by Breezy Jones
Focusing, I fought through the pain and summoned my magic. If I wanted to win, I couldn’t waver. I closed my eyes as Krampus clamped down on my side. The magic filling my veins only delivered ecstasy—no pain. Krampus had showed me my true strength, and I would use it against him.
I pushed against him with my paws and threw him off of me. He flew a few feet, skidding across the concrete. Krampus growled viciously and scrambled to his feet before charging again. I ran to meet him, throwing my weight against his chest. His teeth latched onto my neck. He swung his head and whipped me across the room.
I hit the wall hard. The plaster shook loose and pieces fell around me. Any magic I had summoned evaporated, leaving a pain so intense I couldn’t move or even scream.
Instantly, I shifted to human form again. My clothes were shredded, hanging around my body. Maybe my magic was keeping me from being naked.
My head spun as I struggled to adjust my eyes.
A snarl sounded, curdling my blood. I forced myself to stand, trying to push through the pain. Another grunt came from Krampus as my vision cleared.
Krampus stood strong and proud on all four paws, staring steadily at me. Across the room I saw Ryker fighting against four men. Three others distracted Vixen and Jack. Ryker managed to take out one man when another jabbed him in the side with a clawed hand. Ryker fell to the ground, and my heart stopped in my chest. The other two men piled on top of him, kicking and punching, their bodies engulfed in white magic.
I pushed myself up and ran at Krampus, roaring at the top of my lungs.
Summoning all the magic I could, I was determined to end this.
Raising my arms in front of me, I focused on the warm magic coursing through my veins. Krampus’ lips curled back over his teeth as he lowered himself readying for my attack. Purple light surrounded me, and the cement beneath my feet crumbled with each footfall.
The impact should have slowed me down, but it was as if an invisible force field displaced all the debris. The roof cracked and began to fall in sheets, the night sky shining beyond.
I didn’t stop or slow down. I zeroed in on Krampus’s fur-covered face and let it fuel the rage inside of me. Red light shimmered around him like an aura protecting him from the debris.
The magic raging around me electrified the air. My body buzzed so violently it hurt. I summoned more strength from everyone and everything around me. With one last snarl, I threw myself against Krampus, wrapping my arms around his middle and pushed the magic through me and into him. His claws dug into my sides, but I ignored the pain.
We flew across the room and into the wall where we both crashed into the floor. A multicolored explosion of magic engulfed us. Stone fell around our entangled bodies, the ground shaking beneath us. Darts of color flitted from my body to his as the crystal pendant around my neck shattered into tiny shards before finally turning into a pile of white dust.
I screamed in pain as the magic left my body. Krampus shifted into human form, his body beaten and broken as blood ran from his lips.
He reached a hand out to me, his eyes strained with the bright green that I knew reflected my own. “You have…” He grunted in pain. “Set us free.” He took one last breath as the light left his eyes, turning them to a dull version of their previous vibrant color.
And just like that, Krampus was gone.
He was my father, and I had killed him.
The realization slammed through me until I couldn’t breathe. My chin quivered, and I hung my head. Through my blurry vision, I saw my father’s lifeless form.
Darkness pressed through me like a crushing weight, threatening to suck me under. I didn’t know how much longer I could fight it. In the distance, Ryker screamed my name. My head whipped up, and I searched the crumbled mess for him. The factory resembled a war zone with people darting in every direction.
A shot of blue smoke lit up around Lindsey’s body, nearly blinding me, but it dissipated in seconds, and her body jerked upright as she gasped. I followed the blue magic and spotted Enzo, his fingers outstretched toward Lindsey. A second later, he dropped his hand and turned making his way over to me. He knelt down in front of me.
“A deal’s a deal,” he said,
“What is that you want?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, and Enzo smiled wickedly.
“Your magic,” he said, and blue smoke lit up around me.
I screamed out as pain rippled through my veins. I watched as his blue smoke turned darker as it mixed with my own magic and slowly dissipated.
“I thought the crystal was destroyed?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“The crystal only channels the magic that is already within you.”
I glared at him as he winked back and in a puff of smoke he disappeared.
My head spun, making me dizzy as I tried to pull myself up from the floor. I fell back down and leaned against the wall. Someone was coming closer, but I couldn’t make them out through the haze of my vision. I closed my eyes, fighting against the intense pain ripping through my body. When I opened my eyes again, Ryker knelt over me. I smiled, relaxing against the cold stone wall.
“We did it,” I said, my voice weak.
Ryker smiled back at me. “You did it,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. Slowly, he leaned in winding his hands around my hips and kissed me gently. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he hauled me up to my feet. I winced against his lips, and he tightened his arms around my waist. He bent low so that his breath tickled my ear and said, “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Snow fell lazily, casting the world in a winter wonderland—the perfect setting for Christmas Eve day. With Krampus defeated, I now had a chance to appreciate the beauty of it, but I was beyond exhausted. I stifled a yawn, following behind Ryker. He carried Lindsey’s still unconscious form up the stairs of his front porch. Pain rippled through my body as I climbed the steps. I’d sustained many injuries at Krampus’s warehouse but thankfully most of them were minor. I winced from the effort, but I was glad that Lindsey was alive. We had been lucky. Though many of us sported some serious cuts and bruises, we were all okay, and that thought made my shoulders relax. I opened the door for Ryker, and he scooted by me to get inside and stopped.
Fear crept down my spine and my breath hitched the second I crossed the threshold. Ryker’s living room was a mess. Like my apartment, his home had been turned over. Everything scattered and tossed about the rooms. I ran through the debris to the kitchen and dining area. They were untouched which gave me pause. The only reason I could think of for trashing only part of a house was if the intruder wasn’t looking for a thing but a person. Maybe they fought? I couldn’t be sure.
When I returned to the living room, Lindsey was lying on the couch. Ryker was jogging down the stairs with a phone to his ear.
“No, it’s been trashed. Lexi’s gone.” Ryker’s voice was strained.
The sound pulled at my heart. I stared out the window, wrapping my arms around myself.
“Yeah, I’m headed to her house now,” he said and put his phone in his pocket. He took the last few stairs and said to me, “She’s not here, I’m gonna check her house.”
I looked back at him over my shoulder. His eyes bore into mine and reflected my fear and concern for Lexi.
“I’m going with you,” I said, rushing toward him just as he hit the bottom landing. His lips pulled into a thin line, but he didn’t argue as we hurried out the door. Ryker was down the front steps and onto the sidewalk in seconds. I followed behind him running as hard as my legs could carry. I held my side, grimacing with each footfall, but I didn’t care. I pushed myself harder and ignored the pain.
Ryker slowed in front of a small white house decked out with Christmas lights and garland, only a few houses down from his. I slowed behind him as he made his way up the steps just as the front door opened and Mason exited.
“She’s not here either,” Mason said, anger laced his words.
My shoulders slumped. I looked back at Ryker’s house before facing the men on the porch.
“The house is clean and there’s no scent. Whoever took her knew she would be at your place,” Mason continued.
Ryker only grunted and pushed past Mason into Lexi’s house. I toed the sidewalk with a boot wondering if I should follow. Mason stood with his hands deep in his pockets, and his brows furrowed. He looked ready to kill, echoing my own thoughts.
I took a step toward the house when the door swung wide again, and Ryker stepped onto the porch.
“Dammit,” he ground out, taking the two steps off the porch slowly. He stopped just in front of me and pulled me in an embrace.
I buried my face into his chest forcing back the want to cry.
“What about Hot Shots?” Ryker asked, his voice reverberating through my skin.
“Pops was just there. She wasn’t,” Mason said then paused. He exhaled loudly. “He’s gonna meet us at your house.”
Ryker’s head weighed against my hair. “Come on, little wolf,” he said, gently pulling away.
I peeked up at him, his pain written so plainly behind his dark eyes it wrenched my insides. He took my hand as we started back down the street.
The world around me no longer looked beautiful. The snow falling from the sky was as cold as the blood in my veins. In only a few short minutes, we reached Ryker’s house and climbed the steps with Mason right behind us. Ryker pushed open the front door, and the warm air greeted us, but it did little to heat the ice that had formed inside of me.
Ryker released my hand, and I moved to stand in front of the window. The peaceful world outside grated against my nerves. I hoped that if I looked long enough Lexi would appear. She didn’t, and the ice inside me spread. I turned toward Ryker as he busied himself with the fireplace. My shoulders sagged, and my heart pounded as I watched him throw the logs in with force, but he didn’t light them. He only stared into the dark pit. I couldn’t blame him for being angry. Had he been here instead of helping me, Lexi wouldn’t have been taken. The thought brought fresh pain to stab at my chest. It was my fault she wasn’t here.
I turned back to the window as anger twisted and turned my gut. Mason’s footsteps sounded behind me, headed toward the kitchen as I continued staring into the night.
Ryker came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, and I leaned into him. He tightened his grip around me and I pulled my eyes closed tight.
In a determined voice, he said, “We’ll find her.”
I sighed, “How do you know?” I turned in his arms and looked up. My voice cracked as I said, “We have no idea where she went or why she left,”
Ryker’s chest heaved against me. His voice and eyes went hard. “She didn’t leave. Someone had to have taken her.”
I didn’t disagree, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud yet. We saved Lindsey only to lose Lexi. My ribcage ached with a hollowness so deep it was painful.
“Lexi’s resourceful,” Ryker said firmly. “She’ll figure a way back to us.”
I closed my eyes for a second before pulling away and crossing my arms. “She shouldn’t be gone in the first place.”
The world shouldn’t be allowed to look so calm and peaceful with Lexi gone. I squared my shoulders from the hole that darkened my heart.
“I know…” Ryker said, his hand finding mine. I squeezed it hard. We would find her, and we would do it together. Ryker guided me to the couch, and I sat down as he moved to the fireplace. He stared into the black ashes left from the previous nights.
On the coffee table in front of me rested a gift box. I eyed it as if it held something both precious and poisonous all at once. Inside it was the ornament Ryker and I had picked out for Lexi. The glittering wolves would have sparkled in the Christmas tree lights. Ryker must have placed the box on the table last night. Lexi should be here to hang her ornament on Christmas day.
Shoving the box away, I buried my face in my hands.
A knock pounded on the door, jolting me from my thoughts. I rubbed the stress from my face as Mason stomped back into the living room.
“Come in,” Ryker said, turning from the fireplace. A moment later the door opened.
Pops and Seth came in with hard lines set into their normally warm faces. I relaxed against the cushions as Ryker came over, taking my hand as he sat down on the arm of the couch. I waited as they all took a seat.
“There’s no trace of her. Not even a scent to follow or alert us to where she might have gone.” Seth’s words were laced with pain.
“It’s the same at her house,” Ryker said.
Pops crossed one boot over the other as he leaned against a wall. “We won’t give up though.”
Ryker’s jaw clenched, and I squeezed his hand. The action was instinctual but also a brutal reminder of what was missing. It wasn’t fair for me to be here, to feel love when Lexi was missing. My heart ached even more, and I slouched.
“Of course,” Ryker said, watching me closely.
He would move heaven and earth to find his sister.
“What about Eric? Could he have taken her?” I asked, the words barely a whisper. “He left the pack, too, didn’t he?”
Seth shifted his position where he stood by the door. “No. Magic would be needed to remove a scent, and Eric doesn’t have that.”
“He wouldn’t do that, anyway,” Ryker said. “He’s mad but not stupid. No other packs wouldn’t take him in if he’s kidnapped my sister. They wouldn’t want to start that kind of war.”
“Krampus is dead, so he can’t have her, right?” Seth said, grasping at straws.
I rubbed my temples with shaky fingers “I think Krampus was under some kind of spell.” I said, and Ryker eyed me with his brows knitted together. “Before he died, he said I’d set them free.” I sucked my lower lip between my teeth. “I don’t know what he meant exactly but that’s what it sounded like.”
“Who would have been controlling him?” Mason asked, his head tilted and his brows furrowed.
My shoulders lifted with my inhale. “I don’t know.”
Ryker stomped his foot in frustration. “There has to be something—anything that can give us a clue.”
I tucked my arm in his and leaned against him.
“We’ll keep looking,” Pops said, turning toward the door.
“Let me know if you find anything,” Ryker said, his voice laced with anguish.
“Of course,” Mason said as he followed Pops to the door. Seth brought up the rear.
The door closed behind them with a click. The silence enveloped the room with an unsettling heaviness.
Ryker pressed his lips together and then said, “When I find who’s taken my sister, I’m going to kill them.”
Unease built inside of me, but one thing I knew for sure. He’d have to get in line behind me…
Acknowledgements
My thanks and love first to Kyle, my husband, my rock, and my constant encourager. Thank you for formatting the mess this document was for print, and your patience through the editing, and mostly for not murdering me through this entire process and (hopefully) in the future. I love you with all my heart.
Thank you to my girl Alex. Your spirit is so present in this book that it’s part of what makes it a living thing. You’ve been a sounding-board, a ledge-talker, a jokester, and a shoulder to cry on. How could I have ever done this without you? The joy of sharing this experience with you will be something I always cherish -- Always. Now let’s do it again!
Thank you to Stephanie for reading this when it was chaos and for your thoughts and comments. These are what helped put the plug in the major plot holes this story had and pulled it all together. Thank you for your time and energy, because without it, I’d be lost.
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Thank you, Heather! Girl my heart grew three sizes with the support, advice, and help you have given to me with this. Your understanding and guidance on my first novel were the roundhouse to the face this book needed, and I’ll love you forever for that and so much more!
Thank you to all my friends and family for your constant support and encouragement. Without you all I don’t think I’d have had the courage to take on this challenge.
Thank you to Syneca for this gorgeous cover and putting up with me being such a picky pain in the butt. Thank you to Shantella for editing this on such short notice, for suffering the horrible grammar I have, and being so gracious! And to my other editor – girl you know who you are, and you were my life saver on this.
And to you, reader – thank you for taking a chance on a first-time author, on this story, this piece of my heart that I put out into the world. You make it all worth the hard work!
It takes a village to publish a book. You all are my village—without whom this book would never have seen the light of day. For that I am eternally grateful, because you all helped to make my dreams come true!