The Unforgiven Read Online Free

of transition and crisis triggered flashes of unwanted memory in Cade’s brain. Even though more than a year had passed, a hot flush spread up Cade’s neck. Acid flooded his stomach. Slave. Yes, he had been that to Cybele. Still was, in some ways.
    “Just imagine, Cade,” Artur taunted softly, as if he’d heard Cade’s thoughts. “It might have been you who were enslaved.” The chieftain’s gaze fell on the woman who had once been his bonded mate. “If Cybele had not been so honorable as to set you free.”
    Cybele stiffened. Cade’s fingers curled into fists. Artur, bastard that he was, loved to torment his former mate with the choice she had made that night. Cybele had broken her vows to Artur in order to save the life of a dying kinsman, a stranger she’d stumbled upon completely by chance. In doing so, she’d earned the hatred of the man she loved. Cade was all too aware of how powerless he was to repay the debt he owed her.
    Brax sent Artur a repressive glance. “We know of no female Samyaza dormants,” he continued pointedly. “They’re very rare. But Dusek must have located one. An unaware dormant, living among humans.”
    Cybele met Artur’s gaze. “We can’t allow Clan Azazel to hold one of our kin. We have to free her.”
    “A fine goal.” Brax’s cool voice cut in. “For our own sake as well as for our unknown brother’s. But at the moment, the notion is completely unrealistic. With a Samyaza slave under his thumb, Dusek has use of our magic. He can reproduce our spells as well as neutralize them. The slave gives him a clear advantage.”
    “For now.” The merciless expression in Artur’s eyes went a long way toward chilling Cade’s blood.
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means, Leucetius, that we will attack Dusek with magic he does not expect. Magic we do not currently possess.”
    Cybele paled. “You can’t mean for Clan Samyaza to take slaves of our own.”
    “That’s exactly what I mean, Cybele, my love.”
    She ignored the stain of sarcasm on Artur’s endearment. “But . . . how? We’d need to find a Watcher dormant on the cusp of transition. That’s all but impossible.”
    Artur strode to the sideboard and poured a whiskey. He took a long sip before speaking.
    “Dusek found a Watcher dormant. And you, Cybele, found Cade.”
    “My finding Cade was pure chance. One in a million,” Cybele said tightly. “You know that, Artur. It’s not likely to happen again. Our Druid earth magic provides protection and illusion; we don’t have the advantage of Dusek’s fire alchemy for remote vision and discernment. Even if we did, we have no idea what spells he used to locate his victim.”
    Artur tilted his glass toward his brother. “All very true. Even so, Brax has been, shall we say, working his own brand of magic. With great success, I might add. An hour ago, he located a dormant Watcher in the early stage of transition. Better yet, it’s an unaware Watcher, with no inkling what’s to come. All we need to do, my dear Cybele, is be on hand when the crisis strikes.”
    The last drops of color drained from Cybele’s face. A seething turmoil of scents slapped at Cade’s nostrils: rage, hurt, bewilderment. Cybele was the clan’s only surviving female. Every Watcher in the room knew what that meant.
    “You bastard,” she whispered. “You can forget it. I won’tanchor him. I won’t become a slaver. You can’t ask it of me. You wouldn’t.”
    “You’re right.” Artur’s eyes darkened. “I wouldn’t ask. I would command.”
    Cybele flinched as if he’d struck her. “I won’t obey. I won’t whore for you, Artur.”
    The whiskey glass clinked on the sideboard. Artur paced forward, slowly, stopping only when the tips of Cybele’s breasts brushed his chest. Cade’s eyes narrowed as Cybele lifted her chin and—foolishly, Cade thought—held her ground.
    Artur’s long fingers encircled her slender neck. “You will obey me, Cybele, when my command is spoken. I