by Cecy Robson
My hand passed over his hard stomach. “Probably not.”
“Since the game Shah was released a month ago, this band of geeks has already netted close to twelve million in profit—even though the game they developed isn’t anything high-tech or extraordinary. From what Koda says, their marketing and promo was also minimal. The geeks set up a website and that was pretty much it.”
There was so much wrong with this, I didn’t know where to begin. “Tell me about the game.”
“It’s a rip-off of most treasure-hunter games. You pick which character you want to be and you send him or her beneath the Madiyan Kulom, a famous Indian temple and the last place Shah was believed to be. Your character fights his way through a maze until he finds Shah. Shah is replicated as a large clear crystal with an ‘X’ etched into the side—also another fact these geeks shouldn’t know.”
“Okay, then what happens?”
“That’s it. ‘Your wish is granted’ flashes across the screen and you get ten thousand points.”
Aric was right, nothing very extraordinary about this game. With technology being what it was, it actually sounded rather boring. I sat up. “So you’re thinking one of these geeks found the real Shah and wished for money. In exchange Shah obtained something of value. Notoriety, perhaps?”
Aric slipped out of bed. “That’s what we’re thinking. If the legend is true, Shah’s wishes have been expended and his time is drawing to a close. He only has a few wishes left to grant before he cracks and is no more.” He crossed his arms. “The last wish is what concerns me most. It’s supposed to be the most significant and potentially tip the scales on the side of good or in evil’s favor.”
“So if the bad guys get it…”
Aric nodded. “The good guys may never recover.”
Damnit. I worked through the facts. “If these are humans who have him, do you think they’ll wish for something so extreme that it would affect the world that greatly?”
“I don’t know. But just because they’re human doesn’t make them immune to evil deeds or thoughts. And this game they created, along with the records it’s breaking in sales, will assure that Shah lives on in infamy. The way I see it, Shah’s been compensated well enough.”
Aric was right. Considering how he was making out, Shah likely considered the geeks’ quest for money and fame a worthwhile wish to grant.
The thing was Alliance members weren’t the only ones who monitored chatter. The Tribe, while severely broken, still had a few devoted followers remaining. “What’s left of the Tribe will want Shah, won’t they?”
The planes of Aric’s face tightened. “Or the shifters or some new threat. The dark ones are angry, Celia. The attack from the shifters proves they want blood and to gain an upper hand at all costs. We have to get Shah before anything else does.”
Yeah. We do.
I followed Aric into the bathroom, wrapping myself in a silk robe as he dressed. Truth be told, I liked my wolf very naked. I stroked his shoulder when he tugged on his jeans. “Too bad we can’t survive on our love, huh?”
He smiled and kissed my lips. “Yeah. Time to get back to work.”
I tried to smile back and I would have if he didn’t remind me where he was headed and what it meant. I’d grown used to Aric’s constant presence. Martin, his Alpha and lead Elder, had granted him a leave of absence based on the severity of my injuries. It was another way he’d demonstrated his approval of our matehood, and a way of apologizing for the harm Anara had caused.
My hand skimmed over my belly. Martin meant well, but his good deeds couldn’t erase all the damage Anara inflicted. Anara was gone, but there was still evil out there, waiting to hurt innocents incapable of protecting themselves.
Aric was right. It was time to go back to work.
For both of us.
“I’m ready to go back to work, too,” I told him.
Aric finished yanking on his dark blue T-shirt. “You don’t have to. Stay home. I’ll support us.”
“You mean hang out, cook for you, and wait naked at the table for your return?”
Aric laughed. “You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.”
I tried not to laugh along with him. Aric considered himself a modern-day werewolf. When it came down to it, though, he was pretty old-fashioned. His mother had quit her job as an accountant when she married Aric’s dad. She’d doted on her husband, and then Aric when he came along, making sure they had everything they needed. While Aric didn’t demand the same of me, I knew he loved the idea of coming home every night to my open arms, and a hearty meal befitting a badass wolf.
“I want to work, Aric. Besides, waiting for you to come home will drive me crazy.”
Aric shrugged. “If that’s what you want, fine. But if it gets to be too much, stop, no questions asked.”
“I think it will be okay.” Or I hoped. Visions of exploding demon parts danced in my head. I shuddered and adjusted the belt on my ivory robe, careful to hide my scars. “What’s going to suck is I have to travel far to chase Shah. I don’t like us being apart….”
The scent of shock and anger hit my nose like a blast of cold air. Aric was suddenly facing me and he wasn’t happy. “What do you mean, ‘chase Shah’?”
I frowned. “We just discussed me going back to work. That means tracking Shah. My job is working for the Alliance and getting the bad guys.”
“Don’t you mean working for Misha?” Aric growled. “Damnit, Celia. I thought you were talking about returning to nursing!”
My frown softened only because I was trying not to cry. “You mean going back and delivering babies? Sorry, Aric, I don’t think I’m strong enough to do that.”
Aric rubbed his eyes before gathering me in his arms. “I know, sweetness. I didn’t mean…” He sighed. “There are other jobs in the nursing field. If it suits you, work with Taran in the cardiac lab.”
“It doesn’t suit me, Aric. What does is ridding the world of evil.”
“As a were that’s my duty. You are under no obligation to be involved in our affairs.”
I pulled away from him then. “How can you say that? This is my world, too.”
Aric crossed his arms and glared. “Because you are my mate, my fiancée, and soon to be my wife.”
“Just because I’m all those things doesn’t mean you have a right to tell me what to do.”
“I’m not.” He held out his hands. “Can’t you understand that I don’t want you hurt?”
“Can’t you understand that I’m not going to sit around catering to your every need while whatever evil creature wants Shah gets him first?”
Aric became quiet. “I don’t expect you to do anything but to keep safe. That can’t happen if you’re back with the vamps.”
He didn’t consider my guardian angel master vampire a trusted member of the Alliance, even though Misha had shielded me from danger in Aric’s absence. But as much as the vamps had their own agenda, Misha included, they were the ones who’d trained me to become a weapon.
They also came through for me when it mattered.
I took a deep breath in an effort to calm my temper. “Aric, I haven’t always agreed with your decisions—especially when they’ve pertained to Pack politics or were ways and tradition. But regardless, I’ve always tried to respect your reasoning and your sense of duty. You need to respect that when their actions fall within the Alliance agenda, and will help the greater good, my allegiance is to the vampires.”
“Have you talked to him?”
Aric meant Misha and Misha alone. Way to go off topic, wolf. “No. He’s still in Europe.” I didn’t bother telling him that he was actually in Transylvania trying to find a wife because, yeah, that would’ve earned Misha creepy points he didn’t need.
“So he hasn’t mentioned anything about Shah?”
Aric could sniff lies. Why would he be asking me about Shah so soon after telling me about him himself? I frowned. “Ah, no,” I said slowly. “The last time I spoke with hi
m was a few weeks ago. You know this.”
“The vamp hasn’t called again?” Aric questioned me with more bite in his tone than I was used to or appreciated.
I lifted my chin, willing myself not to go all crazy Latina. “That ‘vamp’ helped save my life more than once. He’s a friend, and I have no reason to keep any interaction with him a secret.”
Aric opened his mouth then snapped it shut. He took several breaths, and then several more as if struggling to stay in control.
I watched him, stunned and confused as to what exactly had set him off. “Aric?”
He turned from me and gripped the edge of the counter, his breaths growing more labored. Sweat poured from his temples as he worked to slow his breathing and extinguish his rising anger.
He was losing his composure.
And it scared me.
A low growl escaped from his lips. The veins of his arms bulged as he clamped down on the counter. The force of his grip caused the granite to snap between his hands. A crack, as thick as my finger, shot out like a lightning bolt and smacked against the edge of the sink.
Aric’s entire body shook. He was seconds from exploding and tearing someone to shreds.
Anyone else would have hauled ass away from him.
But I wasn’t just anyone.
I curled my arms around his and breathed, simply breathed, allowing our warmth to spread between us. “It’s okay,” I whispered softly. “I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you….”
He growled, low and vicious, as if sensing a threat.
My eyes scanned the surroundings. Was something with us? “And you won’t let anything happen to me, either….”
When my voice alone was not enough to settle him, I tried to reach him on a deeper level. In my mind, I pictured my tigress approaching Aric’s animal form. I saw her hurry toward his gray wolf without fear, and without hesitation, chuffing in a way of a greeting.
He bounded toward her, his tail wagging, and allowed her to rub against his soft fur. But then the image was clouded with confusion. Our animal sides paused and glanced up as if searching for someone they could no longer see.
I was there with them, even though I couldn’t see my physical form. But Aric wasn’t with us.
He was gone. I couldn’t sense him, anywhere.
I clung tighter to Aric’s arms. I still felt him in my reality, but not in my deepest thoughts, where our connection linked us even when we were apart.
Fear filled me. “Aric? Where are you?”
He jerked from me with his eyes closed, barely managing to keep his balance. He trembled when I reached for him again and snapped his eyes open as another deep growl rumbled in his chest.
He was clearly riled and ready to attack, but as he took in my fear, his gaze softened. He approached me slowly when I stepped back to allow him space. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I won’t ever hurt you….”
This time, it was his turn to hold me, pulling me into a protective embrace. He took in my scent, allowing the comfort I gave him to help soothe his labored breathing and tame his anger and drive to attack.
I waited a few minutes before speaking, both of us clearly shaken. “Are you all right?”
“Yes…I’m fine.”
“I don’t think you are.” I did my best to explain what I felt. “I sensed your beast side and saw him with my tigress, but you were gone. None of us knew where you were.”
One of the main differences between me and Aric, and his were species, was that their animal sides were a part of them. My beast was a part of a golden tiger’s spirit that was absorbed through the magic I inadvertently possessed. She was a separate entity, which was why I could change part of my body without taking on her form completely. Weres didn’t have that luxury; they were permanently linked to their beasts.
So then how could Aric have left his wolf behind?
Aric rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know where I went.”
“But wherever it was, your wolf wasn’t with you. How is that possible?”
Aric’s features tightened. “I don’t know. It’s never happened before. I could feel him near me, furious that I’d been robbed from him. But our connection was severed.”
“So was ours,” I said quietly.
Aric angled his head toward the frosted glass windows above our large jet tub. “You with Misha stirred some jacked-up emotion I wasn’t expecting.”
I couldn’t believe this was his excuse. “Don’t put this on me and Misha. You know there’s nothing between us.”
He stayed quiet, appearing confused.
“Aric?”
“I know,” he said, sounding more bewildered. “I don’t even know where that came from.” He glanced down at the tile floor and swore. “I’m trying to make sense of this—all of it. I know I felt anger toward Misha, and fear about anything happening to you. Then everything faded away.”
I squeezed his arm, afraid he was the one fading away. “You felt yourself leave me?”
He nodded, agreeing, but clearly upset. “From what I can make of it, my emotions seemed to trigger the separation from my wolf. It’s like everything I felt magnified and taunted me until I lost control.”
Aric was the most powerful pureblood were in known history, not some mindless beast. “You lost control of your wolf?”
Aric’s face darkened. “No. I lost control over my human side.”
Neither of us moved for a long time.
“What’s happening?” I finally asked.
“I don’t know. But considering how crazy I get over anything happening to you, maybe it was enough to cause this disconnect.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Aric’s deep timbre was laden with guilt and sadness. “Celia, when our son died, a part of me died with him. You’ll never be the same, I know you won’t, but neither will I.”
My eyes welled and a painful lump claimed my throat. Aric would never know what it felt like for a mother to lose her baby. But I never considered what it was for a father to lose his child.
The connection that was briefly lost between us resurfaced and pulled us together.
We held each other for what seemed like forever. “I’m sorry,” he said at last.
“I am, too.”
He stroked my back. “Will you…will you think about staying out of this thing with Shah? Celia, I can’t handle you getting hurt again.”
I understood his fear, and all the incidences that had reinforced them. That didn’t mean I was ready to walk away from what I knew was right. “I don’t know, Aric.”
He bowed his head. “Will you at least give nursing another try? If you want a thrill, try working in the Emergency Department. Maybe it will be enough to satisfy your need to help, and your desire to make a difference.”
But it wasn’t the same and he knew it.
Aric waited for me to answer. When I didn’t, he passed his hand through his thick hair. “Just please think about it, love. I can’t stomach the thought of losing you.”
I didn’t want to think about it. But marriage and matehood were about compromises so I nodded. “I’ll think about it. But I want you to think about letting me play a role in finding Shah, too. Okay?”
“All right,” he agreed, but I could hear the hesitancy in his voice.
I didn’t want us to part on a sour note, especially since this would be his first day away from me in a long while. So I welcomed his kiss like the peace offering it was.
“I have a lot to do today and may be late,” he said. “Will you come to the Den and have lunch with me?” He seemed sad then. “I don’t want to wait until tonight to see you again.”
I had planned to stop in, but knowing he wanted me there meant a great deal, especially following his outburst. “Why don’t we have lunch at that small bistro?”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll meet you there so you don’t have to drive all the way up to the Den.”
“Okay.” I waited a beat, considering wh
at I needed to ask. “Will you do something for me?” He nodded. “Will you ask Martin about what happened just now? This can’t be good, Aric.”
“No. It can’t be,” he agreed.
My hands splayed along his chest when he seemed lost in his thoughts. “You don’t want to ask him, do you?”
Aric shook his head. “It’s not that. I just don’t want Martin questioning my ability to lead. The moon sickness inflicted upon me was supposed to lead to insanity before killing me. If he thinks I’m unstable, it might cause us problems we don’t need.”
“I know you’re finally in a good place with your Pack. But I don’t want you to keep things from the Elders if something’s wrong. As much as I hate to say this, they’re the ones who can help you.”
His hand cupped my jaw. “You’re the only one who helped me last time. And just like before, we’ll get through whatever comes together, all right?”
Which meant he didn’t want me talking to Martin, either. I didn’t want to think that there was anything wrong with him, but I couldn’t ignore what just happened. So I didn’t promise Aric anything, at least not then.
I clutched him against me until his strong arms released me and we said goodbye. Then I watched his black Escalade pull out of our driveway as he left to rid the world of evil without me. As if on cue, my iPhone buzzed on my nightstand the moment Aric’s SUV disappeared out of our neighborhood. Agnes Concepción, one of Misha’s most trusted vampires, had sent me a text.
Celia, the master has a little stone he’d like you to find.
Chapter 5
I slipped on a long, brown suede gypsy skirt that sat just below my navel, but kept the hideous red scars of my mangled pelvis hidden. The soft white cashmere sweater I wore fell just below my breasts. Aric loved this outfit because it complemented my curves and flat abdomen. I liked it because it was comfy.
I’d spent the week meeting Aric for lunch at a few local restaurants close to the Den. Today was a busier day for him and he wouldn’t be able to leave the grounds. As a treat, I decided to bring him lunch and made one of his favorite meals.