Chapter One
I dreamed
Garrett and I entered the forest, his long fingers playfully weaving through mine as we walked among the ancient sentinels. Our footsteps were silent on this pathway, cut through the brush long ago by the forest’s smaller residents. As I filled my lungs with my mate’s sweet scent and the musky smell of the damp forest, we came to a clearing where the branches and leaves formed a roof of sorts and the rain found no outlet to the ground. We rested on the soft, dry forest floor, leaning shoulder to shoulder with our backs against the trunk of a redwood tree.
Garrett stroked my face with his knuckles and lifted my chin. His glittering sapphire eyes spoke to me of his love. “Je viens pour toi. I’m coming for you.” He kissed me gently on the lips. “Never doubt it.”
I jerked awake, painfully aware of the burning ache in my upper arms and the jackhammer-like throbbing in my head. My hands were tied tightly behind my back at the wrists and I could barely feel my fingers when I tried to wiggle them. Although my legs and ankles were unbound, my bare feet felt bruised, as if I’d been dragged and banged around on the journey.
I hesitated for a moment, afraid, but forced myself to open my eyes. I was on the bare mattress of a double bed in a room with cement walls and no windows. The only light came from a small lamp that sat on a wooden dresser opposite the bed. In the corner, a round wooden table and two chairs rounded out the plain furnishings. A cool breeze stirred my hair so I looked up to discover the source. An air vent in the concrete ceiling, covered by the usual metal grid, was blowing fresh air into the room.
With awareness, came memory and intense fear, causing adrenaline to pour into my system. My heart jumped in my chest and a chilled sweat began to seep under my arms and along my hairline. He’d taken me, just as he’d threatened to do.
I listened intently but didn’t hear anyone breathing or moving about so I wiggled my arms to try to loosen the bindings. Making no progress, I wrenched and twisted my body to get a view of the other side of the room. Jolts of pain rewarded me for my efforts, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out or moaning. I might appear to be alone, but someone could be right outside. Outside of what? I looked again. Other than a door that led to a small bathroom, there was no other means of entering or exiting the room.
I sucked in a breath to steady myself and tried to think about something other than the pain. As Kennet had promised, he’d allowed me to call Garrett, which meant Bridgett was safely home again. I hoped she wasn’t in bad shape and that Garrett didn’t blame her for what happened. From the way she’d mumbled when she’d spoken to me on the phone, I was fairly sure her face was swollen from a beating. Garrett or Liam would be able to take care of any serious wounds, and any other injuries she’d heal on her own with her shifter powers.
Garrett must have read my note by now and understood why I’d agreed to the trade. At least I hoped he understood. There was no way I could have left my sister in Kennet’s hands. This was not her fight and I wouldn’t allow her to suffer because of my big mouth. I’d stupidly insulted a fae lord, turning him into an enemy. My impulsive behavior had put everyone in danger. Ethan had almost died because of me. Bridgett’s only mistake was to stupidly go out alone, against Garrett’s orders. He’d be angry with her, but I trusted his level head would win out over his rage.
I visualized him reading the note I’d left on my bed. What had I written? Take care of Bridgett, I knew he’d find me, and he was my heart. That’s all I could remember, although I’m sure there was something else. He’d laughed at me when I’d called, before I’d had a chance to tell him where Bridgett was. I’d had no time for long goodbyes, but I’d made a point of saying, “Je t’aime, mon ange,” and I knew he’d feel my love in those few, intimate words.
I looked around the room once more. Where was I? I definitely wasn’t in Faerie. This was more like where Kennet had kept the fae he’d kidnapped with the help of the werewolf pack run by Bridgett’s dad.
My brain had finally cleared enough to remind me I could get out of my bindings by connecting to the magic. I sent out my usual mental thread; only this time it crashed into a solid wall right where there should have been a river of magic. For the first time since I’d learned to use them, I couldn’t access the power of the ley lines.
I was starting to panic, my breaths coming fast and shallow. To prevent the terror from consuming me, I dug my nails into my palms, allowing the pain to bring me back to reality. If I couldn’t think clearly, I wouldn’t be able to plan an escape.
“Escape isn’t possible, Jacqueline.” Kennet’s voice was rich in tone and full of its usual arrogance. My gut cramped up, threatening to bring up the contents of my stomach. He always had that effect on me, the snake. He stood alongside the bed, having appeared magically out of nowhere. Obviously, he’d had no trouble with the lines, which meant the block was only keyed in to me.
He was dressed in breeches, boots and a loose shirt, fitted at the waist with a belt and a scabbard, which housed a long blade. He was in fighting gear, perhaps prepared for a rescue attempt. That thought cheered me up, as did his slightly frazzled expression. His waist-length blonde hair was unkempt and his deep purple eyes were red from lack of sleep. He knew Lord Caelen and the other fae elders were searching for him, and when they found him, he’d be in serious shit.
My body was trembling from the rush of adrenalin, but he only smirked. “You don’t need to fear me, as long as you don’t prove uncooperative. You are an intelligent woman, Jacqueline. Your mate and your friends will be safe as long as you obey me. I will let you return to your mate after the birth of my heir. I swear to you this is the truth. I am sure your vampire will take you back when I’m finished with you.” He referred to Garrett with disgust. Kennet thought all races were beneath the fae, and him in particular.
My hands were suddenly free of their bindings. I groaned from the pain of renewed circulation as I struggled to sit up, rubbing my wrists vigorously. I was dressed in a long, soft sleeveless gown in light green with a deep v-neck. He stared at my breasts as I moved, so I tried to pull the neck of the dress up to cover myself.
He smiled at my feeble attempt at modesty. “I’m going to leave you to recover and regain your strength. Blankets for the bed can be found in the drawers and food has already been left for you on the table. The bath is through that door. This is your sleeping chamber for the time being. If you please me, I will move you somewhere much more luxurious. If you don’t, then I will find a way to force you. As you’ve seen, I won’t hesitate to use someone you care about to convince you to cooperate. The snow leopard is quite lovely.”
He sent to my mind an image of Sinc tied up and crying out in pain, her beautiful face a bloody mess. I couldn’t stop myself from gasping in shock, making him smile as he disappeared into the magic.
I dragged myself off the bed to stumble into the other room and splash cool water on my face, wiping away the few tears that had forced their way out, despite my best efforts to hold them back. There was no mirror—no glass anywhere—probably a wise move on his part.
After drying my face, I moved like a zombie into the main room and sat, the edge of the bed dipping slightly. Now that he’d left, I was able to breathe normally, but when would he be back?
I shuddered, but refused to fall apart. Instead, I rubbed my arms to warm my blood, clenched my jaw in concentration and began to formulate a plan.