by Eva Brandt
“Yes, I know,” Imogen mused. “I just… Sometimes I feel like I’m putting you all in a bad position with the pack.”
It was not the first time she’d said this, and it would probably not be the last. “Is that why you’re avoiding everyone?” I asked her. “You’re part of the pack now, too, you know?”
“I’m not so sure,” she whispered. “I just… I don’t want to think about anything or anyone else. Being with you is enough.”
Her pleading tone made me drop the subject. It was a bad idea to push her anyway. It stood to reason that she’d have trouble adjusting to an environment where everyone else was from a species she’d been taught to hate. In fact, it was a minor miracle she’d accepted us so openly. We couldn’t expect her to do the same for everybody else.
She leaned against my shoulder and I caressed her hair, allowing my aura to flow over both of us. Earlier, she’d tried to seduce Xander, but now, some of the strange desperation that had urged her to throw herself at him had faded.
I wished I could help her more, but I didn’t know what to do. For the first time since I’d become an Omega, I was utterly incapable of helping someone work through their emotions.
It was a cruel fate indeed that the person I’d failed was my own mate.
But as an Omega, I was well aware that emotions were complicated and you couldn’t really rush someone’s recovery. I might get frustrated about not being able to do more for Imogen, but this wasn’t about me.
In the end, I believed in the bond between us. We just had to be patient.
“What are you thinking about?” Imogen asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over the room.
“You,” I replied. “Us.”
“Oh. That sounds scary. Anything I should worry about?”
The words might have sounded like a joke, but her tone held a dose of uncertainty. My first instinct was to wave off her concern, but I decided against it. I’d told her many times that everything was going to be okay, but reassurances like that weren’t going to work. She was too smart for that. “Yes and no,” I answered. “Things just aren’t as easy as I’d like. But that’s not really anything new. I know that it’s selfish of me, but sometimes, I just wish we could steal you away and go somewhere together, just the four of us. No pack, no one else to bother us.”
Imogen gave me a surprised look. “Really? I thought… Well, since you’re an Omega…”
“Yes, my duty is to the pack. But, Genny, even if I’m supposed to be the heart of the pack, you’re mine.”
Imogen opened her mouth, presumably intending to reply. She never got the chance to speak.
The air blurred and a dark-haired figure appeared in front of the bed. “How touching,” he said. “But we both know where your heart lies, and it’s not with my bride.”
I shot to my feet, ready to defend Imogen. It didn’t take a genius to identify our unwanted guest. I’d never met the demon who had attacked my mate, but Xander and Byron had told me more than enough about him.
His crimson gaze glinted knowingly when he looked at me, but I didn’t let him unnerve me. “You don’t know anything about me and Genny, demon. Leave, before I make you.”
The creature laughed. “That’s what my sweet mate said and she changed her tune pretty quickly. I’m sure I could make you change your mind as well. Ulysses.”
He spoke my name like he was tasting it on his tongue, all the while shooting Imogen a seductive look. Imogen stared at him, her eyes wide and her face pale. “No,” she said weakly. “Don’t… Don’t go near him, Daimon. Just leave us… Leave us alone.”
“I’m not going anywhere, lovely. I wanted to give you a little time to grow accustomed to the thought that you belong to me, but it’s obvious by now that I don’t have to. And I’m sure your Omega mate would be happy to join us if you asked him to.” His lips twisted into a wicked grin. “Why don’t you share with him what you’ve done? I’m sure he’ll be very happy to hear about it.”
What the fuck was he talking about? I got the feeling I was missing something big, and I didn’t like it.
On the bed, Imogen was shaking like a leaf. “Please… Please stop. Don’t say anything.”
“And why shouldn’t I? There’s no shame in taking what you want, lovely. I would know.”
“Enough!” I barked, no longer willing to let him speak a single word to her. “Genny, close your eyes and cover your ears. This is going to get messy.”
“Ulysses…”
“Please,” I insisted.
I didn’t want to resort to extreme measures. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure this was even a good idea. But this was my only option.
Xander had said that Imogen’s kidnapper was an ancient demon. I didn’t have a chance against him and I knew that. But if I could at least stall and get the rest of my pack here, I might be able to save Imogen.
I’d have liked to tell her to run, but if we went with that option, the demon would catch her. He’d have to go through me, then.
Fortunately, Imogen listened. She closed her eyes and covered her face with the blanket. I took a deep breath and released my hold on the darker side of my aura.
The demon wasn’t scared, not that I’d expected him to be. “You know, I was angry with all of you at first. Then, a friend of mine told me something very interesting. Tell me, Ulysses Barnett, what’s it like to be half-shifter, half-demon?”
Imogen’s breath caught. With the corner of my eye, I caught sight of her throwing the blanket off to stare at me. “What?”
“That’s right, my lovely bride,” the demon said. “Everyone has secrets. It’s no coincidence that Ulysses is more powerful than the true Omega of this pack.”
I knew he was only saying that to get to me. The source of my power didn’t matter. I was Xander’s Omega, not Veronica. But a part of me had always hated my ancestry. Even now, I wondered if maybe Xander would have been better off with a less powerful, but normal Omega. At the very least, the pack elders might have resented him less. They’d accepted me in the union despite me being half-demon, but that didn’t mean they trusted me as the heart of the pack.
No, I couldn’t think that way. My complexes and doubts were an obstacle I couldn’t afford. Xander had chosen me. We’d all chosen one another, and that was stronger than any demon.
“It’s true. My aura is stronger because I’m half-demon. But if you expect me to feel sorry about that, you have another think coming.”
The creature’s eyes flashed a fiery crimson. I mentally apologized to Imogen and sharpened my usually comforting power into something fiercer and more brutal.
The demon’s shadow melted into an inky substance that expanded into thick strands of jet black. Two of them zeroed in on Imogen. The other three reached for me.
My power was based on emotion, so it couldn’t physically fight off shadow magic. But not everything was about physical strength, and in a magical fight, it was always emotion that mattered most.
That was something the witches had always been careful to remind me of. “Magic is alive, Ulysses,” Mother Dora had told me. “It’s not just a raw pool of energy. It’s part of you, yes, but it has its own thoughts and desires. Don’t reject it, or it will reject you.”
Up to a point, I didn’t really understand that. I wasn’t as connected to my magic as a witch, and my powers didn’t work like theirs. But today, I was more grateful that I had them than ever before—and it showed.
The black tentacles faltered, shying away from both me and Imogen. The demon’s forehead creased in visible irritation. “That’s an interesting effort, but it won’t be enough to save her. Get out of my way and you may still live.”
Even as he spoke, the creature pushed through my aura. He moved more slowly than he normally would have and he seemed a little reluctant to resort to blunt force. But even so, I flinched, the fiery energy he emanated too strong for me to contain.
This was bad, but I forced myself to not panic. Instead, I cl
eared my mind and fed as much power as I dared into my bond with my Alpha.
Normally, I couldn’t communicate telepathically with Xander and I needed to actually be close to a wolf to help them with my aura. But today, that wasn’t enough. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to go further. “Xander, we’re in trouble. Help us!”
I sensed the moment when my mind connected to Xander’s. He was already upset and angry, and I surmised something horrible must have happened during the hunt.
Even so, he heard me and, just like I’d expected, he was ready to help me. “I’m coming. Keep stalling!”
It didn’t surprise me that he realized what I was doing. That meant he also understood I couldn’t hold off the demon for too long. Hopefully, they hadn’t gone very far and would be able to come back before it was too late.
In the meantime, Xander would send the guards outside to help us. They wouldn’t be enough, but at this point, I’d appreciate any kind of reinforcements.
Unfortunately, the message to Xander came at a cost. The intensity of my aura faltered. The demon shook his head, and I knew that the side-effects of my power were starting to dissipate.
“You know, sometimes, Omegas can be really irritating,” he said, his voice holding more bite than before. “Remember. I did warn you.”
He waved his hand and fire erupted from his fingertips. The shadows should have shied away from the blaze, but they didn’t. Instead, they were drawn in, blending with the almost blinding energy in the demon’s hands.
As the magic came together and merged, black fire engulfed his body. He looked straight of me, his eyes even redder than before.
“Imogen, get down!” I cried.
She rolled off the bed and ducked, taking refuge in a corner. I jumped to the side, shifting into my wolf form mid-leap in an attempt to throw the demon off his game.
It worked. Sort of. When the demon sent the black fire after me, he missed. But the spell still left a trace of demonic energy in its wake, something that was already spreading through the room like a virus. It scorched my fur and invaded my lungs, threatening to suffocate me.
But I’d never been a quitter, so instead of withdrawing, I attacked. Cloaking myself in my aura, I lunged at him.
He probably saw me coming, but he was close enough to me that it didn’t matter. He didn’t even try to dodge, because he didn’t need to.
The black fire still surrounded him, so when I jumped on top of him, I hurt myself. My instincts screamed at me to move away, to escape. But I endured, and together, we fell to the floor, with me on top of him.
Being half-demon gave me a small level of fire resistance. It wouldn’t be enough to save me in a long battle, but at least I wouldn’t be burnt into a crisp in the next minute or so.
With a savagery born out of desperation, I clawed at his chest and tried to tear out his throat. But the fire wasn’t the only weapon the demon had at his disposal. He snarled and buried his claws in my shoulder, and the poison of his magic invaded my bloodstream. I stubbornly held on, refusing to be so easily defeated.
After I managed to rake my claws over his face, he finally abandoned his hold on his powers. Several things happened at the same time. He blasted me away, the explosion so powerful I flew off him and hit the wall with a crack. The door burst open and several guards rushed into the room. And Imogen screamed, the sound so loud and heartbreaking it reached into my chest and squeezed.
If I’d been able to move, I’d have gone to her side and hugged her. But I felt as if the impact had broken at least half the bones in my body. My world was going fuzzy around the edges and my muscles seemed to be melting. So I reached for her in a different way.
With the last remnants of my strength, I surrounded Imogen in my aura. I couldn’t speak, but I let my love for her settle over her skin regardless.
I didn’t make her any promises. Instead, I willed her to see what I saw when I looked at her.
“You’re not a monster, Genny. You’re stronger than you know. You don’t need to be afraid. We’re always with you, always.”
Maybe she understood, because her erratic emotions settled and she stopped screaming. The last thing I saw was Imogen getting up and facing the demon, and then, the world went black.
Chapter Eleven
Honor your clan.
Never give up.
Destroy the anomalies that plague our world.
Face death without fear.
No hunter will ever cower or lose faith. Even in the face of certain death, we will remain strong in our beliefs. If we are captured and it is impossible to escape, we will die before we betray our kin.
Our lives exist as a reminder of all the blood our fallen have shed. We are born to protect our fellow humans. We live and die for them. That is the code of the hunter, and it is what we must obey, to the end of our days.
- Author Unknown, “The Code of the Hunter,” Date of Creation Unknown -
* * *
Imogen
Since Daimon had infiltrated my dreams, it had become almost impossible for me to shake off the memory of what I’d done. The only times I could forget about him was when I was with my lovers.
I’d known they were worried about me. How could they not be? I had deliberately ignored everything except my relationship with my werewolves, to the point that it had become unhealthy.
But I couldn’t ignore it any longer, not when my inability to accept the truth had already gotten Ulysses hurt.
Fury rushed through me as I watched him fall unconscious, but it was tempered by something stronger and purer. He might have been half-demon, but when his aura touched me again, there was nothing demonic about it. Or if there was, I couldn’t feel it. I only felt him—and through him, Xander and Byron.
I didn’t know if I deserved it, but his bravery and love reminded me of something I should have never forgotten.
The code of the hunter. Never give up. No matter what happened, I always had to stand my ground.
In front of me, the werewolf guards were staring at Daimon, paralyzed in dread. I couldn’t blame them. Covered in black blood, Daimon looked more terrifying than ever before. His oppressive magic had spread all over the room like a virus.
I wasn’t immune to it either. If anything, the opposite was the case. The shadowy magic reminded me of the things I’d kept trying to forget. But I had to face them, and not just for my sake.
“Stop,” I said, and this time, my voice was steady and calm. “You have to realize this won’t change anything.”
“No, it won’t,” Daimon agreed. “There’s nothing to be changed. You’re the one ignoring the truth, not me.”
Maybe he was right. I had fallen under his spell so easily. When he had touched me, my resolve had flown right out the window.
But that was just it. Whatever bond Daimon had created between us, it wasn’t real. He might have tried to enslave me through his ritual, but my soulmates had rescued me.
The problem here was that we were at a stalemate. No matter how many times I told him I didn’t want him, he would never accept it. I wouldn’t yield to him either. And that would have been fine and something I could handle if not for the fact that one of my soulmates was horribly injured and potentially dying.
I stole another look at Ulysses. His power was no longer touching me and that scared me.
Daimon must have noticed my concern, not that it was very surprising. “If you’ll be mine, lovely, if you surrender to me, to what you truly are, I’ll make sure the Omega is safe. He has his two werewolf mates. He doesn’t need you as much as I do.”
I should have refused him. I couldn’t trust him. He was the one who’d hurt Ulysses in the first place. He’d attacked me and involved me in that horrible ritual that still haunted me. But something in his phrasing struck me as real.
Did he really want to be with me? Why? Why had he picked me of all people? And why had he waited until now to come after me? He claimed he’d wanted to give me time, but that didn’t mak
e any sense.
Did I even care about his reasons? He was a demon and he was mad. My priority was to get him away from Ulysses, stat.
At that moment, I would have given anything for my daggers. But I didn’t have them. I had no idea how to use the strange powers I’d been granted after the attack on the compound.
The only weapon I could use was… myself. I was still conveniently naked, and I knew for a fact that Daimon desired me. So… A distraction.
I straightened my back and faced him fully, not bothering to hide my agitation. “Would you really leave them alone if I agreed to be yours?” I asked, rubbing my chest with my hand.
The gesture was unnecessary. My heart didn’t hurt or anything like that. But it did work and it drew his attention.
“Of course,” he said. “I have no interest in a random pack of werewolves. The only one I want is you.”
I bit my lower lip, as if considering his words. “You know it’s not that simple. How am I supposed to trust you, after everything you’ve done?”
“Trust isn’t something you build overnight. We have all the time in the world, sweetheart.”
I doubted that very much, but I also knew I couldn’t mention it. Knowing my luck, I’d make an even bigger mess than I already had.
Maybe it was better to not say anything at all, then.
Suppressing the final threads of my anxiety, I walked right up to him. He didn’t move, likely not deeming me a threat. That was all right, because I knew better than to try to physically fight him.
Instead, I leaned against his chest and pressed our mouths together. I was aware of the way the werewolves were staring at me, doubtlessly deeming me a traitor. But I didn’t care. If they judged me for throwing myself at Daimon like this, so be it. As far as I was concerned, nothing was more important than saving my soulmates.
In truth, I didn’t expect it to work. I’d already made it clear that I didn’t want to be with Daimon. He shouldn’t have believed me so readily.
But he did. The hostile magic in the air began to dissipate, wrapping around us in a warm and comfortable embrace. As he thrust his tongue into my mouth, his hands roamed over my naked skin, making me shiver in reluctant delight.