Antiope

"What's wrong with him?"

I raise my brow and keep my mouth shut. I know what is wrong with him. His little prisoner is not falling on her knees to beg him to fuck her. But I am not sharing that information with Egil. He can tell too that Magnus was completely drunk during the Council which meant that he has been drinking for hours.

"I do not know," I lie. "I will talk to him."

I need to play the good Luna for a little while. It's either today or never. I am not sticking around anymore and test Magnus's limits. I am not afraid for me but for my sister. In this state, furious as he was this morning, he could kill her just to hurt and break me.

"Aren't you coming?" Egil says before he leaves Magnus's office.

"Do you think he has any work done in his state? I will check for urgent matters and will let you know if I need help."

"OK, Antiope. And... thank you," he smiles at me.

Well, fuck. Egil's gratitude is crashing me but this is pure survival. I need to find where my sister is and get her out. Today.

When the door closes I look around frantic. Magnus keeps a record of everything so there must be a path to find Celia. I have packed the essentials back home and am hoping to evade Thane. We only get a shot at this but there is nothing else to be done.

I go through every file cabinet, every dossier but still nothing. I am going crazy, thinking maybe he keeps his torturing facilities out of the books. That's when I go on my knees and look at the lower cabinets. The files are all in Swedish but I don't need to know the language. Those files are filed with photos of weres, held by silver chains in a familiar room.

I look through the files and I spot my name: Everstone. I open it and I see my sister's photo like she was in that video that sealed my fate. I read on and I see some of the typical info. And then a personal note with Magnus's handwriting, taken down with a red pen. Two words. I know both of them: Liten Sjö. Little lake.

I have studied the maps of Magnus's territory and I know exactly where that is. Closest to the borders with Gunnar. Maybe I can use that. Taking refuge with his enemy. I put the files back and arrange the office as it was and I get out.

"Done?" Thane falls to my side.

"I am going back home," I say indifferently.

"Yes, Luna," he mocks.

OK, let's do this.

***

I run as fast as I can with the backpack in my mouth. I have chosen the longest way but the one to keep me away from the pack-house and any patrols. The perks of being a Luna? I know where most posts are stationed. Liten Sjö is not far away but I need to get there fast. Thankfully Thane-

The moment I make this thought, I smell him. I dare one look back and I see his wolf is chasing after me. I wish Thane was as stupid as I pegged him to be. If he patrolled the house, he would have picked up my scent. I push my legs to go faster and thankfully Maximo co-operates.

Thane growls behind me and does the same. But all my focus is on the lake that is shining ahead of me. There is no prison there, just a cabin and I dread to think what was done to my sister in that cabin.

"Faster, Max," I beg my wolf and she whines.

She doesn't like that we are away from Magnus but she does love Celia and is close to Jules, my sister's wolf, so she delivers, almost flying over the ground.

The cabin is closer now. I see no guards but I don't have time for this. I sniff the air and all I smell is my sister and Thane behind me. I go round the small house and I break through the door, ready to take on anyone hurting my baby sister. And I freeze.

"Max?" Celia looks at me. "Antiope? What are you doing here?"

I look around and then shift back to my human form. What I am looking at is not what I was expecting. The cabin is one of those cute cabins with white and bamboo furniture, a grand window to the lake, a small kitchen and a homey fireplace. Celia is sitting on a round stool before a easel and is smudged with paint.

"Antiope?" Celia asks again and comes to me with open arms.

But I can't say anything. I don't understand. What is Celia doing here? Why isn't she a prisoner? Where are her silver chains? And why does she look so damn happy? I am ready to pour all these questions out when I hear Thane appear at the broken door.

That's when Celia stops and looks over my shoulder. Her look is surprised and lost and she takes a deep breath of air. Then her face melts in a smile and her lips form one single word: Mate.

No, no, no! I turn and look at Thane that shifts into his human form and has his eyes pinned on Celia. His look is possessive and hungry and he growls loudly as he passes me by as if I am not there.

"Mine!" He stands before my sister that looks up to him with a flustered expression.

"Yours," she whispers.

Thane wraps his arms around her and he takes her lips in his with no other words passing between them. What the hell is going on? This can't be happening! This is some kind of trap set by Magnus. He is toying with me, making fun of me. I can't...

I shake my head in confusion and I take one step back. That is one sick game that is going on here. I can't stand my own skin right now so I run out the cabin shifting into my wolf and I run. I need to run, to think or not to think cause this is too damn confusing.

"Run, Max!"

"Back to him?"

"Away from him!"

"Celia? Jules?"

"They found their mate. They are safe."

Max agrees and runs aimlessly at the fringe of Magnus's borders and I let go, leaving Max take the lead. And as I let my conscious slip into the passenger's seat, I feel Maximo's need to see Magnus, to feel him, to see his wolf. She changes her direction and darts back to the pack-house and I let her. I need answers.

"Danger!" Max suddenly senses.

She is right. Three different smells, not of this pack are after us. We look back and I see three rogues, snarling in pursuit. We can't outrun them. They got too close unnoticed.

"We fight!" Both me and Max decide.

We turn and we take the first wolf by surprise. We dig our teeth in his neck and we pull, tearing his throat apart. As he falls lifeless, the other two attack. The one grabs our leg and bites down hard making sure I won't flee and the other is circling me, looking for an opening.

I curse my stupidity, my arrogance, my luck. If I were fully mated to Magnus, I would be linked to the pack. I would be linked to him. I could have called him and he would come, descending upon those wolves and making them pay for touching his mate.

But I am alone. And Thane is caught in his trance, having found my sister... Worse day ever! I growl at the rogues and they snarl at me. The pain in my leg is unbearable and I fear that the bastard will cut it off eventually.

In a rapid move, I turn and let my teeth sink into his face, blinding him and making him howl in pain, releasing my leg. But the relief I feel is short-lived. The other wolf has the opportunity to attack and he doesn't miss it. His teeth go for my neck and they find their target.

Sharp pain goes through me and I feel my fur stained by a steady river of blood. The rogue growls in content and bites down harder. I fight with my paws, trying to push him away but he isn't letting go. I turn my head and find his carotid artery and I bite down hard, hoping he would let me go. It simply infuriates him more and he moves he head, tearing both our necks apart.

My vision gets blurry, my limbs go weak, the blood is draining too fast for me to heal. This is it. I am going to die in a foreign land like a stupid lone wolf.

"Antiope!" Max is panicking.

"Maximo, it's going to be OK," I lie.

"I love you."

"I love you too," I drift into unconsciousness.