by Davis, Lia;
A muscle twitched in his temple. “It doesn’t hurt to ask. Besides, you’re my mate. Mine to take care of.”
She frowned. Ross had always thought about himself first. Never once had he offered her anything without needing something in return. Ross wasn’t our true mate. Yeah, the wolf was right. Cooper was theirs as they were his. With a crooked smile, she said, “I don’t need taking care of, but I’ll accept your help.”
His lips lifted in a sexy grin. “I would have dragged you there if you refused.”
A laugh burst from her. Spoken like a stubborn alpha mate. Not that she was reconsidering her no mating vow. “When do we go?”
“I’ll have to call her.” He frowned as if remembering something. “The scrying mirror is at my house.”
“Then we’ll go get it.”
He raised a brow as she stood and brushed off her jeans. “Just walk into Bloodrose Creek and get it?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “Then we can stop by Whiskey Hollow and check on Celeste and Hope. Plus, I need a report from Darin.”
By the narrowed-eye glare he gave her, she figured he wanted more information about her plan. She didn’t have more. Not really. “Do you have a better way to contact the witch?”
He pushed to his feet to tower over her. She rolled her eyes, then squeaked when he wrapped his arm around her waist and flattened their bodies together. “We will go to my house, but we go in through the back. I’m a fugitive, remember?”
She bit his bottom lip and then said, “Edwin has broken more rules than I care to count. And that was before he became Alpha.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” His wolf flashed in his eyes, stirring up her desire for the male to lethal levels.
Gathering up her strength, she wiggled out of his embrace. There was too much she didn’t know about her power. Every time she was near Cooper, the electric current grew stronger. Yet he seemed to calm her at the same time. Yep, she was going insane. “We should get going.”
A low growl was her answer, but she ignored it. Her wolf didn’t like her walking away from him either. She couldn’t risk hurting her mate before she’d even had a chance to accept him.
Wait. Does that mean I’m going to?
* * *
Cooper entered his living room and cringed at the broken glass and the blood trail on the floor that led out the opened front door. It looked like either Edwin or his enforcers had drug the bodies out of the house. Cooper wasn’t sure how much of the broken lamps, chairs, and other items were from the fight or from the enforcers rummaging through the house.
He fisted his hands at his sides as he advanced down the hallway to his bedroom. The soft sound of Dana’s bare feet followed him. She hadn’t spoken a word on the way there, just ran beside him in wolf form. Although he didn’t mind the quiet run with her, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something from him. Maybe she was shielding herself from the world.
Relief shuddered through him as he entered the bedroom and saw that it was untouched. He rushed to the dresser and pulled open the second drawer. He jerked a pair of sweats and a T-shirt out, then tossed them to Dana. Quickly tearing his gaze from her naked form, he grabbed a pair for himself, and then opened the top drawer for the scrying mirror.
Dana was behind him instantly, and she let out a soft laugh. “You keep it under your socks?”
His lips lifted in a smile as he gazed into her blue eyes. Suddenly, the playfulness vanished, instantly replaced by a feral scowl. She whirled around and left the room. Then the faint scent of the enforcers reached his senses. Fuck. He grabbed the mirror and set it on top of the dresser. Placing his right hand in the middle of the glass, he called out to the witch. “Star, I’m cashing in my favor.”
Light rippled across the surface a moment before a slip of paper materialized next to the mirror. He grabbed the note and shoved it into his pocket before rushing out of the bedroom.
In the living room, Dana stood with her arms crossed in front of an enforcer. Solon. He was one of the few males working under Edwin that Cooper trusted. The main reason being: Solon hated the Alpha. But he was bound to Edwin and couldn’t directly attack him. A rule Edwin had put into place when he’d become Alpha to ensure that his enforcers wouldn’t challenge him.
Solon was tall with black, shoulder-length hair. When he flicked his brown gaze to Cooper, he nodded. “You need to leave. Edwin put a price on both of your heads. Claims that you are a rogue, charmed wolf.”
Dana growled. “He spreads lies now to get what he wants? Why does he want me out of the picture so badly?”
“He also claims the two of you are plotting his assassination.” Solon glanced at Cooper before focusing back on Dana. “He wants revenge for Ross’s death.”
“Revenge? Ross was challenged by my brother and lost. It was a fair fight. But if it’s revenge he wants, I’m here.” Dana marched to the door. Cooper could feel her power stirring around her and her wolf rising to the surface. Solon stepped in her way, and she growled, low and fierce. “Move, Solon.”
Glancing from Solon to Dana, Cooper wondered how they knew each other. Was it because her brother was an Alpha? His questions were cut short by Solon’s words.
“He’s not here. He’s hiding out.”
Fucking coward. Cooper moved to stand behind Dana. “She challenged him in front of his enforcers. By the way, how do you know each other?”
“Mutual enemies,” Solon snarled, then shook his head to reply to Cooper’s first statement. “The challenge doesn’t matter to him. He’s too far gone mentally, and it won’t stop him from turning the Pack against you before you can address them. Or from going to the council with his accusations.”
“I want you to call me as soon as his ass gets back.” Dana walked past him and then stopped. “Do you have the keys to your bike?”
Solon crossed his arms. “Edwin will make me an example to the whole Pack for helping you.”
“You scared?”
Cooper pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Dana lifted both her brows and one corner of her mouth, but her words held the tone of a challenge.
With a scowl, Solon dug into his pocket and handed her some keys. Dana patted him on the cheek and then ran a hand down his shirt. Cooper growled, unable to contain it. The man and the wolf hated seeing her touch another male. Even though he knew why she’d done it. She was putting her scent on Solon for Edwin’s benefit.
“Tell your Alpha that I kicked your ass and stole the keys.” Dana glared at Cooper. Her blue eyes bored into him for several moments before she marched out of Cooper’s house, heading towards Solon’s house a block down the road.
* * *
Dana pulled into Darin’s driveway and shut off the bike. A sense of unease fell over her as Cooper dismounted. Her brother was pissed about something. Just then, Darin stormed out of his house and came at them, a scowl on his face. Dana asked, “What?”
Dread sliced her gut as he spoke. “Edwin has gone to the council, saying that you threatened his life and his Pack. He also said you’d gone rogue and outed you as a charmed wolf with no control over your power.”
Fury made the growing power within extend to her skin, making it glow slightly. Edwin had dragged her brother into the mess. Most likely trying to get him to go to war. “I know. Solon just told us. Edwin is fucking crazy. I challenged him in front of his enforcers. So he ran off to hide while making me out to be the crazy bitch.”
“You and I both know the male is insane, but the council is looking into it. They told me I had to turn you over, and most likely have gone to other Packs in the region. I suggest the two of you lay low until I can drum up proof that the Alpha is poisoning his own Pack.” Darin ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends in frustration.
Yeah, Dana would go. But only to keep her brother from disobeying the council. That didn’t mean she couldn’t find her own proof. Or just assassinate Edwin anyway.
> The bastard.
Darin touched her cheek. She glanced up into his sad, blue depths. With a sigh and a frown, he said, “Since Solon has reported to Edwin that you stole his bike, I suggest you ditch it as soon as possible.”
“How do you know that?”
Darin smiled. “Solon told me. He also said that Edwin has been messing around with black magic.”
“Fuck,” Cooper said. “And here I thought he was going insane naturally.”
Darin’s lips twitched before he steeled his features and addressed Dana again. “You need to seek the help of the Coven and learn to control your powers.”
Dana frowned. What was it with the men in her life and the damn witches? The witches, for whatever fucked-up reason, believed she was a goddess reborn. The stories had been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. A child will be born who possesses the powers of the gods.
Dana was not that child. No matter what the witches believed.
“I’m not going to the Coven.” She glanced at Cooper and narrowed her eyes. The sinking feeling that he was about to burst her bubble settled in her belly. “What?”
He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. “I asked to cash in the favor.”
She glanced at the note and cursed under her breath. The words, Star Moon Coven, written in calligraphy, stared at her like a neon sign. Under the Coven name, it read: Come when the moon is high.
Dana grabbed the summons and shoved it at Darin. “She knows I’m coming!”
Fuck me to hell and back. Star knew. Dana didn’t have a choice but to go. Unless she wanted to run from the witches as well as the council.
Cooper stared at her, confusion drawing his brows tight together. “What are you talking about?”
Darin grunted. “You shouldn’t hide things from your mate.”
She opened her mouth to tell her brother to piss up a tree, but she closed it and focused on Cooper. “Star Moon, the Priestess, is my great-aunt.”
Six
The Coven hadn’t changed in the twenty years since Dana had last been there. The space was thirteen small homes circling a larger building used for rituals, ceremonies, and other activities. Dana let out a soft sigh as she and Cooper walked down the footpath that led into the center of the Coven.
They’d ditched the bike a few miles north of Star Moon, then sent Darin a text so he could let Solon know where to find it. She didn’t reply to her brother’s fourth command to lie low. He knew better than to ask that of her. Dana didn’t run from anyone. Not the council, and surely not Edwin.
The only reason she was at the Coven was to learn to control the power that only seemed to intensify by the hour.
“What are you plotting?”
She grunted at Cooper’s question. The more she pushed him away, the closer the stubborn male got. Although, he had been by her side since the whole mess got started. Shaking her head, she answered him. “Edwin’s death.”
Cooper chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve plotted many ways to kill him myself.”
The mention of Edwin’s name made her blood boil. He was too much like the rest of his family. She could see where Ross had gotten his dark, power-abusing side. “Well, stand in line.”
A spark on her awareness drew her attention to the small, brick home to the left of the path. Star stood on the porch with a warm, welcoming smile on her face. Her curly, chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders and hung to her waist. Looking at her tugged at Dana’s heartstrings. Memories of her mother, Adela, surfaced, bringing the pain of losing her to the forefront again. The women on her mother’s side of the family looked very similar, but Star and Adela looked the most alike.
Star’s smile faded, and her brows dipped, creasing her forehead. Dana glanced down at her hands and stopped walking. A layer of magic coated her skin with an iridescent light. Freaking hell, she looked like a glow stick. Darin was right. She needed to get a handle on the power.
A moment later, Cooper framed her face, turning her so she could focus on him. His green eyes held concern and passion. Some of her tension eased. Then he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and too short. However, it washed away the stress, worry, and sorrow she felt. The hum of magic lessened.
“How did you know?”
He ran his knuckles down her cheek. “I didn’t. You were so tense, I had to try something.”
She frowned. “Well, you can’t kiss me every time the power increases.”
She started to walk away from him, but he grabbed her upper arm. “You have to let me in sooner or later.”
Later. She wasn’t ready to let anyone into her heart. Cooper wouldn’t like her past, the things she’d done because she thought they were the best for her Pack. And when he couldn’t handle it, he’d just disappoint her like Ross did. “I can’t. At least not until the magic is under control.”
Her wolf growled in her mind as she walked away from Cooper. Lifting her gaze to Star, Dana frowned. The witch was a seer, and there was no hiding info from her. “Don’t. Please.”
A smile formed on Star’s lips as she returned the telepathic plea. “I can’t make promises, dear.”
Figures. Why had she come here? Because she didn’t know how to control her powers and needed a place to hide out for a few days.
Dana stopped a few feet from Star. Her aunt drew her into a tight hug. “It’s been too long.”
“It has,” Dana muttered then motioned to Cooper. “This is Cooper, but I guess you’ve already met.”
Star nodded to him. “We have. Come in, and we’ll talk about your Edwin issues.”
Cooper glanced at Dana, but she shook her head and then followed her aunt into her house. The inside of Star’s home was like a step in time. Only Dana was never sure if she stepped into the future or the past.
As they walked into the living room, she noted candles lit along the mantle and the coffee table. Dana sat on the sofa, and Cooper took the spot next to her. His warmth enveloped her in a soothing yet nerve-racking way.
“You need to talk to the council,” Star said as she eased into the armchair next to them. “I can’t see what Edwin is up to, nor can I verify the information Darin received. However, you need to control your gifts. They will only grow stronger and consume you if you don’t get a handle on them.”
Gifts? More like curses. “I didn’t think your seer powers were limited.”
Star frowned. “He’s blocking me somehow, which leads me to believe he is plotting something big. Getting you off his ass is the first thing he needs.”
Of course. Yet, if Dana went after him with her unpredictable powers, she’d be the one labeled as a rogue. The council would lock her up, possibly kill her out of fear that she’d turn on them all. “I’m still not convinced that I’m the goddess reborn.”
Beside her, Cooper stiffened, and she could feel his eyes on her. She ignored him as much as she could. Star noticed, too, her gaze flicking to him before returning to Dana. “You will, in time.”
There was a long pause before Dana finally spoke since no one else seemed to want to. Or maybe they were waiting for her reply. “I guess my training starts tomorrow.”
“It does.” Star stood. “Come, I’ll show you to your room so you can rest and refresh yourselves before dinner.”
Dana noticed the singular use of the word room, but she didn’t comment. It was no use. Star would ignore her or call her out in front of Cooper. Dana wasn’t ready to talk about her past with him, especially Ross.
Following Star down the hallway, Dana glanced at Cooper from the corner of her eye. He moved like the predator he was and didn’t display any emotion on his face. What was he thinking? Had to be something serious because she hadn’t seen him so quiet, so calculated, before. At least since she’d known him.
After Star had shown them their room, confirming Dana’s earlier suspicion of putting them in the same one, Dana turned to Cooper onc
e they were alone. “What’s up?”
He shut the door and prowled toward her. His wolf glowed in his green depths, making his eyes appear gold. A mix of suspicion and desire drifted in on his scent. She stood her ground. When he reached her, he snaked his arms around her waist. “You have too many secrets.”
“So do you.” A groan slipped from her when he tightened his hold on her. “How do you know my aunt?”
“I saved her life.” He pressed his erection against her, drawing another moan from her. “How do you know so much about Edwin?”
“My brother is Alpha. He makes a point to know all about the other Alphas and their Packs.”
Cooper’s lips lifted at the corners. “But you act like it’s personal.”
She narrowed her eyes, studying him while trying to figure out just how much to share. “I take all acts of bullying and cruelty personally. That’s what Edwin is, a bully who uses his power to his own advantage. He doesn’t care for the lives of others or for the health of his Pack.”
Cooper creased his forehead while holding onto the eye contact. It took all of Dana’s willpower to keep from rubbing up against him like a cat starved for touch. In reality, she was a wolf starved for touch. Her mate’s touch.
Fuck me.
He dipped his head and kissed the sensitive part of her neck. A groan escaped her, then it was cut off by his words. “Who betrayed you? Who made you harden your heart so that you deny yourself the pleasure of finding a true mate?”
When she pushed against his chest, he bit down where her neck met her shoulder. Fiery need raced hotly in her veins. In that moment, she was powerless against him. “I know firsthand how cruel Edwin and his family can be.”
He released the bite on her neck and nuzzled her, adding fire to the burn in her core. “How do you know?”
She didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to relive the biggest fuck-up of her life. Didn’t want to relive her parents’ deaths and the betrayal of her own mate. Yet, she wasn’t doing anything but hurting both Cooper and herself by ignoring it. She needed to work with Cooper—now more than ever—to ensure that Edwin got what he deserved.