by Rachel Jonas
“But you’re only twenty,” I reasoned.
“Am I?” the amusement was back, which I guessed meant he’d pulled the wool over my eyes yet again. “Look closer.”
At first, my feet stayed planted, but then curiosity got the best of me. I joined Tristan, stepping deeper into the shadow where I kept him restrained.
“You suppressed my magic, so the charm I cast should have worn off by now.”
My wolf stepped forward, but only enough to lend me her flawless eyesight. And that’s when I saw it, the truth.
The difference was slight, but there was enough evidence to draw a decent conclusion. Granted, it had likely been days since Tristan had shaven, meaning the hint of stubble lining his jaw aged him some. But as sure as the day is long, I was no longer staring at the face of the twenty-year-old guy I’d once considered a friend.
“How old are you? I mean really,” I inquired.
“Thirty-three,” he said with a menacing grin.
“And you used a spell to fool me all this time.”
He shrugged as much as my restraints would allow. “I had a job to do, and yes, fooling you was a part of it.”
My gaze slipped over him, and it was then that my wolf picked up on something else—a very putrid, very recognizable smell. It was the telltale sign of a wielder of dark magic. Apparently, Tristan’s charm had masked that, too, until now.
It was all so clever, so deceptive.
My arms fell to my sides and both fists clenched.
“Tell me what Chief has planned,” I forced out, deciding I wanted to have this over and done with, sooner rather than later.
“Noelle, I—”
“The truth. And quickly,” I yelled over him.
He blinked a few times and I still couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like staring into the face of maybe his older brother, but certainly not Tristan.
“Don’t you at least want to know why I did this?”
I blinked up toward him, but didn’t answer.
“I was an inmate when the Darkness began overtaking land near the prison—Dragon Fire Penitentiary.”
I listened harder when he mentioned the facility by name. I tried to envision it, an establishment that mirrored the name of the academy, but served a completely different purpose.
“The conclusion they reached was to let the Darkness have the facility,” he continued. “And just … let it have everyone who remained on lockdown as well. The way they saw it, we were throwaways anyway. There are other prisons like this one, set aside for the worst of the worst who weren’t quite worthy of death, but not quite trusted with their freedom. They’re all situated on islands where there are either no inhabitants at all, or those who do dwell nearby are heavily compensated. This island fits the description of the latter,” he explained. “So, I’m sure you can understand why they weren’t willing to spend a majority of those funds moving us troublemakers to safety. Basically, we were all as good as dead. Or … whatever happens to those the Darkness takes.”
There was a distant look in his eyes. I hated that some small part of me felt for him, hearing how he came to find himself in this predicament.
“Long story short, Chief paid us a visit before the place got shut down—witches only,” he clarified. “He made about twenty of us an offer we couldn’t refuse. We were told to flee to a neighboring island and enjoy our freedom for a bit. Under his guards’ watchful eyes, of course. Then, when the time came, we were to return to help fight the Darkness. So … here we are,” he added with a smile.
I bit back an outburst. Instead, toning it down to a frustrated question.
“What’s any of this got to do with what you did to Rayen? What does it have to do with me?”
I got the impression Tristan would have shrugged if I didn’t have his arms stretched to their limits. “All I know is he wants you to give in,” Tristan revealed. “He wants you to succumb to the dark presence by any means necessary. Even … forcing you into necromancy.”
My gaze lifted and I finally understood.
“He knew I wouldn’t let Rayen stay … He knew I’d bring him back from the …”
I still couldn’t say the word “dead” out loud. Not in reference to one of my guys.
“Of course he knew. And I have a theory as to why that’s important,” Tristan revealed. He scanned me slowly. “If you release me … I’ll tell you.”
My brow quirked. “How about you tell me, and I don’t feed you your own balls?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed deeply.
“Fair enough,” he sighed. “I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘fighting fire with fire’.” He paused and I nodded.
“Of course.”
“Well, up until now, there’s been no one strong enough to act as a formidable opponent for the Darkness. That is, until you came along.”
I didn’t say a single word. However, one event from the recent past played in my head like a movie reel—the night I overpowered the Darkness at the orphanage.
“Noelle,” Tristan said gravely, “when you let it inside you, when you don’t fight it, you’re almost unstoppable.”
My gaze dropped to the stones beneath my bare feet and he continued.
“Chief has this theory that you were born different from anyone else on this planet because you were meant to do something no one else is equipped to do. It’s the whole reason he invited you here to the academy,” Tristan added. “He believes Spirit brought you into this world for a very specific reason. To save the people of Sanluuk.”
My head spun. There were too many lies, too much deception to decipher truth from more manipulation.
“Then why not just say that?” I hissed. “Why go out of his way to make sure I go dark, instead of educating me on what I’m up against and how to defeat it? There was a much better way to go about this than to lie to me, set me up, and then watch and see how hard I’d fail. If he’d just—”
“Your father,” Tristan cut in. “If Chief had been up front about all this from the beginning, there’s no way in hell a man who’s lived up to a nickname like The Reaper would ever let any child of his do a thing like this. If Chief had recruited you properly, if he’d gone through all the proper channels to bring you in, the plan would have fallen flat before it ever got off the ground.”
Something wasn’t quite adding up. For starters, I had the sinking feeling there were still certain cards Tristan was keeping close.
My eyes narrowed when I glared at him
“Congratulations,” I said flatly. “The fact that I believe you know a hell of a lot more than you’re telling me buys you a little time. I’ve got some questions I need to find answers to, so I’ll keep you here to confirm a few things.”
His brow tightened at the center. “And what am I supposed to do until then?”
I scanned him in this state, dangling pitifully in the air, suspended indefinitely.
“Eh … just hang tight,” I teased, turning on my heels, headed for the falls that shielded us from the rest of the world.
One thing was for sure, he would have plenty of time to think and starve while I came up with my next move.
“Noelle, come on. Be reasonable,” he practically pleaded. “I told you what I know, and your dragon is alive and well. Isn’t that enough?”
A laugh burst from my lips when I turned to face him again. “Stop. Just … stop.”
Tristan stared, desperation heavy in his gaze. It took a moment for the last ounce of hope to drain from him, but when it did, he finally addressed me with the humility that ought to have been present in the first place.
“At least tell me where you’re going.”
A dim smile touched my lips when I gave my answer. “First, I’m going to drop this medallion of yours in the middle of the ocean. Then … I’m going home. To see my boys.”
I hadn’t meant to refer to the Omegas’ bungalow in that way—home. But then, as I dove into the falls, I realized I hadn’t been speaking about four walls and
a roof at all. Home was with them, wherever they were.
Now, to find out if they’d still have me after all I’d done.
I’d crossed several lines in such a short amount of time, which ultimately put us all at a great risk. My only hope was that, maybe, there was an emotion budding between us. One that would, hands down, overpower anger under any circumstances.
… Love.
Chapter Three
Paulo
Three knocks at the front door made my thoughts come to a screeching halt.
‘She’s back.’
‘Is she hurt?’ Ori replied quickly when I reached out to only him. We’d have to be mindful that our little “conference calls” now included Noelle.
‘Not sure. Haven’t gotten a look at her yet.’
‘Well, whatever you do, don’t let her leave again. Not before I get there.’
He said that as if I had a choice. If what I’d seen earlier was any indication, not a single person on this planet could stop Noelle if she didn’t want to be stopped.
‘On it,’ I answered, doing all I could not to sprint to the door. I just needed to lay eyes on her, make certain she was in one piece.
I was on my feet with my hand to the knob in half a second. And when I pulled it open, I had never felt relief like I felt just then.
Half-naked and panting—but otherwise seeming like herself—Noelle was in my arms without either of us thinking too hard about it. Even after having seen a whole new side of her in the cave, it hadn’t changed the way I felt.
Whatever she did, whoever she became, she was mine.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her hair and breathed a sigh of relief. She buried her face against my arm, and her tears dampened my sleeve. For so long, without words, we clung to each other.
“You can’t just … run off like that,” I finally managed to say. It wasn’t until I heard the slight tremor of my voice that I realized just how worried I’d been, how terrified I was not knowing where she’d gone.
“I’m sorry,” she practically whispered into the fabric of my shirt. “I just … I had to take care of it.”
My heart sank hearing her words.
“And did you? Take care of it, I mean?”
Noelle’s rapid heartbeat thundered hard against my stomach, and her grip around me loosened just a little.
“I did,” she said quietly. “But I didn’t kill anyone if that’s what you’re asking.”
That was exactly what I meant, but I didn’t risk hurting her feelings by confirming.
A memory of her skin brightly lit with purple markings flashed before me. Her intense rage could be felt reverberating off the walls of that cave, which left my brothers and I to wonder just how deeply the Darkness had taken her.
From the outside, she appeared to be the same Noelle, but … who’s to say what had become of her soul?
A soft gaze met mine when she lifted her head thoughtfully. “Where’s Rayen? He’s fine, right?”
I tried shaking off the doubt that had begun to inch its way into my head.
“He’s uh … he’s fine and in his room,” I stammered, pushing aside more unwanted images. This time, they were of my mate crushing a guard like a soda can, with nothing more than her thoughts.
“Good,” she smiled. “I’m gonna go check in on him.”
I nodded, wondering how such a sweet girl could have done the things I witnessed just hours before. To make things even more grim, the look of satisfaction I noticed within her gentle brown eyes meant she wasn’t carrying even an ounce of remorse.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
An angel with her ear to hell.
As much as I wanted to think nothing had changed today, as badly as I wanted to believe the Darkness was no match for her, I knew. Where my soul was connected to hers … I felt it.
The chill.
The malevolence.
My eyes trailed behind her as she headed toward Rayen’s room, wearing a t-shirt that wasn’t hers, and nothing else. Inquiring about where it came from was one of several questions begging to be asked.
However, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, I wasn’t quite ready for Noelle’s answers.
***
Noelle
Rayen’s eyes found me quickly, lifting his head toward the sound of the door when I cracked it open.
“Oh, sorry,” I whispered. “Didn’t know you were sleeping. I can come back.”
“Stay,” he called out, halting the single step I’d taken in retreat. “Seeing you is more important than resting.”
The smile he brought out of me made my cheeks hurt.
“Lay with me.” The gentle command was followed by his comforter being lifted for me to slide beneath it.
I latched the door quietly behind me, and then went to him. He brought the blanket down around us and my body naturally eased back, pressing flush against his.
The relief I felt being next to him was unmatched. He’d showered, washed off the evidence of ever having been gone, but I would never forget. So many weary days and sleepless nights spent worrying about his safety, only to have my first fears eventually realized. It was … exhausting. In every sense of the word.
“You saved me.” His words breezed across my ear, swathed in a deep, raspy tone. “And I know that must have cost you something, but you did it anyway.”
He finished speaking and the arm draped around my waist squeezed tighter, bringing me even closer than I’d already been.
“I didn’t have a choice,” I admitted. “The idea of just letting you go, it was… it was impossible to even imagine it.”
In the short time since first meeting the guys—roughly eight months ago—I’d gone from thinking they were complete dicks, to seeing so much good in them it made me ashamed I wasn’t a better person. There was no way on Earth I could let one of them leave here when the world needed them so much.
When I needed them so much.
A tear stung the corner of my eye as I allowed myself to relive that moment we found Rayen in his cell, as I remembered how cold his body was when I touched him to perform the spell. To now feel his skin warm and soft against mine, it was nothing short of a miracle.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I’m honored to call someone so brave and so loyal my queen.”
A small, humorless laugh left me. “Well, you might be the only one. The others were heartbroken when they saw what had been done to you, but they were adamant you wouldn’t have wanted me to intervene the way I did. So, it’s very possible Ori, at least, hates me a little right now. Again,” I added with another laugh.
“If his feelings for you are even half of what mine are, he could never go back to that,” Rayen assured me. “No matter what you do.”
I wasn’t so sure of that. He hadn’t seen the fury I’d seen when I left the cave, keeping them pinned helplessly to the wall while I made my escape.
Nor did he, or anyone, feel what I felt when I opened myself up to bring Rayen back.
“I’m not the same,” I admitted. “I can feel it.”
“Feel what? What’s changed?”
It was a fair question, but not one that would be so easy to answer.
“It’s like, there used to be this part of me that was hypersensitive to what others thought and felt. It was compassion, I suppose?” I tried explaining. “It’s fading more and more with every second that passes, except toward the four of you, and on some level, I’m not exactly sad about it. It’s—”
“Freeing?” Rayen interjected.
I turned a bit, seeing only the outline of his broad shoulder behind me. Somehow, he’d captured what I was thinking and gave it a word. Freeing.
“Yeah. Something like that.” I rested my cheek against the pillow again. “I know it’s my fault. I know it’s because of what I did in the caves, but I don’t know much beyond that.”
A light kiss pressed to the soft flesh just behind my ear.
“I won’t pretend to have all the answers,�
� he began, “but I can promise you this; whatever happens, I’ve got you.”
My brow quirked when he made no mention of the others, only himself. I guessed he knew there would be some backlash and meant to reassure me that he’d always be in my corner. I needed that more than anything.
The back of his strong hand was smooth beneath my palm when my skin slipped over his until our fingers laced.
Warm breath passed over the side of my neck and goosebumps followed. A low groan from Rayen made my eyes drift closed when he pressed his hips into me. His intentions became even clearer when the softness of his lips started on a path that moved from my neck to my shoulder.
“Aren’t you exhausted?” I asked breathily, feeling his feather-light touch as he lifted the side of the t-shirt I’d stolen. With nothing underneath, it would be difficult to resist his advances. Even with all the worry I held for his health. It wasn’t like he’d just gotten rid of a headache; I’d brought him back from the freakin’ dead.
“Not sure how you missed the hint, but … I’m wide awake.” His tone was teasing when he grinded his hips into me again, offering irrefutable proof. “And maybe you’ve forgotten, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
That wasn’t lost on me, but there was no telling what long-term effects he’d feel after being brought back.
“Okay, Big Guy. Take it easy,” I chuckled, fighting my own needs when I pulled away and turned to face him. However, doing so only weakened my will even more, staring into beautiful hazel eyes belonging to one of four men who were, literally, temptation personified.
He sensed my weakness and took my waist, making it seem so small in those massive hands. My plea had been thoroughly ignored when, instead, his full lips pressed to my chin before he craned his neck to move down my throat. I swallowed against his mouth, wondering if I’d lost my mind thinking I’d be able to stop what was already in motion. It wasn’t until he pushed the waistband of his shorts partially down his thighs that I came to my senses.
“Rayen, you need to take things slowly,” I warned thoughtfully, only making the suggestion for his sake. Not my own.
“I can do slow,” he groaned. “And I can do deep.” There was another pause when he brought my hand beneath the comforter, letting me grip him. “…I can do whatever you want.”