TwistedRevenge

by Mia Bishop

  “Wh— What is that thing?”

  “It’s a Fae creation. It’s a way for Fae or any creature who has access to it to travel from one point to the other. The one in this forest was always guarded by Ulric’s warriors because he always feared the one in red would travel this way. It’s how your parents were able to flee with you before Ulric could murder all of you.”

  “And it’s magic?”

  “Yep, strong magic.” As they moved closer to the shimmering light, Rowan could see it was a platform. The base looked like crystal and the shimmering light seemed to emanate from it. Luc motioned toward the platform. “You stand there in the center and it will take us to the other platform that is close to the Arch.”

  She scrunched up her face, a ton of questions springing to mind all at once. “How? Is it safe?”

  Luc laughed. “I have no idea how, I’m not Fae. It’s their magic that does it. Is it safe? Yes. I’ve never heard of anyone having problems using it. And it isn’t the only one. There are pairs in every kingdom. It’s a way to make traveling to and from the Arch easier. Ours is set smack dab in the center of the forest and the other platform is set near the Arch. So if for example, you came through the Arch but needed to get to the other side of the forest, you would use the platform and then you’d end up here, which means half of your journey is cut out. However, my father banned anyone, even the wolves, from using it so travel in the forest has been a lot harder for these past twenty-two years.”

  “Why were there no wolves at the Arch guarding that one?”

  “Because my father wanted to bait you if you had tried to use it. With his wolves stationed at this one, anyone who came through was slaughtered immediately. Eventually word spread and everyone here learned to never use the platforms.”

  “He had innocent people killed on the off chance that they might be me?” Luc didn’t answer, but the look on his face made her heart break. His father had been a monster. He knew it and he didn’t need her to remind him of it. She tried to push away the idea of innocent travelers stepping on to the device only to be torn apart by Ulric’s wolves when they arrived at the second platform. She’d known he was a monster before, now it was solidified. Any remorse she’d had for killing him was gone. Her hand squeezed Luc’s as she looked up into his green eyes.

  “Ready?”

  A half-smile tugged at his lips as she mimicked his earlier words, “As I’ll ever be, I guess.”

  They stepped onto the platform together. Rowan held her breath, not knowing what would come next. The light flared and wind seemed to come up from the platform, blowing her long hair all around. Her grip on his hand tightened. A bright burst of light had her squeezing her eyes shut and Luc held her steady as a pulse of energy radiated out from the center of the platform. As quickly as it had happened, it subsided. The wind died down and the light dimmed until it was back to its soft shimmering colors. She looked around and gasped. It had really worked. They were standing on a platform not far from the Arch. Her face lit up. “It worked!”

  “Of course. It’s magic.”

  She frowned and looked around. “When we came through the first time why didn’t I see the shimmering light?”

  “I’ll show you.” He pulled her from the platform and as soon as her feet were on the ground, the shimmering light stopped.

  She blinked and pointed at the platform. Without the shimmering light, someone could easily pass by it without knowing it was there. “What just happened?”

  “Everyone knows there is one near the Arch so there is no need for it to emanate light. The ones that are out in the kingdoms shimmer like beacons so travelers can find them easier. Like a lighthouse.”

  “Wow, those Fae really put a lot of work into all this magical travel stuff, huh?”

  He nodded. She was stalling and they both knew it. “If you want to stay, Red, you can.”

  “I can’t and we both know it. I killed their leader. Your pack hates me. Your friend Colin said so.”

  He shook his head. “He said they didn’t like seeing it but they understand why you had to do it. And they do respect you. I think, in time—”

  She cut him off. “In time, what? They will get over it? Do you really think they could ever look past that? You’ve already said they need to heal from what your father put them through. We need to think about the pack. There’s more at stake here than just you and me.”

  “You and I are important.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “But so are they.”

  He pulled her to him. The pad of his thumb rubbed over her bottom lip. “You are, and always will be, mine.”

  The mark on the back of her neck tingled as he leaned down to kiss her softly. Heat washed over her. Her hands knotted in his short black hair. His kiss turned from soft to demanding. He pulled her closer, crushing her body to his as his tongue warred with hers. His fangs tugged at her lip. She could feel herself shake as every ounce of her soul was poured into that last kiss. She wanted to make it worth it if she was never going to feel his lips pressed against her ever again. Minutes ticked by—she wanted them to feel like hours but instead they rushed by like seconds and before she knew it, the kiss was over.

  Luc stepped back and finally released her hand. “All you have to do is walk through the Arch.”

  She nodded and turned toward it. Every step she took forward was a fight to not run back to him. When she came to edge, she knew it’d only take three more steps, just like before and she’d be back in St. Louis, back in her world where she belonged. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her right foot moved forward, then her left.

  One more step to go.

  * * * * *

  Piper was reclining in his tent. His soldiers were all set to attack but unfortunately, Rowan and Luc had ruined his plans. At least he got in the last laugh. He knew that neither of them would be selfish enough to put their happiness above Luc’s pack. He propped his booted feet up on the table and picked up the goblet of wine one of his soldiers had set on the table next to him. “Josephine, time to enjoy our victory.”

  The witch stepped out of the shadows behind him and trailed her petite hand over his shoulder. “You are celebrating early, my love.”

  “Don’t mock me, Josephine.”

  Her tone was even more patronizing, “Mocking you? I would never.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh, you would too but nothing you can say can bother me today.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes really. What do you want from me now, witch?”

  She came around and trailed her hand down his chest, every button her fingers glided past popped open. He stared into her hazel eyes. She was lovely, he had to give her that much. Josephine was not the haggish witch of legend. She was soft and supple in all the right places. Her hips were shapely, her tiny waist cut in to accentuate her hourglass frame and her breasts all but heaved against the binding of her corset. She leaned forward, teasing him with her plump breasts in his face for a brief second before her head dipped down to flick her tongue over his bare chest. “Maybe I just missed you. Is that so hard to believe?”

  He thought about it for a minute and smirked as his hands tangled in the waves of auburn hair that cascaded over her shoulder. The only thing the witch seemed to want from him was sex and power. He was willing to fuck her but she wanted him to share his power with her when he accumulated it. Of course he’d agreed. It was the only way she would give him the gifts he wielded freely thanks to her charm spell on his flute, but it was also a promise he didn’t plan on honoring. “Yeah, it’s a little hard to believe. We both know you only have two needs.”

  A cruel smile curled on her full red lips as her brows shot upward. “Oh? What two needs do I have?”

  “Power and,” his hand shot out and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing slightly, “sex. So which have you come to collect from me today?”

  Josephine laughed and her eyes darkened with lust. “I came to watch your power play but
the way you are touching me reminds me that it’s been a while since you’ve satisfied me.”

  “Darling, you are never satisfied. You’re a damn glutton.”

  She licked her lips and nodded in agreement. “Guilty.”

  “Unfortunately I don’t have time to fuck you today. You see, I am in the middle of this scheme that requires my full attention.”

  “You and I both know your plan fell apart. From where I’m sitting,” her eyes traveled down to his cock that was already straining against his pants against his will, “you look like sex is the one thing you do have time for.”

  “You are such a bitch. My plan didn’t fall apart.”

  “The Big Bad Wolf is dead, his son and the girl lived, which means the pack territory won’t be ruled by you and your army.” She tapped her finger on her chin, “Come to think of it, that means the rest of our plans have just gotten a lot harder. How is this not a catastrophe?”

  He groaned. “We can still gain power. At least it will help us that the Black Forest will be under the control of Luc who couldn’t really give a shit less about whom or what passes through his forest. He’ll be too busy trying to rein in his father’s pack of mentally unstable mutts. We will be able to come and go as we please.”

  “And you are certain that your other plans will fall into place?”

  “Of course. Prince Phillip is still under my control. Aurora will not wake up any time soon. The kingdom will become so desperate that they will demand that her father find a way to break their beloved princess’s curse and that is where I come in.” She coughed and narrowed her eyes at him. Piper grinned. “I mean, that is where we come in.”

  “You aren’t concerned at all about the loss of the Black Forest?”

  “The territories are secondary to our cause, my dear. They will fall into place later if we lose them now. It will all work out in the end. You said I would gain power by ruining all of their fairytale endings. Striping them all of their happily ever afters will make them weak and what makes them weak makes me stronger. Having the kingdoms at my command will happen eventually. I might not have gained the Black Forest this time around but I did manage to put the wolf and the girl together only for them to be ripped apart.” A cruel smile turned his lips up as he rubbed his hands together. “The best part is, I won’t even have to lift a finger to finish the job. They are doing it themselves. Sacrificing their own happiness for the sake of the pack. It’s pathetic really and they deserve to be unhappy if they are willing to put others before themselves.”

  “You know what they say about sacrifice, don’t you, my love?” She gave him a sweet smile when he refused to answer. “Sacrifice breeds miracles. I don’t think you should be gloating just yet.”

  He pushed her back from her perch at his feet and glared. “Are you saying I have failed?”

  Josephine shrugged her shoulders and gave him a bored look before examining her fingernails as if she had nothing in the world to keep her from monotony. “Perhaps. Would you like me to consult my bones again?”

  A tic worked in his jaw. He was confident nothing could go wrong but now her words were worming their way into his mind. Doubt started to surface. “Fine, do it. Show me just how wrong you are to doubt me.”

  She hopped up and pulled a leather pouch from her belt. He moved out of her way as she threw her arm out, tossing the contents of his small table crashing to the floor. He had to admit he did love to see her work her magic. His mouth practically watered when she reached between her heaving breasts to retrieve a piece of chalk she kept hidden there. She quickly scrawled a circle with intricate symbols in the middle. He watched as her hand slipped into the leather pouch. Josephine chanted mysterious words of magic, ones he’d heard her mutter countless times before but he still could never figure out what she was saying. One minute it was bright out and the next minute, a dark cloud hovered over Piper’s camp. His soldiers were outside, whispering about dark magic, just as Josephine cast her bones from the pouch into her circle. Piper couldn’t contain his eagerness. “Well, what does it say, witch?”

  “Shush.” Her brows drew together as she studied the bones. He paced behind her and the longer it took, the more he dreaded what she’d have to say. Finally she stood straight and smiled adoringly up at him. “All is well, my love. The wolf is walking the one in red to the Arch to say their finally goodbyes.”

  Her smile was contagious. She looked to be proud of his accomplishments. As much as he loathed her, somehow her pride in him made his chest swell. He swore he stood a bit taller after watching her grinning at him. “See, I told you. Nothing to worry about.”

  She nodded her head gracefully. “Indeed you were right, I should not have—” She stopped midsentence and stared at her bones. They were vibrating within the circle, jumping around as if they were alive. The tremors from the small bones grew more and more violent. Soon the table itself was shaking as was the ground beneath their feet. “Josephine, what is happening?”

  “I… I don’t know. Something’s changed. Quickly, get your flute. Scry for the wolf.”

  He did as she commanded and went to the small bowl of water he used for his scrying. He played the notes of the flute until the water rippled with vibrant colors and finally stilled and revealed the scene he’d wished to see.

  Luc and Rowan stood at the Arch. They had been holding hands. Everything was as it should be. Piper groaned. “Nothing’s changed. Your bones were wrong, look, they are saying their goodbyes. All your worries for nothing.”

  She peered over his shoulder as if she were afraid to face the vision head-on. She watched the couple and let out a sigh of relief. “But my bones are never wrong. I don’t understand.”

  He almost wanted to comfort her. Almost. Comfort wasn’t in his nature but she looked utterly confused by what she’d seen and what her magic had told her. Piper drew away from the bowl and wrapped an arm around her, leading her toward a nearby chair. “Sit for a spell. Maybe you’ve just lost your touch.”

  Her eyes snapped up, filled with hatred. “I have not lost my touch. Something is wrong, I’m telling you.”

  “Nothing is wrong. I’ve won.”

  “But—” She looked away.

  He’d had enough of this. If her magic was failing, then she was of no use to him. He’d have to find a way to be rid of the witch for good.

  It was a shame because she was such a good lay.

  His hand curled around the knife on his belt. One quick move and he could sever her head from her body. He was just about to unsheathe the blade when Aengus walked in. “Not now, boy. Leave us.” Piper glanced over to see Aengus staring into the bowl, the boy’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Did you not hear me? Leave us.”

  Aengus pointed toward the vision in the bowl. “But, sir, something’s changed. I think you need to see this…”

  Chapter Eleven

  Rowan took another gulp of air as she made her third step. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn’t want to go but she knew she had to. Before her foot could touch the ground, she felt something grab her hand and pull her back to the fairytale side of the Arch. Her eyes flew open to see Luc right before he captured her mouth with his. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming. Maybe she’d slipped and hit her head on her way through the Arch but the way her body responded to him told her this was all too real. He gripped her hips and picked her up, never breaking the kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and greedily darted her tongue out to stroke his. His mouth devoured hers as images of what else he would be doing to her flickered in and out of her mind. She gripped his hair, letting her body melt against his. He broke the kiss to whisper against her lips. “Don’t go.”

  Her heart thudded in her ears. She wasn’t even sure if she had heard him correctly. “What?”

  “Don’t leave me. Stay. I don’t care how hard it might be. We will make it work. Will you stay with me?”

  “But what about your pack?”

  “They will accept you. You freed the
m and you freed me from the madness. I needed my revenge but the moment you defeated Ulric, all of that washed away. All I need is you.”

  More tears streaked her cheeks. She could only nod her head yes and kiss him more in answer to him.

  Luc had been ready to stand back and watch as Rowan headed toward the Arch even though it killed him inside. He was sure it would be the end of him. He needed her in his life a whole lot more than she needed him but he couldn’t be selfish and tell her to stay. His shoulders slumped when he watched her take her final steps toward the arch. That’s when a twig snapped behind him, drawing his attention away. Colin and Joffey both stood at the tree line. Luc glared and hissed, “Not now. I’ll deal with pack business later.”

  Colin cleared his throat. “With all due respect to our new alpha, you are a fool and so is she.”

  Joffey nodded in agreement. “Time to be selfish, Luc.”

  He narrowed his eyes at Joffey. “Since when are you my cheerleader?”

  “Since she broke our spell.”

  Colin gripped Luc by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. “It’s true. It happened when I got back to the den this morning. All of the pack that had been affected by Ulric’s madness seemed to snap out of it all at once. Their heads cleared and they could think for themselves again.”

  Luc looked at the men and then back at Rowan. Her eyes were closed. He couldn’t help but smile. She was leaving the same way she’d come in. He shook his head. “My father’s selfishness caused his insanity. I can’t bring that upon the pack again. The Big Bad Wolf is dead. I refuse to become him.”

  Colin’s eyes glanced from Luc to Rowan and then back to Luc again. “Without her, I fear that is what you are destined to become.”

  “You’re saying that I will become my father?”

  “Without her, yes. Your father didn’t have anyone to soothe him, comfort him or offer him support. He had your mother for a time but he forced her into being his mate, she didn’t come willingly. It was the farthest thing from true love I’ve ever seen. You and this girl, it’s the real deal. She calms your wolf. She calmed all of us. Isn’t that enough to tell you what you have to do?”