Crowned by Fate
<b>Chapter </b><b>181 </b>
90
Skye’s POV
<b>“</b>What’s the condition?” I asked, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach.
The scarred guy leaned back, his chair creaking. “Name’s Beck,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “I’m Kane’s cousin.”
My heart sank. The resemnce made sense now, but it didn’t ease the dread creeping up my spine. Adrian killed Kane. Leon had some bad blood with these guys, and I’d just walked into their den. I was screwed.
Beck must’ve seen the panic sh across my face because he smirked, grabbed a beer from the table, and took a slow sip. “<b>Rx</b>, Skye. I’m not holding a grudge. Hell, I owe Adrian one for taking out Kane.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Why?”
He leaned forward, elbows on the table, his voice low and bitter. “Kane’s the reason I’m a rogue. This scar?<b>” </b>He pointed to the jagged line across his face. “Got it dueling that bastard. I gave as good as <b>I </b>got, but Kane didn’t fight fair. He ganged up on me with his Gravestone goons and kicked me out. Five years ago, I was done.”
<b>I </b>studied him, trying to gauge if he was spinning a story. Beck’s tone had a raw edge, but the way he puffed out his chest screamed he was trying to save face. A guy like him didn’t want to look weak, especially not in front of his crew.
He waved a hand, cutting through the silence. “Point is, I don’t give a damn about Kane. But I do care about a future. Here’s my condition: me and my boys join Oasisborn pack.”
I nced at the other two. The stocky one with the shaved head was ring at me like I was a problem he wanted to solve with his fists. The guy I’d dropped earlier was still rubbing his arm, his ego probably bruised more than his body. These weren’t exactly model pack members. Letting them into Oasisborn would be like inviting wolves to a sheep pen.
“No offense<b>,</b>” I said, choosing my words carefully, “but that’s not my call. I can talk to Adrian, maybe get you a payout instead. Name a price.”
Beck’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned back, crossing his arms. “Money’s nice, but I’m thinking long–term. You’re Adrian’s Beta. If you vouch for us, he’ll listen. Don’t y like you’ve got no pull.”
“I’m not saying that,” I shot back. “But it’s not just Adrian. The pack’s council has to sign off. Every member gets a say.”
The stocky guy snorted. “Sounds like you’re just dodging, sweetheart. No sincerity.”
Beck tilted his head, studying me. “Exactly. If you’re not serious about working with us, maybe we don’t need to work with you.”
Before I could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room. My stomach dropped. Through the cracked, grimy door, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent–the guy who’d kidnapped me. He was here.
I pressed a finger to my lips, shooting Beck a pleading look. Don’t sell me out.
Beck’s eyes flicked to the door, then back to me. He got it. With a quick nod, he jerked his head toward the back of the cabin. “Get her out of sight,” he muttered to the stocky guy.
<b>11:27 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>4 </b>
<b>1901 </b>
The rogue grabbed my arm, rough but not brutal, and hustled me into a small, musty room in the back. The door clicked shut behind me, leaving me in near darkness<b>, </b>straining to hear what was happening.
Through the thin walls, I caught Beck’s voice, casual but firm. “Hey, man, what’s up?”
“Sorry to bother you,” came the other voice, low and urgent. “You seen a silver–haired girl around here? About five–six, early twenties<b>?</b><b>” </b><fn236e> This update is avable on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn236e>
Beckughed, the sound rough. “A silver–haired girl? In the middle of nowhere? Buddy, you’re chasing ghosts.”
“I need to check inside,” the guy pressed, his tone sharper.
Beck’s voice hardened. “This is my ce. No one’sing in without a damn good reason. You got a warrant or something?”
The air felt charged, even from where I was hiding. I could picture Beck standing tall, blocking the doorway, his crew backing him up. The guy outside hesitated–I could hear his boots shuffle on the porch.
“Fine,” the guy muttered. “If you see her, you let me know. She’s trouble.”
“Yeah, sure,” Beck said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll keep an eye out.”
The door mmed shut, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. A momentter, the back room door opened, and Beck’s silhouette filled the frame.
“He’s gone,” he said, his voice low. “But that guy was looking for you, wasn’t he? Which means you owe me now. My condition just got pricier.”
I stepped out, my jaw tight. “What do you want now?”
Beck crossed his arms, his scar catching the dim light. “You get us into Oasisborn. And I want a chunk of Kane’s old territory. Call itpensation for my trouble.”
The stocky guy piped up, his voice thick with resentment. “Boss, you sure about this? This chick’s bad news. Four years ago, we got locked up because of her. A whole damn month in Frostshadow’s cells.”
I frowned, thrown off. “What are you talking about? I never got you locked up.”
Beck’s lips curled into a grim smile. “Oh, you didn’t pull the trigger, but you were the reason. We were just passing through Frostshadow’s territory, minding our own business. One night, and boom–Alpha Leon’s got us in cuffs. Said we kidnapped some silver–haired girl from his pack. Sound familiar?”
My stomach twisted. Four years ago, I’d run away from Frostshadow. Leon must’ve thought these rogues had something to do with it. “That was a misunderstanding,” I said, my voice quieter than I meant. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it,” the stocky guy snapped, but Beck raised a hand, silencing him.
“Water under the bridge,” Beck said, though his tone suggested otherwise. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a battered old phone, holding it out. “So, what’s it gonna be? You make the call, get us what we want<b>, </b>or I drag you back out there and hand you <b>over </b>to your friend.”
I stared at the phone, my mind racing. I didn’t trust Beck or his <b>crew</b>, but I was out of options. If I didn’t y along, I’d be back in the hands of my kidnapper. At least with the phone, I had a shot at reaching Adrian.
11:27 <b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>4 </b>
E
“Deal,” I said, snatching the phone from his hand.
Beck’s smirk returned, but he didn’t say anything. I dialed Adrian’s number, my heart pounding as it rang. And rang. No answer. My chest tightened, but I didn’t have time to panic. I tried Lydia instead.
The line clicked, and her voice came through, sharp with worry. “Skye? Oh my God, where are you? What happened<b>?</b>”
<b>“</b>I’m okay for now,” I said, keeping my voice low, my eyes flicking to Beck. “Where’s Adrian?”
Lydia’s voice cracked with relief, but the tension was still there. “He’s with Ryder. They’re headed to Port Artemis to find you.”
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