by Sadie Carter
“Them?”
“Yeah, her lover was there. All three of us were pulled into this seductive spell. I had to have them. I barely managed to pull myself free. And the energy they fed me was amazing. Like nothing, I have ever had. I could barely leave them, and now I can’t stop thinking about them.”
“You’re addicted to their power,” a lilting voice replied.
Both men looked over as The Librarian entered. She didn’t walk, she glided. Her long, dark hair fell behind her in a black, shiny curtain. Bright-green eyes peered at them from a pale, beautiful face. This was the second time Brynn had seen her. The first time he’d been so awestruck, he’d barely been able to breathe for her beauty.
This time, he was annoyed at the interruption.
“What?” he asked impatiently.
“You attempted to use your power on them, didn’t you? To seduce them. Tell me, did you deliberately search them out? Did you become obsessed with feeding from them?”
He nodded. “With her. Her mate was a bonus.”
“No wonder you’re so affected. Two is a very big hit. Unlike humans, werewolves are powerful beings, and the energy they produce can be very addictive to demons. Now that you’ve had a taste your power wants more. To ensure that it has an endless supply, it bound you to them.”
“Can I break it?”
“No. And why would you want to? Already I can see you’re more powerful. Feeding from them will only increase that power.”
“And possibly kill them in the process! Or did you forget that I could drain them dry by feeding from them too often?”
She narrowed her gaze. “I never forget anything. But you forget who I am. I could leave you to drown in your ignorance. In fact, perhaps I will.”
“Wait,” Raze called. “Please don’t, my lady. We would like some answers. Brynn apologizes, don’t you?”
Brynn ground his teeth together. “I apologize for my rudeness. Please, is there a way out of this?”
She shook her head. “You know a bonding can only be broken through death. It’s why demons are so careful in who they choose to be their bonded. It’s not just a merging of power. Being with your bonded, touching them, it’s vital. Otherwise, the three of you will fade away and it won’t be pleasant.”
“But why them? Why two mortals who I can’t even live with?”
“There is nothing to say you can’t travel between our two planes. Control yourself, make sure you don’t take too much of their power.”
Raze frowned. “Why have we never encountered this before? I mean, if werewolf power is so addictive then why haven’t more demons ended up like this?”
“Have you ever tried to use your power on a werewolf before?” she asked.
Both of them shook their heads, but it was Brynn who answered her, “No. They’ve been so insular before now it’s always been too hard to gain access to them. Plus they’re naturally suspicious—it would have been too much hard work to hide who I was from them. Besides, there were plenty of easy, willing humans to feed from.”
It was always harder to manipulate a werewolf’s mind. He’d used a lot of power to keep the waiting room full of werewolves from seeing him. But then he’d had a small taste of Dusty’s power and wanted more.
“There have been only a very few cases of demons becoming werewolf addicted. And we’ve kept those cases a secret. Imagine if we let it be known how sweet werewolf power tasted? How powerful it was? What do you think would happen?”
Brynn swallowed. “We’d converge on them en masse.”
“It would be war,” Raze whispered.
“Yes. Werewolves can tell we’re not human. They would fight to protect themselves. How long do you think it would be until humans knew we existed? We would be hunted. It was decided it was better to keep this a secret than risk the freedom on Earth that we now have.”
“But you’re telling us now,” Brynn pointed out.
“You need to know what is happening to you. You must go to them.”
“They are hardly going to embrace me once I tell them all this,” Brynn said bitterly.
She shrugged and turned away. “I fail to see that you have much choice. Go to them. Oh, and by the way, tell anyone else about this, and you will spend the rest of your lives in the pit.”
Both he and Raze shuddered at the thought.
He turned to Raze. “What am I going to do?”
Raze tapped him on the shoulder. “I don’t know, my friend. But I suggest you think quickly because you don’t look so well.”
Brynn felt even worse.
* * * * *
Dusty dived, rolling along the ground to avoid the knife, which slammed into the dirt where her head had just been. She jumped to her feet, exhausted, knowing she couldn’t keep going.
But he couldn’t win.
Terror rolled through her, making her nauseous, but she couldn’t hesitate. She leaped toward him—
“Dusty, wake up now!”
The voice roared through her dream, slamming her into reality. She came awake with a whole-body shudder.
Opening her eyes, she found Cain staring down at her, brushing his hand over her hair. Moonlight glinted off his features, highlighting his concern.
“I’m okay.” It was a raspy, weak reassurance.
He climbed from the bed.
“Wait there,” Cain said quietly and walked into the attached bathroom, returning with a wet cloth in his hand. He wiped her sweat-dampened face and arms, massaging her hands.
When he was finished, he kissed her forehead. “I’ll get us a drink.”
She nodded and rested back against the headboard.
“You want to tell me what you were dreaming about?” Cain asked, handing her a glass of whiskey. She took a sip as he settled himself on the bed beside her.
She held a hand up to her neck. She could swear her scar was throbbing.
It was just a nightmare, she reminded herself.
“Zachary.”
“He’s enough to give anyone nightmares. You were rubbing your neck. Did he have anything to do with that scar?”
“Yeah.”
“Was that who your nightmare was about the other night? Zachary?”
She nodded.
“Want to talk about it?”
Dusty was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She’d never spoken to anyone about this before.
“I moved to Shadowpeak when I was seven. My uncle raised me after my parents died. He didn’t have much use for a cub, especially a girl. So he raised me how he’d been raised. I grew up a real tomboy. I always hung out with Jesse and Jay. When I reached adolescence, and they decided to try out for the junior enforcer training program, well, I decided to as well. Zachary laughed and told me that the most I could ever hope to be was a housekeeper and a breeder.”
Cain growled, and she smiled.
“I was shattered. But then, suddenly, he just changed his mind. My uncle tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t listen. I think Zachary wanted to humiliate me, maybe use me as an example to any other females who were thinking of becoming an enforcer. It was pure hell. I was pushed harder than everyone else. But I made it through. Zachary might have tried to deny it, had my uncle not intervened. He was an enforcer, a well-liked one.”
“What happened to your uncle?”
She closed her eyes. She would not cry. “Zachary sent him on a mission soon after I became a junior enforcer. He didn’t come back. My uncle may not have wanted me, but he protected me. I think Zachary had something to do with his death, but I had no way to prove it.”
“With your uncle out of the way, it left you unprotected. What did Zachary do?”
“I thought he was going to kill me. But he had something worse in mind. He decided to torture me, slowly. He told everyone that he was training me, helping me. He would drag me out into the woods, make me run and track me. Or we’d do hand-to-hand work, knife work. Sometimes he’d bring others in, those that were closest to him, call it
a training exercise, make me hunt them or vice versa.”
She realized she was squeezing his hand and let go. When he drew her onto his lap, she didn’t protest. She needed his strength.
“He wanted to make me quit. But I wouldn’t, I couldn’t, and in the end, I made the rank of enforcer. And the crazy thing is? He told me he was proud of me. Like it was due to him.”
“How’d you get the scar?”
“My first session with the knife. I was a little slow.”
“How old were you?”
She frowned. “Fifteen, I think.”
He cursed. Cain didn’t swear a lot, and he was spouting words she rarely used.
“If I could kill that fucker I would. You were too young for that sort of training. Hell, no training should ever scar you like that.”
She settled her head against his shoulder and sighed.
“I always thought being an enforcer was everything. It was my life. I’d worked so hard to become one that I swore I would never give it up. Now, look at me.”
He tipped her chin with his hand.
“You’ll be an enforcer again, and I will support you however you need me.” He brushed his hand over her hair. “Part of the reason I’m so attracted to you is because of how strong you are. I know you can take care of yourself.”
“Even with an injured leg?”
“Even then. You’re smart, you’re resourceful, and your wolf is tough.”
She snuggled in closer. “I’m not ever going to give you up.”
“Good,” he replied. “Because I wasn’t going to let you.”
* * * * *
“I never took you for the domestic sort.”
Dusty swore and turned, almost falling on her ass as her leg complained at the sudden movement. She held on to the side of the bath she’d been scrubbing and glared up at Brynn.
“Jesus Christ. Have you ever heard of knocking? You need a cowbell,” she snapped. His lips twitched.
“I don’t think a cowbell would quite fit with my image.”
“Why?” she snarled. “Because it might stop you from sneaking off whenever you feel like it?” It had been four days since he’d left. She was pissed.
“You know, you can’t just walk in and out whenever you like.”
He sat on the side of the tub.
“You’ll get your clothes wet,” she said sharply, pushing his thigh.
He shook his head. “They’ll dry. What I did was regrettable.”
Dusty closed her mouth. To say she was shocked was an understatement.
“I don’t think I have ever said those words before.”
That, she believed.
“Well, you’re going to have to apologize again, so get used to it,” she said coldly.
He raised his eyebrows. “To Cain? I—”
“I’m not talking about Cain. Although that wouldn’t hurt. I was talking about Cassie.”
“I am a demon. I don’t apologize. If I did, I would burst into flames.”
“What? Really?”
He sighed. “No, not really. So you told Cassie about me.”
“Yes, and even though she hasn’t said it, she’s wondering why you haven’t visited her. Where have you been?”
“I had some things to do.”
“Not. Good. Enough.” Dusty ground her teeth together.
He smiled. “You were worried about me?”
“Of course not.” She tried to stand, but she’d been to the physiotherapist that morning, and her muscles were weak and tired. He held out a hand, and she reluctantly took it, letting him pull her to her feet. “But you’ve been gone four days.”
Brynn grabbed her arm and, turning her, grasped her shoulders, staring into her eyes. “You’re right.”
Drawing her toward him, he kissed her deeply, wooing her with his tongue until she parted her lips and let him in. Desperately she tried to hold herself aloof, but as his tongue continued its erotic assault, she moved closer, rubbing against him.
Brynn cupped her breast, brushing his thumb against her nipple. Dusty shivered as his cool touch lit her insides.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “I could not stay away.”
His words penetrated the fog of lust, and she wriggled against him.
“Let me go.”
He ignored her, kissing down her neck.
“Let. Me. Go.” Taking a step back, she slammed her hands against his shoulders to push him away.
“What was that for?”
“I said no. You still haven’t explained where you were.”
He grinned winningly. “Ahh, where we were going is far more interesting than where I have been.”
She frowned, not amused. “You tried to stay away, didn’t you? But you couldn’t.”
His face grew serious, and a surge of triumph raced through her.
“You couldn’t stay away, and yet you expect to just waltz on in and have me roll over, part my legs and say take me, please?”
“Other women do,” he muttered.
“I am not other women, and you can’t treat me this way. You can’t just come back without a word of explanation and expect me to welcome you with open arms.”
“I had to leave. I was attempting to do the right thing.”
“What do you want, a reward? Why did you leave? Because you were scared by what happened?”
Something flashed in his eyes. Yeah, she’d hit the nail on the head.
“As I recall, you took off first. And yes, all right, part of me was worried. But not just for myself. My power was out of my control, and that has never happened to me before. You know, my leaving was the most unselfish thing I’ve ever attempted in my life.”
“So why have you come back?”
“To catch the bastards who hurt my sister.”
“And that’s all?” Hurt stirred as she realized he wasn’t going to be honest. Anger surged. “So go, find them.”
He sighed. “Let me finish. That’s only part of the reason why I came back. I had to see the two of you. I felt angry, antsy—”
“Anxious? You had to touch us? See us?”
“Yes. You too?”
She nodded. “What is it? What’s happened to us?”
Brynn rubbed his head, looking tired for the first time since she’d met him. “I think we need to wait and have this talk when Cain is here as well.”
“He’s not back until later tonight.”
“I need to go and see Cassie. Will I be welcome back here?”
“You can come back, but only if you’re going to tell us the truth.”
She waited until she was pretty sure he’d gone before limping out into the living room and sinking into a chair. She picked up her ringing phone, relaxing a little at Cain’s voice.
“Hey, sweetheart.” His voice soothed her nerves. “I need you to come over and keep Laney company.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“Someone sent her another message.”
“Shit. I’ll leave now. Oh, and Brynn’s back.”
“Well, that’s just the cherry on the cake, isn’t it?”
Chapter Eight
Brynn stood outside his sister’s house, his fist raised to knock. The door opened suddenly, surprising him.
Jay looked equally taken aback. “Who the hell are you?”
Brynn smiled. He was riding the edge of his temper. Just seeing Dusty hadn’t been enough. He wanted her. So badly it was painful. And a fight with Jay might be just what he needed to ease some of the tension.
“Some guard dog you are. You didn’t even know I was here, did you? You know, perhaps it would be better if I took Cassie with me. I promise to do a much better job of looking after her than you.”
Jay flew at him in a blur. He easily avoided the flying punches, landing a few of his own.
“Jay! My God, Brynn? What are you doing?”
Brynn ignored Cassie. He was caught up in the chaos, the violence. He sucked in the power. Not as filling as sex
ual energy, but it would feed him for a while.
Water blasted him in the face. He pulled back in shock.
“What the hell?” Jay yelled. Stepping back, he shook his head. Droplets went flying. Then his voice grew calmer. “Cassie, love, you should be in bed. What are you doing up?”
“Why am I up? Oh, I don’t know, perhaps because my idiotic mate and my equally stupid brother are brawling in my backyard!”
Brynn stared at his sister. She didn’t look like him. She took after her mother with her brown hair and short stature. Dark smudges marked the skin under her eyes. Her hands rested on her hips as she glared at him. She resembled a vengeful sprite.
“Hello, Cassie. No welcoming kiss for your loving brother?”
She shook her head, tapping her foot impatiently. “Loving brother? You don’t write, you don’t call. If this is you being loving, then I’d hate to see you indifferent.”
He grinned. “Just call me the dark sheep of the family. But I am family, little doe, your only family. Are you going to turn me away?”
“She has me now. And the pack.”
Jay moved to stand beside his mate, his arm going around her. She leaned against him.
“And all of you are doing such a wonderful job of looking after her. She should be in bed. You’re getting her wet. Let go of her.”
Brynn had easily dried himself with a mere thought.
Jay growled and, taking off his shirt, rubbed his hair roughly. “She was resting until you came barreling in, looking to pick a fight.”
“Do you want to come in?” Cassie asked, surprising him.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Didn’t you need to go to Laney’s?” Cassie asked Jay who was still glaring at him.
Jay looked down at her incredulously. “I’m not leaving you here with some stranger.”
“He’s not a stranger. He’s my brother. I think.”
“I am. I would not hurt her. If it wasn’t for me, she would be dead. Dusty can attest to that.”
“She told us.” Cassie squeezed her mate’s hand.