by L. P. Dover
Laila
The sound of Cedric's voice through our bond gives me the strength I need. The room is dark, and I'm strapped to a chair with wolfsbane soaked ropes tied around my wrists and ankles. There's a slight burning in my veins, which means I've been injected with wolfsbane also. What confuses me is I know where I'm at, although I have no clue why.
"I'm in Richard Tanner's basement."
"I know," Cedric replies. "Dorian is Richard. He glamoured himself as Colin to get you to Meredith's. He's known who you were from the very beginning. It's been a part of his plan. But don't worry, I'm just outside in the woods, waiting for the right time to strike."
"How long have I been out?"
"Just a couple of hours. I promise I'm going to get you out."
The lock clicks on the door, and it slams open, blinding me when the light snaps on. It takes a second for me to adjust, and when I do, I see Meredith in the doorway, smirking with a syringe in her hand.
"Well, well. It looks like someone is awake. You're burning through this wolfsbane like a dog in heat."
I pull against my restraints and hiss. "Meredith."
She shakes her head and slides her lengthy, black hair off her shoulders. "It's Meridia, actually." Stalking forward, she positions the syringe between her fingers and stops right in front of me, the tip of it poking into my neck. "As much as I want your mate to feel your pain, I can't take any chances." The burning liquid seeps into my veins. I can slowly feel the connection to Cedric fade.
Meridia leans in close and whispers in my ear. "Goodbye, Cedric."
"Laila!"
The fire spreads throughout my body. "I'll be okay," is all I can say before the connection closes.
Keeping her back to me, Meridia giggles and tosses the syringe onto the floor. "I bet you have a ton of questions."
My body shakes from all the wolfsbane, but I try to push through it. "And I'm sure you're going to tell me everything," I say through gritted teeth.
Grinning smugly, she leans against the wall with her arms crossed. Right outside the door are the plants I put in the house when I decorated it. If I could tap into my magic, I could use them to restrain her, but I'm too weak. I need a little more time.
"I got to hand it to you, the black carmine was pretty smart," Meridia states, looking down at her fingernails. "Not many people know how to protect themselves. It's just a shame we already knew who you were. The stone was useless at that point." Her eyes meet mine, and there's an evil in them I've never seen in anyone before. "You can blame Beck for us finding you, though. We were in the right place at the right time."
Dorian slides into the doorway, his essence permeating the room. He has black hair like Meridia, and they share the same wicked green eyes. I can see why he used magic to conceal himself; he reeks of vileness. "And imagine our surprise when we find out the woman he's in love with is a half-breed." He steps further into the room, his gaze roaming over my body. "I enjoyed watching your little love triangle unfold. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat. I'm disappointed you didn't pick the prince. It would've made this whole thing much more enjoyable."
"What do you want?" I hiss, fighting against my burning blood. I can't let them see my pain. The wolfsbane makes me want to claw at my skin, but being bound, I can't do anything.
Dorian smiles, and his appearance slowly morphs into another figure, someone I love more than life itself. I gasp and try to move away when he edges closer. The only difference is the eyes. Dorian will never be able to replicate Cedric's gray. They're still the same evil green.
"Why are you moving away from me? Isn't it nice seeing your lover's face?" Dorian taunts. Even his voice sounds like Cedric's.
"Go to hell," I growl.
He bursts out laughing. "Oh, I'll go there one day." He circles me to my back and rests his chin to my head, sliding his hands down my shoulders. Chills run down my spine, and I cringe from his touch, despising that he sounds so much like Cedric. "The whole point of this was to torture Beck," he says, his lips touching my ear. I jerk away, but he holds me in place, his fingers digging into my neck. "Killing Beck has been my goal from the very beginning. Now that I have some leverage, I can finally get what I want." Slowly, he releases his hand and kneels in front of me, but I refuse to look at him. "Say his name, Laila, and this will all be over. I know he's vowed to you. As soon as he comes, I'll let you go." The breath hitches in my lungs, and I freeze. I'm no idiot. Dorian has no intentions of releasing me, no matter what I do.
Clenching my jaw tight, I stare at the wall and say nothing. He laughs again and grabs my chin, jerking my face his way, so I have to look at him. "Why are you so difficult? I'm offering you your freedom."
I glare at him. "And I think you're full of shit. I'm not doing anything for you."
His green eyes flash with anger, his glamour disappearing to reveal his true form. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way then." He squeezes my chin hard, and my head snaps to the side as he lets me go. Meridia stands in front of me now as Dorian leaves. When he comes back, his right hand is gloved, and he holds up an iron dagger. "Second chance, little wolf. An iron blade is poisonous to our kind."
It's true. The fae can die from being stabbed with an iron blade. I don't know what it'll do to me with me being more shifter than fae now. All I know is I can't give up Beck, not when I know Dorian's not going to let me go.
I shake my head. "I won't say his name."
Dorian stalks closer. "You sure?"
Lifting my chin, I stare at him with as much hatred as I can muster. "Do what you have to do."
His lips pull back, and he smiles. "Gladly." Ever so slowly, he slides the blade down my chest, which is covered by my sweater. My breath picks up as I wait for the blow. I don't know what he's going to do or what the iron blade will do to me. The burn of the wolfsbane in my blood isn't as intense, but my connection to Cedric is still blocked. I refuse to give up.
Dorian drags the blade over my stomach and down to my thigh. He rips it through my jeans to expose my leg. "You have beautiful skin, Laila," he murmurs. "I hate it's now going to be scarred." Heart racing, I keep my head held high as I wait for the pain. The coldness of the blade touches me, and he slices it across my thigh. I can hear the sizzle of my skin as the iron scorches me. I grit my teeth with the pain, refusing to cry out. Blood oozes down my leg, but it stops almost immediately. Dorian and Meridia scowl when they notice the lack of blood.
"Guess she is more wolf than fae," Meridia points out. She walks over and looks at the gash, and then her scowl turns into a grin. "But the iron does leave an ugly scar. I could have some fun with this." She pulls a glove out of her pocket and takes the blade from Dorian. "Why don't we play with that pretty face of yours."
She starts toward me, but then Dorian's phone rings. "Not yet," he says as he pulls his phone out of his back pocket. He presses the button to answer it and turns away from us. "Yeah."
I can hear a low, gravelly voice on the other end, but the words aren't clear. However, there is one I heard above all else. Beck. Dorian hangs up and turns around excitedly. "Beck's here. He's turning himself over."
Meridia holds up the blade. "What are we going to do?"
Dorian stops at the door, his eyes dark and full of perversion. "Do what you want but keep her alive. I want Beck to watch her die."
Meridia smiles. "As you wish, brother."
He hurries off, leaving us alone in the basement. Meridia strolls around me, inching closer with the iron blade. I can only imagine what she plans on doing with me, and none of its good. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on my body, on my magic. The wolfsbane doesn't hinder the fae part of me. If only I can tap into that.
"Where should we start first?" Meridia calls out. "Maybe your lovely face? I can give you a nose job." Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and block her out. Through the door, I can see all the plants in the other room. They aren't as strong as the trees outside or their roots, but I have no other options. Meridia stops in front of me and lifts t
he blade toward my face. "If you scream, it'll only make it better."
I can feel the magic at my fingertips, desperate for me to unleash it. My wolf rages inside of me, but I can't let her out yet. I look right into Meridia's cold, callous eyes. "The same goes for you." It takes her a second to catch on to my words, and it's all the time I need. I grasp my earth magic, and it explodes out of me to the plants. Before Meridia can lower the dagger to my skin, a vine whips out and wraps around her wrist, pulling her arm back.
"What the …" She grunts and screams as she fights with the plants. They aren't strong enough to hold her, but I keep them going.
"Laila!" Cedric shouts through our bond. "I'm coming for you."
Hearing him gives me all the strength I need. My fingers turn into claws, and I slice through the wolfsbane drenched ropes. Meridia thrashes against the vines and glares at me murderously as she tries to break free. Grabbing her around the neck, I sink my claws into her skin. My wolf wants to tear her apart, but I need to stay in human form. I've never tried using magic as a wolf, and I don't think now is the right time to test it out.
Meridia opens her mouth to scream, but I crush her throat. Her eyes widen, but there's only silence. "It's over," I whisper, watching the life drift out of her soulless eyes. I drop her limp body to the floor and stumble back. I don't like to kill, but there was no other choice.
"Laila." This time, Cedric's voice isn't just in my head.
I turn around, and he's there in the doorway with blood splattered on his clothes. He rushes to me, and I do the same until I'm in his arms. "I didn't know if I was going to see you again," he says, his voice tormented.
I hold him tight. "I'm okay."
He lets me go, and I notice the iron dagger at his feet. I pick it up with my bare hands, but it doesn't burn me, not like it did when it cut my skin. I look over at Meridia with her neck halfway severed from my claws.
"What are you thinking?" Cedric asks.
I've learned over the years that you can never be too careful. "You know in scary movies when the killer always comes back? I have that feeling right now."
Cedric holds his hand out for the dagger, and I give it to him. "I'll fix that." He goes over to Meridia's body and finishes the job, her skin sizzling as it connects with the iron, even when he tosses her head to the other side of the room.
"Where's…" Before I can say Beck's name, Cedric closes a hand over my mouth.
"Don't call out his name. We can't let Dorian know you're free just yet."
"Where is he?" I ask.
Cedric slips the dagger into the waistband of his jeans. "Out front turning himself in. Dorian said he would kill you if he didn't."
I shake my head. "Dorian was going to kill me either way."
He takes my hands. "I know. And I know you won't leave here without helping your friend. But first, we need to get out of the house. Several more rogues are guarding the house. I killed all the ones at the back door. It won't be long before Dorian notices."
Pulse racing, I follow him through the basement to the exit. There's blood everywhere on the stone patio, but no sign of any bodies.
"Your father tossed them into the woods," he says through our bond.
"He's here?"
"Yes. So are your uncles and Ryker."
My first thought is their safety. They can't go up against fae magic. Cedric pulls me into the woods, and we circle the perimeter until we get to the front of the house where the others are waiting. They are all in wolf form except for my father. He rushes up to me and hugs me tight. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"I'm fine. I'm stronger than you think."
He turns me around and points off into the distance. "Your friend has held them off for a few minutes, but that's not going to last long." Standing out in front of the house is Beck, surrounded by Dorian and two other fae men. "Is there any way you can cross over to the Land of the Fae and get help?"
Cedric growls low. "There's no way in hell I'm letting her go there without me."
I stare at Beck, who's all alone because of me. "I don't think we have time for that anyway."
"There are five rogues off to our left, but they haven't spotted us yet," my father states.
Dorian takes Beck's sword and points at the ground. Beck kneels, and I know we're running out of time. "He needs to know I'm free so he can fight." Taking Cedric's hand, I pull him to the ground with me.
"What are we doing?" he asks.
I keep my eyes on Beck. "A part of my essence is inside of you, so I'm going to tap into that. Dorian's too strong for me, but I can take out the other two fae. All I need you to do is concentrate on those two men. We have to do this fast because once we do, Dorian will know I'm out here, and the rogues will go on the attack."
"We'll be ready," my father assures me. He shifts into his wolf and gets into position with the others.
I turn to Cedric. "I'm going to do to them what I did to Micah, only this time they won't be coming out of the ground."
Cedric nods. "Got it."
Holding his hand, I touch the ground and close my eyes. Even from our distance, I can feel Dorian's evilness. It spans around his body like a shield. There's no way I can penetrate it. However, the other two fae men are wide open.
Dorian lifts Beck's sword with a triumphant smile on his face. I blow out a breath and whisper Beck's name. Time seems to stand still, but I know he heard me.
"It's time," I say, thrusting my magic into the ground. The earth is my source of power, and I need every ounce of it I can get. Beck jumps to his feet, and the ground rumbles. The two men hastily look around, but it's Dorian who locks his murderous eyes on me. He yells something, and out from the woods behind the house come five wolves, teeth bared and ready to kill.
Cedric growls, but I tighten my grip on his hand. "Not yet. I still need you." The ground beneath the two fae opens and swallows them into its depths. I can't see the earth suffocating them, but I can feel it draining the darkness out of them.
Ryker, Sebastian, and Micah sprint off out of the woods, and my father hangs back, his glowing blue eyes on mine. "Be careful," I tell him. He huffs and charges after the others.
Cedric lifts me to my feet, his grip tight on my shoulders. "I have to help them. Get as far away from here as you can. Promise me." Eyes wild, he clenches me tighter, his voice gravelly from being on the verge of shifting. "Promise me!"
His power rushes over me, making me tremble. "I promise."
He shifts and joins the fray. Yelps and growls echo through the woods, and the smell of blood permeates the air. Even though I'm hidden behind the trees, Dorian locks eyes on my position. Beck takes advantage of his distraction and uses his magic to retrieve his sword. It flies out of Dorian's grasp.
"Run," Cedric commands through our bond. One of the rogues lunges at him, and he jumps out of the way, ripping his teeth through the wolf's neck. "Beck can handle Dorian on his own!"
I don't want to leave, but I quickly turn and try to run, only I'm stuck in place. The air whips around me and constricts me all at the same time. I can't move or breathe. I try to break free, but his power is too strong. When Cedric sees me being pulled out of the woods, a rogue comes out of nowhere and jumps onto his back. Instead of being only five wolves like we assumed, another five show up, outnumbering us.
"Laila!" Cedric shouts through our bond.
"I got this, Cedric. All I need is to get close to him."
Beck approaches Dorian, his grip tight on his sword, but Dorian points toward me. "I wouldn't do that just yet. Not unless you want me to squeeze the life out of her."
Beck jerks around, and his eyes widen when he sees me moving closer, my arms tight against my body. I have no choice but to move my legs in the direction of the pull, or else Dorian would have too much fun dragging me through the snow if I tried to resist. The air tightens around me, and I yelp in pain as my rib cracks. Beck's eyes turn dark, and he snarls.
"Let her go. You have me now."
I glance around the field at the wolves, still battling it out. A couple of the rogues are dead, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Dorian's sinister laugh brings my attention back to him. "I have you both now." Then he focuses on me, the air restricting me even more. "Where's my sister?"
I gasp and try to suck in a breath, but another rib breaks. The pain is excruciating. "She's… dead," I hiss through gritted teeth. "I killed her."
"Let her go, Dorian!" Beck shouts. "Only a coward would do what you're doing. She's no match for you, and you know it."
Dorian trembles with rage. "Drop your sword, and I'll let her go."
We both know it's a lie. Beck looks at me, and I nod, hoping he can read the silent message in my mind, that I'm not about to give up. As soon as Dorian lifts his magic, I'm going to strike. I just hope Beck moves fast when it happens. If I appear weak, Dorian won't expect what I'm about to do.
Beck tosses his sword to the ground and holds out his arms. "It's done. Now let her go!"
Dorian's jaw tenses and he glares at us. "The war is far from over. No matter what happens today, my army is still around to finish what I started. I can promise you that."
The air ripples around me, and Dorian releases his hold. Light-headed, I fall to the ground, hissing in pain, but I push through it. I dig my fingers into the snow and move every ounce of power I have out of my body. We don't have time to waste.
"Beck!" I scream.
Everything moves in slow motion. The snow around Dorian's feet turns to ice, holding him in place just like I did to Cedric. The ice slowly creeps up his legs, but it won't keep him long. A deep growl rumbles from behind me, and I look to see Cedric and my father, their fangs bared at Dorian. The rogues are dead. Beck reaches for his sword and slowly approaches Dorian.
"Whatever you have planned, I'll be ready for it," Beck says to Dorian.
Cedric bumps me with his muzzle, and I lean into him. I feel drained. "We did it," I say in his mind.
Dorian tilts his head back and laughs. "You always underestimate me, Beck," Dorian taunts. "At least I'm going to die knowing I took something you love away from you."