Chapter Six

"I can't," I say, desperately trying to come up with a good excuse even though I doubt I can find one. "My stomach is hurting."

"Just take one sip,” Brandon urges me.

I shake my head.

"Don't disobey me,” he warns. “Don't make me make you drink it."

"I'm not thirsty, Brandon. Please. I really don't feel well."

"I said one sip!"

I'm frozen in place, staring at him. Brandon reaches down, puts his hand on my chest, and forces me to take the wine.

"Either drink the wine or explain why you won't," Brandon says.

By now everyone is staring at us with amusement. No one but Brandon and I know exactly what's going on. But it isn't difficult to tell that it isn't anything good.

"I will after you do," I say. I'll die, but it'll be worth it to stop Brandon and get my revenge. "I'll try your wine after you do. We can even try it together if you’d like.”

"Is that so?" he asks.

I nod and he takes the goblet back. I hold my breath as he brings the goblet up to his lips.

Then he stops.

"You're really willing to kill us both?" he asks.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I protest.

"You do though," he says. "I know you do."

"I don't."

"Really?" he says, arching his eyebrows. "So you're not trying to poison me?"

"I would never try to poison you, Brandon,” I say. Desperate. There’s no way he knows. “I don't know what you're talking about. I’m sorry you got the wrong impression.”

"Are you sorry enough to have a sip of my wine?" he asks. “On your own. I won’t touch a drop of it.

"Are you sorry enough to kill yourself?"

I freeze. He knows that I'm serious. He knows that I really do intend to kill him, and that I'll die along the way. But he's reminding me of the price I'll pay for killing him

Brandon stands closer to me, so close that he could reach out and snap my neck of he wanted to. Instead, he reaches into my bag and pulls out the water hemlock.

"What is this?" he asks.

I knew I should've dumped it all in, but I wanted to use it on the others. This was my only chance to get revenge and I've messed it all up.

There's no use in denying it.

"Tell me what it is, or I will make you eat it all," he threatens.

"Water hemlock," I whisper. He still might kill me, but at least I have a chance.

"Water hemlock," he repeats, as he looks at the rest of his pack. The bonfire, the celebration, the table, our surroundings—it all starts to shrink. It's as though we're going into a bubble or a different dimension.

"You killed my whole pack!" I say, no longer able to keep the anger contained. "I had to do something!"

"It was a fool's hope,” he scoffs. “Thinking I’d drink it and die.”

"I know," I admit.

“No one is going to be able to kill me,” Brandon says. “There's no one strong enough to kill me. I'm going to live forever, Katia. And I’m going to make you regret this with each day I have left."

"Kill her!" Someone from the pack shouts.

"She's my mate," Brandon snaps. “It's my choice what to do with her. And for now, she'll be locked away. Give you plenty of time to think about what you almost did to me."

"What are you going to do to me?" I ask, trembling at the thought of it.

"I'm going to make sure you understand what you've done," he says. "I'm making sure you never do this to me again And…”

He turns to Lily who’s shaking. “Lily is going to drink this wine.”

"Brandon, don't do this," I plead, as Lily’s eyes widen. This is all my fault. I’m the one who put her in harm’s way. I shouldn’t have ever done it.

"Don't do what?" he asks. "Don't lock you up? Don't treat you like the traitor you are? Don't keep you from making the worst mistake of your life?

“Or don’t make your friend drink what you were going to give to me? It’s only fair I share it with her.”

“I’ll drink it,” I say. “Don’t make her drink it. I’ll drink it.”

Two men come forward with silver chains.

They're shiny and new, but they're heavy, they're painful, and they're cold.

"Nothing will be solved by locking me up,” I say. “Nothing will be solved by making Lily drink that wine.”

"I never wanted to do this to you, Katia," he says, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," I say, I have to get him to change his mind. “I was overwhelmed. I…”

"Don't be sorry," he says. "Just remember that when your time in that cell is up, you'll be dead to the world. I'll make sure of it."

Brandon grabs me by the wrist and pulls me up to my feet. "I can snap your neck before you can blink your eyes," he tells me. He turns to the man holding Lily. “Make her drink it.”

I cry out but no one listens as Lily cries.

They force her mouth open and they pour the wine in. She coughs and spits some up, but too much gets in her system.

She will die from it.

I killed my best friend.

Before I can see her death, Brandon leads me away, towards the cells in a huge, cold cave. He locks me inside, then turns to me.

He grabs me by the neck and pulls me up against him. He leans down and kisses me, very hard. I try to push him away, but it doesn't work. He is stronger than me.

"You're my mate. Remember that," he tells me.

Brandon lets me go.

I fall onto the floor. I just want to be alone. I just want to be safe. I just want Lily back. I want my pack back.

I want to die.

Brandon walks away.

I've lost my chance to escape.

I've lost my chance to get revenge.

I killed my best friend.

I don't know if Brandon is ever going to come back. I don't know what will happen to me now, but I deserve it.

Darkness becomes everything as all the lights go out. I'm left alone to panic about my fate.