Behind Closed Doors

The iron gates of the estate swung open as I entered the Estate. I didn’t want to be here; I wanted to go back to the garage, to Cane.

I left the car in the driveway and entered the mansion. The house was silent, but as I stepped into the foyer, a light from the cracked door of my father’s study caught my eye.

I moved with the silence Cane had taught me, removing my heels and moving softly on the Turkish rugs. The door was slightly open, and I recognized my father and Caspian’s voices.

"Brilliant work, Caspian," my father’s voice was filled with a satisfaction that made my stomach churn.

"The look on that beast’s face through the glass... I broke more than his spirit. I broke the bond. She’s isolated now. Vulnerable. Exactly where we want her," Caspian said.

"It was a calculated risk, Harrison." His voice was different here, devoid of the playful charm he used in the office.

"The proximity was necessary. I had to make him see that she didn’t belong in his world. Now that the emotional anchor is severed, the girl will fall back into line."

"Good," my father said. I heard the clink of ice against crystal, the sound of a celebratory drink.

"But Eloise is a secondary concern. The 'Project' is at a standstill because our supply of raw materials is dwindling. Silas tells me the captives from the initial sweep are... getting less. We need fresh blood. We need the rest of the Silver Moon pack."

My breath hitched. They took Cane’s pack as prisoners; they were using them up like disposable batteries.

"Silas and his team are ready to move on the garage tonight," Caspian stated.

"He’s impatient, Harrison. He wants to tear that warehouse apart and drag them out in chains."

"No," my father snapped, the authority in his voice absolute.

"There is to be no slaughter. I need them alive, every single one of them. If they are killed, then what is the point? The Silver Moon DNA is the purest we’ve found; it’s the key to stabilizing the immunity codes. I won't have Silas’s bloodlust ruining my investment."

"A war on the streets in the Rust Belt is not an option. It would draw too much heat, even for us," Caspian countered.

"Then find a way to contain it," my father demanded.

"I already have," Caspian said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"We don't need a siege. I’ve arranged for the city’s power grid in that sector to 'fail' at midnight. We’ll deploy a high-frequency ultrasonic pulse that only their physiology can detect. It will paralyze them long enough for the extraction teams to move in. No bullets, no blood in the gutters. Just a silent disappearance."

I turned to slip away, to run back to the car and warn them, even if Cane hated me, I couldn't let them be taken, but I didn't get the chance.

A pair of hands slammed into my back, shoving me forward with a strength of pure spite. I stumbled, the double doors of the study flying open as I crashed into the room.

"Look what I found lurking in the shadows!" Isabelle shrieked behind me.

I scrambled to my feet, my hair disheveled, my eyes burning with rage. Isabelle stood in the doorway; she had been hiding in the coat closet, listening just as I had, waiting for the perfect moment to destroy me.

"She’s been outside the door the whole time, Harrison!" Isabelle cried, pointing a finger at me.

"She heard everything! Your precious daughter is still playing spy for the animals!"

My father stood behind his desk, his eyes narrowing. Caspian didn't flinch; he simply set his glass down, his expression one of disappointment, as if I were a child who had broken a vase.

"Eloise," my father hissed.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you?"

"You're a monster," I breathed, looking at my father.

"You’re killing them. You’re draining them dry in pits like they’re nothing!"

"You’re a murderer!" I screamed.

Isabelle let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

"Oh, shut up, Eloise. You're just mad because you're losing your pet. Honestly, Harrison, why do you even bother? She’s a liability. She’s untameable."

The 'Thorne fire' my father always talked about exploded. I didn't think, I didn't plan. I lunged. My fist, fueled by the agony of Cane's rejection, connected squarely with Isabelle’s face.

There was a sickening crack as her nose shattered under my knuckles.

Isabelle let out a strangled wail, her hands flying to her face as blood erupted between her fingers, staining her white silk blouse. She collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain and shock.

"You bitch!" she gurgled through the blood.

"You broke it! You broke my face!"

I went for her again, wanting to tear the smugness right out of her throat, but I was stopped mid-air.

Caspian’s arms wrapped around me. He hoisted me off my feet, pinning my arms to my sides.

"Let me go!" I shrieked.

"Let me go, you coward!"

"That’s enough, Eloise," Caspian said, his voice terrifyingly calm against my ear.

"Caspian, get her upstairs," my father commanded, ignoring Isabelle’s sobbing on the rug.

"We can't have her interfering. Take her. Lock her in the east wing. And Caspian... make sure the windows are reinforced."

Caspian carried me out of the study, my feet dangling, my dignity shredded. I bit his arm, tasting his blood, but he didn't even flinch. He carried me up the grand staircase like a piece of luggage.

He threw me into my bedroom. I scrambled for the door, but the heavy door slammed shut before I could reach it. I heard the distinct sound of the electronic deadbolt engaging.

"Eloise," Caspian’s voice came through the door, muffled but clear.

"Stay quiet. If you make a scene, I’ll tell Silas he can kill the first three wolves he sees. Your silence buys their lives."

I threw myself against the door, screaming until my throat was raw, but the house remained silent. I ran to the window, but the electronic shutters were already sliding down.

I was trapped.