Dire Wants

by Stephanie Tyler

  The boy’s skin was smoking where the silver touched it.

  They weren’t even giving the poor bastard a chance to run, to be hunted. That would’ve evened the playing field, but the trappers weren’t about fair.

  “First, you practice on this. And then you get to take down Cain Chambers. It’ll be tougher, because the Dires are training him. But he’s taken a liking to you—shouldn’t be hard to get him alone.”

  Angus didn’t show any emotion on his face. He hadn’t needed training for that—he’d learned very early on that emotion got you in trouble, that it was always misinterpreted. That it showed weakness. And he was far from weak.

  It was time for the trappers to know that. “Bring the Were here.”

  They dragged the wolf, trussed in silver, smoke coming from his skin, and shoved him to his knees in front of Angus.

  “What did he do?”

  “Do?” The trappers started laughing, and Al said, “Like we told you before—he didn’t need to do anything. He’s a fucking Were. A killer. He will kill. It’s his nature.”

  And then Al handed him the long silver blade. “Killing is your initiation. Part one, anyway. Do it right, Angus.”

  Chapter 35

  Vice came into Stray’s room, where Kate sat alone on the bed, flipping through the grimoire. She’d been doing so for the past hour while Stray was with Killian.

  Stray was purposely keeping her out of his mind during this time, which she appreciated. It didn’t stop her from worrying, though, and the words swam on the page.

  Frustrated, she closed the grimoire and put her palm on it as she stared up at the silver-eyed wolf.

  “Waiting on Stray?” he asked.

  “Yes—did everything go okay?”

  “There’s no bloodshed, so I’m guessing yes. There’s some strategizing going on now. Sometimes it’s better I’m not there when they’re discussing fighting. I tend to rile everyone up.” He carried two sodas, walked in and handed her one. “I’m going to hang with Rogue—wanna join me?”

  She hesitated. “I think I’ll stay here and work.”

  “Suit yourself.” He left without pressuring her any further, but she couldn’t get Rogue’s thank you out of her head.

  She tucked the book under her arm, walked into the hallway and saw Vice waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

  “What, you read minds too?” she called up to him.

  “Just people.”

  “Witch, remember?” She climbed the steps to close the gap between them. When she stood on the landing next to him, she continued. “Rifter’s worried—thinks I shouldn’t go in there because the mare reports to Seb.”

  Vice shrugged. “Hell, it’s not like he doesn’t know you’re here. And you’ve got the book—and Stray is right in the house.”

  He opened the door wider, almost a dare, and she took it, walked in and went right to Rogue.

  It was hard to ignore the mare, but she did. Stroked Rogue’s hair again, heard the same thank you echo inside her head. And then everything felt peaceful, despite the mare’s horrid presence.

  “I’m guessing you’re on board.”

  She glanced at Vice and back to Rogue. “Yes.”

  “You’re connected to Stray.”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t hurt him.”

  The words were a soft growl, less of a menacing threat than a simple statement of fact.

  “I don’t want to.” She tightened her grip into fists in her lap, watched the color blanch from her knuckles as the lights flickered.

  “I know you’re doing that. And it’s all right that you are,” Vice told her.

  “I keep forgetting I don’t have to hide anything anymore.”

  “You don’t have to hide anything from us.”

  “I’m used to freaking people out,” she said.

  “Not much worries us here,” Vice told her. “Feel free to fly your freak flag high and proud.”

  His upper body—and his bare feet—were covered with tats, but when she looked hard enough, she saw the tribal wolf looking at her through the maze of black-and-white symbols.

  She’d seen him strip to shift the other night, knew his entire body was tatted and pierced in some interesting places.

  The weird thing was, as attractive as Vice was, being around him made her only hotter for Stray. Although maybe that was not so weird for a wolf whose abilities centered on vice.

  She made a mental note to ask more about that and then she moved closer to Rogue, kept a hand on the book and chanted the spell to rid a person of mares. A person, not a wolf.

  Still, what could it hurt to try?

  It did nothing but make the mare laugh at her harder.

  “I’m sorry, Rogue. I’m trying.”

  Distracted by the brothers.

  “Yes,” she agreed.

  Both will walk the earth forever, but one will remain cursed for all days.

  She had no idea what that meant, but it couldn’t be good.

  More to the prophecy than meets the eye.

  “Like what?” she asked Rogue.

  “Kate.”

  It was Stray. She turned from Rogue to go to him. He looked tired, but there were no visible signs of a physical fight. She guessed progress had been made.

  “Rifter’s waiting to prep you downstairs,” he told Vice.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” Vice told them. “I’m going to check on Cain first and then I’ll catch up with Rift.”

  He sank to the floor next to her and she hugged him hard. His arms wrapped around her and she whispered, “Proud of you.”

  “Thanks.” He brushed the hair back from her face. “What were you trying to do here?”

  “I think Rogue can talk to me. Or, at least, I can hear him. I’d like to try again with you here, if you’re up for it.”

  “No time like the present.”

  This was all so important—for the war between man and wolf, for her and Stray, for their families. “Vice said all of you have abilities. I know what yours is. What’s Killian’s?”

  “I read minds and my brother manipulates thoughts separately,” he told her. “When I’m physically with him, we can erase and cement new memories. Which means that together, we’re—”

  “Unstoppable.”

  “Dangerous,” he corrected.

  “Could you use it on me?”

  “Yes, but I wouldn’t.” He paused. “You have to believe that.”

  “I do, Stray.” She stared up at the moon thoughtfully and then back at him. “You can read minds; so can I. Kill can manipulate—if we all work together, there has to be a way we can use what Seb did against him.”

  “No. As much as I forgive Killian, I’m not about to let him go roaming in your mind.”

  “I can roam in Seb’s, though.”

  “Yes, and you can let him back into yours at will. But even though you’re strong, that will be dangerous.”

  “But if you’re there, you can stop me if things go too far.”

  He nodded. “I don’t know if I want to. I’m not in a sharing mood. With you, I’ll never be again.”

  “I don’t plan on being shared. I promise. The only one I want is you.”

  Stray stared at her for a long moment, the look of complete ownership warming her in ways she never thought possible. He wanted her—all of her—and that was the best thing to happen from all of this.

  “Ready?” he asked finally.

  She nodded. Blew out a breath and linked her hand with Stray’s. Opened her mind the way the book taught her to, imagining the protective lining opening like a zippered purse to let Seb have access to her.

  He did, almost immediately, like he’d been waiting for this opportunity. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for him.

  Lila, come back to me. I’ll lead you—show you the way. It’s so hard for you now, but with me, it will be so easy.

  Stray’s hand on her elbow squeezed as she answered, “What do you want with me? Y
ou know who I am.”

  You’re part of Lila, and I want her back.

  “You gave Lila up. That’s part of why she died—you betrayed her.” With her free hand, she reached out to touch the mare, who was intricately and intimately connected with Seb, and she recoiled in horror. Hissed. Ran her nails in a raking motion down Rogue’s chest as the wolf remained stoic and unmoving, even though she swore she heard his moans in her head.

  Stray started, like he did, too.

  “I can see you, Sebastian,” she whispered, knowing that’s what Lila called him as her connection to the witch flared. “I will stop you.”

  The mare shrieked, a sound like nails on a chalkboard as Rogue did a silent writhe of pain under her.

  Seb pushed back, hard. Silly witch. You can’t do this.

  In another time and place, this wouldn’t happen; they would be friends. Seb would be her mentor. “You know it’s wrong.”

  Of course I know. But sometimes you have to cause great damage to do the most good.

  “You’re not doing any good—and I’m here to stop you.”

  No. That was Rogue, his thoughts clenching hers so tightly, her head began to throb. Stop. This isn’t your place—this isn’t what you were meant to do.

  “Then what?” she asked.

  Stop the army. You and Jinx together can do it.

  “How?”

  Lean in to me.

  She did, and Rogue whispered things about the dead, their path, their crossings … Over the mare’s screams, he told her secrets about the dead no one should know, things buried by the rushing River Styx, and it felt right and wrong at the same time. It confused her—like what he was telling her didn’t match the truth he was giving her.

  But he did tell her what was wrong with Jinx. And by the time he’d finished, his voice was fading, and she was exhausted and dizzy. But fortified.

  Your witch knows what to do.

  “It will hurt your brother,” she said.

  Yes, it has to, Rogue agreed. He knows it. Put yourself in his presence and work together. Don’t be distracted by the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  *

  Seb went insane that a new witch was disrespecting him. He used to have everything, including and especially Lila. Now Lila’s new witch had made him look like a fool.

  And he was no fool.

  The girl might have Lila’s power, but she knew nothing.

  Nothing.

  Ah, so that’s what it takes to get your ire up, the white shroud whispered, and that’s when Seb realized he couldn’t tell the difference between angels and devils at all.

  Let it go, Sebastian. Show them all what you can do, Kondo urged, and for the first time, Seb listened to his dark side wholeheartedly.

  He’d been afraid of it his entire life. Now he had nothing to fear. He could be all-powerful, let people bow to him. The jig was up, the worry gone.

  And it felt good.

  Chapter 36

  Jinx was lying on his back on the couch, willing himself to get up and out and into the shit waiting for him just outside the apartment door. Brother Wolf wasn’t going to push him, didn’t want to deal with the plethora of ghosts that circled the building.

  But they were tame compared to the other things that hovered. Jinx could feel them so deep down, like they were attached to him, yanking at him. Attempting to force him out into the darkness he normally loved.

  Jez finally pulled a chair over and sat next to him, staring directly into his face, fangs elongated. A show of violence, of domination, but it had come out of nowhere.

  Jinx jumped up, prepared to fight, Brother Wolf rising to the challenge. “What the fuck is this, Jez?”

  “Just waiting for you to get up off your ass and notice that the building’s shaking,” Jez said, seemingly unconcerned, but his glowing eyes told a different story. Unlike wolf’s eyes, deadhead eyes seemed to lose their pupils; the ring circling the iris was an odd glow around the blackness inside.

  That ring was the only thing that differentiated the deadhead from a demon—and it was unlike any vamp he’d ever seen. Good info to know, and Jinx put that in the back of his mind as he hightailed it to the window.

  The building was moving, like some kind of earthquake that wasn’t stopping. The streets were cracking and humans ran into the streets, looking at the sky, like the answers could all be found there. “Gotta be Stray’s witch—”

  “Not her,” Jez said, and Jinx felt the skitter of cold fear wrap his spine when he realized the vamp was right.

  “We’ve got to get out there,” he breathed as he watched humans continue to pour outside and begin fighting—out of fear, mostly. Mixed in with the humans, he noted Weres in human form and the horrors of purgatory flew over them. Circling and watching. “Gotta figure out what’s going on.”

  “I know exactly what this is. Seb’s having a temper tantrum,” Jez said. “And it’s nothing compared to what the Dire ghost army can and will unleash on us.”

  “But for now, if the trappers can’t even control him—” Jinx started.

  “Then he’s vulnerable—and so are they,” Jez finished. Jinx was already calling Liam and the twins.

  “Time for reinforcements.”

  *

  Vice burst into Rogue’s room, where Kate still sat, recovering from talking with Rogue. Stray immediately stood, because something was really wrong based on the fact that Vice was ready for an imminent shift.

  “We’ve got to get downtown—big trouble.”

  As he spoke, the house began to shake. “Is that just us?” Stray asked as Kate said at the same time, “That’s not me.”

  “It’s not you—it’s Seb,” Vice said. “That’s what Jinx said, anyway. What the hell happened in here between you guys?”

  “Seb’s angry because I talked to Rogue,” she said.

  “Rogue told her to help with the Dire ghost army—to work with Jinx, not to worry about him,” Stray added.

  Vice whistled. “Yeah, that’s gonna work out well. Look, Liam’s rounding up whatever Weres he can trust to try to help get the humans under control—Seb’s got them in the streets, fighting. We need you and Kill.”

  Stray looked back at Kate. “She’ll have to come with. I can’t leave her alone with Seb this angry.”

  “Do whatever you need to, brother, but let’s roll.”

  There was no time to waste—Stray helped Kate up and ushered her down the stairs and into the garage, stopping only to collect shoes and a jacket of Gwen’s for her.

  Killian was waiting by the truck. He nodded to Stray and Kate and got into the front seat next to Vice. Liam and the twins had already taken off.

  Rifter, as much as it pained him to send his men out without him, would remain home and keep Gwen safe.

  “What’s the plan?” Stray asked.

  “Same plan—just a smaller scale this time. You and Kill reverse Seb’s message inside the humans’ minds. I realize we’re giving away our hand, but Seb already knows what Kill can do. I’ll watch out to make sure he’s not laying other traps. Stray, you made sure it’s working, weed out any trappers. Liam’s Weres will usher the humans back to safety with Cyd and Cain helping. Jinx is close to the area as well.”

  “I guess we’re jumping into the fire without practice,” Stray said.

  “Believe in us, brother, the way you do your witch,” Kill told him. “I’m going to have to plant some earthquake story to the network news, too. In the scientists’ minds as well, or people are going to get really suspicious.”

  “Witch, you need to stay close to Stray—you can’t defend yourself.”

  “I can fight,” Kate insisted. “I’ve taken a lot of self-defense courses.”

  Vice turned to hand her a covered silver-bladed knife. “This can hurt a Were, kill a demon or human. Use it if you need to.”

  With that, he blasted the truck out of the garage.

  *

  Ten minutes later, Kate stood and watched Liam talking to a small
group of Weres, including Cyd and Cain, his voice loud and firm over the chaos just outside the woods.

  “We don’t hurt the humans—we herd them back to safety, understood?” Liam told them and one of the Weres called out, “What about Seb’s spells? They work on us, remember?

  “Killian won’t let that happen,” Liam assured them. “The newest Dire has my trust, and that means he has yours as well.”

  She watched Killian nod in appreciation. Whatever had happened between Stray and Killian went a long way toward Liam’s sentiment, and she hoped it would be enough to control this situation.

  And then the unshifted Weres begin to move toward the rowdy crowd.

  She wondered if she could distract Seb, give the wolves enough time to clean this up. She’d started this mess in the first place, and it should be her job to end it.

  She realized she was trembling a little, with the threat, the crowds, the smell of violence that permeated the normally more peaceful city.

  Although there was gang violence and other crime here, this particular section of town wasn’t usually a hotbed of activity.

  Things were getting darker now, and not just because of nightfall.

  “Don’t use your powers out here,” Stray admonished. “You don’t know who’s watching. Bad enough we had to bring you out.”

  “I can’t stay locked inside forever.”

  “It’s not the time to argue with me. Stay close,” Stray told her. “Stay right between me and Kill. Tuck your arms in ours and keep your eyes peeled for trouble.”

  He turned to talk to Stray for a minute, his hand still on hers. She jerked away fast. “You’re worried Seb’s going to call to me again, and that I’m not strong enough to resist.”

  He wheeled back around to her, said fiercely, “I’m worried you’re going to let him in, in some misguided attempt to save everyone.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. There’s too much at stake.”

  But the fact that he didn’t trust her at all … that nearly killed her. “You said you wouldn’t read my mind unless I invited you to.”

  “Or if we were in a dangerous situation. This shit counts.” He lowered his voice. “I’m with you, distracted. You could get us both into a really bad place. Do you understand? I’m tied to you, in more ways than one.”