Lila's Wolf (Out of Time Book 1) by Sofia Grey Read Free Book Online

forming the word, no .
    I wanted to drop to my knees and cradle his head in my lap, soothing his pain. Instead I dug deep and managed to sound puzzled. “Me? How could that be?”
    Cocking her head to one side, Rowena regarded me with a quizzical frown. “And you are quite sure about that?”
    “I’ve never seen him before.” I tried to sound puzzled.
    Her brows dipped into a frown, but I kept my gaze steady. I couldn’t allow her to intimidate me. She nodded to the guard. “Cellar,” she snapped, and then as the guard hauled Jared to his feet by yanking on the collar, she smiled. Years of hiding my emotions meant that I didn’t wince at his indrawn breath and hiss of pain, but it was hard. I dug my fingernails into my palm as I struggled to remain impassive.
    Rowena’s voice was silky. “I would speak with your husband while I am here.”
    Shit . “He went down to the kitchens just a few minutes ago. I will tell him you wish to see him, but now, my lady, I wish to return to my bed.”
    Minutes later, I bolted the door again and sank against the wood, one fist stuffed into my mouth. Dear God . Such an evil bitch. My mind bounced from one fear to another: what they would do to Jared? If they caught Marc…if the rescue plan failed?
    Marc returned an hour later, tapping quietly on the door in the signal we’d established. Two swift knocks. Pause. One more. Pause. Then another two. I threw back the bolt and practically fell upon him, needing the comfort of another person. Needing his touch. He gave a short, pleased laugh and pulled me firmly into his arms, while sliding the bolt back into place.
    “It’s okay. They didn’t see me.” He draped one arm around my waist, the other across my shoulders. I felt his fingers stroking my neck and I buried my face against his throat. The intimate embrace felt strangely comfortable and it was a long moment before I realized Marc seemed equally happy with this. He dropped a soft kiss on my hair. “Lila, we need to talk.”
    I snapped back to attention and wriggled free. “He was here.” My voice came out as a whisper. “Rowena brought Jared here. She wanted to know if I knew him.”
    Marc’s eyes widened. He grabbed my hand and led me to sit on the bed with him. “Tell me everything.” I recounted the tale, and he listened carefully, prompting me when I hesitated. He held my hand as I spoke, his thumb brushing gently across my fingers.
    “The way she said cellar ,” I couldn’t hold back a shudder. “It sounded like some kind of punishment. How soon can we leave and get him out of here?”
    His hand stilled on mine. “That’s where we may have a problem. I can’t be sure the signal went through. The communicator failed.”
    “So that means…”
    “It means we wait for the scheduled pickup in two weeks’ time.” He hesitated, and my heart plummeted to my feet. “It means we’re on our own.”
     

Chapter Fifteen
    Jared
    Jared had been punished in the cellar often enough to dread the prospect, but right now he didn’t care. Inside, he wanted to leap up and punch the air in delight. He’d not made a mistake. Lila was there, which meant the ghardians would soon be there too. He’d be free again . He clutched the idea tight to his chest. It helped him to ignore the jabs from the guard’s sword and to override the gnawing hunger in his stomach. He only had to endure this for a matter of days.
    He didn’t even flinch when the guard shoved him hard in the back, forcing him to his knees on the hard earth floor. Jared kept his face blank when the dirty chain was attached to his collar and the link hammered into place. The vibrations of the blows juddered through him, rattling his teeth and scraping the bare flesh on his neck, but he knelt quietly. Past experience told him that struggling made it worse.
    The door slammed into place, and Jared blinked, sucking in a deep breath and forcing himself to relax. The darkness was absolute. Even when his eyes adjusted,