Enemy of my Enemy

𝕾𝖎𝖝

Bianca Blackburn was in the wine cellar of his childhood home.

Wine cellars. They were such efficient places to store things Grayson didn't want found. Like people, for example.

She was rousing from her sleep, which he was extremely impressed by. That much wolfsbane would have knocked him out cold for a week.

Abducting Bianca again had been easy enough. Lorenzo Blackburn's weakness was, and always would be, his pride. He'd blown up a manor. He'd thought this had solved everything. Who would be stupid enough to go after the daughter of a man who'd displayed what destruction he was capable of to everyone within the twenty mile radius?

Grayson had let a week pass by in peace, to loosen up everyone's guard. Then, he'd made the call. The Oake kid had led Bianca out to the woods surrounding Crescent Cliffs, and Grayson's men had taken care of the rest. Right now, the Oakes were probably packing their things, preparing to move into Grayson's territory. He had, after all, promised Helen and Tyler Oake rank and respect if they helped him.

"What now?" Reyes asked from beside him, staring at Bianca through the window on the cellar door.

"Now, the most vital part of my plan begins," Grayson replied. "I can't risk losing her this time, and I can't trust anyone to be capable enough to keep an eye on her- Except you and myself."

"Understandable," Reyes shrugged. "So you want me to stand guard?"

"No, I want you to go kill the Oake family for me."

Reyes frowned at him. "The family who helped us bring the girl here?"

"I don't deal with traitors," Grayson replied. "Look what happened to Lorenzo for keeping those disloyal bastards around for so long," he nodded to Bianca's slowly writhing body.

"I'll take care of it," Reyes nodded.

"Have some of the others accompany you."

"I'm pretty sure I can handle three scrappy Omegas, boss," Reyes laughed.

"They're not Omegas. They're powerful wolves who just happened to get on Blackburn's bad side once upon a time ago. Don't underestimate them."

As Reyes nodded and disappeared, Grayson trained his eyes on Bianca's pale, colorless face and chestnut brown hair. She was wearing tight jeans and a long sleeved shirt that accentuated her waist, both of which, unlike last week, weren't completely soaked through. Cliff diving, was what one of his informants had told him.

A killer with daddy issues who dressed up in designer clothes and enjoyed jumping off cliffs.

Grayson doubted he would ever be able to fully figure this girl out.

He spent a few more hours simply watching her through the window. Time was passing him by, but he didn't mind. It was rare that he ever had quiet moments to himself, and now, he was allowed the opportunity to truly think about what he had started by taking Bianca from Crescent Cliffs again. A battle would be inevitable, and if all went according to plan, Grayson might live long enough to see an entire war unfold.

Finally, when Bianca had come to enough consciousness to be able to stand upright, Grayson entered the cellar. He wordlessly offered her a glass of water, which she gulped down after glowering at him.

"You've got nerve, Briare," she said. This was the first time he had ever heard her voice shake. But Grayson wasn't stupid enough to think it was because she was frightened by him.

"Tell me it isn't true," Bianca spoke once more, her voice chillingly cold. "Tell me my best friend didn't just sell me out."

"If that's what you want to hear, sure," Grayson nodded. "Your best friend didn't just sell you out."

Bianca threw the glass across the room, causing it to make contact with the opposite wall and shatter to pieces. "It's not true," she shakily murmured. "It's not true. It can't be true."

"You can't ever fully trust anyone but yourself, Bianca," Grayson said. "As Lorenzo's daughter, I would've thought you'd learned that by now."

"Henry is the only loyal friend I've ever had in my life. He wouldn't betray me like this."

"One year ago, wouldn't you have said the exact same thing about Sierra Brookes?"

Her hand shot up at his face at a frighteningly fast speed, and within seconds, Grayson was struggling to stabilize the stream of blood that was flowing out of his nose.

"Speak that name again, and I will kill you," Bianca spat at him.

Grayson took her by her shoulders, turned her around, and slammed her face against the wall. "I may not be your alpha, Bianca Blackburn, but I still am one." He waited until she had doubled over in a fit of coughs, then brought his knee up to her stomach with force. "And trust me, if I didn't need you alive so much, I would have torn you to pieces already."

Bianca staggered away from him before beginning to laugh. "The boy who was forgotten by his own father thinks he can take on a Blackburn?" She shook her head. "You're more suicidal than I'd given you credit for."

Don't let her rile you up. Don't let her rile you up.

He was the one in charge here. But just as last time, she was twisting everything around, making him feel like he had to prove something to her and to himself.

"Where are your manners, Briare?" Bianca cooed. "You're in the presence of a queen. Why aren't you on your knees?"

He wondered, for a moment, if Bianca really was as mad as they said she was. Then he noticed the way the sizes of her pupils were rapidly increasing and then decreasing. Surely it wasn't the wolfsbane that was affecting her like this?

"You can pretend to be indifferent to this situation all you want, Blackburn," Grayson said. "But deep down, you're scared. It's only a matter of time before that fear shows itself." He turned away from her, then abruptly stopped when her hand shot out and grabbed his.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Grayson couldn't be sure if she sounded scared or exasperated. He pulled his hand out of her grasp and continued to walk away. This time, she darted in front of him by pressing a hand to his chest. "It's my birthday today, Briare, don't I get a gift?"

"What is wrong with you?" Grayson muttered, shoving her off of him. Maybe it was the wolfsbane, after all. Maybe it had all gone to her head, and now, she was incapable of thinking straight.

But before he could contemplate that matter further, all his thoughts were interrupted by a static shock that shot up his spine as Bianca Blackburn pulled him in for a kiss.