“You did good, Josie,” Alpha Jamie acknowledged before nodding to her.“Now, bring the boy here.” He waved to her. I shook off her reaching hands, and Alpha Jamie growled.
“Willingly, Rayan, or I kill your brother,” he said, and his eyes dropped to Ryden in my arms. I clutched him tighter and let Josie pull me up while one of Jamie’s men brought a chair into the room.
He placed it in the center, and Alpha Jamie looked at his daughter before nodding to her.
“Emily, come,” he said, waving her forward. She hesitantly got up, a sob escaping her. I moved toward them, and Josie held her hands out for Ryden, and I looked at her.
“I won’t let them hurt him,” she whispered, and I glanced at Alpha Jamie, who was glaring at his daughter. I passed Ryden to Josie before bending down and picking up the girl’s stuffie. I glared at Beryl as I walked to the center of the room and stopped by the chair. Jamie dragged his daughter as she thrashed, not wanting to come closer.
He forced her to stand in front of me, and Beryl grabbed a goblet, dipping it in the cauldron before grabbing a ribbon and tugging it from her long unruly hair. She immersed the ribbon in the bubbling brew before handing it to Alpha Jamie. He pinched it between two fingers, holding it away from himself.
“That’s it?” he asked her.
“No, you idiot,” Beryl snapped at him, and he growled at her, but she ignored him before walking toward us. I held the rabbit out to Emily, who snatched it with wide eyes and clutched it. Tears trekked down her face, and she looked no older than four or five.
Suddenly the goblet was thrust toward her, and she jumped.
“Drink,” Beryl said, and Emily shook her head. The smell was vile.
“Drink,” Beryl repeated, and the girl sobbed, so I reached over and snatched the goblet from her hand while glaring at Beryl while I gulped some down. I nearly spewed the moment it touched my tongue but held it back, not wanting to scare the girl. It burned as it ran down my throat, the liquid steaming hot.
I choked but forced it to remain down. Beryl went to snatch it from me, but I pulled my hand back before blowing on it, trying to cool the scalding liquid down before giving it to Emily. Beryl tapped her foot impatiently, and when it felt tolerable, I let her take it.
She thrust the cup toward her, and she sniffed it before screwing up her face. Josie watched from the sidelines, and Ryden started fussing in her arms, and I saw her go to the baby bag she had and start rummaging through it.
Emily drank the liquid down and spewed it on the ground. Beryl slapped her up the back of the head, and I growled at her. So did Alpha Jamie.
“The rest of it, now, or it won’t work,” she scolded Emily. She sobbed, clutching her rabbit tighter before emptying the goblet, and Beryl took it off her before tossing the goblet on the ground. She held her hand out for the ribbon, and Alpha Jamie gave it to her.
“Hands now,” Beryl snapped, and I held my hand out, and so did Emily. Beryl placed my hand on top of Emily, and I rubbed my thumb on her hand, trying to stop her from crying. I felt bad for her. I kind of knew what was going on. Emily, however, looked clueless about what her father was doing.
“When can I see mommy? You said I could see her. I can’t remember her much.”
“After, darling. Soon, really soon,” Alpha Jamie said, and she nodded sadly, holding her rabbit still and looking at me. Beryl wrapped the ribbons around our hands in intricate knots while chanting, the ribbon heating up and melting into my skin. I tried to jerk my hand back, and so did Emily as it burned our flesh.
I gritted my teeth, and Emily screamed. The ribbon melted our flesh away the more she chanted in a foreign tongue when I jerked away, falling on my butt on the floor, and so did Emily. Alpha Jamie caught her and set her on the ground gently. I tried to remove the ribbon to find it dissolved onto my skin like some weird tattoo. My skin burned, and Beryl laughed while clapping her hands.
“That’s it?” Alpha Jamie asked.
“Yes, for now. Next, we awake his wolf. Bring me that baby,” Beryl snarled, and Josie froze, shielding Ryden away.
“No! Don’t touch him!” I snarled.
“No? Do you have any idea how to awaken a wolf, boy?” Beryl laughed. I shook my head, and Jamie looked away from her.
“Pain, or strong emotion. I bet your brother would bring your wolf out.”
“Pain, I choose pain,” I yelled at her, glancing at my brother in panic. Josie looked at Alpha Jamie.
“He is a baby,” Josie said, outraged. Jamie looked conflicted.
“You touch him, and my father will leave nothing of you for your daughter to bury. Not even your carcass for the worms to eat, you pig,” I snarled at him.
“He won’t have a choice. You forget you are tied to my daughter now. Once you mark her, the only way for you to live is if you have your mate by your side. She is underage, and I have control over whether she sees you or not. I have control, and your father will either lose his other son or obey my commands and stand down as the Alpha King,” Jamie said.
“You think that will stop him? Avery will break this spell. Avery will put you down like the dog you are, or my uncles will. Leave my brother alone, or you will be planning your own funeral.”
“You may regret choosing that, boy. Your brother’s death would be quick. Your pain will be slow.”