Chapter 2: The Unmasking - Bloodween

“EVERYONE HAS SECRETS.”

My body jolted awake with a cough, something invading my nose and making me damn near choke to death because I couldn’t breathe. I jerked back on instinct, only to realize two things at once—my wrists were tied, and there was a blindfold over my eyes.

What the hell? Did somebody kidnap me?

I froze, heartbeat punching in my ears. Not because I was scared, but because time wasn’t on my damn side and whoever thought it was a good idea to take me tonight of all nights must not value their own life.

And they weren’t good at their job. My wrists weren’t even tied that tight. I could easily break free.

My brain felt foggy, like I hadn’t slept enough, yet too long at the same time.

A sound cut through my running thoughts. Low. Male. Close. “Easy,” he said, calm but sharp enough to roll through me. “Didn’t mean to overdo it.” I stilled again. That voice. I knew that voice. Dorian.

The confusion hit first, then irritation.

Did he snatch me up because he realized what Renna and I was doing? See, this is why we shouldn’t have done it. And now I was gonna have to⁠—

“Renna. Baby.”

Holy hell. He still thought I was her? The realization crept in slow, pushing past the leftover haze in my head. But then why would he knock me out and take me?

I bit the inside of my cheek, caught somewhere between disbelief and the urge to laugh.

He moved closer. I felt him in front of me, the air flowing with him.

“Talk to me.” His voice was gentle now, coaxing.

I stayed quiet. Speaking would give me away immediately, and for some reason I wasn’t ready to end this little show. My interest was piqued to what kind of freaky deaky frogs they were.

He let out a low laugh, the kind that sounded pleased with itself. “You still mad at me?”

He has no idea.

I whispered words against my tongue, the faintest spell.

“voxa mo’solirae.”

Warmth slid up my throat, altering my voice until it wasn’t mine anymore, but hers.

“I need to know you’re good, Ren. Talk.”

“I’m fine,” I said, testing the sound.

“There she is.” I heard the smile in his voice.

If only he knew.

“That fae dust was a little stronger this time. I had to use smelling salts to wake you up.”

“I see.” I wrinkled my nose.

His hand brushed against the mask. “Let’s see that pretty face,” he murmured.

Shit.

Before I could do anything, not that I could change my face the way I could easily change my voice, the edge of the mask lifted. He removed both the mask and the blindfold at the same time and I braced myself for him to see I wasn’t who he wanted me to be.

I was worse.

His face went through about three emotions in the span of two seconds.

Confusion. Recognition. Panic.

“What the—“ He jerked back so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. “Armisha?”

I didn’t answer. Just stared at him, keeping Renna’s voice tucked away as I let the spell dissolve. When I spoke again, it was all me.

“Hey, Dro.”

“What the fuck?” His voice cracked on the last word. He peered down at the wolf mask in his hand, then back at me like I’d materialized out of thin air. “Where’s Renna? How—why are you⁠—“

“We switched costumes.” My hands scratched against the restraints again, annoying me. “You know. Bestie stuff.”

“Switched—“ He ran a hand down his face, and that’s when I saw it.

His eyes flashed.

Not the normal warm brown I was used to.

Gold. Bright, glowing, unmistakable gold.

My breath caught.

Oh.

Oh.

The elixir lurched, sudden and violent, like it had woken up from a nap and realized there was food in front of it. Heat spread through my chest, down my arms, into my fingertips.

Werewolf.

Dorian was a werewolf.

“No fucking way,” I breathed.

He was still spiraling, pacing now, hands in his wild fro. “Renna’s gonna kill me. She didn’t tell you the safe word—FUCK.”

“Dro.”

He kept pacing.

“Dro.”

“Did she do this on some petty shit? I swear I didn’t mean to⁠—”

“Dorian!”

He finally stopped, chest heaving, eyes still flashing between brown and gold like he couldn’t control it.

I tilted my head, studying him. “You done?”

“Done? Done?” He gestured wildly at me. “You’re tied up in a cabin. You’re not supposed to be here.”

“But Renna is? Y’all do this type of stuff for fun?”

“Sometimes her wo—” He stopped himself, switching gears. “I promise I ain’t mean to take you.”

“Well. You did.”

“Not on purpose!”

“Still counts,” I taunted.

He made a noise somewhere between a groan and a growl, and I watched his hands flex—watched his fingers twitch like he wanted to shift but was fighting it.

Definitely newly turned.

I had already figured that out, but his lack of control was also a tell-tale sign.

The pieces clicked into place. Three and a half months ago, he’d been human. Renna had been the werewolf. I’d confirmed it, filed my ritual approval, started planning.

And then this idiot went and got himself turned.

Sucks for him. Perfect for me.

And well… Renna too I guess.

He glanced at himself in the mirror to his right and quickly stopped his eyes from glowing.

Too late Mr. Werewolf.

“Shit,” he mumbled to himself. “Did you see that?”

“Maybe.” I rolled my eyes because yes, dummy.

“You’re not freaking out,” his eyes narrowed at me.

“Should I be?”

“I—my eyes—“ He gestured at his face. “You saw.”

“I did.”

“And you’re just... sitting there.”

“I’m tied to a chair, Dro. What exactly do you want me to do? Scream?” I leaned back as much as the ropes allowed. “Besides. You’re not the only one with secrets.”

Suspicion flickered across his face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I smiled.

Then I let my magic rise, giving him a taste.

My eyes flooded red.

Not amber. Not gold.

Red. Bright red, glowing in the dim cabin light.

Dorian stumbled backward like I’d shoved him.

“What the hell. You’re one of those blood witches! No wonder you sounded like her.”

“Crimson Witches,” I corrected. “And now I know that you’re a werewolf. Happy Halloween.”

He stared at me. Really stared, like he was seeing me for the first time.

“Now that that’s out of the way⁠—”

“Ain’t shit out the way,” he shot back. “You’re Ren’s best friend and she never told me what you were...”

“To be fair, she never told me she was a werewolf either.”

His head snapped up. “Wait. You didn’t know?”

I smirked. “I would now, if I didn’t know before.”

“Bullshit.” He stood, crossed the space between us in three strides. “She tells you everything, there’s no way she kept that from you.”

“Well she did. But I figured it out. You baby wolves when you first turn lack self-control. Case in point.” I nodded at him.

His eyes changed again. His wolf was an angry little wolf. “How long have you known?”

I shrugged. “A while.”

“How. Long.”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah, it fucking matters!” His voice rose, frustration bleeding through. “She’s been hiding this from everyone. I didn’t even know until after I turned.” He stopped, forehead creasing. “But you figured it out and never said anything.”

“Wasn’t my secret to tell.”

“But you—“ He ran his hands through his hair again, looking torn between impressed and horrified. “Shit. She has no idea, does she? That you know.”

“Nope.”

“And my dumb ass told you.” He shook his head leaning back against the wall. “She’s gonna literally rip my throat out.”

“Probably,” I agreed. “Though to be fair, she’s already planning to beat your ass for cheating, so.”

His nostrils flared. “She’s tripping. Is that why y’all switched costumes?”

Maybe he’s not that dumb after all.

“I told her it was nothing.”

I watched his face carefully. “Come on, Dro. You wolves have crazy senses. She can smell other women on you.”

His jaw clenched. “It’s not—it’s complicated.”

“It always is.”

“My wolf—” He cut himself off, shoulders tight. “I’m still learning control. Varek - the hide - he wants… things.”

“I’m aware.”

“Are you?” His voice went rough. “Because it’s not about control. It’s about need. Varek doesn’t care about consequences. He wants—“ He stopped again, shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

The way my body clenched in his presence, I felt like I did understand.

I understood want. I understood need.

He looked at me for a long moment. Then, quietly: “Was that the only reason you switched costumes with her?”

“What do you mean?”

He sucked in air. “Nothing.”

Liar.

“Yes, she wanted to go back to your apartment because she knew she’d find proof on your iPad,” I told him her plan because what did it matter. “She was on her way back when you drugged me.”

“I already said it was fae dust,” he muttered.

“Same difference.”

“Did she find anything?” he questioned. His voice was somewhere between caring and not giving a damn.

“I don’t know, I haven’t checked my phone.” My eyes shifted down to the restraints. “Speaking of, I’m sure she’s been blowing you up too. How didn’t you know I wasn’t her? She didn’t call?”

“My phone died on the way here. Haven’t charged it.”

“Speaking of here, where the hell are we?”

“In the boonies,” he answered. “About forty minutes from Marlowe.”

Perfect. Just freaking perfect.

“What are you wearing?” he asked suddenly, rubbing at his nose.

“Ren’s perfume. She sprayed me down.” And now I knew why. “I guess so that your wolf couldn’t sense me.”

“When I—you know⁠—”

“Kidnapped me. You can say it.”

He sucked his teeth. “Yeah that. When I did that, I noticed you smelled off but yet the same.” His biceps twitched. “But I’d been drinking so I wasn’t really paying attention because why the fuck would y’all switch costumes?”

“Valid point.”

“But now, I don’t smell her. Only you and...” He let the words die in his throat.

I didn’t press him to continue, instead I wiggled my body. “Are you gonna free me or not?”

He laughed. “You can’t get yourself out?”

“I can, but I thought you’d be a gentleman and let me out. You did put me in them against my will.”

He smirked as he walked towards me. The silence of the cabin was interrupted by the crackling fire. I looked at the fireplace, catching the time on the analog clock above it: 1:42 a.m.

Nine hours and forty-seven minutes left.

As he kneeled in front of me, the elixir churned in my stomach, needy and hungry. It pulled towards him, recognizing what he was.

Prey.