by Kym Grosso
“We will find your brother. I can scry for him now. Come.” She extended her hand.
Without hesitation, Willa reached for Ilsbeth, her heart pounding like a drum, their combined magick sizzling through her. This woman had saved her. Powerful. Ancient. Dangerous. Their connection, for good or for bad, was sealed into her soul.
Willa followed her to the far-right corner of the room to her altar. Wax dripped from candles, a myriad of colors melted onto its dark wooden surface. Surrounded by red rose petals and cinnamon sticks, a white skull-shaped candle burned brightly. Although Willa’s curiosity spiked, she resisted the urge to ask.
Ilsbeth released Willa’s hand and reached for a glass bowl and pitcher. “This has been blessed by the Goddess in many rituals over the years. I don’t often do favors without return but I will search for him.”
Willa’s pulse raced as Ilsbeth poured water into the bowl and set the pitcher upon the altar. She released a deep breath as Hunter approached, the warmth and comfort of her mate behind her.
“While blood is the usual sacrifice for such a spell, I can do it with your hair. Minimal pain but causes discomfort, nonetheless. Do you agree to this?” Ilsbeth asked, her tone indifferent.
“Yes.”
“Not so fast, witch,” Hunter challenged her.
Willa spun to face the Alpha. “I want to know where my brother is. If she can help me, I have to know if he is alive.”
“No. If you give her any part of you, she’ll have it forever.”
“One hair. That’s all she needs.” Willa turned to Ilsbeth. “Right? That’s all. No extra ones for later.”
The high priestess nodded and held the bowl with her hands, waiting.
“I swear to the Goddess, witch, if you harm Willamina in any way, if she so much as gets a papercut, you’re a dead witch. No more resurrections. I will kill you myself with my bare hands.”
“Hunter,” Willa admonished. “She’s trying to help me.”
“I have no interest in hurting your mate. You have my word.” Ilsbeth nodded to the bowl. “Put it in here.”
“I really don’t get a good feeling about this,” Viktor interjected.
“Please Willa. We’ll find him without her,” Hunter pleaded.
“I’m sorry, but if I’m going to concentrate on finding this book, on us, I have to know now.” Willa fingered her hair and tugged, wincing at the sharp pain on her scalp. She held the single strand over the bowl and stared into Ilsbeth’s eyes. “If you try to hurt me or anyone I love with this, my mate won’t kill you. I will.”
Willa released the hair into the water. Her eyes widened as it disappeared, and the fluid morphed into a swirling sea of colors. “What is happening…”
“Silence!” Ilsbeth turned toward the altar, humming softly, mesmerized by the swirling concoction. “He comes. Do you feel it? No. Shh.”
Willa closed her eyes and prayed to the Goddess. In her third eye, her wolf ran through a dark forest. An owl flew from a branch into the night sky. A rabbit froze in the distance. Her wolf crouched down low to the ground, deliberately stalking her prey. The dew-soaked leaves succumbed underneath her paws and the scent of the earth faded as she approached the creature. She lunged at it but missed, rolling into the wet grass. Willa’s heart pounded, hearing the familiar growl. She recognized him instantly, long before his amber eyes met hers. Julian.
You’re alive. Meu irmão. Elation rushed through her.
You know all you need to know. Now you see me, now you don’t. It’s time to go. They’re coming. I will see you again one day, minha irmã.
Julian bared his teeth, his head snapping toward the far darkness of the woods. His eyes flashed to red glowing orbs of light. An impending sense of doom twisted inside her, overtaking her psyche.
Run Aline, run. Don’t ever look back. RUN!
She cowered at the sound of his deafening howl. Helpless to resist the overwhelming power of his Alpha nature, she submitted, turning and running. Run harder, run faster. Julian’s childhood voice played in her head. Twigs and tree limbs snapped behind her, sulfur filtered through the air.
“Willa!” her Alpha’s voice commanded. She sucked a breath, her eyes flashing open.
“What did you do to her?” Hunter demanded.
“I’m okay,” Willa managed, losing control of her balance. Her legs wobbled as if they were made of jelly. She fell into Hunter’s arms, relieved she’d woken from the trance. “Julian. He’s running. I was running.”
“We’re getting out of here,” Hunter said. “Vik, grab the knife.”
“Be quick, Alpha. Demons are on the chase. The wolves seek the Princess,” Ilsbeth warned. “Use the knife to release the book. You’d best be resourceful.”
“Can you walk?” Hunter asked Willa.
“Yes, I’m better.” She held tight to the Alpha as he set her onto her feet.
As she took several steps toward the door, she glanced back at Ilsbeth. Willa’s mind spun with thoughts of her brother. He was but a dream but as real as the wolf who held her. Leaving the witch, she prayed the trade, a book for their lives, would sate the demon.
Chapter Eleven
Hunter cursed as the limo pulled away from the mansion. The minute they’d arrived at Ilsbeth’s house, he’d used his GPS, and texted the coordinates to a personal driver. Willa slept soundly next to him, her heart beating in rhythm with his.
Mate. He still couldn’t believe this woman was his. Feisty and brave, Willa both played and fought. His heart squeezed as he traced his finger over her cheek, brushing a hair from her eyes.
He’d spent hundreds of years without love, watching others find their mates. His brother Tristan. His sister Katrina. Yet living remotely in Wyoming, he’d never given consideration that he’d actually find a she-wolf who matched his beast.
Willa. So delightfully unexpected. A serendipitous encounter. Meeting his mate in Hell did make for a good bar story, but it wasn’t exactly romantic. He glanced down at his beautiful mate, her hand resting on his thigh. Willa should have loving memories of her mating, not simply a chance relationship born of Hell. When this nightmare ended, he planned to court her like she deserved…fitting for his princess.
“She’s special, yeah?” Viktor commented, sitting across from him in the limo.
“Our mating shouldn’t have happened like this.”
“You can’t control it. You know that. The Goddess does what she wants.”
“But it should have been different. She deserves flowers and dancing, not death and demons. We should have had time to get to know each other.”
“Says who? You? The universe does what it wants. And besides, you’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch.”
A corner of his lip turned upward, his heart warmed at the sight of her snuggled in his lap. “I am.”
“She’s a princess.”
“I’m a king.” Hunter laughed.
“Don’t get too crazy. Don’t let all the royalty bs go to your head.”
“Definitely the king.”
“You’ll have time when we get done with all this demon shit. Time to woo. Have a life. Not everyone gets that.” Viktor’s expression flattened. “You’ve got a few hours until the plane leaves.”
“That we do.” Hunter smiled.
“Maybe I can help you out with a little romance. I’ve got friends in high places. Don’t get me wrong.” Viktor laughed. “Plenty of friends in low places too. Wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression of me.”
“I don’t want to do anything to attract the wolves or the demons before we leave.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be safe at your house for a few hours? I know you’re not in town much.”
“As safe as anywhere. It’s daybreak and unless we go outside and start to deliberately provoke ‘em, we should be okay. Wards are up but it’s never one hundred percent. We should probably eat before we leave for Belize, but it’s not like we can go out, so I guess I’ll have to make something.”
Hunter laughed. “I don’t know. Don’t take this the wrong way, Vik, but you don’t strike me as a party coordinator.”
“I’ve got this.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Willa’s got to sleep. I can just make us eggs or something. Soup and sandwiches maybe. Got some French bread back at the house. I’ll scrounge somethin’ up.”
“Ten hours until the jet’s ready. Besides, you can sleep when you’re dead.”
“Easy on the d word.” Hunter’s eyes widened as he shot the vampire an annoyed look.
“I’ve got this.” Viktor lit up in amusement.
“There is something wrong with you, you know that?”
“You’ll thank me later.”
Hunter considered the vampire’s suggestion. He glanced to Willa. She’d been through so much, tortured, lost her brother, and now believed she’d had a vision with him alive. She’d sworn she’d connected with Julian, that he was running from wolves to keep her safe.
Hunter used to think that being immortal was a given pleasure of life. But his taste of Hell reminded him that immortal meant ‘you live until someone kills you.’ Searching for the skin book was rife with danger, he was certain. He didn’t trust Ilsbeth, unconvinced the artifact would sate the demon.
No, Willa deserved so much more than the shitty cards she’d been dealt. His clever doctor. His princess. His mate.
“Promise not to get crazy,” Hunter told Viktor, uneasy with his decision to let the vampire plan his date. “Keep it simple. We don’t have a lot of time.” A corner of Hunter’s mouth turned upward, a sinking feeling churning in his stomach. What could this vampire possibly know about romance, besides sex?
“Scout’s honor.” Viktor held up two fingers.
“I’m in.” The words passed through his lips before he could stop himself, but he wanted to do something nice for his mate.
“Delightful. Well, then. I guess it’s best if I get going. Chop chop. Things to do. People to buy off.” Viktor edged toward the front of his seat.
“Be careful.”
“Ah yes, well you too then.” He raised his hand into the air. “Alpha. One more thing.”
“What?”
Viktor grinned from ear to ear. “I was never a boy scout.”
Hunter shook his head as the vampire disappeared, praying to the Goddess Viktor didn’t draw attention to them.
Willa moaned, and he protectively laid his arm over her.
“Shh…. it’s all right, sweetheart. Get some sleep. Your Alpha’s not goin’ to let anything happen to you.”
What the ever-loving fuck? Hunter sat on the sofa, stunned at the sheer number of candles illuminating the room. It was official. He didn’t need to worry about the demons or the rogue wolves trying to kill them. Viktor was going to burn down his whole damn house. Fucking vampire .
The Alpha glanced up at the two-story-high ceiling. Over a hundred black and silver balloons danced in the air. His dining room table had been formally set; a silver candelabra sat centerpiece accented by exotic flower arrangements. In the foyer, a string quartet played Bach while flames lit up the fireplace. While it wasn’t his jam, the quiet smooth strokes of the violin calmed his nerves.
It was as if he’d hired a bad wedding planner. Except there was no wedding. And they had exactly five hours until the jet was ready to go. Skin book. Demons. No fucking wedding.
Hunter sucked in a deep cleansing breath, wishing he’d paid more attention at the hot yoga class his sister, Katrina, had made him attend. There wasn’t enough meditation that could keep him calm when it came to Viktor. Don’t draw attention. Keep it simple. Yeah, no. He should have known Viktor wasn’t capable.
Damn vampire had insisted he dress up and had sent him downstairs so he could attend to Willa. Why did I listen to him? he inwardly asked himself, exhaling a deep sigh.
Hunter closed his eyes and listened. Footsteps. He reached for Viktor but didn’t sense him. The distinctive sound of a woman’s heels tapping down the staircase sent him to his feet.
His eyes flashed open, his heart pounding in his chest as Willa descended. As he took in the sight of his gorgeous mate, blood rushed to his dick. The skin-tight, virgin-white, satin dress hugged every inch of her sexy-as-sin body. Goddamn vampire planned a wedding.
“Willa,” he managed. “You’re…you’re stunning.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “What is happening here?”
“I wanted to do something special. I know we’ve just met but you’re my mate, and I just thought…Viktor offered to help but clearly he’s gone overboard with some kind of human-themed romantic shindig…I’m going to take you on a proper date when this is all done but I…” Hunter lost his words as she drew closer. Her hair had been swept up, revealing the beautiful contours of her face, her red lips parted. Stop stammering like a fucking teenager and get it together, boy. “It’s just…I wanted to do something special for you. Is it inappropriate? We can stop all this.”
Willa smiled and reached for him, gently placing her finger across his lips. “No. It’s perfect.”
Hunter’s heart squeezed. “You sure?”
“No one has ever done something like this for me.” She closed the distance between them, tilting her head.
“I can’t take all the credit. Viktor.” Hunter glanced to the balloons and back to Willa. He wrapped his arm around her waist, her energy sizzling through him as her body brushed against his.
“But you agreed to this? For me?” She smiled broadly.
“Yes.” Hunter studied her face, the swell of her bottom lip, aching to devour her. Hints of her floral perfume complemented the distinctive scent of his mate. He smiled at her and began a slow dance.
“This is special,” Willa told him, her eyes swimming with happiness.
“It’s almost like we’re real people.”
“Exceedingly, wonderfully real.”
“If we were human, it’s almost like we really did get married.”
“If we were human, I’d marry you in a second, but I much prefer you as wolf.” Hunter dipped his head toward Willa, his lips edging close to hers. “You’re absolutely stunning.”
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Hunter’s lips crashed onto hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. Passion threaded through him as she kissed him back and his wolf growled, seeking his mate. His cock stood at attention as she rubbed her body against his. Jesus, she’s fucking incredible. No, no, no. Not yet. Dinner. Feed her. Get through dinner. Stop acting like an animal.
Willa laughed into their kiss, and as he slowly pulled his lips from hers, their foreheads touched.
“Dinner?” she smiled.
“Do you see what you do to me? I’ve lost my head.”
“Don’t do that now. I need both.” She winked. “Hmm…what is that smell?”
“What? Oh yeah…that. Food. Real food.”
“I’m starving. I think we should eat quickly because I don’t think we’re going to get through dinner.”
“I’m not sure where Viktor…”
“You called?” the vampire materialized before them, holding a massive-sized golden giftbag in the air. He glanced up at the balloons. “Awesome, aren’t they? I missed my calling.”
“What are you doing here?” Hunter asked. “Can’t you see we’re on our date?”
He laughed. “Well yes. But it’s not a party without me. They do say the best things in life are free.”
“They do,” Willa agreed with a small laugh. “Thank you for all of this. It’s quite lovely.”
“You’re welcome, princess.” Viktor held the bag up into the air. “Congratulations on your…mating. Weddings always make me cry.”
Willa acc
epted the gift as he handed it to her.
“Weddings are for humans,” Hunter told him.
“Who’s to say they get all the fun? I was married once and I…” Viktor’s words trailed into silence, and he took off toward the kitchen.
“What was that about?” Willa asked Hunter.
“I don’t know. He spends all this time denying his humanity. Perhaps he misses it more than he lets on.”
“I feel his sadness.” Willa wrapped her arms around herself.
Hunter gave a closed smile, his gut tightening at her statement. He’d drank her blood. No matter his denial, he’d created a small bond with Willa.
“Whoever he married, he must have loved her,” she guessed. “The sadness. He hides it. I’m worried about him.”
“He’s going to be okay. Let’s just focus on us tonight. He did this for us. For you. We deserve a little celebration.” Hunter smiled.
Two servers came scurrying out of the kitchen, placing steaming dishes of food onto the table. A loud pop sounded, and they began pouring champagne.
“Bon appétit,” Viktor cheerfully declared as he entered the dining room, wearing a white chef’s hat. Both Hunter and Willa stared up at him wearing a look of surprise. “What?”
“What’s with the…” Hunter gestured to his head, “get up?”
“Oh this. The hat? What, does it clash with my red suit? I thought so.” Viktor snatched it off his head and tossed it across the room. “Ah well, I must be going. I have to get these people back to where they came from. The musicians are wolves. These guys,” he nodded toward the servers, “they’re vampires. But don’t worry. They have no idea where they are. They’ve all been sworn to secrecy. Trust me when I say they won’t talk. Or they’ll die. No choice really.”
“We weren’t worried about any of that…” Willa began but was interrupted by Viktor.
“Hurry now. The food is getting cold. Open the gift before I leave and then I’ll be off.”
“Um. Okay. Do you want to do the honors?” Hunter shrugged and smiled at Willa, nervous about Viktor’s gift. He didn’t trust him after the one hundred and one balloons floating above their heads.