Saving Briar

“Your bodyguard is dead. And if you want to get out of this in one piece, you’ll do exactly what Mr. Fox says, without hesitation.” Harlow’s eyelids felt so heavy that she almost didn’t manage to lift them. When she finally did the room around her was a blur and she had to blink several times before her vision began to clear.

Where was she and how had she gotten there?

Harlow tried to force her mind to function normally, but she wasn’t having much better luck with her thoughts than she’d had with her eyes when she’d first heard the voice promising that someone she knew was dead, and that she could be next if she didn’t do what was required of her. But who was her bodyguard? Caelan?

The last thing that Harlow could remember was getting on the plane and sitting down next to Briar. She’d assumed that Caelan would be the one accompanying her, since he was the only bodyguard she had encountered during her stay in Vegas. And where was Briar? Had the plane actually taken off?

“What’s going on?” Harlow gripped the sides of the chair she found herself sitting in as she slowly came back to herself.

“You were purchased by my employer. He goes by many names, but the one he gave to Mr. Rose was Mr. Fox. Since it appears that the drugs that were in the water bottle in the back seat of the car not only last longer than we expected, but also have affected your memory, I’ll fill in some of the blanks.”

The man who was speaking was tall and slender and wore a tailored suit. He didn’t look like any of the wolf shifters that she had ever seen, but without the advanced sense of smell that she would probably have once she finally shifted, she couldn’t say for sure if he was human or something else entirely.

“We met in Anchorage. I tried to ditch your bodyguard then and there, but he wouldn’t leave you. As a result, I had to dispose of him along the way. I left him at the side of the road filled with enough drugs to overdose a horse. I’d brought them along as a precaution and it’s a good thing I did. We arrived here last night. You slept in a cage, but Mr. Fox asked that I make you presentable so that he could come in and reacquaint himself with you.”

“Reacquaint? Did I meet him in Anchorage?” Harlow’s throat felt dry and her voice sounded raspy each time she spoke.

“No. But I’ll leave it to him to fill in the rest. He’ll come in to see you when he’s ready. And I think you’d do well to remember that he’s paid far more than your life is worth to have you here with him.” The man turned and walked out of the room, and Harlow heard the deadbolt turn a few moments after he closed the door behind him.

--------

Harlow wasn’t certain if hours had passed or minutes when the door swung open again.

She had nearly been sick twice, as her stomach churned, both with stress, and she guessed, with the remnants of whatever it was that they’d given her to knock her out.

“Harlow. I never imagined having to pay money to fuck you. But here we are. And I have to say, while the price was steep, if this gets me what I want then it’ll be more than worth it. Especially when the money belonged to the pack.”

“You’re Mr. Fox?” Harlow stared at the father of her child in disbelief. If she hadn’t been tied to the chair with her hands in cuffs behind her back, she would have launched herself at the man and attempted to rip him limb from limb with her bare hands.

Her brow furrowed at the series of graphic images that had fluttered through her imagination, before she pushed the thought away. She didn’t have time for fanciful imaginings in which Hux ended up dead at her feet. She knew without a doubt that she needed all of her mental facilities if she was ever going to find a way out of wherever it was that she was being held, in one piece.

“Not exactly, Har. Mr. Fox is more of an alias that your father and I dreamed up that would allow us to undertake our plan to kill Theon, and take over the pack, without anyone knowing our identity until it was too late.”

“You’re insane.” The words felt cliche, even as Harlow said them outloud, but she couldn’t help herself.

“No. I’m just willing to do whatever it takes to give my mate what she wants. And Theon was too weak to make a good Alpha. By taking over I’m giving Cara everything that she’s ever dreamed of, and I’m doing what’s best for the pack. Cara will be a wonderful Luna. She’ll be the Luna that our pack deserves. And by stepping in when Theon wasn’t even man enough to claim his own mate, I’ll be doing what’s best for the pack too. Everyone walks away happy.”

“Except Theon. And maybe Briar, but who cares what happens to Omegas. And of course, there’s you, but no one ever even knew that you were half werewolf. Your mother is just thankful she gets a second chance at raising a daughter who isn’t a whore. Because Cara certainly doesn’t want to raise her niece, even if she is nice enough to let her live and to have her over for dinner now and then.”

“Why the fuck did you bring me here, Hux? What’s the freaking point? Why take me to Vegas and try to sell me and then buy me at the auction?” Ignoring the pain, Harlow pulled hard against the metal that was now digging into her wrists.

“Because when we were in Vegas I saw the way Theon was looking at you, even when he was in obvious pain.” Harlow blinked. They had seen her come down and speaking with Torin and his group before she’d gone back up to see Briar and make her deal with Mr. Rose.

“He clearly cares about you. While I already had a plan to get him back here, using Briar, the one thing I’ve learned during all this planning is that a good leader should always have a backup plan, or five, just in case things go sideways. I saw the way Theon watched you and if Briar isn’t enough to bring the man to heel, then I have a feeling that you will be.”

“I’m surprised you tolerated it though. Being his backup when it was so clear that he was only with you because you looked like his mate. Did he fuck you with his eyes closed, Har? Or did he take you from behind, so he could pretend that you were her, even though you really couldn’t do for him what she would have done?”

Harlow felt the growl building low in her throat, and for a moment she felt a thrill of hope surge through her veins. She felt stronger than she had since that day that she’d been walking home when Hux and her father had grabbed her off the street. For a few seconds she wondered if she might shift then and there. She’d be able to slip her hands through the cuffs as she shifted, or if she couldn’t, she’d surely be able to snap them in two as if they were made of paper and not steel.

For once she could be the hero and save the people she cared about. Briar seemed to somehow be caught up in this, despite her best efforts to set her free from everything that was holding her back, and Theon was obviously at the center of the plot. Even if Briar managed to survive whatever Hux had planned for her, she had little doubt that Hux would do whatever it took to end Theon.

But just as quickly as the surge of strength and clarity had rushed through her, it seemed to dissipate. Harlow fought against the cuffs, but that only caused her ex to laugh.

“I will give you one last chance though, Harlow. You know that I always wanted to give Kayla a sibling. But you were against it from the first time I suggested it when Kayla was only a year old. This, right now, is my last chance. Cara’s birthday is tomorrow. If I take you after midnight she’ll feel it. But I’m willing to make you a deal.” Hux paused, looking exceedingly pleased with himself, although Harlow was fairly certain that he had only stopped talking because he wanted her to ask him what the deal was. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction, so instead she clamped her jaw shut and stared at him.

“We can have tonight. I’ll do everything I can to give you another child by the time we’re through. And tomorrow you act terrified of me, like you really believe that I’m going to kill you, when we get to the ceremony. When Theon comes to save you and Briar, and I’ve already sent him a photo of you tied to this chair, so I’m pretty sure that he’s on his way, you play the part and I’ll make sure that you can go free at the end of it. My mom’s family has a little cabin out near Fairbanks. You can take Kayla and go there. Have our baby. I’ll make sure that you, and my pups, are taken care of. I won’t even require you continue with the injections. That was always your father’s idea anyways.”

“Why?” Harlow barely managed to get the words out,

“Kayla needs a little brother or sister. And you have to admit, we make amazing children, Harlow. Besides, I’m not entirely heartless, and when I stopped in to see Kayla last week she kept begging me to bring you to her. For some reason your idiot of a mother told her that you were with me and now she thinks I can bring you back.”

Harlow wished for a second time that she was free so that she could show Hux exactly how she felt. Yes, Kayla was an amazing child, not that he’d spent all that much time with her. But now he was trying to convince her to have another child with him, one that he wouldn’t even live near? And she knew, deep down, that the only reason he was even considering letting her live was because he was afraid that Kayla would ask questions later on.

“Do whatever it is that you’re going to do. But if you come near me I’m going to fight until you have to kill me. The last thing I want is to have you anywhere near me. There isn’t enough money in the world to get me back into your bed. I hope when Theon gets here he rips out your throat and feeds it to you. You’re the last person this pack needs to rule over it. Kill me if you have to but I’m not going to help you, Hux.”