But they don’t know where to go, and you do, I told him with a confidence belying my feelings.
It doesn’t matter. If they’re working with another group of supernaturals, it’s possible they have information we don’t. And they have your scent. They could be working with anyone: witches or demons or any of the goddamn Sects, very likely the same one who hired the cat. A string of angry curses tumbled around in my brain. You have to arm yourself. Right now. Change back and get yourself somewhere safe. Don’t stay in the open. Go someplace unpredictable. Start moving. We’ll find you.
I’m heading back right now. We’ll leave as soon as I shift back.
When we draw closer, your link with your brother should be intact. Just get yourself to a safe place. My body tingled, the blood order searing through my veins, solidifying.
I’m leaving now. I’ll see you soon. I told him.
I love you, Jessica.
I love you too.
I jumped off the rock. Okay, this is going to be all you. I shifted control over to my wolf on a thought and she took off, picking up our pace, speeding through the forest. It was exhilarating—a feeling so pure and free, I’d never experienced anything like it. For the very first time since my change, I finally felt like the animal I’d become. It was wonderful.
She skillfully bounded over and through obstacles like she was a part of the natural flow and of the woods. She managed to snag food for us on the way, not even needing to slow in order to hunt. Never in my life did I think I’d enjoy the taste of squirrel, but it was actually delicious. At this point, anything would’ve tasted good. If I’d thought my hunger had been annoying in my human form, it was nothing compared to the empty, gnawing feeling in my wolf form.
We bounded back toward the cathedral of trees.
Rourke was there now. I could smell him, his powerful scent concentrated inside the tree line. Even though it mixed with the pungent smell of sulfur, which was much more sensitive to me in this form, I could’ve found him blindfolded. I needed to tell him a threat was coming sooner than we’d expected. I still didn’t know who had hired him and what was going on, but he’d taken the job before either of us knew there were going to be … personal complications.
I wondered for a moment how all this would play out, where the loyalties would fall.
At the edge of the trees, I shifted gears and took control from my wolf. She relinquished without a fight, satisfied with her run, both of us becoming more at ease in our roles. The barrier still stood in my mind, and she was indeed behind it, but I knew there would be a time when it came down for good.
I peered through the darkness, searching for him as I padded into the cathedral.
He leaned against a tree, staring at us carefully, not moving. The vibration of his power enveloped me, calling to me like no other. He was strong. A warrior of his kind. And he was here, waiting.
For me.
I felt his gaze on me as I lay down, finding the spot where I’d made my first shift. I closed my eyes and shifted back. It was a smooth transition, with little pain. When it was over, I pulled on my clothing and stood.
He walked to the edge of the grass. “Jessica.”
I strode toward him, my eyes flashing violet as they connected with his. He returned my stare, his irises igniting.
“They’re com—”
“—I need to touch you and know you’re all right.” He reached for me, leaning down to take me into his arms. It felt right to be in them, my hands immediately tracing around his neck, cupping his back. My body had missed his, craved his taste, even though we’d been separated only a short time.
His mouth seared mine. Images of licking and tasting him, caressing his smooth skin, wrapping my legs around him, and being filled by him shot into my mind. I dragged my nails along his collarbone, luxuriating in his incredible strength.
His taste was a trigger, it fed me. It also made me lose coherent thoughts.
I understood now about our saliva, but it wasn’t just intoxicating to humans—it was our identifier. What his body produced was meant for me, and me alone. Mine was meant for him.
It took just one kiss.
I had to sever the connection. “Rourke … just wait.” I tried to push him backward, but didn’t succeed. “I want to do this … I do.” He stilled at my words. “But we can’t right now.” I glanced up at him, trying to blink away the haze that filled my brain, tried to force my eyes back to normal. “We can’t do this now … at least not right here … I mean …” I stammered.
His lips were on mine again, hot and soft. They tasted like sweet cinnamon mixed with molasses. “You’re mine,” he murmured into my mouth. My fingers threaded into his thick hair, my arms brushing against his stubble. My fingers pulsed as they twined through his locks. I grabbed a fistful tightly. Mine.
He locked me firmly to him, every contour of my body touching his. His hands splayed tightly across my back and my ass, his arms around me like a clamp.
No, no, no. We have to get out of here. Help me stop this. I pulled back again, this time I pinned my forehead to his chest. “Listen!” I drummed my fists on him. “Stop kissing me, I need to tell you something!” I was definitely intoxicated with whatever he was giving me. I shook myself.
Rourke strongly opposed in the form of a snarled growl as his arms locked around me again. “Jessica.” His tone was low, feral, and hot.
“Rourke!” I stepped away from him with effort. He let me go this time. “I need you to listen right now. I just talked to my father and we’re in more danger than we thought. Not tomorrow or the next day, but right now. We need to arm up and get the hell away from here. He said—”
Rourke’s demeanor shifted instantaneously.
His reflexes went from relaxed to tense; he took one step forward and cupped his hand around the back of my neck, angling my head softly until I met his gaze squarely. His irises glittered fiercely. “Jessica, what else did he say?”
Mine. I blinked. “He said they were close to the river, but the Southern faction is ahead of them.”
He cursed and broke away from me, turning in a slow circle.
“That’s not all.” His eyes pinned me. As a predator he took my breath away. Hairs stood on end as his face transformed into something hard. “My father’s convinced they’re working with another supernatural Sect. He said the wolves voluntarily surrendered the fight after we left. He said he’s never seen a wolf leave a fight in his entire life. Whoever is pulling the strings is very well organized.”
Rourke grabbed my hand and ran with me out of the trees. “We need to get our stuff from the cabin and leave right now. There’s a cave about four miles from here where I have additional weapons stashed. We’ll arm ourselves, and then we’ll make our way out of the forest to meet your father.”
“Rourke.” I stopped, dragging him back, trying to accurately read his urgency. “What do you know about this? Do you know who the Southern wolves are working with? Who else is after me?” Panic brewed just below the surface. My wolf let out a low growl. Having our mate betray us was not a good way to start off this relationship.
He let go of me and turned, raking both hands through his hair. Not a good sign. “I’m not sure, but I have an idea. But I swear to you, this wasn’t the plan.” I stayed silent, my mind racing. His hands sought my body again, his fingers tightening around my forearms. “Jessica, you have to believe me. I didn’t lure you up here to trap you. I had no idea you were my mate when all this began.” His eyes were fierce. “Say you believe me. Please.”
“I … I …” I wanted to say it.
“Jessica!” he shouted. “I didn’t bring you here to trap you! I brought you here because it was the best place I could think of to keep you safe until I … I mean we … could figure everything out.”
“Okay,” I said, moving around him to start toward the cabin. “I get what you’re saying. But if you don’t mind I’d like to reserve my judgmen—”
“Jessica, please.” He
ran a hand over his mouth, his eyes pleading. “You have to listen—”
Suddenly there was a shout in the distance, followed by something that sounded close to a whoosh, followed by more whooshing sounds.
Rourke eclipsed me and grabbed my hand, racing us toward the cabin. The only place where we had any weapons. “Rourke!” I shouted as I ran. “What’s coming? What the fuck is going on?”
He slid to a halt so suddenly I crashed into his back. I righted myself, but his hands were gripped on to mine so painfully, I’d lost blood flow. He’d stopped right at the edge of the clearing. I peered around his shoulder, his stress and fear radiating into me in angry currents. My wolf reacted to him, barking and growling.
If Rourke was stressed, I knew I wasn’t going to like what I saw.
I gasped.
Creeping into the clearing from all around us were unfamiliar wolves, still in their human form, snarling, moving slowly, eyes pulsing yellow, each one on the cusp of change. All of them with clear intent to harm.
But that wasn’t what got my attention.
Five shrouded figures in dark capes stood in the middle of the yard like they were frozen in time. Even though it was full night, and they were all wearing black, they gleamed oddly in the moonlight, somehow reflecting the very darkness around them.
One of the hooded figures glided toward us.
It didn’t seem to touch the ground.
“Rourke,” it hissed as stark white hands slowly drew its hood back to reveal a shockingly beautiful face, seemingly carved out of ivory and bone, the edges too defined to appear normal in any realm. Its two eyes glowed like wet mercury as they pierced the darkness for the first time. “The Queen is very unhappy with you,” it tsked as it opened its mouth to reveal two of the longest canines I’d ever seen—which was saying something. Its smile filled me with horror and loathing, its mouth twisted at an odd, unnatural angle. “You were supposed to deliver the female werewolf to us yesterday. You’ve been a very bad boy.”
Vampires.
21
“That wasn’t the deal, Valdov,” Rourke snarled. “You know it as well as your Queen. My job was to extract information only. It never involved kidnapping or delivery.”
Pain shot though my fingers as Rourke’s grip on my hand tightened to the point of breakage. His muscles began to pulse underneath his forearms in a dangerous way.
I frantically searched my inner database for what I knew about vampires, which wasn’t a whole helluva lot. I knew about as much as the rest of the supe community—that the vamps operated out of one large Coven headquartered in both New Orleans and France. It’d been ruled for the better part of four hundred years by the powerful Queen Eudoxia, rumored to be sired by Ivan the Terrible.
Vampires, as a rule were reclusive, powerful, and ridiculously dangerous. They had a long, sordid history of cruelty, but since they conveniently viewed themselves as entirely above the caste system of all supernaturals, they tended to keep to themselves.
Which was lucky for us on all counts.
Needless to say, vampires had never needed any help from Hannon & Michaels to solve their problems—and although my father had fought them on and off over the past few centuries, usually because one of theirs picked a fight with one of ours, I’d never seen one up close.
Technically, as a lowly wolf shifter in their eyes, I should be well beneath their notice. They had no use for other Sects.
I had no idea what they wanted with me, and the fact that they’d obviously hired Rourke, and already knew of my change, was nothing short of terrifying.
“Ah, ah, Rourke, our agreement”—Valdov steepled his fingertips together in front of his icy visage—”was for you to gather information for us by whatever means necessary. Of course, necessary clearly implied bringing the girl to us if you were … shall we say … unsuccessful in your quest.” Valdov peered over his pointy nails at us, his steady mercurial stare completely unnerving. “And it seems … your quest has indeed been waylaid … by what is this …” He lifted his perfectly chiseled face, stonelike and eerie in its careful definition, into the air and inhaled an exaggerated breath. “Ahh,” he exhaled as he leveled his gaze fully back on us. “… Lust, is it?”
Rourke vibrated with power. It licked at me, wrapping me in its tendrils.
“I’m doing my job just fine, Valdov,” Rourke said. “I’m doing exactly what you paid me to do, and nothing more. You’ll have all the information you need as soon as I have it. And make no mistake, I will get it. So you can go ahead and scurry back to your Queen like the lapdog you are, and you can tell her to go fuck herself if she tries to change the rules on me halfway through a valid contract.”
Valdov hissed at Rourke, a deep visceral sound that made my skin itch. Then, right before our eyes, Valdov’s features began to shift and change. I watched in horror as his lips slowly peeled away from his mouth and his canines grew longer and sharper, dropping well past his bottom lip. His face elongated, impossibly stretching, his cheeks receding inward as his chin dipped downward.
It looked like his skin was going to slide completely off his face.
Holy horror show.
Then, as the final gruesome capper, his eyes bled to full black, leaving no trace of white showing at all. Then a wave of his anger hit me. I shrank against it as it pummeled me with a taste of magic I’d never experienced before. This vampire was ancient, and his powers were completely off the charts.
My wolf sprang at him inside my head, snarling and gnashing her teeth. My muscles started to jump and twist as the adrenaline she fed me charged its way through my bloodstream. I had to rein her in quickly or we’d be dead before this fight started. Hey, I know you’re itching to fight Creepy here, and I want to too, but we can’t take him and all his cronies at once, so you’re going to have to cool it down. She snarled at me, her teeth flashing, showing me an image of us sinking our teeth into his bone-white neck. Even if we managed to take out the vampires with Rourke’s help, we still have the Southern wolves to deal with, remember? If we attack now we lose. Get it? We need a better plan, one that doesn’t include going balls out on a horde of powerful supernaturals. Just give me a minute. She barked loudly but backed off, her frustration echoing around me in angry waves.
Rourke squeezed my hand in warning, acknowledging my sudden influx of power. I took it to heart. We were going to have to wait this out as long as we could. If anything, I hoped we’d be able to outrun them somewhere in the mountains. Angry Southern wolves mixed with scary vampires did not tip the odds in our favor.
Valdov gained control of himself with effort, obviously having a change of heart about tearing Rourke’s neck out. As he organized his features back into place, he flashed us a wretched smile. Locking his gaze on Rourke, he managed, “It looks as though we will no longer be needing your … assistance after all.” He drew out his esses like a serpent. “You may consider your contract with us null and void from this moment on. You will be paid in full, of course, but we will take the girl now and you can go back to your den, or wherever it is you slink off to.” He gestured breezily with his dead hand, like he was flicking away an irritant. “Now run along before I change my mind and decide to kill you just because I can.”
“That’s not going to work for me, Valdov,” Rourke said. “I’ll tear your head off your shoulders if you take so much as one step closer. You don’t have the authority to dismiss me that easily, and you know it.” Rourke’s voice went eerily calm then, dangerous and cutting in its intent. “If you lay one dead finger on her you will be begging me to end your life. Do you understand? You will beg me.”
The energy in the clearing jumped at Rourke’s words. The wolves had slunk in closer, forming a ring around us. They chattered and growled, riled at the prospect of a good fight.
Valdov didn’t seem cowed in the least.
Instead, he shifted his beady little stare to me, cocking his head like a bird. “My, my, my, what do we have here?” A grim smile played on hi
s face as he clapped his hands together. “And here I thought it was only your constant need to rut! My Queen will be ever so interested in this new development. Come out and play, little werewolf,” he addressed me directly. “Or are you too frightened by what you see standing before you?” When I didn’t respond, he shook his head in mock sympathy. “It’s too bad your daddy is so very far away, isn’t it, little werewolf? It’s such a shame he couldn’t be here in time to catch all the fun.”
He was challenging me.
I couldn’t shrink away from it, even if my very human side wanted to flee. If I let myself appear weak, it would hurt me in the long run, plus it wasn’t something I could do—my wolf wouldn’t do. She now resembled a raging lunatic on a short leash, snarling, gnashing her teeth, rearing her legs up. I squared my shoulders and pried my hand from Rourke’s grasp with great difficulty, since he wasn’t interested in letting me go anywhere near Valdov.
I disengaged and stepped forward. Rourke growled, a low, steady sound full of menace and hatred. I stared Valdov straight in the eye, and in the strongest voice I could muster, I said, “The last time I needed my daddy’s help was when I was seven, Valdov. And just so we’re clear, I prefer to dirty my own hands. So whatever you think you’ve got, feel free to bring it now. I’m not scared of you.” I ended with a smile, flashing full white teeth, my wolf’s warning to stay the hell back or there would be trouble.
Right as I uttered the last words of my pretty speech, my body surged with power.
My wolf’s idea of backup. She fed me just enough juice to send a rough pulse through me, but not enough to start anything moving.
Perfect.
She barked.
Valdov inhaled again, closing his eyes in some kind of awful ecstasy, ignoring my bravado completely. “Ahhhh, such raw power, little werewolf,” he breathed. Then his eyes snapped open, cunning and superiority written all over his face. “Unfortunately, it won’t be enough to withstand all of us, poor female, no matter how dirty … you manage to get yourself. However entertaining that might be to witness, we will regretfully have to decline this time.”
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