by M H Soars
“What about the girl?” Sam asks.
“She’s Valerius’s sister and one of his many victims. She helped me despite the risk to herself.”
“We need to reach Mom and Tristan as soon as possible. Now that you escaped, Valerius will descend on us with all his might.”
I suck in a breath, realizing now I never told them the most crucial information. “Seth and Lyria are traitors. They were the ones who delivered me to Valerius.”
“Son of a bitch.” Sam jumps to his feet, his body now shaking with rage. “We need to get the hell out of here now.”
“Calm down.” Dante gets up as well. “Mom knows about Seth. She won’t be caught off guard.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Bringing my knees up to hug them, I wrestle with the heavy weight crushing my chest. “How is Tristan?”
Both brothers turn to me, their expressions revealing nothing.
“We haven’t talked to Tristan since he went to Valerius to claim you,” Dante says, his tone almost apologetic.
Dropping my chin on top of my knees, I close my eyes for a moment. My nose begins to burn. If I don’t control my emotions, I’ll start to cry. “I hurt him so much when I refused the bond. Do you think he’ll ever forgive me?”
Dante reaches for my arms, lifting me off the floor. “Hey, don’t worry too much about Tristan. Deep down, he knows you did what you thought was best.”
“How can you know? You said you haven’t spoken to him since that evening.”
“Because I know my brother. He likes to play tough, but he’s the most sensitive of the three of us.”
“For sure.” Sam runs his fingers up my arms in a soft caress. “Tristan is all about woe is me.”
A lonely tear escapes the corner of my eye, and I hastily wipe it off. I appreciate Dante’s and Sam’s attempts to make me feel less guilty, but deep in my heart, I know that what I did to Tristan crushed his soul. It almost felt like I reopened an old wound.
More than ever, I wish the voice in my head would make an appearance. I don’t know what she is, but I could use her motivational words.
Dante moves in front of me, capturing my face between his callused hands to stare deep into my eyes. “Stop worrying about Tristan for now. You need to rest. It’s been a long day and tomorrow promises to be even longer.”
“I’m too wired up to sleep.”
Sam comes from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me on the shoulder. “Maybe we can help you relax.”
Despite my worry, my body reacts to Sam’s caress, and the yearning for both wolves returns as strong as before. Tired of feeling wretched, I relinquish control, allowing the bond to overcome the sadness wrapped around my heart. I won’t feel complete until Tristan is with us, but for the moment, being loved by Sam and Dante has to be enough.
I don’t know who leads me to one of the bunk beds, but suddenly, I’m tumbling down on the soft mattress, sandwiched between Sam and Dante. After that, everything is a blur of limbs, hot kisses, and out-of-this-world pleasure. I lose count of how many times I orgasm before I’m too exhausted to remain awake.
A loud knock on the door wakes me with a start. Then Xander’s booming voice calling for Sam and Dante lifts any remains of sleepiness from my mind. I fell asleep between my mates. When they try to get out of bed without jostling me, it becomes the most uncoordinated effort I’ve ever seen. I’m poked in the ribs by Sam, then Dante hits his head on the bed when he miscalculates the height of the second bed on top.
“Ugh, guys, stop moving for a second.”
“Sorry,” they say in unison.
Sam, who is on the edge, gets out of bed first, then I do the same, followed by Dante.
Glancing down at my naked body, I’m overcome with shyness when Dante tells Xander to come in. A stupid reaction for sure since the bear shifter has already seen me sans clothes and he didn’t bat an eyelash. I still have to work on my former human hang-ups. Nonetheless, I step behind Sam.
“Jesus Christ. I’ve been banging on the door for five minutes.”
“We were exhausted,” Dante replies.
“Yeah, I figured. I take it the reunion went well.” Xander’s tone is cold and practical. He’s not trying for levity here. He still has a stick up his ass.
“Any news from our pack?” Sam asks.
“Yes, they aren’t good. Valerius attacked the compound yesterday; there were losses.”
“Who?” I ask, fearful that Tristan was among them. I don’t know how the bond works, but maybe my sadness could be linked to… no, I can’t think like that.
“I don’t know. Seth didn’t really elaborate.”
“Seth? Why the hell are you’re getting updates from Seth?” Sam takes a step forward, not taming the raw energy one bit.
“That’s the bad news. It seems there’s been a coup. Dr. Mervina got hurt during the attack, and the pack voted her out of the alpha role. When I asked about the seriousness of your mother’s injuries, Seth said she would recover, but that’s all I got before I got disconnected.”
Meaning before Seth ended the call.
“Son of a bitch!” Dante turns, punching the bunk bed’s side, his fist going right through it. I expect Xander to say something, complain Dante just destroyed his property, but the bear remains silent, his face a stony wall.
Sam, on the other hand, watches his brother as if he’s seeing another person. “Calm down, Dante.”
He turns around, his eyes flashing anger. “I’m tired of being the calm one. I knew this would happen. I warned Tristan over and over again about that snake.” He pauses, glaring at the ceiling. “Shit. Mom knew they were plotting to remove her, but she dismissed my worries, saying she could handle things.”
“She probably didn’t count on getting hurt,” I interject, touching his arm and forcing him to look at me. The fury in his eyes dampens a little, but he isn’t calm by far.
“Tristan should have taken her place.” Sam glances at Xander.
“I don’t know the details. When I asked to speak to Tristan, Seth said he wasn’t available.”
“It means that bastard made his move already. I’m going to kill him.” Sam’s body starts to shake, and I sense he’s on the verge of shifting. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I make him look at me, too. I can’t have both Sam and Dante losing their minds now.
“He will pay. But we can’t be foolish now. We need a plan.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on here. Why would Seth plot against Tristan? I thought they were best friends.”
“Seth is vile. He’s responsible for Red’s abduction. He’s working with Valerius,” Dante replies.
Xander’s face twists into an angry scowl as he projects a great power from his frame. I feel the blast of it, and it’s enough to make me shake from head to toe. Jesus. These shifters are intense.
“You knew Seth was a traitor and you didn’t think it was wise to warn the rest of us?”
“We had no proof,” Dante argues.
“It doesn’t matter. Now Valerius has access to two packs. He won’t stop until he conquers the entire town.”
“He’s also colluding with human hunters, and I think he made a deal with a demon,” I say. I don’t mean to add more fuel to the fire, but if we’re going to fight Valerius, Xander needs to know everything.
The alpha whips his face to mine, his eyes becoming slits. “You’re telling me that piece of shit summoned a demon?”
“Yes.” I lift my chin higher, even though the desire to keep my gaze to the floor is great.
“It must be the demon preying on your bears,” Sam says.
“No shit, Sherlock.” Xander runs a hand through his unbound hair. “We’re doomed on our own. We need magical folks on our side.”
“We have the druids, and Mrs. Redford’s circle of rogue witches,” Dante chimes in.
Hearing Grandma’s name associated with rogue witches feels surreal. I’m not close to forg
iving her, but I’ll eventually have to find a way to have some kind of relationship with her. She’s my blood.
“What about Sheriff Arantes? She can provide the manpower to at least go against the hunters. And isn’t Crimson Hollow the home of other shifters?” I ask.
“The foxes won’t interfere. It’s in their nature to keep to themselves.”
“What about coyotes or are there any big cats around?” I glance at my mates, then at Xander, who is now watching me like I’m a fool.
“What? Do you think all zoo animals are shifters?”
Crossing my arms, I throw him a glower. “Are you saying there aren’t tiger or lion shifters?”
“Yes, but not here in Crimson Hollow. There used to be a pride of jaguars, but they were all killed during the Thirteen Days of Chaos,” Dante says.
“What the hell happened here twenty-five years ago? I’m sick of everyone talking about that event, but not actually saying anything useful.” All three shifters stare at me like I’ve sprouted a second head. “What?”
“I’m sorry, Red. There hasn’t been any time. To be honest, I don’t know much about it either.” Sam switches his attention to Dante, and I follow his line of vision.
“No one who lived through those days like to talk about it, so no details are ever shared. I think they’re afraid if the knowledge becomes widespread, it will happen again. I just know what everyone does. Some powerful supernatural occurrence opened portals to several dimensions, including hellish ones. The town was invaded by the foulest creatures anyone had ever seen, and only the combined forces of Crimson Hollow’s supe community was able to close those portals.”
I shift my attention to Xander. “How about you?”
His lips become a thin line before he replies. “I was only three when it happened, and my parents sent me away. All I know is Crimson Hollow became grand central station for all kinds of supernatural beings, good and evil alike.”
“If you want to know about what happened here, maybe we should pay Albert Saint a visit when this is all over. He not only lived through it, but he also came through one of the portals.” Dante adds, becoming intrigued. “I wish I knew for sure who he was before, I would have tried to get the information on the Thirteen Days of Chaos a long time ago.”
“Came from where?” I ask.
“From the nineteenth century.”
“Wait, there’s a dude here who’s a time traveler?” I throw a haughty glance at Xander. “And you were all condescending when I asked about big cat shifters.”
The alpha crosses his muscled arms, rolling his eyes as he does so. “Get ready. I’m bringing you back to Crimson Hollow.”
“The question is where to.” Dante stares at a point in the wall, and I can almost see the gears in his head working nonstop.
“If Seth wants the alpha position for himself, how long do you think he’ll let Dr. Mervina and Tristan live? We need to come up with a rescue ASAP,” I say.
“We should head back to Brian’s. I’ll feel better if we have druid power with us when we confront Seth. We don’t know what that snake has under his sleeve.” Dante crosses his arms, but Sam makes a disgruntled sound in the back of his throat.
“We got into this mess because we kept over-planning everything instead of taking action. The longer Seth stays in control of the pack, the more time he’ll have to implant a controlling chip in all of them.”
Xander lifts both hands. “Hold on. What the hell are you taking about now?”
“Valerius has been turning his own wolves into mindless killing machines by installing a chip in their brains. Under the influence, those wolves have no free will, no control of their actions. Plus, they also become stronger.” I turn to Sam. “You don’t need to worry about that for the time being. I stole his last supplies of chips, remember?”
“My vote is to return to the compound and regain control of your wolves,” Xander says.
“Who says you get a vote? You didn’t even want to help us in the first place.” Sam throws his hands up in the air.
“I’m helping now, aren’t I?”
“Stop! This bickering is useless and we’re just wasting ti—”
A loud boom outside diverts my thoughts. Xander is the first out of the bedroom followed by Dante, Sam, and me last. The acrid smell of smoke fills my lungs when I enter the living room, and I see bright flames licking away at the stove.
“What the hell did you do?” Xander yells at someone. It’s only when I step from behind him that I see Nadine sprawled on the floor directly opposite the flames.
“Nadine!” I run to her, but calling her name doesn’t get her attention. Her gaze is fixed on the fire in the kitchen. Crouching in front of her, I search everywhere for burn wounds. “Are you okay?”
She begins to make fast gesture with her hands, but I never learned sign language, so I don’t understand. “Slow down.”
Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she seems to take in a deep breath before she resumes her explanation. She first draws a small square in the air, then she points at my head. “Are you talking about the chips?”
She nods, then she hits her closed fist against her palm, before pointing at the burning stove. Xander is busy trying to put the flames out.
“You wanted to destroy the chips, so you stuck them in the oven?”
When I get another nod from her, I turn to Sam and Dante. “I guess the chips are toast. I suppose it’s a good thing.”
“Would roasting electronic chips cause an explosion?” Sam peers at the charred mess in Xander’s kitchen. He’s definitely never going to invite us over again.
“I don’t think so.” Dante sounds unsure.
“Well, if you thought the chips were destroyed, think again.” Xander pulls the clear box containing the chips from the stove, not a sign of damage on it.
I stand up, going to inspect the box myself. Xander drops the object on the counter and takes a step back, doing the sign of the cross as he goes. I know exactly what I’ll find. Perfect chips.
“How is that possible?” I whisper in disbelief.
“Zeke said only Eternal Fire could destroy the demonic presence embedded in the chips.”
“And where do we get that?”
Dante lifts his face from the box, staring intently at me. “We need a circle of witches.”
Chapter 37
Red
The guys spend most of the trek down the mountain arguing about what we should do first. Get help from the druids or head straight to the compound to end Seth and Lyria’s party. Wrapped up in the blanket I took from Xander’s hideout, I remain quiet, refusing to weigh in the matter until I know what I think is best. Both plans have their merits and risks.
From time to time, I check on Nadine, wishing I could shift so I could talk to her. But I’m afraid once I turn into a wolf, it will be harder to resist the compulsion from the electric device in my head. I can still feel it pulsing, albeit it’s so faint now I’ve managed to ignore it for the most part. I’m sure my resistance to Martin’s weapon must be driving him insane.
Nadine’s clothes are covered in soot, and there are some patches where the fire ate away the fabric of her hoodie. Other than that, she doesn’t have any visible burns, but I sense failure in destroying the chips is pressing down on her.
When we finally arrive on Xander’s property, a small chalet partially concealed by tall trees with a detached work space where logs have been piled up almost to the ceiling, the alpha mutters something about getting clothes for us inside, not inviting any of us in. I can’t blame him after what we did to his hideout. Sam and Dante continue to discuss strategy while Nadine wanders off from us to sit on a fallen tree trunk nearby. Closing my eyes, I take that opportunity to turn my thoughts inward. Maybe the voice in my head can point me in the right direction.
“Hello, are you in there?”
I hold my breath, waiting to hear a reply. It doesn’t escape my notice that I sound like a crazy person.
&nb
sp; “Please, I could really use your help. I don’t know what to do.”
Seconds pass by and nothing happens, which makes me lose hope. Then I feel something, not in my head, but a change in the air surrounding me. My legs begin to tingle as tendrils of energy erupt from the ground, crackling around my limbs as it travels up my body. A curse nearby makes me open my eyes. Sam and Dante have taken a fighting stance as they stare out in the distance. I follow their line of vision, finding the spirit of the great wolf between the trees at the edge of the clearing. This time, the guardians didn’t use natural elements to build themselves a body.
“Why are you here? Are we in danger?” I ask.
“We’re here because we heard your call.”
“I was trying to reach the woman’s voice in my head.”
“We do not sense her in you anymore.”
“Who was she?”
The wolf cocks his head to the side, such an odd gesture that completely conflicts with its ethereal form.
“She’s your former conscience.”
“What? I don’t understand.”
“Why were you seeking her help?”
“I don’t know what to do. Tristan is in danger, but would we be foolish to try to rescue him without assistance?”
The wolf doesn’t answer right away, but I think I hear a low chuckle coming from it.
“What’s so funny?”
“You misunderstand us. We’re not amused. We’re resigned. He truly loved you, so much so he managed to follow you here to this time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You have the answers you seek within you.”
“Stop being so frustrating. If I have the answers, then how do I unlock them?”
“Get Tristan and return to the place it all began. You might find more than what you seek.”
The wolf becomes more and more translucent until it disappears completely. His departure makes me feel so drained that my legs give out from under me and I collapse ungracefully to the ground.
“Red!” Sam and Dante say at the same time, both running to me.
“What happened?” Dante asks first. “Why was that beast here?”