floor.
“I’m sorry about this, Ava, but Liam brought an uninvited guest to the party,” he said as he grabbed two
fists full of hair and dragged her to the middle of the room.
Screaming, she grabbed his wrists, her body twisting until she found her footing. Teeth bared, she
launched at him again, fists pummeling him. And again he swatted her away as if she was a pesky bug,
sending her careening to the floor.
Liam banged against the bars, his beast bellowing its rage.
“Why the fuck are you doing this? Show your face you fucking coward!
“You started this! The connection was supposed to be severed!
He jerked Ava up by her arm, then whipped her around. The sound of hand meeting cheek made
Liam’s beast charge forward, caterwauling, as she collapsed to the floor for the third time, stunned. Liam
squeezed the bars in a death grip as his insides ignited in a blistering firestorm.
“Nothing?” the man said, peering at him. “Not even a prickle?”
Prickle. The fucker was goading his beast, wanted it out. Liam didn’t care what the reasoning was, the
fact this crazed shifter wanted it, meant he’d make damn sure it didn’t happen. He didn’t want to know
what the consequences would be if he did.
“Let’s see if this helps,” their tormentor said.
By the front of the gown, he hauled her back to Ava feet. Screaming, she clawed at the man’s mask, but
he gave a short punch right to her mouth. Blood spurted from her lip and nose as her head snapped back
and body went slack. When he released her, she slumped to the floor. Not moving.
“Ava!”
Snarling, Liam slammed his shoulder against the cage, certain he was going to lose it any second.
Certain his beast was going to bend him to its will and emerge. He wanted to allow it to happen. Wanted to
feel this fucker’s neck between his teeth—feel the bones snap. He could taste it. His mouth watered for it.
But he didn’t dare. Shifting wouldn’t help Ava. He’d still be stuck in the cage, and he’d have given this man
what he wanted. Shifting wouldn’t help Ava. He’d still be stuck in the cage, and he’d have given this man
what he wanted.
No! The command fell on deaf ears. The beast roared, tearing forward, fighting for dominance.
Stand down!
At Liam’s refusal to allow it to emerge, his beast retaliated by swiping its razor sharp claws forward,
flaying the inside of his chest. He muffled the bellow of pain with a roar of rage, clinging to the bars to stay
standing.
The anger eased out of the man’s body as he laughed with glee. “You’re just as disconnected as ever.”
Liam’s lips pulled back from his teeth and he growled, the only sound he could make because of the
war being waged inside him. But he would win. His beast would not control him.
When Ava pushed up, the man advanced on her again. “You understand I have to be certain, right? I
can’t have another surprise like earlier. This is a party of three, not four.”
Latching his fingers around her throat, he lifted until her feet dangled a good foot off the floor.
Knuckles white, she gripped his wrists as her face deepened to purple and her mouth opened and closed
trying to draw in air.
Terror encased him. Together, Liam and his beast raged against the bars. Even with their combined
strength, the steel was too much for them.
“Take me!” he yelled. “Leave her out of this!”
The masked head turned toward him as he lowered Ava to her feet and slackened his grip. Deep gasps
of breath came from her as she tried to regain the air she’d been denied. The frightening florid color of her
face slowly faded.
Liam stared the man in the eyes, and said, “I’m going…to fucking…kill you.”
“You already have.” The words were delivered with such even calmness it contradicted every crazy
thing the man had said or done up until this point, stunning Liam.
With his free hand, he lifted one of her legs and maneuvered his body in between. Her eyes
“I’m sorry about this, Ava, but Liam brought an uninvited guest to the party,” he said as he grabbed two
fists full of hair and dragged her to the middle of the room.
Screaming, she grabbed his wrists, her body twisting until she found her footing. Teeth bared, she
launched at him again, fists pummeling him. And again he swatted her away as if she was a pesky bug,
sending her careening to the floor.
Liam banged against the bars, his beast bellowing its rage.
“Why the fuck are you doing this? Show your face you fucking coward!
“You started this! The connection was supposed to be severed!
He jerked Ava up by her arm, then whipped her around. The sound of hand meeting cheek made
Liam’s beast charge forward, caterwauling, as she collapsed to the floor for the third time, stunned. Liam
squeezed the bars in a death grip as his insides ignited in a blistering firestorm.
“Nothing?” the man said, peering at him. “Not even a prickle?”
Prickle. The fucker was goading his beast, wanted it out. Liam didn’t care what the reasoning was, the
fact this crazed shifter wanted it, meant he’d make damn sure it didn’t happen. He didn’t want to know
what the consequences would be if he did.
“Let’s see if this helps,” their tormentor said.
By the front of the gown, he hauled her back to Ava feet. Screaming, she clawed at the man’s mask, but
he gave a short punch right to her mouth. Blood spurted from her lip and nose as her head snapped back
and body went slack. When he released her, she slumped to the floor. Not moving.
“Ava!”
Snarling, Liam slammed his shoulder against the cage, certain he was going to lose it any second.
Certain his beast was going to bend him to its will and emerge. He wanted to allow it to happen. Wanted to
feel this fucker’s neck between his teeth—feel the bones snap. He could taste it. His mouth watered for it.
But he didn’t dare. Shifting wouldn’t help Ava. He’d still be stuck in the cage, and he’d have given this man
what he wanted. Shifting wouldn’t help Ava. He’d still be stuck in the cage, and he’d have given this man
what he wanted.
No! The command fell on deaf ears. The beast roared, tearing forward, fighting for dominance.
Stand down!
At Liam’s refusal to allow it to emerge, his beast retaliated by swiping its razor sharp claws forward,
flaying the inside of his chest. He muffled the bellow of pain with a roar of rage, clinging to the bars to stay
standing.
The anger eased out of the man’s body as he laughed with glee. “You’re just as disconnected as ever.”
Liam’s lips pulled back from his teeth and he growled, the only sound he could make because of the
war being waged inside him. But he would win. His beast would not control him.
When Ava pushed up, the man advanced on her again. “You understand I have to be certain, right? I
can’t have another surprise like earlier. This is a party of three, not four.”
Latching his fingers around her throat, he lifted until her feet dangled a good foot off the floor.
Knuckles white, she gripped his wrists as her face deepened to purple and her mouth opened and closed
trying to draw in air.
Terror encased him. Together, Liam and his beast raged against the bars. Even with their combined
strength, the steel was too much for them.
“Take me!” he yelled. “Leave her out of this!”
The masked head turned toward him as he lowered Ava to her feet and slackened his grip. Deep gasps
of breath came from her as she tried to regain the air she’d been denied. The frightening florid color of her
face slowly faded.
Liam stared the man in the eyes, and said, “I’m going…to fucking…kill you.”
“You already have.” The words were delivered with such even calmness it contradicted every crazy
thing the man had said or done up until this point, stunning Liam.
With his free hand, he lifted one of her legs and maneuvered his body in between. Her eyes
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