“We’ll see about that.” She smiled. “Time for you to meet your maker, Katalina. I’ll make sure you’re screaming for death by the time I’m through with you.”
Raven dragged her from the room, her partner crawling after them before they shut the door, locking her family inside. Katalina didn’t resist as Raven led her away; instead, she memorized her way back to her family, because one way or another, Katalina was getting them out. She refused to accept they’d be another casualty of war. She’d lost too many people already, Katalina would never recover losing more.
Chapter 39
Katalina
Katalina gave up fighting her restraints. They weren’t coming loose, and she needed to conserve her strength. She was inside a large barn, strung up on a cross of sorts, in the middle of a purposely erected cage, which Katalina had the awful thought was more a stage then prison. The cage was in the center of the barn, giving clear view of her from every part of the building. Raven was watching her with a sick kind of pleasure, her gaze promising all kinds of pain. Swallowing her fear, Katalina refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her crumble. She wouldn’t break. She wouldn’t bend, Right then and there, she promised herself she’d die with her head held high and with vengeance in her gaze.
It didn’t matter that underneath she was terrified. That her heart was broken, and Arne’s loss was threatening to consume her. There was no time to feel it, no option to give in. Because it wasn’t only her life at risk. With her heart exposed, Bass could feel all she did. When she hurt, so did he, and if these were her last moments, she’d be damned if it was spent causing the love of her life any more pain than he was already in.
“Here she is. Beautiful even with the dried tears and blood-stained skin. But what did you do to the lovely dress I bought you?”
Katalina snarled. “Go to hell, Castor.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “It is a shame really, so beautiful, so fierce. I can see why Bass didn’t obey his father. Why kill you when he could make you his queen? And you rule so well, controlling two packs without them even realizing it. Yet you are their destruction, you’re so predictable, Katalina. I knew eventually you’d go to visit your human family. All I had to do was have men stationed nearby, ready for the word from my human spies that you’d left the protection of the pack. I’m surprised though that Bass wasn’t with you, but never mind. Bass and I will have plenty of fun before dawn.”
“I won’t be sorry for having a heart,” Katalina spat, covering the horror churning in her gut with rage. Castor was right; her need to see her human family one last time was a weakness. One that was going to get those she loved killed.
Castor smiled almost sadly. “Yes. Such a pity, you’ll not break, will you? You’ll never become my queen.”
“You’re right. I won’t.” She glared, her entire body humming with the need to draw blood, to make him bleed.
“That’s all right.” Castor smiled pleasantly, as if they were talking about the weather. “I’ve come to terms with the fact I’ll have to kill you. There was a time I’d had hopes of turning you, of holding the power you possess in my hand.” After closing the space between them, Castor cupped her face, leaning in and breathing Katalina’s scent into his lungs. “You smell of him, you know. You’re ingrained that far into his soul.
“To think you turned Alistair’s greatest weapon with only a look. We were winning. Dark Shadow was so close to ending them, to breaking Jackson for good. Bass was supposed to kill you, lay your severed head at your father’s feet. That was to be his daughter’s eighteenth birthday present. But alas, we can’t always get what we want. I thought Alistair was a little short-sighted and possibly crazy. My goals are different to his. Why would I kill River Run when I could control them? Why slaughter them when I can break them, and keep doing so, over and over, year after year?”
Raven laughed gleefully. Katalina felt sick.
“If you think you can control them, you’re as delusional as you sound,” Katalina spat. “Bass would never kneel to you, neither would my father.”
“Kneel, no. But they’ll fall. Fall to their knees as the light leaves your eyes.”
“Kill me then. Be done with it, or is your plan to talk me to death?” Katalina smirked, forcing every ounce of defiance she had into her eyes. She wanted him to do it. Wanted Castor to slip and lose control and kill her before those she loved had to watch.
Castor might not have told her his plan, but he didn’t have to. It was written all over his face, over everyone’s in the barn They’d created the perfect stage on which to do it, bound to a cross, made to wear a white dress so that it would show blood that much better. They were all inside a steel cage, large enough to put on the show of a lifetime.
Castor smiled, twisted and cruel. “Don’t worry, Katalina, your time will come, but first, let’s have a little fun. Let’s send a message to that mate of yours, drive him insane, so when he arrives through those doors, he’s half-mad with rage.”
“He’ll tear you limb from limb,” Katalina yelled, her bravado slipping, causing Castor and the others to laugh.
“Oh, my dear girl, he’ll not get within a meter of me. You see, I planned this down to the last detail, set my stage up perfectly.” He turned, waving his arms
