“What should we do now?” Connor asked.
“Let’s go back and regroup,” Killian said. “We need to update Grant on what’s happening anyway.”
***
Meredith was tempted to walk out of the hospital right then and there. Stupid ass, stubborn warlock! She kicked the SUV’s tire. It made her feel marginally better. But not a lot.
She knew Daric was hurting, probably remembering what had happened to his father. Maybe she was presumptuous, but he didn’t need to push her away like that. But he was right—she was crude, mouthy, and maybe she didn’t think before she spoke. But he made it sound like a bad thing. He said it to hurt her. Why, she didn’t know. Meredith wasn’t the only one hurt. Her inner she-wolf cowered and whined in pain.
Why doesn’t he like us anymore?
I don’t know, she answered. Maybe Daric decided their affair was over. He had gotten what he wanted, and he didn’t need her anymore. The thought made her gut ache.
“Hey, stop daydreaming, runt, and get in the car,” Quinn yelled.
She was jolted out of her thoughts, so engrossed in them she didn’t hear her brothers and Daric approach or the door unlock. Normally she would have given Quinn a snappy comeback, but instead, she climbed into the back seat, squeezing herself into the end, hoping to get as far away from Daric as possible. Thankfully, Connor went in next, taking up the middle seat and the warlock sat at the other end.
“We’ll head straight to the Alpha’s office for a debrief,” Killian said. “Then we can figure out our next move.”
The traffic was light, so the drive back was quick, thankfully. The longer she was in Daric’s presence, the harder it was for Meredith to control what she was feeling inside. All she wanted to do was scream at the warlock and smack him upside the head.
After parking the SUV in the garage, they proceeded to Grant’s office, where the Alpha and Beta were already waiting for them. As they sat down to talk, Daric first recounted what his mother said and Killian filled them in on their trip to visit Sven.
“So,” Grant began. “We know how Sven and Archie are connected. But, who killed Archie and why?”
“Perhaps we should think about why he came to New York in the first place,” Nick said. “Did he have business here? Did he come to New York regularly?”
The three Lone Wolves looked at each other, and the silence in the room was deafening. Meredith recognized that look. It was the look her brothers had when they were hiding something. From her.
“Why was Archie here?” Meredith asked, standing up from her chair.
“It’s not important,” Killian said.
“You’re lying,” she accused. “You know why. And if you don’t tell us now, I swear, I’m going to make you!”
“Meredith,” Quinn warned. “Listen to us. All we need to do is find out who killed Archie.”
“Why won’t you tell me why he came to New York?” She walked towards Killian, placing her hands on either side of him. “What did he do? Was someone after him?”
“You don’t need to know,” Killian shot back as he remained seated. He turned away from Meredith, unwilling to look her in the eyes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? All of you?” She looked at her brothers, one by one, until her gaze landed on Connor. “What are you hiding? Please, just tell me.”
More silence.
Finally, Connor spoke. “He came to see you.”
Meredith felt her stomach drop, and her knees shook. If she weren't braced against Killian’s chair, she would have collapsed. All this time…
“No,” she shook her head and pushed herself upright. “No, no, no.”
Killian stood over her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Like I said, it’s not important why he came—”
“Yes it is!” she shouted. “He came because he knew I was stuck here. He came to help me, didn’t he?” When her brothers said nothing, she knew it was true.
“It doesn’t matter,” Quinn huffed.
“Yes it does,” she countered. “Archie died because of me.”
“Stop saying that!” Connor growled. He stood and walked towards Meredith. “We’ll find the bastard who killed Archie and get our revenge.”
“He shouldn’t have died in the first place,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “And you should have told me when you got here! Why did you lie to me, you especially,” she said accusingly at Connor. “You said I could always trust you.”
“I’m sorry,” was all the Lone Wolf said.
“I can’t…” Meredith shook her head and turned to the door. She ignored her brother’s calls, walking away swiftly and then breaking into a full-on run as soon as she was out the door. The edges of her vision were going black, and she couldn’t breathe. She wanted to get out. Wanted to destroy something. Or hit something. Or just do anything to make the hurt go away.
***
Meredith ran to her room as soon as the elevator hit the 16th floor. She threw the door open and slammed it shut behind her. Rage, sorrow, anger, all kinds of emotions coursed through her. She thought she was getting over it. But now it all came back, stronger than ever, with a new addition—guilt. It was her fault. Archie was dead because of her. The she-wolf howled, and she begged to be let out. God, she wished she could. Just let the wolf take over so she could disappear into her furry body and escape the world, even just for a little bit.
She grabbed the chair and threw it across the room. It hit the wall, and one of the legs broke off. Next came the lamp, which she tossed on the floor, the base breaking into a million pieces. She ripped the covers and pillows from her bed, then climbed up on top of it and tore the poster on the wall. Letting out a rage-filled cry, she sank down on the mattress, wrapping her hands around her legs as she curled on her side and let the tears flow.
Archie. Oh, Archie. I wish you could hear me now. I’m so sorry for the things I said. For the way that I left.
She felt the bed dip and a large hand gently stroking her head, pushing her hair away from her face. At first, she thought it was Connor, but the chocolate scent tickling her nose told her otherwise. She quickly scrambled to the other end of the bed, squeezing up against the window. “What are you doing here?”
Daric’s face was inscrutable, and he placed his hand on his lap. “I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m fine,” she said, throwing his words back in his face. “As you can see,” she nodded to her wrecked room. “I’ve just been spewing my feelings out.”
He let out a sigh, his shoulders sinking. “It seems that even though I said I’d make amends, I cannot stop hurting you. I should be the one who thinks before he speaks.”
She huffed in agreement but said nothing.
“I’m sorry. And I know you don’t want to hear this or want to believe it, but you did not cause Archie’s death,” Daric said somberly.
“I don’t want to talk about Archie.”
“Then we won’t,” he moved closer, sliding over to her. “We can talk about me. And why I acted like an ass this afternoon at the hospital.”
“You won’t get an argument from me,” she grumbled.
He gave her a faint smile. “I know better than to expect one.” Daric let out a sigh. “The conversation with Sven and his visions brought back a lot of unpleasant memories. You know which ones, you were there when I told everyone about how Stefan came to our village and killed my father to take his power.”
“I remember,” she said quietly.
“It was like I was experiencing it again. Not only the moment Stefan killed my father, but also destroying my life. Taking away everything and everyone I cared for.” He paused. “And then I thought that there was something else he could take away that would destroy me.”
She sighed and moved closer, touching his shoulder. “Daric, Signe is safe. He’ll never take her away from you.”
“I’m not talking about my mother,” he said in a soft tone, bending his head so he could rub his cheek on h
er hand.
Meredith froze. He couldn’t mean…
“I would protect you until my last breath,” he said. “And if Stefan found out, he will use you to get to me. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”
“Daric…” She crawled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek to his back. She understood now. He was afraid, that’s why he pushed her away. That’s what he always did, it seemed. But, would he do it again? “What do you want to do now?”
The warlock turned around, slipped his arms around her waist, and pulled her to his lap. “I think I would like to spend the rest of the night showing you how sorry I am.”
Chapter Nineteen
“You know we should not meet like this.”
Stefan laughed. “Are you afraid of me?”
“What? Never.”
“Soon, it will not matter, anyway,” the mage said. “Do you have the next part of the plan in place?”
“Yes. The New York clan seems to think they are untouchable. But soon, they will learn exactly what we can do to them.”
“And you’re certain you can move on your part of the plan soon?”
“Within the week, at least. There has been one or two voices of dissent on the Council, but soon they will see things my way.”
“Good,” Stefan said. “And once you detain the dragon and the warlock, our army can come in. How many of your forces have you gathered so far?”
“About fifteen or so, but I’m going to recall the rest.”
“Not bad, I suppose,” Stefan cackled. “For two decades’ worth of work. This army will be unstoppable, and best of all, they will be under my command.”
“Our command, you mean.”
“Of course. Our command.”
“Just remember that, mage. This is my life’s work, too. If this doesn’t work, then I’m as good as dead.”
Chapter Twenty
Meredith felt lightheaded and her vision blurred as she looked at the paper in her hand. “No,” she shook her head. This wasn’t true. Archie wouldn’t hide this from her! The bile was rising in her throat, and she slammed her fist on the desk.
“Meredith? What are you doing in here?” Archie’s voice was angry. “You know this is my private space!”
She spun around, the piece of paper in her hand. Archie’s face went pale as his eyes trained on the damning evidence she had between her fingers. “Meredith.” The anger was gone from his voice. “I can explain. Please—”
“Really Archie?” She walked to him, waving the paper. “You can explain? How long have you had this?”
“I…I…since before I found you.”
“You knew about my real parents!” It was her birth certificate. She found in the hidden bottom of his top desk drawer, among other things - keys, more papers, a tablet PC, and four envelopes, each with their names on it. Killian. Quinn. Connor. Meredith. She couldn’t help herself, of course, and opened hers. The first thing that dropped out was the picture of a toddler with brown eyes and blonde hair. Then a birth certificate, where the last name she had lost was written down, as well as the names of her parents. Philip and Lila. “What else do you have on us?”
The old man sighed. “I did it to protect you. To help your kind.”
“How? Did you…did you do this on purpose? Did you find us and collect us? Like toys? Or to train us from a young age to be your army of thieves?”
“No!” he protested. “That wasn’t my intent. I wanted to help you and protect you!”
“From what?” she asked. “It sounds like we needed protecting from you.” She threw the birth certificate and the envelope to the ground.
“Meredith, don’t, please!”
“Don’t touch me, old man!” She tugged her arm away from him. “I thought…I thought you…” A sob ripped from her throat, followed by a growl.
“Meredith! Control yourself!” He commanded. “Remember what I taught you! Don’t let the wolf take over!”
But she couldn’t hear him. The she-wolf inside her was howling, wanting to be let out. She was doing it to protect her, taking all the pain and shielding her. She shifted, right there in his study and ran out into the woods.
The last time she shifted uncontrollably was that night when Jedd has raised a hand to her and slapped her so hard she fell on the floor. Her wolf was not as big as it was today; a pup, really. She ripped from Meredith’s skin and landed on all fours, snarling and growling at Jedd, who backed up into the corner of their trailer as the wolf stalked him. The she-wolf wanted to kill the man for hurting Meredith, but unfortunately, Marie was right behind her. Meredith’s foster mother had taken the shotgun from the wall and pointed it at the pup. When she cocked the gun, the she-wolf knew that she was thwarted and ran off into the night.
The she-wolf ran for hours and hours, away from that place. She would take care of Meredith from now on, refusing to give back the body they shared until she was healed. Months went by, and they traveled further West. She would only let Meredith shift back when she was exhausted, but always making sure she had shelter for a few days, sneaking them into abandoned building and vehicles. She did her best to provide for Meredith, stealing clothes and food if she could. Months and months passed until they reached the coast. To a city called Portland where a hungry and exhausted Meredith saw the old man in the hat.
As the fully-grown she-wolf raced through the woods behind her home, she comforted Meredith.
Where do you want to go?
Anywhere. Anywhere but here.
And so, for the second time, she took Meredith away again.
She let out a soft cry, her body trembling as her hands scratched at the sheets. Her mind was cloudy at the unfamiliar surroundings and the past mudding up the present. Strong arms wound around her waist and pulled her to a hard chest. Lips pressed against the back of her neck and when she realized where she was, she relaxed against Daric.
“Meredith,” he murmured sleepily. “It was just a dream.”
“Yeah,” she replied softly. “Just a dream.”
***
It seemed it didn’t matter to Meredith if they were in a king-sized bed or the double mattress in Daric’s room; she just always had to sleep in the middle of the bed, diagonally, and across his chest. Daric found himself squeezed against the wall, with the Lycan’s octopus-like arms and legs wrapped around his torso. He gently untangled Meredith’s limbs and moved her over so he would have some room to breathe. He pushed her to her side, curling up around her as she sighed and mewled sleepily.
His little she-wolf. Wild and free and so insatiable. Seeing as Meredith had trashed her room, she and Daric decided to move to his quarters for the evening, but not before she snuck back to the lab to retrieve her “gift,” while he went to the kitchen to find some food for them. He thought to surprise her, laying out a makeshift picnic for them on the floor of his room and some blankets. However, it was she who surprised him, slipping into some sexy lingerie—a sheer lacy purple bra, matching thong panties, and a garter belt and stockings. He thought he was hungry, but it turned out it wasn’t for food. Their meal was momentarily forgotten, as he tossed her onto the bed. Of course, when they were done, Meredith declared a food break, devouring every bit of food he brought.
He stroked her soft hair, brushing it aside and pressed his nose to the pulse behind her ear. Hmmm…he thought it was her perfume but the wildflower scent was all Meredith. She stirred and pushed her plush ass back at him, making his cock stir again. Daric thought he was spent and satisfied, but his body had other ideas. He couldn’t get enough of her. Slipping his hand between her thighs, he parted them, and all he had to do was angle his hips—
“Open this fucking door!” An angry voice called from the outside, followed by what sounded like a fist rapping on the wood.
Who the hell was that? Daric rose from his bed, moving Meredith (who seemingly could sleep through anything) aside, and walked to the door. He yanked the door open.
Connor stood on the other side, his face drawn into a scowl. “Where is—” He looked down at Daric’s naked state and then peered around him. “You asshole! I knew you were trying to fuck her!”
This time, Daric was prepared for the punch. He should have known better, however. Connor was a skilled fighter and didn’t use the same tricks twice. His meaty hands wrapped around Daric’s neck and squeezed.
Immediately, Daric tried to wrestle the other man’s arms away from his neck. As his fingers touched Connor’s forearms, he was assaulted with a vision. A young boy, no more than fourteen or fifteen. Hands wrapped in filthy bandages. A caged fighting ring. The vicious, bloodthirsty cheer of the crowd. And red everywhere.
As the air rushed back into his lungs, Daric’s eyes flew open, and he was staring up at the ceiling in his room back in Fenrir.
“Daric! Are you okay?” Meredith’s worried voice rang in his ear. She sat next to him on the floor, shaking his shoulder. “Connor, you dick hole! What the fuck did you do?”
“He touched you! I told him not to touch you!” Connor railed.
“For fuck’s sake, I’m twenty-five, not fifteen!” She stood up and faced him, planting her hands on her hips, which looked ridiculous considering she was wearing only the bed sheet and was half the other man’s size. “And FYI, I was doing plenty of touching, too!”
Connor’s eyes bulged. “Stop talking like that, I don’t wanna hear that shit!”
Daric got to his feet, swaying as he got up. Meredith rushed to his side to help him, but he waved her away. “I’m fine.” He looked at Connor. “I’m sorry.”
“For fucking my sister?”
“For what happened to you when you were younger. The cage.”
Connor’s eyes widened, and his expression turned hard. “How the fuck—” He lunged at Daric again, but Meredith stood between them.
“What’s going on—oh, for crying out loud!” Killian groaned as he entered the room. Daric was still naked, Meredith was naked under the sheet, and Connor had murder in his eyes. “I can only guess what’s happening here, but I trust you’re all adults and can sort this out.”
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