“Let’s go.”

She turned away from the window, her jaw clenching when Victor again took hold of her arm.

He grinned at her. “I’m not taking any chances on your doing something stupid.”

“I already did that when I married you.”

She gasped with pain when he struck her across the face, her head snapping back from the force of the blow.

“That tongue is going to get you in trouble one of these days, Mrs. Rinaldi. I’d advise you to choose your words with more care in the future.”

Werewolf funerals were always held in the deep woods late at night. Her father’s body, tightly wrapped in a wool blanket, was laid out on a bier to be burned. The pack, all clad in unrelieved black, surrounded it.

Shrouded in a long hooded cloak, Greta stood at the head of the bier. “We are met here this night to mourn our Alpha, Nagin Luta. He has served our pack well. We know not whether his death was accidental or provoked, but the man who caused it will slay no more of our kind.”

Brett moved up beside his wife. “Nagin Luta was my brother-in-law, and my friend. Under his leadership, the Shadow Pack knew fifty-three years of peace and prosperity. He will be sorely missed.”

One by one, the members of the pack paid their verbal respects to their Alpha.

As his next of kin, it was Kay’s duty to ignite the funeral pyre. She stared at the lighter that Brett offered her, then shook her head. “I can’t do this.”

Without a word, Victor took the lighter from her hand.

Tears flooded Kay’s eyes as the hungry flames devoured her father’s remains. A morbid part of her mind wondered if fire consumed all preternatural creatures as quickly and completely.

As the flames died away, mournful howls of sorrow rose on the wind.

In the distance, a wild wolf yipped in reply.

Standing a good distance away, Gideon watched the proceedings. He didn’t miss the way Victor Rinaldi kept Kay close to his side. Gideon had only to brush her mind to know what she was thinking, feeling. It came as no surprise that Rinaldi had threatened her. What was a surprise was her suspicion that Rinaldi had murdered her father so he could take over as Alpha of the Shadow Pack.

Which was exactly what had happened. Gideon couldn’t say for sure what Rinaldi’s reasoning had been, but Gideon had seen the whole thing, which had taken only a few moments. Victor had paused at the foot of the rise and Alissano had stopped beside him. The murder itself had happened very fast. Victor shifted to human. A man stepped out from behind a tree and fired once. The bullet struck Alissano in the heart and he went down. Victor had congratulated the shooter on a job well done. Then, in a move quicker than the human eye could follow, he had shifted into his wolf form, ripped out the shooter’s throat, and quickly shifted back to human. By the time Kay reached the scene, Victor was kneeling beside Alissano.

The howls died away as the flames consumed the last of Alissano’s remains.

Dissolving into mist, Gideon followed Kay and the others back to the compound.

Trying to pass over the fence was like hitting a brick wall. He had hoped the death of the Alpha would allow him to pass, but apparently not.

He waited until the pack members had dispersed to their homes before resuming his own shape. He had to get in touch with Kay and let her know what he had seen and heard, had to warn her that her father’s death hadn’t been an accident.

* * *

Chapter 36

Kay hated to see the pack members return to their own homes after the funeral. So much had happened in such a short time, she would have welcomed their company… . Who was she trying to kid? Other than her aunt’s family, she had no real affection for any of the people who lived in the compound. The truth was, she was afraid to be alone with Victor, who had stayed downstairs to have a drink. She hoped he drank himself into a stupor.

She tried not to think of the two men who had remained behind in the forest. They would collect her father’s ashes, deposit them in a large urn, and take it to the pack crypt where it would be placed on a shelf beside his father’s remains. In a few days, she would order a bronze plaque bearing her father’s name and the years he had ruled as Alpha so that he would not be forgotten.

She had a bad case of nerves by the time she reached her room. She considered locking the door, but what was the point? Victor would likely just break it down. Going into the bathroom, she changed into flannel PJs, washed her face, and brushed her teeth, constantly glancing over her shoulder for fear Victor would burst in on her and demand his husbandly rights.

When she returned to the bedroom, he was waiting for her.

Nervousness turned to fear when he grabbed both her hands in his. Before she knew what he was up to, he’d handcuffed her to the bedpost. Heart pounding, she stared up at him.

He snorted. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of bedding you tonight.”

She went weak with relief.

Relief that was short-lived when he leered at her. “There’s always tomorrow night. And the night after that. Try not to miss me too much while I’m gone.”

Kay closed her eyes after he left the room. She had to get out of here.

Gideon? Where are you?

I’m here. Are you okay?

Yes, for now. I think Victor killed my father.

I know he did. He would have preferred to break the news in person, but she needed to know what Victor was capable of.

Kay felt as though someone had submerged her in ice water. She had suspected Victor of murder, but having her suspicions confirmed by someone she trusted came as a shock.

Kiya, you need to get out of there as soon as you can.

I can’t. Victor wants to take over as Alpha. That has to be why he killed my father. The pack is meeting tomorrow night to discuss it. Victor has threatened to kill Greta if I don’t support him in his bid to take over. And the thing is, the pack will probably sustain him. Everyone knows that my father loved him like a son.

Gideon considered her words. If what she said was true, then she was safe, at least until the pack had made its decision.

Gideon?

Try not to worry, Wolfie. And whatever you do, don’t make him angry.

What are you going to do?

I don’t know, but hang tight. I’ll think of something.

I miss you.

I miss you, too. When this is over, I’ll show you how much.

Promise?

Do you doubt it?

No. I love you.

I know.

Gideon, I … oh! He’s back!

I’ll be in touch. And Kiya? I love you, too.

Kay woke with a groan, thinking that she had spent more comfortable nights in Verah’s basement. She had tossed and turned all night long, unable to get comfortable with her wrist secured to the bedpost. Even more unsettling had been sharing her bed with Victor. She had tensed every time he moved, afraid he was reaching for her.

Sitting up, she was relieved to see that his side of the bed was empty, and surprised to find that he had uncuffed her hand.

After taking a quick shower, she dressed and went downstairs. Brett and Victor were sitting at the kitchen table, reading the paper. Greta stood at the stove.

For a minute, Kay simply stood there, watching them. How could they behave as if this was a morning like any other? As if they hadn’t just buried her parents?

Approaching the stove, she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“How are you this morning?” Greta asked.

“Fine,” Kay lied. “Can I help you?”

“Nope, I’m all done.” She handed Kay a platter of bacon. “Just put that on the table and we’re ready to eat.”

Kay wanted to scream at her aunt, to ask how she could even think about food at a time like this. Instead, she carried the dish to the table.

She took the place across from Victor so she wouldn’t have to sit beside him.

The conversation was subdued as Brett and Greta expressed their concerns about finding a new Alpha.

Victor glanced pointedly at Kay several times, but she pretended not to notice.

He glared at Kay when she remained in the kitchen to help Greta tidy up, but there was little he could do about it without making a scene.

Kay breathed a sigh of relief when he followed Brett into the living room. Fighting the urge to cry, she began loading dishes into the dishwasher.

Greta looked up from rinsing the frying pan. “Kiya, how are you, really?”

Kay sank down on one of the chairs. Elbows resting on the table, her chin propped on her folded hands, she shook her head. “Not good. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be married to Victor.”

“It’s that vampire, isn’t it?” Turing off the faucet, Greta took the chair across from Kay. “You really are in love with him, aren’t you?”

Kay nodded.

“Your mother mentioned him to me once.” Greta smiled. “I can’t say as I blame you. He’s far and away one of the best-looking men I’ve ever seen.”

“Greta, my mother killed herself to give me a chance to run away with Gideon. Did you know that?”

Greta’s eyes widened in surprise. “No. No, I didn’t.We all thought …” She bit down on her lower lip, then said, “I know your mother wasn’t happy here, but I never thought she’d commit suicide. But if she did it for you …” Greta shook her head. “You can’t blame yourself. She loved you very much. And so do I. If you want to leave Victor, I’ll help you in any way that I can.”

“No! I can’t ask you to do that! I can’t lose you, too. You’re the only family I’ve got left.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“I know.” Reaching across the table, Kay took her aunt’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “And I intend to make sure that it doesn’t.”

Kay sought refuge in the laundry room, hoping Victor wouldn’t think to look for her there. While putting another load into the washer, she debated the wisdom of trying to leave the compound, but Victor’s threat against her aunt kept her in place as surely as Verah’s iron bars. There was always a chance he had been bluffing, but it wasn’t a risk she was willing to take.