“Like what?”
I huffed out a breath. “I’m surprised you care.”
“Call it boredom if you want.” Kaden stretched his legs out in front of him, and I tried not to notice, even in my periphery. Even though his words sounded casual, as if he didn't care at all, there was something in his voice that made me think he really did care.
I sighed but found myself talking anyway. “I'm dreading going back to the Cancer pack lands and worried about what will happen once we get there. I was never popular among the pack. Okay, that's an understatement. I was the town pariah, the alpha’s mistake, nothing more, and no one ever let me forget that I was half human and an outcast.” I paused as I remembered what I'd learned during my time with the Leos. “Although I guess that's not even true. I know my mother was a Moon Witch now."
"I suspected as much. How do you know for sure?"
“When I was imprisoned by the Leos, the Sun Witches came to interrogate me. They cast this spell that made something come out of me, some sort of light that convinced them I was a Moon Witch. I guess they’d know, out of anyone.”
"I told you that weeks ago." A smirk crossed his handsome face. “It's nice to know I was right.”
“Like your ego needs any more boosting. I’m surprised it can fit in the fucking car.”
“What was that?” Kaden asked, tilting his head toward me, though I knew he’d heard me perfectly. “Surely you weren’t talking shit about your alpha.”
"Oh, so you admit I'm still in your pack then? Not a Leo?"
"Perhaps." He fell silent for some time, but then his eyes were upon me again—I felt their smolder even without looking. "Tell me what the Leos did to you."
His sudden change in topic surprised me, along with the darkness in his voice. I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to tell him everything that had happened to me. Hell, I wasn't sure I was ready to say it out loud. I would have preferred to talk to someone like Stella, but I wouldn’t be seeing her for who knew how long. Kaden would have to do, even though he gave about as much emotional comfort as a cactus.
"At first, they kept me locked up in a cell, much like you did. I was in there for longer though, and there were no windows, and two guards posted at all times. The only way I could tell time had passed was by noticing when my guards changed shifts." My lips were dry and I licked them before continuing, wondering where I'd put that lip gloss. "Jordan came to see me now and then. He told me he wanted me as his mate, that now that he was the alpha things would be different, and that he wanted me to be the queen to his king. I told him to go fuck himself."
"Good," Kaden said, crossing his arms.
"The Sun Witches came to see me, and they said my magic was strong. They wanted to kill me, but Jordan wouldn't let them. He planned to mate with me during the full moon, and he thought I would be more…compliant after that."
"He obviously doesn't know you very well," Kaden said with a snort.
That gave me a slight smile. "He eventually moved me into a house with Mira, and showered me with food and gifts, but I never forgot it was still a prison. I wasn't allowed to leave, and guards were stationed everywhere, but hey, at least I could shower. Jordan had dinner with me every night, and I pretended to warm up to him so he would let down his guard. Eventually, Mira and I tried to escape, but we were caught and thrown back in prison. I told Jordan I rejected him as my mate, and that's when he gave me the bruises you saw. Well, him and his guards. Oh and the Sun Witches scorched me with some of their magic too. Then it was the full moon, and, well, you saw how that was going…" I trailed off and glanced over at Kaden. "Luckily you showed up before anything happened."
He sat very still, but his hands were clenched and his eyes blazed with anger. "I should have protected you better. You shouldn't have had to trade your life for the safety of the pack."
"That was Jordan's fault, not yours. And I would do it again in a heartbeat."
"You said he kissed you. Twice." Kaden nearly spat the words. "But nothing else happened?"
"Not really." My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "It was hard though. The pull of the mating bond was so strong, almost like when I was in heat. But I fought it, and over time, it got easier for me to resist. And now…" My stomach twisted. "I think it'll be even easier to fight, knowing we're related."
Kaden let out a low, terrifying growl. "The next time I see him, he's dead. That will solve that problem."