced, pushing off the wall.
"I'll get more blood," Bowen snorted, following him out of the room.
"I'll help Ezekiel convince Cole Van Helsing that we need his assistance to go hunting. Lucas couldn't have made it too far off this mountain," Sian stated, nodding toward Ezekiel, who continued staring at me.
"You're in agony, yet you don't make a sound. You are either very good at hiding the pain, or you've had lots of time to master it, little girl. How much pain have you known in your lifetime to hide that emotion from your pretty eyes?" Enzo asked, creeping closer, inhaling the air as he moved toward me. "You intrigue me."
Worry shone in Xari's eyes before she turned her gaze on me. I was guess- ing it wasn't a good thing to intrigue a demon. Not that I'd met many of them before, but this one was sex incarnate and leaked lethal vibes from his pores. The other one studied us, his smile lopsided as he slid his gaze over my face, then moved it back to his brother.
"Curiously, she shows no sign of her pain, but her agony hangs in the surrounding air. Her aura is blue, yet shrouded in darkness."
Leif's snort filled the hallway. "She's Brenna Haralson's daughter. Fenrir wolves mask pain, hiding it from their enemies. They're masters at it and be- lieve that they control their emotions and their fate by doing so. I'd bet my eternal soul that Braelyn's mother showed her how to hide it all. Every emotion she feels is muted, such as fear, pain, and love. Isn't that so, Braelyn?" he asked, leaning into the room to hold my stare. "Emotions are weapons that can be wielded against you. To allow someone to taste fear is power. To allow them to know your pain is an addiction. Love is a weakness that can destroy you. They're only emotions, and we control them because only we can decide what we feel. My enemies will never see me falter or know that they have given me pain. I have no weakness that can be used against me. Not anymore," I stated, sliding my attention to Saint. "You took it away, and now you have nothing to wield against me. I should probably thank you for that, shouldn't I?"
"And what did I take away from you?"
"My pack, and the only vow I ever pledged to keep. Before my father beat her to death, I promised my mother that I would always put the pack first and protect them. Now they don't respect me, and they're no longer my pack. They're yours."
"What the fuck does that mean, Braelyn?" he demanded.
"It means I am free of my promise," I whispered, licking my lips that con- tinued to crack and bleed from speaking. "No matter what happened or what cost I had to pay to ensure their safety, I paid it without hesitation. But now I am free."
"What she means is, she can leave here free from her obligations to the pack. There's nothing here for her anymore," Leif grunted, shaking his head.
"You took away her purpose, and when a wolf is free of her commitments to her pack, she is no longer burdened by them. Isn't that right, little wolf?" "Exactly right, Leif," I stated, exhaling the pain from my lungs as the weight lifted from my chest. "I am no longer a part of your pack, Saint." I smiled, feeling the burden of holding the pack together, releasing me. "I'm free."
"You're my mate, Braelyn," he pointed out. "That doesn't mean I give one fuck of an iota about belonging to you any more. You bit me, and that only means you own my womb. You own nothing else within me. I rejected you to free you from what my father threatened to do to you if I didn't. I tried to protect you, and you returned to destroy me. We're not even on the same level. You want to hurt me, and I wanted to save you from my demons. My only mistake was in thinking my bastard father would uphold his end of the deal, allowing you and your friends to walk away from this place."
"Think we should have mentioned the dragon grass makes the user rather blunt?" Ezekiel asked, turning to look at Enzo, who snorted.
"I'm enjoying it She's rather savage, and how often do you see Saint sweat- ing balls?" Leif snorted, causing the others to turn in his direction. "Fuck off! He's been an insufferable prick ever since he announced we were returning here. I intend to enjoy that look of fear in his eyes a moment longer."
I carefully turned onto my side, peering up at Saint, who glared down at me. A soft gasp escaped my lips, barely discernable to even my ear. My lashes fluttered, hearing him snort.
"You even try to escape me, and I will chain your pretty ass to this bed, Brat."
"And do what? Fuck me stupid? I was stupid the moment I rejected you. and every day since I spent watching the horizon, praying to the gods that you would come back to me. How's that shit working out for me? I'd have been bet ter off praying that someone missed a chunk of wood and removed my head with their ax. It would have been kinder. And I told you never to call me that again. I'm not your Brat anymore. I'm your unwanted mate, and you're mine."
"See, savage little thing," Leif snorted, his deep chuckle filling the room as my eyes grew heavy and sleep settled over me. I felt Saint's finger tracing my cheek, but I couldn't open my eyes. It felt as if someone had glued them closed.
"Get the bag prepped for an IV. She's out." Saint's breath fanned my face as he pressed his forehead against mine.
"I want that asshole found and hung up in the courtyard to send a warning to any of Harold's people we've missed. I want those sick bastards to know exactly what happens when you touch my girl."