“And yet he caused you a lot of trouble.” Eva’s voice was sultry, the humor lending a false warmth to it. She had always enjoyed tweaking Angus’s tail.

Angus grunted. “Caused you trouble, too.”

Eva lifted one shoulder and let it drop, as if she didn’t care, but I knew the affectation was false. She wanted to bait my father and pretend indifference, but underneath that burned a very different emotion. Eva would want her pound of flesh, just like Angus. “He surprised me. One time. Won’t happen again.”

She leaned down like he had and stroked my cheek. Up this close, I could see the fine lines around her eyes and mouth. Minute differences on a face I’d at one time known as well as my own. “A grown man, now.”

I didn’t like the way she kept petting me, but I held her gaze. Letting her know I wasn’t hers. Not anymore. Never again. The wolf was watching, whispering to me. Angus was strong, but we were smarter. Eva was powerful, but we were bigger. They were so much older than the last time I’d seen them. The images in my head shrank down to fit.

I was the one on the ground, the one in the collar, but my wolf told me that if I could get up, get out, we could fight. We had a chance.

I wasn’t a child anymore.

“My little wolf.” Eva traced her fingers down my chin before digging in hard. “Shall I take you back now, little wolf? Make you mine again?” Her eyes darted over my face. “You look so much like him. All grown up, my little wolf.”

She was running her hand down my chest, the act proprietary. Behind her Angus’s eyes narrowed, his mouth tightened. My wolf chuckled. Afraid, old man? I didn’t want his mate, but it looked like maybe she wanted me. The thought made my nausea come back with a vengeance, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t play up to Eva if that helped me get free of the collar.

“I can feel the other one in you, did you know that? The usurper. They can’t have what’s mine.” She dug her claws into my chest. “Such an insignificant little mage.”

“She’s kept you out so far,” I said, knowing I should keep my mouth shut but unable to not defend Lou.

Eva’s lip curled, a pale imitation of my father’s earlier expression. “Far away, when my power was limited by distance. But now?” She walked her fingers up my chest before plunging a hand in my hair, cooing. “Now? I could snap it without even trying.”

My wolf tilted his head, considering. We weren’t sure we believed Eva, not anymore. Lou had kept her out so far. Then again, our piercings were gone and Lou was nowhere near me. Doubt slithered through me and I ignored it. Maybe if I pushed Eva into action, forcing her to try to snap the bond before she was ready, she’d fail. I’d love to see her fail. I smirked, making my tone as condescending as possible. “Then snap it. Go on.”