by Casey Lane
“Come now, you were alpha. You knew this freak and her brother. You know that some humans are different.”
“You’re saying you convinced the pack to turn on us with your mind?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Parker Ash wasn’t prone to emotional outbursts, but he was slowly approaching a point where he was about to snap. Someone was stalking him. Or Aria. He didn’t know which, but he didn’t like it one bit.
No one came after his family.
No one.
The only trouble with the situation? He didn’t know who the stalker was. He thought he’d spotted them once or twice, but the image would blur before he could get a lock on their face. A flash of strawberry blonde hair and a glimpse of wide, gray eyes; that was all he’d processed. Tonight, he’d sensed them again – on the wall, some distance from where Aria had been shot – and had tried to pinpoint them, only to have them vanish. How they kept escaping his senses, he had no idea.
It didn’t matter; he was still going to hunt them down. And not because something about that gray gaze haunted him.
“Your Grace.”
He glanced up from his desk, and his heart shuddered. An albino woman stood before him, just inside the door, her skin glowing under the gas lighting, her hair decorated with bones and shells, and dyed strands. He closed and reopened his eyes to see if she’d vanish, but she was still there.
“How did you get in here?”
She gave a little shrug. “Through the door.”
The door. Right.
He sat back in his chair unable to avoid seeing something of his son in this woman. Xavier would have been sixty this year, as would Nick, the child he’d never even met. Rage still clouded his vision when he thought of that poor boy, dying in a fit of were madness, knowing his end was coming. The duke was well aware that Nick had been like Xavier – that they’d been special. The future had been something that was all too visible for Xavier, and he’d seen it with such depth and clarity that it drove him insane.
That’s why he had listened to his son’s pleas when Aria had refused to. She was tough like steel, but also brittle. She would do anything to keep her loved ones close, even if it was better to set them free. It had broken him that day, when he’d had to kill his boy, but Xavier had craved death like a drunk craved alcohol. Parker had learned a long time ago that holding on to someone for yourself didn’t help the person you were trying to save.
They had to want to be saved.
He nodded at the stranger. “Why have you decided to pay me a visit?”
The woman strode forward and seated herself opposite him at the metal desk. She flicked out her tunic-shirt then crossed her legs, and the faint scent of wolf reached him.
So she’d been born to were parents, and she was alive. He ground his teeth, battling his envy.
“It isn’t so much a decision as a need.” She gave a half smile as her fingers traced patterns on her knee. He was tempted to lean forward to see what shapes she’d drawn. He’d learned from Xavier that nothing was irrelevant when it came to albinos. His son had predicted his own death long before it had ever occurred and had extracted a promise Parker had never believed he’d have to fulfill.
“My name is Parker Ash,” he said. “And you are?”
“I know who you are, Duke of Ashes. I am Ralia Lovett.”
Lovett. Yes, he knew that name, but he’d never heard of an albino were associated with it. Clay Lovett was an old werewolf, third generation, and he’d been travelling around the continent for longer than Parker had been alive. Was she a daughter? Sister? Mother? With people so long-lived, the family relationships got complicated.
“And why do you feel the need to visit?”
“I may have muddled my timing up a little.”
“Your timing?” His gut sank.
“Yes, I thought that Aria would have a little longer with Sebastian before…well, before. But I was out. It happens. It’s hard to see exactly when things will happen, there’s just so many factors…” Her pink gaze turned inward.
The expression was like a punch in the face. How often had his son worn that exact same look?
“So when do you think it will happen?” he asked. Not that he had any idea what ‘it’ was, but then, if it involved the alpha and his daughter, it was bound to be volatile.
“About now.”
He wasn’t about to lose another child. Especially not Aria. It’s why he’d contacted the bloody were in the first place; her shifting was a problem, and that meant it was a weakness. He needed his daughter to be as strong as possible.
He stood. “What do I need to do?”
She eyed him for a few moments and he fought the urge to fidget. Parker was not prone to fidgeting.
At last, she said, “Follow me.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Pain slashed through Sebastian; his broken arm hadn’t been set properly, and was healing incorrectly. If he got out of here alive, he was going to have to re-break it and enjoy having his arm mend itself all over again. At least that would only take a few hours.
The only part he was iffy about was surviving, thanks to the slow burn of acid rolling through his veins. They’d shot him with four darts of liquid silver. His organs were fighting it, but the poison was spreading through his whole body.
The human woman was glaring at him; something dangerous flashing in her Green eyes. Lia’s warning blared throughout his mind: if they found out he knew about the Graced, they’d come for him. But she would have no idea he knew anything, not unless she could read his mind.
Could she?
The woman didn’t react to that thought, so he had to wonder… but Lia had said Green was for telepathy. Blue was for emotions and stuff, and Gray…well, that explained why he was plastered to a tree trunk. There had to be someone with Gray eyes hiding in the forest.
Was everyone susceptible to these abilities, or were there people with natural protections? He wished he’d paid more attention to Lia, because he hadn’t realized what she’d said was a warning, dressed up as history.
Were they after Aria because she’d known there was something different about her brother? No wait, this woman had said she’d had something to do with the pack’s deaths all those years ago. Sebastian’s eyes drifted to his lover – she was a petite wolf, all lean lines and elegant angles. Her amber fur was draped in torn clothing, which had survived her shift. He mouthed, “It’ll be okay.”
Another woman stepped out of the trees, a younger version of his tormentor. Sebastian struggled against the invisible force that held him.
The newcomer stayed close to a large oak. “Just finish this and let’s go.”
“Fine,” the older woman said. “I just thought I’d give the abomination some closure.” She turned and stared at Aria.
A scream tore through the clearing and the small wolf writhed in pain. Fur melted away, bones broke, and then Aria was lying on the forest floor, naked.
She was forcing Aria to shift.
Aria lay panting as the older woman knelt next to her, a dagger held high in one hand. One side gleamed like metal, the other was dull, like wood. Her arm swung downward—
“No!” Sebastian bellowed as he fought, but he was still stuck. He could only watch as that human killed Aria. Not again. Not her.
“Stop!”
The knife-wielder was lifted and thrown through the air like a ragdoll. She hit a nearby tree with a crunching of bones and fell limp to the ground. Sebastian’s desperate gaze swung back to Aria; she lay immobile, the weapon’s hilt protruding from her chest.
“Aria!”
He struggled anew, fighting to get to her. She’d survived the wooden arrow, but both silver and wood at the same time…
A third woman was emerging from the trees now, a strawberry blonde. Sebastian had never seen her before, but from her large Gray eyes he guessed she must have been the one who’d thrown Aria’s attacker across the forest.
“You!” The younger
woman glared at the new arrival. “I told you to stay away, Castle!”
The blonde – Castle – gave a strange smile. “But then I’d miss all the fun.”
“I told you what would happen.” The redhead advanced on her. At least she’s moving away from Aria.
“And I warned you not to mess with me.”
Great, Sebastian thought. A pissing contest.
Two men burst into sight, their expressions panicked. The hold on Sebastian wavered, and he shoved against the tree, but with no luck. He was still pinned. Maybe this Castle would help him.
Castle’s expression grew serious. “Three against one? That’s hardly fair.”
“You’ve got it coming.”
“Actually, I meant for you.”
The two men flew into the air, tossed away like toys. One slowed quicker than the other, flipping in a somersault before landing. The earth exploded around Castle, soil launching high, and a tree trunk was torn free with a rip. It floated in the air and then zoomed toward the two men, hitting one hard across the head.
The vice around Sebastian vanished. He ran toward Aria, ducking low to avoid being hit by the bits of forest these people were throwing at each other.
Who used a tree as a weapon, anyway?
He skidded to a stop next to Aria. She was pale, but breathing, sweat dotting her forehead. Sebastian stared at the knife hilt. Pull it out, or leave it in? Out, he decided. With a sharp tug, he ripped the blade free – her body was already healing around it. Aria gasped, her eyes snapping open, and she inhaled in a hard, raspy draw. She jackknifed upright, hands pressed to her chest.
“Sebastian?”
He leaned down to grab her as a scream of rage rent the night. Castle was hovering in the air, her hair blown back by a wind he couldn’t feel. Blood leaked from her nose, and her eyes blazed. Her teeth were bared, smeared with crimson.
“Get the fuck out of my head, Monique!”
“Just go and you’ll live!” the redhead spat.
Both men were back on their feet now, one staggering, and they threw out their hands, just as Monique created a fist. Castle groaned, and then she was flying back through the air. Sebastian didn’t see where she landed, but there was a loud crack.
Fuck. That was it then; their only help was probably dead. Quickly, he gathered Aria into his arms.
Time to get out of here.
Except Monique was there, standing in his path.
“Not so fast.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Naomi’s head hurt.
Just her head, though. The rest of her body – nothing.
Panic clawed its way up through her throat as the dizziness subsided. Her hands and feet, there was no sensation there at all. Shouts echoing in her ears, though, which meant the battle was still being waged and that her ears worked. Thank goodness for small mercies.
She willed her muscles to move her hand; nothing happened. She just lay on the leaf litter like a broken doll. Wetness dripped into her eyes and without a hand to wipe it away, she used her powers.
I have a broken neck.
Or something horribly like it. She’d been flung out of the fight by the two Gray males. Normally, they wouldn’t have been an issue for Naomi, but they’d managed it because Monique had clawed her way inside her mind first. If not for that, she’d still be in the fight. Blood, she probably would have ended it by now.
Using her telekinesis, she lifted her limp body off the ground, steadying it and straightening her spine until she looked like she was standing. Then she glided through the air toward the yells and obscenities. On the edge of the fight, she could see the alpha, injured and struggling to pick up Subject 2013. Naomi had been late to this particular party, so she hadn’t seen the first strikes, but she could guess: darts filled with liquid silver, no doubt. It was a new favorite of the Graced.
Her eyes narrowed on the two Gray men. One was helping Monique’s relative, the other was staring at the were. The alpha rose, levitating off the ground, but it was slow. The Gray must be weakening. It happened. When it came to their powers, not all Graced were equal.
Naomi spared one last glance at the older woman. She hoped she hadn’t hurt her irrevocably when she’d thrown her, but then, that woman was responsible for more deaths than most vampires. Maybe her demise would be a blessing.
You are not to judge.
That was exactly why she’d chosen to go against her family’s path: they acted as judge, jury and executioner for those that didn’t comply with their laws. Naomi hadn’t wanted blood on her hands – still didn’t – but sometimes you had to make the hard choices, and there were two innocent lives at stake.
Well, relatively innocent. Naomi was convinced Subject 2013 was a blackmailer, and who knew what the were had done? But in all the time she’d been following the hybrid, Naomi had never seen the girl kill or hurt anyone. That spoke volumes.
Ignoring the pain ricocheting through her skull, she focused on the Gray closet to her. Methodically, she snapped his forearms and shin bones – clean breaks, so that they’d heal nicely, but breaks nonetheless. And perhaps she’d gone for both arms and legs because of her neck. Payback was a bitch.
The man screamed, high-pitched and ear-splitting. Before he finished, she’d broken the other Gray’s arms and legs, too. Snap, snap, snap, snap. Sure, she could have killed both of them; crushed them until they’d resembled nothing more than pulverized meat, but pain was enough. When it came to telekinesis you really had to want something to make it work; pain made it hard to concentrate, an excellent – and non-deadly – distraction.
In a way, it was probably better her neck had been broken, because she couldn’t feel the agony her body was no doubt suffering. Her headache right now? It was tolerable, although her vision was starting to get a bit spotty.
Not good.
Now that was the understatement of the year.
As Naomi picked the two men up, preparing to dump them out in the woods away from the fight, Monique spun back toward her, her expression furious. Red hot pokers seared into Naomi’s mind.
Not again.
Everything went black.
The blonde woman collapsed on the forest floor like a puppet who’d had its strings cut. Ari gaped at her. She’d been floating. But no matter what creepy, weird thing was going on, she’d been clearly helping, because those two men had stopped whatever they were doing and had collapsed on the ground in agony.
The younger woman – Monique? – stepped toward her. “Look, it’s nothing personal, but you have to die.”
Sebastian was wavering on his feet as he tried to pick her up, but her wound was already healing. Sweat clung to his face, and his breathing had grown raspy. Was he dying? Could his body fight the liquid silver?
Fear and adrenalin shot through her.
Got to distract her. She shot the redhead a look. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do I have to die?” Ari propped herself on her hands and knees. Gee, her chest still hurt. Maybe that knife had done more damage than she’d imagined. “What did I ever do to you?”
“Exist. You’re a hybrid.”
“I was born this way, in case you hadn’t been told that.”
“It’s unnatural.”
“I’d say it’s very natural. Like I said, born this way.”
Sebastian’s voice cut across them. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe she’s the next step in evolution?”
“She’s an abomination!”
Ari turned to the source of the scream: the older human woman was crawling along the ground, one hand clutching her ribs, which must have been broken from her landing. Her green eyes blazed with anger.
The woman’s free fist clenched, and something battered at Ari’s mind, trying to break in, to cause the pain that had debilitated her the first time. This time, it didn’t work.
Shock froze the human. “Wh-what? How are you doing that?”
Then Monique was in front of her. A
ri suddenly threw herself at the younger human, claws bursting from her hands as she sliced at her chest. The redhead fell back with a scream, clutching her torn shirt, before Ari used her speed to launch herself on the older woman, hands locking round her throat.
“Why’d you kill my mother and brother?”
The woman gasped and gurgled, so Ari loosened her grip a little.
“Weres cannot be like us,” the choking woman said. “They must not be like us. You all had to die.”
The strange sensation reached into Ari’s mind once more, but again, there was no pain.
“Let her go!” Monique dived at Ari, but Sebastian crash-tackled her to the ground. More than two hundred pounds of enraged were had her pinned, but he was weak, and clearly struggling to hold her down. Ari had to act fast.
“How are you…deflecting me?” Anger tainted the green-eyed woman’s features.
Ari looked down. She had hated killing that man, but this woman…she was possessed by hate. It stung Ari like a whip.
“I’m a quick healer. You attacked me, my body healed the wound.”
“Impossible.”
“I exist, don’t I?”
Pain burst through her, and she looked down at her torso. A knife protruded from her flank.
She stabbed me. Again. Fool me once…
Without stopping to think, she let her wolf take control. Clawed hands reached out, gripped the human’s neck and then twisted. There was a sharp, hard crack, and the woman’s body went limp. Within Ari’s mind, her wolf howled its victory.
“No!”
Monique struggled, fought to get to the dead woman, but Sebastian held her back. Dirt streaked his face, and leaf litter was in his hair. He’d never looked more impressive.
Ari eyed Monique – her physical resemblance to the dead woman was strong – perhaps they’d been mother and daughter. Ari didn’t care. A life for a life. They’d taken two – more, if you counted the pack that had been slaughtered afterwards – so she’d taken two.
She stepped away from the body and pulled the knife from her side, letting it drop to the torn-up ground. There had been enough death: even her wolf agreed.