Dire Wants_A Novel of the Eternal Wolf Clan

by Stephanie Tyler

  “Ready?” he asked finally.

  She nodded. Blew out a breath and linked her hand with Stray’s. Opened her mind the way the book taught her to, imagining the protective lining opening like a zippered purse to let Seb have access to her.

  He did, almost immediately, like he’d been waiting for this opportunity. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for him.

  Lila, come back to me. I’ll lead you—show you the way. It’s so hard for you now, but with me, it will be so easy.

  Stray’s hand on her elbow squeezed as she answered, “What do you want with me? You know who I am.”

  You’re part of Lila, and I want her back.

  “You gave Lila up. That’s part of why she died—you betrayed her.” With her free hand, she reached out to touch the mare, who was intricately and intimately connected with Seb, and she recoiled in horror. Hissed. Ran her nails in a raking motion down Rogue’s chest as the wolf remained stoic and unmoving, even though she swore she heard his moans in her head.

  Stray started, like he did, too.

  “I can see you, Sebastian,” she whispered, knowing that’s what Lila called him as her connection to the witch flared. “I will stop you.”

  The mare shrieked, a sound like nails on a chalkboard as Rogue did a silent writhe of pain under her.

  Seb pushed back, hard. Silly witch. You can’t do this.

  In another time and place, this wouldn’t happen; they would be friends. Seb would be her mentor. “You know it’s wrong.”

  Of course I know. But sometimes you have to cause great damage to do the most good.

  “You’re not doing any good—and I’m here to stop you.”

  No. That was Rogue, his thoughts clenching hers so tightly, her head began to throb. Stop. This isn’t your place—this isn’t what you were meant to do.

  “Then what?” she asked.

  Stop the army. You and Jinx together can do it.

  “How?”

  Lean in to me.

  She did, and Rogue whispered things about the dead, their path, their crossings . . . Over the mare’s screams, he told her secrets about the dead no one should know, things buried by the rushing River Styx, and it felt right and wrong at the same time. It confused her—like what he was telling her didn’t match the truth he was giving her.

  But he did tell her what was wrong with Jinx. And by the time he’d finished, his voice was fading, and she was exhausted and dizzy. But fortified.

  Your witch knows what to do.

  “It will hurt your brother,” she said.

  Yes, it has to, Rogue agreed. He knows it. Put yourself in his presence and work together. Don’t be distracted by the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  * * *

  Seb went insane that a new witch was disrespecting him. He used to have everything, including and especially Lila. Now Lila’s new witch had made him look like a fool.

  And he was no fool.

  The girl might have Lila’s power, but she knew nothing.

  Nothing.

  Ah, so that’s what it takes to get your ire up, the white shroud whispered, and that’s when Seb realized he couldn’t tell the difference between angels and devils at all.

  Let it go, Sebastian. Show them all what you can do, Kondo urged, and for the first time, Seb listened to his dark side wholeheartedly.

  He’d been afraid of it his entire life. Now he had nothing to fear. He could be all-powerful, let people bow to him. The jig was up, the worry gone.

  And it felt good.

  Chapter 36

  Jinx was lying on his back on the couch, willing himself to get up and out and into the shit waiting for him just outside the apartment door. Brother Wolf wasn’t going to push him, didn’t want to deal with the plethora of ghosts that circled the building.

  But they were tame compared to the other things that hovered. Jinx could feel them so deep down, like they were attached to him, yanking at him. Attempting to force him out into the darkness he normally loved.

  Jez finally pulled a chair over and sat next to him, staring directly into his face, fangs elongated. A show of violence, of domination, but it had come out of nowhere.

  Jinx jumped up, prepared to fight, Brother Wolf rising to the challenge. “What the fuck is this, Jez?”

  “Just waiting for you to get up off your ass and notice that the building’s shaking,” Jez said, seemingly unconcerned, but his glowing eyes told a different story. Unlike wolf’s eyes, deadhead eyes seemed to lose their pupils; the ring circling the iris was an odd glow around the blackness inside.

  That ring was the only thing that differentiated the deadhead from a demon—and it was unlike any vamp he’d ever seen. Good info to know, and Jinx put that in the back of his mind as he hightailed it to the window.

  The building was moving, like some kind of earthquake that wasn’t stopping. The streets were cracking and humans ran into the streets, looking at the sky, like the answers could all be found there. “Gotta be Stray’s witch—”

  “Not her,” Jez said, and Jinx felt the skitter of cold fear wrap his spine when he realized the vamp was right.

  “We’ve got to get out there,” he breathed as he watched humans continue to pour outside and begin fighting—out of fear, mostly. Mixed in with the humans, he noted Weres in human form and the horrors of purgatory flew over them. Circling and watching. “Gotta figure out what’s going on.”

  “I know exactly what this is. Seb’s having a temper tantrum,” Jez said. “And it’s nothing compared to what the Dire ghost army can and will unleash on us.”

  “But for now, if the trappers can’t even control him—” Jinx started.

  “Then he’s vulnerable—and so are they,” Jez finished. Jinx was already calling Liam and the twins.

  “Time for reinforcements.”

  * * *

  Vice burst into Rogue’s room, where Kate still sat, recovering from talking with Rogue. Stray immediately stood, because something was really wrong based on the fact that Vice was ready for an imminent shift.

  “We’ve got to get downtown—big trouble.”

  As he spoke, the house began to shake. “Is that just us?” Stray asked as Kate said at the same time, “That’s not me.”

  “It’s not you—it’s Seb,” Vice said. “That’s what Jinx said, anyway. What the hell happened in here between you guys?”

  “Seb’s angry because I talked to Rogue,” she said.

  “Rogue told her to help with the Dire ghost army—to work with Jinx, not to worry about him,” Stray added.

  Vice whistled. “Yeah, that’s gonna work out well. Look, Liam’s rounding up whatever Weres he can trust to try to help get the humans under control—Seb’s got them in the streets, fighting. We need you and Kill.”

  Stray looked back at Kate. “She’ll have to come with. I can’t leave her alone with Seb this angry.”

  “Do whatever you need to, brother, but let’s roll.”

  There was no time to waste—Stray helped Kate up and ushered her down the stairs and into the garage, stopping only to collect shoes and a jacket of Gwen’s for her.

  Killian was waiting by the truck. He nodded to Stray and Kate and got into the front seat next to Vice. Liam and the twins had already taken off.

  Rifter, as much as it pained him to send his men out without him, would remain home and keep Gwen safe.

  “What’s the plan?” Stray asked.

  “Same plan—just a smaller scale this time. You and Kill reverse Seb’s message inside the humans’ minds. I realize we’re giving away our hand, but Seb already knows what Kill can do. I’ll watch out to make sure he’s not laying other traps. Stray, you made sure it’s working, weed out any trappers. Liam’s Weres will usher the humans back to safety with Cyd and Cain helping. Jinx
is close to the area as well.”

  “I guess we’re jumping into the fire without practice,” Stray said.

  “Believe in us, brother, the way you do your witch,” Kill told him. “I’m going to have to plant some earthquake story to the network news, too. In the scientists’ minds as well, or people are going to get really suspicious.”

  “Witch, you need to stay close to Stray—you can’t defend yourself.”

  “I can fight,” Kate insisted. “I’ve taken a lot of self-defense courses.”

  Vice turned to hand her a covered silver-bladed knife. “This can hurt a Were, kill a demon or human. Use it if you need to.”

  With that, he blasted the truck out of the garage.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Kate stood and watched Liam talking to a small group of Weres, including Cyd and Cain, his voice loud and firm over the chaos just outside the woods.

  “We don’t hurt the humans—we herd them back to safety, understood?” Liam told them and one of the Weres called out, “What about Seb’s spells? They work on us, remember?

  “Killian won’t let that happen,” Liam assured them. “The newest Dire has my trust, and that means he has yours as well.”

  She watched Killian nod in appreciation. Whatever had happened between Stray and Killian went a long way toward Liam’s sentiment, and she hoped it would be enough to control this situation.

  And then the unshifted Weres begin to move toward the rowdy crowd.

  She wondered if she could distract Seb, give the wolves enough time to clean this up. She’d started this mess in the first place, and it should be her job to end it.

  She realized she was trembling a little, with the threat, the crowds, the smell of violence that permeated the normally more peaceful city.

  Although there was gang violence and other crime here, this particular section of town wasn’t usually a hotbed of activity.

  Things were getting darker now, and not just because of nightfall.

  “Don’t use your powers out here,” Stray admonished. “You don’t know who’s watching. Bad enough we had to bring you out.”

  “I can’t stay locked inside forever.”

  “It’s not the time to argue with me. Stay close,” Stray told her. “Stay right between me and Kill. Tuck your arms in ours and keep your eyes peeled for trouble.”

  He turned to talk to Stray for a minute, his hand still on hers. She jerked away fast. “You’re worried Seb’s going to call to me again, and that I’m not strong enough to resist.”

  He wheeled back around to her, said fiercely, “I’m worried you’re going to let him in, in some misguided attempt to save everyone.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. There’s too much at stake.”

  But the fact that he didn’t trust her at all . . . that nearly killed her. “You said you wouldn’t read my mind unless I invited you to.”

  “Or if we were in a dangerous situation. This shit counts.” He lowered his voice. “I’m with you, distracted. You could get us both into a really bad place. Do you understand? I’m tied to you, in more ways than one.”

  If I go down, you go down.

  When he nodded, the monumentality of that hit her, probably for the first time since she’d met Stray and discovered what she was.

  “Let’s do this,” Killian interrupted them. “You can deal with your personal issues later.”

  Neither argued. She threaded her arms through the big wolves’ arms and let them lead her into the mob.

  * * *

  Stray had wondered if this would be too much, if Kill’s skinwalking curse would interfere with their abilities.

  If anything, it made their bond stronger, more effective. Kill had been right—Stray could see the difference between a permanent memory and a suggestion, as Kill had demonstrated to him when they picked their first human to fix.

  A dark gift turned darker by default, and Stray listened in to the humans’ minds and told Killian what he needed to say to quell their confusion and fear and turn them calm and docile.

  An army of docile humans. He was sure this wasn’t what the Elders had in mind, and he also knew this was nothing compared to the battles to come.

  “Concentrate, brother,” Killian muttered now, his hand in the air as he and Stray pulled Kate along through the relentless crowd. Kate had her head down, her hand gripped both his and Kill’s biceps tightly and he tasted her worry.

  Stray couldn’t delve into her thoughts at the moment and risk Killian getting to them, and so he hoped she was doing as she promised, staying out of it. He continued to read minds and make sure the suggestions were implanted.

  “He’s resisting.” Stray pointed to a man in overalls walking away from the crowds.

  “Trapper,” Killian said, baring his canines ever so slightly. He closed his eyes and his body shook from the effort—and Kate and Stray’s by default.

  In seconds, the trapper turned, slowly, dazed and disoriented. “He’s Shimmin’s bitch,” Stray caught Liam and told him. “Leave his memory intact and take him alive. Bring him to Vice to interrogate later.”

  Liam sent Cain over to collect the confused man, and Stray and Kill continued, even as the crowd began to surge again, like Seb was starting new with his violent attempts at control.

  Chapter 37

  Some of Kill’s attempts were too aggressive. These powers had never been used and trying to hone them among the masses of humanity wasn’t working well. Time after time, he’d bend a group’s brains too hard, take them too far, erase too much until they collapsed like husks on the floor, bags of bones encased in skin.

  Weak. Mortal. And still he pressed on to help them because he’d promised the Dires and the Elders he would. Because not doing so wouldn’t gain him death. Because Stray believed in him, guided him, as he’d promised. Told him when to rein it in. Killian put all his trust into his brother and together they worked their brand of magic on the crowd.

  He fisted his hands as thirty more rushed at him, watched them drop to their knees. Only then did he ease the pressure, remind them, It’s an earthquake—we should be inside, helping one another.

  Like lemmings, they stood, shakily, as the earth still shook under their feet, and made their way toward buildings and homes and cars.

  * * *

  Jinx and Jez stayed along the outskirts of the fighting, watching to make sure that the humans and Weres who came their way were nonviolent.

  Jinx was clawing to get into the fight—Brother Wolf as well, although he knew that staying out of it was the best thing he could do.

  He hated being helpless, now more than ever, and he could only imagine how Stray felt at points in his life. Even now, watching the power he and Killian had over these people—it was both reassuring and frightening as hell.

  “I should be out there,” he muttered.

  “I’m sure Rifter and the others feel the same way. You can do more good when this is over. Your Dire brothers have it under control,” Jez pointed out.

  Jez was right. Kill and Stray moved through the crowds, Kate between them, subduing herds of humans. Kill was changing the crowd’s memories so that they’d always remember this as merely Mother Nature, a small earthquake, and nothing to get violent about, while Liam’s Weres were acting as crowd control under his leadership, stopping fights and keeping themselves calm, pushing the humans back to their homes and businesses.

  The Weres appeared unaffected by the mob violence, but Jinx would bet anything that all of them would shift if pushed just slightly further.

  And that would truly be madness.

  “It’s not only happening here,” Jez said as he checked his iPhone. “CNN and other affiliates reported riots all across New York State. Reports of an earthquake are unconfirmed.”

  “At least what Kill’s d
oing is working,” Jinx muttered.

  As he watched, Killian stood in the middle of the empty street, still holding Kate, who clung to him and Stray like her life depended on it. Killian closed his eyes and for a long, tense minute, Jinx wondered what the wolf was doing.

  “Skinwalker,” the ghost who floated in front of the partially opened window whispered, and Jinx jerked his head toward it, as did Jez.

  “Is he right?” Jinx asked Jez.

  “Do I have encyclopedia of the damned stamped across my forehead?” Jez demanded. “What the hell did you wolves do before I got involved?”

  “Looks like you’ve always been involved.”

  * * *

  What Kill and Stray were doing was working, but not fast enough. The crowd swirled around her, and Kate felt choked by the thickness of the hatred. All of that was directed at her.

  Defying Stray wasn’t first in her mind, but she needed to help, to stop being powerless.

  Maybe she was strong enough to do this. If Kill could gain control as she watched, why couldn’t she do the same?

  She opened her mind and focused her thoughts. Seb, please, stop this.

  Stray jerked his head to stare at her. Yelled something, but she’d already made the decision to stop this on her own.

  Come to me and I’ll stop this, Seb told her.

  She suddenly had more strength than before, extricated herself from the wolves and began to walk through the crowds that seemed to part for her.

  “Kate!” Stray’s voice was behind her, but she ignored him, walked faster even as she felt the heat from his body behind him.

  If you run, I will catch you, Stray warned.

  Tell your pet to follow, Seb instructed.

  She was helpless to resist, and had realized too late that Seb was far more insidious than she’d have thought. “Stray? Please?”

  If she was doing it for Stray or Seb, she didn’t know, wasn’t sure it even mattered.

  If you come to me, I’ll end all of this. Keep walking.