by M. L. Briers
“Here I lay.” The old alpha said and Jake winced at the sound of Elizabeth’s voice.
“You died during a cave in.” Jake replied, unsure what their next step would be.
“Looking for something an elder once told me he’d thought he’d seen down here. A fool’s errand – I told no one. But he was right – gold lies here with me.”
“Let Elizabeth go-” Jake demanded and her head turned on her neck as her eyes came up to lock with his.
Jake’s heart hit his ribs; her eyes were jet black, hardly a glimmer of white remained, and she was staring back at him hard. But it was the sound of Belle sucking in a breath that made him wary.
“For the good of the pack – two lives for many.”
“What’s he saying?” Ed whispered to Belle.
“It’s too late – they’ve blended together and he can’t just… leave her body.” Belle bit out. Jake’s head snapped around on his neck and his eyes devoured her…
“Do something.” Jake demanded to the sound of Ed’s curses.
“We can try to push him out, send him into the darkness…” Belle stopped to consider what would happen.
“I feel a but coming on.” Mitchell groaned.
“But the alpha would be lost for an eternity-” Belle offered.
“And?” Ed encouraged her.
“And Elizabeth could be pulled in with him.” She ground out to Jake’s sheer horror.
Jake snapped his head back and glared at his mate. His heart was pounding in his ears and he couldn’t get total control of the beast that raged beneath the surface. His claws pushed down – his fangs elongated…
“How many chances do we get?” Mitchell asked.
“One.” Belle said quietly.
“Release her…” Jake begged. “Please.”
“I can not.” Elizabeth eyes were growing darker – the blackness was filling them – taking over almost completely.
“Is the darkness like hell?” Jake growled.
“In a way.” Belle said, her eyes filling with tears. The thought of losing her sister was bad enough, but losing her to the darkness…
“If she died before that?” Jake’s voice was barely a whisper.
Belle bit down on a wave of emotion that rolled through her. Tears stung her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, and she felt Ed’s arm wrap around her body, but even his strength couldn’t help her now. She swallowed against the rise of nausea inside of her at the thought of losing Elizabeth.
“She wouldn’t be consumed…” her voice broke and she rushed to clear her throat. “She’d…” she swallowed hard. “She’d rest with the ancestors.”
“Elizabeth?” Jake wished that he could reach her. That he could ask her forgiveness for what he was about to do.
Ending his mate.
His eyes closed and he bit down on the hatred that he had for himself at even contemplating it. His beast roared within him – a warning not to proceed…
“Jake…?” Mitchell asked the unspoken question and Jake’s eyes snapped open. He shook his head… “You won’t come back from this.” He warned.
“I won’t want to come back from this.” Jake bit out, knowing that he was signing both of their death warrants with this course of action…
“No… Jake…” Belle tried to push him aside, to get around him, but Ed’s arm locked her in place…
“Elizabeth’s a fighter…”
“No... wait!” Melody rushed down towards them. She’d heard some of the conversation as it echoed off the walls…
“Melody…” Richie tried to reach for her, but she twisted out of his grip and elbowed Mitchell out of her way as she pushed towards Belle…
“If the entity is willingly passive, we still might be able to push it away.” Melody informed Belle.
“Might?” Jake’s head snapped around on his neck and his black eyes locked onto the witch. She swallowed hard.
“Should… should be able, if Elizabeth’s still in there fighting.” She rushed out. Jake’s eyes locked onto Belle’s and she gave a small shake of her head…
“I don’t know…” Belle said. “This is Elizabeth’s thing not mine… I can’t say for sure.”
“How will we know if it’s working?” Jake demanded.
“Elizabeth would be able to push forward.” Melody offered and Jake turned back towards his mate.
“Will you do this?” He growled out, his fists clenching, his claws piercing the flesh of his palms. “Will you not fight against it?”
“For the good of the pack.” Elizabeth nodded and Jake spun towards the two witches.
“Do it, but I need to know the moment that it’s not working. I won’t allow her to suffer.” Jake growled.
“You want to take the lead on this Melody?” Belle asked quickly, and felt the immediate brush of Melody’s magic against her own, pulling on it, drawing it…
Belle gave herself over to the spell. Allowing Melody to draw what she needed and actively gathering everything that she could into the tight warmth inside of her where her magic dwelled.
Belle’s concentration didn’t waver. She didn’t see the step that Jake took towards her sister when Elizabeth’s body snapped ridged…
She never saw the next step that he made when her sister’s whole body started to quiver…
Or the one after that when a black mist started to engulf her…
“Melody…” Jake bit out, but Melody didn’t answer…
Jake took another step, coming close enough that with just one swipe of his hand; his claws could tear through her throat and end his mate…
“J…ake…” Elizabeth’s eyes turned towards him, and he couldn’t catch a breath, didn’t want to breathe… He wanted to die with her, right there and then…
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
~
“Belle…?” Jake ground out.
He needed an answer and he needed it now. Was Elizabeth asking for his help to end this or was she coming back to him?
The black mist swirled around her body with tendrils that appeared to pierce her skin. Her face was contorted in pain, and he suspected that she was only being held in place by the unseeing hand of the magic that encased her.
The sight of her suffering as she writhed and twisted against the agony that wracked her body tore at him, mind, body, and scored deeply into his soul. His own pain would have been easier to stomach.
“Belle!” Jake demanded an answer. He wished only that her pain was his to endured, but he was powerless to take it from her.
He took one last step forward and wrapped his arm around Elizabeth’s waist – the sting of the blackness around them travelled over his skin… drawing back his hand, claws out, he begged forgiveness for what he was about to do…
With a piercing scream Elizabeth’s body went limp and he dragged her against him as her lids slammed shut…
“No!” Jake growled out, pulling her into his arms as his knees buckled under the magnitude of his inactions. He buried his face in her hair, between her shoulder and neck, and begged her to forgive him…
“Jake…” Belle went to take a step forward but Ed wouldn’t allow it. Jake’s beast was shimmering under the surface and there was no saying that he wouldn’t attack anyone who dared near his mate.
Mitchell placed a hand on Ed’s shoulder, leaning in towards him.
“Take the others and leave.” He whispered to the beta and Ed bit down on the thought of what came next.
“He could still…” Richie started, but Mitchell cut him off.
“He doesn’t want to live.” Mitchell offered.
Jake held her close to his chest. His hand cupping the back of her head, his fingers woven in the silken strands of her hair as he mourned the loss.
Elizabeth’s heart wasn’t beating for him anymore, and soon his would be still too.
He welcomed it.
He welcomed the thought of death when life no longer held the one thing that he treasured above all else.
&
nbsp; He’d lost his mate. His one true love in life.
They would never have pups, never grow old together. Never be a family.
He had nothing left to live for.
Mine… His wolf howled a sorrowful tune within him – mourning her loss – accepting of their fate.
“Leave.” Jake bit out.
“Jake…” Ed took a step, but the alpha’s head came up, and he snapped it around on his neck on a warning roar that could not be reasoned with.
Jake had made his choice.
Belle collapsed against Ed. Her legs were quivering and the torrent of tears fell freely as he folded her into his arms.
“I’ve got you.” Ed whispered as she gave into the utter devastation of her loss. The air was thick and heavy with the stain of defeat, and everyone could taste that bitterness.
Melody buried her face in her hands and tried to bite back the tears, but it was useless. Even the feel of her mate’s arm around her couldn’t sooth the barrage of emotions that swept through her on waves of remorse.
She’d failed Elizabeth.
She’d failed Belle, and she’d failed the alpha too. Her friend had lost a sister and her mate would lose his brother… there were no words.
Mitchell pushed forward, making himself the barrier between the alpha and the pack. He knew what he needed to do but he didn’t relish the kill.
The sight of his friend with his dead mate within his arms sickened him to the pit of his stomach and his soul cried out for what came next.
Every single one of them jumped in place as Elizabeth gasped in a hard breath, her body practically springing back to life within Jake’s arms…
“Lizzy!” Jake’s head snapped back and his eyes tried to focus through the glaze of his tears…
He heard the thump of her heart as it raced for a moment and then levelled…
“Oh my God!” Belle rushed out the words on tears of disbelief – a laugh of happiness catching in her throat at the sight of her sister coming back to them.
“J-a-k-e…” Elizabeth’s hand slowly travelled up his arm, her palm rested against his face as her eyes took him in.
“Y-o-u – scared the hell out of me.” Jake growled, low and deeply within his chest… The sound of stones falling, bouncing off the walls and hitting the ground caught his ears… “Let’s get the hell out of here before this place comes down.” He growled, collecting her body against him and pushing up with her still in his arms.
“I second that emotion.” Mitchell turned on his heels, pushed through the crowd, and started back the way he had come.
“The immortal one is worried.” Ed sniggered and got a death glare back from the vampire for his trouble.
“You stay, we’ll get around to digging you out at some point in the future.” Mitchell tossed back.
~
~
~
“Jake.” Elizabeth took the hot sweet tea that Jake had demanded she have even though she didn’t want it in the first place. He sat down beside her on the sofa as she rested against the length of the cushions, another thing that she didn’t want, but he’d insisted on, rest.
“Yeah, sweetheart?” He motioned for her to drink the tea that made a nice hand warmer for her, and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and bit down on the urge to tell him to stop mollycoddling her.
“It’s gone.” She said quietly and he nodded.
“I know.”
“No, not just the entity.” She reached out and placed the mug down onto the table next to her and sat upright. “The dark magic. I lost it… well, not lost exactly, more like it was syphoned off and swept away along with the alpha.”
“But you still have magic?” Jake frowned – he didn’t know a damn thing about magic and he wasn’t a guessing man. The quick sting of a zap against his skin confirmed the answer. “I’d say more’s the pity, but I’m just glad that I didn’t lose you.”
“Thought you wasn’t the romantic type with fancy words and all?” She teased and the alpha cleared his throat. His shoulders went back, his chest went out, and his eyes looked anywhere but at her.
“You know what I mean.” He grunted a little, embarrassed.
“Yeah,” she gave him a playful punch in his bicep. “You’re the big alpha dog…” she started playfully and heard the low level growl in his chest. “That’s really just a big old pussy cat.” She grinned and he scowled.
“Pussy cat…? Woman, are you insane? Did they take your brains to the dark side?” He grumbled and she chuckled.
“You can’t hide from me, alph-y.”
“Alphy! Now I know there’s a screw loose rattling around in that noggin somewhere.” He growled, pushing up to his feet and scowling hard.
“You going somewhere?” She asked, grinning from ear to ear.
“No!” He shook his head.
“Need my protection from the ghosts of All Hallows past and future?” She teased him again and he grumbled another growl.
“I’m just stretching.” He growled.
“Got an itch that needs scratching?” She teased.
“Only the one, and you know what that is.” His eyes darkened a little at the thought, and when her eyes dropped down to take in the hard length of his manhood that was twitching to get out of his jeans, she chuckled again.
“I feel reassured.” She grinned harder and he grunted.
“Drink your tea.”
“I said I didn’t want it. I feel fine.”
“You look as white as a…” He bit off the last word on a long, low growl.
“Sense of humour malfunction, or just too soon?” She chuckled.
“Sheet, as white as a sheet.” He growled.
“I have pink sheets on my bed.” She shrugged a shoulder and he rolled his eyes back into his head.
“Mine too.” Mitchell announced as he stalked into the room and both of them turned to stare at him. “Not really, but I thought I’d keep the conversation lively.” He grinned.
“Go away.” Jake growled.
“Touchy.” Mitchell shot back.
“It’ll be my fist touching your jaw soon enough.”
“Now, boys, play nice.” Elizabeth chuckled again.
“Well, you know how it is, you get all psyched up – expectations high – your bloody thirsty nature has clawed its way to the surface, and then wham-o! You don’t get to kill your best friend…” Mitchell shrugged. “How is that fair?”
Elizabeth sniggered as Jake rallied towards the vampire.
“Is that supposed to be funny?” He growled and Mitchell pointed towards Elizabeth.
“Your mate thought so.” He grinned again, a sparkle in his eyes as Jake grumbled and growled.
“She’s insane.” He grunted out.
“Must be to consider mating with you.” Elizabeth teased and the alpha’s head snapped around on his neck so hard that she was sure she’d heard his bones clicking…
“You…?”
The sound of a mating howl went up through the house. Windows shook in their frames and Jake bit down on his annoyance as another of his brothers claimed their mate before him.
“Two down and one to go – if she’ll still have you after you were so quick to try to kill her…” Mitchell chuckled as Jake’s head snapped around again and he glared at the vampire.
“I was not… that’s not what…” Jake turned pleading eyes upon Elizabeth and she chuckled into the palm of her hand at the sight of him – wide eyed with shock and panic…
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
~
“Seems you were a little quick off the mark there alph-y.” Elizabeth offered and Mitchell bit out a loud, over-exaggerated chuckle as he strolled out of the room and turned out of sight…
“And my work here is done.” The vampire announced.
“Now, Elizabeth…” Jake started, taking one step towards her, and she held up her hand, palm outwards, halting him right in his tracks.
“Couldn’t wait to get those claws out?” She offered
up to him and he scowled down at her.
“It wasn’t like-”
“We’d already mated.” She offered on a shrug.
“That’s not-”
“Geez, you really thought death was the better option to having a witch mate?”
“Seriously?” He growled.
“No.” Elizabeth admitted on a small playful shrug off her shoulders and he gawked at her.
“No?”
“You really need to learn to lighten up a little – maybe more than a little – but lighten up nevertheless.” She chuckled then – like some cartoon villain, and that sound played over his nerves.
Jake grunted – he grumbled – he even growled, and then he tossed his hands up in the air and started towards her. It might only have been a few strides of his long legs, but in the time that it took him to get to her side; her heart raced, her palms got sweaty hot, and she swallowed hard at the sight of him looking so much the predator that excitement shot through and adrenaline dumped into her system in equal measure…
Fight or flight. The instinct was inside of her, but she found that she couldn’t move a single damn muscle that counted.
Jake towered over where she sat. He slowly leaned down and placed one palm on the back of the sofa and the other one on the arm – holding there, practically nose to nose, face to face, as his jet black eyes locked onto hers.
“A sense of humour?” He asked.
There was the sound of a deep rumble that underlined every word and vibrated through her body right to the very core.
“Would be helpful.” She offered back, not flinching, not moving an inch – not even pulling her magic close within her.
“Noted. Stored. Working on it.” He offered back.
“And who said you can’t teach an old wolf new tricks?” Her eyes brightened as the mischief washed through her.
Jake’s beast’s ears pricked up and the animal gave a gentle growl within him. He offered another grunt.
“I have a question for you. Are you staying with me? Are you going to be my mate?”
“That’s two questions.”