He pressed his boot down on my wound and twisted it slowly, tearing open the barely healing flesh.
“Silver bullet,” Howard said casually. “Takes longer to heal, doesn’t it?”
Blood pooled beneath me, the silver burning through my system.
Draven’s face contorted with rage and fear as he looked at my bleeding leg.
“I’ll take the suppressant,” Draven said urgently. “But you let Caroline go.”
I shot him a disbelieving look. There was no way I was leaving him.
Howard’s grin widened. “Of course.”
“He’s lying!” Rory whimpered inside me, weakened by the silver.
I tried to protest, tried to tell Draven not to do it. Without his wolf, he’d be vulnerable, powerless.
“Caroline, don’t say anything else.” Draven’s mind-link touched my thoughts. “Don’t provoke this madman. I’ve contacted Ryan and Investigator Jace. They’re coming. Just stay alive.”
Tears streamed down my face as Draven took the syringe. “Draven, no, please. I can’t bear to see you sacrifice this for me,” I begged.
“You are everything to me,” Draven said as he pressed the needle to his arm.
Through our fading mind-link, I heard,”You’re the love of my life, the mother of my children. I swear I will protect you with everything I have.”
The connection between us weakened as the suppressant flooded his system. I felt the bond dim, our mental mind crumbling.
Howard laughed, walking toward Draven, but suddenly turned and fired again.
Another explosion of pain tore through my stomach.
“Insurance,” he sneered. “Can’t have the bitch ruining my plans.”
“You fucking liar!” Draven roared, lunging forward despite the suppressant starting to work. “You said you’d let her go!”
“Plans change,” Howard said coldly, pressing the gun to Draven’s head.
“Now we can talk.”
Caroline’s POV
Howard shoved Draven onto the couch, towering over him menacingly.
“I’ll tell you what I want, and you’re going to give it to me right fucking now, you spoiled bastard!”
“This is between you and me, Howard. Let Caroline and my staff go,” Draven said.
“I give the orders here, and nobody’s leaving!” Howard snarled viciously.
Howard paced back and forth in front of Draven.
“Let me tell you a story, Draven,” Howard said. “Do you know how I met your father?”
“No idea,” Draven replied coldly.
“I was working part-time at a restaurant your father frequented during my college years,” Howard began. “Back then, I was just an ordinary wolf. I couldn’t even keep up with basic pack training. I had to study twice as hard as everyone else just to get into college for finance, working multiple jobs to pay tuition. Your father was the Alpha heir, wealthy and powerful with a bright future ahead of him. At that time, your grandfather had built Storm Valley Pack into something impressive, and Thorne Enterprises was thriving under his leadership.”
Howard paused, his expression darkening. “One day, your father brought your mother to the restaurant. Some guy grabbed her purse when she got out of the car. I chased him down and got it back. Your mother was stunning-elegant, kind. She thanked me, and your father gave me his card, told me to come by the company. So your father got me a job. Financial assistant, they called it, but I was just running errands.”
“And you repaid his kindness by killing him. What kind of monster does that?” Draven’s voice was tight with controlled rage.
“Your father was weak, believed in everyone. Not fit to run the pack or the company.” Howard’s face twisted with contempt.
“But I worked hard, graduated. Later, at a pack gathering, I met Helena. She was an annoying bitch, but from a good family with useful connections. Good enough to accompany me to pack events. Started dating her around the same time your parents were dating. We went out together sometimes.”
His eyes took on a distant look. “I fell completely in love with your mother. She was extraordinary. I tried everything to get her attention, but she only had eyes for your boring father. They got married, and I settled for Helena.”
“My mother would never have looked at you,” Draven growled, “My father was twice the man you’ll ever be, you pathetic piece of shit.”
Howard sneered. “Your father was weak. But I stayed close, played the friend to advance in the company. It worked. Gained trust, became financial director. Your grandfather was getting old, ready to retire. I thought if I became your father’s best friend, I’d get the vice presidency. But then your grandfather died, and your father made his eighteen-year-old son vice president instead. You, a spoiled pup who knew nothing.”
“The company was always meant to stay in the Alpha family!” Draven shot back. “When my father offered me the position, I tried to refuse, but he insisted I needed to prepare for my succession.”
“He told me the same bullshit!” Howard laughed bitterly. “You and your father were always obstacles. That’s when I realized I’d never get what I deserved. So I started embezzling money and planned my own company. Everything was going perfectly until you started digging.”
“And look where your greed led you,” Draven said. “A criminal, a murderer, a thief. You ruined your life, killed your own mate, and put your daughter in jail.”
“Ella is useless, just like her mother.” Howard laughed. “She’s deadweight. Let her rot in prison. Look at her, couldn’t even give you an heir, while this bitch gave you five pups in record time. You wolves breed like rabbits!”
“Show some respect for Caroline,” Draven snarled. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“She has everything to do with this!” Howard’s face reddened. “If that bitch hadn’t entered your life, you’d be dead! And if she hadn’t joined the company, you would’ve married my Ella, and I would’ve left you in ruins, dependent on me!”
“I would never have mated with your daughter,” Draven declared firmly.
“You absolutely would have,” Howard insisted. “I gave you a second chance after your father died. You should have made me vice president or your beta, but you called that Ryan instead. From that moment, you sealed your fate. Everything was going perfectly until your secret audit-which I learned was this bitch’s idea. See how she’s involved? She’ll pay for ruining my plans.”
“Just say what you want,” Draven demanded impatiently.
Howard smiled coldly. “Money. Lots of it. Your little investigator friends froze my accounts and destroyed my operation. So I want cash and a plane out of the country.”
“And how do you propose we do this?” Draven asked.
“First, we tie up these bitches.” Howard dropped his backpack and ordered the nanny to take out ropes. He had her tie up Mabel and me, covering our mouths with duct tape, then made Draven do the same to the nanny.
“Now, call off your security guards,” Howard commanded.
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