My head was pounding to the point that I was convinced it was about to explode. My whole body was aching. Dully first, then in hot stabs. I opened my eyes, gritting my teeth while I tried to sit up. When I looked around, I didn't recognise the room that I was in. Once my vision adapted to the darkness, I realised I was actually in a cell.

It was a tiny space with a single bed attached to the wall and the floor. There were no windows, but the steel jail bars with the sliding door in front of me allowed me to see that my cell was at the end of the corridor. The whole place smelled like metal, cement and sweat, and was eerily quiet.

I walked over to the steel door, grabbing hold of the cold metal bars, but the burning sensation in my hands the moment I touched them made me pull back immediately. Shit, warlock magic. Wherever I was, the cell was set up for keeping shifters locked up.

What the hell is going on, Kai?

Silence.

Kai, this is not a good time to be napping.

No answer again, not even a snarky remark. That damn wolf would never miss an opportunity to have a go at me and now he picked the time to go MIA.

Kai?

Shit, what the hell happened to him? And what the fuck was going on?

I tried to rack my brain to remember how I ended up here.

The last thing I remembered was getting the text from Cyrus that Aiden was in trouble. I rushed over to his place and found the dragon Alpha sitting in his living room. I recalled him turning around and then....he shot me! The motherfucker blasted me with one of those energy blasters that Markolf's people had.

What the actual fuck was going on?

I retook a step towards the bars, wincing from the pain I was experiencing- the energy blast's effect most likely. I should have been recovering by now, but it was not happening which was not good and there was no sign from Kai either, so I couldn't shift to heal.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

A pained groan echoed across the place, one that was not coming from me. I moved as close as possible to the door of my cell. The nearer I got, the more I sensed a familiar scent.

"Aiden?"

All I got was another groan.

"Aiden?"

"Stop shouting, Rafe," he grunted, "my head already feels like someone smashed it in a wall."

"Yeah, well, join the club."

"Where the hell are we?" I couldn't see him as he spoke, but I could hear him moving around his cell, which seemed to be on the side of the wall, right next to mine.

"In a cell."

"Why do you have to be a prick when I am in pain?" he grumbled.

I sighed in a temporary relief- if we were back to bantering, it meant that we were still okay. "What can I say- it's my natural talent. Oh, and don't touch the bars. Warlock magic."

The sound of the bars shaking before a hiss was heard was all I got in return. "What the fuck did I just tell you?" I said, smacking my forehead with my palm in disbelief.

"I had to make sure that you were not just being an idiot who was allergic to steel." Silence settled in as he paused. "So, what now?"

"Not sure. I can't get hold of Kai and I am not healing quite as I should. I don't know if it's because of the energy blast or something else."

"Blaze is out as well. They must have our animals subdued, just like the shifters in that dungeon. I swear, once we are out of here, I will kill Cyrus myself."

"You and me both. He told me that you were in danger and I didn't even see it coming." I was annoyed with myself for falling for Cyrus' ruse. I had always disliked him but had to tolerate him because of Aiden and my future Alpha status.

"I can't believe that he was stupid enough to make a deal with Markolf."

As I listened to Aiden, I sat down on the hard concrete floor and leaned on the wall that I shared with his cell. It looked like we were kept underground so, inevitably, my mind travelled back to the time that I spent in Markolf's dungeon before. Back then, I failed my mother. Now I risked failing my mate, my best friend and our triad.

The pain from that thought hit me like a train. I couldn't afford to lose either one of them. And I could not bear the idea of not seeing Riley again. Her smile, her laughter, her wittiness and her feistiness. Her soft skin and her delicious lips. The sounds she made as she fell apart.

Fuck, I needed her like I needed oxygen to breathe. And I was a fucking idiot for pushing her away when all I wanted was to pull her closer and never let her go. I thought she was better off without me- who needs a damaged shifter, a damaged man after all. One who couldn't even protect his own mother.

I told myself that I did not need her. That having a mate would only make me weak. That it made me vulnerable. But it was all just a lie. She made me feel emotions that I was not familiar with. It was like I was on a constant emotional rollercoaster- exhausting and invigorating, frustrating and pleasing, draining and refreshing all at the same time.

My days began and ended thinking about her. My fingers were itching to caress her from her gorgeous face all the way down to her toes and then back up again. My lips were aching to brush against hers again. My cock....oh, the things I wanted to do to her with my cock, starting with that perfect pussy of hers. More than anything, though, I felt this urge to do whatever was necessary to make her happy.

"We need to get out of here, Aiden, and whatever happens, we need to protect Riley. Markolf didn't bring us here for a chat- he wants our mate," I growled, my hands clenching into tight fists. "And I'll be damned if I let him ever do anything to her."

"We're on the same page, Rafe. Although, I have to say that the silver lining here is that Markolf makes you face your feelings for her," he chuckled satisfied.

"Fuck off."

"Tell me that you don't want her," he challenged me, knowing full well what he was doing. "Tell me that she is all just mine. That I can have her any way I like. That I can be the only one who makes her scream in pleasure. Who makes her laugh. Tell me- I want to hear it," he demanded.

With every word he said though, my blood boiled more and more. Not at Aiden, but at the idea of not having her by my side. Of giving Riley up. Kai and Aiden were right- I had been in denial for too long.

"Never! She is ours, Aiden, and I am not giving her up. Our perfect, fiery mate."

"About fucking time," he laughed. "I was starting to lose hope that you would ever get there."

"Dickhead!"

For a moment, it felt like we weren't held prisoners by a deranged half-demon. Like things were going to be okay. But then the reality settled.

"Aiden, if things go south, you have to make sure that you get out of here and that you protect her. Don't you fucking dare pull some stupid shit trying to save my arse. Riley is our priority, and you do whatever you need to do to get to her."

Sure, I didn't want to lose her, but I also had to be realistic here- I wanted my best friend to live, and he was the better mate. He was there for her from the beginning while I hid behind my arsehole exterior. If it came down to him or me leaving this place, the choice was clear.

"Just take care of Nat, please," I added.

"Piss off, Rafe Macalister- I don't take orders from you, and sure as hell, you don't get to decide who makes it out of here. Our mate needs both of us, so don't go playing hero. I will drag your sorry arse if I have to, but we are both going to return to our mate, and we are going to complete that damn mating ritual."

My best friend was just as stubborn as I was, so I knew that he meant every word he said and that it was futile arguing. Before we could continue though, the lights came on, and I heard a door open further down the corridor.

A couple of minutes later, Markolf stood in front of our cells with an unfamiliar man by his side. The triumphant look on the cambion's face made me want to erupt with anger, but I tried to keep my cool.

"Gentlemen, nice to finally make your acquaintance, even if it will be short-lived," he exclaimed, clearly confident with the fact that we were behind bars. Coward!

"Fuck you, Markolf," I shouted, grabbing the bars of my cell which was, obviously, a fucking stupid move on my part as I had to pull away immediately.

"Ah, Alpha Macalister. Like I told Riley already, you are always so full of anger. You really should calm down a bit- maybe try meditation or something. It would do you some good."

Arrogant fucking dick! I wanted to end him.

"It's sure as hell easy to talk when you have us locked up here but how about we settle this the old way- fighting without using your magic," I challenged him, hoping that he would take the bait.

Instead, he chuckled. "I am not stupid, Rafe- why do you think I had my warlock friend here inject you with the potion to make sure that you can't shift? This is not my first rodeo, little boy."

Fuck- that's why Kai and Blaze were missing.

"What do you want, Markolf?" I heard Aiden ask calmly from the other side.

The cambion rubbed his hands together but didn't move from his place as he grinned at us. "It's simple, gentleman- I made sure that your lovely mate got the message that I have you and she will certainly come here to rescue you, which is when I will persuade her that she should stay with me instead of you weaklings. Then, of course, you will still see me again when I come to destroy your packs and clans, but one thing at a time."

Burning rage hissed through my body like deathly poison, screeching a demanded release in the form of violence.

"Perfect." Markolf clasped his hands again. "I see you are both warmed up for the next part now. Follow me," he commanded as the doors of our cells opened. I wanted to jump and beat the crap out of him but instead- against my wishes- I found myself obediently following him, just like Aiden did.

He is controlling our anger again, Rafe. We have to fight him; I heard him say through our mind link.

I knew he was right, but there was not much that either one of us could do. Markolf had deliberately brought up our mate, knowing that it would fire us up and from then on we were just puppets to him.

We walked down a long grey corridor until we reached a huge entrance that led us to what looked like a big training pit. Aiden and I walked to the middle of the arena as some invisible chain pulled us. Once we reached the centre, we stopped and faced each other, waiting for a command from the master puppeteer.

"So, here is how it is going to go down- you will fight each other, and the one that wins gets to keep his animal."

"You are fucking insane," Aiden barked.

"We are not going to fight each other," I growled.

The cambion smirked as he moved closer to us, yet not close enough for me to snap his neck and be done with this shit.

"Gentlemen, you don't seem to get it- you have no choice. No say, whatsoever. I control you right now, and the beautiful Aurelie will be here to witness that. And when she sees my power, she will understand that denying our rightful place together is futile. If she needs some persuasion though....well, what better way than killing one or both of you." His maniacal laughter filled the arena.

"I did contemplate having you fight each other in your animal forms but what a pathetic battle it would be between a measly wolf and a huge dragon. So I will have to settle for a hand-to-hand battle."

A servant came through the doors and whispered something in Markolf's ear. Whatever it was, it seemed to excite him.

"Excellent- it looks like our special guest is here." Panic washed over me at the thought of Riley being here and falling into the hands of this psycho, yet there was nothing I could do than rage inside my head. "I will go and welcome her, while you two warm up- wouldn't want you to pull a muscle or something."

He turned on his heels and disappeared mid-step.