Soul Enslaved (Sons of Wrath Book 3) (47 page)

“Your account is frozen. It says there’s nothing in it.”

The words hit the pit of her gut like bricks, and Sabelle shot up, fists clenched as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “
What
?”

“It’s not letting me transfer anything to my school account. They’ve tried to secure payment for a month now. And Gary the dick-bagging landlord came to our apartment today, saying he hadn’t received payment, either. What’s going on?”

“No, no. I … I paid Gary. I remember paying him. Christ, I paid him before I bought my own groceries!”

“I don’t want to stress you out, Sellie, but I’m heading into a tough semester and I’m nervous they’re going to kick me to the curb.” She sighed. “I drove by your house yesterday. Some people were looking around. I didn’t talk to any of them, but they looked official, ya know?”

“Just … don’t worry. I’ll figure this out.”

“Can you … I mean, would Gavin help you?”

“Don’t. No, I’m not even going there. I can’t ask him to help.”

“Fuck the house, Sabelle. You hated living there. Now’s your chance to get out of it.”

“I didn’t hate living there, Denya. My kids were born there. And I can’t just let it go.” Sabelle let out a long exhale and rubbed her forehead. “Hey, can you come over and hang out with the kids for a while? They miss you.” At least if Sabelle could get her to the mansion and sit face to face, she’d have a better time convincing her to go along with a plan of hiding out—she wouldn’t be able to hang up on her, anyway.

“I’d love to. I’m going through kiddo withdrawals.” She chuckled. Of course she chuckled, while Sabelle battled the sickening task of plotting another solution to another disaster. Denya never had to deal with problems for very long, because Sabelle somehow figured them out.

“Good, I’ll see if Bennett can pick you up and bring you here.”

“Can’t I take the bus?”

“No. A bus would never find this place.” Sabelle kept her answers short, anxious to call the bank and find out what the hell had happened to her account.

“Where are you staying? A fortress in the high hills?”

“Pretty much. I’ll talk to you in a bit.” Sabelle hung up the phone and fell onto the bed.
Shit.
It was only a matter of time before the banks took action, but it killed her to know she’d screwed Denya with her mistakes, too.

She couldn’t ask Gavin for the money. No way. The man had done so much for her already.

Hands shaky, she dialed the bank and asked to speak to her account rep.

The familiar perky voice answered the phone, as if she hadn’t just destroyed one person’s dream and fucked the morning of another. “This is Alera.”

“I’m calling about my account,” Sabelle said, following up with her account information.

“Oh. Yes. I’m afraid your account has been seized.”

“By?”

“A creditor. I can’t say. We were contacted by a woman earlier.”

“From?”

“Can’t say that, either. You’ll have to submit the proper paperwork, if you wish to dispute this.”

If Sabelle could’ve reached through the phone, she’d have strangled the woman and her cool, casual voice … “There was ten grand in that account. I need access to it right away!” Sabelle threaded her fingers through her hair. “It could take weeks for you to investigate a dispute!”

“It could. But I’m afraid that’s the only way you can remove the hold.”

“She’s an official? Only an official has the power in the underworld to put a freeze.”

“Would you like me to send you the form, or will you download it from the site?”

Sabelle clicked the phone, squeezing it and wanting nothing more than to throw it against the wall. “Bitch!”

She buried her face into her palms. Jeven still owned her. Would probably hunt her down the moment she left Gavin’s home. She still had financial shit to deal with, and on top of that, Denya needed money that Sabelle couldn’t dream of raising before her next semester began.

Crying would’ve probably felt pretty damn good, if she could’ve mustered any tears. Funny thing about stress … sometimes it ruled even the basest emotions, tangling them into knots of absolute confusion. Her brain wanted a solution. Her heart wanted a break. Between the two, Sabelle simply felt numb.

What the hell would Gavin want with a woman who seemed to be an open channel for an endless stream of problems? Christ, the man had his own issues. She’d rather suffer than ask him for help.

Pulling her hands away from her face, she caught a flicker of the white card sticking up from her purse on the floor—the card she’d been given from the stranger in the alley.

The man’s voice echoed inside her head.
“Walk away.”

Money. Freedom. Everything she wanted rested on walking away from Gavin—something she’d probably have to do, anyway. Her mission in the lycan’s lair was over, and she couldn’t keep him enslaved forever. The stranger in the alley claimed to be a Wrath, one of Gavin’s own kind. Of course, Sabelle would never do anything to hurt Gavin, but what harm could come of simply
walking away
? After all, she didn’t intend to bond with him. Couldn’t, even if she wanted to. Walking away would allow him to focus on finding a mate. Perhaps they’d grant him some kind of immunity, if he bonded with a female. He’d no longer be a risk for seducing another bonded female. Not even princes could get away with that. Besides, not like she was tricking him or turning him over. Just
walking away
.

Xander’s question batted the swirling thoughts.
“Are you for real?”

Was she? Was anything for real? Was Gavin? Maybe he was playing her. Maybe he was using her to keep his ass out of prison.

You know better, Sabelle.

Did she, though? She couldn’t cast all her hopes on a man who wasn’t known for staying in relationships for long. What if she did want to bond? Perhaps she’d get comfortable, start to feel settled right when he decided to trade her in for a different model. Hell, if his car collection was any indication of personality—and Griffin would argue that it
was
—Gavin didn’t seem to be satisfied with one of
anything
. His birthright as a prince made him a man of his people. Of his women. He’d be expected to share his seed.

Could Sabelle ever share
him
?

She’d often wondered how the mates allowed their men to go out in the world and fuck a different woman every night. What woman could look herself in the mirror and convince herself that she was okay with that? Even the Basiliaj, who weren’t known for their jealousy.

Not Sabelle.

She’d always give him crap he’d need to fix. He’d be better off if she walked away from him, but before anything else had the power to set her on a different course, she needed to leave. Denya coming over could be the perfect escape.

CHAPTER 21

Sabelle pushed through the door of the Wreck Room.

Logan sat up from the bench, freezing her to the spot. Across the room, Calix held the punching bag, and Zayne stood closest to her, uncurling the massive weights in his grip. Holy muscle overload, between the three of them.

All eyes remained fixed on her.

She cleared her throat. “I’m … sorry. To interrupt. I’m just looking for my kids. Thought they might’ve run through here.” Backing herself brought the door handle slamming into the crack of her ass. Classy. She flinched, trying not draw attention to it.

“Sabelle, right?” Logan sipped from a bottle of water, looking and sounding much more relaxed than the last time she’d seen him.

He’d been frantic, wondering what would come of his girlfriend at the time, who’d fallen into the Otherrealm. Sabelle had managed to set his mind at ease when she examined the woman and determined that she’d gotten pregnant—a revelation that’d released the female from the soulbinder at her throat.

“Right. How’s your … uh … lady friend?” Jesus, she’d faced all of them before, when he’d been lain out in the bed with his chest gaping, but for some reason the smell of iron and the obvious testosterone, so palpable she could slice it from the air, made her a sudden nervous wreck.

“So far, so good. Expecting a son soon.” His conversation, so casual, didn’t match the intense stares.

“Oh, that’s great. Really … congratulations.” The corner of her lips curved upward as she attempted a smile.

“You’re Gav’s woman, huh?” Zayne rubbed his left palm with his thumb.

“Um.
His woman
? No. I’m just … staying here.”

He smirked. “Right.”

She couldn’t ignore the swirl in Zayne’s blue eyes. Mesmerizing. So … cool.
What the hell did I come in here for?
Wow. Really weird how the colors moved like snakes of pale blue circling his irises.

Those eyes narrowed on her. “You seem like a nice woman. So different from the others of your kind. Pure heart.”

As if in a trance, Sabelle shook her head. Was she drooling? She dabbed her lip, everything feeling numb all of a sudden.

“Stay true, Sabelle.” Zayne gave a sharp nod and walked back to his weights.

As all three demons went back to their workouts, she sucked in a breath. “Okay, so … I’ll assume no kids passed through here.”

“No,” all three of them answered at once.

***

Sabelle flew down the staircase, her heart catching in her throat when she found Anna dusting—still no kids in sight. “Hey, Anna, do you know where—”

“Outside, love.” She wore a knowing smile. “With the Master.” A wink capped off her smile and Anna went back to her dusting. “So nice to see him relaxed. Happy. Seems like he’s been in a state of constant turmoil these past couple of years.” She paused. “I believe women naturally carry a certain magic about them, Sabelle. An enchantment that makes them irresistible. But mothers carry something more—a faithfulness that tells a man she can be trusted. And warmth. Like a cozy blanket of predictability that males like Master Gavin so desperately need. If I had to guess, it’s something of a relief for him, having you here.”

Her stomach sank at the words.
Don’t. You need the money. It’s freedom. He’s the reason you’re in this mess
. “Okay … I’m just going to … take a peek …”

“Absolutely. And … thank you for staying with us. Having those young ones around brings such joy to this place.” She sighed. “Children are the gift of eternal youth.”

Jesus, Anna, you’re not helping
. Without another word, Sabelle followed the long hallway out toward the back. Light bled in as she reached the end of the hall, and pushed through the door, which brought the warmth of sunshine to her face. Sabelle shielded her eyes, and when they finally adjusted to the light, the sight that met them choked her breath.

TJ ran across the yard toward an oncoming animal, which sped toward him like a locomotive, teeth bared.

Her stomach lurched with the first step toward him, and she opened her mouth to scream at the same time that Gavin stepped out from the bushes, holding Janie in his arms. The huge dog veered off track and rounded TJ, the boy grinding to a halt as the beast fell in front of him. Lying on the ground. So surreal. The largest, most intimidating dogs, hellhounds. Yet, there it lay at her son’s feet as if bowing to a master.

Sabelle sucked in sharp breath.

TJ reached out a hand and petted the hound, then wrapped his small arms around its neck.

“Oh, TJ, be careful,” Sabelle murmured.

Gavin pointed a finger, and the dog rose to its feet and tromped over to him before sitting, stout and regal. He placed what looked to be a small square of raw meat on its nose and stepped back, laughing as TJ and Janie took some amusement in the dog’s overt patience.

Sabelle couldn’t help but smile. Hell, the sight of Janie in Gavin’s arms alone was enough to pop some ovaries but add their giggles in the mix and Sabelle could’ve melted into a pile of motherly goo.

Not real
, the voice inside her head argued.

With a snap of Gavin’s fingers, the dog flipped the meat into the air and caught it between those sharp tines in his mouth. Much more intimidating than any canines she’d seen in her life.

Gavin set Janie to the ground and knelt beside her, as she reached to pet the muzzle of the dog. For a brief moment, Sabelle’s body warmed. One glaring fact occurred to her as she watched her children around one of the more vicious and unpredictable animals of the underworld—she felt perfectly safe.

Because they were with Gavin.

Not real, not real, not real.
The voice practically screamed inside her head.

Sabelle stepped out onto the patio, and the scene instantly morphed. Gavin spun around on the ball of his foot at the sound of growling.

“Magnus. Shh.”

The dog quieted and sat back on its haunches, its jaw flexing with each step Sabelle took, as if instincts and commands were battling each other inside his head.

“Those are some big dogs you have.”

“The better to frighten you with, my dear.” Gavin smiled.

“M … m … my mommy’s not ‘fraid of dogs. Sh … sh … she just hit ‘em down if they try to bite us.” Sabelle’s cheeks flushed at his words, as TJ demonstrated a punch to his fist.

Magnus shifted on his haunches, as if anxious of her approach.

“I bet she would,” Gavin said. “Your mommy’s very brave.”

“A … and strong. And smart. So she will trick the dogs and then just hit them down.”

Gavin smiled and, damn, the sight was majestic, like watching a winged Pegasus fly over a rainbow, or something.

“A … a … are you gonna be our daddy?” TJ asked.

Not even a sharp breath could fill the sudden lack of oxygen. Sabelle took a step back, glancing away when Gavin’s eyes met hers.

Why would he ask such a thing? Had Gavin been discussing it with them? Was that why he took them outside to play? Was he trying to win her children, thinking it would win her over?

“You know, TJ. Any man who gets to call you his son is a lucky guy.”

“TJ, don’t … he’s never going to be your daddy.” The words slipped out on a panic before Sabelle even realized what she’d said.

Gavin’s eyebrows pinched into a frown. “I didn’t mean me, Sabelle.”