by Ava Mason
Carrie was trotting around the scene, nose to the ground. Her fur ruffled in a light breeze. She moved with the same elegance and grace as when she was in human form. Suddenly, she began to move away from us, heading into the forest, sniffing the ground furiously.
“Where are you going?” Denver asked.
“She can’t talk back, you know,” I said.
“I know.”
She didn’t wait for us to follow her, so we set out on foot, jogging after her. I considered transforming into my dragon, she was moving pretty quickly now, but discarded the idea. I probably wouldn’t be able to see her from over the treetops. We jogged at a steady pace for a while, barely keeping up with her. Abruptly, she paused and began sniffing the ground again in a circle. Was she loosing the scent?
“She better not get in trouble,” Denver said.
“Or else what?” Tallon asked.
Denver didn’t answer.
Suddenly she took off again, sprinting and growling. We raced after her but her speed was no match to our human forms. We only caught sight of Carrie’s honey fur every now and then, flashing between the trunks as she ran her way through the trees. Then we lost her.
We kept running, spreading out to cover more ground. I tuned in to my gift, looking for shifter magic. “Over here guys,” I called to them when I saw a purple and gold trace of magic. They followed me as I traced it to a cave.
We paused outside.
“You’re sure it’s her in there?” Tallon asked.
“No, but some kind of magic is in there.”
There was a loud yelp, echoing loudly in the cave, and we rushed forward.
The cave wasn’t very deep and it was littered with animal bones and shit. Carrie was fighting with a black wolf. They were a tangle of bodies, ripped fur and yelps filling the air. I yanked off my shirt but Denver held his hand out. “Wait.”
Heaving and wishing I could join in, I watched as they fought, and then she had the wolf pinned, on its back with its tail tucked between its legs.
“I got it,” Tallon said, jumping in. He was the biggest of the three of us and he pulled the wolf up by the nape of his neck. The wolf was large but skinny, almost emaciated. “This wolf has the same smell as from the crime scene?”
Carrie dipped her muzzle once, the closest we would get to a yes.
Anger surged through me and I stepped forward. If this was the wolf who’d killed that woman, I was going to squeeze his scrawny little neck. Watch as the life drained from his dirty, disgusting eyes.
“We need information,” Denver warned, putting his hand on my arm. I shoved his hand off me, then turned around, storming towards the entrance of the cave. I wanted to kill that motherfucker.
14
Carrie
We would force it to shift into his human form later and get answers, I was sure. I trotted behind the guys, my head high, feeling happy that Lizzy would have some answers to give the council. It had taken me a while to find the trail, as it had gone mostly cold. But he’d stuck around, drawing me to him. I was going on mostly instinct, at first, but when I’d smelled him in the cave, I knew it was the same scent as from the crime scene.
I followed behind Blaze, sniffing the air, looking for anything else that I might have missed. I suddenly smelled something different, something strange, and it snapped my thoughts away from catching the killer. The scent was strangely both foreign and familiar, close to the wolf we’d just caught. If there were more of them hiding here, I would find them.
I broke off from the men and wandered into the woods, following my nose. The scent was laced with magic, intoxicating like ecstasy, and as I followed it deeper and deeper into the forest, the scent became stronger and stronger.
My magic tingled, and I knew that was onto something bigger than the wolf himself, bigger than anything we had found until now.
Then, the trail suddenly disappeared. I halted, sniffing the ground around it. I smelled some rabbits and a couple of deer - maybe a doe and a couple of fawns.
Why was I here? I couldn’t remember what I was doing here anymore.
“Carrie!” one of the guys called me through the trees.
I turned towards them, wanting to return, but there was still something that held me back, something…
“Carrie!” the same voice called again, and I turned around and ran back to the guys.
When I reached the treeline, the men were all huddled in a circle, their boss, Max in the middle. He had arrived with a dark, official looking vehicle and two men in royal uniforms were present, too. The shifter wolf was in handcuffs, and one of the uniformed men – officers directly from the palace, no doubt – was reading him his rights.
The wolf had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders to cover up his nakedness. His clothes had to be somewhere in the forest. But the look on his face was what got me.
He looked scared but I wasn’t so sure it was because he’d been caught - he’d given a fight but not much of one. I trotted up to him, inhaling his scent.
He was petrified. It poured from every pore, filling the air around him. Dark magic also swirled around him but his body was thin and haggard. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Where were you?”
I turned to look at Denver. As a wolf, I couldn’t exactly talk to him. I could communicate with the wolves in my pack, but he wasn't pack. Plus, he was in human form, blocked off by that alone.
Ignoring him, I walked to my pile of clothes and looked up at the men that surrounded me. Max and the officers were still busy with the werewolf. Blaze and Tallon were talking about something in hushed tones. That left Denver, who was staring straight at me, anger pulsing from his eyes.
I met his stare, not giving in to his intimidation tactics, hoping he would get the hint and turn away. But, he didn’t, of course.
Oh yeah, asshole central here.
Grabbing my clothes with my teeth, I trotted into the trees to change.
Slipping back into my human form after being a wolf was always jarring. The world dimmed again, the colors muting and the scents and sound all around me faded. I was tempted to make one last run through the woods, the smell of the forest calling to me, but other things were much more important than that now.
Sighing, I bent over, pulling on my underwear – panties first, and then my bra.
When I stood to pull on my pants, I felt eyes on me. I glanced back towards the guys, right into Blaze’s brown eyes.
He stared at me unabashedly; I was pretty sure his dragon sight allowed him to see everything.
His eyes held mine for a moment, the look on his face capturing my attention; intense and powerful hatred. It was so palpable, I froze, my whole body chilling. Then his eyes slid slowly down my body, looking at my near nakedness without shame, a flash of lust overcoming his poisoned glare.
My whole body blazed red from the intense scrutiny, heat pooling in my stomach.
There was something about broken, tortured males that drew me in. I wanted to fix the shredded and jagged parts of the fleshy muscles, masquerading as hearts, that beat so brutally in their chests. Teach them that life could be filled with love and laughter again. But the look on Blaze’s face - so twisted in his hatred - I didn’t think there was any hope for him. I’d learned not that long ago that some men just weren’t capable of love.
So I dragged my eyes away from him, ignoring the fire raging through me, and put on my clothes. When I was done I jogged back over to them, avoiding looking at Blaze but turned to Tallon instead. “Now what?”
“Max is wrapping up, then the wolf goes to its cage, and we report to the queen herself. She summoned us.” Tallon surprised me with a genuine smile. “Good job, Pup.”
“Thanks!” I smiled basking in the warmth of his compliment. Probably the only one I would ever get from these guys. It quickly turned to a frown. “The Queen? She wants to see me, too?”
“You found the wolf.” Blaze’s eyes were still on me; opaque and cold. It mad
e me shiver, the lack of feeling in them.
“Not without help,” I said. “You guys—”
“Yeah, well, she’s invited all of us, so time to get moving,” Denver cut me off, turning towards the van. “Best foot forward, Kid. Don’t want to keep her waiting. She’s not someone you want to piss off.”
Piss the Queen off? How could I do that?
“Should I change?” I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt, wishing I’d worn something nicer now.
Denver turned back around and looked me up and down, nostrils flaring. “Something tells me that it won’t matter what you wear.”
I eyed his clothes; he was wearing his uniform, just like everyone else, but something about the way he wore it made him look handsome, regal, and so damn classy.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just get in the van,” Blaze sighed, walking off. Scowling, I followed behind them. When we got to the van, Denver didn’t bother to open my door. My, he was quick to put aside that charade. I was almost relieved; it had felt weird. Tallon opened the door instead, giving me a polite nod.
“Thank you.” I climbed inside. He scooted next to me, closer than he had ever before, and his warmth bled into me.
I’d asked for his support this morning, explaining that I wanted to shift but I was worried about their reaction. He’d not only assured me that it would be fine but had been so helpful in backing me up out here. Maybe he wasn’t so bad.
I was nervous about meeting the Queen - what if I did something wrong? Would she cut off my head?
Taking a chance, I leaned into him, hoping for some sort of comfort. He stiffened for a second, glancing up front at Denver, then he relaxed and put his arm around me. I sighed and settled into his chest, closing my eyes. He put his chin on the top of my head and traced my side with his fingers. I smiled, loving how it felt, hoping that I would still be in one piece after meeting the Queen.
When we arrived at the palace grounds, we were taken into the side room in the palace right away. While we waited, I chewed on my bottom lip, nervous as fuck.
“It will be fine.” One of Tallon’s hazel eyes winked at me. He stood so close, I could feel his heat bleed into my side. I nodded and dropped my hand, but I wasn’t so sure. What if I wasn’t dressed nice enough?
Blaze stood silently in one corner of the room, not looking at me, his dark brown eyes hooded. I stared at his pink leather bracelet, mesmerized by it. Who did it originally belong to? And did it have anything to do with the pain I glimpsed in him every so often?
Denver cleared his throat, drawing my attention away from Blaze to him. He stood right in front of Tallon and me, arms crossed across his wide chest. He, also, wouldn’t look at me, but he was giving Tallon looks that could melt Antarctica. What the hell was his problem? He’d made it clear I was nothing but a pawn to him, what should it matter that Tallon was being nice to me?
The doors to a side room opened, breaking me from my randomness, and we were summoned inside. I gulped, then trailed slowly behind the guys.
She was a Queen, alright. Authority hung around her like a cloud, with several guards and advisors looking up at her like she hung the moon. The room was tiny and everyone was crowded around a dark wooden table in the middle. Folders and laptops were scattered on the table but the only person sitting was a man wearing a soldier’s uniform, typing onto a computer.
The room grew silent as we walked deeper into the room, stopping across from the Queen. The Elite bowed deeply, and I followed suit, not looking up at her until the guys in front of me straightened out. Even then, I kept my eyes to the floor.
With other wolf packs, we had to offer ourselves to the alpha, showing our most vulnerable parts. But I doubted the dragon queen would appreciate me squirming in front of her, turning my neck up so that she could sink her teeth into me.
“So you found our wolf.” Queen Aria’s voice was musical, surprising me.
“Yes, my Queen.” Nodding, I finally looked up at her. She was stunning. A flash of red hair and skin like porcelain. Her green eyes softened. She looked slightly amused.
“And there was only one?” She looked at Denver.
Denver nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“We are grateful to you, Carrie.” Queen Aria turned back to me, and her smile looked genuine. “You have helped a wonderful cause.”
I curtsied because I didn’t know what else to do. When I looked up at her again, the Queen was full out grinning.
“I like you,” she said with a chuckle, then she looked away, turning her face to the side. The man at her right, a white haired older gentleman pointed to something on her computer and began to speak.
“That’s our cue,” Tallon hissed to my side, and we turned and left the room.
“So, the queen likes you.” Denver said, his voice filled with venom. “Praise indeed.”
“Thank you.” I wasn’t going to fight with him, not with the Queen right in the next room; I needed to represent Lizzy better than that. “Where are they taking the wolf shifter?”
“To the dungeon.” Tallon had a thoughtful look on his face as he led us to the door. “I’m sure they’ll be questioning him any minute now, that’s more Easton and Hunter’s department.” He opened the door and we all followed him back outside. “You busy now?”
I blinked, looking up at him. Was he asking me out?
“Shut up, Tallon. I’m sure she has to get back to her Alpha.” Denver was ahead of me so I couldn’t see his face.
“I’m not asking you, Denver. She has a voice of her own.”
“Actually,” I interrupted, feeling uneasy. “I do need to get back. I need to go over what we’re going to do next.”
“I’m out of here,” Blaze suddenly said, then he was running, peeling his clothes off. I saw a flash of his perfect ass before he jumped into the air, transforming into a dragon and, in only a few seconds, was flying off. I stared at him in awe - his black and blue iridescent scales shined in the afternoon sunlight and his large, muscular body weaved through the sky flawlessly. He was beautiful; I couldn’t stop staring, even as he got smaller and smaller in the sky.
“Fucker,” Denver spit out, then he too was jogging off. The toned muscles of his back rippled as he threw his shirt off, then his pants. I caught a glance of his thick, muscular legs, right before he transformed. His large nails dug into the earth, ruining the perfectly trimmed grass, before he shot off, a flash of orange and red.
“Look!” Tallon grabbed my arm, pointing at Denver. “Horns.” My mouth dropped open, then laughter pealed from my lips.
“I called it!” I sure did, when I’d nicknamed him Horns. He had two large black, spiked horns that curved out from behind his eyes, then six more behind his head, three on each side. Long black spikes trailed from head to tail, shimmering like oil in the light. “I guess Denver’s prickly, in all forms.”
“Pretty much.” He grinned at me. “Although, he’s not too bad when you get to know him better.”
“I’m sure.” I nodded, my lips tightening, not sure I believed him. We both stared at him as he circled the Palace grounds. He was huge, his wingspan as long as one wing of the castle, and his scales were shimmering red, with soft orange wings, a strong contrast to his black spikes.
Swooping down over us again, he breathed a billow of fire. Shrieking, I dropped to the ground, gasping, as heat blasted against the top of my head. Then, snorting, as if laughing, he made one last circle before flying off.
“I’m seriously doubting your taste in friends.” I frowned, standing up. He wasn’t looking at Denver but at me and I stilled, caught like a deer in headlights.
He just nodded, still smiling softly, then his hand came up to my face. Softly, as if not to startle me, he caressed my cheek. Eyes wide, I watched as his eyes took in my face, then his hand moved across my cheek towards my hair. Exhaling a soft breath, he ran his fingers through the strands of my thick, curly hair. I closed my eyes; it felt good. When his hand reached
my shoulder, he traced one finger down my side, landing on my waist.
“You’re pretty sexy, you know.” His voice was soft, husky. I opened my eyes; hungry eyes stared back at me. “For a wolf.”
I swallowed hard. “That’s what you tell me.” Then I looked away, unable to take more of his intense gaze. I looked around, trying to get my bearings. “How do I get back to the guesthouse?”
“Here.” Smiling, he curled his pinky through mine, leading me towards the parking lot. “I got you.”
15
Tallon
As soon as Carrie called me, I decided to seduce her first.
It was almost too easy - being an empath told me exactly what she needed and how she needed it. A part of her needed validation but she was also determined as hell. I assumed it was to find the wolf but it could have been for many different motivations. It didn’t matter to me. I was going to use it to get into her pants, and seeing Denver acting so pissy today - it was only the icing on the cake.
I almost never did that. We were tight as brothers, closer even, ever since I’d found him on the ground in the barn that night, with bloody hands and beat to a pulp. After I took care of him, cleaning him up and hiding him for the next couple of days. He’d made me promise to never tell another soul about what had happened. And I never had.
But the dynamics of our relationship were getting old. Denver had always had more than me; more money, more women, a big house, a fancy car. His dad was high up in the government, with enough political clout to make anything happen. He didn’t have to work for his money, he didn’t have to try to seduce women, they came to him willingly. In fact, they crowded around him everywhere we went, hoping that they would be the special someone he’d decide to settle down with - like that was going to happen. He had two loyal friends - me and Blaze, and constantly said that’s all he ever needed. That, along with his sister, who was sweet and caring.
And I was sick and tired of Denver getting whatever he wanted, all the time, and me only getting his scraps.