Raven grinned, playing with the knife in her hands, flipping it between her fingers, promising to deliver pain. Katalina suppressed a shudder.
“And I,” Castor continued, “will be up that balcony, watching as my men cut through the people you love. I’ll not kill them all, of course, just the ones closest to you, the ones who will never break to my rule.”
Oh God, it will be a blood bath. She closed her eyes for a second, prayed Bass would somehow hear her through the mating bond. Don’t come, Bass. Please, baby, don’t come.
“But first,” Castor said, cutting into her prayers, “let’s have some fun. Raven?”
Katalina opened her eyes and stared at the dark-haired woman sauntering up to her. She ran the tip of her knife over Katalina’s skin, smiling as she did so.
“Will he feel it?” Raven whispered. “Each nick of your skin, each drop of blood?” Insanity shined in her eyes. Raven was beyond hope, twisted to her very core. “I hope he does. I hope it hurts him more than it does you. That will teach him for rejecting me and for loving you.”
The first cut sliced above her collarbone. Blood ran hot over her skin as Raven trailed the knife shallowly down her arm. Katalina gritted her teeth and refused to voice the pain. The second ran from her wrist up her arm, the third above her breast. Each one deep enough to spill blood but not kill her. Delivered with slow, precise movements, and Raven enjoyed every drop of blood, sick pleasure radiating from her eyes.
“So pretty,” Raven murmured, running the flat edge of the blade down her cheek. “Let’s fix that.”
“Raven!” Castor snapped. “Not her face.”
Her face twisted with anger. “Fine,” Raven retorted, grinding her jaw.
She ran the knife down Katalina’s body, over her throat, the mounds of her breasts and between her legs, coming to a stop at the top of her thighs. Pressing her body against Katalina, Raven hitched up the white lace dress, exposing her thigh and placed a kiss to her cheek.
Katalina struggled against her binds, moving her head as far as she could from Raven’s poisonous lips. Her blood boiled, the wolf inside her snarling and pacing, ready to tear flesh.
“I’ll leave your precious face,” Raven whispered. “For now.”
Raven’s body was flush with Katalina’s as she dug her knife in, slicing it slowly down the inside of Katalina’s thigh. Gritting her teeth, Katalina fought against the pain Raven inflicted and closed her eyes. She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, but even that wasn’t enough to contain the agony. A tear rolled down her cheek as the hatred Katalina had been using a shield faltered. Fear took over her, and no matter how much she willed herself not to, there was no stopping the scream that tore from her lips. No ignoring the hurt being imposed on her body, and as her vision blurred, Bass screamed back, the mating bond throbbing at her core.
“That’s it,” Raven cooed. “Scream. Scream for me.”
Please, Katalina silently begged. Please make it stop. The words repeated in her head, but as cut after cut was made, Katalina promised herself she’d never say them out loud. She might die, might slowly bleed to death, but she’d never beg. She’d scream, she’d yell to the sky, but Raven would never get what she truly desired, because Katalina would never break. She’d never bend to their will.
The wolf inside her howled in agreement. Sent out its song to those she loved, and as her mind gave in and slipped into unconsciousness, Katalina was sure she heard their answering cry on the wind.
Chapter 40
Eva
Until Eva watched John walk away with Mathew clutched to her leg, she hadn’t realized just how deeply ingrained he’d become in her heart. In no time at all, she’d become a mother and girlfriend. She’d become a person she didn’t know and hadn’t been given a chance to know, and if the future was going to play out as predicted, she might never get to know her new self.
The thought of John walking into battle was surreal. It was as if they’d been transported onto a movie set. But in real life, heroes didn’t always win, and as mates and mothers wept around her, fear a visceral thing, Eva wondered if she’d ever see her hero again. Would John ever truly know how important he had become to her? Would they ever get the chance to become true mates?
“Eva?”
Blinking back her tears, Eva bent and picked up Mathew in her arms before facing Olivia. “I don’t know how you do this.”
Olivia shrugged. “Believe me, I’m as baffled as you. All I really want to do is chase after Nico and beg him to stay with me.”
“Would he do you think?”
Olivia smiled sadly. “Yes, he would if I asked. But it would kill him to leave his friend to face this alone. Bass and Nico, they’re more than alpha and packmate. They’re brothers. They’d die for each other, so I hold my tongue and hope somehow, they are going to rescue Katalina, and all come home.”
“They’ve been training for this. They’ll be fine,” Eva replied, using the words John had said to her when she’d voiced her concern.
They have to be.
Olivia smiled tightly, creases of strain around her eyes. “We best get going. They want us all to gather in the school building. Do you have everything you need for Matty?”
Eva held up his small backpack. “Yup. How long do you think we’ll be in the school? My dad’s not even finished building it yet.”
“Hopefully just the night. It’s finished enough for that and the only building large enough on shared land to house those who can’t sleep
