by Kim Faulks
She turned toward me as I stepped closer. I lifted my hand. Her brow narrowed as I placed half into her mouth.
“I don’t really like chocolate,” I lied. It was a small lie…a lover’s lie.
Her lips closed around my fingers. She lifted a hand to capture mine. Love screamed in the echo of her gaze. She saw through my pretense—she saw everything. I could keep nothing from this strange woman—this seer.
I dropped my hand, caught the flare of her jaw as she chewed and swallowed.
“We need to hurry. We’re almost there.”
She dropped her head. Her lips met the meat of my palm. Her touch was electric, sending lightning through my nerves. I’d give her my food. I’d warm her by my fire. I’d lay my body on the line with just one look, one touch…one kiss.
I dropped my hand and swung my pack around, weaving my arm through the strap. “See those mountains?”
I pointed to the second peak in the distance. She followed my direction.
“On the other side of that is where we’re headed. It’s another three, or four hours of solid walking. But we won’t make it before dark.”
Her expression hardened. “We have to.”
“Can you run?”
She nodded, staring at the imposing sight.
“Then I’ll be right behind you.”
Rocks clattered, falling away as she stumbled, and then found her footing and raced ahead. The slope fell away; trees gave way to grass. The thin covering of snow was already melting, turning hard ground into mud. Odessa disappeared from view. I searched the growing shadows, listening to the scattering of rocks and dirt.
I dropped to the ground, sliding on my ass to scurry after her as she raced at breakneck speed. Trees whipped past, I snatched hold of branches and roots. My fingers slipped, rocks tumbled under my feet. My shoe snagged a root, pitching me forward, until I hit something soft with an oof.
Our legs were tangled, bodies entwined. I grasped her shoulders, wrenching her on top. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, forcing a smile. But I caught the twitch at the corner of her eye.
“Fuck! Where?”
“Ribs, nothing bad. Bruised maybe.”
I shook my head, and then raked my hair through my fingers. “Can you make it?”
Her hand landed like a feather on top of mine. “I will. It’s okay, we’ll make it, Victor. We’ll make it.”
I pulled myself to stand and reached for her. “Maybe I go first next time?”
She whimpered in the dark and I clenched my fist. Fucking stupid…stupid!
Her steps were quiet, too quiet. I prayed bruised ribs was all she had and followed. The rest of the trip was slower; still we conquered one mountain and then the other, before we lingered at the top of our mountain and stared at the sparkling lights of my home below.
“Stop.” The command slipped from the dark.
Trees rustled to our right. Faint footsteps carried on the wind. Odessa lifted her head and inhaled. I followed, dragging in an assault on my senses. Something sweet, something fetid, something fresh—with a dour underbelly of stale food and cigarettes. A sound carried, a whisper. I looked at Odessa, who sniffed the air and stared at a clump of trees to our right.
The voices moved closer, a shuttering of clicks and a flash of light so bright, it illuminated the dark forest and us along with it. There was a second, a moment…tiny clicks. A hiss of breath.
“Henry. Stop.”
“Over here,” came another voice. “We can get closer. Prime time, buddy. Prime fucking time.”
“Henry.” There was a tremble in his voice—a warning. “Henry, there’s something you need to see.”
I stepped forward, moving closer to Odessa. A soft growl echoed from her, a careful caution. Humans were not wanted…humans spelled trouble. A snap of a stick in front of us, followed by the rustle of leaves as the human moved closer.
A soft glow lit up the darkness, heading for us. “Jesus, Henry. There’s something here with us.”
The words were a whisper, but they may as well have been a shout. I reached down, sliding my fingers along Odessa’s arm, then across her body to her stomach. I moved at the same time they did, pushing my wolf behind me.
The white light burned my eyes as the shutter whirled and snapped. The stench of humans was sickening.
“Why are you here?” I snapped, raising my hand to shield my face. “This is private property.”
My questions went unanswered. Why were they taking pictures of my home? I stepped closer, and one cried out and stumbled. With a whimper, one turned and ran, scurrying down the mountainside. I turned toward the remaining male. He trembled in the twilight. His teeth chattered.
“I’ll ask one more time, why are you here?”
“F-freak.” The harsh hiss escaped.
I flinched at the word. Such a small word…a human word.
Odessa moved to my side, capturing my hand in hers and snarled. “Get out before I decide to live up to that name…human.”
He whimpered at the threat, then turned and ran. Something heavy hit the ground, soft light illuminated twigs. I followed his heavy footfalls as he thrashed through the dark—tripping, stumbling, whimpering like a beaten dog.
Freak. Was there ever a more tormenting word?
I’d heard it many times before. I moved to the soft glow and bent at the knees. The camera was a small weight in the palm of my hand. My face stared back at me on the screen, Odessa’s eyes glinted like steel behind me. A screen glowed, showing two figures in the shadows, two figures protecting…loving.
Freak. I’d never get used to that name. I’d never get used to them. We went into hiding a long time ago because of them…where would we go now?
I caught her slow steps as I pressed the viewfinder closed. Danger hung in the air. It was a new danger—a human danger.
“It’s not over yet. Hurry.”
She grabbed my hand and started for the lights. We wound closer. A shout cut through the air, low, violent…my sister. Our boots hit the pavement. We raced through the gaping shattered glass wall as a knock came from the other side of the house.
Heads turned toward us as I strode through, followed by Odessa. Marcus lifted his head and stared across the table. Surprise widened his eyes. His jaw bulged as he moved his gaze to the wolf at my back.
His voice filled with pain and torment. “So, you’ve come back.”
“Victor!” A blur of black across the room and I was hit front on.
Her sultry scent enveloped me as I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my head in her hair. “Sister, I missed you.”
A knock came again. I felt Odessa tense, a growl slipped free.
Marcus narrowed in on the sound as someone moved toward the door.
I lifted my hand, clutching the camera. “Maybe it’s the human we caught with this. You want to tell me what’s going on?”
He flinched at the sight, and shook his head. There was a second where the world stood still, and then he was moving, charging across the room. The impact rattled my teeth. His thick arms wrapped around me. He clung more than squeezed. I took his weight, holding him softer as he whispered into my ear. “Too much brother. I’m glad to have you home.”
“Ah, Marcus. There’s someone here to see you,” a female shifter called from the doorway.
I dropped my hands as Maddy came from the kitchen at the opposite side. Her face brightened when our gaze collided, then she dropped her gaze behind me, searching the room.
“Odessa!”
The two women raced for each other and hugged tight. Soft mewls filled the room with the comforting sound of friendship and love.
“Who is it?”
I dropped my arms from around my brother as Abrial strode into the room. Her gaze skimmed over me, and then shot to Odessa. A slow smile crossed her face. She took a step, before Rowen moved to her side. Her hand shot out, holding her sister in place.
I’d never felt pure hate before I met O
dessa. I’d felt hurt, shame…disappointment mainly. But as Rowen settled on me, then turned to Odessa and a sneer spread across her lips, I knew she and I weren’t done…not by a fucking long shot.
Movement dragged my gaze from the Alpha and the mage. I turned as a wolf strode into the room. There was something familiar about him. Something…
A hiss from behind me sent chills along my spine. Maddy took a slow step, her eyes never moving from the male as he made his way to the center of the room. “Walker?”
Cold eyes—dead eyes—skimmed Maddy, then searched the room, settling on Odessa. I stiffened. His top lip curled, a low growl slid free. I clenched my fist, my heart thundered. One move…one fucking move and I’d paint the room red.
He turned his head toward me, eyes taking in every tremble in my stance. My dragon rose, water turned black and cold. I was the tempest, the rage-filled river. I was death. A growl slipped free. I dragged in the sharp scent of shock, gasps followed. One by one, dragons and wolves turned to stare at me.
“Victor?” Marcus muttered. “What the fuck have you done?”
I never turned, never even acknowledged he spoke. I was ready to lunge, ready to tear and shred—I was ready to drown him as soon as the intruder moved.
His nostrils flared, eyes widened, but he wasn’t backing down. His body trembled—fear and desperation collided in his wild eyes. He was ready to lunge, ready to hurt my wolf.
“Enough, Walker,” a woman snapped as she entered the room.
A long hood hid her face from view—black cloak skimmed the ground. Her head was bowed, but there was nothing subservient about her power. Her essence rang like the void in an empty drum—hate and cruelty clung to the rusted edges. I turned as Odessa took a step, moving toward the center of the room—distancing herself from the rest of us.
Her flushed skin turned ashen.
Something fluttered in my stomach at the sight. “Odessa, what’s wrong?”
Her skin paled, tiny tremors turned to a slow shake of her head. “No. No.”
The hooded woman glided closer. “Odessa.”
“No!” Odessa snarled, and lifted her hand in the air. “Stay away from me. Stay the fuck away from me.”
Hate filled the air like the stench of gasoline. One strike and we would be gone. Odessa’s eyes hardened, black bled into brown. The sight was a boot to my stomach. I stepped closer, keeping my voice low and calm. “Odessa, talk to me. Baby, please talk to me.”
The woman raised her hand. My wolf whimpered, cowering from her touch.
“Momma?”
I cut my gaze toward Rowen. Her eyes were wide, fear mingled with hope in her vibrant green eyes.
The woman swept back the cowl covering her head. Blonde hair and green eyes. I was helpless as the woman turned to the mage and smiled. She lifted her arms and murmured, “Rowen.”
The mage stumbled and tripped, falling into the woman’s arms. Their voices were a mangle of whimpers and words. But it was Odessa who held me. Odessa who shook her head and lifted her hand to probe the mangled flesh at her neck.
“No. It can’t be,” my wolf croaked. “You’re not real. You’re not real! I killed you. I saw you die.”
A snarl ripped from the mage. She strode in front, hands poised like claws. “You failed, you fucking bitch!”
“Rowen, that’s enough. That’s no way to talk to your sister.”
The room stilled. Heartbeats thundered in unison. I couldn’t breathe—couldn’t think. Odessa’s eyes grew wide. I shouldn’t have come back here. I should’ve kept her away. Now it’s too late, my dragon warned.
One tiny shake of Odessa’s head broke the spell. “No.”
The woman nodded, turning to find Abrial. She held out her hand. “Yes, Odessa. Sisters. Didn’t you ever wonder why you are here? Why you needed to find this pack, the same pack as your sister? Didn’t you ever wonder why you named your doll—?”
“Abby.” The name slipped from Odessa’s lips.
She turned her head toward the Alpha. Pain, hurt, and longing filled this deep well—my wolf was clutching at the stony sides, grasping for the empty bucket, she was falling—and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.
“Why are you here?” Abrial snapped. “Why now, after all this time?”
The woman smiled and grasped Rowen’s arm. This woman was all three rolled into one, from her high cheekbones to her stature. She looked at the Alpha, and then dropped her head in acknowledgment. “I have a proposition for you, your dragon, and for your sister.”
Rowen’s eyes lit up like a green tempest sky. A smile crept across her lips. She was already nodding, already moving when the woman spoke again.
“The dragon for Odessa.”
The ground slipped out from under me. He’ll hand her over if it means we get Zadoc back. He doesn’t care, he doesn’t want her here anyway.
“Marcus,” I pleaded, sounding weak. He turned from the woman to me. Helplessness echoed.
Pack business.
This was pack business and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Rowen spun, her gaze full of hurt and humiliation. “You want her…why?”
“The same reason she always has. She wants to use me. She wants to hurt me.” Odessa’s fragile voice filled the room. “I didn’t remember before. Not until… The demon, he opened my memories. He showed me my suffering. It was all you, wasn’t it?”
The woman flinched, but never said a word. Odessa stepped closer. Abrial, drawn by the movement, fell into place beside her.
“It’s always you, isn’t it? You’re no mother. Not to me. You ripped us from the men we loved; you stole our childhood. You killed my father.”
“He was weak and a disgrace,” the intruder snapped.
“He was my father! You had Abrial kill him…did she know? Tell me, did she know?”
“Know what?” Abrial hissed, turning to the wild, lone wolf next to her.
Odessa’s voice softened. She lifted her hand. Her fingers trembled as she answered. “That he was your father as well.”
“No.” The Alpha whimpered, her voice choked with tears. “No. My father…my father.”
Odessa moved with the Alpha, pulling her closer. “Was a man who raised you. Nothing more.”
“I killed him… I killed my own father.” Abrial collapsed into her sister’s arms.
Odessa held her gently. Sweeping her hand over unruly red curls, she murmured, “No, she killed him. You were only the weapon. You were a good soldier. Isn’t that right, mother?”
The woman never moved. Greed glinted in her eyes. “Our trade—the dragon for Odessa.”
Abrial jerked her head up. Green eyes brimmed with tears. “Why, so you can kill her too?”
The woman shook her head. “Kill her? Why would I kill my greatest weapon?”
“What did you do with them?” Odessa hissed. “All the little girls, what did you do with them? You’ll be a good soldier. Isn’t that what you said to them? You’ll be a good soldier.”
“This was all you?” Marcus snarled and lunged.
The woman raised her head and lifted a hand. Power crackled through the air, stinging my skin. “Enough, Bloodletter.”
Marcus whimpered and froze. A dark power filled the room, coiling like a serpent—but I’d felt worse.
I forced my feet to move, stepping into the path of her wrath. I swallowed her energy, drank it down. “There’s no deal, witch. Not now, and not ever. You’ve wasted your time.”
Odessa turned her head and I was awash with her love.
“You heard him. There’s no deal.” Abrial swiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “Now get the fuck out.”
I caught the flinch in her eyes as the woman turned from one child to another. Rowen lingered at the edges, hope and desperation still filled her gaze.
One sweep of the room and the woman nodded. She reached into her pocket and withdrew a disc. “Then you might enjoy the entertainment while you three ca
tch up. I know I did.”
The disc sailed through the air, and then clattered to the floor. She’d turned before the sound ended, striding for the door, leaving destruction in her wake.
I turned to the only one reaching for her—Rowen. I thought I knew evil…but what I’d seen was weakness. True evil wasn’t so blatant. True evil was the cold truth entwined in a bed of lies.
True evil was the one you never saw coming. But I knew it now.
Marcus brushed my arm, scurrying for the disc on the floor as the front door slammed.
“Someone find something.”
“Here.” Michael reached out to grab the disc from his hand. “The study.”
My feet moved on their own, following the others into the cramped space. Michael hit the button for the TV and inserted the disc. The sound filled the room—grunts, cries. The hand-held camera was shaky, but it captured enough. Bloody, bare, Zadoc was chained to a cell.
“Again,” a woman’s voice commanded.
That voice was now seared into my memory. I was already running, shoving my brothers from the doorway as behind me Zadoc screamed. “Victor!”
“Louder!” the bitch snarled. “Call your brother’s name, Zadoc. Call his name!”
Grunts followed, a whimper slipped free. “Victor!”
“Again.”
Those words reverberated as I hit the hallway. The front door was a blur. I fumbled with the handle, wrenching the door open and lunged.
The driveway was empty. Tears fell as I spun and searched the darkness. “Where are you, you fucking bitch!”
There was no sound of footsteps, no scent of wolf. An echo slipped free, carried on the wind—a chuckle with the soft lilt of a woman’s voice. “We’ll meet again, Victor. I guarantee it.”
“Victor.” I whipped my head toward the sound. Odessa filled the doorway.
The crunch of gravel gave way to the feel of her in my arms. I grasped her close, pressing her body against mine. Her tears were wet against my cheek…or maybe they were my own.
“You’re okay now,” I croaked and held her tight. “You’re okay now. No one’s taking you anywhere.”