“Okay,” I say with a tight smile.
* * *
Mercy
I’m at the mansion, standing in my sister’s office, watching as she leans back in her leather chair to scowl at me. This afternoon has not gone the way I’d envisioned.
I went into Andy’s office intending to resign and ask for a reference for my relocation to California with Koa. He simply replied, “Go home and talk to your sister first.”
Immediately, I knew Dylan had been behind Koa’s firing — more of me associating with the “wrong kind” of people, I’m sure. She probably told Andy to warn him away from me in the first place. I stormed out of his office straight into the alley behind the gym.
I was furious, and I didn’t have any time to lose. A quick scan of the area told me no one was around. Discarding my clothes quickly, I shifted and ran at top speed all the way to the mansion and up to my room to pull on jeans and a shirt.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Dylan says. And with that she leans forward, returning to whatever crap she has on her desk. Lord knows I have no idea what she does with her time.
“I didn’t come for permission. I came to inform you.” I infuse my voice with the same authority as in my self-defense classes. “I’m leaving… tomorrow.” Although, Koa and I haven’t set a timeline. “I’m moving to San Francisco.”
“With the panther?”
So she does know. “Yes. We’re together now.”
“Mates?” Her lips curl in disgust.
“Unofficially…” I hate being in front of her without a plan. Dylan has the most infuriating way of making me feel every bit the youngest sister.
“Real smart, Mercy. One of your best ideas yet.” Her sarcasm is even worse. “Not that it matters. You can tell your panther goodbye. You belong to Hayden Cross.”
At that I see red. “I most certainly do NOT belong to Hayden!”
She stands and circles the desk to my side. “You’re the youngest sister of the fourth Quinlan generation. By order of the High Council, you belong to Hayden. He’s coming to collect you next week.”
My mouth drops open, but it takes a few seconds for my brain to catch up. “What the hell are you talking about!?” I’m almost shouting, but Dylan isn’t bothered.
She continues past me to the small table holding a decanter and two tumblers. “Scotch?” she says.
“Explain what you’re talking about this instant!”
My pulse ticks higher as I wait for her to remove the crystal stopper and pour herself a drink. I’ve never seen her drink during the day. She lifts the glass to her lips before continuing.
“I had hoped you might develop an attraction for him through our dinners. That is, until the panther showed up.” A deep breath, another sip. “Once I saw how you felt, I went to Chicago to try and plead your case. I spoke to every person in authority I could find. Most wouldn’t even see me. Hayden’s claim on our family is established. What’s done is irrevocable.”
I fight the pressure building behind my eyes. “What claim? I’ve only known Hayden two years. Did our parents arrange our marriage and not tell me?”
I can’t believe my beautiful mother would do something like that to me.
“If only it were that easy,” she mutters. “Hayden is a very powerful immortal, Mercy. When Woodland Creek was founded, one of our ancestors killed his immortal mate. Our family has been paying for it ever since. Every fourth generation, when his last Quinlan daughter dies, he comes here to claim his next one.”
For several moments, all I can do is stare at her, waiting for this to be a sick joke. I wait… I wait… She simply stares right back.
My panic starts to rise. I feel as if my world tilts on its side. “I… I don’t believe you. There has to be some way…” My voice has dropped to a whisper. “Please,” My eyes are burning, and I’m begging her. “Please, Dylan, tell me there’s a way out of this.”
“There is no way out of it. I was informed of the arrangement after our parents died, when I became the alpha of our family.”
I can’t believe it. I can’t… At the same time, all the pieces are clicking into place. It’s why Autumn could leave and I couldn’t. It’s why I’ve never been allowed to leave here. My entire life has been building to this moment, and no one ever told me.
Breathe, Mercy, breathe… My head is spinning, my emotions flying between soul-twisting panic, overwhelming anger, and heartbreaking despair. I have to calm down. I have to find a solution to this problem. My life cannot be over.
“You said he’s coming to collect me. What does that mean?”