“Flattery.” His lips twisted. “How obvious. Unfortunately for you, I’m not a vain man.” He crossed the distance and slid a bony finger beneath her chin. It felt like ice. “Although you are very beautiful. I can see how Braum Jackson was so easily tempted, despite the fact that he knows he can never have you.”
Her heart dropped like a stone. “What do you mean?”
Garth laughed, a surprisingly rich sound considering it was coming from such a dark, emaciated character. “He’s too high-ranking a member of his clan for the likes of an ordinary human. Didn’t he explain any of this to you? Someone of his station is expected to mate with a fellow wolf shifter, so as to keep the line pure. Wolf shifters are a very rare breed, you know. The clan leaders can’t just allow everyone to go and mate with humans. They have certain responsibilities.”
Jade swallowed past the painful lump in her throat. No wonder he’d been so determined to put distance between them. There was no point in creating a relationship between them if they couldn’t be together. A part of her felt relieved that there was a reason behind it, but the rest of her was devastated that door had been so firmly shut. She knew he had strong feelings for her, dammit. After the last few days, she had no doubt in her mind. Why did life have to be so unfair?
“Why do you think he’ll come for me, then?” she asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of her tone. “If he can’t have me, then what’s the point in rescuing me?”
Garth shrugged. “Logic would indicate that there’s no point at all. But wolf shifters are incredibly possessive and territorial, and from Kyle’s report I have no doubt at all he isn’t done with you. He’ll come for you, Jade, have no doubt about it. And when he does, I’ll be waiting.” He grinned, and the expression was so malicious she broke out into a cold sweat.
“Take her to her room, wolf,” he snapped at Randy. “I want her under guard at all times.”
* * *
The ‘room’ Jade was given was little more than a jail cell, with an old-fashioned chamber pot in one corner and a pallet in the other. Randy sat in a chair just outside, his icy blue eyes trained resolutely on her. For hours they sat in complete silence, Jade frantically trying to think of what she could do to get out of this. Charming Garth obviously wasn’t going to work. She had to think of something.
After staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours, she chanced a glance at Randy.
He hadn’t budged a single inch. Tired of the wearing silence, she levered herself up onto her elbows. “So, how long have you been forced to work for Garth for?”
The shifter blinked, bewilderment flashing over his stony features, as if he wasn’t used to engaging in real conversation. “Twenty-two years,” he grunted.
“That’s a very long time. And Kyle?” she asked. “Has he been with you the same amount of time?”
Randy nodded. “He’s my brother. We were both taken at the same time.”
“That must be terrible,” she said, making her voice soft and her eyes limpid. “To be forced to serve a man for so long without having any choice in the matter. Have you ever thought about escape?”
Randy seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, and then he crossed his arms over his barrel chest, his expression stony once more. “Kyle and I are loyal to our Master. He is good to us.”
“Really?” Sensing weakness, Jade pressed forward. She wasn’t a frightened woman in a jail cell surrounded by monsters and magic anymore; she was a high-powered attorney questioning someone on the witness stand. “Then why don’t I see Kyle anywhere? Why didn’t he come back with us? You don’t strike me as the type of person who would leave your brother behind willingly,” she added as a look of pain flashed across the shifter’s face. “Garth made you leave him behind, didn’t he?”
“It… it’s not my fault.” Randy’s eyes flared. “You’re the one who shot him.”
“Yes, and I’m sorry about that.” Jade injected a soothing note into her voice. “I was frightened, and just trying to protect myself. I didn’t know anything about you, or Kyle, or the hardships you faced. I didn’t realize you were just following orders, and that you had no choice.”
“No choice,” Randy agreed.
“But right now you have a problem,” Jade switched tactics again—back to aggressive attorney. “Kyle is wounded and alone, and there’s a strong possibility Braum’s clan has found him. Even now, they could be torturing him for information on how to find me.” She leaned forward, intensity burning in her eyes. “You know that Braum wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get me back. Even if that means killing your brother.”
Randy’s face paled as he shot to his feet. “We’ve just been following orders. We didn’t do anything to deserve this. My brother can’t die. He can’t.”
“Help me save him, then,” Jade urged. “If you let me go, help me get back, I’ll make sure they spare him.”
Randy opened his mouth, then shut it as they heard footsteps down the hall. Jade’s hope started to shrivel—it was his relief. She watched Randy’s face turn stony again as he left the dungeon without so much as a backward glance. If only she’d had a little more time… she’d been so close she could taste it.
* * *
“This is a very complex spell,” Marcella muttered as she paced around Kyle, studying him like a scientist might a particularly interesting specimen before he dissects it. The tiny bells woven into her skirt and the bangles on her skinny wrists jangled with each step she took. “I don’t think I will be able to remove it, at least not without having the caster under my control.”
Kyle wore an expression of terror on his face as his eyes remained glued to the web of light emanating from the pentagram the witch had forced him to stand in. Only the twin glares from Adam and Braum ensured he remained rooted to the spot… well, that, and probably the fear that Marcella would turn him into a toad if he so much as sneezed. It might have been funny, if the situation weren’t so dire. But Jade was in the enemy’s hands, so he wasn’t finding very much funny right now.
“There has to be something you can do.” Braum scooped his hands through his hair—something he’d been doing a lot lately. He probably looked like hell, but he didn’t give a damn.
“I may be able to alter the spell a little bit,” she said, still circling as she studied the strands of light. She plucked one experimentally, and it twanged like a bowstring. Kyle turned white as parchment. “Hmm, no, that won’t do.”
“I’m going to die,” Kyle muttered. “You’re going to mess something up, and I’m going to die.”
He yelped when Marcella deftly boxed one of his ears. “Hush, boy. I may look young and vivacious, but I’m no student to the craft. I’ve been doing this for a very, very long time.” Braum arched an eyebrow as he took in the silver hairs threaded through the witch’s auburn curls and the wrinkles on her face, but said nothing. She might’ve looked like she was in her early fifties, but witches often lived for centuries, so in her mind she probably did look young and vivacious.
She played around with the web of light, muttering curses under breath, and Braum struggled not to fidget. How long would this take? He knew it was important, but dammit, Jade’s life was hanging in the balance. Finally she grasped several strings of light that seemed to be woven together, fiddled with them a minute, and let out an ‘A-ha!’ as they sprang apart.
“What? What?” Kyle’s face was torn between excitement and apprehension. “Have you freed me? Am I no longer a slave?”
“No, child.” Marcella laid a thin hand on his shoulder in a rare gesture of sympathy. “I don’t have the power or the talent to break such a strong hold from so far away. But I did remove the block he placed on you that prevents you from speaking of his secrets.” She snapped her fingers and the web of light disappeared. “He is all yours, boys. “
Kyle stepped back, holding his hands up as Braum and Adam approached. “No, no, no. You don’t understand. I can’t do this if my Master still has a hold on me
. If he finds out, all he needs to do is snap her fingers the way she did and I’ll be dead.”
“Yes, and if you don’t tell me where to find Jade, I’ll kill you.” Braum cracked his knuckles.
Kyle’s lips whitened as he pressed them together, eyeing Braum nervously. “He’ll kill my brother, too,” he finally said with a shake of his head. “At least if you kill me, he’ll know I didn’t betray him, and Randy will stay safe.”
Braum sighed. He really couldn’t fault such family loyalty, even if it was incredibly inconvenient. “Marcella, how much would it cost to free these two wolves from their slave bond to this Warlock?”
She named an outrageous sum, and he sputtered but she wasn’t budging on cost.
“Fine. Done.”
“Wait.” Kyle held up a hand. “Are you… are you saying you’ll free me and my brother if I lead you to where my Master is?”
“You’ll have to join my pack, and work off a large debt to Braum in exchange,” Adam warned.
“I don’t care.” Kyle’s eyes lit with feverish excitement. “I’ll do whatever I have to.” He paled, clapping his hands over his mouth, but when nothing happened he lowered them again. “I’ll help you find him.”
* * *
Jade was awoken by the urgent sound of jangling keys. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up from the pallet to see Randy opening her cell door. Apprehension filled her as she got to her feet—what did he want?
“Quiet,” he hissed before she could ask him. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“You’re—what?” she was careful to keep her voice down. “You’re helping me escape?”
He took her by the hand and dragged her from the cell. “Only because I know it’s the best chance of survival for my brother. Master has gone out, but he won’t be away for long, so this is the only chance we have. Now, hurry!”
They raced quietly up the stairs and through the house, which took longer than she thought it would. Every time a servant or a slave passed, Randy shoved her into a corridor or behind a door and waited until the coast was clear before moving again. Making it across the front lawn to the SUV was a nightmare… but they finally did it. They buckled in, and Randy set off down the driveway.
“I cannot leave the property without my Master’s permission,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road. His knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel, and the veins in his neck stood out prominently even though it was dark. “So I can only take you to the end of the road. Afterward, you’re on your own.”
“You… you’re not going to come with me?” Jade’s eyes widened. “But… when Garth comes back and finds me gone, he’ll…” Oh God.
Randy smiled tightly. “I’ll fight him with every breath I have. As long as my brother stays safe, it doesn’t matter if I die.”
Jade was surprised when her eyes filled with tears. This man had put her through some serious hardship, but she didn’t want to leave him to die. “There has to be another way. It doesn’t seem fair.”
“There isn’t.” He spoke tersely now. “Just make sure my brother stays safe. I don’t want to die in vain.”
“I promise.” And she was going to make sure she kept that promise.
Just as they were reaching the end of the road, they slammed into a force field… or at least that’s what she thought it was. The air in front of them flared red, and the airbags exploded as the car rammed into what felt like a solid wall, though nothing was there. Gasping, she opened the passenger’s side door and tumbled onto the ground, her ribs burning from the impact. What the hell had happened?
Struggling to her feet, her eyes focused on a Cadillac parked on the side of the road. Garth stepped out, dressed in a white suit that looked horrible on his too-thin frame, and began walking toward them as if he had all the time in the world. Jade tried to run, but her feet felt as though they’d been glued to the ground. Oh God. She’d been so close. What would happen to her now? Would he just kill them both? Had this all been for nothing?
“Very resourceful,” Garth complimented her, stopping less than a foot away. He chucked an icy hand beneath her chin. “I never expected you would be able to charm one of my slaves into doing your bidding for you. It’s a shame I’m going to have to kill you; I could have used a silver tongue in my menagerie.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Jade snapped, fire in her voice though she was trembling from head to toe.
“Of course you don’t.” He patted her head patronizingly. “Unfortunately, I have to wait until your lover gets here to kill you… but that doesn’t mean I can’t kill him.”
“No!” Jade shrieked as Garth snapped his fingers. Instantly, Randy began to thrash wildly on the ground, screaming as he convulsed in agony. Jade couldn’t imagine what kind of pain could make a hardened guy like him scream like that, but it had to be awful. “Please, stop!”
Cocking his head to the side, Garth snapped his fingers again. Randy went limp, gasping for air. “You actually care about this pathetic excuse for a wolf-shifter?”
“He doesn’t deserve this,” Jade protested. “He was just trying to help me, you bastard. Torture me if you want instead, but leave him alone.”
“Why don’t I torture you both?” Garth suggested, running a finger down her cheek. “It would be so much fun to hear your screams simultaneously.”
“Remove your hand from her face, warlock, or I will rip the skin off yours.”
* * *
“Braum!” Jade cried, and Braum’s knees nearly went weak with relief to see that she was okay. Kyle let out a cry of his own when he saw his brother on the ground, but before he could take two steps he crumpled.
“I still control you,” Garth snapped, his pale eyes livid. “How dare you bring the enemy to my doorstep?”
“But I thought you wanted me to come,” Braum said, pulling out a sheet of fancy paper from his pocket. “Isn’t that what the note said?”
“It also said to come alone,” Garth snarled. “No matter, though. You’ll still die. But as punishment, you’ll get to watch your woman die first.”
He reached for Jade, but before he could touch her skin his hand burst into flame. Screaming, he tried to put it out with a spell, but the flame continued to scorch his hand, melting it down to the bone.
Marcella stepped forward, her face grim. “Garth, Apprentice of Darin, your days of enslaving magical creatures are at an end. For your crimes, we will take you back to the Coven to be tried.” Two other witches flanked her, and the three of them converged on the warlock, binding him up in magical chains even as he squirmed and protested. Braum wasn’t comfortable around magic, but he’d never been so glad to see it in action before.
Once it was done and they had carted him off, Braum ran to Jade. Sobbing, she flung herself into his arms and held him tight. “I was so terrified,” she cried, burrowing her face into his chest.”
Rubbing a big hand up and down her back, he made a silent promise that no matter what happened, he would never let her go. Even if he had to leave his clan. He looked up over the top of Jade’s head, meeting Adam’s eyes, who watched them closely. After a long moment, his clan leader nodded.
“You have my permission.”
Jade raised her tear-stained face to frown at him. “We have your permission to what?”
“Braum has my permission to be with you, and to take you as his mate if he wishes. Which,” Adam added dryly, “I can’t imagine he wouldn’t, given how he can’t keep his hands off you.” He stared pointedly at the hand Braum had placed possessively around Jade’s waist.
Cheeks coloring, Jade smiled as Braum gave Adam an insolent stare. “Mate, Braum? Is that like, the wolf shifter version of marriage?”
“Sort of, without the divorce option. It’s literally ‘till death do us part’.”
“Well, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to pretend that this is a normal relationship. Which means we’re actually going to date, instead of you tossing me over your sh
oulder and taking me to your cave.”
“You’d like my cave,” Braum said with a grin.
“Seriously.” Adam rolled his eyes. “Do you think the two of you can keep your clothes on long enough for the drive home?”
“We can try,” Braum said, “but there’s no way I’m keeping my hands off her.”
With that, he swept Jade back into his arms and kissed the breath out of her. It was even sweeter than the first time he kissed her, now that he realized how close he’d come to losing her. Her scent and taste engulfed him, and they stood there for a long time, soaking each other in, until Adam cleared his throat impatiently.
“Ready to go home?” he asked, pulling back.
“I’ll go anywhere you wish, as long as it’s with you.”
~ * ~ * ~
About The Author
Adriana Hunter writes stories for those who live to dream. Her stories run the gamut, from romance, fantasy, paranormal to captivating stories of seductive medieval nights, and wild, adult fairytales.
If you are fascinated by unique tales, Adriana will deliver on her promise to create spellbinding stories that will tantalize your senses and provoke your imagination.
http://www.AdrianaHunter.com or on twitter @ http://twitter.com/spicytales
Claim Me (Curves For The Alpha) (BBW Erotic Romance) Page 5