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4/3/2025

Forge looked over at him, then patted his knee. “Lucas, that man, Grier, is a bad man. Focus on that fact. You two stay behind me and do not go down there unless I tell you to.”

They watched in silence as Declan took a few items from the Jeep and went back to the lawn chair, where he sat staring at Grier for a minute. Grier was fully human again, naked, and still chained to the bunker wall.

It was clear Declan’s earlier tactics had worked. Every time Declan moved, Grier flinched away from him. He shuffled from side to side, but the chains kept him from going more than a foot in any direction.

Declan held up a purple flower and turned it between his thumb and forefinger. “Lovely, isn’t it?”

Grier said nothing, but his gaze darted to the line of dust on the ground in front of him. A second later he focused on Declan again.

“You know what this is, don’t you? It’s so pretty and so incredibly deadly to you.” Declan stood and picked up a grocery bag from under a chair. He took several large bottles of water out and walked closer. One at a time, he placed the bottles in a row so they almost touched the line of dust. There were five in all.

Declan backed away a few steps and held the flower up again. “You’ll probably be astounded at the detailed information I’ve gathered about werewolves. It’s amazing what you pick up after a century or two.” He poked at one of the bottles with his toe, nudging it closer to the dust. “For instance, I know that after a full-moon shift, you’re incredibly thirsty. So much so you’ll do anything for water. As a matter of fact, if you don’t get enough water within a few hours, your body will begin to severely dehydrate.”

Grier licked his lips, gaze shifting between the water and Declan. “What do you want?” Grier said in a shaky voice.

“Tell me about Bronwen Martell and Henry Vaughn.”

“Fuck off,” Grier snapped.

Declan heaved a long-suffering sigh and said, “It’s a simple request. However, I have to admit I expected your answer. Let me tell you a few things. I know you have been involved somehow in a string of freshwater vessels being sunk. I also know that those vessels often carried children and people on vacation. Innocent people who died.”

“Collateral damages,” Grier growled.