Alpha's Heat (Shifters of Wolfsbane Book 3) Read online

  Alpha’s Heat

  Shifters of Wolfsbane

  Lily Thorn

  Copyright © 2018 by Lily Thorn

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  Chapter One

  “WHAT DO YOU think, Felix?” Seraphina asked. “Should we give it another try?”

  In the corner, Felix twitched his orange tail. The cat watched, his eyes like embers, as she crept to the cell window.

  Rain lashed her face, and the wind howled through the bars. The storm was picking up. Felix pressed against the wall, trying to stay out of the draft.

  She wrapped a hand around an iron bar, willing it to heat. Smoke curled up, escaping into the storm. Seraphina looked over her shoulder as the bar began to glow orange. She’d been steadily weakening the bars over the past few months. Maybe tonight would be her night.

  Gripping the bar tighter, she looked out into the dense forest. Trees swayed violently, some looking like they were threatening to topple, but it was still a tantalizing view. There was so much room to run, so many places to hide. If she could only make it to the trees—

  “Trying to escape again?”

  She whirled. Vince stood outside her cell, leering at her.

  “I’ve told you before that that’s a bad idea. Do you want me to tell Luca about this?”

  Seraphina swallowed hard. The less Luca heard about her, the better. He was happy to inflict pain, whether or not it was warranted. And because he never left a mark, his boss didn’t care how long he toyed with his playthings.

  Vince jammed a key into the lock, wrenching the cell door open. She winced as metal squealed. The guard strode inside, his bulbous eyes scanning the room.

  “If even one of these bars is damaged…” He trailed off ominously. Pushing her aside, he tugged at each of the bars in turn.

  Seraphina stood in a corner, trying not to smile. None of the bars gave even a tiny bit, but they were far weaker than they seemed. She had done good work.

  “You’re wasting your time,” Vince snarled. Seraphina cast her eyes down as he whirled on her. “You’ll never see the sun again, not without cooperating with me. Don’t you want to go outside again?”

  She crossed her arms. They used to let her relax in a courtyard every ten days or so, but that had stopped when she’d begun refusing their orders.

  “Well?” Vince stared at her, looking like an overgrown toad. She half expected him to stick out his tongue and catch a fly.

  The guard grabbed her roughly, pulling her out of the cell. “You have a chance to redeem yourself today, and you’d better perform. Mr. Dark is getting tired. And so am I.”

  He slammed the cell’s door shut behind them, and the clang echoed down the stone halls. Felix slipped through the bars, trotting after Seraphina. All these years, she’d been alone except for the cat. What would she ever do without him?

  Vince aimed a kick at Felix, but his foot went through him, as usual. Felix’s eyes narrowed as he turned to the guard, the flames on his back rising. He hissed at Vince.

  “Don’t start with me,” Vince said. “I’ll throw a bucket of water on you.”

  Seraphina smirked as he led her down the hall. Despite all their efforts, they’d never managed to take Felix away from her, or do more than dim his flames for a moment.

  “Step lively,” Vince said. “We don’t want to keep the boss waiting, now do we?”

  He tugged at her, a little too roughly. Seraphina felt a rush of anger. She shouldn’t be trapped in this place, forced into service for these horrible people.

  “Let’s go.” Vince yanked at her arm again. “Are you deaf?”

  Her fury flared. Felix hissed, growing larger with her rage until he was the size of a lynx.

  “Save it for Mr. Dark,” Vince said in a flat voice. “I know you’re too chicken to turn your kitty cat loose on me.”

  Seraphina closed her eyes, exhaling. By the time an impatient Vince prodded her forward, Felix had shrunk back to his normal size.

  The guard laughed. “Told you so.”

  “I’m not going to hurt anyone,” Seraphina said. “That includes toads like you.”

  He shook his head. “That’s what makes you weak. But Mr. Dark will change your mind.”

  Vince threw open a metal door, pushing her into a barren room. She took in her surroundings as Felix prowled the perimeter. The far wall was a two-way mirror, and she knew someone sat on the other side, watching her. Seraphina’s skin prickled. Was it just Mr. Dark back there, or did he have his thug Luca as well?

  The intercom clicked.

  “Are you ready to perform?” Mr. Dark’s voice was deep, distorted, but it never failed to make her shudder.

  She glared into the mirror. “You’re wasting your time.”

  Silence.

  The door creaked open, and Nathaniel entered. He was thin and reedy, with messy hair. Seraphina felt like they might have been able to be friends under better circumstances, but he was another one of Mr. Dark’s guards, and so she hated him.

  Nathaniel threw her a furtive glance, then pulled at a length of chain. Seraphina stepped back as the prisoner entered. He was a teenager, gangly and pimpled. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard.

  “Please,” he said to her, eyes bright with tears. “Help me!”

  She watched, frozen, as Vince and Nathaniel fixed his chains to pegs on the wall. The boy slumped against his bonds, sobbing.

  The intercom clicked again. “He has failed me,” Mr. Dark’s voice rang out. “Kill him.”

  Felix hissed at the intercom, his ears flat against his head.

  “I’m not killing him,” Seraphina said. “He’s just a kid.”

  The prisoner thrashed against his chains. “I couldn’t help it!” He strained to address the glass. “She did this to me, but I can make it up to you, sir.” He turned to Seraphina. “Please, miss, please don’t hurt me!”

  His plea was cut off by his own sob.

  The intercom clicked on. “You’re pathetic, Tanner. Do not expect mercy from me.”

  Tanner slumped against the wall, shaking with sobs.

  “Why don’t you let him go?” Seraphina asked. “I’m not going to hurt a kid!”

  From behind the glass, she thought she heard laughter.

  “Get a move on.” Vince looked nervously at the glass. “It’s not like you have a choice.”

  She glanced at Nathaniel, who gave a slight nod. What did they know that she didn’t?

  “This is your last chance.” Mr. Dark’s voice seeped from the intercom. “My patience is wearing thin.”

  She faced the glass, fists clenched. How sick was her captor, to try and make her kill a boy? Beside her, Felix swelled, his claws rippling with fire.

  “I won’t do it!” she shouted.

  The intercom clicked. “If you won’t cooperate, I’ll have to persuade you.”

  She gave a hollow laugh. “How. What else could you possibly take from me?”

  “Your sister.”

  “Arabella? Where is she?” Seraphina strode toward the glass, ready to punch through it. “Where is she!”

  Behind her, Tanner moaned. “Get me away from these witches, please!”

  She barely heard him. “Where is my sister?” she screamed at the glass.

  Once more, the intercom clicked. “Kill him. Or I’ll kill her.”

  The room heated. Fire roared, and a blazing tiger threw himself against the mirror. Felix’s claws raked the glass, leaving scorch marks down its f
ace. Seraphina pounded her fists against the unforgiving surface. She wanted to tear it down, wanted to face them. She’d burn Mr. Dark and Luca out of existence for threatening Arabella.

  The glass buckled with the heat, then shattered. Seraphina stared into the room beyond as shards fell around her head. It was empty.

  She whirled. Tanner cowered away from her, terror in his eyes. Even Vince and Nathaniel had backed away, eyes wide.

  The room cooled. This was what she hated, seeing their fear. But they were right to fear her. She could have killed them all.

  And she had given Mr. Dark exactly what he’d wanted. She’d lost her temper, and let Felix loose. Seraphina curled her fists until her nails bit into her palms.

  The outer door opened, and a black-gloved hand beckoned Vince. He stood at the door for a moment, then nodded. Eyeing Seraphina warily, he approached.

  “Mr. Dark says you did good work today. He’s so pleased with your display that he won’t make you hurt Tanner.”

  On the wall, Tanner groaned with relief.

  Vince shot him a pitying look. “Time to go,” he said to Seraphina.

  She let him lead her out of the room. There was no point in struggling, no point in resisting. They had her. As long as Arabella was in danger, Seraphina would do whatever they wanted.

  And Mr. Dark knew it.

  Luca rounded the corner, giving her a grin like a barracuda. He was slightly pigeon-toed, with sloping shoulders, but he was also a mass of muscle. It was all wasted, as he had no need for physical strength. One touch of his finger would leave the object of his interest in agony.

  She shrank behind Vince, but Luca turned into the observation room. Though she had been spared, for now, her stomach still churned with dread.

  “No,” she heard Tanner say. “Please, give me another chance. No!” His screams echoed off the walls, even after the door shut. Seraphina tried not to shake.

  “Come on,” Nathaniel murmured. He didn’t sound eager to linger.

  “Do we have to?” Vince stared longingly at the door, as if he’d like to stay and listen.

  Nathaniel escorted her back to her cell, Vince reluctantly following.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Vince asked as the cell door swung shut. He sounded much cockier now that Felix was no longer a tiger.

  “Why don’t you leave me alone?” Seraphina asked. “Don’t you have anyone else to torment?”

  “Nope. Lucky you.” He laughed in her face. “Just remember, the next time you disobey Mr. Dark, that could be you chained to the wall instead of Tanner.”

  “You would enjoy that, wouldn’t you?” she asked flatly. Vince always seemed more cheerful after she’d had a session with the torturer.

  “That’s just because he does such a good job of gentling you. Makes my work easier.” Turning on his heel, he strode away. “You’ll cooperate sooner or later,” he called. “It’s up to you how painful it’ll be.”

  She felt the anger bubbling up inside her again. Felix growled, his eyes fixed on the retreating guard. But she couldn’t let him loose, couldn’t let him hurt Vince. That was what Mr. Dark wanted her to do. And that wasn’t what fire was for.

  “Why don’t you just give in?” Nathaniel leaned against the bars. “Everything would be so much easier for you. For your sister, too.”

  Seraphina bristled. She didn’t like when anyone talked about her sister. She wished they’d never known about Arabella. She could stand being locked up, starved, tortured, but the thought of them even looking at her little sister was worse than anything even Luca could inflict.

  “I’m never going to work for Mr. Dark,” she said. “You should know that by now.”

  “You should cooperate. Before he breaks you.” There was sadness in his eyes. “He’s very talented at that.”

  She gazed out into the storm that raged around Mr. Dark’s compound. “I’ve been broken before.”

  “When Mr. Dark told you Arabella was dead.” Nathaniel gripped the bars. “I remember. You stopped eating. You stopped caring about anything at all.”

  “Well, she’s not dead.” Seraphina pulled the jar out from under her cot. It was her most precious possession, and not just because it was her only one. Inside the glass, a butterfly perched on a leaf, its wings open. It didn’t so much as flick an antenna. It was frozen in time, and there was only one person who could have been able to work such magic on it.

  “Do you know the lengths I went to get that for you?” Nathaniel asked. “The lies, the expense, the worry that Mr. Dark would discover me? But I had to, to keep you from wasting away. I knew you needed proof she was alive.” His eyes were pleading. “The last time Mr. Dark told you that Arabella was dead, he was lying. Next time, he might not be.”

  The wind picked up, howling like it had teeth. Nathaniel was right. But that didn’t mean she would cooperate.

  She let her shoulders slump. “You’re right. The next time Mr. Dark asks me to do something, I won’t argue.”

  Relief spread across his face. “Thank you, Ser.” He looked over his shoulder, lowering his voice. “You know I care about you.”

  She tried not to grimace at the nickname. “I know.” Clutching the jar, she sank onto her cot. “You’re so good to me, Nathaniel. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone right now.”

  He looked over his shoulder again, as if worried Luca might be standing there. “You know I’m not supposed to leave you alone,” he said. “I’m on duty.”

  “You don’t have to leave.” She was so desperate for this chance that she batted her eyes at him. “But maybe stand at the end of the hallway? Just for fifteen minutes? It would mean so much to me.”

  “All right.” He stepped back, though he seemed loath to let go of the bars. “Just for fifteen minutes.”

  “Thank you, Nathaniel,” she said. “I truly appreciate you.” Seraphina smiled at him, and he almost walked into a wall as he left. It seemed cruel to toy with someone so obviously infatuated with her, but she wasn’t the one holding the keys.

  The moment he was out of sight, she sprang to the barred window. Wrapping her hands around the iron, she squeezed. The metal glowed red, then white, until it was uncomfortable even for her to hold. But she gripped it tight, sweat beading on her forehead.

  Lightning flashed, and she waited a few seconds for the accompanying thunder. As it rumbled through, she yanked the bars from the window. They parted easily, like melted butter.

  Seraphina took a few seconds to listen for footsteps. Nathaniel wouldn’t be gone forever.

  Beside her, Felix lashed his tail. She knew he didn’t want to go out into the rain, but they had no choice.

  And if she didn’t start working faster, they might be trapped here forever.

  Seraphina started on the next two bars, willing them to heat faster. Her heart thudded as rain lashed her face. She expected to hear Nathaniel’s footsteps behind her at any moment.

  Lightning flashed again. She tried pulling back the bars as the thunder rumbled, but they barely budged.

  “Come on,” she hissed. “Come on!”

  They finally gave way, about a minute too late, separating with a hollow thunk that echoed around her cell.

  “Seraphina?” Nathaniel called. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I just tripped.”

  She had only seconds now. He would almost certainly check on her.

  Not that she intended to be in her cell when he got there.

  Stuffing the jar in her pocket, she pulled herself up to the window ledge. Felix jumped up beside her, his eyes narrowed as he watched the rain.

  “It won’t be too bad,” she whispered, putting her head through the gap. “Just stay under my cloak and—”

  Her stomach turned. She thought she might be sick. Her shoulders didn’t fit through the gap. Cold and unyielding, the last bar seemed to taunt her.

  Seraphina lunged at it, fire blossoming as she grasped it. She needed to burn it to c
inders, to immolate it, before Nathaniel came in.

  “Seraphina?” He stood there, gaping, looking from the fire in her hands to the bars on the windowsill.

  “Stay back,” she said, an edge of hysteria in her voice. “I’m warning you, Nathaniel.”

  He gripped the bars of her cell door, his knuckles white. “Seraphina,” he whispered, “get down from there. You heard what Mr. Dark will do to your sister.”

  The bar snapped off in her hand. “Not if I find her first.”

  “Please,” he whispered again. “Don’t go. I don’t want them to hurt you.”

  But they already had. They’d hurt her by taking Arabella away, by telling her that her sister was dead, by using her as a bargaining chip.

  Without a backward glance, Seraphina threw herself out of the window and into the storm. Felix followed, yowling only once in protest.

  Thunder clapped, and the wind-tossed trees of the forest beckoned.

  She was free.

  Chapter Two

  SERAPHINA RUBBED HER eyes as she stepped out of the cramped cave. The storm had raged for two days. She’d run most of the way through it, Felix lighting the way. Branches had fallen all around them, and lightning had seared the air, but it had all been worth it—they had gained some distance from Mr. Dark’s compound, and they’d be hard to track.

  She made a quick breakfast of berries and button mushrooms, heating some of her morsels on Felix’s tail. Then the two of them set off, striding through the woods.

  “Isn’t this wonderful, Felix?” She reveled in the feel of twigs crunching beneath her boots, the beauty of the colored leaves above, even the pooling drops of rain that fell on her nose every few minutes. Every sight and sound reminded her that she was free. No enclosing stone or iron bars, just wind and wild earth.

  Behind her, Felix grumbled. He didn’t like the way the wind toyed with his fiery fur.

  “Don’t worry,” Seraphina said, “we won’t let them catch us. And we’ll find Arabella again, somehow.”

  Ahead of them, through the trees, something screeched. Seraphina stood stock still. What was that? A bear? A fox? A wolf? Felix hissed, starting to increase in size.