CHAPTER 10

Maisie

Thanks to Cassian, Lance’s health improved. But I knew that two small bottles would not be enough to nurse him completely to health. I would need more, and unfortunately, there was no way to get that here.

It was already the early hours of the morning, and now that I was back here, I was reminded of the pack house's routine. As Alpha, Keith would be in the councilroom discussing important issues within the pack. But who knew? He had a wife so he may be enjoying a good morning roll with her. That made my heart sink. I hated that I still cared about such things. Yet, I could not help that Keith affected me. He affected me in a way that I could not even begin to reason.

I tried pushing him out of my mind and began my morning with a long bath after which I bathed my son.

Then I found the kitchen and it amazed me that Keith had made this cottage into a rather nice sort of prison.

There was enough in the small pantry to make meals for a week.

I chuckled bitterly because this was what I had been reduced to now—a slave kept away solely for Keith’s pleasure. I was in fact even below a mistress now.

I whipped up a quick meal of sandwiches so Lance could eat and take his drugs. The drugs made him delirious and he soon fell asleep again. I did some chores while he slept to clear my mind, but as I cleaned the top of the stove I smelled smoke.

That was odd because I was standing in the kitchen and there was no fire.

But the smell became stronger, forcing me to rush into Lance’s room.

Sure enough, the ceiling had begun to burn. I was just in time to carry my son out of the room. I dropped him on the chair in the parlour and rushed to the kitchen to fill a pail with water. I braved the room where the fire appeared to have started and tried to douse it out, but it was to no avail. The flames hissed with discontent at the water but in mere seconds it became even more aggressive than before.

I hurried to the parlor and hit my body with force against the door, but all that got me was the sound of the heavy padlock on the other end, keeping me locked in. I approached the windows, hoping that at least my son would be able to fit into the window but it was no use. The iron bars in the windows had very little space, creating no room for escape.

I began to scream for help but the cottage was isolated from the main pack house. There was just no way anyone would hear me where I was.

Tears burned in my eyes as the fire engulfed us.

I hugged my son tightly in my arms and was grateful that at least the drug had knocked him out cold. I would not be tortured with his screams when the flames eventually licked our bodies. Tears ran down my face as it dawned on me that this had to be Keith’s revenge. He was going to take me out in a fire alongside my son.

The man I had once loved and the father of my son wanted me to burn in fire.

Just as I had thought that all hope was lost for me, the door opened.

I squinted through the foggy smoke to see who my saviour was but I had inhaled too much smoke already and within seconds I succumbed to the smoke.

****

“The boy was very lucky. He did not inhale much smoke,” the voice that spoke was familiar.

Kyle.

Ah yes!

I had gone to school with him and his dream then was to become the pack doctor like his father.

“And the lady?” I heard Keith ask.

“We’ve replenished the oxygen in her blood,” Kyle said, “she should wake up soon.”

“I see.”

“But the boy is sick,” Kyle said, “it appears he’s been given chrysanthemum extract to…”

“I do not care if he lives or dies,” Keith’s voice was full of anger, “and you are not permitted to treat him for anything besides the smoke.”

“If he is not treated,” Kyle spoke back, “he will die.”

Kyle’s words forced my eyes open. I sat up suddenly, ignoring the pressing headache and yelling, “Die? My Lance will die?”

Kyle and Keith turned to look at me.

“You’re awake,” Keith’s voice was cold and his eyes seemed to hold a deep anger for me. But how he felt about me now was the least of my worries.

“Lance!” I yelled, “I want to know where my son is.”

Kyle approached me gently. When he tried to examine me, I held him by his collar and demanded my son.

“Where is my son?”

“That is all you care about?” Keith’s voice held his disdain.

“Where is he?” I yelled again.

“You will be able to see him soon,” Kyle said, “you must remain calm.”

“I cannot… I must see my son.”

Kyle glanced at Keith as though asking for permission. Keith turned his head away, clearly not interested in anything that had to do with Lance.

“I will have someone bring him here, okay?” Kyle said to me softly and my muscles relaxed.

“Okay.”

“Keep her here,” Keith charged Kyle, “and if anyone should find out about both of them, it is your head that will roll.”

Kyle swallowed.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Then Keith marched towards me and grabbed my face, “If you try to pull any more tricks in an attempt to escape me, I will kill your weak son with my bare hands.”

I blinked several times. Did he think that I set the fire as an attempt to run away?

“You think I set the fire?” I asked with a scoff.

“What I know is that the next fire you set, I’ll leave you and your son to roast inside it.”