Wolf's Choice

by Carina Wilder

  She shook her head and laughed. “Never. You were right not to like what I had to tell you. But I don’t look for adulation when I tell fortunes. The future isn’t always pleasant. For that matter, neither is the past.”

  “Too true. I’m sorry, by the way. I didn’t know what you were,” I said. “I didn’t quite realize…”

  “I think you did,” she replied with a wink. “I think you knew perfectly well what I was born to be. You were too distracted with other thoughts to fully grasp it, though. As for what I am now, though…I’m little more than a shadow of my former self. I won’t be able to fight today; I don’t have the strength in me, thanks to the Seven. But all the same, I came to speak to you.”

  “What did you want to say to me?” I asked, swallowing hard. I was almost afraid of what the answer might be. Afraid that she’d tell me to walk away, to leave Tristan to a solitary life without me—or, perhaps even worse, to tell him to declare a truce, run away with Elodie and call off the battle we were about to fight.

  Madame Lola leapt adeptly off her horse, who dropped his head to the ground and began to graze. The small woman stared into my eyes, pressing her gnarled hands to my cheeks, and smiled.

  “You know what you need to do today,” she said. “You’ve known for a long time. You know how important you are to the world of shifters, Ariana.”

  “How important I am?” I asked, shaking my head. “No, you’re wrong. I’m the cause of all this. If people—shifters, Valkyries—die today, it’s my fault. If I wasn’t with Tristan…”

  She shook her head. “This is not your fault,” she said. “This was destiny. This is destiny—it’s fate. It’s always been meant to happen. Now it’s up to you to find your place among those who are willing to fight. Believe me when I tell you, when the time comes, you’ll know it.”

  My heart was thudding in my chest now. Was she saying that I was actually going to take part in the combat? Was she suggesting that I battle dragons? The thought of it seemed genuinely nuts. “I don’t know what that means,” I replied. “But tell me what I can do to help. Please.”

  She pulled my face down to hers and pressed her forehead to mine, which calmed my pounding heart and steadied my breathing. “Find your strength,” she said.

  “I don’t know where to look,” I replied miserably.

  “Then I’ll tell you.” She pulled away and met my gaze. “Look to the man whose heart is ice. Melt it, Ariana, with your heart of flame. Then you will see what you truly are.”

  With one last strange, quick look, she pulled away, spun around and leapt onto her horse’s back, taking off for the sky.

  Heart of flame? I thought. What the hell does that mean? A few days ago I’d been looking forward to starting a relatively normal life with my new husband.

  Now, somehow, I was locked into a secret war, and a fortune teller had just told me I was supposed to find my freaking strength.

  “This would be a good day to take up drinking,” I muttered.

  Chapter 26

  Tristan, Trick and Kara were huddled around a paper map spread out on an old card table in the corrugated steel shack, their eyes fixed on topographical images of the land surrounding the Demarche plantation.

  “Word has it that Elodie, Jove and Nero spent the night in the mansion,” Trick said. “Even though it’s a disaster on the outside, some of the rooms are inhabitable. Those three are just nuts enough to want to stay there.”

  “I take it Elodie’s aware that we’re coming,” Tristan said, fixing his eyes on the other Alpha in the room. Both men were tall and powerful-looking, though Trick always looked to me like he’d be more comfortable astride a motorcycle than in a board room, and Tristan’s strength was more subtle, more elegant. Despite his inner wildness, there was something so restrained about him, so controlled. It was probably why I found him so sexy. The man could go from a silk suit and tie to a creature of raw, relentless sexuality in the blink of an eye.

  I wondered as I watched him if we’d ever have another chance to peel off one another’s clothing and spend the night holding each other, or if this would be the end for both of us.

  Well, if it was the end, at least we’d be there together. Somehow the thought of it reassured me.

  “She knows we’ll show up,” Trick replied with a nod. “I’ve leaked word to the Marquis’ people that we’re heading to Demarche’s land this evening, so you can be sure he’s let Elodie know.”

  “Won’t they be expecting you?” I asked, realizing as the words slipped out that it was probably a really naive question. “I mean, won’t they set up a trap?”

  Tristan turned to me with a smile. “That’s why we’re not going this evening,” he said. “We’ll head over within the hour. They’re not all staying at the plantation, so if we can take the first three down before the others arrive, we’ll have the strategic advantage—at least for a little while.”

  “Ah,” I replied. “I get it. Sort of.”

  “We’ll approach from the woods,” Tristan said, “and obviously the Valkyries will be in the air, ready and waiting for any other dragons who fly in. The best we can hope for is to get them close to the ground so we can assault them from all sides. You’ll stay back, though.”

  I nodded, my heart growing heavy in my chest. I knew perfectly well that Tristan wanted to keep me far away from the fighting, far from danger. I only wished I had something to contribute other than questions. No one had more at stake in this fight than I did—and no one wanted more passionately to tear Elodie a new one.

  But instead of protesting, I left the shack and headed over to the place where Krane had lit last night’s fire, only to see him standing off in the distance. He was leaning against a tree trunk, a surly expression on his handsome face.

  Inhaling a deep breath, I walked over to him, pulling his all-too-intense eyes to my own. “I hope you’ve changed your mind,” I said. “Tell me you have. You know how badly they’re going to need you out there.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think my brother wants me anywhere near his extended family today,” he said, “and he has good reason for it.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said, pulling around to look back towards the shack. “I think he’s realizing you’re not the demon brother he’s always thought you were.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Krane said with a moody shrug. “My dragon is volatile. He’s been loyal to the Seven for too many years now, and there’s no guarantee that I could control him, if and when the shit hits the fan. I don’t want to be responsible for the loss of innocent lives today.”

  “That’s bullshit. You controlled your dragon when you saved Tristan yesterday,” I said. “You did everything right. I find it hard to believe—”

  But Krane interrupted me. “That was a moment of impulse, and it took everything in me to hold him back from destroying my own brother. You don’t know what it’s like to have a monster inside you, Ariana. A monster who’s stronger than you’ll ever be.”

  I couldn’t help but recall the vision of Krane’s immense black beast with the glowing eyes, tearing through the sky. I could only imagine seeing him do battle with Elodie’s gold monster. He could take her; I was sure of it. I only wished he had as much faith as I did.

  “You told me a dragon can take down an army,” I said, gesturing towards the gathered crowd of shifters and Valkyries who’d assembled by the corrugated metal shack. “We need a dragon on our side, to help our army. You’re telling me you’re going to let our people die?”

  “No. I’m telling you I’m done.” With that, Krane pulled away from the tree and walked towards the lake. But I wasn’t finished.

  “You can’t be serious,” I half-shouted.

  “I am,” he growled. “I’ve interfered in Tristan’s life enough. It’s time for me to make myself scarce and let him fight his own battles.”

  I reached out, risking a moment of contact, and grabbed his arm, pulling him to face me. The moment our eyes met I felt i
t again, that surge of sensuality and power that the beast of a man exuded in spades. It slammed into me like a blow, but I fought it back. What was going to happen today was too important to let myself get distracted by Krane’s uncanny ability to screw with my head. “Don’t do this to us,” I snarled. “Don’t desert us now. You know the Seven have been in control too long. They’ve hurt too many people. Elodie is as cruel as they come. Help us defeat her. I know you want to.”

  “I’m well aware of just how cruel she is,” said Krane, threads of gold weaving their way through his irises. “I tried to warn Tristan two centuries ago of how beastly she could be…and that was before she was changed.” He reached down and took my hand gently, pulling it to his lips. I yanked it away and distanced myself from him, trying to ignore the feeling that swept through my body at his touch. “I’m sorry, Ariana,” he said. “I don’t want to let my brother down. But trust me—it’s for the best.”

  “I don’t think it is. I think you’re a fucking coward,” I retorted. “I think you’re deserting your brother when he needs you most.”

  “Maybe I am. Maybe you’re right, and I am a fucking coward. All I know is that I’m leaving.”

  With those cold words he backed away several steps and leapt into the air. A flash of white light blinded me for a second, then the great black dragon was soaring overhead, flying north to who knew where.

  Defeated, I turned and headed back to the shack.

  The awful truth was that without Krane’s help, I couldn’t imagine that any of us would live to see tomorrow.

  Chapter 27

  It was noon by the time we made our way to the Demarche plantation. Tristan and I rode in with Trick in the Southern Alpha’s truck, my fingers tightly entwined with my husband’s as I savored our last minutes together before all hell was to break loose.

  “Where’s Sierra?” I asked Trick after a time.

  He glanced my way before locking his eyes on the road again. “She’s at her place in the city,” he said. “She wanted to come, but I put my foot down. The Alpha Trials were one thing, but this will be way more dangerous.” He paused for a second before adding, “I hope you know that, Ariana.”

  “Believe me, I understand,” I said. I pulled Tristan’s hand to my lips and kissed it. “But this man promised never to leave my side again, and I’m not going to let him.”

  “You’re not going to have a lot of choice,” Trick said. Tristan shot him a look that seemed to say Maybe you should stop talking right fucking now, but the other Alpha kept going. “When there are dragons around, that means fire. You’re going to have to keep out of sight.”

  “I know,” I replied miserably. “I know I’ll have to watch from the sidelines. But there’s no way I’m willing to spend today in some café in New Orleans biting my nails, when I know what’s going down a few miles away. I wouldn’t be able to stand it.”

  “Right,” Trick said, his tone softening. “Of course.”

  We drove down narrow roads for some time until I started spotting landmarks that I recognized, and knew we were getting close to our destination.

  “You guys are totally sure there’s no other way to do this?” I asked for what felt like the hundredth time as we approached the place where Trick and I had parked the previous evening. “You’re sure there’s no point in at least trying to negotiate with these psychos?”

  “Not with dragons,” Tristan said. “The only thing they understand is brute force.”

  “That’s because they’re so good at it,” I moaned.

  “Have some faith, lover. They have vulnerabilities, just like everyone else. It’s just a question of exploiting them.”

  “Speaking of which,” our driver said, gesturing to the space behind his seat, “I brought Bessie along to help us out.”

  “Bessie?” I asked. “Who’s that?”

  “My rifle,” said Trick with a smirk.

  “Seriously?” I said. I almost wanted to laugh. “A sharp-shooting shifter?”

  “That’s right, ma’am,” he replied in what sounded like a heavy Texas accent.

  “So you’re telling me a rifle can actually take down a dragon?”

  Tristan nodded. “It can if the sniper has the aim of a skilled shifter. And you’re looking at the most gifted one around.”

  I was starting to think I was an idiot for coming. I had nothing to offer our side—no internal animal to unleash, no gun to fire, no flying horse or weapon of any kind. All I had was my ability to lose my mind while I watched the likes of Elodie threaten to take my husband’s life again. To make matters worse, my presence would probably be a distraction for Tristan, which meant that I was more a liability than an asset.

  That was, unless I found some way to make myself useful.

  “Where are all the others?” I asked as we climbed out of the truck. Trick’s was the only vehicle around, and I couldn’t see a single sign of another shifter in the area.

  “They’re in there,” said Tristan, nodding towards the woods in front of us. “And up there.” He pointed towards the sky. “Ready to make their move.”

  “Right, of course,” I said. “The shifters are already in their animal forms.” It made sense. Walking through the woods in human form would make anyone an immediate target.

  Which made me extra stupid for doing it.

  For a second I stood frozen, petrified of what was about to take place. Tristan moved towards me, cupped a hand around the back of my head and kissed me long and hard. “I love you,” he said. “Everything I do today is for us, for our future. We’re trying to make the world a better place—remember that, okay?”

  “I will,” I nodded, pressing my forehead to his chin. “I just wish it didn’t have to be this way. I don’t know how many times I can almost lose you over the course of twenty-four hours.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, Ariana, my entire pack’s going to be out there, keeping an eye on your man, and so are a lot of other wolves,” Trick assured me. “No one wants Tristan in the line of fire. He’s the most important guy out here.”

  “He is,” I said with a tearful chuckle. I pressed a palm to Tristan’s cheek and kissed him one last time. “Go get ‘em, then,” I said. “Do me proud. And don’t you dare die, or I’ll kill you.”

  “I won’t. I promised you I’d never leave your side, and I intend to keep my word, lover.”

  “Good.”

  “Trick, look after her,” Tristan said, extending a hand to shake the other Alpha’s. Trick took it and the two men exchanged a look that seemed filled with hidden meaning. I could only hope Tristan wasn’t planning on doing something crazy.

  I stayed next to Trick as I watched my lover dart into the woods, shifting in one bound into his gorgeous gray wolf, a beast I’d only ever seen on a handful of occasions. He was exquisitely beautiful, his body sleek and elegant as he disappeared into the wilds.

  “He has more control than any shifter I’ve ever met,” Trick said, his voice swollen with admiration. “His human side is so strong, so dominant. But his wolf is amazingly powerful. I’ve never met anyone like him.”

  “Neither have I,” I replied, wiping a tear off my right cheek.

  We glanced at each other for only a second before making our way silently into the woods for the second time in two days. Once again I was filled with dread, but it was an entirely different kind from the last time.

  Last night I could only hope to find Tristan alive.

  Today, I wanted his enemies dead.

  When we got close to the clearing behind the plantation where the Seven had gathered the previous evening, Trick and I crouched down. In his right hand he clutched his rifle, which he positioned on a thick stump in front of us.

  I was grateful to be wearing the camouflaged outfit that Kara had supplied. It probably wouldn’t give me much in the way of protection from the Seven, but it made me feel more secure, which was as much as I could realistically hope for right now.

  “So what’s the plan
?” I asked quietly.

  “We’re going to wait,” Trick told me, “until the fun starts.”

  “Fun?” I asked, eyeing him. He looked genuinely excited about the coming insanity. “You really do think this is fun, don’t you?”

  “It’s in my blood,” he said with a shrug. “I hunt. I stalk. I fight. To me, it’s life itself.”

  I almost understood what he meant. All around us, tree limbs trembled as creatures made their way through the woods close by. Occasionally a twig snapped, signaling that someone was coming near. I never saw them, but Trick was aware of each and every shifter in our vicinity. Each time I jumped, he laid a calming hand on my shoulder and assured me that it was one of ours.

  “The Seven don’t have a lot of allies on the ground,” he said. “Only the Marquis and a few of his shit-disturbers. They’re nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things.”

  I couldn’t help but wonder if Marcus would be among them. If he’d already succumbed and pledged himself whole-heartedly to the Marquis, I supposed he might show up today, even in his weakened state. The thought of it broke my heart, and I tried to push it away, knowing I’d break down if I focused too much on his betrayal of Tristan and me.

  After a time, I found myself wishing something—anything—would happen as I stared out into the clearing. I couldn’t see Tristan, Kara, or anyone else who might have imbued me with an ounce of confidence. The place was silent as the grave, but somehow it managed to feel more ominous.

  Finally after what felt like an hour, Tristan’s wolf padded out of the woods to stand at the center of the clearing. The circle of torches that had been jammed in the ground last night was still there, apparently waiting to be lit again so the Seven could hold another of their lynchings by firelight.

  When Tristan had made his way to the middle of the circle he shifted, turning slowly around as he called out, “Elodie! I’m here! Come and get me!”