by E. J. Powell
“I’m a little busy. We got a scent on one of Rocco’s wolves.”
“You need to come to the bayou. Now.”
“What’s going on? Is Jessie okay?”
“Just get here,” Daniel said before hanging up. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Jessie. He needed to get her away from this.
Daniel wrapped his arms around her and she fell into them. Her body felt like putty as he picked her up, cradling her to his chest. He needed to get her out of here. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he carried her back into the house and sat down at the kitchen table. He pulled her closer as she sat in his lap, her arms still clinging to his neck.
“I’m so sorry, Jessie,” he whispered in her ear. He looked up to the ceiling as he stroked her hair. He was trying to keep himself together as she fell apart in his arms. He took a deep breath and let it out. He couldn’t imagine the pain she was in right now. The pain of seeing her pack like that.
He sat in the dark as he rocked her in his arms. Neither said a word. He didn’t know what to say. No words could comfort her, so he rocked her. He held her close. He let her cry.
Daniel heard the roar of engines drawing near and recognized the Hayabusa Justin rode. The engines cut off one by one and he heard the sound of boots hitting the ground as they ran towards the house. The door flew back and Rickon stood in the door followed by Justin, Robb, Nathan and Tasha.
“What’s wrong?” Rickon said as he ran towards him. He looked down at his daughter before he looked back at Daniel.
“The barn,” Daniel managed to say.
Rickon looked past him out the back door and then back to him. He could see Rickon’s eyes widened as he signaled for the others to follow. Daniel looked back at Jessie as she lay still in his arms. He heard the sound of cries from outside, and then screams filled the air as Rickon and the rest discovered the horror that waited for them. Daniel sat in the kitchen, Jessie still clinging to his neck as she buried her face deeper in his chest.
“I don’t understand?” Rickon said, coming back in the house. Daniel looked over to him as the man tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He looked over to Jessie and walked to her. “Give her to me.”
Jessie squeezed Daniel’s neck tighter, nearly suffocating him.
“Jessie,” Rickon said. “Jessie, I’m here.”
He touched her arm which only made her hold on tighter.
“I’ve got her,” Daniel said. Rickon nodded and he backed up. Daniel let out a cough as Jessie loosened her death grip on him.
“We need to get her back to the bar. We need to-” Rickon stopped as choked on his words. He looked back outside before he turned to Daniel. “Will you take her back? Here’s the key to the truck. Please. Just get her out of here.”
Daniel took the key and stood, lifting Jessie with him. She said nothing as he carried her outside and to the truck. He kept her cradled in his arms as he sat in the driver’s side and took off out of the bayou.
He pulled up to the bar and shut off the engine. He looked down at Jessie. Her eyes were closed as she clung to him. He lifted her out of the truck and walked up to the bar. He kicked open the door and walked inside. Ashley sat down in the bar with Darion, Bender and Drew.
“Oh my god!” Ashley yelled as she ran to his side. “What happened? We were scouting the warehouses when I got a call from Rickon, but I couldn’t understand him. He told us to fall back.”
“Not now.” Daniel walked past her and to the stairs. He carried Jessie up to his room and laid her down in his bed. She said nothing as she fell limp on the mattress. She had completely zoned out. It was as if she wasn’t there anymore. He pulled the covers over her shoulders as he looked at her.
“Jessie?” he said, but she made no reply. He took in a deep breath. “I need to go talk to Ashley. I’ll be right downstairs.”
Still no reply. He rubbed her arm one more time before he stood up and walked out of his room, closing the door behind him.
He leaned his head against his closed door as he tried to breathe. He looked down the empty hallway before his stomach heaved, and he leaned over as he expelled the contents of his stomach on the wood floor. He had never seen such cruelty before. He heaved again and felt two hands rubbing his back. He stood up, wiping his mouth, and looked down to his sister.
“They’re all dead,” he whispered. She pulled him down to her as she held him close.
“I know. Rickon just called me. I can’t even… I’m so sorry, Daniel.”
He breathed in her scent as he rested his head on her shoulder. If something like that had happened here… he couldn’t even think about it. He couldn’t think about losing his sister. Losing his brothers. Losing Jessie.
“How’s Jessie?” Ashley asked as he stood back up.
“I don’t know. She isn’t saying anything.”
“I’ll send Helena in.”
“I don’t think Helena can fix this.”
Daniel looked back at his door. He felt so useless. He followed Ashley downstairs. Everyone was up and scattered throughout the bar. No one said anything. They all knew. He could see it in their eyes. He sat down at the bar between Drew and Boyd.
“How many survived?” Bender asked. Daniel looked to him, Aria stood quietly beside him, a tear rolling down her cheek.
“The three families are dead, including the pups, as well as Sky.”
“And Ty?” Torrick asked from his corner.
“No sign of him.”
“There were so many just ripped into pieces,” Daniel said. “I’m sure he’s in there somewhere.”
“Who would have thought they would have been mass murdered?” Ashley said. “And by our own kind?”
“We should have been there,” Torrick said. “We have a duty to all werewolves. We should have been there to help protect them.”
Ashley didn’t say anything as she turned back to Daniel. Daniel looked up at the two pictures hanging above the glass shelves. His parents and his eldest brother, now dead.
“Rocco must be stopped,” Torrick said.
“He’s still after Jessie, and we need to know why,” Ashley said. “And I’m guessing it has something to do with her blood.”
Daniel looked over to her. He was exhausted. Mentally, physically, emotionally. All he wanted was to go see Jessie. He needed to be with her right now.
“I’m going to go check on Jessie.” Daniel stood up and moved from the bar. He climbed the stairs and stopped outside his door to clean up the mess he had made earlier. He washed up in the hall bathroom before he went into his room. Jessie was still curled in a ball on his bed.
He climbed in next to her, holding her in his arms.
“Jessie?” he whispered, but she made no reply. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to help her. So he just held her.
He didn’t know why Rocco was after her. He didn’t care why. He didn’t care if it was because of her blood, or just a way to get to Rickon. All he cared was that Rocco didn’t get to her. He had to keep her safe. He had to keep her alive. He couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t.
CHAPTER 14
Ashley lay in her bed, looking around her room. Darion lay next to her. His naked body hard under her hand. She could never get tired of him. As she looked at her sleeping husband, her heart broke for Daniel. She knew he loved Jessie. She knew he wanted to protect her. But even Ashley was at a lost at how to help her. How can she be the Alpha of Alphas, and not be able to help?
She sat up and pulled her legs over the edge of the bed. She grabbed Darion’s T-shirt, throwing it on. It was way too big for her, but she didn’t care. It smelled like him. She looked at her husband one more time, his long dark hair falling on the pillow. He was all biker. Just the way she liked him.
She stood up and stretched her muscles. It was still early, and the rising sun was barely peeking through her window. She knew she needed to get more sleep, but thoughts of the night before kept racing through her mind. An e
ntire pack, mutilated and murdered. Ashley had never seen such cruelty before. She walked to the armchair where her shorts were thrown. She slipped them on and made her way to the door. Before she reached the door, she heard a loud cry.
Darion sat up in the bed, looking right at her.
“What the hell is that?” he asked, jumping from the bed and grabbing his jeans. He yanked them over his long legs.
“It sounded like Daniel.” Ashley ran from the room, Darion right behind her. Another holler echoed down the hallway. Ashley ran at full speed and burst into Daniel’s room.
Daniel was on the floor. His shirt was ripped to pieces and soaked in blood. But that wasn’t the worst sight.
Jessie stood over him, her claws elongated, her eyes solid black. She slashed her hand down, ripping through Daniel’s flesh. He called out to her, but Jessie looked at him like a stranger.
“Jessie!” Ashley screamed. Jessie turned her solid black eyes to her. Ashley froze as she saw the pale green face looking at her. It was unrealistic. A glow came from Jessie’s body, but it was dark and sinister. Ashley swallowed as she looked to her brother bleeding on the floor.
“Jessie, stop!” Ashley shouted.
“I don’t take orders from you,” Jessie said, but it wasn’t her voice. It was strained and distorted.
“Ashley!” When did Agnes get here? Ashley looked to the witch, her braids loose and flowing around her body to the floor. “Make her shift!”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“She’s weaker in wolf form. Make her shift!” Agnes began chanting.
“You can’t stop me, witch,” Jessie said.
“Now, Ashley!” Agnes shouted again. Ashley turned back to Jessie.
“I command you to your wolf form,” Ashley said.
Jessie turned her black eyes to Ashley, but she wasn’t shifting. She was fighting it! Ashley stepped forward, her own claws elongating.
“As Alpha of Alphas,” Ashley said, putting all of her power into it. “I command you to your wolf form!”
Jessie let out a yelp as she fell to her knees. She was still trying to fight the shift, but her body wouldn’t let her. Her bones snapped as they realigned. Black fur spread across her body until all but her eyes were covered. With one last yelp, Jessie’s eyes turned back to brown before they shut.
Jessie’s wolf form lay still on the floor.
“Daniel!” Ashley said, running to his side. He was bleeding from several different cuts. She grabbed a towel from the floor and held it up to stop the bleeding. Ashley tuned to Agnes. “What the hell just happened?”
“Jessie’s body is at war with itself. I don’t know how my block came off, but it did.” Her eyes peered around the room before falling on Daniel.
“What does that mean?” Ashley asked. “What block?”
“I put a block on her mind to help control her powers.”
“Is Jessie all right?” Daniel asked. He didn’t care about some stupid block. He looked at Jessie lying motionless on the floor.
“She’s fine. I put her in a light coma.”
“A coma!” Daniel yelled. He stood, pushing Ashley from him. “Wake her up!”
“It would be best for everyone if she stayed asleep,” Agnes said. “Her powers are unleashed, and until I can bind them again, she is a danger to everyone.”
“What are you talking about?” Darion asked. Agnes turned to the Dark Lord.
“That is not for me to say. You should probably talk to Rickon.”
Darion rolled his eyes as he walked from the room. Daniel bent down to the floor and scooped Jessie in his arms. He winced as his cuts continued to bleed. He bit through the pain as he carried her to the couch and put the blanket over her.
Agnes bent down beside him.
“Give me some time. I can secure the block again.”
Daniel nodded as Agnes gently nudged him to the door, Ashley with him. She shut the door behind him, locking him out of his own room. He stared at the door, still confused as to what just happened.
“What the hell is going on here?” Helena asked, coming from her room. She rubbed her eyes as if she had been sleeping, but Daniel could smell Colt all over her. She looked between him and Ashley and then her eyes fell to the many cuts down his body. “Holy shit. Let me heal you.”
“I’m fine,” Daniel said, stepping back.
“You’re bleeding on the floor.”
Daniel looked down at his bare torso. The cut on his side was pretty deep. He turned to her and held his hands away from his body. Helena walked up to him and began healing him. He winced as the skin began to seal, but he didn’t move. When she was done, she stepped back rubbing her own side. He knew that as a healer, Helena felt everything when she healed. It was as if the injury was happening to her. One of the reasons he didn’t let her heal him often. Unless it was life threatening, he usually just let it heal on its own.
“We need to talk to Rickon,” Ashley said. She turned to Daniel. “Go get some clothes from Torrick.”
Daniel watched Ashley walk away with Helena behind her. They started talking, but Daniel wasn’t paying attention as their voices drowned out down the stairs. He looked back at his closed door. What did just happen? One minute, he was stroking her hair, and the next, he was thrown to the floor and being torn into like he was going through a shredding machine. And what was that power he had felt? It was raw and unchecked… and coming from Jessie.
He put his hand on the door, but didn’t try to open it. Agnes needed to work and he needed to find out what was going on. He left his door and walked to the right. He knocked a couple of times until he finally heard Torrick let out a curse before yelling, “Come in already!”
Daniel opened the door and walked in to see his brother still in bed, thankfully alone.
“I need some clothes,” Daniel said, making his way to the dresser. He took off the little bit of jean that was left on him. Daniel walked around the couch to the dresser and started ruffling through the top drawer. Like his room, Torrick’s also had a couch, TV and mini fridge. There was also an acoustic guitar in the corner along with a large black rug spread out on the floor.
“Dude, put some clothes on,” Torrick said as he rolled over in the bed. “This ain’t happy hour at club Torrick.”
“I just said I needed clothes. Never mind.” Daniel grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He threw them on and grabbed a belt for the pants. Torrick was huge in comparison to him and his brothers. Unfortunately, Drew and Gareth were smaller than Daniel so Torrick was the only option. Unless he wanted to borrow some clothes from Darion, which he refused to do. The Dark Lord might be his sister’s husband, and all around an okay guy, but he wasn’t about to start sharing clothes.
“Are you done with all that screaming next door?” Torrick said. “I just got to bed.”
“Sorry. Jess kind of flipped out on me.”
“Disappointed in the equipment?” Torrick grinned. “Wish she could supersize it?”
“My equipment is just fine.” Daniel sat down on the couch and grabbed a pair of Torrick’s boots. Black leather with crossbones painted in red on the side. Not his style, but right up Torrick’s alley. They were a little big, but fit well enough as he slid them on and then laced them up.
“Then why all the screaming? Sounded like you were getting torn to pieces in there.”
“I was. Ashley had to command Jessie into wolf form.”
Torrick shot out of bed at that. Unfortunately, Torrick slept in the nude and Daniel was graced with his brother’s presence. Nothing he hadn’t seen before, but not something he wanted an eye full of right now.
“What?” Torrick said, grabbing his black jeans from the floor and putting them on.
“Agnes is in there right now putting some kind of block on her. Rickon should be here by now to explain this.”
“How’s Jessie?” Daniel looked at his brother and was surprised by the sincerity in his eyes. Torrick wasn’t one to care about other people, es
pecially women. Not that he went around beating women up. He would never actually hurt a girl, but he had been burned by one once, and he refused to let it happen again. So the actual care he showed for Jessie was, to say the least, startling.
“She’s okay, I think. Agnes has her in a coma.”
“Let’s get some answers then.” Torrick stepped into his leather boots beside the bed, and took off towards the door. Daniel followed him downstairs to the bar where everyone seemed to have amassed.
Rickon stood in the middle with Robb and Justin. Nathan stood off in the corner along with Brandon, Dani and Tasha.
Rickon looked beyond pissed, but he also looked worried.
“I need to take her away from here,” Rickon said as Ashley stood in front of him. “She isn’t safe here.”
“Not until you explain why she almost ripped my brother into puppy chow.”
Rickon and Robb both turned their heads to Daniel.
“You touched her?” Robb asked. He had murder in his eyes and fists at his side.
“Daniel didn’t hurt her,” Ashley said, turning their attention back to her. “But she nearly killed him. I had to command her into wolf form and Agnes has her in a coma.”
Robb didn’t say anything as he walked to the stairs. Rickon and Justin followed right behind. Daniel readied himself for a fight and he noticed Torrick did the same. When they walked past him to the stairs, Daniel realized they weren’t after him. He followed behind them as they practically ran up the stairs.
“Which room?” Rickon asked.
“Third door on the left,” Daniel said.
They didn’t hesitate as they walked in. Agnes was crouched beside Jessie. Jessie was still in her coma, but she had shifted back to human form. Daniel quickly walked over and covered her with the blanket that had fallen to the floor. He brushed her hair back as Agnes stopped chanting and looked up at the men that had entered.
“Is the block on?” Rickon asked. Agnes nodded.
“It’s still not strong enough, but if I keep going, her mind will melt.”
Rickon dropped to his knees beside his daughter. He wiped the drop of blood that ran from her nose.