by Jen L. Grey
“We have all the time in the world to learn them.” His lips brushed against mine softly at first, causing electricity to course through my body.
Not able to refuse him any longer, I opened my mouth, and my tongue ran along his lips.
He groaned and wrapped his fingers in my hair, opening his mouth and matching my tongue, brush for brush.
My wolf surged forward, and a low growl emanated from my throat. The intensity began to grow between us, and my wolf lashed against my body.
Shit, she was trying to force the change on me. I gasped and jerked back, grabbing my head.
“Elena, what’s wrong?” His voice was laced with concern.
“I need Rose.” I wasn’t ready for my uncle to know about me yet. Not now.
“A flower?” He glanced around outside like he was searching for some kind of blooming plant.
“No, witch.” With shaking hands, I grabbed my purse and pulled out the sticky note with her number written on it. “Call her, please. Take me to her.’ I had meant to make him run away by telling him a lie. But it appeared that the truth would have to do it. He already knew one of my secrets.
He unfolded the paper and grabbed his phone. It wasn’t long before she picked up.
“I’m calling for Elena. She’s screaming in pain, and she says she needs you now.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “We’ll be there in ten minutes.”
He squealed out of the yard to take me to her.
My wolf ran rampant inside, trying to force the change on me. If she gained it, she knew we’d finally be synced enough for her to have influence.
It took all my focus and energy to keep her in check.
“We’re here.” Mason’s tone was tense, and he turned off the car. “Are you sure we should be here?”
I slowly nodded my head, sweat covering my forehead. I didn’t have the energy to say no.
“Okay.” He jumped out of the car and opened the passenger door. He picked me up gently, and I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
Luckily, the door was unlocked despite the sign being off. When he stepped inside, he pulled in a quick breath. “Witch.”
I was going to have to explain everything when this was all said and done. Maybe he’d keep my secret and leave without a fight. Then again, a part of me hoped the bond would make him want to stay, to at least protect me.
“Put her on the ground.” Rose ran into the room with her bowl. She grabbed a dagger from the counter and scrambled the rest of the way to me. “You’re almost too late.” She dropped to her knees and reached for my hand. “You have to pay the price, or the spell won’t work.”
“Get that away from her. What the hell?” Mason’s voice was laced with warning.
“Each spell requires a sacrifice.” The witch ignored him as her eyes stayed on mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Do … it ....” The vampires couldn’t be worse than my uncle.
She nodded as she reached over and picked up my hand.
“What the hell. Do not cut her.” Mason’s voice was more rasp than tone at this point.
“It’s not your decision,” Rose spoke harshly as she pierced my finger and took a drop of my blood.
My wolf roared more in desperation. She knew what was going to happen.
Rose touched my hand and mouthed the words of the spell.
Magic swirled inside me and slammed my wolf back inside her cage. As soon as her spell was completed, she ran to the back room with my blood.
I took a deep breath and relished the fact that the internal struggle was gone.
“She was close to breaking free.” She appeared from the back room and raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” My voice was barely a whisper. The fight between me and my wolf had been tiring. I was exhausted, and it took every ounce of strength to get up from the floor. “But we need to talk.”
“I’d have to agree with that statement.” Mason leaned against the cash register, staring at me as I remained sitting on the ground.
“Hey, I tried.” I wasn’t going to take any of his shit over this. I had already decided to come clean before we kissed. He was the one who was going to take the fall on that one. “Don’t get mad and grumbly on me. We can talk when we get home.” My eyes settled on Rose. “I want to know what you’re using my blood for.”
“That’s none of your concern.” She lifted her head and shook it at me. “That breaks our arrangement.”
If she thought that was going to work, the bitch had another thing coming.
Chapter Twelve
“That all changed when a fucking vampire recognized my scent.” If she thought she could play the innocent card, I knew I’d have to call her bluff now. I only hoped that Mason would stay quiet and ask questions after we left.
“Are you talking about the one I fought tonight?” Mason tilted his head as he processed my words.
“Yeah.” I didn’t turn my gaze on him. Rather, I kept my eyes on her. “I’m assuming you’ve got something to do with that.”
“What? That shouldn’t be possible.” She placed her hand on her chest where her heart beat. “I’ve been diluting your blood and everything.”
Mason growled as he crossed his arms.
“Obviously not enough.” That had to be why that vampire at work had been stalking me. “Between him and the vampire that keeps visiting my work, I’d say more than one has already figured it out.”
“Only a very strong alpha’s blood would allow a vampire to distinguish the scent of the blood the way the we’ve been using it.” She pursed her lips and tapped her foot. “Which is impossible in your case seeing as you’ve never shifted.”
A quick intake of breath told me that Mason was piecing it all together. “It doesn’t matter if it should be possible or not.” He pushed off the counter and moved to stand beside me. “The fact is they are.”
“You do realize he’s going to cause you to have more of a struggle, right?” Rose arched her eyebrow so high it hid under her bangs. “First off, he has a strong wolf; and second, your two wolves are mates. Your wolf is going to want to come out.”
“Do you not think I realize that?” I had been desperate to get here. “The bond is forcing itself on us.”
“Have you two been fighting it?” Rose’s eyes landed on Mason. “I’m a little jealous that he’s yours.”
“Focus on those last two words you just said, and stop fucking with us.” He wrapped his arm around me. “You better stop using her blood. If something happens to her, there’s no telling what could happen to you.”
This wasn’t good. Why was he protecting me? He should be disgusted and not want to be near me. I needed him to realize the truth and walk away because I didn’t have the strength to fight it any longer. I was too weak and tired.
“Are you really threatening me right now?” Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. “After I just helped her.”
“I’m not sure that you are helping her if she has vampires hunting her down.” Mason’s fingers dug into my hip a little.
“And I just gave you more blood.” Mona and Kassie had been right. I should’ve never trusted the hag. Maybe the price was too high. “What are you going to do with it now that you know?”
“We still need it.” She huffed and straightened her shoulders. “Those vampires are attacking our covens.”
“What for?” I deserved to know now.
“That is official coven business and not something that I can openly discuss with you.” She huffed and tapped her foot on the ground. “But you’ve saved so many lives.”
“That’s great to know.” At this point, why did it matter whether she used my blood again? They were already targeting me. “All right, we’ve gotta get back before people start worrying about us.”
“I’m more than ready.” There was an edge to Mason’s tone.
He was pissed, and I understood.
“You have my number if you need me.” She
grinned and motioned toward the door. “I’ll lock up after you.”
Mason took my hand and almost ran to the door. Granted, he had a good five inches on my five-foot-ten-inch self.
Once we took a step outside, I had expected him to drop my hand, but he didn’t. However, we walked in silence straight to his car. He opened the door for me and shut it, climbing inside the car within seconds.
I’d expected a ton of questions, but he remained silent as he drove, heading to God-knew-where. I wanted to ask where, but I was afraid to be the one to speak first. Not that I was scared of him, but I was, instead, terrified of his reaction.
We pulled into a section of town I’d never been to. We turned on a gravel road, and he continued on until we reached a small lake.
He stopped his car and got out.
Needing to figure out his thoughts, I opened the door and climbed out before he could reach my side.
He must have heard because he headed the five feet to the lake.
I followed behind him and stopped a few inches shy of him. I needed him to be the one who broke the silence.
A breeze picked up, blowing a few pieces of hair behind my shoulders. There was a little bit of a chill in the air now that we were getting to the end of September.
“It’s strange.” He kept his head facing forward, staring off at the lake. “I’m not sure whether I should feel pissed, relieved, or indifferent.”
“Indifferent?” That concerned me most of all, but it was what I needed. If he didn’t care, he would leave.
“Yeah, because it doesn’t matter.” He huffed and turned around to face me. “You’re it for me. There’s no turning back, and now I know you feel it too.”
“I do.” I bit my bottom lip and ran my hand through my hair. He wasn’t doing what I expected him too. He planned to stay, and I wasn’t sure that I could fight it any longer. Still, he had to know the truth. What he was getting himself into if he wasn’t the one to walk away. It was his call. “I was trying to end things with you before we kissed. There’s so much you don’t know.”
“At least it makes sense now. I thought I was going crazy. A wolf mating with a human is impossible. Now, I learn that you’re a wolf shifter who’s suppressing her own damn wolf with the help of a witch?” A humorless laugh barked out of him. “Damn, that sounds crazier out loud than it did in my head.”
“It does.” I blew out my breath. “There are things about me that you don’t know.”
“Then let me in.” He ran his hand over his face and shook his head. “There isn’t anything you could tell me that would change how I feel.”
“I never meant to get you to bond with me.” I had to make sure he realized that it caught me by surprise just like him. “In fact, that’s why I was so hostile and tried so hard to avoid being around you. For your safety, you need to walk away from me.”
“No. There’s no way in hell I’m walking away, and I don’t think you manipulated the bond.” He rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. “When the witch asked if we had been fighting it, it made me remember something my grandmother told me.”
“Oh, really?” Maybe he had a piece of the puzzle.
“On her deathbed, she told me the true tale of her and my grandfather.” He took a step toward me and sighed. “Apparently, she fought the bond, which isn’t natural. Because of that, fate took control and began to force their bond to merge until they both were in too deep. We did the same thing.”
I should’ve known better. “The strongest alphas always find their mate, so the bond has to do what it needs, to make them one.” There was no way we could go on now. Our souls had begun merging. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” He reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers. “I’m not. Before that day I saw you in the hallway looking for your class, I kind of was just going through the motions.”
“Wait. You saw me?” I remembered it was right after I freaked out the first time in the student center with Ella. I had run out, getting to my next class early. That was the first time I saw him, and I didn’t have a clue he noticed me.
“Yeah, I was trying to act aloof.” He laughed. “You smelled human.”
“I believed I could be human.” I wished I could say that I hoped this had never happened, but I couldn’t fathom life without him. “I can’t shift.”
“Why not?” His green eyes sought mine for answers. “Why would you not embrace your animal?”
“What I’m about to tell you, it’s something I’ve never told anyone else before.” I couldn’t face him. I couldn’t watch his reaction. I stepped around him and faced the lake. “I don’t want anyone to know about this. Not even Ella, okay?”
“Of course.” His voice grew louder as he turned toward me. “Every part of you is safe with me.”
That was the problem. I may have been safe from him, but he was most likely not safe because of me. “I told you that my parents died, right?”
“You did.”
“But I didn’t tell you what caused it and how they died.” Memories flashed through my mind, and I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears. “I was six years old, and we were at a dinner party. King Adelmo was there for a visit.”
“Wait. The top alpha for Europe?” His tone was an octave higher than it usually was.
If I wasn’t bearing my soul to him, I would’ve made fun of him. “Yeah, he was visiting Dad and Mom to talk about something political.” A laugh almost slipped out as I thought back at my mom rolling her eyes at me. “But my uncle came over unannounced and told Dad that he needed to talk to him immediately.”
I paused a moment to see if he was going to speak, but the only thing I could hear was the ripples of the water from the breeze. “Dad took him to his study while my aunt told Mom that she needed to talk to her.” All the details were foggy, but it didn’t matter. The outcome was the same. “As we followed my aunt, my uncle’s son, Richard took Adelmo to the library. As we walked into the room with my aunt, she turned around with a knife in her hand.”
Now, all I could see were the memories. “She went for me first, but Mom somehow managed to kick her at the last second despite the long gown she had been wearing that night. With all the noise, Mona ran into the room and told us to run.”
I’d never forget the terror that reflected in Mona’s eyes. “Mom and I ran out toward the kitchen when Dad and Kassie showed up. Dad’s coat had been ripped from where a knife cut into him. Anyway, long story short, Dad, Mom, Kassie, Mona, and I jumped into one of the vehicles in the garage. Mona and Kassie sat in the back with me with their guns out and ready for whatever might happen.”
“Someone followed you.” Mason’s words weren’t a question but a statement.
“Yes, someone did. They ran us off the road, and we rolled toward an embankment and wound up in the water.” A tear managed to escape and slide down my cheek. “Mona got me out, and Kassie tried to save them, but they were already dead. Kassie barely escaped before the car exploded, removing any evidence of what happened.”
“Why does that story sound so familiar?”
He was a little boy when it happened, so that was probably why it didn’t stand out in his mind. “Because it was the day your king died, and soon after, his brother, King Darren, ascended the throne.”
“You’re the princess who died.” His voice was a whisper. “But you’re the rightful heir to the throne.”
“I don’t want it.” I finally turned around, surprised to see concern lining his face. “My parents lost their lives because of the crown.”
“Oh, baby.” He closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’m so sorry. No wonder you haven’t let anyone close.”
“That’s why the vampires can recognize the scent of my blood.” I buried my face into his chest, sharing the burden with someone for the first time in my life. “I thought since I hadn’t allowed my change, my blood would be less potent.”
“Your blood is your blood.” He
kissed my forehead and sighed. “Changing doesn’t alter your DNA. It’s who you are. Is that why you’ve been trying not to shift?”
When he said it like that, it made me feel ignorant. “Well, not exactly.” I raised my head so I could see his face. “You know how an alpha can feel the members of his pack once everyone goes through their first shift?”
“My father is our alpha, and yes, he’s told me.”
“The king can feel all of us.” It wasn’t something that was widely discussed even though it wasn’t a secret. “If I shift, he’ll know…” My voice broke off.
“That you’re alive.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “That makes sense, but I’m worried about what it’s doing to you. You couldn’t see the way you looked tonight.”
“She’s been getting stronger.” I couldn’t believe how supportive he was being. I figured he’d be grossed out or thought I was a coward.
“You do realize that you aren’t actually two separate beings, right?” He reached over and pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “That’s probably one reason you’re struggling. Your soul is splintering.”
Yeah, that didn’t sound good. “What else am I supposed to do?” I didn’t see any other option.
“I don’t know.” He placed his hands on my arms and rubbed them. “But we’re going to figure this out together. You’re not pushing me away anymore. If you leave, I’ll find you. Even if I have to get that freaky witch to help.”
“I like the sound of that.” Those words had always seemed so scary before now.
“Me too.” His eyes fell back to my lips. “Dammit, I really want to kiss you right now.”
“What’s stopping you?” At that moment, his lips on mine seemed like the most important thing.
“We’d be heading back to that witch for another spell.”
“When you put it that way…” I hated the situation we were in. “I don’t know what to do.”
“For tonight, why don’t we go hang out at your place and just be a guy and his girlfriend spending time at her house.” He tugged me toward the car. “And then tomorrow, I’ll come pick you up for breakfast, and we’ll get back to the serious matters at hand.”