Blissful Agony
Page 17
Robert agreed, “Look at Liz. She can protect herself, and everyone else. I’m proud of you, sis.”
Her eyes lit up when she turned to Robert. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”
“You always had the strength, but you buried it under shame and guilt for something you couldn’t control.”
“Yeah, but no more.”
Clint took her hand, placing a kiss on her knuckles. “I’ll never doubt you again.”
Her brow arched. “Let’s hope you remember that promise.”
Clint dipped his head, a smirk lifting his lips.
Robert did not envy Clint. “You forced her to knock you out in the worst possible way, at the worst possible moment. Next time, don’t argue.”
Her gaze blazed to Robert. “Don’t you start. I took care of the situation.”
Robert looked at Clint. “Are there any roads near where you were? Logging, or maintenance, anything?”
Clint rubbed at his head for a moment. “Shit, yeah. All the Creek Run roads cluster out there. I can take you to the area. There’s maybe a mile hike from the closest driving point.”
“Don’t need to drive or hike in,” Robert assured confidently.
“I’m coming with you,” Emily said.
Clint nodded, his lips twitching, but he didn’t argue. He looked to Robert. “Toby is either dying or dead. Hopefully his body will be there and we can learn something from it. Maybe you can do your mind thing if he’s still alive.”
“We may need Preston, but I’ll wait to grab him until we need him. Think of the location, and the four of us can go now.” He pulled out his phone to send a text.
* * * *
Fear quaked through Emily. Going back to the scene meant she had to further acknowledge she may have killed someone. No, definitely killed someone. She wasn’t even sure she could undo the damage, not that she would for the bastard who shot her mate.
She swallowed hard and reminded herself the spell was justified. He meant to take Clint to people who would torture him.
Robert flashed Slater, Clint, and Emily into the spot they’d run from over an hour before. The smell was horrible. Worse than a bloated corpse. Putrid blood and puss coated twigs and rocks beneath where he’d lain.
Emily’s stomach lurched, but she managed to breathe through the stench, blocking out her sense of smell. Sometimes that had been the only way to cope when she began healing James. Roasted flesh had been bad, not to mention the oozing wounds and viscous liquid that would burst from his blisters.
This was far worse.
Clint turned to her, taking her face in his hands to wipe her tears away. “Don’t feel guilty.”
“Not that. I’ll explain later. Nothing to do with him, you, or anything that can touch me now.”
He kissed her forehead as Robert and Preston appeared beside them. She caught Preston’s bitter face as he shook his head. “Yeah, you fucked him up. His essence is thick here, and decaying. Come on.” He started through the woods. Emily, Clint, Robert, and Slater followed.
Before long, Preston reached out to grip a tree with his head tilted to the side.
“That bad?” she asked hesitantly.
“I don’t even have to track his essence. There’s—fuck, I’m not sure what it is. The slime is dead, dying, whatever, but he was in bad shape. I’m expecting to find a corpse.”
Emily nodded. “Did I break Council law?”
Preston turned to her with a grim smile and gently took her shoulders. “No. You were in the right. You defended yourself, and didn’t attack first. Don’t ever consider this a crime.” He gave her a reaffirming smile. “Like we’d ever arrest you. Let’s get to the end of this godawful trail.”
Preston pushed on and the smell got worse. They came to a dirt road and found a spray of black blood, with several teeth lying in the muck. A fingernail sat next to the rut where the truck tore off.
Emily blinked at the remains. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Slater shuddered. “How far do you think he made it?”
“The way his essence was oozing, an hour, two tops. If he isn’t dead yet, he will be soon. I’ll put out the word to look for a decomposing body.”
Slater sniffed the air, then grimaced. “I can’t scent the car or tires through the stench.”
Emily shook her head. “You’re starting to worry me.”
Slater gave her hand a squeeze. “Emily, don’t doubt yourself. You’re a healer. Someone tried to take your mate from you. No one here believes you could do this to anyone who didn’t wrong you or yours.”
“I may have made it impossible to track him.”
Preston shook his head. “Nah. I have a direction, and his essence. I’ll lose him on the highway, but be able to detect where they’re coming from. The road’s been used often recently, and clear out here, there’s no reason for that. No one is logging, nothing that needs maintenance. We’ll find them.”
“Thanks.”
“And, Emily, I want you on our side. If he makes it back to Axel, the asshole will have second thoughts about messing with you.” He winked.
Her heart sank. “If he makes it. What if he crashes, and causes a huge accident?”
Robert took her hand. “Can’t think like that. Chances are his pack’s hidey-hole is somewhere rural, abandoned. Unfortunately, there are too many places like that out here. We’d know if they went to Seattle.”
“What can we do now?”
“Not much,” Preston told her. “Let Robert take you home. I’ll get my car and follow the trail as long as I can.”
“I’ll come with you,” Slater said. “I know these roads well.”
Clint caressed her cheek, pulling her gaze. “Let’s go out, get your mind off everything. You and me, in town. I could teach you a few pool tricks.”
She nodded.
“Maybe see if Fallon and Brody will go with you?” Slater suggested.
Emily nodded absently. She knew the enforcers had been watching them since the accident. It was as comforting as it was worrisome.
Chapter 22
Axel paced the parking lot. Nothing had gone according to plan. Ava had yet to say a word and he was beginning to wonder if he’d misread the situation. She’d shot herself, but perhaps there was no other choice. The more he thought about it, the more he realized torturing his most loyal wolf was the wrong move. She’d been captured, and perhaps saw her death as the only way to protect Axel and the pack.
Foolishly, he’d expected her to cry, to beg for mercy, anything. But she’d suffered his wrath, and the other wolves’ hunger, without protest until one attempted to mount her once his belly was full. She’d kicked him in his snout until his muzzle was a busted mess and the mutt crawled away.
He’d thrown that wolf to the rest of the pack, letting them eat the corpse. Then he killed every wolf who’d fed off her. Axel allowed the two who had backed away, who cowered and couldn’t bring themselves to tear meat from her body, to live.
After the horror he’d forced her to endure, she may never forgive him. He needed to make this right. Living without her would tear him apart. Not sealing their bond had been torture long enough.
Why did I wait?
A truck careened into the lot, slowing down. The stench of a hundred corpses, piled in a trench under the beating sun, overwhelmed him as the familiar vehicle approached. Brakes squealed, but the truck didn’t stop until the front end crunched into the building.
A nightmare that vaguely resembled Toby pushed the door open, shifting his body. Huge blisters covered mottled gray flesh. Blackened blood vessels had swollen under his bloated skin.
Axel stood frozen in horror, watching as one leg reached for the pavement. Toby’s knee buckled. His body pitched forward as a strangled cry escaped his gaping mouth.
His skin burst. Black, putrid ooze leaked from the crevices, liquefied guts pushing through in places.
Stumbling back, Axel covered his mouth and nose, but managed no rel
ief from the pervasive stench. He couldn’t fathom what had caused Toby’s gruesome death.
Axel searched for any clue. No sign of his guns or Clint. Not even the woman Clint had been with the day Ava ran him off the road.
Moving to the other side of the vehicle, he opened the door. The reek became so intense, he gagged. Black slime stained the seat, the wheel, and dripped from the keys.
In a daze, he walked back into the power plant trying to formulate a plan. Out of options, his best wolves had either defected, were captured, or apparently deliquesced into a puddle of rotting goo. His stomach lurched at the thought of what was left of Toby.
What the fuck did that?
As a last resort, he went into the office, which had become his bedroom, and pulled up Jules and Anthony Regle’s number. He no longer had a choice. Maybe working for HARP wouldn’t be so bad.
Anthony answered after two rings. “Finally see the light?”
Axel closed his eyes, drawing a breath before answering. “I need help. My wolves are not cut out for my current problem.”
“Which is?” His tone had taken on an edge of smug interest.
“One of my wolves escaped years ago. We thought he was dead.”
“And you want him back?”
Axel’s nostrils flared. “He’s now an enforcer for the Edenton Pack. I understand you had problems with them around a month ago. Your video is how we learned he’s alive. Now that he knows we’re a threat, they will try to take us down. Someone from Edenton decomposed my best wolf. By the time he got back to us, he was nothing more than a walking corpse that disintegrated into a pile of goo.”
“Goo?”
“His body went through some kind of severe putrefaction while living. I have no clue what happened. Never seen anything so gruesome.”
“Interesting.”
“Interested enough to help?”
“We’ll send someone who can come in and assess the situation. Then our team will disassemble Edenton’s pack.”
“And what will you require of me?”
“You’ll run our new recruiting center.”
Axel pinched the bridge of his nose. It was too late to run. They’d already made enemies if Toby was any indication. He couldn’t get a word out of Ava. She refused to speak, no matter the pain she endured.
“Done. Send me what you’re looking for, and how you want them dealt with.”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll send Baylen. He’ll follow orders. Part fae, and werewolf, he can sense magic, identify it. You’ll know what caused the rapid decay, and he may be able to lead you to who did it.”
“May?”
“Depends on how afraid he is of the source. He’ll also bring you money to set up a permanent location where you can keep your recruits. He’s well-versed in how Jones and Mena ran their center and can help you organize.”
And spy on him. But at this point, there were no other viable options. He may be a pathetic idiot who turns to Others for help, but Slater was known for protecting his pack.
“When should we expect Baylen?”
“Tomorrow. He’ll catch the first available plane.”
“Until then.”
“Don’t send any more wolves until Baylen arrives and assesses the damage.” The phone clicked off.
Axel left his room and went to Ava. Her blood-covered, naked body slumped against the post, legs tightly squeezed shut in her sleep.
Seeing her torn to shreds had pulled at his blackened heart. Especially after watching his son disintegrate on the pavement.
Not that Toby knew he was his father. He’d killed the boy’s mother when she came to him begging for help with a son he knew nothing about. He would have killed Toby as well, but saw himself in the kid’s black eyes. Axel turned the boy personally, making him stronger. And now he was gone.
He couldn’t lose Ava too.
Axel carefully untied Ava and carried her into his room, where he drugged her heavily enough to cut into her cheek, removing the bone chips so her body could properly heal the damage. Then he tenderly cleaned and dressed her in one of his shirts.
Leaving her in the bed, he locked the room, and went to find her a proper meal. Perhaps she could forgive him for testing her loyalty.
* * * *
The click of a latch snapped Ava awake. She sat upright in a flash, her chest heaving. A soft t-shirt covered her torso. A sheet and blanket were also wrapped around her.
The glow from lights beyond the blinds illuminated enough details to reveal Axel walking toward her with his head bowed. She scrambled back until she hit the wall, then pulled the blankets tight around herself.
Savory Chinese spices filled her senses. Her stomach rumbled at the hope of food as tears burned her eyes. She squeezed her lids tight, trying to shut out her senses.
“Tell me you won’t leave me again and I’ll give you everything you ever wanted,” Axel pleaded.
Except freedom.
He gently touched her cheek and she flinched away, though the pain was gone. The bone was whole, the skin mended. Her body entirely healed from the wolves tearing at her flesh.
He sighed heavily, resting his hand on her shoulder as his thumb slowly caressed up and down the column of her throat. “I promise, no more tests. I’ve killed the wolves who hurt you, especially the one who tried to take you against your will.”
Except you!
She didn’t believe a word, but smelled the truth of his statement.
“Ava, I lost my mind when you disappeared. Then you tried to take yourself from me. I couldn’t stand the idea of losing the one woman I need.”
Rage erupted. Her wolf pushed to the surface as she glared at him. She kept her beast at bay to speak. “Need? How many women have you fucked in front of me? All to prove I wasn’t what you needed.”
Sadness etched his features. A tear rolled down his face. The scent of regret flowed from him so strong her conviction wavered. “I always feared you would change me. Make me weak. But watching you today—witnessing your strength, I realized how wrong I was.”
“How can I trust you? You let those pathetic assholes rip into me, make a meal of my flesh. And you want me to forgive you?”
“Eventually. You want me, you can have me. All of me. My bond is yours to claim, if you’ll have me.”
“Now? After I waited how long? You think I still want you?”
“I hope you do.” He took a slow breath and shrugged. “I brought your favorite meal. And I swear I won’t let the wolves near you. I can’t go through watching you suffer again.”
She bit back a laugh.
Axel pulled the desk over and moved to the other side, sitting in a chair.
Cautiously, she moved to the edge of the bed. Thoughts spun through her head as she opened the take-out containers, putting them in the center of the desk. He was sincere, but how far could she push back? How many answers would he give her?
“Why the change of heart?”
“Can I trust you?” he asked softly, pushing the tubs of food back her way.
“Of course. Though I clearly can’t trust you.” She sighed, looking down at the chopsticks he laid before her.
“Because of today?”
She finished off the Kung Pao chicken quickly and picked up the fried rice.
“Talk to me.”
Around a mouthful, she muttered, “You don’t want to hear what I have to say.”
“I do.”
“You don’t want a mate. You allowed the lowest wolves to eat my flesh.” Her eyes blazed to him. “You never even asked me why I shot myself.”
He nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Why did you?”
“I was fucked either way. They would have tortured me further for answers. The Silver Council would kill me, or you would torture me for failing. I did my part. Chained an innocent girl to Clint’s porch, and started back. An officer hit my car, flipping it. They bound me in silver before I could fight, then threw me into a silver-barred cell. What
else was I going to do? I would never willingly tell them anything, no matter what they did to me. But they have a mage who can get in your head, find stuff out. Dead was better than snitching.”
“I should have asked.” He looked away, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I overreacted. Please forgive me.”
“You’ve never trusted me. It never mattered what I did for you. All you ever had to do was ask, and I bent over backward to please you. And my thanks? You fucked every last female, most in front of me, to prove you didn’t need me.”
He leaned forward, pleading with his eyes. The scent of his desperation filled the room. “Take me as a mate, and I’ll never stray again. Let me prove to you that I want all of you.”
“Took you long enough. Maybe too long. Being second already ties me to you. Why should I be bound further?”
He stared into her soul. “Together we’re stronger. HARP wants us to run their recruitment center. You are the only one I trust, Ava. Please, tell me what to do to gain your trust.”
“Why did you let your wolves devour me?”
Tears filled his eyes, then flowed over. The agony in his voice pulled at her heart. “Thought you wanted to leave me. That you wanted to run from me. I didn’t know the whole story.”
“Next time something I can’t control happens, are you going to overreact without talking to me first?”
“Never again. Please, Ava.”
Sighing, she pulled the barbeque pork over. “What happened to Toby?” She dipped the pork in spicy mustard.
“He went to find Clint. I can show you his remains. He made it back, but—there’s not much left of him. He rotted, from the inside out.”
Her brow scrunched. Nothing could do that. However, his motives were starting to show. Toby had been special to Axel. Now he was desperate, terrified, and insecure. All things she could use to her advantage.
Looking at him through her lashes, she asked, “You sure you want to be my mate?”