by Sydney Addae
“What? No. I was home, in Maryland, minding my business and entering a scroll into the database. I didn’t ask or try to come here, wherever this is.” She looked left and then right, but saw nothing.
A long sigh split the air. “This is madness.”
“Yes, it is and I’d like to go home now.” Shyla strove to sound confident, with a little righteous indignation thrown in.
“Unfortunately, the clock has started ticking, the die cast, and even though you are an unwilling participant in all this, you must remain until the outcome is revealed.”
“What? You don’t understand. I’m the Mengistia of the Eastern United States under La Patron’s protection, a member of his pack. You can’t just keep me here without contacting my Alpha,” Shyla said, using bravado to combat the fear coalescing around her chest.
“Yes, I am aware and for that, I’m sorry. The book you read cannot be unread. Its secrets cannot be removed from you. That is the danger of the Red Tabloid. Only three people in the past three centuries have ever read it.”
“If I read the book, I have no idea what it said or meant.” Despite wanting to know what happened to the others who’d read the tabloid, fear locked her in a choke-hold, preventing her from uttering the question.
“Matters not. The mere fact it allowed you to read it means it was meant to be and you’re a part of all this.”
“All what?” Shyla snapped now that it appeared she wasn’t about to die.
“The penalty of reading the sacred Red Tabloid without permission is death. But not your death, not immediately anyway. It’s the death of the one you hold dearest.”
“My parents? Why the hell would you go after my parents?” Shyla struggled to break free but couldn’t.
“No, it’s not your parents. It’s your mate. Your mate will die if you don’t do exactly what I say.”
Shyla’s breath left her body as if a hybrid full-blood had punched her in the gut. In a way, that would have been better. She tried to breathe in and out, but oxygen wouldn’t enter her lungs. Hungry for air, her heart raced so fast she thought she’d pass out. But no, she couldn’t lose track of this conversation. Her mate, someone she had no idea existed, was in danger. Hairs on the nape of her neck bristled and a rash of goosebumps crisscrossed her body as she tried to form her question.
“What mate?” Her voice sounded like a scratchy whisper.
“Surely you know you have a mate even if you’ve never met him. Haven’t you been preparing for him?”
“What? No. I mean I want a mate, we all do, but I haven’t been doing anything different,” Shyla said, trying to understand what was happening and concerned about this mysterious mate that had her beast rising.
“When was the last time you went on a date? Spent time with a man? Had sex?”
“That’s none of your damn business,” Shyla yelled as heat rose to her cheeks.
“It’s been years and the reason is because you wanted your mate, not anyone else. Which is a good thing because mates are jealous, territorial, and will do anything, even give their lives, to protect their mates. You’ll lose yours before you ever see him if you don’t follow my instructions. And if you don’t think I can do this, then try to leave, try to contact someone, anyone through your link.”
Rage rose swift and scorched her mind. The idea of a mate filled her both with joy and anguish. How could this be happening? “This is all wrong. I serve my pack, my nation. Why am I being treated like this?” It took everything within her to speak calmly without releasing every vile curse bubbling just beneath the surface.
“It’s… it’s because things have happened that never should’ve. You shouldn’t be here and even though it’s not your fault, you’re now a part of something bigger than both of us. As humans say, the cards have been dealt, we now have to play the hand.”
“Look,” Shyla’s tongue slid out to moisten her dry lips. “None of this is my fault, how can I pay a penalty for something I didn’t do? It’s not fair.” She knew she sounded like a desperate whiner, which she was, but it didn’t matter. Knowing she could cause the death of her mate tipped the scales. If she needed to beg, sound like a crazy person, or scream until her lungs collapsed, that’s what she’d do to get out of this bizarre nightmare.
“Fair is a luxury for those without access to knowledge. Just think, you hold secrets of our world in your mind even though you don’t recognize them. Who knows when they’ll surface? Will you treat them kindly or bend them to a dark end? How can we take a chance without, well, without doing what is required? Your mate has been informed of your imminent demise and is on his way to save you.” The voice chuckled. “Both of you rushing to save the other, total strangers willing to give their lives for the other. Ah, the Goddess is good at what she does, that’s for sure.”
Hope rose at hearing the Goddess’ name. “Does she know what you’re doing?”
“Probably, if not now, she will soon.” Another sigh, and then a strong wind whipped through the room.
Shyla closed her eyes to protect them from the breeze. Her thoughts tumbled over the other. Her mate was on his way? Who was he? Could he save her without getting killed? That was still hazy. She didn’t understand how he’d die by saving her unless he had to fight that wispy thing that attacked her earlier. Was he a fighter? All full-bloods knew how to fight. What if he was human like Vanessa? Her stomach dropped again and she was sure she’d be sick.
“In the end, what will be will be. Rest now.”
The words bounced around Shyla’s head with the force of a hammer hitting every surface. She cried out in pain as her limbs grew weak and she dropped to the floor. The small pool of light vanished, along with rationale thought.
CHAPTER 8
Each time Angus thought he’d found his mate’s scent, it changed, as if there was a huge merry-go-round hidden beneath the rocks where he couldn’t see. His chest tightened with the need to find and see her. To deliver her from whatever or whoever took her from him. The possessive thought started slow but picked up steam in his mind. No one came between a full-blood and his mate.
No one and nothing.
Determination flowed through his body. He’d never give up until he found her and then he’d teach the assholes a lesson they’d never forget. Tossing back his head, he released a long, rallying howl to whoever challenged him by touching her. He waited a moment and howled again before picking through rocks, boulders, and fallen trees to find her.
A half mile or so later, Angus veered to the left and looked up. A dragon blood tree stood fifty feet from him, its mushroomed head invisible in the hazy mist hovering above.
What the hell is that doing here? He wondered as he loped toward it for a better look. He had never seen one this wide around the base, but the peeks of green on the umbrella-shaped top verified his guess. Trotting around, he saw a few others dotting the rocky hillside. These trees grew on the Indian Ocean island of Socorro, near the horn of Africa, hundreds of miles from here.
Searching for clues, he inhaled and smelled nothing, not even the blood-like resin from the tree. Disappointment changed to excitement as he shifted to his hybrid, activated the chameleon, and merged with the tree. Immediately, he fell forward and landed on a hard, dusty slab.
Angus rolled to the side just in time to prevent his chest from being smashed by a large, sumo wrestler-like guard. He jumped up to avoid the double-ham fist of another guard. Unfortunately, he landed in the path of the first guard, the punch in his gut winded him.
With no time to recover, Angus evaded blows by moving faster than his opponents, wearing them down. Thoughts that these two assholes had touched his mate, brought her to this place, sent fire racing through his body. Adrenaline spiked, Angus punched one guard in the belly, the force of his anger sending him flying against the wall with a loud boom. Blood streaks on the pale white surface marked the end of that servant.
The other guard growled, stomped his feet as if he were a bull about to charge while gla
ring at Angus. Unimpressed with the theatrics, he waited for the anticipated charge, and stepped to the side, prepared to give the guard a solid uppercut beneath the chin. But the guard changed directions and slammed into Angus. Both of them tumbled to the floor.
With beefy hands wrapped around his neck, Angus struggled to breathe. Looking into the vicious eyes of his attacker, Angus placed his hands on top of his opponent’s hands, and with sheer force, pulled the fingers from around his neck. No matter how hard the guard grunted or the veins rose on his forehead, Angus surpassed him in strength. With the hands removed, Angus closed his fist, crushing bones without releasing his quarry. No matter how hard the guard tried to get away, he was truly captured.
Amid screams of pain, the sound of breaking bones, the scent of fear rose. The guard probably wished his demise had been as swift as his companion. But thinking of his mate, Angus refused to be generous as he activated the chameleon and ravaged his opponent’s mind for clues regarding his mate.
She was here. Somewhere in this underground maze. This one didn’t have any particulars, but someone named Chancellor did. Elated to have more information and yet weary of the delay this attack caused, Angus released the man and broke his neck before leaving the room to search for the Chancellor.
He morphed to human as he moved down a long dirt corridor. The light dimmed and the air cooled the further he walked. Eventually, the corridor narrowed so that only one person could travel at a time. Then it stopped at a large black wall. Angus had seen these in a few old castles he’d visited through the years. Placing his fingertips against the surface, he allowed his beast to rise. Together they listened to the almost inaudible clicks as he placed his fingers in the correct sequence to disengage the door. After what seemed like hours, but was just several minutes, the door slid open.
Terracotta floor tiles, green and cream printed wallpaper, and several niches filled with small statues or art lined the hall. As the door closed behind him, Angus fiddled with the idea of searching for his mate in his hybrid form. He didn’t sense her, but he’d bet everything he owned she was somewhere in this place. Instead of seeking his mate, he sought the Chancellor, the keeper of secrets. He’d heard of the position but had never met one before because they didn’t answer to Alphas. They were set apart and protected by the Goddess.
When he came to the first set of closed doors, he placed his hand on the door and initiated his bracelet. Merging with the wood, he discovered this was an entertainment room, a possible decoy in his mind. He released the connection and continued his search. Further down the hall, there was a small door that blended so well into the wall he almost missed it, probably would have if his beast hadn’t noticed.
Since no one accosted him, plus he couldn’t pick up a heartbeat, and the total absence of any odor, not even decay, he was probably being watched. Those big ass guards saw him coming and were at the door, which meant someone else knew he was here. Looking up and down the hall, he placed his hand against the door as if he were simply leaning to get his bearings. After engaging the chameleon, he sensed humming, like a machine behind the door.
He remained in that position a few moments trying to unlock it and couldn’t. The door was a combination of wood and steel. In his largest form, he may be able to break it down but once again, the ceilings were too low to shift. Angus didn’t want to guess what kind of materials were behind the ceiling holding the dirt and rocks from aboveground from caving in on this place. Rather than bury them all beneath the surface, he continued his search down the hall.
Three doors. One hidden. Two weren’t.
Angus returned to the first door, the one he dubbed the entertainment room, and walked inside. Opening his senses, he searched for pockets of air that would indicate hidden entrances or staircases. To the right, he noticed several upholstered chairs, different colors and styles, arranged in a weird pattern. Two had their backs turned to the others. One had been moved so that it touched a faux, wallpapered window that depicted a colorful view of the ocean. He stared at the window for a few moments and touched it lightly with his fingertips.
Nothing.
Two other chairs faced in opposite directions, but the truly strange thing was they sat on a dark, dingy rectangular rug which clashed with everything else in the room. His gaze swung between the chairs, then at the rest of the space. His beast growled at his indecision but Angus was certain, well almost certain, that the chairs meant something. What? He wasn’t sure. After studying them several more minutes, he gave up and left the room.
He had been wandering around for almost an hour and with the exception of the hidden door, hadn’t discovered anything. Grandfather said time was of the essence, your mate is down there being held prisoner. You must save her. Saving her will cost you. Her life will come at a high price.” Angus clearly recalled their conversation. What was he doing wrong? It came to him. Grandfather had said something else. “Shift, allow your beast to lead you. He’s the only one who can at this point. It’s up to you, I can help you no further.”
“Damn,” Angus muttered as he flowed into his beast and returned to the room with the chairs again. This time he filtered everything, searching for the tiniest clue. He bumped each chair, moving them about, looking beneath them, pawing the rug to move it out of the way.
He sat on his haunches and stared at the wallpapered window. The calming, vibrant blues of the ocean, the fluffy clouds on a nice summer day called out to him. His beast whimpered and touched the picture in several places.
A small panel in the middle of the ocean opened. Angus crawled through and slid forward a few feet until he hit a tile floor. Traveling in one direction, he took the stairs and entered what had to be a huge library or the Chancellor’s chamber. He sensed movement before he felt something brush against him.
Gretchens. Airborne creatures that protected the secrets. As long as he didn’t have anything belonging to the chamber on him he was safe, otherwise, they’d rip him apart to keep him from leaving or stealing anything in the room. Once they brushed against him, he walked around the room and stopped.
His heart slammed in his chest as his beast growled. His mate had been here. Angus looked up and around the cavernous room. Was she still here? In this place?
He couldn’t be sure but didn’t think so. The scent wasn’t fresh but it lingered. A wave of relief washed over him with this proof he wasn’t chasing his tail. Nothing happened in a Chancellor’s chamber that she wasn’t aware of, which meant somehow this Goddess-protected servant was involved with hiding his mate.
A low growl erupted from his chest as he hunted the Chancellor. He morphed to human when he reached the door she’d escaped through. Angus inhaled, morphed to hybrid, and kicked open the door. It flew forward like a missile, catching another guard in the chest and pinning him to the wall.
Chest heaving, Angus strode into the room. A female dressed in a long beige robe stood to the back of the room behind three men or hybrids, Angus wasn’t sure what they were but it didn’t matter. He assumed she was the Chancellor and pinned her with his gaze.
“Where is my mate?” he asked, ignoring her soldiers.
“You have violated the Goddess’ orders by storming in here. You cannot —”
“Did the Goddess tell you to take my mate?” Angus asked, knowing the answer.
Even though she was covered from head to feet, her face, the only thing he could see, turned red. “There are things you don’t understand.” Her voice sounded sad.
“You have taken my mate, which means you’ve disobeyed pack law. Either bring her to me now or face the consequences,” Angus said, eying the grunting beasts who moved slowly toward him.
“As I said, there are things you don’t understand. My hands —”
“Are covered in blood because of your betrayal of your oath,” Angus yelled as he raced forward, grabbing an opponent and smashing him, face down, onto the hard floor and then slamming his foot on his back. The loud crunch of bones breaking froze the o
ther two for a second as they stared at their comrade on the ground.
Rather than waste time, Angus ran toward the next two, grabbed them, one in each hand, and slammed them together like booming cymbals. Dropping one to the ground, with a quick twist, he broke its neck, did the same to the other and tossed them aside. His gaze landed on the Chancellor, who watched him steadily.
“Where is my mate? I won’t ask this nicely again,” Angus said, taking long strides to reach her.
“Listen to me. There’s a lot at stake.”
Angus reached forward and hit an energy field. If he hadn’t worked with energy and crystals for over a hundred years, the smug smile she wore would be warranted. But he had. Reaching forward he touched the shield and identified the spell she used and countered it.
“Now we can negotiate,” she said, unaware that he was breaking down the wall between them. “She read a book, one that no one in this generation has been able to read. It chose her for some reason, which is why she’s trapped here.”
Angus’ brow rose as he morphed to his human form and continued breaking down the barrier between them. The chameleon tingled, ready for use. He’d need to be quick, catch her off guard before she threw up a mental shield.
“Good, at least you’re reasonable.”
He watched her and wondered at her age. Not that it was important but it kept him focused on unraveling the shield. Done. His hand shot out and grabbed her around the neck. Immediately he activated the chameleon bracelet and searched her mind for his mate, for more information on what was going on.
His surprise attack gave him a few moments to steal information she never would have uttered. Looks of horror, then shame, and finally anger, crossed her face as she locked him out of her mind.
“How dare you?” she hissed.
“No. How dare you betray the Goddess and your people in this way,” he countered now that he knew his mate was safe, sleeping in another room. His beast didn’t want to talk, he wanted to find their mate, but Angus tamped down his need in lieu of gaining knowledge. Something was happening here that involved both him and his mate.