Or maybe he’d burned something and was letting in a bit of fresh air? That seemed more likely, since as far as I’d been able to tell, there wasn’t a man in the burrow who knew how to cook. Why would they bother to learn when that was a woman’s job?
Gritting my teeth, I lifted the window, opening it one slow inch at a time. I crossed my fingers and toes, hoping it wouldn’t let out a screech of protest. To my relief, it didn’t.
Thanks to my small stature and lack of proper nutrition, I didn’t have to lift it very far before I was able to slip inside. I balanced myself over a sink filled with dirty dishes, probably looking like one of those huge Australian spiders.
The stench of days’ old food wafted through the kitchen, and I fought the urge to gag. He clearly couldn’t cook, but did the man not know how to clean, either? I’d heard the rabbit shifters cracking jokes about how stupid mutt shifters were, but at least my wolf mates knew their way around a kitchen.
Knowing where his bedroom was located made my job easier, and I made my way down the maze of hallways toward the back of the house. I crept into the room, careful not to wake him.
I looked around at the beautifully decorated room. Even in the dim light, I could tell that every piece of antique furniture and art was expensive. It was a stark contrast to the bareness of the women’s rooms, which were more of a military dorm room than a home.
Fighting to suppress my sudden annoyance, I moved silently across the thick carpet. For a moment, I longed to lead an uprising against the men of Blackberry Burrow and demand that the women be treated fairly. Then I remembered how terribly it had gone for me the last time I’d taken a stand, and the desire was quickly squashed.
Right now, the best thing I could do for the women of my burrow was to prove that it was possible to escape and remain out of the council’s clutches. Maybe then they’d be willing to speak up for themselves. Despite what I’d gone through, I believed change was possible, but it was likely to be slow to come.
Pushing aside my momentary distraction, I stepped behind his chair. I unsheathed the knife and pressed the cool steel against his throat.
With my lips beside his ear, I hissed, “Wake up, old man.”
The councilman jerked awake, yelping as the sudden movement caused the blade to press harder against his skin. “What? Who’s there?”
I wish I’d prepared a cool response, but I’d been a little too focused on thegetting-answers-and-not-dyingplan to come up with witty dialog. “It doesn’t matter. I know the council is controlling the coyotes and that the burrow created a toxin to attack wolf shifters.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He was careful to keep his body rigid, so the blade didn’t dig deeper.
“Shut up! I don’t have time to waste with your lies,” I snapped. “We’re going to keep this short and sweet. Give me the answers I want, and I’ll be gone. No one needs to know about my visit or what you told me. How did you poison the wolves?”
“Honestly, I think that information is too difficult for you to understand,” he protested, clearly stalling for time.
The fingers of his left hand were creeping toward a pocket on the side of the chair. Was he going for a phone or a weapon? Keeping the knife firmly against his neck, I leaned forward over the chair until I could slip my fingers in the pocket.
“I don’t think so,” I snarled, pulling out the slim device and shoving it into the pocket on the side of my thigh. Thank goodness these yoga pants had pockets. Why anyone thought pocket-less yoga pants was a good idea, I’d never know.
The councilman moved faster than I’d expected, grabbing my wrist and giving it a hard twist. Biting my lip, I barely kept from crying out. The last thing I wanted was to give him the pleasure of knowing he’d caused me pain.
I let the knife slide against his skin, leaving a long, thin line of blood. “Careful. The next time, you may end up needing stitches.”
“You’re hurting me!” he whimpered.
“Do you hear that?” I tilted my head, pretending to listen to something. “Oh yeah. It’s the sound of me not caring. How did you poison my wolves?”
I realized my mistake too late.
“Charlee!” He spat my name as though it were something gross in his mouth. “Couldn’t stay away, I see.”
“I would have happily stayed away,” I snarled, “but it seems the burrow will not let me go.”
“Because you belong to us.” Each word was filled with venom and absolute conviction.
“I belong to myself. No man has the right to take that from me.”
He had the nerve to chuckle. “We both know that’s not true. For such an independent little rabbit, you sure were quick to let those mutts get their paws all over you.”
“Don’t talk about them like that!” For the first time since arriving in the burrow, my hand shook.
He instantly seized on the sign of weakness. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Those pathetic dogs are dying, aren’t they? Or are they already dead? How long has it been since they started showing signs of exposure?”
“Last night.”
