“You bastard,” Callie sneered.
Ashforth cut her a dark look. “You have no idea what she’s capable of.”
“Shut up and give her my blood,” Thea ordered wearily.
The words were barely out of her mouth when the guard from earlier returned with a large needle. Thea sat back on her heels and rolled up her sleeve. She held out her hand. “I’ll do it.”
Ashforth decided not to argue and handed over the needle.
Thea turned her gaze to Callie as she plunged the needle into her arm and pulled on the plunger. The syringe filled quickly with her blood and when she pulled out the needle, there was no mark at all on her skin. The small prick healed over in an instant.
Callie’s eyes widened as Thea handed over the syringe to Ashforth. “Playing nice only continues if you give it to her now. I want to see for myself.”
With a curt nod, Ashforth turned and moved to the table. He emptied the blood into a glass and handed it to Callie.
Callie felt a little nauseated as the coppery smell filled her nostrils.
“Drink it,” James urged.
Ugh, really?
“Callie,” Thea spoke.
Her eyes flew to her.
“Drink it.”
With a nod, Callie closed her eyes and threw back the blood. It was disgusting, and she felt like retching it back up. Instead, she forced herself to swallow.
“Well?” James asked, his expression bright with hope.
Not feeling anything but the yucky, sludgy blood sitting in her gut, Callie shook her head.
James’s face clouded over and he opened his mouth to speak, to rage, probably, when Callie felt the sharp twinge in her spine. She held up a hand to stop James. The twinge turned to a flood of heat, like a course of hot water flowing down her back and settling at the base.
And then everywhere began to tingle. Energy sparked through her being, the fatigue melted from her mind, her limbs, and with a gasp of disbelief, Callie pushed up on the arms of the chair and her body moved.
It moved with ease, with a strength she never thought she’d feel again.
Tears flooded her eyes.
There was no more pain.
No more weakness.
In fact, she felt stronger than ever before.
Her blurry eyes caught on James’s.
Her love.
They could be together now.
“James …” She laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks.
He gave a bark of disbelief, his eyes shining, and then she was in his arms as he held her so tight. “You’re okay?” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. “Jesus fuck, you’re okay.”
Callie squeezed him tight and over his shoulder, she met Thea Quinn’s gaze.
The woman was staring at her, a sad smile softening her lips.
They couldn’t leave her.
She pulled back from James and moved to take a step toward Thea when the guards moved forward in warning. Callie drew to a stop, threw Ashforth a dirty look, and then faced Thea.
“Thank you,” she said solemnly. “Those words seem inadequate, but thank you.”
Thea nodded.
Callie looked to James, who still seemed confused by the whole situation. “We cannae leave her.”
The room went tense.
Callie couldn’t give a shit.
She’d take them all on.
“You have to,” Thea spoke, surprising her.
Callie looked back at her. “But—”
She shook her head. “He can’t lose you too. Please. You have to go.”
The thought of leaving Conall’s mate, who was willing to sacrifice herself for her brother’s family, made Callie want to howl the roof off the fucking castle. Indecision warred inside her.
Thea seemed to sense it. “Callie, you must go. You have to warn Conall. Tell him it was Richard Canid.”
“Shut up,” Ashforth demanded. “That’s not playing nice, Thea.”
Conall’s mate clamped her lips closed but her fierce eyes pleaded with Callie to go.
James took hold of Callie’s hand, his silent support telling her he’d follow her lead. Reluctantly, Callie realized if one of the Canids had betrayed her brother, he needed to know. She gave Thea a nod, but she hoped the woman could read the message in her eyes.
They would come back for her.
After the gift she’d given, there was no way Callie MacLennan would leave Thea here to rot in Jasper Ashforth’s hands.
And she understood her brother well enough to realize Conall would burn the world to the ground to get his mate back.
Leaving the building, Callie’s mind reeled as she got to grips with moving again. Her strides were easy and long-legged, and she knew if she wanted to, she could run and dive off a parapet of the castle straight into the loch with ease. Her whole life stretched before her again. A future. Options. Love.
She marveled, even as dread followed in her wake.
Taking the speedboat back to shore from its island in the middle of Loch Isla, Callie hated leaving Thea alone; and yet at the same time, she was selfishly glad to be free of the place.
Once she and James were on shore and alone, she turned to him.