by Hickory Mack
Elsie snorted but gave him half a grin. She could totally be softened up with something good to eat. Luckily for her bad mood, the convoy’s cooks hadn’t brought anything palatable along with them.
“You’re staying on that damned truck, right? I’m not going near that thing. We’ll be in the truck behind you,” Hasprey said, giving her a handheld radio. “Let us know if you need anything. I doubt they’ll take it slow just because you’re up there, so be careful.”
“We will,” Elsie said, watching the old timer steer her new mate away as he cast mournful glances in her direction. She set Wren away from her so she could see her face. “You need to climb now. You can tell me everything on the way.”
Wren’s eyes were red with unshed tears, her face blank. Elsie couldn’t imagine the pain she must be in. Her magic was connected to the whole damned planet, and the hunters and that fox had just blown several holes in it. It was enough to make her grateful that the spirit had been asleep for most of the humans’ mining years.
They climbed to the top of the truck, and Wren waited for Elsie to sit down before laying on her back, letting the reaper cradle her head in her lap. She closed her eyes and wrapped an arm around Elsie’s thigh with a heavy sigh while Frida snuggled up close, alternating between kittenish mews and purring. She instinctively knew something was wrong.
Elsie stroked Wren’s long white hair, not asking anything of her. She’d tell her when she was ready. Whatever had happened with the forest spirit had been more upsetting than she’d expected.
The truck lurched into motion, and the soldiers at their sides followed until they reached speed. They peeled away, getting into their own vehicles and falling into line. Elsie wasn’t the least surprised. She was on her own to keep the fox contained while they were traveling.
“I could have been dead by now,” she muttered, thinking she could have just let the curse kill her to avoid all of this. Frida chirped at her curiously, but Elsie shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Miss Kaho. It’s nothing serious.”
As the convoy made its way back toward the nest, the trucks from the other drop sites began rejoining them. It was immediately discernible how much loss had been sustained. The site closest to where the fox had blown everything up only came back with two trucks, and only one of the cages had any demons in it.
Not one of the sites had escaped loss. Trucks were missing, and not one single cage was filled more than halfway full. The demons sat or laid on the bottom of their cages, all of them with the same haunted expressions. Some were missing limbs, but others looked unharmed, except for the silent tears wetting their faces. The excavator and the tanks were missing, and Elsie wondered if they’d even go back for them.
When they reached the nest, she noticed that even one of the helicopters had been destroyed. Martin was nowhere to be seen, but Elsie spotted Stanley Eustone standing among the cages, taking a tally, his skin pale and his hands shaking while he tried to hold his clipboard still.
“How many demons are left?” Elsie questioned. He didn’t even look up to see who had asked. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, looking weary. If he were anyone else, she might even feel sorry for him.
“Just a little over three hundred.”
They’d started with nearly a thousand. Elsie chewed on her lower lip, and her heart squeezed in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her throat constricted, but she forced out the words. “Was it worth it?”
Eustone didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
She’d asked the wrong person. A man who’d committed his life to destroying demon kind wouldn’t see anything wrong with what he’d done. He started to wander away, and Elsie knew this was where they separated. “I’ve added your name to my list. I’ll see you again someday soon, Stanley Eustone.”
With a shudder, the researcher turned and looked at her. There was fear in those cold eyes. Everyone knew what a reaper’s list was, and once your name was on one, there was nothing on Earth that could save you. Eustone turned away, his movements having become stiff.
As soon as Frost is free and this fucking curse is lifted, I will eliminate every single one of these men, she vowed to herself. There wasn’t a single hunter present who didn’t deserve death at her hands. Her thoughts turned to the fox in the truck beneath her.
“Why haven’t any of my sisters killed you already?” she muttered. Wren finally stirred at her words, looking up at her and blinking those beautiful blue eyes.
“He’s Earthbound, too. His people grounded him here.”
“You know him?” Elsie asked, and Wren shook her head.
“I saw it in the spirit’s mind. He’s close with the fox.”
“Shit.”
“He was hurt so badly, and he’s such a kind soul. That spirit didn’t deserve this.”
“I’m sorry, Wren. I should have come up with another way. If I hadn't rejoined the hunters, none of this would have happened,” Elsie said.
“The hound and I are the ones that pressured you into this. We should have protected you better,” Wren apologized. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with the fox.”
“He wasn’t what I expected.”
“Me either. I can feel how much he loathes everyone here. The air is thick with his murderous intent,” Wren commented.
“I feel it too. Wren, I have to tell you something, and I’m not sure how to do it. I’m still so pissed off about it. Something tells me I should calm down first,” Elsie mused, looking toward the truck Cross was riding in. He had not emerged to stretch his legs or attempt to speak with her.
Wren reached up and ran her fingers through her blue hair. “Don’t stress over it. You can tell me anything.”
“Promise that if you’re mad, you won’t hurt anybody,” Elsie said. Wren tilted her head in surprise then sat up, taking Elsie’s hands.
“Now you’re stressing me out. What happened?”
Elsie told her about the bond forming when she’d come into contact with Cross. Wren’s eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at Frida accusingly. “I told you to take care of our girl, not let some hunter wannabe bond with her!”
Frida butted her head against Wren’s thigh, purring louder than before. Wren peered over the edge of the truck, ready to scold Frost, too, but Elsie pulled her back. “I told you not to be mad. I’m already mad enough for the both of us, so you need to be the reasonable one.”
Wren scowled and crossed her arms, but she sat down with a huff. “Fine.”
“I’m going to need to talk to him at some point,” Elsie sighed. “This wasn’t how it happened with Saint. I already knew I loved him when we bonded. And with you, it was an instant attraction even though you were being a shady sneak with your magic. I can’t say I even like Cross as a person. The guy is selling himself to the enemy to get a favor from them.”
“You’re right; you should talk to him.”
“I don’t want to talk to him!”
“Then don’t,” Wren sighed. “There’s no need to push yourself. That bond isn’t going anywhere, so you’ve got plenty of time to figure out how you feel.”
“Are you going to agree with everything I say?”
“Yes.”
Elsie grunted in reply, looking toward the truck he’d be in. “I’m going to go talk to him.”
“I’ll keep an eye on this little monster,” Wren volunteered, petting Frida. Elsie leaned over and kissed her.
“Thanks.” She climbed down and wove her way through the soldiers surrounding the truck once again. Stopping at the last row, she looked at one of them and pointed at his gun. “Let me see that.”
“Ma’am?”
“Give me your weapon.”
He gripped it tighter and looked at the others around him as though wondering why she’d chosen to pick on him out of everyone there. She held her hand out and raised an eyebrow at him. He reluctantly handed it to her, confusion on his face.
Elsie popped open the chamber and removed the dart pre-loaded inside. They weren�
��t playing around with this. She handed the soldier his weapon back and peered at the dart. The needle point was thick and sharp, making it strong enough to pierce the demon’s tough skin. She tapped the outside, but no scent came from it at all, giving her no more clue what the dampener was.
“What’s in this?” she questioned.
“A sedative, ma’am,” he answered. Elsie shook her head. He wasn’t lying; that’s what they’d told him it was, but she’d seen for herself that this wasn’t a sedative. Her fingers curled around the dart.
“I’m keeping this.” She turned and walked away.
“Ma’am! I can’t let you take that. Each dart has to be accounted for!”
“Tell them the reaper threatened your life if you didn’t give it to her,” Elsie told him as Frost joined her. Amused by her antics, his tongue came out in a wolfie smile. The soldier fell silent, unsure if she’d actually threatened him, or if it had just been a friendly suggestion.
Behind the truck filled with her security team, Miller and Hasprey sat on the tailgate, eating sandwiches and talking. They jumped down as she approached, dark expressions on their faces.
“Hello, Commander Chantraine,” Miller said robotically. Hasprey settled a heavy hand on the younger guy’s shoulder.
“He’s a bit shaken up. Hell, so am I. None of us has ever taken part in a mission like this. The mass casualties are difficult to deal with,” he said. Elsie nodded in understanding. A lot of hunters and humans had died right alongside the demons.
“It’s surprising your superiors were so willing to sacrifice that many of your people for something like this. It’s only been four years since I left. There’s no way your numbers have grown enough to easily absorb a loss like this. They ran us ragged back then, and I can’t imagine it’s any easier now,” she remarked.
“No, you’re right on that one. Those lost will be greatly missed.”
“I feel for you, the men who this will affect the most. Those above you don’t give a shit,” Elsie said. “Is he in there?”
Hasprey shook his head. “Oh, he’s in there alright, sulking and damned near euphoric all at the same time.”
“Cross?” she called. “Can we talk?”
After a moment, he hopped out of the truck, warily looking at Elsie and Frost. “Should I bring a stick with me for self-defense?”
“I think you should be fine.” She rolled her eyes, then nodded at Hasprey. “I’ll bring him back in one piece before we get moving again.”
He followed her in silence until they were far enough away from prying eyes that they’d have some privacy, but Elsie could still see Wren’s pale form on top of the box truck. She had to keep an eye on it in case the fox tried something while she was away.
“You said you weren’t trying to entrap me, but you grabbed me after I expressly told you and your men not to. Do you have any idea how lucky you are that I was distracted by Wren? I would have broken your fucking arm if my attention was on you,” she seethed.
“I would have deserved it,” he said. His face was placid, offering no defense, and his dark eyes were shrouded, hiding whatever he was truly feeling. “I didn’t want you running into a battle on your own, but you did anyway. I’m responsible for your safety, and in spite of myself, I've started to think of you as more than just a job. The more time I spent with you, the more you seemed like a genuinely good person.”
Elsie chewed on her thumbnail as she listened, wondering if he really thought what he was saying was going to help his cause.
“When I grabbed your arm, it was stupid and thoughtless, but I had no way of guessing what would happen. I—”
“You had no way of guessing? We’re witches, Cross. Every touch holds the potential of forging a bond for an unmated male. It’s basic respect! You were not invited to touch me!” Elsie raised her voice.
“I know. I fucked up, Chantraine.”
“I keep trying to figure out how this could work between us, and I’m coming up with nothing. You are volunteering to help the people keeping me captive. There’s no way I could ever trust you,” she told him.
“Can you hear me out for a second?” he asked, and she felt his anxiety filling the air between them. Elsie gritted her teeth together, but she nodded. “It isn’t as common for male witches to find their mate as it is for the women. Some of us never do. I thought I was one of those men.”
Elsie listened, but she was having a really hard time understanding why that meant she should trust him. Frost gave her the side eye; clearly the wolf was on the same wavelength.
“I attended every invitation to ceremonies from any coven across the continent who asked.” He looked at his hands. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked into a strange witch’s eyes, held her hands, and hoped that spark would ignite. I’ve waited decades, but it never happened. Eventually, I stopped going to the ceremonies. Spent some time traveling and living my life. It wasn’t until I’d given up that a new option was given to me.”
“And what’s that?” Elsie asked dryly.
“I learned that the hunters and the witches have an agreement. We provide them with protection, and they provide us with access to potential mates. Human, and short-lived, but a woman we can bond with and love. Unfortunately, the hunters have not been honoring that agreement,” he said. Elsie’s eyes widened. She’d never heard about this before.
“So I found the biggest group of them I could and started pestering them, attempting to gain access to a nest,” Cross explained, a pained expression on his face. He wasn’t proud of the lengths he’d gone to.
“You were going to drag a human into our world?” Elsie questioned.
“That’s not how I saw it. I’m not a demon hunter, and I have enough magic that most demons don’t bother me. I would have been able to protect her. There are far more humans than witches, so I figured there was a greater chance of finding my mate among them,” he answered.
“But she wouldn’t know what was happening to her. Humans know almost nothing about the world outside of their nests. They know to fear and hate strangers because they could be a demon,” Elsie told him.
“I was looking to be there with Hunter Clan permission, getting an introduction to potential mates through them. That’s why I chose to work for the bastards. I was looking for the love of my life, but it turns out it’s destined to be you,” he said, giving her a heated look, but Elsie glanced away. She wanted no part of a blossoming new romance at the moment, thanks.
“All of that boils down to what I’m trying to say. I have no reason to work for or with them anymore. They have nothing I want or need. You can trust me. I’ve been looking for you for almost a hundred years, Chantraine,” he admitted.
“That’s unfortunate because I’m only thirty,” she quipped, nearly slapping her own forehead. What a stupid response. Even Frost sneezed at her in amusement.
She chewed on the inside of her lip. A hundred wasn’t so bad, not compared to Wren, who probably didn’t even know her age. And the guy wasn’t bad to look at. She blinked and shook her head, trying to get such thoughts out of her head. More important was that she now had an explanation for why he had joined the hunters in the first place, and it wasn’t nearly so nefarious as she’d expected.
“The truth is, I’d given up on finding a witch for my mate. I didn’t really think of you as a witch, either. You’re a reaper, and that’s how I saw you. Even though I’m pleased to have found you, I had no intention of going against your wishes, I swear. I don’t usually grab at people, but for some reason, with you, it was a reflex,” he said.
“I believe you.”
“You do?”
“I’m half fae,” she explained. “I can feel it when people lie to me.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief, and the barest hint of hope touched his eyes. Elsie didn’t know what else to say. She’d never felt so awkward in her life. Was she supposed to pat him on the back and tell him to have a good day? Hug him? Back away slowly? She kind of
wanted to melt into the ground.
“I can help you,” he said quickly, sensing the wavering in her ability to think properly. “I’m already technically employed as your security detail. That gives me access to things you might not be given. I can give you information, and you can tell me what you want them to know. I’ll help you escape.”
Elsie’s eyes snapped to his, a touch of warmth blossoming in her chest. “I seriously doubt you understand the depth of what you’re offering. Do you have any idea what they’d do to you if they found out?”
“I’d rather think of how much easier life would be away from them,” he replied.
“I wish life could be easier,” she sighed. “Unfortunately, because of what I am, life with me will never be easy. There will always be something getting in the way.”
“I’ll do my best to make life less of a trial for you. I will prove myself to be a good mate to you, I swear.”
Elsie had to admit that she liked his confidence. It was either that or he couldn’t imagine a world where one mate would reject another. She thought about the pain she’d put Saint and herself through, and her hand reached up to touch the place in her chest where she felt her tie to him. Still raw and healing and painful. She couldn’t go through that again.
“Don’t expect anything too soon,” she said after a few moments. “I need time to get used to the idea of another mate. I don’t even know you.”
“It's one of the best parts of creating a bond,” Cross told her. “The discovery of what it is inside of yourself that calls to a total stranger. Something inside of each of us is what makes us meant for each other. I don’t mind waiting. I can be patient.”
Miller came shuffling over, looking like interrupting them was the last thing he wanted to do. Elsie nodded at him, and Cross waved him over.
“It’s time to leave,” he explained. Elsie looked back to the box truck, where Wren and Frida waited, then at the activity surrounding it. Everyone was packing it up for the trip back.