Burned by Fire (Blood & Magic Book 3)

by Danielle Annett

  “Anything I should worry about with you away?”

  I shook my head. “Pack business.”

  He scowled. “Is Pack business your business?” he asked.

  “At the moment, yes, it is.”

  “I thought…”

  “It’s complicated.” That didn’t seem like the right thing to say, judging by Inarus’ expression.

  Noah Thorne arrived the next day by midafternoon. He was shorter than I’d expected, at roughly five nine, and he had a stocky build much like a wrestler. Dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a Florida State sweatshirt, he could pass for human on the street, so long as you didn’t look into his eyes. They were molten and filled with barely leashed aggression.

  Two men and one woman accompanied him. One of the men had Hispanic features and tanned skin. He was close to Thorne’s height, but less bulky. He had a hooked noise and his expression was set in a scowl. The other was taller than both at six and a half feet tall. He had shoulder-length red hair that hung loosely around his face, and a smattering of freckles covered his cheeks and corded arms. He wore a t-shirt despite the chill of winter, and seemed unfazed by the flurries of snow that fell around him. The woman was plain. Brown eyes and brown hair with square features and thin lips. She was lean and muscular without a hint of softness on her body, and lacked any curves. Her expression when they arrived was hard. Of the three, she looked to be the most ruthless. I eyed her warily as Declan strode forward with Robert and Isla beside him. James trailed one step behind.

  “The Pacific Northwest Pack welcomes you,” Declan said, shaking Thorne’s hand. I couldn’t hear what was said after that, but a few moments later, Declan led them closer. I stood with the remainder of the Clan Alphas and waited as Declan made introductions, saving me for last.

  As Declan introduced me to Thorne and his people, Thorne’s ears perked and he flared his nostrils, taking in my scent before smiling. It was a vicious smile, and I had to clench my fists to keep from rubbing at the goosebumps that had formed on my arms beneath the material of my coat.

  “It is such a pleasure to meet you,” Noah said. The others nodded in agreement before turning back to Declan.

  “A hunt has been organized,” he said.

  “Splendid. After being cooped inside an airplane, my people’s beasts would relish a hunt.” Everyone started stripping as I stood there, dumbfounded, trying not to stare. Declan smiled, a flash of fang as he tossed his clothing onto the ground. He’d told me this morning that they’d be going on a hunt once Noah arrived, but it hadn’t dawned on me that everyone would strip down to their birthday suits before I left.

  Shifters tossed their clothes carelessly in piles, hunching their bodies as fangs exploded from their gums and fur coated their bodies. Noah’s beast burst forth from him in a slide of black fur. A black leopard. His eyes tracked me and his tail flicked behind him in amusement. The other men were both wolves. One a ruddy red, and the other a chestnut brown. The woman shifted into a jackal. She cackled in pleasure and loped for the woods, leaving everyone to follow her.

  I watched as they all darted into the woods surrounding the Compound. Wolves, bears, jackals, and others all disappeared into the thick underbrush of the evergreens. Declan stopped at the tree line to look back at me, his tiger magnificent and powerful. I waved and he turned, pounding through the brush.

  A wolf’s howl pierced the silence, several others joining in to create a chorus that announced the hunt. I shivered and rubbed my arms before leaving the clearing to march through the snow to the area Declan had indicated earlier, where I could find the remains of my Civic.

  He’d been able to retrieve my blades from the crash site, something I was grateful for, but the expression on his face had been apologetic when he’d referenced the vehicle. I ran my glove-covered fingers over the hilt of one of the blades resting low on my hips and fingered the notches in the handle. It felt good to have them back. They’d been a gift years before, and they were important.

  The flurries had stopped, leaving a thick blanket of snow on the ground. The air was eerily silent, and my mind began to wander with thoughts of the hunt. Had they found their prey yet?

  The lands surrounding the Compound were home to rabbit, deer, elk, and the occasional moose. I preferred domestic meat, pork or beef, but I’d grown accustomed to gamier meats in the past weeks.

  I heaved a sigh when my Civic came into view. Declan hadn’t said the words, but he’d hinted that the vehicle was beyond repair. What greeted me confirmed what hadn’t been said aloud. The Civic looked like an empty soda pop can that had been stepped on.

  The car stood right side up, though two of the tires were flat, making the car lean to the right. The passenger side had taken the majority of the impact. The door and frame were so smashed that I wondered how Inarus had managed to get out.

  I jerked the door handle but it wouldn’t budge.

  Walking around to the other side, I eyed the driver side door. It hadn’t fared much better. The driver side may have avoided the initial impact, but the grinder, coupled with whatever else Aiden had used to get to me, had left the driver side looking like a pulled-back sardine can.

  Frustration washed over me. Anger, remembered pain, and, if I was being honest, a hint of remembered fear. He’d almost had me. I didn’t know why Aiden had wanted me. Why my mother would have decided to abduct me. Declan had let me be. He hadn’t pushed the issue of the attempted abduction, though I knew he wanted to. Knew he worried that they would try again.

  I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that when I left the Compound grounds, that I was alone. It was an illusion, and whoever he’d sent to watch over me was good at remaining unseen. I could tell I was being followed, watched, but I could never tell by who. I let my gut guide me, though. Whoever was watching didn’t make me feel uneasy, just annoyed, so I ignored the feeling and went about my day.

  Something wedged between the center console and the driver seat caught my eye. I leaned in through the open window to retrieve it, bending at my waist and lifting one leg to get a better angle.

  A rumble of appreciation had me jumping, my head slamming into the interior roof of the car. Ow!

  I rubbed at my head and slid my upper body out of the vehicle.

  I scowled as I came face to face with Noah Thorne. He was dressed in a loose pair of dark blue jeans and a thin long-sleeved t-shirt that did nothing to hide the ropes of muscle on his arms. He wore a pair of dark brown boots but no coat. He was supposed to be out on the hunt. I’d seen him shift and run with the others. Why was he back already? And where had he found the new clothes?

  “Jumpy, are we?” Noah remarked, a sly smile spread across his face, exposing a pair of sharp canines. I had a feeling that had been intentional.

  “Shouldn’t you be out enjoying the hunt?” I asked. I pulled my fire until it simmered just beneath the surface of my skin.

  “Who says I’m not?” Another flash of teeth.

  I smiled, and my voice came out ice cold. “Mr. Thorne,” I said, “I am not your prey.” Noah threw his head back and laughed. When he looked back down at me, the expression on his face had me taking an involuntary step back. Where is Declan? Hadn’t he noticed Noah leaving their party?

  “Please, call me Noah. My friends do.”

  “We aren’t friends,” I said, a fake smile plastered across my face. Noah stepped closer and his eyes narrowed. My heart sped up, pounding so hard that I worried it would break free from my chest. He lifted a brow. Damn shifter hearing.

  He leaned towards me, his nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath. I held stock still, clenching my jaw so tight that I worried I’d break a tooth. He pulled back.

  “Mmmm, how peculiar,” he said, leering at me. I fought the impulse to snap out a “What?” and instead chose to glare at Thorne in silence.

  “You are Valkenaar’s mate. I can see the bond that ties you to him, but you do not carry his scent. Why is that?” He waited for a response I had no intenti
on of giving him one. When the silence continued to stretch, I feigned a shiver and rubbed at my arms.

  “You’ll have to excuse me,” I said. “The cold affects me much easier than it does you, and I hadn’t intended to be outside this long, or I would have worn a heavier coat.” I offered an apologetic smile and turned to leave. It took everything in me to turn my back on Thorne, knowing he wasn’t to be trusted, but I did it anyway.

  I had barely taken two steps before a firm grip on my bicep had me stopping. I stared down at Thorne’s fingers, wrapped around my arm in a bruising grip, and fought to keep the pain from showing on my face.

  I met his gaze. Sapphire eyes shone bright, filling with flecks of silver.

  “You are a guest here,” I reminded him, my voice deceptively light. I struggled to contain the fire inside of me that threatened to burn. It wouldn’t do to light the South Atlantic Alpha on fire. I had a feeling it would be an unforgivable offense. “I suggest that you let go, before the Pacific Northwest Pack revokes its hospitality.”

  A wolf’s howl cracked through the air, breaking the silence as several others joined in his wolf song.

  A familiar wolf broke the tree line, pounding across the blanket of snow just as Thorne released me, taking a calculated step back. Declan in his tiger form was right behind him. He moved in a blur of white streaked with black. My eyes had difficulty tracking him.

  The wolf slowed his pace as he neared before shifting into his human skin. “Thorne,” James said, a warning in his voice.

  “Hunter,” Thorne jeered, earning himself a growl.

  Declan stood in front of me, his back to me as he opened his maw. A thunderous roar echoed through the space, raising the hairs on my nape.

  “Your mate and I were just getting acquainted with one another,” Noah said, not showing even the slightest hint of worry at the angered predator in front of him. “Weren’t we, Miss Naveed?” He put emphasis on miss, not that mated Pack members ever really chose to get married as humans did to show their commitment to one another.

  Declan’s tail twitched in agitation and James turned to me, a silent question in his mercury gaze. I tried not to look down, fought to keep my eyes from wandering over James’ very naked skin in front of me.

  I answered Noah directly. “Of course. But it appears the hunt has ended.” I looked down at Declan and ran my fingers in the silky fur just below his head. “If you’ll excuse us, I haven’t had enough time with my mate today.” Even I heard the possessiveness in my voice as I continued to pet Declan as I’d seen other mated pairs touch one another.

  I walked towards the main doors, Declan leaning into my leg hard enough to knock me off balance more than once before we were back inside. He didn’t shift right away as I’d expected him to, instead choosing to follow me on four paws to his quarters. I’d moved into Declan’s rooms on a temporary basis while Noah was here, and so far things had been fine, if a little awkward.

  Once we were enclosed inside Declan’s soundproofed rooms, I kicked off my boots and unbuckled the sheath around my waist, placing the blades on a nearby table. Declan pounced on the oversized four-poster bed, turning in a circle once before settling down on the mattress.

  His eyes tracked my movements as I peeled off my jacket before removing the sweater I’d thrown on over my long-sleeved shirt. Irritation had me leaving both in a pile on the floor. My gloves were close to follow.

  Declan’s tail twitched, signaling his impatience.

  I released a harsh breath and ambled onto the bed beside him, throwing myself back to stare up at the ceiling. Declan adjusted himself until his face rested beside mine. He licked my cheek, his tongue like sandpaper against my skin.

  “Ew!” I said, bringing my hand up to wipe my cheek. He chuffed, the sound almost like feline laughter before quickly morphing into a growl.

  “What?” I asked.

  He stuck his nose into the crook of my neck before moving to sniff at my shoulder and arm. The growl grew louder.

  Declan’s teeth pulled at the fabric of my shirt. “Hey, stop it.” I pushed myself up just as Declan jerked, ripping the fabric and exposing the bluish-black mark that wrapped around my bicep.

  His eyes turned murderous. I stared down at the finger-shaped marks that hadn’t been there earlier, and fumbled for the words that would keep Declan from doing something stupid.

  I sighed. “Can you shift so we can talk?” I asked. “I don’t understand growl and roar.” I lay back against the pillow and tucked one arm behind my head.

  Fur receded, exposing sun-kissed skin and a face filled with rage. “He touched you.” It wasn’t a question, so I remained quiet, waiting for his human mind, for rationality, to settle in.

  I lifted my head, ran my gaze over the body atop the covers, and lay back down again.

  “You’re naked,” I commented.

  Declan rose and rummaged through the large dresser, giving me a view of his broad shoulders, muscular back, and firm backside. Heat crept into my cheeks before I forced myself to look away.

  Declan climbed back into bed beside me in a pair of faded blue jeans that rested low on his hips. He loomed over me, one hand supporting his weight as the other cupped the side of my neck. He was so close, I had to fight the urge to reach up and run my fingers over his stubbled jaw.

  Declan’s eyes were hard, but I watched as his gaze slowly softened.

  “Did he hurt you?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “He tried to scare me. It’s not a big deal.”

  An inhuman sound rumbled in his chest. “He touched you,” he said again.

  “It’s nothing,” I said. It was only one more bruise among many others that had yet to fade completely since the accident.

  “I cannot ignore this,” Declan said, his voice hard.

  “You can, and you will. He’ll be gone before you know it. Don’t react, it’s what he wants.” Declan snarled. Yes, by all means. Snarl at me, the person trying to help.

  “Don’t allow yourself to be alone with him again.”

  I bristled. “Is that an order?”

  Declan’s eyes narrowed. I could tell he was thinking hard about his next words. “No, it’s a request.”

  I mulled it over. I didn’t like that he acted as though I couldn’t take care of myself. Before I could respond, he shifted his weight, sliding closer to me. “Please,” he added. That one word melted me like a stick of butter under the sun’s hot rays.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. Declan offered a feline smile before settling down. He lay on his stomach, one arm over my waist and his nose tucked against my hair. He was too comfortable. It grated me that he could settle into this so easily. We were behind closed doors. There was no need to pretend here. Several minutes passed and his breathing evened out as sleep took hold.

  I wanted a few minutes longer to make sure he was truly out, and then gradually slid towards the edge of the bed. His grip tightened, pulling me closer, and firmly against his chest. He tangled one leg with mine, effectively pinning me.

  There was no escape.

  I signed, resigned to my fate.

  When I awoke, Declan was gone. The space beside me was empty, leaving an ache in my chest that I couldn’t figure out. Ignoring the feeling, I ran through my morning routine. Brush my teeth, get dressed, comb my hair, daggers on. I was ready to face the world twenty minutes later.

  The common area was teeming with activity. The Pack had guests, so we all put on a show. I usually grabbed breakfast to go, but I knew I’d be expected to make an appearance, so I grabbed a plate and lined up with the others to grab today’s breakfast. Several Pack mates offered nods and hellos, though none started any real conversations. That was okay.

  Serving trays were filled to the brim with bacon, sausages, and ham, accompanied by roasted potatoes and warm, fluffy biscuits smothered in thick sausage gravy. The Pack had pulled out all the stops.

  I watched as Pack mates filled their plates. Shifters ate a lot, so I wasn’t surprised w
hen only six Pack members passed by before the trays were refilled.

  I grabbed two biscuits slathered in gravy and swiped the last strip of bacon before finding an empty table and taking a seat. I took a bite of the bacon and all but moaned as the salty flavor hit my taste buds. It was heaven.

  “You seem pleased,” a familiar voice said. I pursed my lips before plastering a smile across my face.

  “Mr. Thorne, good morning,” I said with false cheer.

  “Good morning.” He took a seat, his own plate piled high.

  “Did you sleep well?” I asked, taking another bite of bacon. It didn’t taste as good as it had a minute ago.

  “I believe the travel made me restless.” He flashed a knowing smile. What was he up to? “I worked off some of my restlessness by going for a stroll through the Compound and I was surprised by what I found.”

  I bit my cheek to remain silent. I wasn’t going to take that bait.

  “How long have you and Valkenaar been mated?” he asked. It was an innocent enough question, but it had my skin itching with the need to burn him where he sat.

  “Several weeks.” I waved a hand in the air. “I don’t keep track.”

  “Over a month?”

  I nodded, growing uneasy.

  “Why, then, does a room in the east corridor carry your scent heavily while the space in front of yours and Declan’s quarters in the south corridor only has faint traces?”

  He had me there, and judging by the feline grin he was currently sporting, he knew it. I weighed my options before answering. If I lied, he’d scent it, but I couldn’t tell him the truth, either.

  “Is there a purpose to your line of questioning?” I asked instead.

  “I’d like to get to know you better. Perhaps you can show me around the city this afternoon before I leave?” No chance in hell. I was counting down the hours until he left with Isla for Kennewick. The sooner he was out of the Compound, the better.

  “I’m sorry. I’m unavailable today. Perhaps Eva, the Alpha of Clan Feloidea, can accompany you. Her company is quite enjoyable.” Lie. Big fat lie, but he didn’t know what part of it was a lie since there had been some truth. I snickered to myself.