“That doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.”
He punched me in the thigh and I barely kept from crying out, trying to keep up the façade of being unconscious. There were at least four men surrounding me, not including the one who had me tussled up like a sack of potatoes. I tested the strength in my limbs as subtly as I could, using the momentum of each bounce to cover my movements. Each was heavy, dragged down by bruises I couldn’t remember getting as well as whatever drug they must have pumped through my system.
“How much further do we have to take her? I want to get this over and done with.”
The one carrying me shrugged as if he weren’t carrying a burden. I bit my tongue to keep from vomiting right down his butt crack, even though it would have served him right. “I was told her mate is one of those crazed wolves that can’t keep his head on straight without her. Unless you want to be his next meal, you’ll keep going until we get to the rendezvous point.
They marched on while I frantically tried to get my bearings. These were obviously the men who had attacked the Pack before. Why? They’d said something about a “flea-bitten mutt.” Had someone within the Families decided to attack me? My sour stomach did a flip flop as I absorbed the implication of their words. The first attack hadn’t been any true danger to most of the wolves. They were strong and fast enough to dodge and there hadn’t been any silver. Even the elder wolves who had been hurt healed quickly with little but complaints after.
The only one who could have been grievously hurt in such an attack was me.
More bile rushed up my throat when I realized the Alten had been set on me. They’d had to run through several courtyards to get to the judgment zone. Why would they do that unless their main goal was already there?
“We should just kill her now. I bet there’s enough power in her blood to take down her mate and then some.”
I cracked my eyes open, just enough to see the fourth boar slide up beside me. He jerked my head up by a handful of my hair and I was too terrified to react. A knife made of lightning glinted in the air and I was only saved from having my throat slit by the reflexes of the one holding me. He spun in a wide circle, one of his legs coming up off the ground and landing in the middle of the knife-wielders chest. “What the fuck did I just say?”
He slammed me to the ground and there was no way to hide the grunt of surprise and pain that fell from my lips. Each of them ignored me and I scrambled to a less vulnerable position even though every joint and muscle protested the movement.
The guy in the middle, who I guessed to be the leader, huffed angrily. “Now look what you’ve done. She’s awake and I’m going to have to use another handful of pixie dust. You know how difficult it is to find.”
The one from before continued to whine. “Why can’t we just kill her now?”
“Because I don’t want to hear her screaming, that’s why. We have to bleed her first if we want to be paid.”
I scrambled backward when he finally turned to face me. A gasp of surprise fell from my lips. I expected the pig-man to be as monstrous as his gruff, gravelly voice. Instead, he had soft, feminine features which would have been pleasing if he weren’t a second from dusting me so that they could brutally kill me in silence.
Like the wolves, his body gave hints to what kind of animal he would transform into. He was stout but packed with muscle, only a little taller than me, but still more so than the average human. His face was flushed with a perpetual pink blush and plump lips softened the hard features of his face. The tops of his ears were slightly pointed, bent at the ends.
“Now be a good girl and don’t fight me on this. I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will.”
I hiccupped violently, at odds with his strangely comforting tone even while he was still threatening to kill me. He lowered himself to his haunches, scooting closer to me and I thought he did it so that he wouldn’t frighten me further by stalking over. I almost felt sorry for him, the act of kindness gave me the only bit of leverage I needed. I reached for the boxes in my mind, pulling on the strength of the Wolf. It flooded me immediately and I shot out, bouncing up to a standing position.
Barreling through the stunned expression on his face, I grabbed his shoulders even as I heard movement stirring behind me. The second pig, the one who wanted to slice my throat while I slept, lunged forward, thinking to take me from behind. I slid through the air, kicking out as my body vaulted over the kneeling pig. The back of my heels connected with my would-be attackers’ form and sent him flying backward, even as I completed my flip, never letting go of the other’s shoulders. He lifted up with my momentum, slamming down in front of me when I completed the rotation.
In the stunned silence that followed, I sent Cundrie a whisper of thanks for drilling the maneuver into my head.
The rest of my attackers kicked into motion. I drew deeper from the well of power I got from Aldrich, kicking, biting, and punching every limb that came within striking distance. I grinned wider with every grunt, felt insane satisfaction every time one of them stumbled away from me. The superior speed of the Wolf kept me moving in and out of attacks, while the breaths I puffed wrapped me, repairing the nicks and scrapes my body hadn’t dodged. I was managing to remain at arm’s length, but it was only a matter of time before–
“Oof,” I grunted when a burst of magic slammed into the back of my head. I went down like a stone. Even with the extra boost of wolf qualities I got from my mate, I wasn’t a warrior, primed for battle. These men were, and even though I managed to land a couple of good blows, they were used to the abuse.
A vicious heel caught my midsection and I bent over, losing the meal I’d eaten to the ground. I gagged again when one of them yanked my head back by my hair and chopped me in the throat. For a terrifying second no air got to my lungs and I couldn’t use the wind. I shuddered, the Wolf’s gift backing up into my system with no outlet. I groaned in pain even as the pigs gathered me up. Two of them held my arms while the others kicked and bit my exposed flesh. I tried to fight but the fire in my blood crippled me.
“Let go of the Wolf.”
The familiar shimmering light made itself known. It tried to push itself past the strength the Wolf was getting me, battering at the barrier keeping them apart. I gritted my teeth when a sharp tusk scraped against my elbow, knowing it drew blood. The light assured me that if I let go of the power of the Wolf, I could use it to burn the pigs into husks. I reached for it, ignoring the beating I was taking. Almost immediately, the strength of the Wolf bled out of my body with a snarl. The light moved forward, trying to occupy the small space in my mind that could handle its power. The Wolf immediately pushed back, trying to force the other back.
It would be one or the other.
No, I screamed at both of the entities swirling in my mind. Each of them promised to help me, but ultimately I was sitting here getting my butt kicked because they couldn’t work together. Neither of them would be doing me any good if I couldn’t use them at the same time.
Another blow landed on my lower back and I felt the Wolf leap to protect me, healing my wounds. At the same time, the light flickered angrily, wanting to strike out at what was hurting me. Do it, I whispered, spots of pain dancing before my darkening vision. We have to work together. Help me.
In my mind I saw the two of them, faceless powers that they were, turning to one another. They were mortal enemies on more than one level, but beyond anything, they both wanted to make me strong. I shuddered as they melded together, shifting and spiraling in the stuttering breaths leaving my split lips. The power shielded me, shooting out at my attackers. Both air and light wrapping around me in a fierce hug that refused to let go. I healed slowly, the pain becoming a manageable throb while the blackness receded from my vision.
The pigs jerked away and I sought to control both powers, having access, but still not sure what to do with them. It was like being given a key without knowing where the door was. The energy streamed out of me, strands of lightn
ing arcing wildly in the air. The flickering light attacked the Pigs, filling my nostrils with the scent of burning flesh. I gagged, trying to pull both of them back but they would not heed my call. I was so focused on stopping the carnage that I didn’t hear the one named Brickel sneak up behind me.
His hands were wrapped around my waist, dragging me back into the brush behind us. I tried to scream but he clapped his hand over my mouth, lowering his head until it was level to my ear. “You stupid little witch,” he hissed “You set free not one, but two Grundstoffs without knowing how to control them? She was right, you’re a danger to us all.”
His free hand crackled in front of my wide, terrified eyes before bursting into flames. I tried to jerk away, tried to scream, but his hold on me was too strong.
“You’re going to die much quicker than you deserve.”
Another voice sounded behind us. “Not before you.”
One moment he was holding me and within the next heartbeat, the pig was jerked away. A spray of blood covered me and I tried to spin, only to be caught against Ulric’s heaving chest. “Don’t turn around, Roux. Just walk. I don’t want you to see.”
Shaking and weak, I did as he said until he’d walked us in a circle back to the clearing where I had unleashed the entities. I hadn’t seen them as they fought, assuming they were simply energy that whisked around their enemies, all the while remaining close to me.
When we stopped walking my legs finally gave out.
An ethereal white silver wolf sat in the middle of piles of ash I refused to examine. Its body wasn’t entirely solid. Instead, it seemed to be made up of snapping lights and whipping air. As I watched, it sat down on its hunches and began licking its front paw as if it were just a normal animal taking a bath.
“You have to call them back.” Ulric’s voice was tinged with fear and awe, a potent mixture of emotion that left my already reeling head calling a time out. “No no, it’s not the time to pass out. You have to call them back so we can be back to the camp. Aldrich is going to kill them if we don’t make it in time.”
I shook my head at the mention of my—of Aldrich. I hadn’t forgotten what he’d done, but there was no doubt he needed my help. “I don’t know how to call them back.”
Ulric ran his hands through his brown hair and I noticed it was streaked with fine silver hairs. I wondered what was stressing him out so much but didn’t bother to ask.
“I don’t know either. Wolves don’t use magic, so we rarely even see Grundstoffs, let alone use them.” He looked at me sideways, awe written all over his face. “How did you get them to blend so seamlessly?”
I assumed it was a rhetorical question.
The elemental wolf finished its bath and stood back up, shaking its fur out. It dipped its head, moving closer to me one slow step at a time. Every inch it gained, Ulric stepped back two. Finally, it was right before me, its swirling eyes refusing to take a color. I didn’t know what to do, so I held a hand out to it as I had done Aldrich’s Wolf. It hesitated only a moment before bowing its massive head. The moment its tongue swiped over my skin the creature vanished, pushing into my body like a mist. I panted for several heartbeats before turning back to Ulric.
“Why are you here?”
For once, his eyes weren’t guarded with cold distain. He looked at me as he always had, only now the pride I thought I had imagined shined there for all to see. “That was incredible, Roux. How did you manage to get them to cooperate?”
I arched an eyebrow. After the way he’d been treating me, he wanted to have a nice, friendly chat now, of all times? I hoped my expression said what I thought of that, but if it failed to get the point across, I would have been more than happy to have my knee translate. To his groin.
“Okay, I deserve this, but now isn’t the time. We have to get back to Aldrich. Now.”
“Or what?”
Again, he ran his hands through his hair. “Or he’s going to kill Mina.”
Chapter 9
I’ve never been so scared in my life. Considering what the last few months had been like, it was a powerful statement and I meant every word. The trek back to the stronghold was brutal. After his declaration, Ulric and I hadn’t wasted another second. I’d pulled on the power of Wolf alone this time and we raced back in the direction he’d come from.
It took what felt like hours, and once the towers appeared, Ulric let out a howl from his abused lungs. “We have to hurry, it’s almost midnight.”
Every inch of me burned from strain but that didn’t come close to the worry I bore in my heart. I couldn’t feel Aldrich through the emotional link we had. I hadn’t been able to for a while now. Still, the hum of fear and danger hung in the empty halls. It was as if the building itself was holding its breath, waiting to see if the Alpha would tear it apart brick by brick.
“We want our mate!”
The Wolf howled the demand and I heard it through stone and wood before I was anywhere near the courtyard. Beside me Ulric cringed, his feet moving impossibly faster as he flew toward our destination. “She’s here! Here she is!”
We burst free and into the space where a single oversized Wolf held the entire Pack hostage. He snapped at the Elders who tried to move from their positions on the dais, and snarled at Mina, who sat with her head held high beside the bears.
“I’ll be right back, stall him if you can.” Ulric whispered under his breath before taking off in the opposite direction.
Great. “Aldrich, I’m here.”
The crowd turned to me as one and the monster swung his head around, his teeth exposed in a rage. With one fluid jump he was before me, his massive face lowered to mine. “Leibling!”
I ignored him, my heart thudding wildly in my chest. When he moved to brush his furry face against mine, I stepped back and out of his reach. “Why is everyone here?”
Those flat, black eyes watched me with an emotion I couldn’t peg. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, even when he shifted to the Alpha state. Half man, half beast, he nodded, accepting that I didn’t want to discuss anything more than his answer. Still, he hauled me against his chest, capturing my chin in a clawed hand. “Later, you will explain this distance.” He waited for me to nod before turning back to the dais.
“My mate wishes to know why we are all here. Would anyone care to explain to her?”
Marrok opened his mouth, his entire aura radiating a sense of indignant fury. “You have no right to accuse us of what you think is happening. You see for yourself that the girl is unharmed.”
“I have accused you of nothing. In fact, the only thing I have done here is ask a simple question. A question I am still awaiting an answer for.” His gaze fell on Mina and she shuddered, pressing herself closer to Evrard’s body. I couldn’t help but notice the bear and his nephew were no longer chained, they simply stood off to the side, waiting for the drama to unfold.
“I knew, Alpha. And you are right; I did nothing to stop it.” Botolf shook his head, sending the chocolate curls that framed his face flying.
Aldrich took a menacing step forward but I stopped him. “You knew what, Elder?”
He shrugged, his eyes bright with the same mischievous light I’d seen the first day I met him. The situation was dire, but I got the feeling he knew more about what was going on than I did. “I knew our young Wilhelmina was in love with the bear. I even tried to help her keep it quiet.”
I winced, hearing his confession and knowing it was as good as an admittance of treason in the eyes of the Pack. Aldrich looked fit to kill all four of them where they stood, wolves and bears alike. I frowned, still not understanding. Sure, they shouldn’t have been together, but given the fact that he had taken me for a mate, I’d gotten the impression he didn’t care for social standards.
“What am I missing here?”
Mina’s voice was thready and frail, but she managed to make herself heard through the growing commotion. “The Alpha believes we’ve been working together in a conspiracy. He thinks we were p
lanning to hurt you.”
A promise of violence shot through Aldrich’s form and the fur covering him threatened to darken. I put my hand on his shoulder, shaking my head. “Mina would never do that.”
“You do not know that. People can hide this kind of deception.”
My back stiffened. “I am very much aware of that fact. Still, I have nothing but faith in Mina.”
“She is the only one connected to the bears,” he growled, and I restrained him again.
Aldrich was at the end of his rather short rope of patience. He was usually more levelheaded than this, but when it came to my safety, he tended to sink into kill-things-first-sort-out-the-details-later mode. Something the pigs said snagged my attention. “Besides, it’s not the bear we have to worry about. I was just kidnapped by pigs.”
A rumble of disbelief spread through the fearful crowd and a lavender eyebrow shot up Aldrich’s forehead. “Why would pigs attack us?”
“Not us. Me. All of the attacks were orchestrated to get rid of me.”
The darkness covered him again from head to toe. I forced my sluggish mind to work faster while I went through my list of suspects. Anyone in the courtyard could have wanted me gone, only … I sucked in a violent breath and leveled my gaze on the always sweet, always cheerful Daciana. No one but she had known where I’d be after I had taken that early supper. My mind worked backward, disbelief etched across my face.
I hadn’t planned to eat at all. In fact, I was in a hurry to see Aldrich. The only reason I had taken the little detour was because of the ravenous hunger had struck. The same hunger I’d felt when I’d gotten a whiff of the herbs the Healer had been mixing. Who better to organize a hit using one race, all the while blaming another, than the one in charge of Race relations?
“Elder Daciana?”
“Yes, Princess?” Her tone was even, worry free and smooth but I couldn’t shake the sudden feeling it was all just an act.
“Why were you in the judgment zone the day the bear appeared?”
The Big Cry Wolf Page 11