by Bryce Evans
“I can only pray that it was quick. I’ve seen what she does to people who disappoint her.” Hope, was it just a fantasy? Was her mother dead? She didn’t feel it. Stay positive, she thought. She watched as London approached and stuck her hand out to her.
“I’m your cousin, London.”
Sage looked down and hesitated. “Nice to finally meet you. I’ve only heard stories, so it’s nice to put a face with the name.”
“This is my mate, Ryder.” London pointed at him.
“Nice to meet you, Alpha.”
Ryder grasped her hand and shook it. “Ryder will do.”
“This is Kayden and Zoey Lynn,” London said. “And this fellow here is Nolan Banks, and this is Judd, and Maggie Walsh. I think you have already met Brody King, the Alpha of the King Bears.”
Sage only nodded trying not to look too much at him. She didn’t want to encourage him. She wasn’t his mate. When she looked down at Me-Len, she saw that her grandmother had her hands over her face, crying. Sitting down beside Me-Len, she wrapped her arm around her and rubbed her back. “Mother wanted to get to know you better, Me-Len, but she also knew that if we didn’t do something to help, then the world would be doomed. We both knew what we were getting into, and knew the likelihood of us getting out was slim.”
“I know, but I will never get to know her like a mother should.” The room stayed silent as Me-Len cried.
It had been a shock to learn that Me-Len was her mother’s birth mother. Me-Len had given Jessica up when her mother was born. Me-Len was only fifteen years old and the man she was seeing was married. James Wingate, Sage’s grandfather, became the leader of the Council of Covens. Of course, if people had found out that he had an illegitimate child with a fifteen-year-old, he would have been ruined. He never knew that Jessica was his real daughter. His wife Marci knew of the affair and when she found out that Me-Len was pregnant and was giving the baby up, she filed for adoption. Her mom said that she found Marci’s journals and realized that she had used magic to make sure she got to adopt Jessica. It was such a sad story, but she didn’t regret it. Her mother loved her parents even knowing they were flawed and thought to highly of themselves, but they were family.
Beating herself up on the inside, Sage made sure that she told the Alphas as much information about Claudia as she could. There was still hope in her heart that Claudia would keep her mother alive for bait. She could tell that Me-Len felt different, but she had nothing else to hope for. Letting her mother down and leaving her was all she could think about. Her body felt different as she stared at Brody, who poured her a glass of wine, setting it in front of her. She felt guilty for even lusting after him. Her mother should be her only concern right now, but her body felt like lead. She needed more rest. If they were going to get her mother out tomorrow, they would need her help. Apparently, the others could tell she was fading fast. The adrenaline dump she’d had earlier was affecting her mentally as well as physically. She needed more rest before she would be fully equipped to use her magic. She hoped that she didn’t fall asleep at the table.
She gave in and stayed in a bedroom at Brody’s. The look on Me-Len’s face when she suggested staying with her had said it all. Yes, yes, he said they were mates, but right now she didn’t believe it. But she didn’t want to cause any problems and agreed to stay here. Me-Len looked totally wrecked, too.
Sage heaved a sigh and stared off out the window. She didn’t realize everyone had left the room until she heard Brody behind her. “I believe this cloak belongs to you.”
Sage turned around and found him holding the Cloak of Edengraf. “Thank you.” He put it in her hand and took a step back.
“You’re part of the Order?” Brody stated.
Sage snorted. “Yeah, I guess I am.” She unfolded the cloak as it dropped down.
Brody pointed to the symbols woven in gold. “It has the same markings that are on my necklace and Bast’s sword.” He pulled out a necklace from under his shirt and showed it to her.
“It’s beautiful,” Sage said and folded the cloak up. “I woke up one morning and it was draped across my bed. How it got there I have no clue, but I knew what it was as soon as I saw it. It’s supposed to help me save lives. But I couldn’t save my mother’s life.”
“But you got Carina out.”
Wiping the tear that fell down her face, Sage said helpless. “One lives and one dies, for what, Brody? Why does my mother have to die to save someone else? It’s not fair!”
Brody pulled her closer and hugged her. Whispering, he said, “No, it’s not fair, and I’m sorry about your mother.”
Lord help her, but it felt so good resting her head against his chest. “I’m so tired,” Sage muttered.
“There are some clothes on your bed. London had some sent over while you were asleep. There’s also a shower and tub in your room if you want to take a bath. Get some sleep; we can figure something out tomorrow.” Brody walked her down the hallway to the room she’d woken up in. He opened the door and waited until she walked in. She could feel him hesitate before stepping into the room.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Brody walked out and closed her door. Odd she thought, he didn’t linger or tell her again that she was his mate. Maybe he realized he was wrong and was just being nice, letting her stay here. Sighing she walked in the bathroom.
* * *
Waking up in the morning, she glanced around the room, again realizing she wasn’t back at the castle. She had been so tired last night that after taking a shower, she crashed. But now, her mother needed her.
Jumping up, Sage took a quick shower and went in search of Brody.
Before she could sit down at the kitchen table, the man who drove them home last night came running in. They had found a body. Little did she know that today’s events were going to change her life…forever.
Chapter Three
Nothing could have prepared Brody King for the sight currently in front of his eyes. He had seen a lot of things in his lifetime as Alpha, but this was evil, serial killer kind of shit. Alpha City would forever be changed by the witch and dragon’s actions. Claudia wanted something from the Alphas, but he and his friends had no intention of giving it to her.
Claudia Blackwood had declared war on all the shifters and paranormals in Alpha City who protected the entrance to Valceria, where the elves called home. The entrance was hidden, and only the Alphas knew where it was. Claudia would torture and kill anyone she could to find out where that entrance was. There had always been evil people in the world, but some people were just terrible human beings. Claudia Blackwood was the worst one of all.
They had hurried when his beta Lex Crenshaw had called him and told them to come to the city limits sign, but he couldn’t believe what he was now seeing. He had just found his mate, Sage Wingate, the day before, and had wanted to spend the day courting her. He already had to fight against her idea that they wouldn’t be mates, since he was a shifter and she was a witch. In addition, she wasn’t much of a talker—most likely an introvert and used to being in control—so getting thrown in among the chatty shifters was something she’d have to get used to, along with the idea of them being mates. He’d hoped a normal day together would allow them both a chance to get to know each other… but sadly, nothing about this day would be normal.
He had seen pictures of Jessica Wingate, but what he was seeing now was unconceivable. Jessica Wingate was Sage’s mother and this would change her forever.
Brody held on to Sage as she tried to run for her mother. He had never seen anything so malicious and cruel done to another human being. Screaming at the top of her lungs, Sage tried to break free again and run toward the sign, “No, no, no, no!”
“You can’t touch her Sage.” Brody watched as his friend, Ryder, strained to talk. “Her body has been wrapped with explosives.” If they touched her, it would trigger the bomb to go off. Brody had to hold her tightly so she couldn’t break free.
Jessica Wingate was nailed to
the city limits sign. It looked like the dragon had whipped her body with his tail so badly that there wasn’t much left of her torso. He left her head unharmed so Sage would be able to recognize her, making this moment stick inside her memory forever.
At first he could scent the fresh pine trees along with the wild flowers they had planted all around the sign. Something Brody loved about Alpha City. Now, as the air drifted toward them, he could only smell the stench of death. Jessica Wingate’s body was placed directly in the sunlight, baking as the sun rose higher in the sky.
Sage’s body went limp, falling to the ground in his arms crying. He continued to hold on to her, whispering in her ear, “It’s going to be okay,” but even he didn’t know if it would ever be okay again. Everything that they held dear was being killed right in front of them. This was the fourth person Claudia Blackwood and Jamal had been responsible for killing, and they would continue to do this until they got what they wanted or were stopped. Kenny Davis, Pennson Hudson, Thorn Russell, and now Jessica Wingate were all dead because of them. They had to be stopped before anyone else became their next victim.
The pain she was feeling was evident as she cried out. Her voice echoed, bringing silence to the crowd that had gathered. He had to stay strong to help her through this. He was an Alpha, who ruled Alpha City, but he couldn’t look at the crushed body of Sage’s mother any longer. Cruel and evil was what Claudia Blackwood was. She had no love for anything, including herself. She hated everything in the world and like her lover Jamal, King of the Dragons, she wanted everything and everybody to suffer until she got what she wanted. Dear God, how much pain Jessica Wingate must have gone through before death finally took her.
Tingling could be felt crawling up his arms as the rage built inside Sage. Her magic was demanding an exit. It was waiting to get out and seek the revenge she so desperately wanted. Apparently London could feel it, too, since she rushed over and kneeled in front of her.
“Sage, you have to fight this. Please honey. We will find a way to get your mother down. We need you when we deal with Claudia. Please, fight this. This is exactly what she wants you to do. She wants you to touch her. She wants to destroy you and everyone else. If it’s revenge you want, revenge is what you will get. We are going to stand by you and give it all back to her. But today isn’t that day. Think Sage, what would your mother want you to do?”
Brody continued to hold on even as her magic became stronger, burning the insides of his arms. Gritting his teeth, he held on knowing she would run to her mother if he let her go. Grief from leaving her would be prevalent in her mind right now. That he would not allow. He continued to hold her, letting her know he was there and always would be. “I can feel your magic, Sage. She wants you broken. Don’t let her win,” Brody whispered.
“I’m going to kill you. You hear me, Claudia Blackwood, I’m going to kill you.” Sage screamed out. Her screams of rage turned to sobs as she broke down in his arms. Her body shuddered as she cried out in pain. No longer was Sage in control, this had shaken her to the core. She started taking in deep breaths. As her body relaxed so did the pain in his arms. She had been through too much. She needed rest.
Brody knew that the message Sage sent would get back to the witch. There were shifters standing around, watching as his mate broke down. This was exactly what the witch wanted…Sage broken. It was a gruesome scene that nobody should have to see, especially when it was one’s mother. The witch would die; he would make sure of it. London was correct; justice would be given for his friends and now for Sage.
He motioned to his second, Lex, who never had to ask him what to do; his beta immediately took out his camera and started videoing the crowd. They had already planned to do this when incidents happened. Somebody in the crowd was a traitor, and they needed to know who it was so they could use that person. Hopefully, there was someone in the crowd who couldn’t control their expression and was showing how they felt.
He watched as Maggie, Judd Walsh’s mate, moved closer to the people in the crowd. She was using her gift to pick up any negative feelings among the people who lived in Alpha City. They had to work fast to get information that would eventually help them. They would know who they could trust and who they couldn’t. This was now a game between cat and mouse; right now they were acting like the mouse. It was time to turn the tables.
He turned his attention back to his mate, who was shaking now with rage as she stared up at her mother’s mangled body. “Sage, I’ll get her body down and we will bury her properly. I promise.” She never spoke or even acknowledged Brody’s words. He understood and just held on to her. Finally, her crying halted as she stared out into the woods.
Brody felt it, too. It was magic like no other. It was elven magic shimmering all around. He turned toward the woods and watched as Bast Finn, King of the Elves, and his guards appeared at the tree line. They were all dressed in their knightly armor as they approached him and his mate. The crowd all oohed and aahed when they saw the Elf King. All of his friends parted as the elf walked forward. Kneeling down in front of Sage, Bast spoke with kindness and regret in his voice. “If you allow me, I can get your mother down without triggering anything.”
And just like a switch had been turned, Sage was back in control. Without saying a word, Sage nodded. Brody watched as Bast Finn walked over toward the city limits sign. Bast thrust his sword into the ground and whispered. Brody couldn’t make out the words, but elven magic was the most powerful of them all. This is what Claudia wanted. She wanted that magic, and would do everything in her power to obtain it. Even he couldn’t deny how powerful Bast Finn was. He had seen elven magic before, but now he was seeing something mythical. The glow around Bast and his men was different.
All the Alphas were present as they watched the elf’s magic; it circled around and around, lifting him off the ground. His body hovered in front of the sign as the nails holding Jessica Wingate popped out of the sign, falling to the ground along with the rope and bomb as it floated softly. The bomb never went off. It just sat on the ground a deathly reminder of what could have happened. They would set it off when everyone was gone. They had plans already in place for emergencies like this. They watched as Jessica’s body floated into his arms then slowly he landed on his feet. One of his guards took off his cape and covered her body, allowing only her face to be seen. Bast walked over to them and laid her body down in front of Sage.
He watched as the elven king and his guard all kneeled in front of the body and said a prayer for her, before looking at them, his eyes burning. “Sage Wingate, her death will not go unpunished. Your mother was a good woman.”
“Thank you,” Brody said. His mate just sat lifeless in his arms as she stared at her mother’s face. She had to be in shock. He knew he sure was, but Sage needed him. Actually, she needed all of her family, including Me-Len and London.
He glanced over at Me-Len, who was also just staring at her daughter’s body. Bast and his men seemed to drift away from them, giving Sage and Me-Len time alone with Jessica’s body. Brody appreciated what Bast had done for both of them. He shuddered, thinking what would have happened if the explosives had gone off and destroyed the rest of her body. He could already feel the rage brewing inside of Sage and even Me-Len. They needed to get them both calmed down before they went off and did something. Revenge can take over without you even knowing it. He should know; he’d almost killed Maggie when he thought that she had killed his best friend, Judd. He was such a fool. All he could see was Judd’s body lying there lifeless and thought that she was the cause, but he was wrong. Dead wrong. Maggie was the one who’d saved him, and not a minute too soon. She’d turned Judd, making him half vampire. He was stronger now. More powerful than a shifter or vampire alone…and that was what scared the vampires. Together Maggie and Judd were the strongest Alpha couple and very hard to kill. Right now, he needed to take Sage somewhere where she couldn’t see her mother’s brutal body and calm down.
“Brody, I think we need to ge
t everyone indoors,” Nolan said, looking around the area. He knew Nolan was right, but getting Sage to understand that might not sit well with her. He leaned down and whispered, trying to keep his voice calm hoping she would react the same way. “Sage, we need to leave. Lex is going to take care of your mother. He will treat her with care.” He didn’t jump up, but waited for his words to sink in, hopefully giving her enough time to understand. Lex came over and kneeled beside them. He had a blanket in his hand, showing it to her.
“Sage, I would like to wrap this blanket around your mother. We can transport her to our land until you decide what you want to do. I want to get her out of this weather.” Lex explained.
Brody waited then Sage looked up at Lex and nodded. “Thank you.”
He let out a thankful sigh as they watched his beta wrap her mother’s body up then pick her up. Lex continued to hold her like she was alive, and treated her with care. He placed her head in the crook of his arm, then carried her over to one of their vehicles and placed her inside. He glanced back at them and nodded, then drove back home to put her in the Alpha City morgue.
Ryder, Nolan, Judd, and Kayden all waited to see if he needed them. He didn’t, but Sage would need all of them soon, especially if her control slipped again, and it probably would once the realization that her mother was dead hit her. He nodded and they all walked away, leaving him to tend to his mate.
Before Brody could pick Sage up, she pushed herself to her feet, standing before him with her hand out. It took him a moment to realize that it was her now helping him. He nodded, then took her hand as she started to pull him up. She was strong, but he was very big and heavy so he pushed himself up and stood in front of her. “Thank you.”
Sage wiped her eyes and only nodded. She walked beside Meryl who helped Me-Len to their vehicle. Ryder and London would be taking care of Me-Len. She was devastated, as any mother would be. Now he needed to take care of Sage.