by Jo Ellen
“Okay, name me one woman that I know who behaves that way,” Devlin demanded.
“Cindy,” Lisa snarled.
That shut him up.
“Who’s…?” Olivia started to ask, but stopped when she saw Rafe adamantly shake his head.
“She was an old flame of Rafe’s. I’ll tell you about her later.” Devlin whispered in her head.
Rafe stood behind Lisa’s stool and gripped her hips to swivel her seat around. “You’ve made your point darlin’, relax.” He nipped her bottom lip, stopping her growl with his own.
“That sexy growl won’t shut me up, you know.” Lisa leaned back against the table and slid her hands underneath his tight T-shirt.
Rafe pushed apart her thighs by stepping between them. “Baby, I know exactly how to shut you up.”
“Bars closed!” They heard Hank shout from the front room.
“Showtime,” Ian said, slapping both his brothers on the back as he passed.
* * *
Olivia leaned against the long, wooden bar surveying the room. With the houselights on and the music off, the silent dance floor beckoned to her. She saw herself in a high-waisted empress gown waltzing across the floor with Devlin’s hand at her waist.
His dark dress coat covered his white shirt with his cravat tied stylishly around his neck. With his trousers tucked into his Hessian boots, he was the epitome of an 18th-century gentleman.
Her sigh echoed across the room, a very quiet room. Opening her eyes, she saw everyone staring at her with a mixture of expressions.
Crap. She’d been daydreaming while the men went over the same plans once again.
“What? I was going over the mission in my head,” she lied shamelessly, her blush giving her away. She blamed her inattention on Melanie. All her talk of time travel druidry had set off her imagination. She walked to stand beside Devlin, taking hold of his hand as she listened to Melanie’s instructions.
“Okay. This will be a little different than when I travel through time. You won’t be holding on to me, but stepping through the doorway I open. I would still suggest you hold on to each other, just to make sure you all land in the same place.”
With that, Melanie raised her arms, calling upon the universe and pulling the power through her with a clear mental picture of a doorway. Having never been to the death realm, she had to use her imagination on how it would look. She was counting on Olivia’s ability to help steer her in the right direction.
Niall stood next to the bar with Lisa, who anxiously watched as an outline took shape on the dance floor. Shimmering as it contracted and then expanded in undulating waves, she could see straight through it to the tables beyond the dance floor.
“I’ll go first.” Jack went through and disappeared.
Rafe and Ian hooked their arms through Olivia’s, while Devlin wrapped his arms around her from behind. Shuffling forward, they stepped across the boundary.
Lisa gasped and clutched Niall as they faded away. She immediately sent out a call to Rafe.
“We’re okay baby, just getting our bearings,” Rafe said.
Melanie dropped her arms, breathing heavily. The opening closed like subway doors on the Metro. She went to sit at the bar after hugging Lisa and Niall. “Now we wait.”
“Never one of my strong suits,” Lisa said. “But I already heard from Rafe, they’re okay.”
Niall went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses before getting a beer for himself.
“Come on lasses, we might as weel be comfortable.”
* * *
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ian exclaimed.
They stood in shock staring down the dirt road at an old, decrepit house. The paint was peeling away from the boards, leaving the place looking like a haunted house ride at the state fair. The steps leading up to the porch were rickety with age, a few of them having holes where unsuspecting travelers had probably fallen through.
Looking up at the sky, they could see clouds crossing the full moon like a bad horror story.
“Come on, I can’t wait to see who lives there. I vote Dracula,” Rafe said.
“Nah, I bet it’s the Bogeyman.” Devlin rested his hands on his hips, staring up at the house like a puzzle he was trying to figure out.
From the inside, they heard growling and snarling before a man, or a wolf, they weren’t sure which it was, came crashing through the door.
The thing stood straight like a man but was covered in dark fur. His eyes glowed amber while his protruding mouth showed an evil line of sharp teeth.
Ian stepped forward and laughed. “He’s a fucking werewolf. Oh, this is too much.”
“Bro, stop dropping the F bombs. Ate-may resent-pay.” Devlin murmured to his brother.
Rafe rubbed a hand down his face. “And you think your mate can’t figure out Pig Latin?”
Rafe shook his head. This had to be a joke. A haunted house that looked like something he’d find in a really bad movie and the stereotypical werewolf with drool dripping from his teeth snarling at them.
Ian stepped forward, grinning. “I’ll take him.”
Olivia was trying to see around Devlin who stood in front of her. She stepped to the side and gasped. The werewolf man was exactly what she had envisioned a werewolf would look like when she was a child. The house was also her version of what a haunted house would look like in real life.
A loud snarl grabbed her attention in time to see the werewolf leap off the porch to get to Ian, who was casually strolling across the brown grass in front of the house. Ian moved in a blur, holding out one hand with his claws gleaming in the moonlight. He raked the thing as it passed, opening up a huge gash in the creature’s side.
Rafe and Devlin moved to make a wall in front of Olivia, their fighting stance ready to take it out if it came near her.
She stood on her tiptoes to see over their shoulders, finally shoving her way between them so she could see and ignoring their annoyed grunts. She was used to topping almost everyone, men and women. Height had its advantages after all.
She stared in awe at the scene before her. This was her world, one she had created in her head after seeing her first scary movie when she was twelve. Admittedly it was rather tame, but she’d been young and impressionable back then. Easily scared by the thought of a decrepit old house and werewolves. She knew if they went inside, there would be a coffin, draped in black sitting in the basement, just waiting for them to open it. Grinning, she elbowed the men aside.
“This is my world, created by me. Watch.”
Olivia closed her eyes, concentrating hard on the vision she wanted to project. She could hear Ian taunting his prey, like a cat pouncing on an insect before letting it go only to trap it again.
“What the hell?” she heard a series of amazed grumbling from the guys.
Opening her eyes, she looked down at herself to see if it worked. Seeing the brilliant green empire dress flowing to the ground in a shimmering wave had her laughing and twirling in front of them. Her hair flowed over her naked shoulders as she reached down to smooth the material over her breasts, surreptitiously making sure her boobs hadn’t popped out. She stopped when she noticed their dumbfounded looks.
“What? I saw it at Neiman’s.”
“How did you do that? What happened to the werewolf? And where’s the house?” Devlin looked around in amazement at the green meadow.
Grinning, she sauntered over on three-inch heels and laid a small kiss on Devlin’s lips. Her shoes almost made her as tall as him. “My world, my rules.”
“What the fuck?” Ian growled.
“Dude, language.” Devlin shoved his brother.
Rafe stepped between them before they started shoving each other like five-year olds. “Enough. Olivia, explain. We’re chasing a killer, I don’t have time to play dress-up.”
Olivia snarled, a small growl escaping before she could stop it. Rafe growled back, causing goose bumps to break out on her arms. Crap, she was practically
challenging her Alpha. Her wolf was bristling inside her, not wanting to back down. Stupid wolf. Intellectually she knew she couldn’t win, but her animal side sure wanted to try. She found herself wishing her animal was a friendly golden retriever that would be happy simply basking in any attention coming her way. But no, she had to have a she-wolf inside that was one tough bitch. Illogical to separate the two, she knew. Her wolf was aggressive because Olivia herself was not a simpering, walk all over me type of personality. She needed to learn how to tone down her aggressiveness and be part of the pack. Sighing unhappily, she lowered her head in submission, her eyes going to the ground.
Rafe snorted. “That was probably the most pathetic capitulation I’ve ever seen, little sister.”
Devlin’s taut muscles relaxed. He’d known his brother would not hurt his mate, but in their world he could have forced her shift and pinned her down to show her wolf who was alpha. Devlin knew he needed to teach her what pack life was like, and soon. “On our next run, her wolf will get a lesson in submission,” Devlin said.
Olivia looked up in surprise at her mate in time to see Rafe nod his approval. What the hell did that mean? Now she was worrying her bottom lip, hoping she hadn’t royally screwed up. She knew how wolf packs worked, at least from a human standpoint. She just never in her wildest dreams thought she’d be part of one. Now she found herself running every documentary on wolves she’d ever seen through a filter in her head. She felt Devlin’s arm encircle her waist and looked up to see a small smile.
“Stop worrying. You know I would never hurt you, nor will your pack. You haven’t been a wolf long enough to know how the hierarchy works. Teaching you is the entire pack’s job. We may be part animal, but our human side is in charge. When we run together, your wolf will learn where she fits in the group.” Devlin put his head next to her ear. “And I’ll enjoy chasing you, holding you down until you submit. This lesson is for your wolf, which will make her understand in a way humans cannot.”
Ian cleared his throat. “Think we could get back to the mission now?”
Rafe motioned to Olivia, one eyebrow raised in question. She wished she could do that too. Intimidation at its finest.
“Well, I realized this scene came right from my imagination. Even down to the wilted zinnias in the flowerbed. That house? I saw a scary movie when I was a kid, and that’s how I picture a haunted house should look.”
“And the werewolf?” Ian asked.
Wow, her cheeks were actually heating in embarrassment. “I also wrote an epic horror story after seeing that movie. With werewolves, vampires, ghosts, zombies and just about every creature I could think of in the supernatural world. Had I not gotten rid of the house, we would have found a coffin in the basement. Well, after fighting our way through the zombies, of course.”
Rafe snorted again, covering his laughter before getting back to the business at hand. “So all this is your creation?”
Olivia looked from the meadow to the woods, which resembled the back of their property. She stared intently at the trees as if trying to see what was beyond. “Yes,” she whispered, “and Willie is here.”
Devlin immediately tucked her against him, snarling. Rafe and Ian stood side-by-side, hands on hips as they searched for their enemy.
“Has anyone seen Jack?” Rafe asked casually as if they were at a dinner party inquiring after an old friend they’d hadn’t seen in awhile.
Olivia inhaled sharply. “No. Oh my god, I was distracted by the house and hadn’t realized he wasn’t here. Do you think he’s alright?” She clutched Devlin’s arm, digging her nails into his bicep.
He patted her reassuringly, “I’m sure he’s fine. Which way Olivia? How do we find Willie?”
“The woods.” She knew it. Felt it in her bones. His darkness was practically calling to her.
Rafe and Ian took the lead, with Olivia following and Devlin behind her, watching her back. Once they entered the woods, a darkening gloom settled over the forest. She knew this was Willie’s doing, not hers. Concentrating, she brought the ambiance up slightly, thinking of a sunlit day with bunnies hopping around.
She saw Ian glance over his shoulder and shrugged. This was the best she could do. She noticed how silently the men walked, predators at their finest and remembered she was now a predator also. With no recollection of how she knew what to do, she suddenly realized her feet were just as silent. Stepping carefully to avoid the dry leaves, her body had automatically gone into stealth mode. Wow! This is so cool. She wanted to high five Devlin in her excitement. Then she remembered their bond. Hey, I’m an awesome ninja predator now. I feel like I can sneak up on anyone. She heard Devlin snort in her head. Boy, these guys had snorting down to an art form. One sound from him and she translated it to, you’re not that good yet, you’re funny but cute, don’t make me laugh.
Ian and Rafe stiffened, coming to a halt. Devlin closed in from behind, resting his hands on her shoulders. Again she was trying to peer around the giants in front of her, but Devlin clamped down to keep her in place.
“Aw, come on, let her see her friend. Maybe she can revive him. Wouldn’t you like to help him, honey? He is your friend, you know. I would say that you can’t leave him here to die, but ironically, he’s already dead. Think you can save his soul?”
And Willie laughed, like a fork sliding across a dinner plate, the noise grated on her nerves.
She heard growling, loud, deep rumbling from Rafe and Ian as they shifted and leapt towards Willie. Olivia started to scream, about to warn them that he had no substance; that their claws and teeth would not work. But she was wrong. Willie went flying as two ferocious wolves attacked. She watched in shock as they ripped into him without mercy.
Devlin grabbed her hand. “Come on, we have to help Jack.”
Olivia swiveled her gaze to the man lying on the forest floor, unmoving. She ran with Devlin, dropping to her knees beside Jack.
“Jack, oh Jack,” she sobbed.
He was so still; his eyes open and gazing up towards the canopies. There was nothing there. No spirit, no soul. Nothing. She could not feel a spark of light anywhere. She reached for his hand, wanting to hold on to him and feel his flesh for the first time. Devlin had his arm around her, kneeling beside her and squeezing her against him, trying to give her some comfort in her loss.
Her hand went right through him as he disappeared. Olivia dropped back on her heels in shock. What did this mean? Had he even really been here? She felt that wave of despair you feel when someone dies, then that hope that they weren’t really dead. Someone had made a mistake. Jack couldn’t be gone; she had just spoken to him. The growling and snarling across from them had faded into the background. The brothers were taking care of Willie, Devlin was murmuring quietly beside her and rubbing her back. Everything would be alright, she told herself. This wasn’t real. She had to block everything out and think. She needed to process this, work out a hypothesis. A small part of her knew she was in shock, the other just wanted out of this realm and to curl up in bed and cry.
“Got you!”
She looked up to see Willie directly in front of her with his hand in her chest. She gasped, feeling her heart stutter and freeze. As the darkness came, she heard him from far away whispering to her.
“Death realm baby. My world, my rules.”
“Son of a bitch!” Devlin shouted, leaping at Willie as he disappeared. He was gone, his laughter echoing through the woods and fading away.
Devlin turned back to Olivia and pulled her into his arms, desperately trying to wake her up. He tapped her cheek, shouting her name the whole time. Her lips were turning blue.
Rafe and Ian shifted back when they heard Devlin shouting. What seemed like hours had only been a few moments in time. They looked around, expecting to see Willie’s blood and body parts strewn around the area. There was nothing. No blood, no bones, no Willie.
“What the hell?” Ian muttered, pushing his hair back as he looked around too.
Rafe saw Devl
in holding Olivia and could see he was panicking. Racing over, he reached down to feel her pulse. He looked to Devlin, seeing the hope and trust in his eyes. He could not let his brother down.
“Ian!” he shouted. “Get Melanie to open the doorway, now!”
A moment later they were back in the bar.
“Devlin, lay her on the floor, we have to start CPR.” Rafe waited two seconds before grabbing her out of Devlin’s arms and laying her down on the hardwood floor.
Devlin growled, but Ian was there in an instant. “Hold her hand, talk to her. Rafe will do the physical part, you can reach her mind.”
Rafe had straddled her and ripped open her shirt. Once they’d crossed back, the dress had disappeared, and she was back in her old clothes. The illusion was gone, but the attack had been real. He heard Lisa in the background calling their pack doctor, James, as he worked. He had his palm on her breastbone with his other hand wrapped around his wrist. He pushed, hard and fast. He had to get her heart beating again. He heard the crunch and knew he’d either broken her sternum or some ribs. It didn’t matter. Broken bones were worth the price if she lived. He stopped his counting and tilted her head back. Pinching her nose, he blew two quick breaths into her lungs. He saw everyone around him in his periphery vision. Melanie was crying and laying her hands over Olivia’s heart as soon as Rafe retreated, using her own sort of magic to try and heal her. Rafe doubted it would be enough. Lisa was at her head, chanting and also laying her hands on Olivia. Maybe her magic combined with Melanie’s would help, he didn’t know. He went back to stimulating her heart and saw a single tear roll down Devlin’s cheek.
“Come on, damn it. Breathe!” Rafe shouted at her. He had never seen his brother cry. He never wanted to see it again.
Devlin watched as his brother thumped his mate’s chest. This could not be happening. This feeling of helplessness surrounded him, sucking him into a quagmire of despair. His own heart felt the split when Willie had stopped her heart.