Lion's Betrayal (Shifter Suspense Book 2) Read online

  “Shit,” she muttered, and half-fell, half threw herself out of bed. Mathis jerked toward her as she scrambled to her feet, but forced himself to hold back. He curled his hands into fists at his sides. Haven’t you done enough damage already?

  Chloe was swearing, her voice shaking as she grabbed her clothes from the floor and pulled them back on.

  “You don’t need to—” Mathis stopped himself, cursing silently. “You take the bed. Same as before. Same deal.”

  “So, what? We just go back to—we keep pretending—”

  Chloe’s eyes were like pits in her face, and her skin was so pale it frightened him. If she got sick—he was under no illusions about Harper providing medical care.

  Chloe gulped in a breath. “You can’t tell me that what just happened—what we did—that wasn’t…”

  “It was a mistake,” Mathis said again, but it didn’t reassure her. Her shoulders slumped. He ran his fingernails through his short hair, hating himself. “Look—we can just pretend it didn’t happen. Get some sleep. We’ll figure something out in the morning—where are you going?”

  “I need—” she leaned towards him and for a moment, he thought she was going to fall into his arms again. “I need some air,” she muttered instead, and ran out of the room.

  Mathis stared after her, an ache in his chest like someone tore his heart out.

  Which is true. He had torn his own heart out, and now it was gone, fleeing from him with Chloe.

  CHAPTER 18

  CHLOE

  Chloe got halfway across the courtyard before she started to run.

  It was pointless. She knew that. She wasn’t going to escape by running. But that wasn’t why she was doing it. Her chest was hollow and aching and her head felt strange, empty and light, as though if she put her hands up to feel it, the back of her skull would have disappeared.

  She ran. She ran until the buildings were far behind her and her lungs were on fire and her head was throbbing and that was good, it was great, because if her head was throbbing then it must exist, and her body must be real and she wasn’t falling apart and—

  Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as the words maybe everything will be all right streaked through her mind like fire.

  Her foot caught on something and twisted. She hit the ground and lay there, panting, as new pains shot through her. Her ankle was twisted, her hip and wrist jarred from impact. She rolled onto one side, breathing so hard she wasn’t sure she wasn’t sobbing, too.

  And after a while her breathing calmed down. Her heartbeat slowed. And she didn’t hurt anymore, not her ankle, not her wrist or hip or anything.

  She smacked her fist into the ground and screamed. Of course she was fine. Of course I am. I’m not the one being torn to pieces by wild animals every night. I’m not the one—

  Chloe groaned. The memory of Mathis’ body against hers was so fresh she could almost feel it—and there it was, the pain she was looking for. She gasped as her heart twisted.

  She squeezed her eyes shut but not fast enough to stop the first tears seeping out. It had felt so right. He’d wanted it as much as she had, she was sure of it, and he’d been so tender, gentle and loving and…

  Stop it. Stop it! She pounded her fist on the ground again, hissing as gravel cut into her knuckles. Stop being stupid. Forget that. Remember the look on his face afterwards.

  Chloe drew in a ragged breath. It was a mistake. She’d thought, just for a moment—but that had just been another mistake. She’d let the physical bond between the two of them take over, and played right into Harper’s hands. And now Mathis wouldn’t even look at her.

  The emptiness came back, right on cue. Chloe lay still. Her body felt unmoored, like being lightheaded except everywhere, like she was falling apart…

  I wish I could, she thought savagely. If it wasn’t for me, Mathis would be able to get out of here. I’m just holding him back. The only thing I could do, the only power I had, was not touching him… and I couldn’t even do that.

  No wonder he can’t even stand to look at me.

  Something skittered on the path near her head. Chloe opened her eyes. For a moment, her vision was too wobbly with tears for her to see anything except shifting colors, green, yellow and blue. She blinked, and the world came into focus.

  She’d run far out of the resort complex. What she’d taken for a gravel path under her was just gravel, loose stone scattered thickly on top of scraggly grass. She’d spent enough time exploring the island to know where she was: halfway along the ridge that ran the length of the island. The ground here was rough, and she was fairly sure the gravel was left over from the carefully manicured paths in the resort itself. No wonder she’d fallen.

  Beyond, the grass grew thicker, a plush carpet that whispered in the breeze, and beyond that…

  Chloe’s vision wavered again as she stared out at the sea. Harper’s island wasn’t that far from the mainland, really. Too far for a normal human to swim, and she suspected too far for any of the shifters to make the journey as well, but with a boat or helicopter? It was a day trip.

  She gritted her teeth. Harper must have chosen this island specifically for that. It fit his twisted mind. The mainland, and safety, were close enough to see… but too far to get to without risking drowning.

  Whatever it was skittered again, and this time there was another noise too, a whirring or hum. Chloe sat up and looked around. The hum felt like it was buzzing straight into her brain.

  She rubbed the back of her head and looking around. Something small, a bug or a bird, fluttered at the edge of her vision, but no one had followed her as she ran from the resort complex. The thought made her shoulders sag. No need for security when the whole island is one big prison.

  What should she do now? The thought of going back to Mathis’ rooms now made her stomach churn. She would have to go back eventually, but just…

  Not yet. She closed her eyes. I need to get myself under control first. I need to… do something.

  She held her breath, waiting for the restless energy inside her to take form. She’d take anything right now. Even the urge to do something impossible, like escape.

  Nothing happened.

  Chloe inhaled so fast it was almost a sob. There was nothing there. Just… emptiness.

  This had never happened before. Even when it wasn’t sending her hell-bent on some project or another, the energy had always been there. Biding its time. But now…

  Chloe searched inside herself, her breath coming faster as she began to panic. What was happening to her?

  The buzzing pressure in the back of her skull increased and then the air behind her popped. Chloe spun around and found herself face-to-face with Thandie.

  “Th-thandie?” Chloe’s mind whirred. What is she doing here?

  She hadn’t seen her old roommate in weeks. In fact, none of her old colleagues had exchanged so much as two words with her since Julian threw her in the fighting ring with the polar bear shifter. Which had stung… until Chloe realized they were just trying to protect themselves. All the island staff must be as terrified as she was.

  And now Thandie had tracked her down, out of sight and hearing of the resort complex.

  Part of Chloe was excited. Whatever Thandie had to say, it must be important.

  And part of her was relieved, and guilty at feeling relieved. Because whatever this was about, at least it would be a distraction from the emptiness inside her.

  “Quickly!” Thandie grabbed her arm and scrambled backwards into the shelter of two palms that had grown twisted together just below the ridgetop. Chloe’s eyes flicked back towards the resort. We’re hidden back here. But why?

  Thandie grabbed Chloe’s face between her hands. “I was trying to talk to you, but you didn’t hear me, did you? You looked like—like it was hurting you.” She bit her lip. “Is it… did Harper do something to you…?”

  Chloe frowned. Does she really not know…? But, of course. Harper knew she was human, but it wasn’t like h
e would see any need to share that knowledge around.

  “I couldn’t hear you because I’m not a shifter,” she explained.

  “What?” Thandie’s forehead creased. “But… I thought…”

  “I lied to get onto the island.” Which was the truth—just not all of it.

  Thandie settled back on her haunches, arms wrapped over her breasts. Crouched like that, she looked like a delicate bird perched on the rocky ground.

  She was naked, of course, but by now Chloe was used to seeing naked shifters. At least Thandie wasn’t covered in blood.

  “Well, so much for my first question,” Thandie muttered, frowning. “None of us could figure out what you were, but after Harper went off on Nora about the hiring process we thought you might have been something useful. Because of how he always only hires small shifters for house staff,” she added quickly.

  Chloe fought to control her expression. Something useful. Whatever she was, it wasn’t that. “Sorry,” she said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. “I’m only human.”

  Thandie squeezed her arm. “Well, okay, so I’m disappointed you’re not a, a great white or something, but that’s fine. I actually wanted to talk to you because—what was that?”

  Her head whipped around and Chloe found herself scrambling to glance around the trees. There was no sign of anyone out there, but…

  Thandie sighed. “I’m just imagining things.”

  “Or Julian is spying on us.” Chloe kept staring at the grass-and-rock slope that led down to the complex. The grass was flattened where she’d fallen, and where she and Thandie had scrambled behind the palms, but everywhere else she could see it was swaying gently in the breeze. If Julian was here, we would at least see his movements in the grass—wouldn’t we?

  She turned back to Thandie to find her looking strangely at her. “You know he can do that, right? Go invisible?”

  “What?” Thandie went so still, Chloe wasn’t sure she was still breathing. Eventually she licked her lips. “You’re not serious?”

  “Dead serious.” Chloe’s skin prickled as she remembered the massive dragon picking her up.

  She’d felt so helpless. She had screamed for Mathis to help her, to save her—and he hadn’t so much as twitched. Whatever dragon magic Julian had, it was so powerful Mathis hadn’t been able to sense her presence at all.

  “Shit, well, okay.” Thandie sucked her lips in and took a deep breath through her nose. “Fuck it. Louis didn’t want me to even talk to you about this, but…” She gripped Chloe’s shoulders and pulled her close, whispering into her ear. “We’ve got a plan to get off here on one of the cruise ships. The girls in the kitchen have it all planned out. You have to be ready to run as soon as it goes off—”

  This time Chloe heard it, too. The soft crunch of someone walking on gravel.

  Thandie froze, and then the air around her rushed in to fill the gap where she had been crouching. A shimmering hummingbird darted away, so fast Chloe blinked and the bird was already out of sight.

  Chloe groaned. She could already guess who it was…

  “Ms. Kent.”

  “Julian.”

  Chloe slumped back against the tree trunk, letting Julian see her blotchy face and tear-reddened eyes. His face went carefully blank.

  Rage fizzed in Chloe’s veins. She knew Julian was as much a prisoner here as she and Mathis were—but that didn’t mean he had to play the part of Harper’s pet so well.

  “What do you want?” she growled.

  Julian’s jaw twitched. “Believe it or not, I’m here to check whether you’re all right.”

  “Bullshit. You’re only worried because Harper needs me alive.” Chloe stared out at the distant waves, willing her eyes to stay dry. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

  Julian laughed bitterly. “I’d say you’re only partially correct, but I expect you’d take it the wrong way. You know there’s nothing I can do for either of you.”

  “Whatever Harper has on you must be fucking big.”

  “Yes.” Julian paused, long enough that Chloe had to fight the urge to look at him. Eventually, he cleared his throat. “You and Mathis…”

  “What about us?”

  “Are you… getting along?”

  Chloe’s mouth twisted. “No.”

  She heard Julian inhale slowly. “Perhaps that is for the best.”

  “Like you care. It’s not like it makes any difference to you, does it?” Chloe couldn’t keep her anger out of her voice.

  “True,” Julian snapped back, losing his calm for the first time. “What’s another few weeks here or there? Harper will get bored eventually, and then we’ll have a new season of fresh meat.”

  Chloe’s breath caught. If he was saying what she thought he was saying—then it was even more important that she and Mathis got off this island. Not just for themselves, but for all the other staff… and his next unsuspecting victims. She swallowed over a sudden lump in her throat.

  She stood up, so quickly her vision swam. “How do I stop Harper getting bored, then?” she demanded, stomping up to Julian. He stared down at her, his own bitter rage dissolving.

  “I wish I knew.” His mouth quirked into a sardonic smile, and he gestured back down the ridge toward the resort. “After you.”

  ***

  Julian made his excuses the moment they were back on the resort grounds; Chloe supposed he had to report back to Harper.

  Report back on what, she didn’t know. And not knowing made her stomach churn. In retrospect, she should have at least tried to use the mind trick on him. But she’d been too frustrated, and scared, and she’d felt so empty… it probably wouldn’t have worked.

  It would have gone wrong. Like everything else you’ve tried to do.

  Mathis was lying on the bed when Chloe slipped back into the room. He was staring at the ceiling. His chest rose and fell, but his eyes didn’t even twitch as Chloe closed the door.

  Fine. Be like that.

  Chloe looked down at herself. Her feet were grimy from running across the grass and dirt, and her clothes weren’t much better—but, frankly, fuck it.

  Before she could change her mind, she strode across the room and lay down on the bed next to Mathis. His whole body stiffened and she could practically feel him trying to keep from touching her.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to jump you again,” she muttered. “I just need to talk to you without anyone else listening in.”

  Mathis turned his head. His face was only a few inches from hers and for a moment, it was too easy to get lost in his golden eyes.

  Chloe took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in her chest. It felt like something was trying to get out, a panicked fluttering of emotion—she pushed it down. There was no time for that. And Mathis wasn’t interested, anyway. Even if he hadn’t hated her before, she was sure he must hate her now that she had broken their agreement and strengthened the bond between them.

  Speaking quickly, not meeting his eyes, she told him what Thandie had said.

  “…They’ve got some sort of plan to escape. I just wish she’d given me more details. If Julian hadn’t been so hot on my heels…” She swore. “Of all the times he could have followed me around the island, it had to be today.”

  Mathis was silent. Too silent. She bit her lip. “You don’t think it could have anything to do with… us…”

  Her voice trailed off. Mathis was so close she could feel the heat off his body. She wasn’t touching him—God, she’d probably never touch him again—but even being this close…

  Something roared to life inside her. She could have cried. Her restless energy was back, stronger than ever—and all it wanted was Mathis. The one thing she could never have.

  “We have to get out of here,” she muttered.

  Mathis laughed weakly, and coughed. He lifted one hand, flexing his fingers as he stared at it. “Any bright ideas?”

  Chloe ground her teeth. Because my ideas are always so gre
at? “We can’t just wait until Thandie’s plan comes off, whatever it is.” She took a deep breath. Push down the anger. It’s not useful now. “You’re… better, aren’t you? So we have a bit more time.” Until you’re too weak to fight anymore. “If we need more time I could keep… healing you…”

  “No.” Mathis’ voice was almost a bark. Chloe fought the urge to shrink back.

  “Right, fine. No strengthening the bond to keep you alive.” Chloe bunched her hands into fists, squeezing until her knuckles were white. “In that case… I’ve been thinking, and there must be a way to contact the outside world from here. If I can just—”

  “No. Chloe, no, you can’t put yourself in danger.” Mathis’ Adam’s apple jerked. “I couldn’t—if you were hurt—”

  Chloe sat up. “Would you listen to yourself?” she snapped. “You’re playing right into Harper’s hands. He keeps you exhausted and hurt enough that you can’t even think of escaping, which leaves me the only one who can actually do anything. And now you’re telling me I can’t, because of the mate bond you’ve spent the last three weeks ignoring?”

  She couldn’t lie still anymore. She jumped out of bed and paced back and forth in front of it. Her skin was itching, like something inside her was scratching to get out. She needed to do something. Her eyes fell on her sneakers, lying half-under the armchair.

  They must have been there since the night she and Mathis tried to escape. She grabbed them, helpless angry tears making her vision shimmer.

  “There’s still one place on the island I haven’t been. You can’t tell me Harper doesn’t have a phone in his private quarters. Or a computer. Or… anything, anything at all that we could use against him.”

  “And if he catches you?” Mathis’ voice went throaty. “What am I meant to do? Just wait here until Julian swans up and tells me you’re dead?”

  Chloe snorted. “He’s not going to kill me. I’m more valuable alive, remember? Alive and useless.”

  “You’re not—” Mathis’ voice cracked. He was sitting on the edge of the bed now, his hands gripping the mattress white-knuckled. “He doesn’t have to kill you. He could just… hurt you. You’re not a shifter, you can’t heal like I can—”