“You think I’m afraid—”
“You should be. You know he once ripped a man’s arms off and beat him with them?” I crooned, giggling when Shane stiffened. “Of course, he was feral then, and Walker says the guy totally deserved it for smacking his kid. What do you think, Shane? Think he’ll do worse to you for hitting his mate?” I asked, ignoring the ache in my chest as I lied.
I wasn't his mate, not really. Hell, we didn’t even sleep in the same bed. Okay, fine, so that was kind of my fault because I was the one who insisted on the guestroom. I was expecting him to lose it eventually and come make hot, nasty love to me and drag me to our bedroom. Not for him to ignore me!
Suddenly I was pissed again. Maybe that was why I didn’t see the warning signs before Shane lunged and backhanded me. The force knocked the chair back hard enough that my already-pounding skull hit the lip of the counter when my chair flew back.
“You’re mine. Mine, Ren. I told you that the night we were mate—”
“Married,” I yelled, spots filling my vision until I shook it off. “We didn’t mate. Walker never recognized the marriage, which is why I wasn’t considered a part of the pack.”
“I don’t care what he thinks. He isn’t my Alpha, not anymore.” He hissed, backing off when I spat out blood and bared my teeth at him.
“What do you want?” I muttered, tired of playing games with him.
I was this close to losing it and going off into la-la-land, and even as I said it, I started to smile and think thoughts that were just crazy. Like, Caleb was seconds away from bursting in and tearing Shane’s head off with his bare hands. Or ripping his throat out. He'd come and save me, and I'd be home for supper in no time.
I wondered what I’d cook tonight. Pork chops sounded good, and oh! Brownies with ice cream, I thought, my mouth salivating thinking about it. After that, I was drinking a gallon of wine while I watched Titanic and cried about Jack dying.
She could have shared the freaking door!
“I know, right? Or if she’d stayed in the lifeboat, Jack would have made it.” I sighed, shaking my head because every time I watched that movie, it grated on my nerves.
Maybe we could just watch Steel Magnolias again.
“Would you hush? This is no time to be thinking about a movie. We’re in trouble here.” I sniffled, even though I’d probably watch it again.
Much later. You know, when I haven’t been kidnapped, and I’m not tied to a chair while a psycho laughed at me.
And make Caleb watch it too, I thought, cackling along with my inner crazy while Shane gaped at me and groaned.
“Jesus, you’re still nuts!”
“Caleb likes it. I’m crazy.” I sing-song, snickering when he growled and swiped a hand through his hair.
The light brown strands were thinner, and those eyes of his were bloodshot. God, what did I see in him? I wondered as I took in his disheveled clothes, the gut he'd started growing before we divorced, and the fact that he was just plain…gross.
“Jesus. When’s the last time you bathed?” I huffed, revulsion filling me.
And pity. Don’t forget pity, honey. The man used to be hot.
“Shut up. You’re gonna regret every word out of that mouth of yours as soon as I get what I want from you.”
“And that is?” I mused, a giggle erupting from my wolf as hysteria threatened.
Jesus. I was going to lose it.
“Your gift.” Shane mused, smirking when I frowned. “Thought I didn’t know about it, didn’t you? Oh, I knew. And I hated it. You were so creepy when you’d sit in a trance for hours on end and come to crying. At first, I thought it was just you being you, but when you cried like that right before my grandmother passed away, I figured it out.”
That shocked me. I mean…
Self-denial. It’s a beautiful but terrible thing, honey, my mind whispers gently.
I know. Shit, I’m going to have to stop lying to myself.
“So? What do you want? Jesus, Shane. Just spit it out already. I’m not feeling well, and the stink of your booze sweat is turning my stomach. Tell me what you want, and let me go.”
“Let you go?” he laughed, scaring me when he lunged forward and snickered, his eyes so crazed I flinched.