Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  After setting up her things, she used a rock to dig in the damp earth, shaping a fire pit and surrounding it with stones. Normally she wouldn't try to attract attention by building such a large fire, but if it were large enough, maybe she could draw the Weres out.

  Laying the base with sticks, she used her flint and tinder. The fire caught fast. Redlynn sat against her shelter and pulled an apple from her pocket. She unsheathed a hunting knife from her boot and peeled off the skin. She played and replayed the events of Anya's cleansing in her mind.

  A tear slipped from her eye and dribbled down her cheek. Cutting a piece of an apple Yanti had given her, she closed her eyes and shook her head to clear it . I've done cleansings a dozen times. And if I kill the King of the Weres, I won't have to do them again.

  The hours dragged on and the temperature dropped rapidly. Redlynn pulled her cloak tighter, exhausted from the events of the last twenty-four hours. But the anticipation of a fight left her antsy, despite her weary state.

  She grabbed two logs from the pile she'd collected; she threw them in the pit and slipped into her hollow. Curling up in her bedroll, she covered herself with her cloak. She stared at the fire, bleary-eyed.

  Over the last five years she'd watched Sisters find men and settle down, taking them out of active membership in the Sisterhood. Or leave the village, never to be heard from again.

  Just once, she wished that she'd find someone who looked at her with affection, instead of turning away from her like she was deformed. Maybe if she moved to a different village, and got a fresh start, she'd find a place where she fit in and belonged. Possibly in the farmlands, or in Westfall. She could start an apothecary like her mother used to have.

  Redlynn blinked slowly, uneasiness scratched up her spine. Silence permeated the air, but for the roaring fire. She sat up and pushed out of the tree. The crickets no longer chirped, and no animals rustled.

  Wind blew the smoke from the campfire in her direction and she coughed lightly. She stood and strapped on her sword. Her skin prickled. Redlynn scanned the surrounding area, her heart thudding. The crackles and pops of the logs on the fire sounded abnormally loud in the silence.

  A faint rustle emanated from the bushes on the other side of the fire. She grabbed her bow, notching an arrow. Calming her breathing, she strained to see into the blackness beyond the glow. This is it. What you've been waiting for your whole life, to become a hunter.

  Crunching sounded from behind her, and she spun around, aiming at the unseen assailant. A snap came from the other direction and she spun back . Keep it together! Redlynn breathed deep and remembered her training. She backed into the tree she'd been hiding in, not allowing herself to be surrounded.

  I can get off three shots.

  A Were broke through the darkness directly across from her, a guttural growl escaping the beast's chest. Twice the size of a normal wolf, it stood five feet at the shoulders. Its golden fur glistened in the firelight. Her palms were slick as she let her first arrow fly. One. It caught the Were in the shoulder and the wolf released an anguished howl. The beast's chocolate eyes trained on Redlynn. Several other Weres entered the clearing, circling about her. Pulling another arrow, she shot again at the golden Were. Two. He bared his teeth and batted it away with the swipe of a paw.

  A grey Were lunged, and she swung her bow, striking it on the nose. The animal yelped, stumbled and hit a log from the fire, sending it across the ground, snapping and spitting. The Weres stepped away, watching her. She loosed another arrow, but the Weres moved out of the way easily and it sailed off into the trees. Three. Crap.

  They were toying with her.

  "Enough games," she yelled, throwing her bow to the ground and taking off her long cloak. Her mind calculated the best option for attack. Unsheathing her sword, she swung at the grey Were, slicing into his flank. The beast yelped and stumbled, blood oozing from his wound.

  Redlynn lunged at him again and thrust her sword into his side. Pulling the sword free, she swung wide and prepared to finish him, but the golden Were attacked from behind, knocking her off balance, and the Grey escaped into the woods. Dammit!

  The golden Were knocked her to the earth, her face close to the flames. Angered by the escaped Were, Redlynn flipped herself away from the searing heat. She fumbled and lost hold of her sword. He pounced on her, pinning her to the ground with his crushing weight. Its giant maw was inches from her face, encasing her in the stench of its hot breath.

  Get up! Get out from under him, her mind screamed. She reached out, grabbed the arrow still stuck in his shoulder, and tried to shove. The arrow inched deeper, making the Were yelp in pain. Lowering his mouth, he latched onto her shoulder. His ice pick-sized teeth tore into her flesh and Redlynn screamed. Pain rushed through her. Another Were rammed into the golden one, and he lost his hold on her shoulder. She needed to gain control of the situation.

  Reaching for her boot, she pulled out her hunting knife and jammed it into the Were's fleshy under belly. Again, the beast latched onto her shoulder. Redlynn screamed in agony. Her bones crunched as her collarbone snapped, and her left arm went limp. She had to get the beast off of her. Reaching with her right hand, she clutched the hunting knife and pulled it out, shoving it into the beast's rib cage.

  The Were tumbled sideways. Rolling over, she struggled to her feet. Redlynn dropped the knife and grabbed her sword, hefting it with her right hand. Her weak grasp barely gripped the hilt. Blood poured down between her breasts and pooled at her waist, drenching her blouse. The golden Were lay on its side, unmoving. The Grey had vanished, but two more still watched her from the other side of the fire.

  Her left arm hung limply at her side, useless. Pain shot through her entire body, but she refused to give in to shock. If they attacked again, she was done for. In the lull of the battle, the smell of her own blood made her woozy. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, trying to gain her bearings. Reopening her blurry eyes, she swayed on the spot. Her sword arm fell and she struggled to lift it. She tried to formulate a plan, but her body felt heavy, and she couldn't focus.

  But still the Weres didn't move.

  "What are you waiting for?" she yelled.

  The Weres raised their hackles and bared their teeth, but something held them at bay.

  Oh no! There was no way she was going to let them wait till she was unconscious to finish her off. If they wanted her dead, they were going to have to fight for it.

  Gathering her remaining strength, she charged. Her sword raised, she ran past the fire straight at the two animals. Redlynn swung wild, barely controlling the sword. The Weres jumped out of her way and she missed them both. She had to choose. Lunging at the one on her right, she stabbed with her sword. The Were dodged and then reared back on his haunches before springing at her, knocking her into a tree. Redlynn twisted her body and hit the thick trunk with a whack. Pain pounded through her temple. Everything went fuzzy, and then black.

  Chapter Three

  "What happened to her?" Adrian demanded, bounding through the trees toward the smoke of the campfire.

  "She attacked us, my Lord. Dominic is dead, Paulo is badly injured."

  "Wait for me and don't touch her. I'm on my way," he growled.

  A female. A human female, in the woods. There hadn't been one in almost five years. Adrian needed to get to her before his men did any more damage, or before something worse found her.

  Rushing through the woods, he caught the scent of the animals hiding in their homes. Adrian loved the run. He loved the freedom of it. At the castle, there was nothing to do but fend off the bloodsuckers and exist.

  Females were precious, and Weres were forbidden from harming them, no matter what they did. If Dominic were dead, he deserved it. The scent of smoke grew stronger, and he glimpsed a flicker of light in the distance. He loped over a fallen tree and spotted a thick grove of eldergreens. Bursting through them, he came upon the small cove.

  Adrian surveyed the scene and began to shift. Dominic lay on
his side next to a blazing fire. Blain, Chrisio and Juda stood near the unconscious female. Forcing his form into its human shape, his bones snapped, his feet flattened. With the cracking of his knuckles, his fingers lengthened. The muscles of his spine pulled tight and forced him to stand on his feet. He sneezed as his nose flattened and his teeth retracted. The hair of his body shortened, revealing his skin, covered in a fine layer of sweat.

  Blain had his palm on the girl's forehead. Juda and Chrisio backed away from the female as Adrian stepped toward her.

  "What happened?" he demanded.

  Blain stood. "I caught the end of it. By the time I got here, Dominic was barely breathing, and Paulo had fled."

  Adrian neared the girl slumped by the tree, her flowing red hair covering her face. He brushed back a thick strand to reveal soft skin, the color of peaches. Her lips curved like a bow, pale as a pink rose. The sight of her set him on fire. High and thin cheekbones framed her small pixie nose perfectly. His gut clenched and the hair stood up on his arms. The scent of her hit him in a wave that coursed through his body and made him step away from her.

  His gaze whipped toward Blain. "Have you scented her? She's different."

  "She smells like any other female." Blain shrugged.

  He turned to the unconscious girl, his senses on overdrive from being near her. "Not to me."

  Though bloody and dirty, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. His inner wolf begged to be near her. A need lit within him, the likes of which Adrian had never felt. He blinked several times. What is this? This sudden rush of emotions he had for a female he didn't even know the name of. Adrian scowled. No. There was no way he was getting close to a Sister.

  He moved to her side and gently slid her onto her back. Assessing the wounds, a ripple of anger tore through him, and his gaze darted to Dominic's lifeless corpse. He growled and bared his teeth, wishing more than anything that Dominic were still alive so he could rip him to pieces for what he'd done.

  A gaping tear in her neck bled heavily. Her shoulder lay at an odd angle, her collarbone broken. It was possible the upper arm bone was broken as well.

  "Find some fernblend." Adrian placed his hand over the wound to try and staunch the flow.

  "Of course, my Lord," said Chrisio.

  He looked around for something to use for pressure. "Give me that cloak." He pointed.

  "What'll we do with her?" Juda picked up the cloak and handed it over.

  The things that Adrian wanted to do with her were not something he wished to discuss. What he should do was another matter all together. Adrian shook his head again, trying to clear her scent out of his nose. Come on. Pull it together.

  "We'll take her with us, like all the others." He used the edge of the cloak to put pressure on the wound.

  "We should deliver her to Volkzene. Let them heal her," Blain suggested. "I don't think she'll take kindly to us."

  Yes. We should take her back. "What goodwill do you think the Sisters will show us if we bring her to the village, having been attacked by a wolf? To do so would make the rift between us and them even worse."

  Blain opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it. "Good point."

  "We take her with us." Adrian's gut clenched again. It was a bad idea.

  Juda stood apart from the group, his jaw set.

  "I have the fernblend, Sire." Chrisio held out the leaves.

  Adrian took the handful of small dark foliage and bruised it between his palms. Tearing and rubbing the leaves, he ground them into a wad, and then mixed them with his saliva. Removing the cloak, he ripped at her shirt and exposed the wound. Adrian stopped to admire the peachy flesh and round curves of her ample breast. His breath caught in his throat.

  "What the—?" Blain peered over Adrian's shoulder. "Is that—?"

  A tremor coursed through Adrian's body. His Alpha wanted out. A female with the mark had been born. They'd waited for hundreds of years for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Adrian backed away from her quickly. It wasn't possible.

  "Adrian—"

  "You, Chrisio and Juda take Dominic's body to the castle. Bring clothes for me and a horse." Adrian's need to get the men away from her overwhelmed him. His chest tightened and his heart thundered. He didn't want this. Not now.

  His men moved off without a word. He stared down at her, not wanting to touch her. She was a member of the Sisterhood, and he had made a promise to keep them safe. Kneeling, he continued working the wad of leaves into the exposed flesh. She didn't stir. The pain of the leaves should have at least caused her to rouse. He snatched up the cloak and ripped a long strip off the bottom. Taking the strip, he threaded it around her back and over her breast, then moving her arm across her body, he tied the strip tight, pinning her arm in place.

  When he was done, he tried to arrange her comfortably. He shut her tunic and covered her with the cloak. Walking around, he tried to piece together the scene, trying to make sense of what had happened. Blood spattered the ground and nearby trees. If there were bloodsuckers in the woods, they'd be drawn to the scent. He hoped Blain returned soon.

  He found her bedroll, pack, bow, quiver and sword. Pulling them all together, he laid them near her, and then sat down next to her to wait. The ground was cold beneath his bare legs, but he was used to it. Staring down at her, he wondered what color her eyes were. Green would be his assumption, considering her complexion. He plucked a leaf from her red hair and his heartbeat quickened.

  Leaning in close to her, he smelled her again. It was earthy and woodsy, smelling faintly of rosemary. The scent soothed his pain, eased his loneliness, and made his wolf sit up and want to be obedient. Stop! Adrian pushed his wolf down. He'd been alone for so many years, as had his father before him, and over half the wolves in his kingdom. They paid for the mistakes of his father by protecting the humans from the bloodsuckers in the kingdom to the north. Waiting out the days until the prophecy was fulfilled and the bloodshed would be over.

  One will be born, with the mark of the wolf, to the Sisterhood of Red.

  And when she finds her destiny, the bloodshed she will end.

  Taken to bed, by the mate of her soul, a reminder she will be.

  And then will the females follow her home, the cursed will be set free.

  Adrian glanced down at her covered breast, where the mark sat upon her skin. His wolf's protectiveness stirred within, and he set her hair back in place. It was all he could do to stop himself from pulling down her blouse once more, just to make sure he hadn't imagined it. His body tingled at the nearness of her. He scooted sideways away from her.

  Blain returned with two horses and a set of clothing. He packed her things while Adrian tugged on his clothes. Something shiny on the ground caught Adrian's eye by a hollow tree. He picked up the gold necklace and fingered the locket before putting it in his saddlebag.

  "Would you like me to help you with her?" Blain asked.

  "No," Adrian said too quickly. He cleared his throat, commanding his inner wolf to back away. "I'll get her." But he wouldn't be able to mount the horse while carrying her. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with Blain. "Lift her to me, please."

  Blain nodded with a smirk.

  "Don't give me that look."

  Blain laughed lightly.

  He threw his foot into the stirrup and hefted himself up onto Montego, his steed. Settling into the saddle, Blain held the girl.

  "Be careful of her arm." He tried to keep his temper in check.

  "I am." Blain shook his head, hoisted the girl up, and at the last minute stopped. "Are you sure you want to carry her? I wouldn't mind."

  "Give her to me," Adrian growled.

  "I'm joking. What's wrong with you?"

  Adrian didn't know what was wrong. For all of his not wanting anything to do with her, he didn't want Blain touching her, either. "Just give her to me. We need to get her out of the woods."

  Blain eyed Adrian, but Adrian ignored him. He needed the safety of the castle. The longer they were
out, the more anxious he became. If the bloodsuckers struck, they'd be lucky to make it out alive.

  Adrian gazed at the girl. The way her body curled into his. She lay cool against his chest, weighing so little in his arms. His body relaxed into her, despite his efforts to stay strong. She murmured something, but he couldn't make it out. The scent of her flaming hair swirled in his nostrils. With her now in his arms, the scent overpowered him. Slapping his reins, Adrian got Montego moving.

  They'd been making their way through the forest for several minutes when Blain broke through his thoughts.

  "She tried to kill us."

  "They all try at first. She's no different. It's not their fault that my mother chose to lead the Sisterhood astray."

  "You think she's the one. Don't you?"

  Adrian swallowed. "I don't think anything."

  "You lie, Adrian. I know you too well. Look how you sit with her in your arms. As Prince you could have taken any of the females that came to us to mate. But you've not so much as looked twice at any of them till now."

  The silence fell between them as they rode for several miles. Adrian had no need of a female. He was happy where he was. If he took a mate, he'd become King. He had no intention of ever doing that.

  "How many years have we waited?" Blain asked. "For the Sisterhood to return to us, and the war with the bloodsuckers to end?"

  "We'll continue on the path that my father set us on before his death. We will continue to make penance for the betrayal he rendered my mother. And if this is the girl from the prophecy, then you will all be blessed when more Sisters come."

  "Adrian you know that the prophecy says—"

  "I do. Now can you just shut it, please?"

  They rode the rest of the way in silence. When the moon shone through the trees, Adrian stole glances at the exquisite beauty in his arms. Inwardly he prayed that she'd break the curse and bring an end to the war. His wolves were sick of being the fodder in the battle. But he'd do whatever it took to keep the Sisterhood of Red safe. Not because of any budding attraction, but because of his promise.