by R L Medina
“She deserves justice.” His face hardened.
“She does, but how? We’ve searched for her killer. We’ve found nothing.”
“I’m not giving up.”
I fell quiet. How could I make him realize the futility of his mission? Was it wrong for me to try to stop him? Rachel was my friend and I loved her too, but I’d given hope of ever finding out what really happened. Chasing a ghost when our pack needed us… I just couldn’t do it.
“Maybe the queen can help? She could use magic to track the killer?”
Elijah scoffed. “If she was going to do that, she would have offered already.”
My lips pursed. “We’ll talk to her again.”
“They hexed me, Val.”
I reeled at his words. My wolf growled.
“What? They… hexed you?”
Anger sparked inside me. I turned on my heel and marched toward the queen. The witch next to her stepped forward, eyes narrowing on me as he blocked my access to her.
All heads whipped toward me.
“Remove the hex.” My voice was steel.
The queen’s eyebrow arched at me. Her eyes darted around the room and back to me. “Excuse me?”
“Take the hex off of him.”
A short, haughty laugh escaped her. “That’s not happening. Look, I didn’t want to have to do it in the first place, but your mate didn’t leave me a choice. He bit one of my witches. I could have killed him. Thankfully, the bite didn’t turn him. The hex was the only way to keep him from hurting my coven again.”
My wolf urged me to attack, but logic told me to stand down. It was already done and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“The hex will only hurt him if he tries to hurt one of us,” she added.
I looked at him. This meant he couldn’t have his revenge. Instead his anger would build up inside of him. My heart twisted at the thought. Was there any chance of saving him now?
With nothing else to say, she turned away and motioned the witches to follow her. I glanced back to find Elijah and Drew eyeing each other warily. Becca stood by her brother, lip curling at my alpha.
I hurried over to them. “This is Drew and Becca. They’re friends.”
Elijah stiffened as he met Drew’s stare. I flushed.
They stood facing off, sizing each other up. Elijah was an expert at keeping his wolf leashed, but my wolf could sense our mate’s anger and jealousy. It was hot and boiling under that calm façade.
Becca’s eyes narrowed on Elijah, her hand ready on her gun. She wouldn’t think twice before shooting him, alpha or not.
The thought of leading all three of them to find the other alphas made me nervous. Maybe someone would change their mind and stay behind. Despite my doubt of having them all together, I was happy to have Elijah back.
Our mate.
20
McKenzie
Thanks to Kohl, the preparations for the covenant went quickly and smoothly. With the wolves and humans gone back to their camp, we were able to discuss the possibility of a traitor in our midst. It was a problem we’d have to deal with, but first we needed to get the barrier down and the covenant signed.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to just go? I can look at the grimoire myself.”
I turned at Kohl’s voice.
“No. I’m taking Deepa and Blake. I need you here, Kohl. To get the covenant ready for the blood moon. Let us handle the barrier. This has to happen as quickly as possible.”
His lips pursed. “The scroll is ready. You’ve signed it. We just need the other signatures.”
“Yes, and I want you to make sure no one leaves here to spill all our secrets to Diego. Keep an eye on everyone and protect that covenant.”
Guilt needled me. That wasn’t the only reason I wanted him to stay. I was going back into the lion’s den and the others were easy to fool and command, but not Kohl. He knew me too well. He would see my… reaction to Ryn. I couldn’t hide that from him and since I couldn’t trust myself not to react, I had to keep Kohl far away.
He stared hard at me, his hazel eyes looking greener in the sunlight. I forced an easy smile on my face, trying to dissuade his fears and suspicion.
“If I need you, I’ll call you.” I pointed at the charmed bracelet around my wrist.
“I’ll be too far to help. I don’t like this.”
I snorted. That seemed to be his motto lately, and I couldn’t blame him. None of the choices we were left with were easy.
“I’ll be fine. Just imagine once we break that barrier.” I let the excitement slip into my voice.
His face softened and his lips parted into a small smile. “Yeah. This is really happening.”
“With the covenant signed, Diego won’t be a problem anymore and if we can get more ingredients, more witches, we could actually do this, Kohl. We can stop the curse.”
“And then?” The hopefulness in his voice cut me like a knife.
And then? Was he seriously already trying to plan for after?
I snapped my mouth shut and averted my gaze. “Then… we’ll restore everything. Rebuild society.”
The words felt odd to me. Rebuild society? It was a huge, monumental, task and I didn’t feel capable of it.
“And us?”
My cheeks flamed. I knew what he was asking, but I didn’t have an answer. Please don’t make me say it.
“We’ll run the coven. Same as now.” I turned my back to him, my fingers curling and uncurling.
Silence stretched between us and I glanced back to find him still staring. Still waiting. Still hoping.
Damn it, Kohl.
A knock on my door broke the tension
“Queen McKenzie?” a voice called.
I sighed in relief and flew to the door to open it.
The witch bowed quickly and looked from me to Kohl. “Kohl.”
“What is it?” I asked.
Her eyes were wide, and she was breathing hard as if she’d just run all the way up to me. Maybe she had.
“It’s… a carriage. A carriage is here for you.”
I blinked at her in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”
She flushed. “Prince Ryn. He’s here. In a carriage. A real carriage. With horses and everything.”
How many times was she going to say carriage?
Kohl’s face turned sour. “That seems unnecessary.”
Heat spread up my neck. Why would he come for me when he knew we were returning? And had he really come himself instead of sending someone else? I ignored my fluttering heart and followed the witch out, Kohl close on my heels.
I turned to him. “I’ll be okay, Kohl. I’ll be back tomorrow night as soon as we have the barrier open.”
He bit his lip. “This is all happening so fast. What if… what if the barrier doesn’t open?”
“Then I’ll get back here as soon as I can to help with the covenant. Make sure Diego signs it and then,” I shrugged, “we’ll figure out the rest.”
Tossing my bag into the carriage, I looked up to see Ryn watching me from the driver’s bench. My pulse quickened at the sight of him. His curls were combed back, revealing his handsome face. Warm, gold eyes stared into mine and his lips were quirked into a hesitant smile. I flushed as his eyes dipped to my mouth. It grew warm in the carriage and it had nothing to do with the late summer air.
Kohl gave me a hand into the back of the carriage, and I slid to the far side.
“I was never really a horse girl, but this…” I glanced around, “is actually really nice.”
Deepa glanced at me and I shoved down my emotions. She and Blake scurried in after me with their own bags.
With a final wave to Kohl, who watched me with a worried brow, we were off. I scanned the area for any sign of Diego or his wolves. Was he too busy with his new prisoners? Or was he watching us, waiting for me to leave before he came after my witches next?
The gentle clip clop of the two horses echoed against the pebbled street
s. I’d wondered where the trained animals had disappeared to. Besides the old cars or bicycles we had found, horses were our best source of transport. Funny how we’d regressed. Out of all of us, the vampires were probably the most adjusted to life without technology. They’d lived through it before.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been through this park.” Ryn broke the awkward silence.
My head turned to see where he indicated. Towering oaks stretched above us, the branches sprawled out like arms reaching for the other trees. It was too early for the leaves to change and the weather was still warm, but visions of the past returned to me.
“It’s beautiful in the fall.” I smiled at the memories.
Ryn’s eyes watched me and I flushed. The sparks that I didn’t feel with Kohl, I felt with Ryn. The unfairness of it made my skin prickle. I tried to shake off the emotions. This wasn’t a date. Ryn was the next vampire king, and I was queen of the coven. We had far more important things to worry about and the last thing I needed was a stupid, impossible crush. Not to mention Deepa and Blake sat beside me and would no doubt report back to Kohl everything I did.
The rest of the ride, Ryn shared stories from his past. Stories of a Savannah I’d only ever glimpsed from history books. Most of his memories featured Fane too, and it was hard to reconcile the spirited, good-natured brother in his tales with the cold vampire I knew him as now.
I discovered a newfound hate for their father, the previous king, who was ten times the monster Fane or even Diego could ever be. Ryn and Fane were better off with him gone. They were free, and I liked Ryn as he was now. I liked him too much.
The sound of crisp pages turning echoed in the room and candle wax and dried herbs filled my nostrils. For a moment I was transported to the past. The study in my parent’s house where we were tutored in spell craft came back in vivid detail.
Mel always loved the smell of the old books and shriveled mint leaves. It had an almost magical effect on her, turning my serious, regal sister into a giddy child again. A twinge of pain stabbed me at the memories.
I hated those lessons—hated being trapped indoors to endure them—but what I wouldn’t give to go back now.
“This should be all the ingredients.” I nodded to Ryn.
Much to my surprise, he confessed that Fane, not him, had been the one to find the witch’s secret supply. Though I questioned Fane’s motives for helping us, I was grateful not to have to hunt down all the items.
Ryn stepped back from the grimoire. “Do you think this will work then?”
“I hope so. With the blood moon coming, we will have to act quickly. Magic will be at its peak. Deepa, Blake, and I will set it up tomorrow, and then once the moon is out, we’ll perform the spell. Then we’ll return to the coven. To sign the covenant.”
“Yes, and I’ll return with you. Make sure the vampires heed me.”
The images of them with the human slaves flashed in my mind. And Julia. Kohl had seen to her burial, but I should have been the one to say some words over her grave. To reassure my coven that I would make the vampires pay. There was so much blood on their hands and yet here I was making deals with them.
“Are you okay, Kenzie?” His concerned voice startled me.
I shook my head. “Did you know? Did you know what your brother did to those humans? The ones who led the mobs?”
Ryn’s face hardened. “Yes.”
Anger unfurled inside me. “How can you let him do that?”
“Would you rather he kill them? Turn them?” He frowned.
“I would rather he let them go.”
Ryn shook his head. “That would be dangerous. After the things they did…”
“You weren’t even there!”
“No, but Fane told me. If we set them free, they’ll only hunt us again.”
“No. Not with this covenant. We’ll all be taking the oath. To coexist. Without the violence and slavery.”
He stared at me. “Then I’ll make him release them. I promise. If that’s what you want.”
I blinked. What I want? What did he care what I wanted, and couldn’t he see how messed up Fane was?
“Kenzie. I know you’ve heard the stories of my past, but I’m not that same guy. I swear. I don’t want to go back to the darkness.” His voice was thick with emotion.
My own emotions rose up to meet his. I looked into his eyes. Big mistake.
The passion I saw there made my knees weaken. It was all I could do not to lean into him.
“What are you doing to me?” I hated the vulnerability I heard in my voice.
His gaze heated. “You feel it too?”
I turned away, unable to endure his stare.
“I don’t know what I feel.”
“I think you do.”
My pulse quickened. What was this game he was playing? It was dangerous, it was so dangerous, but my heart—traitor that it was—wanted this.
Wanted us. It wasn’t just lust. There was something there. Something real and powerful and completely, totally, undeniably impossible.
“We can’t.” I barely got the words out.
I didn’t look at him, but I willed him to understand. To listen to reason. If he could be logical about it, then I could too. One of us had to stop this before…
“Why?”
His question shattered me. Why? Ugh. Why did he have to go there?
“Because. You know why. You’re the vampire king and I’m bound to my coven. There is no… this,”—I drew an invisible line between us with my finger—“thing. Whatever it is. It ends now. There is no way this is going to happen. So, let’s be real about it, okay?”
His jaw hardened. “This is realest thing I’ve felt in all my 200 years.”
I pulled back, shaking my head. “Yeah, see that’s crazy. I’m 18. You’ve been alive for 200 years. You… I’m a witch. I’m not going to live that long.”
And he murdered all those people. Let his brother enslave more.
He kept moving toward me. My heart raced at his nearness. What was he doing?
“None of that matters to me. Why should it matter when we’re in love?”
Love? My eyes bulged. He thought this was love? A nervous chuckle escaped me. Oh, no. This is SO not happening.
I held up a hand to stop him from getting any closer. “You’re crazy. I know you were stuck in a coffin for two years, so it’s probably screwed with your mind, but I promise you, you are not in love, Ryn.”
His eyes burned into me. “I know what I feel, Kenzie. You can’t tell me what I’m feeling—what you’re feeling, isn’t real.”
I bit back a groan. He was insane. Gorgeous, unfairly, and ungodly so, but crazy as…
He leaned forward. I gasped as his lips caught mine. My body stiffened like a statue. I should have pushed away. Should have slapped him. But no, I didn’t do any of that.
His lips were warm and soft, and the passion behind his kiss weakened me.
My mouth moved on its own accord, meeting his hungry kiss with all the desperation of someone starved of affection. As if knowing we were on stolen time and this was just a dream. Any moment and it would be over, gone forever.
Reason returned and shame flooded me. Using my magic, I pushed him away.
“What are you doing? What if someone saw us? Are you crazy? You’re crazy!”
He was grinning, eyes sparkling with delight as if he’d just won a prize. I stilled. My stomach turned over in dread. Is that what this was? Some kind of sick competition with his brother?
Red spotted my vision. The simmering rage must have leaked through because his smile vanished.
He took a step back, mouth gaping and eyes blinking in confusion. Gorgeous even when he looked like a stupefied fish.
My hand shot out and before reason could take over, I let my magic fly. The pain was immediate as it tore through me and went wild.
Ryn’s grunt of pain echoed in my ears. He clutched his chest and stared at me with such a wounded look, I paused.
Was I wrong? Did it matter?
“I don’t want any part of this, Ryn. You and your sick brother just leave me alone.”
A tremor ran through me, but I stood strong. “I’ll help you take down the barrier and you’ll sign the covenant, find Julia’s killer, set the humans free, but that’s it. I am not your plaything. I’m the fucking queen of Savannah.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Kenzie.” He rubbed the spot where my magic had punched him.
The light in his eyes dimmed and the somber look he gave me made me feel like I was the one who should be apologizing. He didn’t seem like he was acting. The emotion in his voice sounded so real.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you. I promise, it won’t happen again.”
My chest tightened. In a flash, he was gone, and I was left standing in the wake of his leave, the air grew chillier without him. I wrapped my arms around myself and took a deep breath. Guarding myself from him was for the better, but why did it feel wrong?
Unable to focus on the grimoire, I turned and stormed down the hall back toward my room.
A figure moved in the shadows, making me pause. Blue eyes blinked at me and I couldn’t stop the outward groan as it rolled off my lips.
“Fane.” I glared at him.
He emerged, looking just as elegant and sexy as his brother, but instead of the gentleness and kindness Ryn portrayed, Fane’s lips were spread in a cold smile.
The bloody devil himself.
“Are you stalking me now?”
His eyes drank me in, making me bristle.
“You’d like that wouldn’t you? For me to follow you like a lovesick puppy? Like that sappy-eyed henchman of yours.”
My fists clenched. “Shut your mouth.”
Egged on, he circled me, and I could tell he’d barely begun his harassment.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not the lovesick type. Now sex on the other hand…” His voice was smooth.
I threw an arm up. “Get the hell out of my way, Fane. I’ve had enough of you bloodsuckers for one day.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’ve seen my brother? I guess the early bird does get the worm, huh?”