by Elisha Bugg
"Then you must know that I'll do anything to see him free."
Anya expected him to jump at the chance to have her in his debt, but instead he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb.
"I doubt there is much you can do for me, little Wolf."
"No, but maybe I can," Thane growled from the open doorway, making Anya flinch.
How could he have come in so silently that neither of them seemed to notice?
Anya watched Thane as he stood, gripping hold of the door frame with one hand, a menacing power coming off of him in waves.
Was he angry with her for speaking to the demon without him?
"Ah, just the man I was waiting for."
"Erebus, why are you here? You were supposed to meet me at headquarters."
"And have to suffer one of Edwin's lectures? No thank you," he replied, batting his hand in dismissal.
"Besides. I wanted to see how much the girl had grown before I agreed to anything."
How was it possible that he remembered her, yet all she could remember from him was the fire in his eyes? Who was he?
"Well now you've seen her, you can go," Thane growled, taking a step toward them.
Anya was confused. She thought they were friends. So why didn't Thane want him here? Maybe her inkling had been right. Perhaps the demon did mean to harm her.
"Well, it's a good job I did come here first. Seeing the determination despite her fear has swayed my decision," Erebus commented, turning to her with a sly smile. "I will help you free Lucas. But, only if you agree to help me when the time comes."
"Deal."
"Not you, sugar. Him," Erebus commented, turning back to Thane, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’ll be in your debt.”
"Wait," Anya called, jumping to her feet and taking a step toward Thane.
"You don't know what he's asking for. Shouldn't you find out first?"
"I know what I'm doing, Anya. We need him. And I know what he’ll want in return," Thane shrugged, turning his attention back to Erebus.
“Things are in turmoil down in hell, aren’t they? Are you sure you want to bring in an outsider?”
“I don’t have a lot of choice, Thane.”
“Then you can count on my help whenever you need it.”
“Good. I'll be in touch with a spell to break him free," Erebus replied with a smirk, standing and heading toward Thane.
Thane held out his hand, placing it against his chest, halting him in his tracks.
"You have a week, tops, otherwise our deal is off."
"Don't fret. I know just the man I need to pay a small visit to.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Anya was going out of her mind with boredom and worry after spending the last four days at home. Alone.
Leaning her head back against the soft cushions of her sofa, she sighed and shielded her eyes from the bright morning sun.
She wanted to go for a run in the hopes of curbing her boredom and working out some the tension stiffening her muscles, but she didn't dare.
The feeling of being watched hadn't stopped since she'd returned home from Thane's the other day, even though she remained indoors.
She was scared to venture outside alone and didn't want to ask for help.
She already assumed that Thane thought of her as weak, and she was determined to prove him otherwise. Always asking others to help wouldn't strengthen her argument.
Anya caught a glimpse of her reflection in the TV and gasped as her eyes flickered from their usual green to a dim yellowy brown. That wasn't normal.
She knew what she was now, but she'd never seen her eyes that colour before.
She needed to learn how to control her emotions before someone dangerous noticed what she was, but how was she to learn when she wouldn't ask for help?
Anya groaned and slumped down further into the cushions.
Maybe the journal Hugh had given her would teach her something new.
She lifted her arm from over her eyes and peered across at her backpack thrown in the corner by the TV. But what if it was all a trap?
Maybe it was Hugh who had figured out what she was. He was the one who spent the most time with her after all. It made sense he'd be the one informing his dad about her.
But she had to know what was in that journal. Some deep feeling was egging her on, telling her it was important. Her inner wolf perhaps?
Slowly, Anya pushed out of her chair and crouched down in front of her bag, pulling the journal free and tracing her fingers along the leather jacket.
Only she didn't have a chance to debate whether she should read it or not as a loud knock sounded at the front door, making her jump out of her skin.
Stuffing the book back into her bag, Anya sprung to her feet and headed to the door.
She stretched her hand toward the doorknob and hesitated.
What if it was the person responsible for making her feel uneasy? Had they seen her pull the journal free?
Anya pushed the door open a crack and peeked around the edge.
"Hey," she greeted when she spotted a familiar face.
"Alright, Anya. I've been asked to come fetch you."
"What for?"
"Nothing to panic about," Tynan smiled, combing his fingers through his golden locks, "Edwin's called a meeting of the Guards and Thane's insisting you attend. Erebus has come through with a plan to free Lucas."
Had the demon really come through so quickly? What could this spell he'd acquired entail? She needed to know.
She also needed to check on Thane. What if the demon already asked for his help?
"But I'm not a Guardian," she whispered, twiddling her thumbs.
"No, but Thane said you deserve to be there and nobody will argue with that. But I warn you. Some of the Guards aren't friendly."
"I'm sure I'll manage. After all I deal with Thane.”
"Yeah, that's true," Tynan chuckled, draping his arm across her shoulders.
Anya wasn't afraid of the Guardian's. She knew that Thane, Tynan and Edwin would never let them do anything to her.
No, she was afraid to go outside, even if she had Tynan with her.
The feeling of someone watching her had finally vanished, but in its place was dread. Something deep down insisting that she was in danger, but from what she didn't know.
What if the danger lurked outside in the alleyways, or the shadow of the trees?
Anya chewed on her lip and took one last glance outside, before grabbing her jacket hooked on the railing.
Anything had to be better than staying alone. Tynan would protect her from whatever threat was lurking nearby, wouldn't he?
"You'll be fine," Tynan reassured her, pulling her toward him as she shrugged into her coat.
Being this close to someone she had learnt to trust, someone she cared about filled her with comfort and confidence.
Perhaps she was panicking over nothing. Maybe it was just her nerves playing tricks on her, after all, the thought of being surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces did unnerve her.
"Do I need anything else?"
"Nope. Let's go."
Tynan didn't wait for a reply, just took a hold of her hand and pulled her down the steps.
As they walked toward Edwin's, Anya felt her nerves kicking in again.
This would be the first time she'd seen him since their argument over a month ago. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him.
She still loved him as much as she always had. He would always be a father figure to her, but she wasn't sure whether she forgave him for his deceit.
It was Thane that had insisted she be there, not him. That hurt.
Then there was Duncan, the man who'd forced himself on her. A man Thane had chased away. What if he was there too?
Would he stay away, scared of Thane? Or would he wait for her to be alone to try his luck a second time?
Tynan warned her that not all of the Guards were frien
dly, and even Thane had told her something similar in the past.
What if there were more people like Duncan, just waiting for her to be alone, to scare or hurt her?
Anya shook her head, trying to push the fears from her mind. It didn't matter what or who they were, she had people who would protect her. All she had to do was make sure she was never alone with anyone.
"What's wrong?" Tynan asked, slowing his pace to walk alongside her.
"You're never this quiet."
"Sorry," Anya mumbled, spinning a stray lock of hair around her finger, "just thinking."
Tynan stopped, turned around and held her by the shoulders.
"You have nothing to worry about. Erebus has found a way to get Lucas out, and Edwin has a great idea for a distraction. Your dad will be free soon."
Her heart skipped several beats.
She might finally be able to hold her dad properly. Talk to him without looking over her shoulder. Help him become healthy again.
She would finally have a family. But why did she feel so unhappy?
Did she feel guilty about having her father back when Edwin had always been there? No, that wasn't it. She knew in her heart that she would always love Edwin, no matter what. So what was bothering her?
"Will you and Thane leave once Lucas has been freed?"
It was a question she was dreading the answer of, but she needed to know.
She may have her dad back, and in time she knew she would forgive Edwin, but Thane and Tynan had come to mean a lot to her. Especially Thane.
She feared she loved him. A foolish thing to do, but she just couldn't control her overwhelming need for him in her life.
"I plan on sticking around. But I can't speak for Thane," he paused, looking over his shoulder at her.
"With Lucas found, Thane won't need to travel so frequently, but he likes his space and this town holds a lot of painful memories for him. I'm not sure if he'll want to return or help with the hunters."
"I guess Thane hasn’t found the reason for the hunters gaining strength and numbers yet then?"
Tynan shrugged in response.
It surprised her that Thane hadn't told him anything. Surely he must have found out some information since joining them. He was a Guard, he would know what to look for. Tynan was his friend. Why would he not confide in him?
Anya used to share everything with Keri, right down to the last detail. But since she'd come back, things had changed.
Keri had joined the hunters, become a killer. But even before she learnt that, she didn't feel the same about her.
Anya no longer felt like she could trust her.
Would she capture her? Or kill her if she found out what she was? Had she told anybody else about Edwin's secrecy and strange friends?
Surely not. They would have come for him already if that was true. Maybe Keri had dismissed or forgotten Anya's ramblings.
As they continued on their way, Anya couldn't help but notice how quiet everything was.
Usually on this stretch of road, it would be full of people everywhere, pushing and shoving around the market.
Today, nothing. Even the stalls weren’t open.
Tynan seemed to notice as well, constantly checking over his shoulder and flinching at every sound.
Could he sense something she couldn't?
"I don't like this," he whispered, taking a step closer to her side, "It's too quiet and something doesn't feel right."
"You feel it too?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder toward a dark alleyway, “like someone's watching?"
"No. It's something else."
Anya turned and scanned the horizon for anything out of the ordinary, trying to concentrate on the feeling to see if she could pinpoint the source. The action so difficult and unnatural. She wasn't used to her heightened senses and didn't know how to control them.
Straining to see further, her vision blurred in and out of focus as she stared ahead at a black mass in the distance. Her eyes refusing to focus on the shadowy figure. Unable to decipher whether it was human or not.
"Ty?"
"Shh," he snapped, covering her mouth with his hand, pulling her back against his chest.
Anya stopped struggling and listened. Footsteps headed toward them, the sound bouncing off of the narrow streets around them. It sounded like a group of people.
"You need to run, Anya."
"But-"
"Just trust me, I'll be fine. I'll be more likely to get injured if you stay here because I'll be worrying about you."
Anya nodded, turning around quickly to run the rest of the way to Edwin's, hoping she reached his house before whoever was approaching caught up. Only she ran straight into Hugh's arms, falling back into a heap on the floor, rubbing her arm where she'd landed.
She pushed to her feet and frowned.
"Sorry Anya," Hugh sighed, pressing something sharp into her arm.
Looking down to see what was causing the pain, she saw the needle buried deep in her skin, making her sway on her feet. Bile filled her throat as her vision blurred, but she couldn’t fight it. Darkness crept into the corner of her eyes.
"Anya!" she heard Tynan roar as she drifted to sleep in Hugh's arms.
Chapter Twenty Eight
As Thane sat in the meeting room, surrounded by people he tolerated at best, an overwhelming feeling of dread washed over him.
Sitting up straight in his chair, his eyes glowing bright, he searched the room.
Nothing was out of place. Nobody giving off any unusual vibes, but where was Edwin? More importantly, where was Tynan with Anya? It wasn't like either of them to be late.
"Something wrong, wolf?" Duncan smiled, causing Thane's hackles to rise.
Thane jumped out of his chair and wrapped his hand around Duncan's throat, squeezing hard, his claws and fangs elongating to deadly points.
"Put him down, Thane. You know he only likes to wind you up," Edwin called as he entered the room, limping slightly on his left leg.
Thane watched him all the way to his chair. Only when he was seated did he release Duncan and walk toward him.
"Don't ask -" Edwin commented when Thane stood over him, arms crossed over his chest, waiting for an explanation, "- I had a small run in with a couple of hunters, but don't worry, they've been neatly disposed of."
Thane's didn't like it.
If Richard knew those men had come to Edwin for information and neither of them returned, his suspicions would grow leaving Edwin vulnerable to another attack.
He may be a good fighter, strong and well trained, but Richard had numbers, and Edwin was growing old. He couldn't fight for long.
Thane sighed, taking a seat next to him, slouching back in his chair waiting for Tynan to appear.
Edwin had told Thane he didn't want Anya to attend the meeting, fearful of the other Guards, but Thane insisted. It was a meeting about Lucas after all, she had a right to be there.
If any of the others, especially Duncan, got too close, or said something unacceptable, Edwin should put them in their place. He was their leader.
Thane watched the other men and women, noting their impatience when Edwin didn't begin.
"Do we really need to wait for the pup? She's not a Guard and has no right to be here," Duncan muttered to another member, making him laugh.
"Careful Duncan, I can only control Thane for so long. You know as well as I do, he isn't one to listen to sense."
Both men went silent, bowing their heads.
"Thane?" Heleana whispered beside him, taking her seat, "is it true, Anya is your mate?"
Nothing slipped by Heleana. She'd been healer to the Guardians for decades, always managing to find out information before anybody else. The one person in this room, aside from Edwin that Thane actually cared for.
"How long have you known?" he sighed.
"The moment I made you that mask."
Interesting he thought, turning to her to question her further. He knew she was a gifted woman, often seeing thin
gs before anybody else, but this was extraordinary, even for her. Whoever ended up being her mate would be a lucky man.
"How-?" he began, pausing when he caught sight of Tynan staggering into the room, alone and injured.
Thane jumped to his feet and met him halfway across the room.
"Thane," he cried, collapsing against him. "T-they took her. I tried to stop them, but there were too many."
Heleana rushed to his side, taking Tynan off of him to inspect his wounds. The way she moved, the way she ran her hands over his body reminding him so much of Anya, his heart clenched.
"Where?" he managed to ask, anger lacing his voice turning it deep and gravelly.
"There were too many, Thane, you won't make it by yourself."
"Where?! " he growled.
Nothing Tynan could say to him would talk him out of going after her.
"Near Oleander's. They ambushed us. They were just so quiet, I don't understand it."
Thane didn't wait for him to finish before he sprinted from the room.
He refused to believe she was lost, that he couldn't save her before it was too late. He would not lose her now, not when he hadn't told her the truth. How much he needed her.
He ran fast, his muscles protesting against him as he forced them to work harder than he ever had in his human form.
He would not fail her, or Lucas. Not again.
When Thane reached the tavern, he could still smell her scent on the wind.
He scanned the area, looking for any clues who had taken her. Knowing the hunters had been involved, but who was the one to give the order?
In the distance Thane spotted something glittering on the floor. Fisting the metal in his hand, he growled. It was a chain he'd seen on the boy, Hugh. Anya must have grabbed a hold of it when he took her.
"Thane," a familiar voice whispered from behind him, "come here. "
He followed the faint sound of Oleander's voice, finding him hidden beside his cellar.
"There are still some of them left, I've been watching them. Two strayed close enough for me to take care of, but I can see four more."
"Where?" Thane growled, his teeth already sharpening in his mouth.
"Two on the corner by the flower shop. One up top," Oleander pointed to the man on the roof, pausing to search for the last man. "The other is coming this way. He must have heard you."