“What the fucking hell is going on here?” a voice shouted.
Bastian glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes, roaring at the two men who had come into the ballroom unnoticed. Lewis took the chance he had been given, punching up into Bastian’s throat.
“Get this fucking bear off me!” he yelled. “I’m the only one who knows where the cage keys are kept, so if you want the girls you’ve paid for, you’ll help me.”
Bastian turned back to Lewis, howling at the pain in his throat but not letting it stop him. He brought his mouth down again, but before he could tear out Lewis’ throat, a roar came from his side, and then a warm body collided with him, throwing him off Lewis and sending him sprawling across the floor.
He sprang up and found himself face to face with two lions and Lewis, now in his bear form. He knew this wasn’t going to end well for him, but he was determined to take Lewis out before the lions could get to him. He roared and threw himself into the air, springing toward Lewis. The lions sprang up at the same time he did, and the three of them crashed into each other in midair. Bastian felt claws raking into him, teeth biting down on his flesh. He roared in pain and anger, trying to shake the lions loose from him.
He saw Lewis turn back into a man and run for the desk. He opened the top drawer and grabbed something and then he whirled to face them.
“Drop him!” Lewis yelled.
The two lions backed away from Bastian and he started toward Lewis again. Too late, he saw what Lewis held in his hands. A gun. He heard the loud bang as Lewis fired, and a second later, white-hot agony filled him as the bullet slammed into his skull. Everything went black.
* * *
Bastian woke up and rubbed a hand over his aching head. What the fuck did I drink last night? he thought to himself. He jumped to his feet, ignoring the headache as the events rushed back to him. He hadn’t been drinking. He had come looking for Lewis. He’d almost had him too, but then two lions had shown up and held him back until Lewis was able to shoot him. At least it wasn’t a silver or Ure bullet, Bastian thought to himself. If it had been, I would be dead by now.
His momentary victory turned to horror when he saw his predicament. He was locked in one of the cages in Lewis’ ballroom. He ran to the bars and reached out and shook them, but they held fast. Bastian knew that even in his bear form, he wouldn’t be able to break through the bars. They were solid metal, made to hold shifters.
He looked around, looking for the two girls in the other cages, but the other three cages stood empty now. He patted his pockets, but he soon found that his cell phone was gone. He was trapped here, alone and completely at Lewis’ mercy.
As though the thought had summoned him (although Bastian thought it was way more likely that Lewis had seen that he was awake on some sort of CCTV system), the ballroom door opened and Lewis marched in. He smiled at Bastian as though he was greeting an old friend.
“Let me out of here right now,” Bastian demanded.
“I think we both know that’s not going to happen,” Lewis smiled nastily.
“So what? You’re just going to keep me here forever?” Bastian said.
“Of course not,” Lewis said. “What use would that be to me?”
Bastian wasn’t naïve enough to think that actually meant Lewis was going to let him go and he narrowed his eyes at Lewis.
“Right. So what’s the plan?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m going to kill you. I’m sorry. I thought that was obvious,” Lewis said.
“I suppose it was,” Bastian shrugged. “So what’s this, then? You just want to torment me for a bit first?”
“No,” Lewis said. “Believe it or not, I’m not into torturing people. This is a business, Bastian, nothing more, nothing less. Obviously I’m not going to let you ruin that, but please don’t think I take any pleasure from tormenting anyone, human or shifter. You’re being kept here simply because I didn’t have any silver bullets on hand. Don’t worry. I have some ordered and as soon as they arrive, I’ll put you out of your misery. In the meantime, I’ll treat you with dignity and respect, assuming you extend me the same courtesy. Can I get you anything?”
Bastian was both thirsty and hungry, but he wasn’t about to give Lewis the satisfaction of telling him that, so he simply shook his head.
“As you wish,” Lewis shrugged. “I expect you know you’re on camera.” He pointed up into the corner where Bastian thought he could just make out a tiny hole in the wall where a camera watched him. “If you change your mind, wave at the camera and I’ll come back.”
He turned and headed for the door. Bastian didn’t want to ask Lewis for anything, but there was one thing he needed to know, and he swallowed his pride.
“Wait,” he called.
Lewis turned back.
“What time is it?” Bastian asked.
Lewis checked his watch.
“Ten fifteen p.m.” He started to walk away again and then he glanced back at Bastian. “Oh. On Sunday. You were out for quite some time.”
He left the room and closed the door. Bastian sank to his knees, his hope leaving him in a rush. Even if he found some way out of here, which was looking less and less likely by the minute, he was too late. Rachel would think he had decided he didn’t want to be a part of her life, or of Stephanie’s life. And if he got to her now, she would never forgive him.
15
Rachel stepped out of the shower and dried herself off with a towel. She went to her bedroom and got into
