by Briers, M L
Satisfied that neither of them would be going anywhere, Julius turned and closed the door. Leaving the mates on their own again.
Lucas heard the door click closed and opened his eyes. He didn’t move, conserving the strength that had been slowly building back up inside him. His eyes flicked to Shannon on the bed, watching over her as she lay in some kind of trance.
His hearing had returned a few hours after they got back to the house. He had listened intently to Julius and Grace as they sat on the porch discussing the events of tonight and what they could do for Shannon. Every instinct in Lucas told him that he had to be at his mate’s side tonight, to protect her. But Julius would be a worthy protector, and he had something that he needed to do.
When they came for Shannon, Lucas tried not to react, but the protective nature for his mate made it impossible. Julius had enlisted the help of the pack’s Beta’s to control Lucas while they took his mate from him.
The moment Julius lifted Shannon into his arms Lucas’s eyes snapped open. The Alpha was halfway across the room, his fangs bared in a snarl of intent, and his claws out as he made for the older Alpha. The Beta’s were on him in seconds, one hand from each man hit against his shoulders, while the other grabbed his arms and he was propelled back against the nearest wall, held there by two solid grips that were no match for his weakened state.
“Easy son. I’ll protect her with my life.” Julius assured him, as he caught sight of Lucas struggling against his own men to get to his woman. Julius didn’t want to prolong the Alpha’s agony so he rushed her out of the door and down the stairs.
“Easy brother.” Kevin knew that Lucas was not yet fully healed, and yet his Alpha still took all of his strength to keep from getting loose. He was glad for James help. The truth was that this went against his very nature, holding his Alpha back from protecting his mate felt like sacrilege. “Let them heal her, Lucas.”
“Release me.” Lucas demanded of his Beta’s, as he heard the car drive away with his mate inside. The urgent need to track the scent rising within him until his beast felt the full fury of being detained.
“Lucas, the witch that did this, remember your purpose tonight.” Kevin was trying to not only fight to keep Lucas in place, but also to keep from obeying his Alpha’s command.
Lucas’s head snapped towards his Beta. His black eyes narrowed as the words hit home within him. He lessened the struggle to be released.
“I heard you through the link, Lucas. As you watched over your mate, your goal was not to follow Shannon, but to go to the witch that did this.” Kevin’s words were calm, but urgent as he tried to reach his Alpha.
It took every ounce of self restraint that Lucas possessed to push his wolf back from him, but slowly the wolf receded. The claws retracted, and his fangs slipped back into his gums. Stilling against the strength of his Beta’s, Lucas took one more long, calming breath and nodded his head to assure his brothers’ that he was back in control of himself.
Both Beta’s immediately released him, drew back a step and waited to see what their Alpha would do. They were ready to restrain him again if he made to follow Shannon. They were ready to shift into their beasts if he did.
“Let’s pay that dark Fae bitch a visit.” Lucas growled with the twitch of his upper lip, barely containing the hate within him.
“With pleasure brother.” Kevin grinned, his eyes turning a shade darker at the thought of dishing out some justice against someone who had threatened their pack.
Julius stood at the edge of the large clearing. The flickering light of the flames that danced from the torches placed around the human circle that had formed within the middle, illuminated the symbols that had been drawn into the earth, or placed upon it with a mixture of what he could detect was sulphur, salt and a variety of spices and essences that would take him a while longer to unravel.
Shannon lay across his arms. Her face against his chest as his eyes found Grace. Standing in a full length red robe at the far side of the circle, her eyes were encouraging him on and she nodded to him to continue.
He felt the low growl of his wolf within him, warning him of a possible danger at entering the circles boundary. But Julius silenced the beast and walked his daughter towards the very edge.
Grace held up her hand to stop him as he went to walk over the swords that were laid out in front of each woman. Blade rested over the hilt of the sword, and he eyed the circle of swords as the witch beside him leaned down and gently slid the sword across. Mumbling words that even his ears couldn’t pick out, as she made an opening for him.
His eyes went back to Grace and she nodded to him that he could precede. Carrying Shannon to the centre of the circle he eyed the intricate markings on the ground before laying Shannon down with great care.
Everything within him wanted to scoop her back into his arms and speed her away from the circle. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Grace, she was an old friend, and he had sensed no ill will within her as he spent the afternoon talking to her. He had looked for it, just too make sure. But he had found nothing wanting in her behaviour, had found no deception within her. It was more the need to protect Shannon from what he knew was coming, pain.
Grace motioned for him to retrace his steps and he took a long moment to be able to force himself to leave his daughter there, alone in the circle. Unprotected.
Going back the way he came, he turned and watched the witch ease the sword back into place. A circle of swords, inside a circle of witches, surrounded by a circle of flamed torches. How badly could this go? He knew only what Grace had told him. Fire would be the element that the circle drew upon to push back the darkness within Shannon. Swords that were forged in fire would be used as an unbreakable shield to protect the circle witches from the dark magic escaping, and would keep Shannon inside if something went wrong.
Julius shook his head in helplessness. Backing away from the circle as the witches started a mumbled chant. The words started with Grace and moved around the circle from Witch to Witch, as each voice joined the last, until the whole of the circle chanted together.
When the circle bent as one, Julius’s whole body twitched with readiness to move, he would take out the witch closest to him and break the circle if he felt the need. He watched nervously as each witch placed their hands on the linked swords, lifting together to keep the iron circle in place, it raised to waist height in front of them and their chanting increased.
Julius’s eyes flew to the centre of the circle. The sudden twitch of Shannon’s body was the first real movement he had seen from her since her eyes went black, and hope swelled within his heart. Her body started to writhe on the ground and he caught his breath as she seemed to convulse inwards upon herself. Her legs pulled up to her chest as her head came off the ground to almost meet her knees.
He was caught in indecision when the low moan escaped her lips. Her body slammed back flat against the earth, before arching up as she thrust her arms out to the sides, her nails digging into the barren earth and then she let out a piercing scream.
Natalie knew she couldn’t stay in town any longer. She was running out of time, either the circle or the Lycans would come for her sooner rather than later. She had felt the pull of the dark magic as it activated with Shannon and knew that she was now on borrowed time.
Stuffing her backpack with the last of what she needed, she eyed the comfortable surroundings of her home and felt the loss within her.
Leaving almost everything behind her was a wrench that couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t as if they would allow her to pack her things and move on. She had misjudged the situation from the very beginning.
Assuming that she could force Shannon out by putting her at odds with the pack had been a good plan. It hadn’t taken much to convince Corrine that the Lycan she was fated for, would be like an animal with her. The girl had no idea when it came to other clans within the supernatural sphere. She was eager to learn and took everything at face value from her older and wiser circle s
ister. Putty in her hands, she had moulded her with misinformation until she had her scared of her own shadow.
Sending Corrine to Shannon for Wolf’s Bane had been a nice touch, she thought to herself with a satisfied curl of her lips. The young Witch was easily led into lying to Shannon for the sake of her own safety. A wash for her tools, Natalie snorted to herself. But Shannon had seen through the deception and had helped the younger Fae anyway. It had been a win-win situation for Natalie. Shannon’s past had made her an easy target.
Natalie’s eyes fell on the picture on the mantle. The circle was all there, her circle, she told herself. She should have been High Priestess, not Grace, and certainly not Shannon. The resentment rose within her as she stalked towards the picture and lifted it, her eyes scanning the faces of her sisters.
Natalie knew she could never have foreseen the Alpha being Shannon’s mate. She closed her eyes and bit down on the bitterness that rose within her. The dark magic she had placed inside Shannon had activated the moment she had drawn on her magic in the Alpha’s presence, and it should have been enough for Lucas to take down the Witch.
How had Shannon not injured Lucas that very first time? How had the magic collapsed within itself? Could Shannon have been that powerful a Fae that her magic had actually smothered the dark? Natalie dismissed her questions, it no longer mattered.
Now the woman was marked and mated to Lucas. Things had gone too far, she could break spell. She could admit that she had misled Corrine before anything else happened…
Natalie felt the dark rage within her. Hurling the picture against the wall she felt satisfaction in the sound of the glass smashing into pieces. Whirling on her heels she reached for her backpack. The smile curved her lips as she thought of what came next.
It might be her that had to leave her life behind, but the thought of revenge was a sweet taste on her tongue as she imagined the war that would be caused between the circle and the pack when Shannon finally activated her magic and the darkness took her over.
Lucas would be dead or severely injured and the pack would kill Shannon.
Natalie spun on her heels and headed towards the door. Throwing her pack over her shoulder, she chuckled to herself at the very thought of it. Pulling open the front door, her heart slammed into her rib cage as she looked up into Lucas’s black eyes.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Lucas…” His name fell from her lips a breath before his hand was at her throat. Lifting her from the floor, she dangled like a rag doll in front of him. The backpack dropped from her hand as she reached up to try to release his hold around her neck, fought for the breath she needed within her lungs, her nails clawing against his flesh as he slowly walked her into her own home and slammed her backwards into the nearest wall.
“L-uc-as…” Natalie used the last of her precious breath in a plea that she knew would fall on deaf ears. Lucas’s eyes were blacker than the bowels of hell, and his face showed the murderous contempt he felt for her. He was going to end her.
“Lucas. Easy brother.” The sound of another voice seemed far away to Natalie as she fought unconsciousness. She tried to pull on the energy within her, to build her magic so she could defend herself, but it had happened too quickly. Now as her mind swirled between darkness and haze she knew she was dying.
“Don’t break the circle.” Grace commanded to her sisters as Shannon threw herself against the metal barrier of the swords. Blades turned upwards towards the night sky with their dull edges connecting with Shannon’s body, they did no more damage to her than a bruise, as she backed away and launched herself back at the circle.
Julius looked at his daughter with dread. His heart ached within him and his stomach gripped in constant painful spasms as he watched the wild, out of control woman that he loved dearly act like a wild animal.
Her eyes were still black pools within her face. But she snarled and growled with the demon magic within her as she lunged for freedom again and again. Her beautiful face was contorted with rage and desperation to be free from the pain and the cage the circle represented.
Shannon screamed again as the pain twisted her body and she doubled over. The piercing scream was akin to a banshee as she threw her head back and wailed at the night sky.
“Grace.” Julius bit out. Every muscle within his body tensed in a painful knot of helplessness.
“Be still, Julius.” Grace warned quickly.
Shannon drew herself to her full height. Her chin was practically on her chest as she set her sights on one of the Witches. Her black eyes glaring with rage from under her brow as she let out a scream and ran at the woman.
Julius went to move to protect the witch, but before Shannon’s body connected with the woman she was thrown backwards into the centre of the circle, as if she had hit a force field that had repelled her.
Scrambling to get back to her feet she screamed out again, doubling over in pain and dropping to her hands and knees on the cold earth.
Julius bit back every instinct he had within him to tear through the circle and hold his daughter through her pain. To stop this torture now so he didn’t have to hear her scream one more time.
“The magic within her is weakening, Julius.” Grace bit out. Instinctively knowing what the Alpha was going through, and trying to ease his burden. He tried to tear his eyes away from Shannon’s body, wracked with pain, to look to Grace, but he couldn’t do it.
“Julius!” Shannon screamed out. “Help me!”She held out her hand and reached for him.
Julius felt his wolf respond to their kin’s cry for help. The wolf roared to the forefront within him and he closed the distance to the circle within a few strides.
“It’s a trick, Julius. Hold where you stand.” Grace called out her warning and he fought the wolf within him, fought with every ounce of willpower that he possessed not to take another step.
Lucas reached into the back of the truck and reached for the bound witch, as she tried to slither away across the backseat. The sound of the piercing scream shattered the calm of the woods, and Lucas felt the call of his wolf within him.
Pouncing up on his knees on the backseat, Lucas’s lips drew back in a snarl at the terrified woman, as his fingers closed around the collar of her jacket and he yanked her backwards across the seat. Her feet worked against the cushion as though she was trying to walk backwards, but Lucas was too fast and her heels couldn’t get any traction.
Natalie’s feet fell from the backseat and she tried to stand, but her knees grazed the floor before he yanked her up by the fabric of her clothes and a handful of her hair and half shook her in place.
Her heart was pounding within her chest, as she flicked her eyes around the landscape. Fear and bile rose up within her as she noted that they were on pack land. The woods stretched out into a backdrop of shadows in front of her, looming upwards just as her captors did around her, and she didn’t need to calculate her odds for survival. She had none.
“If you try to summon your magic I will crush your windpipe in a heartbeat.” The wolf within him rolled through every word. And the woman shook so badly from head to toe that Lucas knew she was virtually helpless, and she knew it.
Another shrill cry pierced the night air. Lucas wasted no more time on her. He lifted the Witch from the floor and started to run towards where his mate was suffering, trying with each fevered step he made closer to her to push his beast down within him.
Lucas was aware of his Beta’s keeping time with him, one on either side, like bookends, shoulder to shoulder, as they made their way through the darkness of the woods. He was relying on his brothers to keep him from doing something they would all regret when he reached the witches circle. Right now his wolf was unpredictable, they cry of their mate was a hard thing to endure, and he was fighting against his own instincts to keep the wolf at bay.
Grace saw Julius take another step towards the Circle and acted quickly. Diverting just some of her power towards placing a protective shield around the group, to keep hi
m from entering and breaking the bond of the sisters.
Julius felt the tingle of a warning against his skin as he moved closer. His eyes turned to blackness as he realised that if he were to help Shannon, he should have acted sooner. The quick sting, like an electric shock raced over his fingertips and up his arms as he reached out to test the shield.
“Damn it, Grace.” He growled out. His eyes snatching a look at the woman as she stood glaring at Shannon, her lips moving in synchronicity with the others, and she flicked one quick look at the Alpha, by way of an apology.
The sound of feet running towards the circle made Julius turn on the spot. Three came towards him through the woods, and one was carrying something heavy, he reasoned, before scenting the air.
“Grace, Lucas is coming!” Julius warned. Planting his feet and taking up a defensive stance against the approaching mate, in order to try to prevent Lucas hitting the shield that Grace had put there.
When Lucas appeared into the clearing Julius had no time to look at the Alpha. His eyes fell on the woman dangling like a trophy from his outstretched arm. Bound with her arms behind her back, she hit to floor with her knees and her shins, as Lucas took in the sight before him. Pain etched into his face as he saw Shannon doubled over in agony in the centre of the circle.
“Release her!” He bellowed the command into the night air. Shannon’s head came up and he saw the blackness of her eyes. That sight alone stilled him in place. His beast held at bay by the knowledge that their mate was still in the throes of the black magic that had claimed her.
“Lucas, help me.” Shannon called out in a desperate plea and his heart tore within him. He took a step forward.