by Leela Ash
“I know you struggle a lot with putting things together, Lia, but in case you didn’t realize it, you’re in mortal danger. But lucky for us, we’re one body short of Malishk’s sacrifice. And you’re going to do nicely.”
“Sacrifice?” Lia breathed.
“That’s right, human,” Max said, his features suddenly contorting to reveal something downright terrifying. His skin turned a greasy black color as sprouts of thick fur began to grow in curly tufts. His eyes were a clear gold and they stared into her face hungrily.
“We’re going to enjoy this tremendously,” Max said with a low growl, before his face returned back to normal.
Lia looked away quickly, all the blood in her veins ice cold from what she had just witnessed. Whatever Max was, he wasn’t just a wolf shifter. And he wasn’t just a bear shifter either. But whether bear or wolf, one thing was certain. The man was utterly terrifying. She had to get out of there. And soon. Otherwise, she, and Stonybrooke, were going to be doomed.
13.
“The hell?” Kane grumbled to himself, glancing down at his phone. It had rung briefly, and then suddenly cut off. When he checked the number, his heart lurched. It was Lia. Maybe she had simply called him by mistake. Or maybe something was wrong.
“Kane, where are you going?”
Michelle sighed as Kane rushed out of her office, where they had been discussing placement of Lia to continue her math course, but he didn’t have time to acknowledge her. If something was wrong, his time would be limited.
Kane glared down at his phone again. Why hadn’t she left him a message? Was she all right?
As Kane hurried down the hallway, heading for the doorways, he dialed Lia’s number impatiently. Three times he called and she didn’t answer. Something was strange. Maybe Courtney would know what was going on. Hopefully, they were together and all his worry would be for nothing.
“Dad?”
“Finally! It rang like six times. Where the hell are you?”
“Um. Lia didn’t tell you?”
“No, that’s kind of why I’m calling. I can’t find her anywhere. And she tried calling me but won’t pick up.”
“Shit…” Courtney mumbled. “I’m going to try calling her too. Maybe she just feels weird talking to you or something.”
“Sure…” Kane said, though the thought stung. Why wouldn’t Lia want to talk to him? Was it because he was making her drop her math class? Or was the whole damn situation too much for her to deal with? He wouldn’t blame her in the least if that was the case. Still, he had a bad feeling about all of this.
“Okay dad, I’ll call you back.”
“Thanks,” Kane said, hanging up the phone quickly and bursting through the doors of the university.
If Lia wasn’t with Courtney, that meant she was alone somewhere. And why hadn’t Courtney answered him when he’d asked? He was going to grill the hell out of her when she called him back. Something wasn’t right about any of this.
When he reached the parking lot, Kane closed his eyes.
“Now’s the time old buddy,” he mumbled to the wolf. “Help me find her.”
He was silent for a moment as he became overwhelmed by the wolf’s senses. Everything seemed brighter and louder and more fragrantly scented, and he took a deep inhale, desperately hoping to peg Lia’s scent. Maybe it was nothing. He hoped it was nothing. But something told him he was right to be concerned.
That suspicion was confirmed when he stopped suddenly in front of the bus stop and found Lia’s phone on the ground, its screen shattered, with three missed calls from Kane flashing on the home screen.
“Fuck!” Kane growled, punching the side of the bus stop. A few lingering students paused to stare at him with wide eyes, and he glared at them viciously enough that they ran the other way.
When they were gone, he raised the phone to his nose and inhaled deeply. The scent on it made him instantly sick. Max. He would bet his life on it. And they were nowhere near the school anymore. They had gotten into some kind of vehicle and disappeared. Almost definitely against Lia’s will.
Before he could stop himself, the transformation had already begun. It was frowned upon to shapeshift on campus, but there was no time to worry about the stupid little rules that were put in place to make sure the youth didn’t participate in needless dog fights for dominance. This was a matter of life and death, and if anything happened to Lia, he would never be able to forgive himself.
Kane unleashed a rueful howl and took off running in the direction of Lia’s scent, every so often catching a new whiff of it despite the vessel she was forced to travel in. If he was even just a second too late, it could spell the end of the line for the sweet young woman who had offered to sacrifice herself for the shifter cause.
Damn it. Why would she do such a thing? Was she stupid or something? She wasn’t even a shifter, for fuck’s sake. She could get herself killed over a battle she had nothing to do with. And for what? What did she have to gain from all of this?
Before he knew it, Kane was just outside of Stonybrooke, and as he looked around, he realized that he knew this place. It had been in one of his dreams, long ago, and the Council had informed him that sacred rites were done here.
The bear shifters liked to do their rituals tauntingly close to wolf territory, hoping the proximity might lend their vengeance more power. If he remembered right, there would be a building up ahead and to the left, and a larger one further down the path. But it was the first building he wanted. That’s where he had found what he was looking for in the dream, and that’s where he was going to go now.
“What the hell?” Max exclaimed as Kane’s wolf form burst through the window, shattering the stained glass depiction of three holy men making a sacrifice to the gods. They were no holy men to the wolf shifters, though. They were hell-bent on bringing the wolf shifters down.
“What are you doing with her, Max? Where is she?!” Kane demanded, shifting back into his human form. Lia was nowhere in sight. Was he too late?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Max said, fixing a cold, calculating smile on Kane. But he wasn’t in the mood to mess around.
“Where… is my… fiancé?” Kane said, doing his best to contain himself. If he killed a member of the school, no matter what Max’s alliances might be, then Kane would be disqualified from the running. Apparently, Max had found the loophole and decided to kill Lia instead. But there would be no holding the wolf back if he found out he was too late. Until he knew for sure, Kane would have to do his best to stay calm.
“Oh, her?” Max asked dismissively. “She’s being cleansed is all. Wouldn’t want you to have an unholy bride on your big day.”
“Cleansed?” Kane spat. “What do you mean ‘cleansed’?”
“It’s quite harmless,” Max said, his dark eyes glittering. “It will only hurt for a few moments.”
“You son of a-”
“Let go of me!”
Kane’s blood turned to ice as Lia’s voice reached him, seemingly below ground. Of course. There was a basement or something in this place. That’s where Lia was being held.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Max cautioned lightly.
But Kane ignored him and tore through the building until he found a staircase leading down.
“Really, Desmond, this isn’t your place…”
“Fuck off, Max! Before I tear you apart!”
When he reached the bottom of the staircase, it took a moment for Kane’s eyes to adjust before he saw Lia strapped to an altar at the back of the room, two huge men standing in front of her. One of them held a knife to her throat, and the other was chanting words in a language that Kane didn’t understand but he knew to be an ancient bear shifter tongue.
“Drop your weapon!” Kane shouted, barreling forward and tackling the man with the knife from behind.
“Kane! Look out!”
The warning registered too late, and a sharp pain flooded Kane’s head.
“I see you fou
nd your whore,” Max said, the smug sound of his voice filling Kane’s heart with fury.
A deep growl resonated from the back of Kane’s throat, and again, the transformation overtook his body, and soon, he was baring his fangs at Kane, who had begun to transform into something else entirely.
“What the hell?” Lia whispered. Kane watched in horror and grim fascination as Max’s body began to contort into a sickening combination of half wolf, half bear. The two large men performing the ceremony continued on as if nothing had happened to intervene.
“O’larcha en Malishk! Ergarda en whit!”
Kane’s heart lurched in panic. He didn’t need to be fluent in ancient bear to know his worst fears were being realized. They were going to sacrifice Lia to Malishk. He was going to lose another woman he loved.
He didn’t have time to reflect on the thought before Max’s transformation was complete and the two were engaged in a bloody battle. Kane cried out in pain as Max shoved him backward with one powerful paw, leaving an open gash in Kane’s chest.
Lia let out a piercing scream of pain as a knife’s tip was forced against her skin, letting small drops of blood fall from her clavicle and onto the floor, each drop sending a golden beam of light hurdling toward the ceiling. If they were able to finish the ceremony, who knew what kind of power might be unleashed?
Max cried out in agony as Kane’s strength doubled, and he sunk his teeth hard into Max’s neck. They wrestled each other violently, which was difficult with the size difference. Max was much larger and had the strength of a bear. Luckily, Kane had always been the alpha of his peers and knew how to fight strategically.
Lia cried out in pain again, and another drop of blood spilled from her body and onto the ground. Max’s eyes shone with mirth, fueling the rage inside of Kane to its breaking point.
A sudden burst of strength erupted from Kane, and he leapt behind Max and pounced on top of him, pushing him face-down onto the ground. Kane’s mouth filled with the taste of blood, and Max let out a gurgling cry. But Kane didn’t let up, and soon, he was standing over Max’s limp body as the blood drained from the man’s torso onto the consecrated ground.
As soon as he was sure Max was finished, Kane lunged at the man with the knife and knocked him forward, onto his knees. The knife flew from his hand and clattered to the floor. Before the man had a chance to fight, Kane ripped out his jugular, leaving the other man motionless from terror.
Kane slowly shifted back to his human form, knowing that most of the time, mages and priests, holy men of both shifter sects, were rarely blessed with strength. It would be too easy to kill this man. He had a better idea instead.
“Who do you work for?” Kane asked, bending over swiftly to retrieve the dead man’s knife. He held it out, his eyebrow arched, and the man quivered like a leaf.
“I’m not at liberty to…”
Kane stepped forward menacingly and the man let out a yelp.
“Thames. Thames sent us here to take care of the girl.”
“Why?”
“We need a sacrifice. To invoke the powers of Malishk. To purify the lands once more and retrieve the Serah Stone.”
“Well…I know how disappointing this probably is, but you’re not taking this girl.”
“No…”
The man’s fear was sickening. Sickening enough that Kane had second thoughts about letting him live. But he still had questions.
“How is it possible? That Max was half bear, half wolf?”
The man bit his tongue and shook his head.
“Are you sure that’s the right answer?” Kane asked, again, stepping forward without disguising his fury.
“It was done through the power of magic.”
“Are you like him?”
The man nodded reluctantly. “But I am not allowed to fight. That’s why Max was here. To guard us.”
“I see,” Kane said, walking slowly over to Lia and untying her gingerly. She fell into his arms trembling, and he held her close, still holding the knife out toward the hybrid shifter. “I want you to send a message to your master.”
“Of course,” the man said, holding his hands in the air and nodding. “Anything.”
“Let him know that he failed. And if he ever comes near me and mine again, I will rip the heart straight out of his chest. He’s failed. He will always fail. The bear shifters will never rise, and they sure as hell will never get their grubby paws on the Serah Stone.”
The man was silent, pursing his lips in rage, but Kane knew he would deliver the message.
“Are you all right?” he whispered into Lia’s ear. She nodded, sucking in a long, shuddering breath, and Kane set his jaw. He was going to take her out of here, away from danger, and keep her safe for as long as he lived, just as she had done for him; for Stonybrooke. No matter what the cost.
14.
Lia was still shaking when the taxi pulled into the driveway of the Desmond residence and Kane paid the man far more than the drive had been worth. The driver accepted the tip graciously, not knowing exactly why he was being treated so kindly, and quickly pulled away before Kane could change his mind.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Kane asked, his deep, sexy voice soothing in her ear.
“I’ll be fine. It was just a little scary,” Lia said quietly. In truth, the area where the man had sliced into her flesh was burning as if he had dipped the blade in something terrible; unless it was just her imagination. Either way, the blade had made an impression upon her, physically and psychologically.
“Come on, we should clean the wounds out,” Kane said, whisking Lia quickly inside the house and into the little bathroom they had been sharing beside his bedroom. It was the closest to the front door. “Sit.”
Lia did as she was commanded, her heart thudding hard at the command. She still couldn’t get the image out of her mind of Kane’s fully naked body standing protectively between her and her captors. The way he had fought, although terrifying, had been shockingly heroic. He was truly brave. She had noticed despite herself, he was also remarkably well-endowed.
“Take your shirt off,” Kane demanded, digging through the medicine cabinet and pulling out a small vial of liquid unlike any she had ever seen. Kane seemed to notice her staring at it and smiled gently. “This is to counteract any negative magic that might have been imbued on the blade. A dirk like that could leave you fucked up for life if you’re not careful.”
“Shit, you’re right,” Lia breathed, holding the bottom of her shirt. She knew she should let Kane tend to the wounds, but the idea of undressing in front of him made her nervous.
“Come on, we can’t wait on something like this,” Kane said impatiently. “There’s no need to be modest with me. We’re engaged, after all.”
He winked at her, though his face was still serious. Lia’s heart pounded as she slowly lifted the shirt over her head. She looked away as Kane’s dark eyes bore at the gashes on her chest.
“This might sting, so brace yourself,” Kane said, sucking in a deep breath as he poured the cool liquid over the cuts. Lia hissed in pain as the tonic worked its magic, and soon, the burning sensation she had been feeling since the man, conducting the ceremony, had cut her.
“How did you find me?” Lia breathed as Kane’s strong but gentle hands rubbed the tonic deeper into the cuts.
As much as it hurt, she had to try to distract herself more from the impulse that she was having to hold Kane tightly. Maybe even bring his full lips against hers. The longing was even worse than the pain, and she had to be careful. He would almost certainly reject her, even if it was appropriate for them to be together. He couldn’t possibly be interested in her like that.
“I followed your scent,” Kane answered, carefully placing a gauze bandage over the wound and taping it gently in place. “I thought it was strange when you wouldn’t call me back, or answer my calls. Courtney thought you just didn’t want to talk to me.”
They both chuckled quietly. It was clear, without he
r saying so, that Lia wasn’t the kind of cowardly little girl to avoid talking with Kane. Still, they both knew the marital situation was complicated, and with Lia’s feelings for Kane growing deeper by the day, maybe it would be reasonable for her to avoid him, at least at some point…
“Well, thank you,” Lia said softly. “For saving my life.”
Kane was quiet for a moment, and then finally stood up.
“Don’t worry about it, kid. Come on.”
He helped Lia to her feet and they walked back into the bedroom.
“You ought to sit down and get a load off,” Kane said, guiding Lia gently to the bed. “It’s been a hell of a day for you.”
“Thanks,” Lia said quietly, looking down at her hands. Kane turned to leave, and a sudden panic welled in her chest. “Don’t leave me. Please. Could you lay with me? At least, until I fall asleep?”
She surprised herself, and clearly, Kane as well, with the request. But in her fear, all she wanted was to be close to somebody. To feel safe. Nobody in the world made her feel safer than Kane, and he shifted awkwardly in the doorway.
“I guess I can do that,” he said gruffly, clearing his throat and sitting down rigidly on the bed beside Lia. “Are you all right?”
“I just really don’t want to be alone right now,” Lia said apologetically. “I can’t help it.”
“Of course,” Kane said, easing Lia gently down onto the bed so that she was laying down beside him. He propped himself up against the pillows beside her, and before she knew it, she was asleep.
***
When Lia woke up, it was deep into the night and Kane was dozing off beside her. He looked absolutely gorgeous in the moonlight; his chiseled features shadowed in all the right ways, making him appear almost as if he were a handsome statue from eons ago.
He awoke with a start as if he could sense her eyes upon him.