Lionel walks inside, shoulders squared and eyes narrowed, piercing into me. I whirl around and exit the bathroom, meeting him halfway, my dragon rising inside me to greet his.
"Alpha," I say with a nod. "I didn't know you were around."
"I wasn't." He doesn't greet me and from the scowl on his face, he doesn't bring good news. "We have a problem, Apollo."
My heartbeat peaks as I hold his gaze. "Anything I can do to help?"
"Incidentally, yes." He doesn't waiver as he gives me a once over, then does the same with Ren, who follows me into the living room. "Pack your things. I see you've been wounded, so I'll be nice with you. You have fifteen minutes to leave."
His words come like a punch to the gut. My jaw drops. "Leave?" Movement near the door catches my eye and I snap my head in that direction to see others of the clan gathering on the porch, peeking inside with curiosity. What the fuck is happening here? "Where?"
"I don't care," Lionel says with a shrug. "You’re in a mess with the New Council, and we don't hide criminals. Because you've been an essential part working for this clan, I'm giving you a head-start. In fifteen minutes I'm calling the New Council. Just because I'm feeling generous and you saved my son."
I bare my teeth, but shock keeps me from saying anything else. Fucking hell, his son was kidnapped and about to be sold to a group of human hunters, and I'm the one who found everything out and stopped it from happening. Andthat'show my alpha thanks me. I want my dragon to rise, to fight him, but I'm still in the clan and my dragon still bows his head to this man. Rage simmers inside me even so, even when I can't act.
"How could you kick him out when he needs you the most?" Ren spits from my right. "I thought clans and packs had each other's backs. No matter what."
"There are rules here, mutt," Lionel hisses with teeth bared, threat dripping from every word. He could rip Ren's wolf apart easily if he wanted to, and I raise my good arm to stop the Pup from advancing. "I don't know how your pack works, but in here I'm the alpha, and I say," he turns to me, eyes drilling into my very soul, "the moment you cross the border, you're exiled from the clan, Apollo." His words drop into my stomach like ice rocks the size of my fist. He gives me a second for his words to sink. "You have fifteen minutes." And he leaves.
The door remains open, and I give the audience my back so they won't see my dragon's heart breaking. I slam my eyes shutand breathe deeply for a moment, desperately seeking control, trying to keep the shreds of rationality intact. They can't see me break down. No one can.
Ren's hand closes tight around my good shoulder. He stares at me with his jaw set. "We still have each other, Apollo, and we have Cass. Let's get out of here." And he turns and walks out of the house like he fucking owns it. I admire the Pup's spirit, but he has no idea how much it hurts to be kicked out of the one place you thought you'd have forever. Pain ripples through my chest, and I fight with my dragon not to release the scream he wants to.
An alpha leads, yes, but he’s also the one who protects. How could he fucking kick me out after everything I’ve done? And right when I need help the most? My arms quiver with the strength I put on to keep my restraints. To avoid following my alpha and challenging him.
After struggling with the remnants of my shirt, I leave the house, not ignoring the people but staring daggers at each of them. Daring them to say anything. Someone called Lionel. Someone let him know I was around, and that the New Council was looking for me. I glare at each of them, wondering who was the dragon who buried a knife to my back.
Ren makes to follow the road. I halt. "Wait," I call him, and he turns to face me. "We have to get in the woods and shift. No use following the road."
He blinks, then arches an eyebrow, jutting his chin toward my wounded shoulder. "You're hurt. Give it some time to heal before we do that."
I shake my head. "We won't clear the territory on foot in fifteen minutes. We have to change, or we'll just add another group hunting us down." Because I know that's what Lionel would do. He might be waiting for it, even hoping it happens. He's always been a bit too blood-lust, and he would love to chase me down and kill me just because I lingered for too long in his lands. "North of here, there's a lake. We'll meet there."
Ren studies my face for a moment, then nods. We enter the woods and, once we're out of view, he turns to me. "Apollo. Just know you're not alone."
"Right," I say too fast, just wanting to leave, to get this over with.
Ren looks hard at me. "We're your clan, Apollo. You and I, and Cassandra. That's what matters."
His words warm my chest, and a knot tightens in my throat. I nod him on and turn away, gaping into the sky above, calling my dragon from within me. Ren's wolf doesn't take long to show up too. I grind my jaw and flap my wings, accepting the pain that rips through my body as the wound reopens. My dragon flies high, into the clouds to keep away from view, and I let the real pain wash through me as I scream.
Lost my job, then my mate, and now my clan. And I might be dead before the sun sets.
CHAPTER 8
CASSANDRA
Sleeping on the floor sucks so bad. My back hurts, and I keep sucking the minimal shadows around me to heal my ribs, but they're still sore. At least I learned something new about this power. When someone crosses the light, the shadows reform as if a new cycle has begun. I gobble them up again, but it's such a tiny quantity I'm still not one-hundred percent.
My stomach turns with anxiety. I eat the food the dark-haired girl brings me for breakfast, then get to my feet and start pacing. It's only two steps before I have to turn back, or one stride, so it doesn't help. At all. This will be my one chance at escaping, but that fae — Prince,snort— sounded so old I'm not quite sure I can actually take him on. So what? I'll shove him out of my way and run? I’m not even sure Tristan would help me out.
I can't believe it, but I think maybe, perhaps, I'll end up sticking with the fae. He looked way less aggressive than Kayn and his fangy friends. Even if one of them is Don. Handsome Don, who insisted so much on taking care of me...
Shaking my head, I dispel the thoughts of him. He attacked me. That's a big no-no in any relationship. It gets worse because I know he was only sticking with me so he could give me away to his boss or something. The whole thing was a lie. Get over it, Cassandra.
Hasted steps echo down the corridor, and I press myself to the glass, squinting at the darkness. It doesn't help, but it also doesn't stop me from trying. After too freaking long for my aching heart, Tristan appears from the shadows, the blue of the lights making his wide eyes look ethereal.
"Is it done?" I ask him, my voice a mere whisper as he halts in front of me. He touches both his hands to mine on the other side of the glass and I swallow, hoping in my gut I could feel his warmth.