Emma really didn't need to deal with him right then. Well, of course, she technically did, but Jake wasn't supposed to be there, of all places. He had harassed her all throughout her junior year of high school, and she thanked god when he'd suddenly vanished over summer break after she'd dumped him. She'd thought that he had moved away with his family, but to know that he was taken by the kin almost made her feel bad for him... almost. Knowing that it was only going to get worse, she aimed a right hook straight for his nose when he leaned back to catch his breath. The bastard had always known how to fight, unfortunately, and easily caught her fist with a cocky smirk on his handsome face.

"Tsk. I wouldn't do that if I were you. We're expected at the party any moment," he said with a hint of humor in his voice.

Emma blinked, confused and more than a bit worried.

"What?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise from her words. He quickly caught onto it, making his grin stretch even farther.

"We're the main attraction tonight, Emma. Madam loves my looks and personality, and she wants babies... and I want you to make them with me."

While Jake might look like a model in the making with his dirty blond hair, bright blue eyes, and six foot height, she couldn't keep her face from morphing into a sneer of disgust as she finally understood. Widow had been sent by Madam to capture her for Jake.

Would Widow have done it if he had known all of the details?

Clenching her jaw, Emma forced the thought aside and aimed a punch at him with her other hand. It was caught, of course, but then Jake pinned both of her hands above her head. She jerked her body, trying to break his hold and even brought her knee up to see if she could land the obvious hit between his legs, but he shifted easily to accommodate for her struggling and brought his own knee up to stop hers without even bothering to look down. Livid, she growled and pressed her head back against the wall as he leaned in to try to steal another kiss.

"Bastard. You think I'm just going to roll over for you? I'd rather Widow have me long before you do!" she hissed the words, baring her teeth in frustration. Jake wisely stopped trying to get another kiss, his lips mere inches from hers.

"You're talking about that hunter that Madam took? You don't even know his damn name."

She bristled at his words.

Black. Widow was just his nickname.

"His name is Black," she stated defiantly. "But you don't deserve to use it, because sadly, he's a much better man than you will ever be."

Jake eyed her for a moment, then shrugged. Obviously, he didn't care about her jabs. He'd finally gotten the prize he'd been waiting for.

"Anyway, Madam will be calling for us any moment, so come on."

He released her hands, and Emma promptly moved to land a slap across his face. He blocked it easily, but instead of restraining her against the wall again, he tucked her arm in his just like Legs had done previously.

"I suggest you behave, or you're going to be tied up like your worthless crush."

If he's so worthless, then why did you compliment his hunting skills?

Instead of speaking her mind, she bit her lips to keep them shut. She knew a smart mouth wouldn't get anyone very far with a kin, or a crazy stalker like Jake. Grudgingly, she let him lead her back into the main cavern with their arms linked like a normal, happy couple.

"Where is she keeping Widow?" she asked after a few moments had passed, silently noting that the screaming had completely stopped and felt her stomach twist with what she might see when they stepped back into the giant room.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he said sarcastically.

I just asked, so obviously I want to know, you idiot.

"Ah-ha. There you are, Jacob. I see that you've found your gift."

They stopped and Emma forced herself to keep her eyes downcast instead of glaring at the woman she knew stood before them.

"Yes, I am so excited for the gift, Madam. Thank you so much for having her brought for me," Jake said as he bowed.

Emma ground her teeth together to keep herself from cursing him out or trying to kick his ass again. Neither of those things would benefit her right then, so she just decided to finally be a good girl until she had another opportunity to find Widow.

"I am glad. It is unfortunate that the hunter is no longer of use, but he will make incredible offspring... as will you, my lovely Jacob."

"I will do my best to give you as many as you wish, Madam," he said.

Emma assumed Madam was nodding because there was silence for a moment, but then Jake spoke and she felt like hitting him right then might just be worth any repercussions it caused.

"I know I am supposed to wait until the auction, but may I bed her tonight? It takes quite a long time for humans to conceive compared to kin..."

I'm going to conceive you right off a cliff!

"I suppose. It will not show during the auction, so yes, you may do as you wish. Just do not cause any visible injury to her face or lower legs please."

Jake's excitement when he answered "Yes, Madam!" made Emma want to vomit where she stood.

"I was going to announce you two right now, but I believe you have other interests in mind, so be on your way until I call for you later. You may use the main room, as the others are taken, but do not bother my Widow, please."

Emma tensed at her words but relaxed a second later, hoping that Madam hadn't caught her sudden interest in the conversation.

I never thought that I'd be thinking this, but I really need to be alone with Jake right now so that I can try to help Widow.

She had a feeling that Madam had him tied up in webbing, but there had to be a way to deal with Jake and free Widow before the woman returned.

You can do this. You just need to do it one step at a time and not get ahead of yourself.

"Thank you, Madam," Jake said happily before he bowed and turned, pulling Emma with him as they headed back up the walkway, then turned to the left. After walking just beyond the entrance to the tunnel, he stopped and turned again, then opened a door she hadn't noticed was built into the rocky wall. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust as she was pulled inside. The room was dimly lit, but after a few blinks, she was able to see a little better. The first thing she noticed was obvious. A huge, king-size bed took up a good bit of the room. There was a lamp on a ledge carved out of the wall on its right side close to the door, a few bugs faintly glowing inside of the jar beneath the shade. There was a large closet carved into the far left corner, making it appear almost like there was a whole other room with the faint shadows of clothing hanging up in it.

Her attention returned to Jake when he walked over to the lamp and tapped on the glass with a nail, seemingly waking up the bugs since the light slowly began to get brighter as more of the small creatures began to stir inside. While he was busy watching the lamp brighten, Emma's gaze landed on Widow. He was secured in the far back corner beyond the bed, several thin lines of webbing easily holding his body a few inches off the ground while, at the same time, keeping him immobile. Without much thought of Jake, Emma hurried around the large bed and stopped before Widow. She had a feeling the threads were the sticky version he'd shown her several times, so she didn't try to just pull them down and risk getting stuck.

I need to get him to wake up.

"Widow? I need you to open your eyes, please," Emma whispered to him. She felt a slight pressure dancing on her shoulder after she spoke, making her glance down and grin when her gaze fell upon Fuzz. Reaching up, she let him crawl onto her palm before moving him close to Widow's face.

"Look. I brought you Fuzz. Madam tried to kill him, but I knew he was your friend, so I saved him from her," she said, encouragement in her voice.

Widow showed a few small signs of waking, mainly his lips and eyelids twitching, but she didn't get a chance to speak to him again because Jake's arms were suddenly around her waist, pulling her down to the bed in one swift motion. She dropped Fuzz but knew that it was better to lose him than crush the poor spider or risk getting bitten by him because he was scared.

She landed on her back with Jake quickly moving over her on his hands and knees. She narrowed her eyes up at him, ready to put up a fight. He had always been handsome, but he was also always cynical and manipulative. She had been blindsided by him during her junior year because she hadn't expected anyone to ask her out after two years of being ignored. Braces, along with a face full of acne, had lowered her self-esteem. He had been interested, though, and she had been desperate to finally have her first boyfriend.

Thank god I didn't sleep with him back then.

"I've been waiting for this for a long, long time," Jake said, his voice eager.

A deep growl rumbled over the beginning of Emma's own angry reply, making both her and Jake look over toward Widow. He was awake now but didn't say anything, and judging from his eyes, he was still struggling with his instincts, or possibly drugs, which was likely the reason for his lack of words.

"Hello, Black. Thank you for the gift. I couldn't have gotten her without you," Jake said, smirking.

Widow growled again but didn't move. His gaze was locked on Emma, their eyes meeting for a second before Jake's hands slid beneath the hem of her woven dress and forced her attention back to him. If he thought that she was going to just let him do what he wanted, he was sorely mistaken. She shoved at his chest, then kneed him. The sudden attack caught him off guard, but the knee wasn't able to catch him between the legs like she'd hoped. Instead, it hit his lower torso. He grunted, making her grin, but instead of backing away or slipping off the side of the bed, he just smirked and fell on top of her.

"Get the hell off of me!" she yelled and shoved him again, managing to get out from beneath him, but not away. His left hand shot out, snagging her wrist and yanking her back down.

"Dammit, let go!" she shouted as he pulled her halfway across the blood-red silk blankets. The cloth felt unbelievably smooth beneath her bare arms and legs, but she had no intention of remaining on it for long.

Jake reached down and grabbed her left leg, forcing her to lose her balance and end up on her back for a second time. He made a mistake, though, and instead of pinning her, he began running his fingers along the bottom hem of her dress. He tried to yank off the underwear she wore but quickly decided to just tear at the silk threads of the dress.

When Emma heard Widow begin to growl again, she knew that was her chance. Focusing all of her attention, she waited until Jake had the dress almost high enough to start revealing her waist... then lifted her leg and kicked. Her foot connected with his jaw, slamming it up and forcing him back by sheer force. Her foot ached from the hit, but she didn't even think about it. Instead, she climbed back off the bed, limping slightly as the pain radiated up her leg.

Okay, might have bruised something. Bastard has a seriously strong jaw.

She looked up at Widow and gave a stressed sigh, knowing that she only had seconds before Jake was back on her. If it had been Widow's webbing securing him, she wouldn't have hesitated, but she had no idea if Madam's was different and if she tried to remove it and guessed wrong, she'd be just as stuck as him. Worried, Emma looked around the area again, desperate to find something of use. She noticed movement on the nightstand to the right of Widow's body after a moment.

Fuzz?

He was dancing around on something silver and slightly shiny.

Oh, hell yes.

A dagger sat on the nightstand, unsheathed and ready for her to grab. Without hesitating a second, she reached for it.

I think this counts as all of my remaining luck, but I'll take it. I just need to disable Jake now, and then I can cut Widow free.

Relief flooded her system, right before an arm snagged her around her neck and forced her back against a firm chest. Emma lunged forward in response, getting her left arm purposefully caught in the webbing around Widow. It scared her, but at least she was stuck close to him. She almost felt like laughing about the fact that she preferred to be stuck to a venomous kidnapper that wasn't even her own species as opposed to simply being touched by her ex.

"Widow," Emma pleaded while Jake growled in frustration behind her as he tried to pull her free of the web. When he was unsuccessful, he reached around her for the knife but immediately froze when Widow reacted.

Emma hadn't seen it coming, and Jake definitely hadn't expected it. Widow's fangs suddenly dug into the arm Jake still had wrapped around her neck. He hurried to try and pull it away, but Widow was having none of it. She could see him beginning to chew on Jake's soft flesh, information from her past biology class telling her that he was doing it specifically to massage venom into his veins. He wasn't just biting as a warning. He wanted to make sure that Jake died.

Time seemed to stop as she held her breath and waited. Jake's arm was beginning to turn blue and red as the venom spread through it. She felt like he deserved to get bitten, but she really didn't want him to actually die from the bite. She would never wish that upon anyone... not even Jake.

"Widow?" she whispered, leaning a little closer until she could feel her breath ghosting off of his left cheek. He let out a quiet growl in response and she felt his jaw muscles tick when her lips brushed against his skin.

"Widow, you need to let him go," she urged quietly. She saw him lift his upper lip in warning as she leaned her head back slightly, but she wasn't backing down. Mainly because she was stuck against the web restraining him and couldn't get away even if she wanted to, but also because she didn't believe that Jake should die.

I need to get him to let go without getting bitten myself. Maybe his real name...

"Black? I accepted you and your dance. So please, stop biting him, okay?" She said, trying to snap him out of it after a moment of silence, hoping to get some type of positive response. His eyes did finally slide to hers, allowing her to see just how confused and scared he felt on the inside.

Got his attention at least, and no growling. That's good. Now think. He's backed into a corner and literally stuck. Add his out-of-control instincts to that and of course he's going to bite. He's just defending himself... or me.

"Black, we need to get you out of here but I can't do that if you don't let me."

He gave another growl in response but as she felt Jake begin to lean on her for support, Widow finally retracted his fangs enough to allow Jake to fall to the floor. Emma gave Widow a reassuring smile, even though the site of his extended fangs, blood-dripping smoothly from each point, was more than a little unnerving.

"Thank you so much for letting him go," she said.

Not wanting to waste any more time and risk Madam walking in, she gave Widow one more small smile before quickly reaching for the dagger with her right hand. It took a bit of effort, but she managed to snag it. Fuzz had moved to its handle, and as soon as she had it in her hand, he was crawling up along her arm to settle back on her shoulder.

"Stay still, okay?" she told Widow before she got busy cutting away the webbing with the jagged dagger. It was odd that it didn't get stuck, but she could tell that the blade was incredibly sharp because it easily began to free them both without her even needing to add any pressure. It's probably made out of something specifically used to cut their threads.

She continued to work, being careful not to cut Widow or herself as she moved the blade closer to their bodies.

"Alright, almost there..." she mumbled as she finally felt herself coming free of the webbing. She wanted to brush off the remaining tendrils that clung to portions of her arm and dress, but she knew that would possibly lead to her getting stuck again, so she forced herself not to.

I can't risk getting my arms pinned to my dress, but how can I get rid of the sticky webbing?

"Dirt."

Raising her gaze to Widow's abruptly, she noticed him looking down, so she followed his gaze before returning to his eyes.

"Roll on the floor. Dirt will nullify the threads," he rasped out quietly. While she wasn't one to enjoy rolling in dirt, she wasn't going to argue and did what she often told Salem never to do after the time he'd ruined his first Christmas sweater in the backyard. She was surprised by how well it worked as she rolled about on the stone floor, the dust and dirt layering it preventing her from sticking.

I wonder if the floor is covered in dirt specifically for this purpose?

After she was sure she was beyond dirty, and thus, the web was no longer sticky, Emma jumped back up and began carefully cutting Widow away from the wall with the dagger. She felt paranoid as she worked, darting glances back and forth between him and the door, expecting Madam to walk in at any moment. Jake was thankfully unconscious, so at least he wouldn't be able to get her, but she wasn't going to risk taking any longer than absolutely necessary to free Widow.

"He won't die... maybe."

The dagger paused in her hand and Emma tilted her head up to look into Widow's tired eyes. He seemed upset on top of his former confusion, but she could also see some of his personality returning.

His instincts look like they're finally pulling back a bit, and if Madam gave him anything, it also seems to be dissipating.

She didn't want to dig into why he seemed upset all of a sudden, but if she had to guess, it could be because she asked him not to kill Jake. She hated the guy, even back in high school once she'd dumped him, but that didn't mean that she could live with herself if she could have prevented his death but chose not to.

"Male widow kin venom isn't nearly as potent as female's," Widow said, then added. "Female kin venom can also make a male seem drugged."

His words made Emma give a quiet sigh of relief. It was good that Jake might not die, but it was so much better to know that Widow hadn't been drugged, and that it was just the venom that Madam had put into his system. Venom that was clearly beginning to wear off.

"Okay. Let's get you down now," she said, focusing her attention on freeing Widow's legs, then slowly working her way up along his bare torso, chest, arms, then finally, back. After the last few threads were cut, Widow dropped from the wall directly into a predatory crouch, a deep rumble echoing from his chest to reverberate around the room. She was going to tell him to stay quiet, but before she could even get the words out he surprised her by flopping over and rolling around like a puppy. He made sure to get himself completely covered in dirt from head to toe before getting back up a minute later, making Emma grin. He looked just like a mirror image of what Salem had when he'd done the same thing in the backyard, acting like their neighbor's golden retriever.

Salem.

"Come on, we need to go and get my brother from Goliath, then get the heck out of here," Emma said, renewed determination in her voice as she started for the door. She expected him to be all for the idea, and she had a feeling that he technically was, but what she didn't expect was to have him step in front of her and bare his teeth as he shakily ran one hand through his dirty hair. Emma stopped abruptly, then took a small step back as she eyed him cautiously.

She noticed that he was stepping on one of Jake's legs, but he didn't seem to even realize it. His weight adjusted to the odd angle easily, so he wasn't off balance by any means. Emma straightened her shoulders and took another step back, raising her hands in a calming gesture.

"What's wrong, Widow?" she asked, not really sure what he was trying to convey by baring his teeth besides that he wasn't happy with her. She took another step back and lifted her hands a little higher, hoping that he could at least read her body language.

His instincts are probably making him act this way, but I don't know how to get him to snap back to himself again.

"Widow, you need to talk to me. I don't know why you're angry right now," Emma said calmly, trying to keep her voice steady.

They were on borrowed time and needed to leave before Madam returned if they had any chance of getting to her brother and escaping the colony.

We can't afford to stay here much longer.

"Stay quiet," Widow finally growled out as he sighed and lowered his shaking arm, seemingly fighting for control, eyes closing for a brief moment before they opened again. They appeared a little clearer than before, but Emma could tell that he was still having trouble and could be very dangerous if she wasn't careful.

Biting her lower lip, she forced herself to nod. The gesture seemed to make Widow calm down a little more as he took a step away. His body relaxed over several silent seconds before he repeated his two previous words in a strained whisper. Emma nodded again, waiting several more moments as Widow seemed to just watch her. When he finally turned and squatted down, giving her his back, she knew that he was ready to go.

She hurried to climb on, and after getting her legs wrapped around his waist, she looked toward the door, glad to see that it was still shut and Madam was nowhere in sight.

She's probably still busy with the party. We may be able to sneak out without being seen if we go farther down the path to the right. Widow had told her to stay quiet, so she bit her tongue on saying anything out loud, but she hoped that he knew what he was doing.

He began walking toward the door and didn't hesitate to shove it open, then turn to the right and begin running. She should have known that there would be guards, but it had slipped her mind with the stress of the situation. Two were standing near a door at the far end of the carved tunnel, making Widow jerk to the left, into a tunnel, to avoid running into the approaching men. His pace quickened, and while she didn't dare look behind them, she could hear the two kin following. Her attention stayed on the dark corridor they were moving through until, that is, they suddenly began going up.

She yelped in surprise as Widow hit a wall, then jumped. She thought that they were going to hit a ceiling, but instead they began ascending at an increasing speed. She couldn't see a single thing as there were very few glowing bugs in the area around them, but judging from Widow's muscles flexing where her arms and legs were wrapped around him, it seemed like he was literally running up the wall like he had before when they'd been chased by that group of three kin.

It seems like it happened so long ago, but it had only been a few days.

As she looked down, one of the two guards following them snarled loudly. The sound echoing off of the walls made Emma cringe and tuck her face against Widow's neck. She chanced another peek after a moment, pursing her lips when she saw that they were gaining.

"Widow, we need to go faster," she said as she focused her attention above them, hoping to see light. She knew that he was already straining because of his heavy panting from exertion, but unfortunately, if they didn't go faster soon, they were going to be in serious trouble. She felt Widow try to pick up his speed a little, but they ended up just slowing back down a few moments later.

I need to do something. Madam wants me for Jake... but she also wants Widow for herself. But she won't kill me. She will kill Widow at some point soon.

"I'm letting go. They'll catch me because Madam wants me,"she said right before Widow snarled loudly. The sound made Emma wince as it bounced off the walls. His speed picked up again but then slowed as he struggled to keep the fast pace.

When he seemed to realize that she was right, that there was too much weight, he slowed further and growled. "Hold on."

Emma did as told, even though she wanted to let go and give him his chance to escape.

Salem needs you. You need to keep trying. They might catch you, but then you'll never get out of here.

That thought solidified her determination to listen to his order. He climbed for another minute before suddenly jumping, then jumping again and again. Emma thought that they were going to different areas or across ledges like they had the last time, though, of course, she couldn't see much of anything in the darkness, but she soon realized that he was just moving around in the tunnel at different angles instead of going straight up one wall.

Why is he doing this? It has to be wasting energy.

Her thoughts made sense at first, but when she looked down, the faintly glowing eyes of the kin chasing them had stalled a good ways below. Hissing started up a moment later, drawing Widow's attention as he halted on the stone wall. His hair brushing against her face told Emma that he was looking down.

"That worked... better than I thought... it would," He panted heavily, focusing his attention back up before beginning to climb at a more sustainable pace.

"Did you just spin a web while climbing?" Emma asked, curious as to what had happened and also a little awestruck.

They got to the top of the corridor and Widow climbed over the ledge onto his hands and knees before answering. "Yes. It wasn't too many threads, but it should keep them stuck there for at least a few minutes."

Since there was a fraction of light near the end of the tunnel they'd climbed into Emma could see Widow's face as she slid from his back. He still seemed to be fighting his instincts, but at least it looked like he had more control right then. When he stood up a moment later, she joined him. Her foot still ached, but she wouldn't ask him to carry her farther than he already had. She knew he'd likely need to carry her out of the larger cavern so he needed to save his energy for that time. Besides, the pain was worth the memory of kicking Jake in the face.

"Where is Goliath's cave?" she asked as they began walking quickly toward the dim opening.

"Near the top," Widow mumbled as he sped up, making her nearly have to run to keep pace with him. She tripped several times when she put pressure on her right foot, but she managed not to fall and was able to meet him near the opening of the cave just a few seconds after he'd stopped there.

"Madam will have an alarm sounded when Jake or those guards are discovered so we must move fast," Widow said calmly, though he gave away his stress when he swiped a hand through his messy hair and sighed.

Emma nodded as she looked down at the large cavern below them. It seemed like the auction was being set up at the far end where all of the cages had been put when she'd first arrived. Artificial light—though from what, she couldn't quite tell from so high up—was making it much easier for her to see what was going on. It was likely added so that the humans wouldn't trip or hurt themselves during the actual auction, and would likely be taken away at the end to keep them partially blind in the caverns. A large curtain had been pulled in front of the area where kin were gathering around the stone stage, blocking most of the cages from their view. There was just enough space to allow for people to walk out from behind the dark fabric when showing off one of the humans they wanted to sell the following day.

"They're starting," Emma whispered.

Widow nodded. "Get on."

When she looked over at him, he was crouching down, waiting. The moment she was on his back, he began to move, swiftly ascending along the tall stone walls as if he were Fuzz and not a humanlike spider. He climbed quickly but quietly, eventually coming to a stop on a small ledge near the webbed ceiling of the large cavern where a few glowing bugs were scattered about. She hadn't noticed before, likely from being lower down in the caves, but amongst the bugs were tons of black widow spiders moving along the threads woven like netting between the large rocks.

"They're all widows... I don't see any daddy longlegs or ones that look like Goliath's."

"Of course not. There are some of Legs's spiders in the training area, but Goliath was lucky to be able to keep just Catch with him when he came here," Widow replied as he stalked into the dark cave. It looked somewhat similar to his own, but there were no spiders on the small ceiling.

She followed after him, her eyes glued to her little brother as she stopped just far enough away from the cage to be out of Widow's way as he grabbed the cold steel bars and grunted once, twice, then tore the door off.

Emma bit back a shout of excitement as she ran forward and dropped to her knees before the cage and reached out toward her little brother. Salem scrambled into her arms not a second later.

"Emmie!" he yelled on a sob as he buried his face into her neck and cried.

Her chest hurt as she hugged him tightly, then gently began rubbing his back with one hand.

"It's okay, Salem. Are you hurt anywhere? Is there another little boy here?" she asked, worried as she looked over what she could see of him without releasing him from the hug. He seemed okay, and when she finally brought him to arms length and really looked him over, she sighed with relief, then pulled him in for another hug.

"Thank god you're okay," she whispered at the same time movement caught her eye at the back of the cave.

Goliath's boy.

He was standing next to the bed, eyes wide and untrusting as he watched her and Widow.

"Hey there, sweetheart. We're friendly, I promise. Would you like to come over and say hello?" she asked with a warm smile.

She glanced up at Widow as she waited for a response, but he seemed to be watching her with slightly unfocused eyes.

Maybe the venom is still bothering him.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them snapped Widow out of his daze immediately and he turned toward the entrance of the cave. Emma looked as well, her lips tilting downward into a frown when she saw who stood in the opening, his bulk taking up most of the space.

Uh-oh. Goliath.