by Kim Faulks
I stilled at his husky tone, then I was moving. Ignoring the shredding pain in my chest, I scurried along the concrete. “Stop, Sol. Tell him to stop.”
I knew who the bastard was now—one of Sol’s soldiers—a warrior of the Echo pack. Something snagged my foot. I punched with the heel of my boot and kept on moving. No. Please, Goddess, no. A weight fell on my back, slamming me to the ground. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Could only hiss as Sol’s wolf dropped his weight. “Get off me. Get him off me, Sol.”
The heavy bastard moved. Air whooshed before I caught the brunt of his fist on the side of my face. The jolt snapped my head to the side. A high-pitched whine fought through the ringing in my ears. “That’s for breaking my fucking nose.”
I dropped my head and sucked in the air, finding the double-crossing snake. “I did what you asked, Sol. It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault.”
“You killed the wrong fucking man, Abrial. You know the deal. The Alpha for Rowen.”
I dropped my head. “I want to make a new deal.”
Sol’s chuckle filled me with fear. “Get her up.”
Cruel hands gripped my arms and yanked. I sagged against the side of the building as I stared at a fucking chest. I couldn’t fight. I couldn’t even lift my head to stare at the bastard who worked me over. I’d given the race through the forest to save Maddy everything. I had nothing left.
The man I’d made my bargain with shuffled under the glow of the streetlight toward me. His left arm hung useless from his body, mauled and deformed. The left side of his face wasn’t any better. The flesh was swollen and twisted, protruding like a tree struck with lightning.
A plague that killed half the wolves left just as many to rot on the outside. The sickness cared little if they were man, woman, low-born, or second-in-command of one of the largest shifter packs. On the outside, this tainted piece of shit was just a shadow of the man he’d once been, but on the inside he was twice as angry, and twice as cruel.
“I want to make a new deal.”
He shook his head. Black eyes pierced me. “The time for deals is over. You’ve had your fun. Chains or the knife—you choose.”
No chains—never. I’d rather die than be sold to a demon. I closed my eyes and thought of Maddy and her baby. I’d failed them. A pent up breath escaped with a whimper. I opened my mouth, the word knife on the tip of my tongue.
“Get away from her.”
The man at my back stilled.
“I said, get away from her.”
I turned my head, searching the shadows. A scuff of a shoe drew my gaze. Marcus stepped under the light, head lowered, focused on the man behind me.
His eyes burned, dancing like a bloody flame. Not wolf. Not human.
Dangerous, my wolf whispered.
He dropped his gaze, setting those flickering orbs on me. I felt their heat, their desire, and their rage all mingled in one.
“Marcus.” I felt my whisper echo inside.
My heart pulsed a little harder, driving pain like rusted nails into the back of my head. I lifted my arm. “Stay away. They’ll kill you.”
His lips tightened, curling at the edges. “I’d like to see them try.”
An icy finger trailed its way along my arm, and for a second, the world stood still… waiting, hoping, until Sol’s husky voice sliced the air. “Take him.”
The hand around my arm let go. I stumbled backward, hitting the wall. My knees trembled. I drove my fingers into the grooves, holding on. This is all my fault.
The shifter stepped to the side, rounding Marcus, moving toward the corner of the street and into the light. He towered above my savior, dropping his gaze to size up his opponent.
Sol sniffed the air. “What are you?”
I held my breath, waiting for the answer.
“Now, there’d be no fun if I told you.” Marcus shifted his gaze to Sol, then to me. “But, I could always show you.”
I turned to grasp Sol’s arm. “Stop this. He’s got nothing to do with this. He’s not involved.”
The wolf lunged, head down, all teeth and claws.
Marcus’s death filled my mind, until I couldn’t see anything else. My heart leapt into my throat. “No!”
The wolf swung his arms out wide, gripping Marcus around the waist and taking him to the ground. Flesh turned into fur as the shifter jerked his hand up.
I dragged my fingers along the wall as I swung my gaze to the bastard’s deformed face. “I’ll go with you. I’ll do anything you want. Don’t hurt him, Sol. Please, don’t hurt him.”
There was a second when the shifter’s hand hung suspended in the air. When I thought the sonofabitch would take my offer. When my world stood still. Then, with one shake of his head, the moment was over.
The shifter slashed. Claws raked the air, arcing, destroying. Bits of white cotton fluttered toward the ground. No!
Sol’s feet dragged, warning me to turn my head, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away. Marcus lunged to his feet and swung at the wolf’s head. Sol grasped my arm and dragged me close to his chest as the pair on the ground traded blow after blow. I fought Sol’s hold, thrashing as Marcus fell to one knee.
Sol slammed me against the wall. He tried to block my view, but I yanked to one side. Behind Sol, the wolf dropped his head to Marcus. I caught the glint of long canine teeth in the light, biting down. White teeth turned bloody. Marcus screamed and I felt the sound. The terror ripped through my blood like a jagged knife.
Sol dropped his head, whispering, as the men traded blow for blow. His words traipsed across my mind like a lover’s touch. A deadly lover—a jilted lover.
“Give me your answer,” Sol snarled.
“Don’t. Give. In.” Marcus growled, wrenching his head toward me. His fevered gaze burned into mine. The wolf snarled, driving his fist into Marcus’s stomach. The blow tore his eyes from mine.
Sol’s brushed my arm with twisted fingers. “I’m waiting.”
I clenched my fists. My top lip slid back as spittle flew from my mouth to splatter against Sol’s cheek. “Yes. The answer is yes. Now leave him alone.”
I shuddered and whispered a prayer as his diseased hand left me. Marcus knelt, shaking, his back to me. Something wasn’t right. I gripped Sol’s gnarled and knotted arm and shoved. “Get off me. Let me see. Let me see!”
Marcus thrust his head upward, barging into the belly of the wolf. The shifter howled, taking the brunt, then dropped to the ground. His hands slid to his stomach as he lay on his back. Under the yellow street light, his blood turned inky, pooling under his body to fall into the cracks of the pavement. I jerked my arm out of Sol’s grip and stumbled forward.
Fire licked the air as Marcus roared. I jumped at the sound and wrenched my head up. He turned, setting those burning eyes on me. Flames burst from his open mouth, easing with each heaving breath. I lifted my gaze to the thick horns that pierced his forehead, then my eyes fell to the blackened limbs that dropped to his side.
I licked my lips, trying to find a breath, and stared as massive wings spread. His skin was ripped and severed, large holes were torn in the middle. A whimper slipped from my lips at the sight. His eyes searched mine, waiting for me to scream, or to run.
I wouldn’t run. I wouldn’t scream. He’d risked his life to save me… twice. The pulse in the back of my head stole my thoughts. My fingers trembled, dancing across the air as I reached for him. The echo of steps drifted to my ears as my world toppled sideways, then crashed to the ground.
Something slid under my shoulder. I stared up into those eyes as the fire turned to embers.
“I’ve got you, wolf. Sleep now. I’ve got you and I won’t let you go.”
Marcus
I held her tight against my chest as she closed her eyes. Those perfect lips parted, mumbling words I didn’t understand. I drew in her scent—blood, musk and something sweet. “Sleep, wolf. I’ve got you.”
Blood crusted her hair and coated her face. I traced the darkened line
along her temple to where it mingled with the lava of her hair. Fire lashed torn skin as I eased my wings closer, folding until my body swallowed them once more.
It’d been hundreds of years since my dragon ran free, but this wolf caused him to roam twice in one day. I’d spilled blood, broken bones, torn flesh in her name—I inhaled, drawing the stale stench of this world into my lungs—and yet, in this moment, I’d never felt so alive.
A dark blur moved through the trees. I stopped and jerked my gaze from her face. The thick scent of male saturated the air. Underneath the musk was something fetid. I narrowed in on the movement and snarled.
“I see you, wolf. Come near her again and I’ll do more than spill blood. I’ll incinerate your fucking soul.”
The bushes rustled. Leaves crunched. I traced the passage until the trees swallowed the sound. “I won’t let them hurt you.” I gripped her tighter, reveling in the way she curled her body around mine.
They’d come for her, just as I knew they would. The second he wrenched the broken stone from his pocket I’d known what I had to do. Follow them. Hunt them. Just as they hunted her.
To see her hurt and desperate made even the dragon feel weak.
I want to make a new deal.
Her words lingered as I headed for the Jeep. I clutched her body with one hand, laying her head against my shoulder while I opened the back door. But my back wouldn’t bend and my hands refused let her go—even my body betrayed me when it came to her.
What deal did she want to make? What deal would drive her to her knees?
“Tell me your secrets, little wolf.” I leaned close, stepping into the back of the car. Her legs hit the seat. She looked so peaceful, no more pain, no more hunger. No more running—not right now.
I pressed my face against her temple, inhaling the scent of pine in her hair as I lowered her head against the leather. Her skin was so warm. One kiss, my dragon whispered, take it. I flinched at the thought. No, not like this.
Her hair fanned out against the tan leather, like a river of blood. She jerked in my arms as I eased her head against the seat and stepped backwards. Not blood. Not her blood. The slow thump inside my chest quickened.
Under the interior lights, her pale skin turned yellow and blue. The left side of her face was already starting to swell, pouting the corner of her mouth. Cuts and grazes marred her once perfect skin. I couldn't find part of her that wasn't scratched or bruised.
I won’t let them touch you again. My finger trembled as I traced the line of her jaw. I’ll take care of you. An ache echoed through the hollow of my chest as I stepped out of the car and closed the door.
Barren—that word had no meaning before, yet I felt the word now as I yanked open the driver’s door and slid inside. I smacked the rear view mirror, angling the reflection down.
The engine started with a throb, still I missed the low growl of my Chrysler. I shoved the car into gear and hit the accelerator. The car lunged forward, spitting gravel across the road as I pulled back onto the asphalt.
The trees and road signs blurred into one as I pushed the Jeep harder. Take her home, take care of her. The loop ran through my mind. I pushed the car through blind corners as I worked my way home.
My eyes stung, blurring as I glared into the rear view. Did her chest rise? Did she make a sound? I felt the front of the car lift as I hit the base of the mountain. A growl slipped from my lips as I wound higher and higher. I rode the brake, swinging wide as I found the driveway.
Overgrowth hung from the pine trees forming a canopy of ivy. I eased the Jeep beneath the heavy foliage and hit the remote for the gate. She whispered and thrashed against the seat. I edged the car forward as the old gate rattled, sliding open.
My foot slipped as I rode the pedals, slamming her against the back of the seat. The leather around the wheel softened under the heat of my grip. Easy. The car crept forward before I punched the button and the gate jerked close.
I rolled the Jeep around the curve to where the stone mansion waited. White slate peeked out from the thick ivy growth. Stay away. The building growled. Or I’ll bite. The blinking green light waited. I pressed the button and watched the garage door lift.
The car idled while I searched the darkened garage. For the first time I felt something other than anger and hate. Fear crept over me like a silent predator, stealing the steel from my spine.
How would my family react?
A murmur resounded, followed by a whimper from the back of the car. I lifted my gaze to the mirror. Whatever they thought would have to wait.
Dead inside. All of you, dead.
The shaman’s words snatched away the bite of fear. I took my foot off the brake and the Jeep crawled forward. This wolf needed me… Abrial. I plucked her name from a darkened corner of my mind. That’s what her attacker called her.
Abrial.
I yanked the brake and switched off the engine. Soft ticking followed as I stepped out of the car. Careful, my dragon warned. My damn hands shook more now than they did laying her against the seat. I snagged the handle and opened the door.
Her chest shuddered with the effort, rattling something deep inside. I punched the seat and inched my hands under her body. My muscles strained, trembling as I lifted her against me and crawled out of the car.
The garage was a blur as I strode through. I hit the handle of the door with my elbow and the door swung inward. Soft hallway lights beckoned as I climbed the stairs. Her breaths were jagged and harsh. I moved faster, taking two steps at a time. She’s in pain.
“Marcus.”
White overhead lights bathed her face in their glow. I jerked my head up at the soft sound of bare feet. Lucas raked his long curls back and stifled a yawn. “Marcus, what are you….”
One look at her in my arms and he was racing toward me as I climbed the last stair. Abrial looked worse in the harsh white light. The side of her face was darkening. Dried blood stuck her hair against her face. But it was the sound in her chest which drew my younger brother closer. “Goddess above, what happened to her?”
My throat thickened. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but there was nothing but a hiss. Doors opened as I passed. One by one, my family crowded the hallway. I couldn’t look at them, couldn’t see the fear and the anger in their gaze. Not yet. Not now.
Not when I had Abrial in my arms. I carried her along the hallway until I reached my bedroom and shoved the door aside. Don’t let her go, snarled my dragon as I strode through the room. I shoved the top cover aside, and lowered her onto my black sheets.
“Is that?” Victor snapped behind me. I blinked as he hit the bedroom light. “Is that the wolf from the hospital?”
I could only nod. She looked so tiny, swallowed by the size of my bed—and so fragile. Her blood soaked my shirt. My pulse thundered at the back of my head. Sour acid rose in my throat. No, not her blood.
Victor came closer, placing his hand on my arm as I straightened. “What do we do?”
“You get out. That’s what you do.”
My lip curled at the witch’s harsh words and spun. The shaman parted my family with her cane and shuffled into my room. Her eyes never wavered from the fragile figure in the middle of my bed.
The need to protect her coiled like a serpent. I crossed the floor toward the witch as she neared. “You’re not welcome here, old woman.”
“Welcome? No, but needed just the same. So, out. All of you. Especially you.” The butt of her cane punched me in the middle of my chest.
My grip tightened. I shook my head. “No.”
“No?” The old woman snarled, wrenching her gaze from mine to the wolf and her hard brown eyes softened.
The chokehold on my throat tightened. “I need to be with her.”
I lifted my gaze to see the defiance in her eyes soften as she lowered the cane. “I’ll take care of her, dragon. Believe me, I’ll take care of her. Go now. You don’t want to see this.”
I shook my head, holding the shaman’s gaze. Life, death
… wasn’t it all the same to a woman who existed between the deceased and the living?
“I’m not gonna kill the one I sent you to save, dragon.” The old woman hissed.
A hand reached for my arm, dragging me away. Victor’s calm words seemed to filter through. “Come on, Marcus. Let the witch do her work. Come on.”
The slow ebb and flow of a tide swelled, rocking… lulling me. I yanked my hand away from his grasp. “Enough, Victor.”
Abrial whimpered, blood frothed from her mouth… the sight unhinged me. “Let me stay… let me stay for her.”
The old woman pierced me with a look of dread. “As you wish.”
“We’ll be waiting outside.” Victor muttered and headed for the door.
My brother’s steps echoed, until the click of the door left Abrial’s harsh breaths to fill the void.
Stark crimson smudges dragged my focus to the bed. The wolf looked so small and so damn fragile. The old woman shuffled to the other side of the bed, yanking sticks and stones from a purse around her waist, then finally a bloodstone, bigger than any I’d ever seen.
Abrial whimpered, bubbles filled with blood burst on her lips to splatter her face.
“When I start there’s no stopping dragon, not even when she begs… and she will beg. You hear what I’m saying, son?”
Son. The word resonated, dragging to the surface, fear, loss and regret like a long forgotten stone. I met the shaman’s gaze.
“I’m using dark power to separate her human side from the wolf’s. I need to drag the beast to the surface for her to shift and heal.”
I shuddered at the thought, separating one from the other would be like cutting someone in two. How could you separate molecules and DNA? What kind of damage would that do to slice your soul in two? My breath caught and for a second I couldn’t breathe.
“The wolf won’t like it and it’ll fight the entire way. One small mistake and either side could be damaged… for good.”
I flinched and turned back to Abrial. Damaged? What did that mean? Images crowded my head. Could Abrial be left with as a wolf and no human, or a human and no wolf? I exhaled on a shudder and whispered. “No stopping—got it.”