Brynleigh glanced up at Ryker, eyes wide with horror. Then, she darted around him to the sink before Ryker could stop her. She ripped off her sweater, leaving her in a black tank top, and turned on the tap.
The shifter was a statue on the cot.
Ryker’s gaze darted between the prisoner and his wife. Fuck, taking Brynleigh here had been a bad idea. Why had he thought he could keep his wife under control? He’d stupidly assumed she would stay behind him at all times.
Clearly, he’d been mistaken.
“What are you doing?” he growled.
She dipped the sweater under the tap, soaking it. “I’m helping him.”
Before Ryker could tell her what a dangerous idea that was—the man was in chains for a reason—she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes flashed as if to say,Just try to stop me.
By all the gods, why had Ryker Chosen such a strong-willed wife? Most people never dared to talk back to him, and yet Brynleigh was challenging him in the middle of a fucking prison.
Damn it all, he was equally frustrated and turned on.
Ryker balled his fists and clenched his teeth as Brynleigh took her damp sweater and approached the shifter. His magic urged him to act, yet he trusted his wife. He’d seen her kill. Surely, she could handle a broken man in chains.
“Z?” Brynleigh whispered. “Can you hear me?”
The shifter’s gaze was still trained on the floor.
Brynleigh inched closer.
“It’s me,” she murmured, standing in front of the cot.
Long, agonizing seconds passed before a chain creaked. The curtain of hair slowly parted as the feline shifter looked up.
His gaze sharpened before flickering with recognition and… fear.
“Fuck, no,” the man rasped, his voice sounding like he’d beenscreaming for hours. “Get out of here, B. She’ll kill you for this. The rules… you know the rules.”
“I do.” She crouched in front of him, her brows furrowed. “But I already broke them.”
Her voice was gentle, as though she was afraid to speak too loudly lest she spook him.
The shifter shuddered. “The tenth rule is the most important. That’s what I keep telling them. Rule number ten. I can’t break it. But I did. You did.”
“Zanri, it’s okay,” Brynleigh whispered.
“We all broke the rules and the game… the game… the game is over.” He swayed back and forth, and his voice had an almost frantic tone.
By the gods, the man was shattered.
In the videos, the shifter had been in pain but still sane. His words had made sense. But now…
This kind of suffering could only be caused by Victor Orpheus.
Ryker already knew the fae was a sadist, but seeing the proof with his own eyes was another matter entirely. Thank all the gods, he’d gotten to Brynleigh when he did.
If Ryker had shown up later and found her like this…
Ryker would’ve killed them all. There was no question in his mind. Laws or not, he would burn the entire fucking world for his vampire.
“Don’t worry about me.” Brynleigh lifted the damp sweater. “Will you let me help you?”
Another long moment went by before the prisoner nodded.