“Where are you?” Charlie’s frantic voice entered his head.
“I’m leading the asshole away from my shop. Tell the others to be careful, he is more powerful than when I last saw him.” Sparky paused when the footsteps behind him stopped.
He glanced nervously around but couldn’t see the magi. “Crap, I think he’s going back—” Before he could finish his thought, his body was lifted into the air. He continued to float higher and higher until he swore he could touch the top of the trees. One minute he was floating; and the next, the ground was rushing up to him. “Charlie!” Sparky managed before his body hit the ground.
He struggled to remain conscious, but the pull of darkness was too great. His last thought before he knew no more, was how much he hated magic.
Chapter 14
Sparky willed himself to stay limp as he felt himself lifted from the trunk of the car. Part of him wanted to fight back, but since he had no idea where he was, he would continue to play the game. He was tempted to try to contact his mate but he wasn’t sure if he could. Was he too far away? Would Winston be able to tell he was talking to Charlie?
So many questions. When he got back, because hello, there was no freakin’ way he was going to stay with Winston; he and his new mate were going to sit down and talk. No sex, although that had been amazing, but he really needed to understand how being mated to a magi was different from being mated to another shifter.
He knew he’d been in the trunk for hours. From the cool air that caressed his skin and the lack of sunlight, he guessed they had traveled through the night. It was hard not to open his eyes, but he was afraid to give away that he was not sleeping. It was hard to continue the charade, but then it was nothing compared to what he feared waited for him once they got to their final destination.
He heard the rattle of keys and the sound of a door open. The smell of stale sweat, beer, and sex hit him. It had to be some kind of bar or club. Winston shifted him slightly over his shoulder before he opened another door and continued down what felt like stairs. With his head hanging over the man’s back, he couldn’t resist taking a quick peep.
The sight before him reminded him of another club located outside of Las Vegas. Winston had taken him there a few times before he told Sparky he owned it. Leather Bound was a BDSM club that had rooms similar to this one for members to use. But while it was familiar, it wasn’t the same. The shifter quickly closed his eyes when he heard someone walk toward them.
“What do we have here, Master Winston? Did you bring us fresh meat to train?” The voice caused chills to run down Sparky’s spine.
“This one is mine. Pass the word that no one but me is allowed to play with him.” Winston continued to walk for a few more minutes before another door was unlocked and opened. “Bring me pet 428 and pet 127 and have the cook send me some food. After that, I don’t want to be disturbed. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master Winston.” The sound of footsteps moved quickly away as Sparky felt Winston walk into what he was sure would be a dungeon room. The sound of the door closing made his heart rate speed up.
He had to get out of here. Just as he was getting ready to shift, Winston rolled his shoulder and let Sparky drop to the floor. His head hit the ground with enough force that he saw stars.
“Welcome home, pet. I know you’re awake. Your pathetic attempts at pretending are so easy to see through. Remember,” Winston tapped the side of his head, “I can see what you think as well as control your thoughts.”
Sparky shook his head carefully. While his former lover’s attempts to control him had failed, the other magic Winston possessed could be used against him. Not wanting to find himself flying on Winston air anytime soon, the shifter simply sat up and glared at the man before him.
“I see you’ve forgotten who is master here.” Winston closed his eyes and Sparky could feel pressure in his mind. “Get in position, now!” The magi’s voice whispered in his mind. Luckily, other than being creeped out about hearing his former lover in his mind, the urge to obey wasn’t there. Charlie had been right; Winston couldn’t control him.
For a moment, Sparky thought about ignoring the command but the sound of a key in the door changed his mind. He might be able to overpower Winston, but two magi would be almost impossible. He’d have to bide his time.
The shifter slowly got to his knees, he straightened his back and placed his hands face up on his spread legs. His kept his eyes on the floor, his head slightly bowed, the perfect picture of submission.
He heard the sound of people entering the room. “I have brought you the pets you requested, Master.” The same voice from before said with respect. “Pet 428 will serve you your meal and place the cart outside once you have finished. I have notified the Dungeon Master assigned tonight to ensure your privacy. Is there anything else you desire?”
“You have done well my friend. I will make sure to mention it to Ashton when I make my weekly report.” There was a brief moment where Sparky figured the other man bowed to Winston, something he’d seen other magi do in the past when in the presence of his ex-lover. Then he could hear the sound of a cart being moved into place; as well as the metallic sound of plate covers being removed from the food.
His stomach grumbled as he picked up the scent of the food. After being claimed and then storming out afterward to pick up Sandy, he realized it had been a long time since his last meal. He continued to hold his pose as he heard Winston take a seat.
The sound of silverware scraping across a plate followed by the light tinkle of ice in whatever the magi was drinking were the only sounds in the room. Sparky knew better than to react. Winston would feed him at some point, but it wouldn’t be anything like the delicious scents that filled the room.
He remembered the first time his ex-lover had fed him from a dog bowl. At first, Sparky had refused to be reduced to eating like an animal; but after days of being denied food other than from the bowl, he had finally swallowed his pride.
It was that moment, that clarified for the shifter how Winston really viewed him. Sadly, at the time he had been completely under the magi’s control. If he rebelled for too long, Winston simply ordered him to perform. Like a circus animal, he was forced to do whatever the deviant man wanted.
“That was good Pet 428, you can remove the cart.” Winston’s voice broke through Sparky’s dark thoughts.
“Yes, Master,” a soft voice replied. The sound of the meal being cleaned up and the cart being removed was the only thing that broke the uncomfortable silence in the room. Sparky couldn’t help the shiver that ran through his spine as he felt light fingers trace along his back, before dipping inside his crack to tap at his hole. It took everything in him not to respond.
The finger moved from his ass and traced the mating mark on his shoulder. “You’ve been a naughty wolfy. Who has claimed what was mine, hmmm?” Winston jerked the shifter’s head up. He held Sparky’s chin in a vice-like grip. “What mutt dared to mark you, answer me!”
Sparky saw no reason to lie. After all, Charlie had spoken directly to Winston when he had called. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his hatred for the man to show in his eyes. “My Semme’ mate, Charlie.”
The shifter wasn’t surprised when the blow came. Unfortunately, his already sore head didn’t appreciate the punch to his jaw. Still, he refused to give Winston the satisfaction of seeing his pain.
The magi seemed to relish inflicting pain and enjoyed the fear it invoked in his submissive. In the past, Sparky hadn’t been able to control his emotions. But he was older now. He was no longer the scared nineteen- year-old who had been banished from his pack for being gay.
Winston closed his eyes briefly before once again Sparky felt the magi inside his head. “You will follow my two pets into the bathroom and allow them to prepare you. Once they have finished, you will come back here and take your position within the frame. It’s time you learned once again who your true master is.”
Sparky stood and calmly followed th
e other two subs from the room. There would be a time to fight back, but for now, he’d have to play along. He quietly submitted to their ministrations, even allowing them to shave him. As they worked, he took a closer look at both men.
While one had closely cropped, blonde hair and golden-brown eyes, the other had slightly longer, black hair and dark eyes. He took a discreet whiff and wasn’t surprised that the blonde-haired sub was also a wolf shifter. After all, Winston seemed to enjoy the amount of damage he could do to shifters.
Their healing ability was an actual curse in this case. The wounds inflicted would heal without leaving a scar; unless Winston used his special whip with the silver tips or prevented them from shifting. The scars on Sparky’s body were evidence of the damage the whip could do.
Of course, the magi had controlled him even in his animal form because the human side controlled the animal spirit within. At least, that is what Winston had believed. Luckily, Sparky’s wolf was strong; and when the time was right, it had managed to wrestle enough control back to allow his previous escape.
But the second sub confused him. He knew the man was magi. Shifters could tell those who were magic users by scent. It was the power they possessed. It always smelled to him like the air after a lightning strike. The question was, how did a magi end up being a sub in one of Winston’s dungeons?
Before he could ponder the question further, the subs led him out of the bathroom. Sparky’s wolf was snarling in his mind. It would be so easy to let his animal spirit take control; but after what happened in the clearing, he managed to convince the wolf that now wasn’t the time. He knew Winston would expect him to walk to the large, circular metal frame in the corner of the room. For now, he would continue to pretend Winston had control.
A quick glance around showed the room was stocked with all the furniture and toys that a Dom could want. The difference was, this room was not built for pleasure. From his experience, the rooms in Leather Bound’s dungeons were made for torture. He knew his wolf would help him recover from any punishment Winston could deliver. The question was, how could he keep up the pretense should Winston decide to take his ass?
The thought of the magi touching him made him sick. But worse, it would feel like he was cheating on his mate. Even though he wasn’t initiating the sex, he would still be with someone who was not his mate. In the shifter world, once they accepted the mating mark, they would never be able to enjoy sex with another. But then, once Winston showed his true colors in their relationship, Sparky hadn’t enjoyed sex with him even then. Now would be no different.
It didn’t take long for the subs to secure his arms and legs to the shackles. He was spread eagle in the center of the circle. He was familiar with this equipment. It would allow Winston to change his positions without having to free him. In short, it would give his former lover access to his most intimate parts and the shifter would be powerless to do anything about it.
He watched Winston approach, a long stick of bamboo in his hands. “You will be punished for allowing another to touch what was mine.” The magi moved closer, his gaze locked on Sparky’s left breast, just above his heart. His eyes closed before he held his hand up and murmured a few words of some ancient tongue. Sparky felt a slight burning sensation and was amazed to see an ancient symbol in the shape of a lightning bolt appear.
Winston’s face became a mask of rage as he dropped the cane and walked toward a chest along the wall. He pulled something out and hid it behind his back. Sparky’s wolf was going crazy with the need to break free. For once, the shifter had to agree with his wolf. He wasn’t sure what the strange invisible tattoo meant, but it obviously set his former lover off. He closed his eyes and began to allow the change to take place.
“I don’t think so wolf!” Winston yelled before Sparky felt something encircle his neck. His wolf thrashed and howled but was unable to break free.
“What have you done!” Sparky ground out as he felt his wolf retreat. He couldn’t see what had been placed around his neck, but he could guess. His suspicions were confirmed a moment later.
“Very clever little wolf, but you should have known I would find out you had mated with a magi,” Winston tilted his head, “or maybe Charlie forgot to tell you? Well, it doesn’t matter because the collar I put around your neck will prevent your wolf from helping you. You won’t be able to shift unless I allow it,” Winston moved closer, “and I don’t intend to allow you to shift for a long, long time.”
Sparky was going to kill his mate, well maybe not kill him, but there certainly wouldn’t be any sex in Charlie’s near future. It was just another little detail that would have been helpful to know about the invisible mating mark.
But since the ‘wolf’ was out of the bag so to speak, he didn’t need to pretend any longer. “Charlie told me everything you bastard, and I have kept in contact with him this whole time. Right now, he’s on his way here to smoke your magical ass.”
Winston’s nostrils flared. “You stupid dog. All you’ve done is move up the timeline.”
“What, you think fucking me quickly will make your death any easier?” Sparky replied as he clenched his hands around the chains holding him fast.
The magi laughed, “Let’s just say, you were the prize I was promised if I was able to procure the High Priest’s property; along with the little omega your pack is hiding. I wanted your mate to come for you, along with some of those who were left to guard your pack while your alpha walked into our trap. Then our operatives could walk in and take the omega.”
Sparky’s heart felt as if it was going to explode. How did Winston know so much about what was going on in their pack? Worse, if he knew where the alpha was, then he had to have some connection to Alpha Clifton. If that was true, then their problems had just gotten much bigger.
He had to get free and warn his pack. He yanked on the chains holding him, but they continued to hold firm. Of course, his ex-lover would know to use restraints that could handle his enhanced strength.
The magi shook his head, “You won’t escape me this time, dog. I might not be able to use my mind control, but my other magic will be able to keep you confined. As you recall, Brenna’s spoon bending powers are strong. I can hurt you without even touching you physically.”
Sparky watched in horror as the cane that had been laying on the floor rose in the air and moved behind him. A second later, he had to hold in a scream as pain lanced through his buttocks. The next strike hit slightly below the first. The shifter could actually feel the blood begin to drip down his thighs. He dropped his head and closed his eyes. “Charlie!”
As the beating continued, Sparky continued to try to use his mating link; but there was nothing but silence. He really needed to sit down and find out what the rules for all this crap was. Apparently, there was some kind of range limit. He was on his own, and this time, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get free in time.
He heard the sound of the cane hitting the floor. Sweat dripped down his face as he lifted his head to glare at the man who at one time, he had thought would be his forever. How could he have missed the evil that lurked beneath the handsome façade?
Winston motioned for the blonde headed sub to stand beside him. He then looked at the other sub that knelt on one side of the metal frame. “Pet 428, you will stay here and work on getting my new toy hard. Use whatever means you have to, but if he is not hard, leaking, and begging to come when I return, you will take his place. Do you understand?”
“Yes, master,” the sub replied.
“Good, come with me, pet 127, I need to make a few phone calls.” Without glancing back at Sparky, the man left the room.
Chapter 15
Grant glanced at the ring of wolves that currently surrounded the old mental health facility. Blaze and his men were moving closer while Grant, his father, and the enforcers lead by the Seattle Pack’s beta, Rafael, waited for the signal to advance. Jake was next to his father, his posture rigid as they waited. He had to give the wolf credit, even
though Grant was sure that the shifter wanted to rush inside to save his sister, he had followed the order to stay behind.
Some of the Seattle Pack enforcers had taken out the guards on the outer perimeter before they had arrived. From the way things looked, they had been successful so far in keeping things quiet. A few of the enforcers had taken up positions; pretending to be guards until Grant and the rest of the enforcers had arrived.
They all were in wolf form except for Artemus. The magi had taken a position on a small hill that overlooked the facility. He had his eyes closed and was making sure that they would be hidden from view. Grant had to admit, it was handy to have someone on his team who could create ground fog heavy enough to hide their movements. The fact the magi was also a trained warrior in his own right, was also a bonus.
Luckily, Artemus had already removed the wards and magical alarms placed around the facility. Which was great, except it meant there would be other magi to contend with. It was a little surprising, because from Grant’s experience, most magi preferred to stay within their covens and didn’t want anything to do with shifter business. It was just one more thing that didn’t add up.
He watched as Dove crept toward the corner of the building. The shifter quickly changed back into his human form before he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small, furry creature. Grant smiled as he recalled David’s reaction to Mack’s latest animal droids.
He didn’t want to know how the man got his hands on the large rat carcasses he needed, but it was ingenious. Who would pay attention to the vermin? Especially in an old broken-down building that looked like it belonged in a horror movie.
The rats would be their eyes and ears to see exactly what they were up against. Dove would remain in his human form so he could monitor their progress. Falcon sat nearby to protect his team member’s back. Once Dove had an idea of how many were inside, he’d give them the signal to advance. It was a simple plan but using the rodents would hopefully, ensure fewer injuries for their team.
Battle for a Mates Heart Page 14