Sticks and Stones

Chapter Eleven

As he watched the door close like a roller shutter, Caspian took in a deep breath, feeling his heart pound in his chest. He was an adrenaline junkie, needing his shot of excitement and danger to get him through from one day to the next.

Outside the pyramid, the sun had set, casting darkness across all of Dundaw.

But he wasn't in here alone.

No. Though Luis hadn't made it- thanks to that bastard Emilio- there were two other people in here with him.

His senses were going wild, which wasn't a promising sign.

She's in here with me.

By some luck of the draw, Sofia had gotten in. Worse, she'd gotten in without her brother. Which meant Cas couldn't push the responsibility of taking care of her onto someone else. Which meant he couldn't sulk and pretend the problems in his life didn't exist. Either he stepped up or he stood back and let his mate die.

Claudio would never let him live that down, so really, he didn't have a choice.

Fuck my luck.

Sofia be damned, there was someone else in here with them too.

Cas could sense it was a werewolf. He felt the vibration in his demon, wary whether this wolf was to be a threat. The Inferno demons and werewolves weren't presently enemies, but Cas had to bear in mind that he and this wolf were competing for the same thing.

He turned to the door, where hands banged against the limestone from the outside.

"Caspian!" Naturally, Luis was the first to make a noise. The other bounty hunters were bound to have caught up by now. "You good in there!" Cas rolled his eyes. "Come on man! If you don't answer me in the next thirty seconds, I'm gonna tell Claudio you're dead! Captain Luis has got a better ring to it!"

"I'm fine," He called back calmly. "And you don't need to shout. I can hear you just fine."

"Are you gonna be alright in there? I was right by your side until that fucking jackass Emilio sent me flying."

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I've got my supplies."

Another drawback for Sofia, he supposed. Emilio had been carrying the bags for both of them. Which meant she'd be stuck in here for forty-eight hours with nothing but a crossbow.

And she wants to argue Emilio's the better hunter.

She really had no idea.

"Do you want me to wait around or...?"

"Go home," Cas answered. "I'll meet you when I get out."

"Just make sure you come out alive, yeah?"

Caspian smiled. "I'll try my best."

Seconds later, more heavy banging sounded upon the door. Cas knew who this would be. He took a step back, letting the she-devil past—not that she could see—with a front row seat to watch this disaster play out.

"Sofia!"

Beside him, Sofia audibly sighed—as if her brother were embarrassing her.

His little mate seriously needed a reality check. She had no idea of the mess she'd gotten herself trapped in.

"I'm fine Emilio. I'm right here. I'm okay."

"Okay?" He repeated, disbelieving. "How can you say that? You're stuck in there."

"I know—but it's only forty-eight hours." She said it like it was nothing. As if danger wouldn't creep up on her in this freezing, dark, trap-ridden place where she'd come to with no backup and no supplies. "I'll be fine."