Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  Chapter Fifteen

  "Find Angus," Adrian said to Blain in a low voice. "Now."

  Blain nodded and immediately left the dining hall.

  Was it possible Redlynn was the child of a wolf and a sister? It made sense, how could it be any other way? How had he not thought of it sooner?

  "Lord Adrian." Hanna's small voice broke through his thoughts. "She'll come around. Were any of us any different when you first explained?"

  Adrian watched the women; they stood, stoic and brave. Each had gone through what Redlynn was going through, and each had come out the other side, understanding the lies they'd been told by his mother and now Lillith, the Head of the Sisterhood. But this was different, because she was different.

  He found it remarkable that Redlynn remembered anything from her shift the night before. He didn't remember his first dozen or more shifts. Even the next fifty were mostly a blur, but over the years his father had taught him how to control it, how to focus and remember in his human form what he did in his wolf form. In time, Redlynn would remember as well. Adrian had to tell her before it happened.

  "Go to your mates and young," he told the women. "I'll take care of this."

  "My sister," said Clara.

  "I'll bring her to you as soon as I'm able. I promise."

  "Thank you, M'lord."

  As the women filed out, Blain retuned with Angus. His face was unreadable.

  "Prince Adrian," said Angus. "You wanted to see me?"

  "Your surname is Mactire Fola, is it not, Angus?"

  "Aye, you know it is."

  "Have you ever been with a female, Angus? A Sister?"

  Angus eyed them both suspiciously. "Aye."

  "How long ago?" asked Blain.

  "Why do you ask?"

  Adrian sat down and blew out a breath. "You've done nothing wrong, Angus, but this is important."

  Angus sighed and sat down heavily on a wooden bench. He stared at the table for a long time without speaking. "She died a few winters back. She was the one. My mate. I met her close to twenty-five years ago while she gathered herbs in the woods. After a year of meeting in the woods, I told her what I was. Her mother was the Head of the Order, and she grew scared that the Sisterhood would find out about us."

  Angus stopped speaking. He rubbed his fingertips together as if remembering the feel of something. The burden of grief that Angus had carried all these years was suddenly very apparent to Adrian. There'd always been a sadness to him, but Adrian had chalked it up to having lived so long and never finding a mate. He'd been wrong; Angus' sadness had been brought about because he had found his mate.

  "Angus, have you seen Red?" Blain asked.

  Angus shook his head. "No. I've heard of the new female, but I haven't seen her."

  "We think she might be your daughter," said Adrian.

  "Raeleen's daughter?" Angus' eyes widened.

  "Her name is Redlynn Mactire Fola."

  Angus smiled, lost in thought. "Explains the scent I caught on you a few days back. I thought it was just my imagination. I catch a whiff of Raeleen everywhere."

  "Angus, we need your help," said Blain. "She's going to get herself hurt."

  Watching Angus' pain made it clear to Adrian that losing Redlynn now would be worse than anything he'd endured. What he'd felt the night before in the woods was just the beginning of what he'd feel if she left for good. He had to make her see the truth.

  "What do you need from me?" Angus stood. His shoulders squared, and Adrian watched the years fall from Angus' face. His eyes twinkled.

  "She hasn't been told the truth about us yet. But it's complicated. Girls have gone missing from Volkzene in recent months. A wolf has betrayed our oath and given children to the Bloodsuckers. Redlynn is hell-bent on killing me because she thinks I'm responsible."

  "Then we need to tell her." Angus looked between them.

  "Yes, but..." Adrian trailed off.

  "It's not that simple," said Blain. "She's the chosen one, the one from the prophecy."

  "My daughter?" Angus's voice rose.

  "That's not all," said Adrian. "Last night... Angus, last night she shifted."

  Angus's mouth opened and closed several times before he spoke. "That's not—"

  "Possible. Yes, we know. But we were there; it happened. We need you to talk to her with us. To help her understand we aren't the enemy."

  "My daughter. My daughter is a she-wolf," Angus laughed, scratching his graying beard.

  "She's my mate, Angus. Help me."

  A sudden intensity came into Angus' face. "Och, aye. I'll help you, my king."

  Adrian, Blain and Angus stood outside the door, staring at it. His heart pounded. This was the moment. It was so different than all the mates he'd explained the truth to before. Different because they hadn't been his woman. Or a wolf. Now, with his heart at stake, he was terrified.

  "If she's anything like her mother, she ain't gettin' any softer in there," said Angus.

  "She'll get through it. So will you. Together, you'll change our kingdom forever. Believe that." Blain knocked before he could protest.

  He glared at Blain. There was no sound from inside. The hairs on his neck stood up, and his heartbeat quickened.

  "Redlynn," he called, knocking.

  Again, there was no answer.

  Something was wrong. Adrian tried the handle; it was locked. He pounded on the wood.

  "Redlynn! Open the door!" This was not the way to get her to comply, but the terrible gnawing in his gut grew.

  He heard the shuffling of feet and breathing from the other side. Pressing his face to the crack, he inhaled deeply. It wasn't Redlynn's scent.

  "Lizzy." He tried to control his rising panic. "Lizzy, open the door to my room, please." The wolf in Adrian's chest growled with impatience.

  "Red... Red told me not to."

  "Lizzy. Tell Redlynn that I need to talk to her."

  "I... She's not here."

  Adrian howled in rage. Angus grabbed him from behind as Adrian pounded his fists on the door.

  The lock clicked and the bar moved. He didn't care what the girl saw when she peeked out at them, but it seemed to terrify her.

  "Red went to find the other girls. I tried to stop her, honestly I did. She's strong, but even Red isn't strong enough to take on all the bloodsuckers."

  "Close the door, lass," Angus said in a gruff voice. "Wait for the women ta come get ya."

  Lizzy nodded and quickly slammed the door, locking it again.

  "Adrian," Angus said. "Boy, look at me.

  He was close to gone. His wolf so near the surface that he barely kept him at bay. The tremors had already begun; his nails were lengthening, and fur sprouted on his hands. He tried to focus on Angus' face.

  "We'll get her back. I lost her mother, I'm not gonna lose her, too, and neither are you. If it takes my last breath."

  Adrian nodded. The fear and anger building inside of him was going to explode any minute.

  Blain took Adrian's face in his hands. "Go. Find her."

  Adrian was down the hall in three strides. He shifted mid-air as he leapt from the balcony to the dining hall below. Men had flooded into the hall and watched as he landed on the main table on all fours. Turning, he faced his men. This was it. His time had come. The howl that emanated from his chest was like none he'd loosed before.

  It was the call. The call of the king.

  Within minutes, all men from the castle had assembled in the dining hall. Jale and Juda were the last to enter. Adrian howled again, so loud that the glass clattered in the window panes. Each man bent low to knee and bowed to their king, except for Jale and Juda, who continued to stand. If they continued to disobey, he'd have to fight them for control. Adrian didn't want to have to kill them in a fight to the death. Strength filled him, and determination. There was no going back now.

  He pierced them with his gaze, and gave them one last chance, loosing a third call. Reluctantly, the brothers fell to their knees. Adrian
let his gaze rest on each of his men in turn. It is done. With the bowing of each man, his fate was sealed. He was now King of the Wolves. Adrian barked and leapt off the table, making for the exit. The sounds of clothes ripping and snarls erupted behind him as his men shifted. Dax stood waiting, watching the scene unfold.

  At the gate within seconds, he sniffed the air and caught her scent easily. His men ran up behind him, followed by Dax's giant, white bear form.

  "My mate is in the woods. She's in danger. Vampires have been stealing girls, and she has gone to save them. Find her. Help her. Keep her safe."

  Blain and Angus flanked him as he tore off into the trees. Over rocks and branches, the three sprinted into the woods. They hadn't gone far when the rain started up again. Moisture clung to everything, dampening the earth and diluting her scent, making Redlynn's trail harder to track. For an hour or more, they spread out through the forest trying to find her.

  "We've run the river," Roal said.

  "I've checked the border to the farmlands," panted Fendrick.

  "The clearing is empty of her scent," Law said.

  "She has to be somewhere," Adrian growled to himself.

  "Blain, Rash, Law, Paulo, to the north border. Patrol for vampires."

  "Where now?" asked Angus.

  Adrian stopped and sniffed the air. Where was she? Anxiety wracked him. He needed to find her and keep her safe. It was the only thing that mattered. How was it possible that he couldn't find her? He swore.

  "What is it?" Angus asked.

  "She's masked her trail somehow. That's why I can't smell her anymore." He whipped his head around in every direction. " She could be anywhere."

  ***

  Redlynn ran through the dim light into the woods with a speed she'd never experienced, and an exhilaration that thrilled her. Completely forgetting why she was there, she let herself run for a good twenty minutes before she heard the howls of the Weres. The sound stopped her mid-sprint. They were coming after her.

  Back-tracking, she rushed to the tree where she'd left her bow and sword. Grabbing her red cloak, she lay it down in the wet leaves and dirt and stomped it into the ground, covering it in as much soil as possible before fastening it around her neck. Then she found stinkweed and rubbed it over her arms and legs. She swallowed the nausea that rose in her throat from the smell. Tossing the weeds aside, she slung her quiver and bow onto her shoulder, shoved her hunting knife into her boot, and pulled up her hood.

  Her heart squeezed at the thought of Adrian. She still wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. Perhaps she'd been too rash. The look in his eyes as he'd pleaded with her to listen. She hadn't even given him the chance to explain. A howl sounded through the trees and her jaw clenched.

  The Weres were close. She swung up high into a tree and waited. Weres passed far below her. First two or three, and then dozens, spreading out, searching for something. One stopped at the bottom of her tree and sniffed it. She held her breath as the brown Were circled. Her fingers twitched with the desire to loose an arrow on him. But the Weres were second on her list now. First, she had to find the other girls.

  The Were was joined by a second brown Were, and Redlynn's heart thudded loudly. Lizzy had mentioned two brown Weres had taken her. The Weres raised their noses into the air and sniffed, looking up into the tree. Redlynn hid as close to the trunk as she was able. The first wolf lifted his leg and marked the tree. Then the two trotted off.

  An urgency to find the ruins that Lizzy had mentioned became paramount. Redlynn jumped from the high branch and landed lightly below. That fever had certainly done something to her reflexes.

  She located the moon, between a break in the cloud cover. A fat droplet hit her face. The sensation of brushing it away reminded her of when Adrian had done that very thing, just hours earlier. Her heart clenched at the knowledge that he'd lied to her. She thought she loved him, but how could she love someone who would allow such unspeakable things to go on around him, without doing anything about it.

  Redlynn stifled a sob. She'd gotten so comfortable in Wolvenglen, feeling like she might actually belong there. Knowing now that she couldn't be with him meant that her only choices were to return to Volkzene, alone. Or move somewhere else all together. Her stomach churned at the thought of never feeling Adrian's strong arms around her again. She'd only known him for a few days, but the thought of not having him in her life now made everything else seem somehow worse.

  Redlynn checked the sky again, waiting for the clouds to part. Clearing her mind, she tried to focus. She located north and headed in that direction. Being careful to avoid the Weres, she zigged and zagged through the brush, making her way across a clearing to a rock face Lizzy had remembered seeing. She stood in front of the rocks, memories flashing in her mind, images from her dream. She swallowed hard as a chill ran through her. She got the feeling her dream wasn't a dream.

  From here, Lizzy had come from the west. Redlynn squinted at the night sky again. Rain drops pounded her body. She turned west, and an enormous white bear appeared out of the brush. She grabbed her sword and aimed it at the animal.

  The bear didn't move. Its light hazel eyes seemed almost human. She'd seen bears before in the woods, but never a bear with that color eyes before. Or an all-white bear. She needed to get him out of her path. Redlynn charged and the bear stepped back. She lunged at him, when a tall pale figure jumped from a rock and landed on the bear's back. The bear roared in anger, trying to shake the man off. Redlynn watched in horror as the man opened his mouth, exposing long deadly fangs. He plunged them deep into the bear's neck and the bear tumbled sideways. Vampire.

  Redlynn froze on the spot. Using his nails, the vampire slashed and tore at the bear, opening gashes anywhere his fingers touched. An image of Lizzy lying in a dark ruin, being subject to those fangs and nails, set Redlynn aflame. She charged the vampire, unable to control her anger. She swung her sword. He leaned away and she missed him by inches. Blood dripped from his mouth, down his chin, and onto his chest. His eyes were dead-cold, as if they'd never known joy.

  "Oh, my, you smell so much better than the bear." He ran his tongue over his lips and grinned widely. "What's that I smell on you? It's human, but not all the way."

  What was he talking about? "Are the girls still alive?" Redlynn demanded.

  "Oh, the little Sweetings are not too far off. But you shall never find them. They're ours now."

  "Where are the Weres that helped you take the girls?" Redlynn yelled. "Are they in the caves to the north?" Her gaze traveled to the white bear. He struggled to his feet.

  The vampire's grin fell. "In the caves? Of course not, silly girl."

  "Then where are they?" she asked.

  "That's easy. The Weres are—"

  The bear rose from the ground and slammed into him, knocking him over. Momentarily stunned by the movement, the vampire lay sprawled on his stomach. The animal clamped down on the vampire's throat. The vampire flailed beneath his giant maw. Redlynn stepped out of the way. The vampire struggled, trying to twist himself out of the bear's grasp. The bear shook him like a toy doll, and then let go. He rolled onto his back and the bear bit down once more, ripping his throat out. Redlynn's mind went numb at the sight of the vampire turning to mist and disappearing. The bear stumbled to the ground, panting.

  Redlynn stared at the spot where the vampire had disappeared. Her rapid breathing was only matched by her accelerated heart rate. Lizzy had told the truth, and Adrian had been right. The vampire had been the most terrifying thing she'd ever seen. Between his cold, dead eyes and the ruthless way he'd torn into the bear, he'd been worse than any human she'd ever seen.

  Her gaze travelled to the bear. Slowly she walked forward and knelt beside it. He tracked her movements and whimpered softly. She reached out her hand and pressed it on his oozing neck. The wound looked bad. Her heart went out to the creature who'd just risked his life for hers. She wanted to do more for him at that moment, but she didn't know what to do. With guilt in
her heart Redlynn leaned in close to the bear's ear and whispered, "Thank you, and... I'm sorry."

  ***

  Adrian and Angus tore through the woods. They'd been going in circles for the past thirty minutes.

  "I've found her," Dax said.

  "Where are you?" Adrian stopped abruptly.

  "At the cliff, near the clearing."

  "Don't hurt her."

  "I'll try, but she's not looking too friendly."

  "Dax, I give you permission to defend yourself if she attacks. But don't hurt her. And don't let her get away." Adrian turned and ran hard toward the spot where they'd picked up Lizzy the night before.

  "She's covered in stinkweed." Dax's chuckle was cut short. "Wait—"

  "Dax? Dax!"

  "Bloodsuckers!" Dax roared.

  Adrian snarled, coming to a halt. He needed to think. Everything was happening at once. Focus. "Everyone reinforce the borders until I get to her. Then we find the girls and end this."

  "What about me?" asked Blain.

  "You stay on patrol. Angus with me. Dax? Dax?"

  There was no answer.

  Adrian and Angus sprinted toward the rocks. He needed to find her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The bear reached out with a large paw, opening a deep cut to Redlynn's arm, probably fearing for his life, forcing Redlynn to hit him in the head, knocking him out. "Sorry," she said. Redlynn stood over the unconscious body of the bear. She contemplated putting him out of his misery. Blood trickled down her arm.

  Crap. A trail.

  Redlynn tore a strip off the ever-shortening hem of her red cloak and tied it around her arm. There's going to be nothing left to this darn thing if I don't stop getting injured. Blood seeped through the makeshift bandage quickly. She had to get moving.

  At a run, she headed west again. The woods crawled with Weres tonight, hunting her, but she hadn't seen one in quite some time. Something wasn't right. Maybe they were meeting with the vampires. She pushed the thoughts from her mind; it didn't matter, she had no time to think on it. The ruins where the girls were being held were on the west border of the Wolvenglen Forest, next to the Daemon Wastelands. She remembered the story Adrian had told her earlier about the djinn.