To our right, I saw what had caused her to leave. Two members of the Seethe were standing to my right. They were the first vampires I’d had had the displeasure of meeting: Chase and Gabriella, the sadistic sybarites that were somehow vampire royalty and Michaela’s favorite psycho couple. They changed their looks often, but what had stayed the same with Chase was the host of tattoos that laced up his arms. He had a piercing in his lip, another small one in his nose. Classically handsome, his dark hair was cut shorter than before, buzzed. His partner, who seemed to have different color hair each time I saw her, had settled on a midnight tint with hints of blue. Winter had once described their style as “Goth Abercrombie & Fitch,” and today wasn’t an exception.
The terrible duo moved closer, their keen, narrowed eyes fixed on us. I gripped the knife in my hand tighter. “Who were you talking to?”
“It’s just the two of us, so who you do you think?” I said dismissively. Chase moved, quickly blocking me as I started to turn away.
“Ah, yes, the pack’s little poodle. I’d forgotten how sharp her tongue can be,” he hissed through his teeth and then licked my face.
I swiped his leg, and when he hit the ground, I jammed my elbow into his ribs. Hard. Several cracked. In one swift move, I jammed the knife into his hand. “She has an even sharper knife.” I nodded toward Winter. He groaned under his breath, calling me enough names to satisfy himself—but poodle wasn’t one of them.
“What do you want?” I asked, hovering over him, keeping an eye on Gabriella in my peripheral vision. Winter had taken a place close to her. And with one look from her, Gabriella seemed to remember the time that Winter had taken great pleasure in breaking many of her bones into little pieces.
“Chris . . . we thought we heard her voice.” Chase’s voice was full of pain.
Winter answered before I could. “Like Sky said, it was just the two of us.”
I ripped the knife out of Chase’s hand, and seconds later he was next to Gabriella. Without another word they were gone.
We went back to our search for the manimal. When the footprints ended, we decided to continue looking around.
“Why didn’t you tell them about Chris?” I asked.
She shrugged. “If she wanted them to know where she was, I suspect she would have stayed.”
I’d assumed Chris had left, but she was still in town, obviously in hiding. She’d kept her whereabouts from Gabriella and Chase; I planned to keep them from Sebastian and Ethan as long as I could. Winter hadn’t been at the meeting with Logan, and I hoped she had been given the full briefing on it. As the third, she should have been, but sometimes Sebastian and Ethan kept things between the two of them. I suspected this was one of those times.
We continued deeper into the wooded area, feeling the magic, which was stronger, a heavy coat of it spreading throughout the air. Strong magic, different yet similar to Josh’s. I closed my eyes, allowing it to brush over my skin, inundate my senses so that I could get a better feel of it. I tried not to wince at the idea of magic. I was warier of it—even of my own—than I had ever been before due to Maya’s ever-present thirst to use magic and the challenge of trying to control her from making it increasingly more ominous. But I tamped down my apprehension and fear and let the magic wash over me, feeling it, hoping to determine its fingerprint. Magic was uniquely an individual’s, although there were some similarities between all magic. Magic was just magic, but each person had their own brand of it, and each sect had their own markings on magic. I could always tell what type of magic was used, whether fae, mage, witch, or elven. I was the most familiar with the magic of witches because I’d been exposed to it often, particularly that of Marcia, leader of the Creed, and of Samuel, a mercenary whose sole purpose had become creating a magicless world. His beliefs were arrant and unwavering. He blamed the evil uses of magic on the idea that magic was fundamentally bad, rather than blaming it on the ill intentions of the wielder.
The magic felt familiar, but it wasn’t that of witches, which was a good thing. After Josh had tossed the medallion used to show allegiance to the witches at their feet, I wasn’t looking forward to running into them. But it was inevitable that we would eventually be confronted by them.
There wasn’t a familiarity to the magical fingerprint, and I didn’t have enough to be specific about the wielder. I moved farther into the woods, scanning the area, and then I frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Winter asked.
“Magic and medicine seem like an odd combination.”
“And car fumes,” she added, craning her neck and inhaling. Her eyes changed. Vertical slits overtook them and looked weird in a human face. We were nearly five miles from the road; we shouldn’t have been smelling fumes from cars, but she did.
We both surveyed the area, looking for a car or even a path that could be used. A four-wheeler would have difficulty navigating around the bounty of trees that crowded the area, and negotiating it in a car would be impossible. Or had they used another entrance into the woods?
A low growl grabbed my attention. A woman, a little taller than average, stood five feet from us. Long, dirty-blond disheveled hair only gave glimpses of the amber that flooded her eyes. An odd line went through her pupils. A human body, but her feral mannerisms were lacking anything civil. Just like the man who had shown up at my neighbor’s home and the man we’d nearly run over a couple of days ago. She was like them. What I could see of the skin that peeked out from her oversized button-down was normal.
“Carol.” An even, chilled, and commanding voice came from behind her. I took a couple of steps back to get a better look and keep them both in my line of sight. The new woman looked like her voice. At first glance, she seemed to be in her early thirties, but her eyes had aged more than her face. The deep frown made her round features look harsh. Her dark hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her dress matched her demeanor: professional and cold. Light blue shirt, dress slacks, and flat blue shoes made her look like she belonged in an office, not in the middle of the woods, trying to subdue an animal-woman. She possessed strong magic, but I didn’t sense that she was a witch. Her magic didn’t feel like anything I was familiar with. It was different. She was different. Very different. She shot a cool look in our direction but quickly dismissed us as inconsequential.
The animal-woman quickly adopted a defensive pose, growling again, as though humanity was something she had never been acquainted with.
“Carol, down.” But Carol didn’t comply. Instead, her fingers curled, as though she was revealing claws instead of fingernails. Her lips pulled back, revealing teeth, but Carol seemed to believe she had fangs. Animalistic, she moved in a sharp, twitchy manner, lacking the grace seen in were-animals or even natural animals. Something was very wrong with Carol. I stared at her, trying to figure out what it was. Clearly she thought she was animal, but why?
“What is she?” Winter asked, approaching while keeping equal distance from both the animal-woman and the woman permeated with magic that wasn’t a witch’s. I hadn’t been exposed to elven or fae magic enough to be sure that what she possessed wasn’t their magic or some variation of it. All I knew was that it was strong. Turbulent waves of it moved over her.
“It is best that you leave and let me handle this.” Her tone was just as icy as it had been with Carol, and both Winter and I had the same idea—there wasn’t any way we were going to let Carol go with her. Something about her was off, and I didn’t like it. Winter lunged at her. With a wave of the woman’s hand, Winter was thrown back, crashing hard into a tree. A flick of her finger, and when Winter attempted to come to her feet, her legs collapsed under her. Teeth pulled back into a snarl that countered Carol’s, Winter tried to make eye contact with the magic-fueled woman. Then we saw something other than stern coolness: contempt that seemed to be rooted in more than just us trying to help Carol.
“We just need to know what is going on,” Winter said softly, something that was out of character for her. The woman looked i
n her direction and then frowned. Winter’s eyes fixed on her and held her gaze. “You don’t think we should be concerned about a woman who we found in the woods who clearly needs some medical care? We can get her that care.”
The look of contempt quickly flickered into annoyance and she pulled her eyes from Winter’s. I could see Winter’s disappointment. She usually only needed a few minutes to charm someone. Being a lesser were-snake could have its advantages, one of which was getting people to acquiesce, which could have really come in handy right then.
Winter darted toward the woman, and again a blast of magic hit her in the chest. It was enough of a distraction for me to shift mid-lunge and plow into the woman. The weight of my massive form kept her secured against the ground. She struggled under me, clawing and flicking her fingers, I assumed to try to use magic against me. I couldn’t figure out if desperation and fear had made her forget that magic couldn’t be used against us in animal form, or if she just didn’t know.
Carol turned and started to run, and Winter went after her. I kept the magic wielder under me, baring my teeth while keeping an eye on a man who was coming at me fast. I jumped to the side in time, missing the baton that whipped in my direction. I moved back again, jumping to the side when it came at me a second time, my claws catching the back of the man’s arm as he brought it up to bat at me again. I dodged it, lunged, sank my teeth into his leg, and held on as he thrashed against my torso with the baton. I pulled back flesh when I was yanked back by the tail. I whirled around, ready to give someone the same treatment, when electricity jolted through me. I growled, turned, and started to lunge at the man when he moved out of the way and positioned himself next to the woman. She wrapped her arms around him, and when I lunged at them this time, I had nothing but air. They had disappeared.
Inhaling, I tried to get a whiff of Winter’s scent among the strong redolence of oak, bark, dirt, car fumes, and magic that had gotten stronger. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Even in animal form, I could sense magic and smell it. I moved slowly, trying to draw in more air, and I saw Winter just as I caught her scent. Her jeans were torn, her shirt was dirty, and her knuckles were bruised and stained with blood.
“I’m starting to hate witches as much as I hate vampires,” she growled.
Since my clothes were destroyed, I stayed in animal form, and she spoke more slowly, knowing it was difficult for me to understand her. I had to concentrate more than I did in human form. She’d caught up with Carol but couldn’t get to her in time before she was snatched by someone and vanished.
While Winter went to her car to get me something to put on so that I wasn’t flashing the cars passing by as I emerged from the woods, I changed. “I don’t think they are witches.”
“Mage?”
I considered the question for a while. Josh always called mages “witch light” because they were considered the weaker of the two. There wasn’t anything “light” about the magic I’d just encountered.
“I don’t know if it’s a mage, but who else can travel and do magic? Some vampires have the ability to travel, but they can’t perform magic. Only witches can travel and perform magic.” I frowned as I got in the car. Had I interpreted the magic wrong? I grabbed my phone out of my purse and called Josh, but his phone went to voice mail. I called Ethan next; he wouldn’t be as good as Josh, but I was sure he could give me a second opinion. His phone went to voice mail as well.
I arrived at the pack’s house in a pair of Winter’s yoga pants that I wished were a tad larger, and I kept tugging on the shirt she’d given me. Winter dressed to fight at all times, never giving the opponent the opportunity to grab any of her clothing to gain the advantage. It had to be exhausting to always be in a state of high alert, waiting for a ghost to pop out at any moment to attack, but given the turn that my life had taken, it wasn’t improbable that there was some hidden danger lurking in the shadows.
Several cars were in the driveway when we pulled in, ostentatious vehicles that elicited my eye roll. Winter had gotten the same one for her oversized Range Rover—on several occasions I’d threatened to volunteer her to provide rides to the local junior high soccer team because it was large enough to carry a small army. Smart comments, eye rolls, and demonstrations of disdain just bounced off her and drew comments about my “toy” car. But I didn’t recognize these other cars—they had out-of-state plates.
Unfamiliar voices met us at the door, and before we could find them, a man dressed in a simple claret button-down shirt and dark jeans appeared. The color failed to brighten his appearance, which could have easily been described as gray. His sharp gray eyes stood out against his fair skin and flaxen-colored hair with hints of silver or gray. I couldn’t guess his age. Another benefit of being a were-animal. We aged, but not as fast as most. I placed him in his late thirties or early forties.
“Winter.” The gentleman greeted her with a warm smile.
“Cole.” She moved forward and then hugged him. I gawked, waiting for her to lean over and close my mouth. Winter was about as warm and cuddly as a porcupine, and any efforts to hug her or show what she considered mushy displays of affection were met with a threat to break whatever part of you touched any part of her. I’d managed several hugs without an assault, but she’d stood tensed, making them feel as unwanted as they actually were, so it was surprising when she quickly conformed to him, leaning in and wrapping her arms around him.
Cole was the East Coast Alpha, which meant he was dangerous, but there wasn’t anything very dangerous-looking about him. His movements didn’t possess the same predaceousness and lethal grace most were-animals possessed, which camouflaged his lethality. You saw Ethan and Sebastian approach, and your protective instincts kicked in and prepared you for whatever they had to offer. This guy might break your neck while smiling and telling you he liked your outfit.
When he turned to me, his voice was just as warm. “And you’re Skylar Brooks. I’ve heard great things about you.”
And you’re a liar, too. I really need to watch you.
I looked at his extended hand as though he was offering me a tainted apple. His smile broadened. “I don’t bite”—he winked and grinned—“unless you want me to.”
What the hell am I supposed to do with that? Based on the kink in his grin, I was sure he thought he was being charming, but he was treading awfully close to the creepy line.
I took his hand, and his other one covered mine as he stepped closer, barely leaving an inch of space between us. “The wolf who can perform magic. I’ve wanted to meet you for some time now.”
Ethan can perform magic, too. Why don’t you go give his hands a few weird touches?
He had over six inches on me, and he leaned down to study my eyes. “I don’t see the terait.” He sounded disappointed. I felt like he’d come specifically to see the freaky animal, and here I was in my enclosure. He still had hold of my hand, studying me with interest, and a gentle smile settled on his lips.
“Cole, we’ll be meeting in Sebastian’s office,” Ethan said from behind me. Cole’s hands slipped from mine. I looked behind me when Ethan’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest before he rested his chin on my head. “It’s probably a good idea for you to go in and grab a seat now.”
Cole was having a harder time keeping the pleasing smile, and the spark of interest dropped completely from his eyes as they sharpened. He gave Ethan another glance before he started to back away. Neither one dropped eye contact, instead choosing to hold it until Cole finally turned around.
Ethan moved away from me. “How did you injure yourself?” he asked, kneeling down to lift my shirt and look at my bruising from being pelted by the baton. The dark blue and purple marks looked worse than they were. His hands moved appraisingly over the skin before he released my shirt and stood.
“That’s why we’re here,” I said, but I kept looking behind him at the other people heading in the direction of Sebastian’s office. My focus stayed on Joan, Steven’s adoptive mother
and the Alpha of the Southern Pack, until she disappeared from sight.
Sebastian called Ethan’s name. He looked like he’d seen better days.
“Is it possible for us to discuss how you got the bruises later?” Ethan asked. It was obvious he wanted to know, but now he had more pressing issues.
“That’s fine. We really just needed Josh,” I conceded.
“He’ll be in the meeting as well,” Ethan offered as he started to back away. “It will need to wait. Just until later. Okay?”
“That’s fine.” I quickly moved forward and fell in step with him. “I’ll talk to him after our meeting.”
Can’t blame a woman for trying. I really wanted to know what was such a big deal that the Alphas of every pack were having a meeting, and I had a feeling all I was going to get via Ethan was Sebastian’s sanctioned version. In the past I could have relied on Josh to give me the unedited version, but now it seemed like he had been inducted into the secret-keeper club, and getting information from him was getting harder and harder.
Ethan flirted with a smile. He moved closer to me and lightly kissed me on the lips. “That was a good try,” he said with a smirk firmly in place as he turned the corner, heading for the office.
I looked over to Winter and saw that she’d watched the exchange between us and now wore a look of anxious concern. “What the hell is going on?” she asked softly, but it seemed like she was directing the comment to herself. She chewed on her bottom lip, turning her head as if listening for other voices, hoping to gather more information from anyone outside of the office—but there weren’t any. Even if we considered going to the office door, which was soundproof, we would quickly be discovered. If the others’ sense of hearing was anywhere near as acute as Sebastian’s and Ethan’s, we would quickly be discovered.
Resignedly, I headed to the library and grabbed a couple of books, making sure to send Josh a text that I’d borrowed them. There was nothing left to do but follow Winter to her car.
Moon Cursed (Sky Brooks Series Book 5) Page 5