by E Hall
“I don’t want the realm.” A smile peels back on my lips. “I want your blood.” I lunge.
Pure instinct opens my mouth, forces my jaw to bite down. But before my teeth break the fae king’s skin, I’m blown back. Only, it’s not the fierce wind. Rather, Clove’s magic slides across my vision. I struggle to get up, but his power holds me down.
Melchior surges toward me, a riot of ego and anger. “She’s done.”
My father lunges with the scepter aimed directly at the fae king’s heart, but he falters, and it’s thrown from his hand.
Clove moves to catch it at the same time his mother, Jana, extends her arm. The gold handle lands in her hand. In one swift motion, she thrusts it at my father, stabbing him.
I kick to standing at the same time my father, already a ghost, seems to flickers, a candle shifting in the breeze. “Dad, are you okay?” I ask, shaking off the bloodthirsty vampire trance.
My mother appears out of nowhere, throwing back a red hood, and crouching in front of my dad.
He whispers, “Don’t let Melchior have the scepter.”
Jana’s eyes flash cruelly. “I’ll be returning this to my king.”
I’m on my feet and grip the other end of the cold metal handle. The three prongs angle toward her.
“Give it to me,” I say over the roar of the wind.
Someone grips my shoulders.
Jana’s eyes widen, and then I’m falling toward her with the scepter between us. Clove’s hands drop from my shoulders at the same time iron tips drive into her stomach. She drops back. Clove rushes past me. He must have shoved me so the momentum forced the scepter to stab her.
Wrenching it from his mother, he lifts it in awe and triumph before releasing a blur of blindingly bright magic and disappearing from sight along with the scepter.
I hurry back to my parents.
“What can I do? How can we stop this?” I ask.
“Break the curse,” my father mutters. With a warm look at both my mother and me, he turns faint and then fades completely.
Cold apprehension, fear, and sadness crawl through me. I try grasping for my father, but he’s gone.
I don’t know what he means by breaking the curse, but I scramble to my feet, ready to go at it with the fae king when magic smacks me, disorienting me.
A scream falls from my lips as something hot chomps down on my boot but doesn’t break through. I kick out, landing a kick on a furry chest. For a moment, I fear it’s Corbin, but the werewolf shrinks back.
I wonder what will happen if a vampire bites a werewolf. But before the question concludes, I lunge at the cursed wolf. She zips out of my way. I don’t falter. Rather, I fight, kick, and hiss at her.
Through my vampire haze, I feel the magnetic pull of my mate as if he’s trying to displace the vamp and drag me back to my senses.
It’s as if I’ve used the mesmer power on myself.
I bear down on the werewolf, closing my hands around her neck. She flails, trying to break free, but I’m stronger and she’s already weakened by the fight and losing air.
My mind is blank, gray. My body is frigid, rigid. Unlike when I killed Amanda, which was over quickly, this is slow. I watch the life draining from the werewolf’s eyes.
I don’t want the murderous pull of the vampire to defeat me, to defeat the cursed wolf, but again, I am defending my life, Corbin’s, and all of the people who died because of her.
Suddenly, the werewolf surges, breaking loose. She gasps for air, tossing me back against a cluster of rocks.
What feels like an icicle plunges into me, through me. I see little more than thick darkness.
My thoughts fade one by one.
Clove is not who I thought he was. I despise him.
My father is gone but wanted me to break a curse.
My mother appeared, enhancing my vamp abilities.
Corbin, my mate, betrayed me and then protected me.
I try to rise to the surface of what feels like a chasm to get my bearings. I blink, once, twice. The moon, shining brilliantly and beautifully overhead suddenly feels extra distant and cold.
The voices surrounding me and within me fade except for one. I want to fight for my life. For many lives. For love.
Then I am gone.
Chapter 24
Corbin
Summoning my betas, I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that the werewolf is Visalia—Logan’s mate. But how can that be if she’s also fae?
As I drive my shoulder into her, I want to ask why she’s doing this. But the wolf-way of communicating isn’t open between Alphas and werewolves. She exists inside a curse. If only Logan had been able to help her break it.
The best answer I can come up with for her behavior is that it’s in her nature. But why she aligned with Melchior is something else entirely. I don’t plan on letting her live after killing so many humans. I must rid the world of cursed wolves.
I can only speculate about her motivation. Why my pack? Me? Why Kenna? Revenge is my best guess.
She falls against a rock, striking it hard and yelping. I lunge forward again to prevent her from getting up. Unlike the inter-wolf communication discrepancy, wolves, no matter the kind, can kill other wolves.
As we battle, Melchior recedes, a silhouette, standing on the edge of the clearing. His beard and robes gleam in the moonlight.
Clove approaches him with the scepter.
I have to focus on the werewolf, but can’t help but wonder why Clove deceived us. Is he turning over the real scepter to the fae king? Clove’s mother, Jana, lay on the ground, dead to this world.
From somewhere in the woods, intones a fae song, much like the one Jana sang. The fae are coming to collect her.
Three star-like bursts of magic fly from the scepter and toward the king. He splays his fingers, but the magic is no match for the kind amplified by the scepter.
The wind, an invisible menace, disappears.
The three flames burn, brighter, illuminating Clove, lighting up the forest. They dance toward the king,
Before I see what happens, I falter. The werewolf chomps down on my ear. My surroundings tilt for a moment then a growl erupts from me as I drive toward the werewolf.
I go in for the death blow to puncture her neck. I say an apology to whatever remains of her spirit and bite. My canine teeth sink into her flesh, hitting their target. She snarls then whines before going still.
I hate the feeling, what I’m driven to do. The taste of the werewolf’s blood almost makes me dizzy. It’s an unsettling feeling and comes over me like a wave knocking me off-center. The venom in her teeth are dangerous and cause the change. She bit me, but her blood is the antidote, protecting me from going through the change to a werewolf.
I scan the clearing for Kenna, the fae king, and Clove. A lumpen shape hovers over something on the ground. The clouds blow away, revealing the full moon and starry sky above, and Kenna.
The figure bowed over her shakes and sobs. Kenna’s legs jut out and are still. Completely still.
I shout frantically for my mate.
Her mother glances up at me. “I’m sorry, Corbin. I thought—”
“What happened?” I gasp.
“Melchior stabbed her in the heart.” Jackie wails.
The world spins, taking my breath with it. My chest craters. “No, no, no,” I repeat, dropping to my knees and taking my mate in my arms. “I would do anything to have her back. Not to have lied. To have found another way. To not have gotten her involved in this.” My throat is thick, and I fall silent.
The red cloak drapes over Jackie’s shoulders. “I thought if I were here, I’d be able to help her wield her vampire power. I didn’t expect it to be so strong. For it to consume her.”
“Then you saw the whole thing?”
She nods.
“What happened to Melchior? Clove? Greyson?”
She gives me a brief recap. The fae king disappeared into the woods. Greyson faded.
“Th
e scepter?”
“Clove tried to use it against the fae king, but then Melchior attacked Kenna. I don’t know what happened after that.”
“The scepter is meant to bring harmony but in the wrong hands it’s dangerous,” I say. “Sounds like that’s the case.”
My mate’s eyes remain closed. She’s completely still.
All is lost. My wolf has remained quiet when all I want to do is shift and howl mournfully. I deceived her. I didn’t protect her.
The betas approach cautiously as the moon drifts behind the clouds, casting an eerie glow over the scene.
Had I not deceived her could things have turned out differently? I was doing my duty as an Alpha, turning her into the Council when I wanted to be with her. I’d do anything now, even lose my status for that to be true. I suddenly understand the sacrifices Isa and Greyson made for love no matter that it was forbidden.
My life caves in around me. There’s nothing left.
The betas get closer.
My wolf tears loose. I’ve never wanted to run so badly in my life, but my instincts tell me to remain here, with my beloved. I won’t leave her again, especially not like this.
Her mother holds her hand tight.
I lift my muzzle to the night sky and release a mournful howl.
The betas must hear my call because soon they’re surrounding Kenna, her mom, and me in the clearing. The rest of the pack fills in. As one, we howl into the night.
When I fall silent, I rest my whiskered chin on her and give her one last nuzzle in this form. She’s warmer than I expect. My heart creaks. My Alpha whimpers, communicating in the wolf-way, begging her to wake up.
Jackie mutters something nonsensical as Pack Hjalmor continues to cry over this loss. Even Avril is among them.
I shift to physical form and move her inside the house as my betas continue to keen outside.
From within, my wolf stirs, moved by their loyalty. But then my heart stirs with something that feels like hope. I glance at my beloved, wondering how that’s possible when her lashes flutter slightly.
Jackie meets my gaze.
From her spot on the silk sofa, Kenna’s eyes blink open. She flashes her stunning smile. “Alister, what smells so good?”
I didn’t see or sense the stuck ghost appear. “I made you doughnuts, dear.”
Kenna presses onto her elbows. “You really know how to bring a girl back from the dead. You’re my superhero. This is fantastic. Actually, I mean phantastic, with a ph, like a ghost.”
Her mother claps her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing.
“What happened?” I ask.
Jackie’s eyes are wide. “I think Melchior must’ve killed the vampire in her, but—”
“My wolf and fae are intact. Does that moves me down from Magical’s Most Wanted to a person of interest?” Her smile could compete with the sun.
I wrap my arms around her in a tight embrace. “Are you okay?” I say into her hair, breathing deep.
When we pull apart, Kenna listens. “Is the werewolf dead?” she asks. “I thought I’d taken care of the problem. Then the fae king had to go and stab me.”
I nod and send a message to the betas to shift and come inside.
Before I’m distracted by my Alpha role, I press my forehead to Kenna’s. “I realize now that I was scared of doing the wrong thing. But I discovered something greater than fear. Love. Truth. I’m sorry for what I did. I want you to know how important you are to me.”
She cups my cheek. I lean in, ready to put my mouth on hers, but she says, “I know.” Then she plants her lips on mine, lingering there as chatter fills the house. Her skin is smooth under my own. She’s warm, alive, magical.
When we part, the scent of wood smoke blazes from the hearth. Alister scuttles around, serving tea to my pack. Kenna remains on the sofa beside her mom while I fill the pack in on everything that transpired.
“So the werewolf is dead?” Trigg asks.
I nod, keeping the part about how she was Logan’s mate to myself. That wound still hurts.
“And the fae, Jana, too?”
Kenna tells them she was Clove’s mother. I do my best to shake the sound of her song out of my head. Wolves used to be the biggest danger to fae, but their song, at least when in physical form, can really mess with the mind. I focus on Kenna as she explains about her father being a hollow ghost.
“But he faded?” Inga asks.
Jackie pats Kenna on the leg and turns her attention to the group. “Greyson Slade was misunderstood. He was a good man, but after we went into hiding, he distanced himself to keep us safe. During that time, Jana ensorcelled him, compelling him to do terrible things. Had I known, I would’ve done everything in my power to stop him. We were fated mates. I sensed him return from the otherside and found out the truth about the fae’s deception.”
“As it turns out, he had a son with her. My brother, Clove,” I say.
A few members of the pack nod in recognition, likely having come across him before.
“He betrayed us and now has the scepter,” Kenna adds with disdain.
“And what became of the fae king?” Claude asks.
I shift from foot to foot, uncertain about his status. “Fae are notoriously tricky, and I don’t trust him any more than I trust Clove, but he is a member of the Council. He’d have to be playing a masterful game of manipulation to have stepped outside his duties of protecting the magicals and humans in this realm.”
Kenna’s eyes shade darker gray.
Conversation continues and we don’t move from in front of the hearth for a time. The betas heap on more questions. Some we still can’t answer, but we parse out the sequence of events that brought us here.
Kenna has her mother check out the diary, using her special vamp skills. She confirms it was Isa’s and that her energy seems to be locked with in it. “From what I heard, I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to sing her way out.”
A clock chimes with the coming dawn. I gaze at Kenna and breathe deep as morning light slowly streams through the windows lining the eastern wall of the house.
Kenna nestles in the crook of my arm as the best minds in the pack continue to talk in low, hushed tones.
We’ll have to form a plan and regroup soon, but for now, rest and each other’s company is a priority.
Jackie dozes at the other end of the sofa. Kenna places a blanket over her mom.
I kiss my mate’s forehead softly. “You’re so kind. So caring. Not a monster at all. Except for the time your vampire power overtook you. That was terrifying.”
She takes my hand. “Come on. I have to show you something.”
We pass through the kitchen. An array of baked goods fill the counter—scones, cinnamon rolls, and more doughnuts.
“Alister has been busy,” I joke.
Kenna helps herself to one of each.
“Is this what you had to show me?” I ask, helping myself to seconds of the scones. The rich dough reminds me of my Scottish roots.
With her mouth full, she shakes her head.
Interested in what she wanted to show me, and before I have thirds, I drag her down the hallway, feeling relief, curiosity, and deep abiding love for my mate.
Chapter 25
Kenna
Hand in hand, Corbin and I pass through the hallway to the painting of my father. A well of sadness at not having known him longer and loss empties me out.
Using fae magic, I light the lanterns on the wall. “I guess I’ll have to find someone other than Clove to teach me to use these powers.”
Corbin grunts, likely not ready to talk about my brother’s betrayal.
We enter the room, filled with relics and the echo of my father and brother, combining to present me with a challenge—find the scepter, break the curse. I know they’re connected, but how?
As we enter, I lean close to a vaguely familiar broken mirror—I think I saw it last time I was here but in another room. Weird. I study my face. A faint bruise b
y my dark eyes heals over in a flash. I brush my hand over my heart, but there’s no wound where Melchior stabbed me. Peering down my shirt, I only see a faint, silver scar. But the skin is icy. I imagine that reminder of him slaying the vampire within will always be there. I also imagine blood will no longer cause me to thirst.
Corbin and I survey the maps on the wall, connecting imaginary lines between faraway places, islands in the Caribbean to the California coast, and here, seeing how the water connects it all together.
I’m reminded of Corbin and my first visit to Lonsdale when I had no idea what lay ahead. I shiver and the lights flicker.
He plants his hands on my shoulders. “I’m sorry for everything,” he says.
“Apology accepted. I’m willing to give you a second chance.”
His face brightens. “Thank you.”
“But you do realize, if you break my heart again, I will go full magical monster on you. I’ll give a new name to Magical’s Most Wanted.”
He smiles. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”
“So, you’re not going to expose the Klave or use me as a lure to expose my father so you can bring him to the Council?”
“I’m ashamed to say that I tried that to begin with.” He scrubs his hand down his face. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Your Alpha was thinking, which isn’t a bad thing, but remember that whole thing about the heart? Maybe listen to that more often. Or you can trust your butt, I mean gut.”
With a laugh, Corbin settles in a leather chair.
I pick up the book with the illustration of the scepter and pull out a silk bundle. I’d kept it in my backpack, which was in the Jeep. “The real scepter was powerful, but it’s incomplete without the gems. I have the Vampire Jewel.” I open my hand, revealing it to Corbin. “And a gem of my own.” I’m practically giddy as I turn the outside of my hand to face him, revealing the engagement ring with the yellow diamond.
“Does this mean you’ll still marry me?”
I wrap my arms around him. “You are forgiven.”