by Emma Dean
“Then you can have my soul, but only after I die from natural causes or from the blood feud.”
The demon winked at Piper and then walked around the pentagram the witch was drawing. She ignored him like he didn’t matter and that frightened Piper even more. This witch had survived Eisheth and wasn’t worried about Forneus. How much power did she have exactly?
“Too bad you didn’t state that in the contract. Seems your little witch doesn’t give a shit about you as much as you thought she did,” Forneus mused. “Although if you like…I’ll take a pint of Piper’s blood in payment instead.”
Why the hell did everyone want her blood so badly?
“Done. We only needed two pints for this spell. Now get out of my way.”
The Alpha grabbed for her and Piper snarled – actually snarled at him. The look of surprise on the croc’s face would have been comical if she could actually shift and do something to protect herself. But she had to save any chance of that for when the others showed.
Where the hell were Jess and Eisheth with her mates?
The croc Alpha grabbed for her again and she kicked at him, pulling against the strangers arms. “Why do you want to curse the pride?” she asked when he finally got a hold of her and yanked her to his face.
“You may have just been claimed by a leopard, but you will pay for what they’ve done with your life,” he told her. That gravelly voice was cold and heartless despite the emotion she’d seen on it when the demon had mentioned his son.
“Please, you don’t have to do this,” she pleaded as he dragged her over to the witch.
Then she saw the iron shackles on the wall right above the pentagram. Piper knew then that they planned to bleed her dry. It was all her blood or nothing, especially since it seemed to be so precious.
The other crocs crossed their arms over their chest and ignored her. Piper wouldn’t get anywhere with them. “Why my blood?” she asked the demon instead while the Alpha closed those shackles around her wrists.
Forneus came within biting distance and she seriously considered it until he grinned at her, showing sharp teeth that reminded her of some kind of deep sea creature. Piper recoiled, but didn’t take her eyes off him. “Didn’t anyone tell you?” He leaned in then and whispered in her ear. “Pharaoh’s blood has enough power to open one of the Seven Seals of Hell. I have a few friends I promised to get out about a millennia ago.”
Her heart stopped beating for a moment as she took that in. Her blood…could do that? No wonder so many outside sources wanted in on this. What happened here today – it could change the world. This was why Jess had been assigned her case.
The knowledge didn’t make her feel any better. It made her feel worse if that were even possible.
Then the witch stood up and dusted the chalk off her hands. Piper was finally able to see what she’d been drawing and…it terrified her. She had never seen a pentagram so complex and detailed. The witch had to have been working on it for hours and it was flawless.
As a scholar she was impressed. The demon texts all said the more complex the pentagram the more power required to cast it. And this was a demon spell – not a normal witch one. Somehow this witch had enough power to pull this off without any help from a demon.
Yup, Piper was officially scared of her.
“Circe, are you ready to do the honors?” Forneus asked, holding his hand out for the witch.
The name made Piper do a double take. She looked the witch in the face for the first time and realized it was the very same witch who’d given her the talisman. That was how Forneus knew. What a bitch.
Circe smiled at Piper. “Being neutral is boring. This was way more fun.”
Morgan had trusted her, and Piper had trusted Morgan. Why do this? “What do you get out of it?” Piper asked. How could this possibly benefit her?
“Enough!” the Alpha croc snapped. “Let’s get this done already.”
“There has to be a way to work this out!” Piper yelled as Circe walked away, and in her wake she felt that power stir, terrifying her. “We could end the blood feud if you’d just be willing to sit down and talk with us.”
All five crocs laughed at her.
“Baby girl,” the Alpha said gently, almost like he regretted this whole thing. “It’s been going on for over two hundred years. You’ve been aware of it for a week and a half and you want us to what, kiss and make up? There are too many dead on both sides for us to let this go.”
Piper pulled at her restraints. She needed to get free, or shift, or…shit she was in trouble. Circe started mumbling and held her hands up as she did so. If her mates didn’t come soon Piper would be dead.
Where were Eisheth and Jess? Had they betrayed her like Circe had Morgan? Or were they doing as she’d asked? It was impossible to know in her current situation and that terrified her. Piper felt so helpless, so weak compared to all these powerful people and she knew without help there was no way out of this for her.
Circe closed her eyes and her voice grew louder as the power in the room built. Piper could feel it on her skin like air right before lightning struck. The magic tasted metallic and she pulled against the shackles with all her new strength and still they held. That’s when she saw the incantations etched into the metal.
Well…at least she’d tried. There was one last thing she could do, but Piper didn’t know what would happen if she tried to shift while shackled in enchanted iron. Probably nothing good. She felt despair rushing up to swallow her whole. No one had come for her, or if they were they were going to be too late.
As the spell went on Piper felt her necklace warm and it gave her a small shred of hope. There might be a chance to hold them off until Eisheth could arrive with her mates.
But then Circe came forward with a wicked looking knife in one hand and she went straight for Piper’s neck. Her necklace flared and the witch cursed. Piper used that opportunity to kick as hard as she could. The light from her necklace blinded her, but she heard the knife clatter to the ground.
Then suddenly someone was touching her and she snarled.
“It’s me babe,” Xavier whispered. “I’m sorry, we had to wait for the perfect moment. It’s a good thing Niko was right about your necklace having real magic.”
Relief flooded her so hard and so fast Piper sagged against the shackles. He cut through the metal and she fell into his arms when they finally released. The sound of snarls and screams filled the parking garage and she was almost too afraid to look after what had happened in the library.
But Piper needed to see. She looked up and saw Jess holding Circe by the throat. She lifted the woman up and the sheer power and force required to do that astounded Piper. Whatever Circe was, she was nothing compared to a demon witch.
Then the woman just…disintegrated. Her entire body turned into ash. When Jess turned to look at Piper her eyes glowed – they literally glowed with hellfire. Piper shuddered; eternally grateful this hunter was on her side.
Eisheth was there as well, throwing nasty-looking magic at Forneus. The two were well matched and wicked fast as they popped in and out of existence to avoid each other and the curses.
Xavier helped Piper stand and she looked up to see Caleb grab a croc and literally tear his arm off to keep him from grabbing Niko. And Niko in leopard form was pure, violent poetry. He shook one of the crocs by the neck hard enough to snap and then went for the next one.
But then the crocs shifted. One of them clamped down on Niko’s leg while another went after Caleb while they were occupied.
“Go,” she told Xavier, pushing him off her. “Go help them before everyone is dead.”
He gave her one long look and then handed her a gun and a knife. “Don’t let anyone near you,” Xavier said. “We’ll take care of this.”
She nodded and cursed Forneus and his timing. A few more days and she’d at least know how to shift into a leopard.
Jess went after a croc, but he was insanely fast in his animal form, dodging the
hunter at every opportunity until she just…jumped on his back, wrapping an arm around its throat and another over its head like Piper had seen people do on animal documentaries.
When Jess muttered under her breath the croc was force-shifted back to human and without hesitation she snapped his neck. It was awful but Piper couldn’t look away. Never had she seen so much violence in her life.
Then a crocodile ran at her. Piper shot without hesitation, not even thinking about what she was doing. All those days at the gun range with her father had paid off and it dropped to the ground in a heap, a bullet-hole through its head.
Piper heaved, throwing up everything she’d eaten that day. The guy had just tried to sacrifice her, but she’d taken a life. She forced herself to watch as he shifted back into a human. Piper memorized his face.
She told herself this had been survival. Piper had done what she had to do to stay alive. If the croc hadn’t taken her, hadn’t tried to kill her twice – he’d still be alive.
It didn’t make her feel much better, but it did give her a grim determination. If one of these bastards came at her or her mates she wouldn’t hesitate then either. Piper would choose an alternate path if she could, but this was her life now.
A snarl and then a yowl made her whip around. Piper saw the biggest leopard was under two crocs. Caleb must have shifted at some point. A second leopard was bleeding on the floor, unable to stand or help. The second was trying to get the soft underbelly of one of the crocs – she assumed Niko was the one who was hurt so this had to be Xavier.
Caleb was dying under those two crocs as they shook him. Piper could see it as his chest heaved, trying to breathe.
Jess was too busy with Eisheth and Forneus. There was no one to help them. Piper knew if she didn’t do something and fast she was going to lose Caleb, if not him and Niko. There was no way she was going to allow that to happen.
Piper stepped forward, ready to shoot another croc, but she fell to all fours instead. Then she opened her eyes and everything looked different. The world seemed bled dry of color with only a few left – like watching a film in sepia tone. When she went to step forward she stumbled and Piper looked down to see paws instead of feet.
She’d shifted.
Somehow her desperation had helped her slip from one body to the next.
If she could have smiled she would have. Instead she ran straight for the crocs attacking her mates and let her instincts take over. Piper bit down on one croc’s tail as hard as she could and he whipped around to face her, releasing Caleb.
Now that she had his attention she didn’t know what to do and Piper froze, panicking.
The croc snapped at her and she moved. Suddenly she was running, trying to sort through all the new sounds and smells and the strange colors of the world.
“Whoa there, kitty cat,” Eisheth exclaimed when she darted around him. He had Forneus in a strong hold while Jess tied him up with what looked and smelled like enchanted zip cuffs.
She dashed for Caleb who had managed to get free from the other croc. Between him and Xavier the croc was ravaged and in pieces before she could blink. Piper ran toward them, hoping they’d be able to get the one on her ass.
Niko was still hurt and laying on the floor in a heap. Piper was scared whatever was wrong would be something irreparable. The smell of her mates’ blood on the air made her panic and it was impossible to focus on any one thing. Piper stumbled as she reached Caleb and as one, he and Xavier turned on the croc chasing her.
Suddenly the croc realized his mistake and tried to run from her mates. But they were on him in a flash. Piper looked away from the carnage, just glad to be alive even if she felt shaky and unsure in this new form. She had no idea how to turn back into a human.
Piper slunk over to Niko and sniffed his leg, which had a bone sticking out of it and blood was everywhere. If she’d been human she probably would have puked again. He lifted his head up and looked at her with such tired and pained eyes. Piper rubbed her head against his jaw and then curled around him.
At least Niko was still alive. She would protect him until the others took care of the danger.
With all the crocs dead but one, Piper knew they’d managed to avoid disaster – just barely. But she’d killed someone. Four crocs and a witch and one of them had a son. It made her so incredibly sad. She felt desolate inside. Piper knew it had been survival – her pride or their group – but it didn’t mean she liked how it had turned out.
She released a massive sigh and rested her head on Niko’s back. There had to be something they could do to end this blood feud. Piper didn’t want to have to wonder if she was going to lose one of them one day to an attack. There had to be a way.
Then that other croc’s heart stopped and she knew it was over. Xavier and Caleb loped over to her and Niko.
Eisheth and Jess had Forneus and as soon as they took care of him…it would all be over.
Chapter Twenty-One
Piper
Eisheth clapped his hands while Jess wrangled Forneus. “This turned out even better than I’d hoped.”
Piper didn’t lift her head, but she did glare at him. Her mates were severely hurt and she couldn’t turn back into a human.
The demon sighed. “Fine, one last time just so you don’t get any ideas and chew on my favorite shoes, my little queen.” Eisheth snapped his fingers and Niko’s leg was completely healed. The blood matted on his fur was gone and she couldn’t smell…any blood at all.
The crocs were no more than piles of ash and Caleb and Xavier looked perfect. Then suddenly they were naked men and rushing to help her. The soft body below her had skin instead of fur and Niko’s gentle murmurs as he stroked her back shocked her.
Piper backed away, not sure how she felt being touched in her cat form yet.
“Babe, it’s okay,” Caleb told her, but he was just so big as he bent over, reaching out for her.
Then Xavier got down on one knee and held his hand out for her as well. “All you have to do is think about what it feels like to be human. Remember the colors you could see, the way wind feels in your hair, sunlight on your skin, and then close your eyes.”
“We’re here for you,” Niko whispered. “All three of us.”
Piper closed her eyes as Xavier had suggested. Then Caleb’s deep, warm voice was so soothing to her sensitive ears when he murmured, “Darlin’ the three of us will always be here, forever. We’re not going anywhere without you. We love you, please – just trust us.”
Then the world sounded different and she opened her eyes. Piper gasped when the riot of color was back and she checked her paws/hands. All five digits were there. Then she realized she was naked. Piper covered herself with a squeak. Her mates were naked too, but they clearly weren’t worried about it with all those abs and rippling muscles.
“I got this,” Eisheth muttered. Another snap of his fingers and she was in a long, flowy sundress.
Piper thanked him and then she realized all her mates were clothed too. For some reason that made her blush. “That was weird,” she said.
All three of them smiled at her and pulled her in for a hug. Then she kissed each and every one of them as thoroughly as possible. She thought for a moment she was going to lose one if not all of them. Piper hadn’t realized until that moment just how insanely intertwined her life was with theirs now.
The idea of living without any one of them…it was soul crushing. There was so much despair waiting for her at the end of that thought that Piper finally understood exactly what Caleb meant by going feral. It would certainly be better than living without them, because it wouldn’t really be living if they weren’t by her side.
“Is it really over?” she asked. “No one else will come for my blood?”
Caleb shook his head. “It’s over for now. That was the Alpha of all the crocs in Florida. By the time they regather the Council will be on their shit.”
“You still have me,” Eisheth said. “I have to protect your blood indefinit
ely.” He inspected his nails and sighed like he hadn’t agreed to this willingly. “I could kill everyone who knows, but it’ll just be easier to take those memories. Don’t worry about that.”
Caleb nodded. “The blood feud isn’t over, but I’m hoping with a new Alpha we might be able to try and get a truce. You never know.” He shrugged and looked down at her. “Crazier things have happened.”
Piper hoped he was right. It was something she planned to address as soon as she’d found her place in the pack. The life of the croc she’d killed weighed heavily on her, but she saw now what her mates had meant when they’d told her they were willing to do anything to keep her alive.
Everything was different when her life, or the lives of her mates were at stake.
“You did so well,” Caleb told her. “You shifted all on your own.”
“Yeah,” Xavier agreed, helping her to her feet. “You bit the shit out of that crocs tail, and let me tell you what. Charlotte, the kitten, did that to me once and it fucking hurts.”
That made Piper laugh despite everything. “Charlotte bites your tail?”
Niko pulled her in for a hug so it was just the two of them. “She is the little baby for the entire pride. You’ll get to meet her soon,” he murmured into her hair. Then he kissed her. It was long and slow and toe curling. Piper melted against him and breathed in his scent. Then Niko pulled away so he could look into her eyes. “Thank you for protecting me.”
Piper was dazed and all she could do was nod. That had been some kiss.
And as if Xavier knew that was exactly what she was thinking he pulled her in for one of his own, slipping his silky tongue into her mouth while he slid his hands into her hair. “Yes, thank you for helping us. Without you we might not have made it.”
Then Caleb pulled her over to him and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up as he kissed her hard. It was a kiss she would never forget as he forced her mouth open so he could taste her. He nipped her lip and she couldn’t help the groan she made. “Delicious,” he murmured.