Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

"Ah...Cash." His voice was smooth and dangerous, like a deadly snake gliding through murky waters. "Excellent to meet you. Damien speaks highly of you. You will join our pack?"

  "Fuck you. You don't get any of us."

  Jace walked up and aimed the gun at Cash. "Hang up the phone."

  Cash looked right at him, and Bryn saw the resolution in his eyes. Jace was ready to shoot him. "Fuck you," Cash said to him. "I won't live a life of regret knowing I gave up."

  Pride swelled through Bryn at his loyalty, his unwillingness to walk away from helping Jace. She slipped her hand through his, silently telling him that she was there with him. It had gone beyond atonement for the woman who'd died with only Bryn to see it. It was protection of all the other people yet to die, the people like Jace who would be forced to kill others and be tormented forever because of it. She knew suddenly that this was why she'd survived the car accident, because she was meant to stay by Cash and help him make something right.

  Jace moved at lightning speed, snatching Bryn from Cash. He locked her against his chest and pressed the gun to her temple. Bryn froze, her heart hammering at the feel of Jace's body against hers. "If you don't go, she dies."

  Cash's eyes turned amber instantly and he want utterly still. "Let her go." His voice was like a razor across her skin, deadly and dangerous.

  Drake walked up to Cash, his eyes now a pale, icy blue. He stood beside Cash, just as he'd sworn he would do. "Don't do this, Jace. Don't hurt her. Don't shut us out just because you're fucked up from killing that woman. We can do this."

  "I can't walk away from the pack," Jace shouted. "They're counting on me—"

  Suddenly, music began to play from the phone, and a woman's voice drifted out into the air, so melodic and beautiful that Bryn's breath caught. All three men froze, and the temperature of the air in the cabin shot up. Jace gasped and let her go, stumbling back as he shoved the gun at her. She caught it as he fell to his knees, holding his ears. Beside her, Cash went down to the ground, and so did Drake, covering their ears.

  "It's the song," Jace gasped. "Shoot us, Bryn. Shoot now."

  With rising horror, she realized that the song coming from the phone was the same one that had triggered Jace's attack. "No!" She lunged for the phone and threw it across the room. It shattered into fragments, and she spun back toward the three men, who were down on their knees, their muscles bulging beneath their skin as they fought to hold onto their humanity.

  "Cash!" She reached for him, skidding on the phone fragments, remembering how she'd helped him regain control. If she couldn't get to him in time—

  There was a clap of thunder and a blinding flash of white light. She gasped, covering her eyes against the light…and then she heard a low, menacing growl.

  She jerked her hands from her face. Three wolves had surrounded her, teeth bared, eyes glowing with the same feral hunger that she'd seen in Jace's before he'd killed Melissa. She recognized Jace's brown fur. The light gray one had Drake's icy blue eyes. And a massive dark gray wolf with amber eyes was in front, its lips raised in a snarl that made her blood turn cold. "Cash?"

  But it wasn't Cash. Not anymore. It was the same mindless deadly predator that Jace had become, and she was the only target around. Grigori didn't need to convince them to become a part of his pack. He'd already claimed them. He controlled them. He'd already won...because she'd answered the damned phone and exposed them to the song.

  Memories of her mothers' death flashed through her mind, and she stumbled back, horrified by what she'd caused. Once again, she'd made a mistake that was going to destroy those she loved. She would be murdered by the man she loved, and Cash would have to live with the guilt and self-hate that he'd killed her for the rest of his life.

  Chapter Twelve

  THE THREE WOLVES encircled her, crouched low, teeth bared, ready to attack.

  Bryn gripped the gun, backing away. "Cash," she shouted, her voice cracking with terror. "It's me. Don't do this!" Jace snapped at her ankle, and she yelped and swung the gun toward him. He snarled at her, and for a split second, her vision blurred as terror tried to overtake her.

  "Stop it!" She shouted, backing up as she swung the gun from one to the other. Jace was trying to get behind her and Drake was flanking her other side, also snapping at her ankles. Cash stood in front of her, his golden eyes boring into her.

  Dear God. He was a wolf. The man she loved was a wolf, and he was about to tear her apart. For the first time, she understood what his life was like, why he'd left. There was nothing of him left in the animal. He was pure predator, oblivious to the identity of his prey. He was driven by a darkness greater than his own humanity, needing to slaughter and kill. Dear God, how many times had this happened to him? To Jace? To Drake?

  The wolves moved closer, low growls emanating from their powerful chests, but suddenly, for the first time, she didn't see them as enemies. She felt their torment, understood the prison of hell they lived in, the monster that haunted them at every moment. They were men, honorable men, trapped by the monster that Grigori had called forth.

  Drake darted in and lunged for her ankle. She jumped away, toward Jace, who snapped at her calf, making her stumble forward as she tried to get away. She realized they were herding her toward Cash, presenting her to him for the kill.

  She met his amber gaze, and saw nothing of the man she loved. There was no humanity in his eyes. He was gone. His lip curled up in a low snarl, and the fur on the ruff on his neck puffed up, making him even larger. His eyes were narrowed, his body rigid and taut, ready to spring.

  On either side of her, Jace and Drake waited, ready to finish her off once Cash made the first move—

  The steel front door that had been locked and alarmed suddenly swung open, but none of the three wolves even turned their heads as two men walked in, one of them fully dressed in jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved black tee shirt. The other was wearing only jeans, his feet bare, a heavy beard on his jaw, his dark green eyes glittering with power. She knew instantly that he was Grigori. As dangerous as Damien was, Grigori's presence dwarfed him.

  "Wait." He snapped a command to the wolves surrounding her, and they went into a crouching position, completely at his mercy.

  Dear God. Even without the song playing, he had complete control over them. Was the song simply the trigger he used to get access to their minds? Once they shifted, did they belong to him until he let them go? What kind of power was that?

  He walked into the room, followed by Damien. Both were tall and muscular, and Grigori had scars raked across his chest, as if he'd been in dozens of fights that had almost killed him. Grigori smiled at her, a thin, terrifying smile that made her stomach turn. "Do you want me to save you?" he asked conversationally.

  "Save me? You?" Cash moved even closer to her, his teeth bared. Drake darted in and bit her calf, his teeth grazing over her skin. She yelped and stumbled back, almost falling when Jace nipped her ankle, sending pain shooting through her skin. Cash just watched, moving inexorably closer, saliva dripping from his jaw.

  "If I fuck you, you're mine, not his. You live. Cash doesn't have to kill you." Grigori's gaze bore down on her, and revulsion flooded her.

  She knew what he was doing. If he stole her from Cash, he showed everyone that he owned Cash. He already controlled him with the music. His control of the pack would be complete. But if he let Cash kill her, it would still show his power, by forcing a wolf to kill his own mate. Either way, he won. Either way, she lost. Cash lost. Everyone lost. Except him.

  "You want Cash to live with the guilt of killing you?" Grigori walked further into the room, followed by Damien. Damien's face was impassive and cold, masking his emotions. Was he under Grigori's control, or was he making his own choices? She could see more wolves and men waiting outside. There were ten that she could see, far outnumbering Cash, Jace, and Drake. Dear God. There was no way out. No way to win.

  "You want Cash to wake up every day, knowing he killed the woman he loved? How does that feel, B
ryn? You want to punish him with what you've lived through?"

  Her gaze snapped to Grigori. "How do you know about that?"

  "Because I'm very, very good at what I do. Fuck me now, or you die."

  She looked down at Cash, who was poised, waiting for the final command. Her fingers closed around the gun, and Grigori laughed softly. "You won't get a shot off," he said, reading her mind. "They'll bite your hand off before you even raise the gun in my direction."

  She knew how fast the wolves could move. She'd seen it.

  Grigori walked closer, threading himself between the wolves. He came to a stop in front of her, his merciless eyes boring down on her, standing between her and Cash, who still hadn't moved. His eyes were dark green, laced with flecks of gold, as if he never fully shifted back to human form anymore. His dark hair was long, a thin braid woven into it. A black chain encircled his throat, and a massive signet ring adorned his thumb. But it was his eyes she couldn’t take her gaze off of. They were the eyes of a madman, of a killer without mercy. He was unmitigated evil, leaching his taint into the very air she was breathing.

  Grigori flicked his finger at Cash, who lifted his lips to reveal gleaming white teeth. His amber eyes were fixed on her throat, and she knew that Cash would kill her the instant Grigori released him.

  She knew then that Cash was truly lost, trapped by the monster inside. He would never, ever allow Grigori near her if he had any choice. Did his mind know what was going on? Was he screaming inside his prison, trying to get free? "You fear Cash so much that you need to destroy him like this?" She asked the question, not because she cared about the answer, but because she needed time, time to figure out what to do—

  "I don't want to destroy him. I want to use him." Grigori grabbed her arm and yanked her against him, her body slamming into his hard, muscular one. "You don't dare say no," he said, grabbing the back of her hair and jerking her head back. "You know he can't live with killing you. You'll never risk him like that. He's mine, and so are you."

  She stared into his depraved eyes, the eyes of a wolf gone mad, and she knew that he would eventually kill her as well. Through sex. Through depravity. There was no end, no salvation, no respite from his madness. "Cash," she whispered. "Don't let him do this." Cash was right behind him. One move and he could kill Grigori.

  But Cash didn't move, trapped by Grigori and his wolf.

  Grigori smiled. "Mine." He fisted her hair and his eyes glowed with madness.

  Madness.

  Madness that wasn't in Cash's eyes, even as a wolf caught in the thrall. Cash was trapped, but he wasn't insane. She recalled how Jace had taught Cash to win over the monster. She'd seen Cash subdue his wolf earlier. He could do it. She knew he could. Resolution flooded her. "Fuck you," she said. "I believe in him." Then, she took the biggest leap of faith she'd ever made, and she began to sing the song that had trapped Cash in the first place, a song so powerful that it would break him free of Grigori's hold. The question was, would it plunge him the rest of the way into the abyss, or give him the split second to reclaim himself?

  There was a vicious growl from behind Grigori. His eyebrows went up and he casually stepped to the side. "Foolish girl."

  As soon as he moved, Cash lunged, teeth bared, heading straight for her throat.

  * * *

  He could think of nothing but killing. The need raged white-hot in his brain, consuming him, driving him. He had to kill her now. His muscles bunched, and he launched himself at the prey that had been tantalizing him for so long, hunger raging through him. He crashed into her, his front paws slamming her to the ground. His jaws latched around her neck—

  He froze, shocked by the taste of her skin, and her scent crashing through his senses. She tasted familiar, like something he knew, something important. She smelled of sweat and fear, and something else. Something that mattered to him. Something that he needed. Confusion hammered at his mind, hunger battling for supremacy over something else. Something more basic. Something more important.

  Her fingers dug into his fur, and heat surged through him, a deep, penetrating heat that seared its way through his veins, sending pain shooting through him.

  "Cash. I need you." Her voice drifted through his mind, chiseling its way past the haze gripping his mind so fiercely. "Come back to me. Now."

  His teeth hovered on her delicate skin, a breath from puncturing the soft flesh. He could smell her blood, and he could hear it rushing through her veins, just below the surface. She was his. Defenseless. Ready to die. She wasn't struggling. She wasn't screaming. She'd accepted her fate—

  "Cash. Please. I love you. I believe in you. Cash!"

  Her voice was angelic, music more beautiful than he'd ever heard. His soul strained in response, fighting to acknowledge her. He didn't want to kill her. This wasn't right. It wasn't right.

  Slowly, painfully, summoning every last shred of willpower, he released his grip on her throat and pulled back. He managed to bring her into focus. She was gazing at him, her fingers still in his fur. Memory flooded back to him, and he recognized her. His mate. His woman. Bryn.

  Her gaze flicked past him, drawing his attention behind him. Instantly, he sensed movement behind him. He whirled around just as Damien lunged at him. Cash charged for him, slamming into the wolf in midair. Teeth snapping, the two heavy bodies crashed to the ground. Damien bit his shoulder, ripping flesh, but Cash tore into him, prying the older wolf off him and hurling him across the room.

  Damien hit hard, leapt to his feet, and launched himself at Cash.

  Get Grigori! Jace's command filled his mind as the alpha launched himself at Damien. I've got Damien.

  Cash whirled around in time to see Grigori grab Bryn and sprint for the door. Bryn! Cash bolted after her. He sensed Drake racing for the intruder at the same time. They leapt simultaneously, their attacked timed perfectly from years of living together, their teeth tearing into Grigori's shoulders, hitting the alpha just as he reached the grass outside.

  He threw Bryn aside as he fell, hurling her into his team of snarling wolves. Cash had a split second to decide, and then he cut off to the left, charging after Bryn as she hit the dirt, Drake right behind him. Cash sprang through the air, landing beside Bryn, sinking his teeth into a wolf just as it lunged for her. He threw it aside, and it fell, shifting back into a man as its neck broke from the fall.

  Drake attacked another wolf, protecting Bryn's other side. Bryn grabbed a stick and hit a wolf coming from the other side. The three of them fought together, taking down the wolves one by one, until finally, there were none standing. Grigori was not among the dead, and he was no longer present. All that remained of him were tire tracks in the dirt.

  Cash braced himself on his legs, panting, pain spinning through his body as Bryn fell to her knees, the stick falling from her hands.

  There were still sounds of fighting coming from the cabin, and Drake spun toward the building. You stay with her. I'll help Jace.

  Cash didn't argue. Damien didn't matter to him anymore. None of it mattered. He just needed Bryn. He walked over to Bryn and pressed his face against her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his fur, her body shaking violently. "Cash," she whispered. "I knew you would come back to me."

  He needed to hold her. He needed to kiss her. He needed to be himself. The effects of the forced shift were still holding him in wolf form, fighting his efforts to shift back. She clung to him, her fingers tight in his fur.

  As she held him, he felt his body begin to relax. His muscles lost their tautness, and he felt his body coming back to him, reclaimed by her touch. He tried again, and this time, he shifted easily back into his human form.

  Tears filled her eyes as she watched him shift. She was covered in blood, dirt, and sweat. Her shirt was torn, and she had a bruise forming on her cheek...and she'd never looked so beautiful. "Bryn." He crouched in front of her, framing her face in his hands. "I'm so sorry."

  She shook her head, her blue eyes glistening. "Y
ou won," she said. "You couldn't kill me. I knew you couldn't. I love you, Cash."

  He knew she wasn't talking about teenage love. She was talking about the kind of love that bound two souls together for all eternity. The kind of love that was forever, that was about self-sacrifice, commitment, and the kind of peace that came only from trusting someone enough to give them your heart, your soul, and your body. "I know, sweetheart." He bent his head and kissed her gently, ignoring the pain screaming through his body. "I love you, too, Bryn. Always and forever."

  Her face lit up, a huge grin illuminating her tear-streaked cheeks. "It's about time you admitted it."

  He laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I was trying to protect you from what I am."

  Her smile faded. "I know what you are. I've seen the worst of it, haven't I?"

  He shrugged, grimacing at the memory of his teeth around her neck. The memory was terrifying...except for the fact he hadn't done it. He'd been in a killing rage, and he hadn't hurt her, not even one bit. "Pretty much. It doesn't get much worse than tonight."

  She nodded. "Will you teach me how to shoot a gun? I realized tonight I need to develop better self-defense skills if I'm going to be hanging out with you."

  He groaned at the idea of having to face that again, of having her in danger. "I'm going to retire. You and I are heading to the Caribbean islands and forgetting about the wolf thing—"

  Before he could finish, Drake walked out of the cabin, in human form. He was naked, his skin slashed in a dozen places. He made it only a few yards before he sank down onto the grass, his muscular body shaking violently. "Damien's dead," he said, bracing himself on his hands, digging his fingers into the dirt. "Jace is in rough shape. I'm not sure he's going to make it." He dragged his hand over his forehead, wiping away a trickle of blood as he raised his head to look at Cash. "Grigori got away, didn't he? He's still out there. He'll be back."

  Cash swore, but before he could say anything, Bryn slipped her hand in his. He looked down at her, and his heart softened when he saw her smile. "Your family is mine, too," she said. "You're all I have left. We're not going to abandon them. Besides, you need me. I'm the only one who can bring you back from the edge. We're not going to the Caribbean. We're staying right here."