pats my hand. “Stay strong, Brianna. You’re a Drummond, and Drummonds can handle anything.”
Chapter 37 – Collin
My chains rattle as I pace the few steps I’m allowed in my cage. They transferred me this morning to the fae lands. I’m in the prisoner chambers behind the courtroom. It’s dark and quiet here, but through the thick walls I hear the magical workings of the courthouse.
My mother used to tell me stories of this place. She said the walls were spelled and hexes awaited criminals at every threshold. Those stories used to keep me up at night and made me fearful of breaking the law, which of course was my mother’s intention.
But as I grew older, cockier, and more entitled, those fears subsided.
And now look at me.
I’m just another sad bastard who broke every rule in the goddamn realm and will no doubt have the book thrown at him.
It doesn’t help that I’ve been confined to my cage’s tight quarters—other than my minimal supervised exercise per day—ever since I was caught. The bars feel like they’re closing in on me at times, and my wolf growls in anger.
And worst of all, I haven’t seen Brianna in weeks. It’s the one thing that can break me.
Other than the one message she managed to smuggle to me at the SF, I haven’t heard anything more. I’m going mad with worry and the not knowing.
Because even though she said she was fine and still had her memory intact, it doesn’t mean it stayed that way. For all I know, the SF was behind schedule in their mind-manipulation procedures and I’ve since been erased from my mate’s thoughts and heart.
I hang my head and finally force myself to sit down. The cage’s bars provide little comfort against my back, but I lean against them anyway.
I try to distract myself, so I pick at the hem of my pants. I’m wearing fancy prison garbs today. They had me shower, shave, and put on an SF-issued neon pink jumpsuit. The bright color suits the fae lands, although its main purpose is to make me clearly visible should I end up somewhere I’m forbidden. Still, the color’s somewhat amusing. I have nothing against guys wearing pink. I was just never one of them.
I close my eyes and picture Brianna. Her image is seared in my memory like a brand. Her long lush hair, full lips, and wide luminous eyes have haunted my dreams every night since they took her from me.
If it weren’t for that tiny message she managed to smuggle in, I would have never known what became of her.
I can only hope that she’ll move on.
My wolf snarls when we picture Brianna with another man, but it’s inevitable that she’ll find someone else one day. I know the lucky bastard will never fill her heart like I do, but I do hope that he can provide for her and make her happy. As much as it kills me, I want what’s best for her. She deserves a life of happiness and peace even if that means she’s with someone else, because it’s a life I’ll never be able to provide for her.
I slam my head back against the bars when I picture someone else planting his seed inside her and her bearing his child.
Stupid Fuck! I berate myself.
None of this would have happened if I hadn’t been caught, so cursing myself has become my new favorite pastime. I’ve wracked my brain every waking moment to try and figure out where I fucked up. I obviously did something wrong since the SF found us, but no matter how hard I try to place the crucial moment where I made the wrong move—I can’t.
The only thing I’ve come up with is that the SF got lucky.
They knew where we were in Nevada when I tried to withdraw money for the third time, and as shitty as it is, they chose the right getaway highway to pursue me and found us sleeping under the stars.
So score one for the Supernatural Forces, and score zero for the motherfucking rogue.
I rake a hand through my hair just as I hear voices penetrate the thick wood door to my chambers. The courtroom is beginning to fill, and from the sounds of it, there are quite a few attendants.
I shoot to standing when the door opens, then peer downward. A gargoyle awaits. He stands no more than four feet tall and has a face hideous enough to induce labor.
He grins. It doesn’t add