by E G Bateman
Dolores rushed to help her. “What happened? I thought you had left.”
“Edward’s friends escorted us all the way to Ontario airport. We parked the car, and I don’t remember anything after that.” The woman broke down. “They said Caleb wouldn’t be able to do this again.”
“Scott protected him from sorcery but I don’t think that’s all Caleb is using.” She thought for a moment. “I need to get the two of you out of here.” She gestured with her arm and a door appeared in the wall.
Betsy hesitated. “Those monsters came out of a door like this.”
“This is a fae door. It will take us to safety.”
They each took one of Todd’s arms and walked him slowly toward the portal.
The handle on the door to the hallway turned.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dick’s eyes sprang open. He wasn’t usually a late sleeper, but he was still recovering from the silver attack.
He listened for the sound again—a wolf padded along the basement hallway and he knew immediately it wasn’t Edward. He knew his gait as man and wolf. The door opened and the wolf entered, its hackles raised. Although he recognized it, he could see this was no friend.
Instantly, he knew something had gone horribly wrong.
The wolf didn’t rely on sight and instead, sniffed the air. Instinctively knowing where the threat would come from, it looked up a fraction of a second too late. Dick descended from the corner of the room above the door and bit into its neck. The wolf threw him off and he pounded into the bedside table. The creature tore at him. A fraction of an inch from his throat, it yelped and spun to where Marcel had sunk his teeth into its tail.
The second’s distraction was all the vampire needed. Before his assailant could attack the puppy, he yanked its head back and sank his teeth into its throat. The wolf whined and sagged.
Dick pulled his clothes on at lightning speed and reached for his cell when he heard several growls. He managed to read one word on the screen before Marcel rocketed under the bed. When he turned, three more wolves snarled in the doorway.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Scott touched Lexi’s shoulder from the back seat in the car. “What are you thinking?”
She put her hand over his and drew energy. They’d only done it a few minutes previously so she didn’t need to do it again, but she wanted Jess to witness the intimacy.
What am I doing?
Hastily, she removed her hand. “Honestly? I’m wondering what the collective noun is for demons because I’ve got one. Fuck No! A ‘fuckno’ of demons.”
The shifter slid her gaze to her. “Works for me.”
Scott laughed. “I think ‘legion’ is the name for a group of demons.”
“Not anymore. It’s a fuckno. What is it?”
“A fuckno.” Scott saluted. “I meant, though, what do you think we should do now?”
“Oh, that. Find Caleb, decapitate him, go back and destroy the fuckno of demons, then try that Korean place we just drove past.”
Jess’s gaze slid back to the road. “Their barbecue is amazing, but we’ve got a better place in San Bernardino. If we’re still alive by the end of the day, I’ll treat you both.” After a moment, she added, “Would you really do that? Chop the guy’s head off in front of a roomful of ordinaries?”
“Yes. They can be made to forget.” Lexi shrugged and focused on the road ahead.
Anyone can be made to forget.
They headed up the drive to the clubhouse.
She turned to the back seat of the car. “We’re not exactly dressed for a wedding.”
“Are you sure?” Scott smiled.
A glance at Jess revealed that she wore her Alexander McQueen dress. When she opened her mouth to complain, she realized she wore one too. Startled, she gaped as both turned dark burgundy, the same color as Kira’s bridesmaid’s dress.
Lexi turned to Scott, who was now in a dark gray suit with a burgundy tie.
“What the…” The shifter darted confused glances at her attire.
“They’re waiting.” Lexi indicated the valets, and the car inched forward.
One of the men approached the window. “Invitation?”
“We’re bridesmaids. Do we need one?” She indicated her dress.
“I’ve got it.” Scott leaned forward and muttered a word as he held out a supermarket receipt for tampons he’d found in the back of the car.
Jess’s eyes bulged and her cheeks flushed. She beamed a rictus grin at the valet as he nodded and opened the door.
Lexi approached the man. “Isn’t it quite late for a wedding? It’s nearly seven.”
He smiled in an unfocused way and climbed into the car.
The shifter frowned. “I’m not thrilled about a sleepwalker driving my car.”
Lexi shrugged as he moved the car around to the back of the building, apparently without problems. “Is Edward here?”
“No, and neither is the rest of the pack. If they were, I’d sense it.” Jess seemed troubled.
They entered the foyer, and the shifter looked around. “Oh! The pack is here.” They approached a group of people who stood with glasses of champagne in their hands.
“Rose. Where’s Edward?”
“The bride looks beautiful,” Rose said with a vacuous smile.
Jess’s eyes narrowed. “Caleb must have brainwashed Edward.”
“How do you know he’s not…” Lexi didn’t finish the sentence.
“Because I’d be the alpha.”
Lexi took a glass from the waiter and sniffed it. “But you’re still you.” She passed the glass to Scott.
He muttered a word over it and nothing happened, so he knocked the drink back. “I wonder whose wedding this was supposed to be?” He snagged the invitation from a guest’s hand. “Chester and Jeanette were supposed to be getting married at 3pm this afternoon. I’m guessing most of these guests were here to attend that wedding.”
“I think we know where Chester and Jeanette are.” Lexi thought of the bride working in the pit.
The three of them went into a side room and closed the door.
“We need to find Edward and Dolores,” Scott said. “Caleb must have gotten to Edward when I had you shielded at the flower shop, although I’d have expected you to fall under his control as soon as you were unshielded.”
Jess sighed. “I know what it is—why I couldn’t sense the pack. What I felt back at the flower shop. Edward kicked me out of the pack.”
Lexi nodded. “Of course. It was the only way he could stop you from being taken over by the man.”
The door to the study opened and Caleb walked in, followed by Edward and a couple of his pack.
“Ahh! Miss Braxton—or do you prefer ‘Bianca’ these days? I’m afraid you’ve missed a splendid wedding.”
Lexi moved her hand to her unhealing scar.
“Edward, would you mind placing your knife at your throat? If I am harmed, please cut your own throat.”
The shifter did as he was told, and she lowered her hand slowly.
The man walked closer to her and extended his hand—not touching, but close. Her gaze flicked to Edward and she ground her teeth. “I don’t sense an affinity for any of the lower supernaturals. All I sense is your mage. My, you did get the short end of the stick, didn’t you?” He looked at Scott. “My talented young nemesis. You’ve caused some inconvenience to me today.” He touched the young man in the center of the forehead and he fell heavily to the floor. “I bet you don’t know that one.” Caleb chuckled as he made his way to a desk and picked some papers up.
“Come along, new Mrs. Ellis. Be a dear and sign your name on these papers.”
Lexi watched as Kate entered the room. She leaned over the desk and signed where she was told to.
“There we are. Now, you’ve been a lot of trouble, haven’t you, Mrs. Ellis? I think you should come with me. I have a friend who has…let’s say, taken a shine to you and would very much like to meet you in the flesh.�
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Lexi shook with fury and wanted nothing more than to separate him from his head, but when she glanced at Edward, the blade bit into his skin.
Caleb laughed at her predicament. “Gentlemen, take care of our unwanted guests, please.”
He laughed again, gestured with his arm, and created a whorl of black smoke—a portal. He took Kate by the arm, stepped through, and vanished.
Lexi stood protectively over Scott and prepared to face Edward and his two pack members. She tried to estimate their chances when the door opened and another twenty shifters streamed in.
Hastily, she glanced at Scott and wondered if she could simply catch hold of him and get enough magic to send them all to sleep at once. Her thought was interrupted by Jess.
“I challenge you as pack leader and alpha of the San Bernardino pack.”
Edward blinked.
The conflict was very evident in his eyes. He’d been told to kill them but this was a challenge for alpha. It was in his DNA to not deny this.
The pack retreated and left the two challengers facing each other. She knew she could go for her katana now, but if Jess could win this fight, she might not have to kill Edward—and she really, really didn’t want to kill him.
The pack began to file out of the study, and she was dragged along with them. The guests were all still in the ceremony room but most of them had collapsed.
Lexi caught up with Jess. “Can you win this? And can you do it without killing him?”
Edward glanced at the two of them. His eyes were like granite.
“I don’t know.” The woman looked at her and she saw the emotions that had been missing from Edward’s eyes—regret, fear, and determination. Lexi dropped back as the current alpha and the contender led the group into the ballroom. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure who would be alive at the end of this. She smoothed her hand over her dimensional pocket.
The pack surrounded the alpha and the beta, and they both shifted.
Edward snarled and snapped at the air immediately. He was a huge wolf, and Lexi knew he was fast and strong. Jess, small and wiry though her wolf-form was, had fought her way to beta, however. She imagined that had required prowess and guile on her part. The opponents stalked each other in circles, bared their teeth, and snarled continually.
Jess danced in and away, always angling toward Edward’s injured leg, but he wouldn’t let her near it. His hackles were raised and it was clear that even though he was under the sorcerer’s influence, he wouldn’t hold back. He had been given the order to kill them. Jess might actually be forced to kill him to stop him. Equally, if he came out of this mind-control to find he’d killed Jess, he would be heartbroken.
This might end badly.
The shifters surrounding the challengers were eerily quiet.
Jess was on her third taunt when Edward snapped. He gave a guttural snarl and surged into an attack, only to find her gone. Lexi had never seen a creature other than a vampire move that fast. The beta had flipped onto the larger wolf’s back and she bit once into his shoulder.
He squealed and twisted toward her throat, but she evaded the attempt, leapt clear of him, and darted away. Once again, they circled each other. Edward shook out the pain from the bite and blood flew from his fur. Jess’s ears drooped and she looked momentarily sad. He snarled wildly at her, and her ears pricked up again.
The beta attempted another feint, but he had expected it. He ran her down and bit savagely into her rump and she squealed.
Lexi turned cold, slid her hand into her pocket, and took hold of her katana.
It looked like Jess had made a costly mistake. Edward was on top of her, ready to rip into her again, until she took careful aim at his left back leg—his injured one. She realized that the smaller wolf hadn’t made a mistake at all. She’d deliberately given him the opening to allow her to reach his injured knee. Her jaws closed on it, and his howl filled the air. Jess used his distraction and pain to put some distance between the two of them.
Edward tried to drag himself after her, but it was useless. She shifted again and the pack bowed to her as the new alpha. He shifted too, knowing he had lost and that the shifters were no longer his pack. Jess was their alpha, and Caleb did not control them.
Lexi raced to the study to find Scott still unconscious. She stroked her hand down the scar and said, “Awake.”
He sat up, confused and alarmed.
“Morning, sleeping beauty.”
“What happened?”
“Caleb.”
He lay still for a moment to allow it all to come back to him.
“Come on. Edward’s injured.”
Scott stood and wobbled, so she put his arm around her shoulder and led him to the other room.
Edward was still on the floor when they returned to the ballroom.
Jess was in the hall, leaning against the wall to try to compensate for her injuries. “I never wanted to do that to him.”
“Let me see what I can do.” The young man put his hand on Jess and healed her.
“You won’t be able to heal what I took away from him.” The woman looked at the floor.
He walked to Edward. As the shifter opened his eyes, he stopped cautiously. “Do you still want to kill us?”
“No. I’m controlled by Jess now.” He didn’t sound defeated.
Scott put his hand on the other man and muttered a few words.
Edward stood and flexed his knee. “Holy shit! It’s better than it’s been for years. I could go another round with Jess.”
Lexi looked at him
“Kidding. She’s earned her place.”
“But I didn’t want it. I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I’m so sorry.” Jess stood in the doorway.
“What do you think my intention was when I released you from the pack? This was the best outcome I could hope for. And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here to help you…boss.” He smirked.
Lexi walked up to the two of them. “We need to get to that pit and stop Caleb.”
“I don’t think you’ll do that.” Stan entered with his much larger pack. There were at least thirty of them, and they began to shift.
“We don’t have time for this shit.” She yanked her katana out.
“You’re right,” the shifter agreed and strode past her toward Stanley.
“Stanley, I challenge you as alpha and leader of the Palm Springs pack.”
His adversary shifted and leapt at him in wolf form in one fluid motion. Edward didn’t even bother to shift. He delivered a mighty right hook to the side of his adversary’s head and completely changed his trajectory. The wolf landed awkwardly and lay still.
His pack stood and shook their heads as though coming out of a deep sleep. They bent the knee to Edward.
Jess stared at Stanley’s unconscious form as he shifted, then glanced at Edward. “So, what happened to ‘I’m not going anywhere?’”
He shrugged. “I’ll still be on the other end of the phone.”
Scott looked around and moved to the door. “Where’s Dolores?”
“I haven’t seen her since Caleb—” The shifter stopped and realization dawned on his face.
“What?” Lexi felt Scott’s heart hammering through their link, or maybe it was hers.
“I set the pack on Dick.” Edward turned to his new pack while he retrieved his cell. “We’re looking for a short woman with her hair up, dressed as a maid.”
They began to flood out of the door, but one man turned. “How short?”
He shrugged. “Anywhere between half an inch and five feet.” He turned to Lexi, and they brought each other up to date.
She didn’t put her weapon away. “Right. We need to get after Caleb. By the time we get there, he’ll have had nearly an hour’s head start.”
The shifter placed his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “Can’t you take us through a portal? Like Caleb’s?”
The sorcerer shook his head. “His portals go through a low-level hell dimension. It’
s where those demons come from. I don’t know how to make one safely. If I get it wrong, we’ll be lost in there.”
Edward shook his head. “Whatever’s coming through that portal he’s creating in the pit could well be through by the time we get there.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’ve got a short-cut,” said Dolores from the doorway. “Sorry I had to step out. Betsy and Todd didn’t get away as we’d hoped. I’ve left them getting medical attention in Fae.”
“Are they okay?” Lexi gripped her blade tightly, expecting awful news.
“I doubt it. I think Betsy will have them all guzzling gin by the time I get back.”
“I meant Betsy and Todd.”
The woman patted her arm. “They will be. They’re being helped.”
Lexi turned to Edward and Jess. “Get your people together. We’re going after him.”
Dolores took Scott’s hand. “Show me where we need to go.”
Jess held her cell out. “Someone needs to help the witches in the flower shop. Now!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kira placed the new runes around the space while she chanted with the witches. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed. She likened the feeling to a vacation she had taken when she had dived to the ocean floor. One by one, as they felt it, the witches stopped chanting.
Seconds later, the new rune splintered. She considered skipping out of the ritual ring to pick it up.
Demeter caught her hand tightly. “Something’s changed. Don’t break the circle.”
As they waited in trepidation, the flowers in the tubs around them blackened and crumbled. A loud rumble issued and the floor in the back room buckled and began to fall away. The witches stared in horror at the creature that clambered out with its black eyes and many arms. It stood motionless as though assessing them.
Demeter faced it as it moved closer with an unnerving clicking sound. “Don’t break the circle.” She began to chant again, and the creature lunged forward with one of its sharp-taloned fingers. One of the witches wrenched her hands free and ran. The creature caught Demeter around the throat.