Twisted Bonds

Chapter 8

~~Bree’s PoV~~

I’m so frustrated I could cry.

Drew’s completely unexpected appearance was my first disappointment. The fact that he was here wasn’t the disappointing part - in fact, I was genuinely delighted to see him. He’d crossed my mind so many times over the last three years as I wondered, uselessly, what my life would have been like if we’d been mated to each other instead of the mates we got. He wouldn’t have suffered his rejection and I… well, I wouldn’t have gone through any of this. He would never treat his mate the way I’d been treated, I was convinced of that even from the very limited interaction we’d had. Each time I thought of him, I hoped he’d found a second chance mate who appreciated him properly.

So, him being here wasn’t the problem; what was disappointing was that he should turn up now, at the exact moment when I intended to disappear. I told him to go back inside and I would talk to him later, but I knew I had no intention of ever going back in and the idea that he might feel rejected again, in even the smallest way, left my chest feeling uncomfortably tight. But what choice did I have? This was my shot and I needed to take it.

So, I lied that I’d talk to him later and I went deeper into the garden to prepare for my escape. My hands were surprisingly steady as I removed my shoes and my dress, taking a deep breath as the zipper released and my lungs expanded. I didn’t feel nervous at all, only determined, but as I inhaled, I caught a scent that was deeply familiar to me, a scent that I’d smelled many times before on Dalton’s body.

His mistress, Claudia.

That was when Drew shouted at me, telling me to look out, and I turned just in time to see the knife raised in the darkness. I stumbled out of the way as Drew ran towards us, and he pulled the cloak off Claudia’s face before she ran away. He looked surprised, but I already knew exactly who it was so it was no shock to me.

Drew helped me up, as kindly as always, but I could feel my chance to run slipping away. I asked him to leave me, but a moment later, Dalton’s guards arrive and all my hope disappears, replaced by a crushing frustration.

I blew it. My one chance, and it’s gone. They’ll see that I was about to shift, they’ll figure out why, they’ll find the spot in the hedge that’s got the break in the fence, just large enough for my wolf to sneak through, and they’ll block it up.

Not to mention that they’ll never let me out of sight again. I’ll be kept under even tighter watch than before. I can’t believe this is it. After all my planning, I never even got a chance.

The three guards are shouting at Drew, telling him to put his hands up, and at first, I’m confused. Why are they angry with him? Do they think he’s the one who just tried to attack me?

I’ve been so focused on escaping that I haven’t even fully processed that Claudia just tried to kill me. Maybe it would have been better if she’d succeeded, but the more I think about it, the more confused I am. If Dalton wants me dead, there are a million ways he could do it. I don’t understand most of what he does, but the one thing I’m fairly sure of is that he doesn’t want me dead.

So then why did Claudia just try to attack me?

Drew is doing his best to explain the situation calmly, his hands still raised in the air. “A woman just tried to attack Mrs Bancroft with a silver-bladed knife. You must have passed her as you came this way. I was simply trying to help Bree back up.”

“Bree?” one of the guards repeats suspiciously, looking between me and Drew. “Sounds like you two know each other pretty well.”

At last, my mind makes the connection and I fully understand what’s happening. In my state of undress, they think something was happening between me and Drew, which is ridiculous, and Drew quickly points out the same thing, addressing the man who had been at the back door.

“You saw me come out here, hardly a minute ago, and you shouted after me so I knew you’d be following me. Why would I try anything? I don’t have a death wish.”

“Then why is she undressed?” the man demands, gesturing at my clothing.

Before either Drew or I can come up with a reasonable explanation, more people arrive, among them Dalton, Prince Henrik and King Carter. Drew instinctively moves in front of me a little more, to shield me from everyone’s view.

“What is going on here?” Dalton demands. Nyko’s eyes are dark with anger in his face. He hates when anything goes wrong at his parties. “Brianna, where is your dress?”

“We just found them like this, sir,” the guard tells him. “This man ran past me and must have attacked her…”

Listening to this nonsense finally helps me find my voice. “It was Claudia,” I tell Dalton as everyone turns to look at me. “She tried to kill me and Drew saved me.”

If the surprise on Dalton’s face isn’t genuine, he deserves an acting award. Drew quickly backs me up. “I don’t know her name, but the woman was blonde with a narrow nose and a beauty mark on her left cheek. The guards should have seen her as well, but perhaps they’re covering for her. The man at the door lied to me when he said there was no one out here but your mate.”

“That’s a lie!” the guard protests, turning to Dalton. “Mr Bancroft, we didn’t see anyone else out here, and there was no one else here. You can check the tapes.”

“I imagine you’ll find the security footage compromised,” Drew suggests, still keeping his cool remarkably well. “If you weren’t in on this, Mr Bancroft, then you’ve got an internal security problem.”

“That’s enough!” Dalton interjects sharply, silencing the two men. “Take Brianna and this man inside while I check with security. Your Highness, Your Majesty, please, return to the party, I’m very sorry for this distraction.”

“I’ll come with you,” Carter counteroffers. “I’d like to see for myself what happened, and Drew should come too. You don’t have any proof he’s done anything wrong, so there’s no reason to hold him.”

“It’s okay, Your Majesty,” Drew tells him. “I’ll wait with Mrs Bancroft.”

With that settled, Drew and I are ushered through a back door and into one of the sitting rooms that’s not being used for tonight’s party. One of Dalton’s men comes with us to keep an eye on us while at least one other is positioned outside the door. Though the air outside is warm, the air conditioning inside makes me shiver, as I’m still wearing only my slip and my feet are bare. Dalton’s man doesn’t seem to notice, but Drew immediately begins to unbutton his own shirt.

“What are you doing?” I ask, glancing over at the guard who’s also watching Drew warily.

“You’re freezing,” is all he says in reply, pulling his black dress shirt off. He’s got a sleeveless undershirt beneath it, in black like the rest of his clothes. It clings to his strong chest muscles and reveals the tattoos across his shoulders and down his right arm. His left arm ends just above his elbow where his prosthetic arm is attached. “Here. It’s not much, but it might help.”

He holds the shirt out, and I tentatively put my arms through the sleeves. It’s so big on me that I can wrap it around myself and it does help against the chill. It smells like him too, a scent that is strangely comforting. “Thank you.”

It’s odd how such a simple courtesy makes such a difference when you’ve been treated so poorly for so long.

“We’re being watched,” he tells me under his breath, still standing close to me with his back to the guard and his lips barely moving. “There are cameras as well as the man in here. I’m going to come and stand on the other side of you so you can turn your back to him. Speak as quietly as you can, but please, Bree, tell me what’s going on. What exactly were you doing out there?”

As he promised, he moves around to the other side of me, making it look like he’s just pacing, not that his movements are intentional. He’s obviously done this kind of thing before, and I quickly make up my mind.

I will tell Drew the truth. At this point, I have nothing left to lose, and if there’s anyone in this world who might believe me, it’s him.

As he instructed, I turn my back and keep my voice down. “I was about to shift. There’s a break in the fence and I was going to escape.”

He doesn’t say anything, knowing the guard’s eyes are on him, but I see the look of concern on his face as I press on.

“My life here isn’t a happy one. My mate keeps me locked up in the basement most of the time. I thought this was my chance. I thought…”

My throat tightens as the frustration of the lost opportunity hits me again, choking off my words. Drew circles me again, moving to the other side of me and turning his back to the guard so he can speak again. “You wouldn’t have got out, Bree. Security’s too tight. There are motion detectors on the outside of the walls, they would have picked you up immediately.”

There are? I didn’t know that, and despair boils up inside me. I thought I had a chance, but I never did. The whole situation is completely hopeless.

However, Drew’s not done talking yet. “If you really want to get out, though, I will help you. I know a way.”

“You believe me?” I know I shouldn’t argue with him but I can’t quite believe it’s that simple. Nobody takes me at my word anymore.

Drew, however, does exactly that. “Of course. If it’s really what you want, we’ll go right now. Just say the word.”