Dire Cravings: Arctic Wolves Series, Book 2

by Tigris Eden

  “Very good, Frankie.”

  “Does this mean you’ll let me pet him?”

  Red laughed.

  “Isn’t that what you were just doing?”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t really get to pet him, pet him. You know, stroke all those man muscles and…” Francesca quivered as if in a daze, and Blue had to check the hostility constricting his heart. Images played in Blue’s mind that he knew were irrational. “Feel his chest, Red.”

  “I’ve already had the pleasure, on multiple occasions. Have your fun, Frankie, Oscar will be here soon.”

  Oscar? Blue’s mind backtracked to that night in the woods when they’d all been confronted by Roman and his men that first time. Nerina hadn’t killed him. She’d simply done him serious harm. He was her uncle, and in league with her father, Roman. If Oscar was on his way, things would get worse before they could ever get better.

  Blue watched Francesca’s face sag in a frown. She didn’t like Oscar. Did he trust the witch? The energy she’d given him coursed through his body. The moment to strike eluded him. He didn’t know if Olivia was all right, and the thought of anyone hurting her had his lips pulling back as his fangs pierced through his lower lip. Blood dripped onto his chest.

  “Oh no, you’ve gone and hurt yourself.”

  Red’s eyes glazed over with bloodlust. Her fangs lengthened as she rose elegantly from her spot on the sofa. He’d trusted Red, and she’d sold him out in exchange for everlasting life. Humans didn’t know what options to choose at times, and when faced with the possibility of death or living the life of a soulless immortal, they always chose wrong. Blue couldn’t offer her immortality, and even if he could have, he’d never hand someone a life of loneliness. Olivia will quell the loneliness within me. Maybe, but how could he trust her now? How could he be sure she would be loyal?

  His mind warred with his heart. Red stepped closer, her eyes bright with lust as she stood in front of him. “You’re such a powerhouse, Blue. That I ever let you go still haunts me.” Red stepped closer, and Blue bent his head to give her better access. He made sure to bite down harder, pushing his fang deeper into his lip until it punched through. “Do you want my kiss, Bödvar?” Red taunted, standing on her tiptoes.

  He grunted.

  “I think he wants you, too, Red. Look at his eyes, they’re glowing.”

  Red stretched up on her toes, her head twisting at the last possible moment before she connected with Blue’s lip. She hissed on contact before sipping greedily. Her eyes closed on a moan, and Blue lengthened his claws, gripping her tightly around the back he sunk his claws deep into her flesh. Bones snapped as he broke her back. Her scream was swallowed by his death kiss. Red clutched Blue’s shoulders, her eyes open in shock. Fear seeped from her pores, a delectable scent for his beast.

  “You should know, I am who I am for a reason,” Blue crooned, his eyes boring into Red’s. In her eyes, he could see his reflection. Blood coated his face, his lip barely attached to his mouth. When he took Red’s head, he did it quickly, before pulling out her heart and swallowing it. The power from Red was minute compared to kills of his past, but it was enough to heal him quickly.

  “Gross,” Francesca whispered.

  Blue’s head darted her way. “Take me to Olivia.”

  “Yeah, just remember, I come with you. Oscar will be here in less than five. Taylor won’t stop you.”

  Blue followed Francesca into the back of the club where the private rooms were located. Blue opened the room he’d once occupied. His heart expanded at the sight of his mate. She was sitting in a chair, watching something on the flat screen. “Olivia?” Her gaze caught his, and she smiled.

  “Took you longer than I expected.”

  “Really?”

  “We don’t have time for this reunion,” Francesca butted in.

  “Who is she?” Olivia asked, rising from the chair.

  “A witch.”

  “And she’s here, why?”

  “To get you both the fuck outta here before Oscar and his goons show up. Chop, chop. We gotta move.”

  Blue held out his hand to Olivia. She took it without argument. A first for them. He led her down the hall and out the back of the club.

  “You’re gonna want to shift now,” Francesca said.

  “Not happening. Too crowded, and too many people will see.”

  A black SUV with tinted windows was parked in the alley, and Blue knew it was Oscar and his men.

  “I can mask us, but you’ll need to shift. I’ve seen it in my dream. It’s the only way we get away.”

  “Wait, who is she again?” Olivia interrupted. Her eyes focused on the men stepping out of the SUV.

  “No time!” Francesca yelled, grabbing Blue’s attention.

  One of the Hunters pulled a gun from his side holster and aimed it their way. Blue pushed Olivia behind him, and with a roar, let the change take over. The Hunter with the gun shot rapid-fire in their direction. A bullet caught him in the shoulder, and the leg, taking Blue down to the ground. His stomach roiled, and his heart slowed at the sound of another bullet. This one whizzed right by his face, grazing him on the cheek. A sharp gasp alerted him to Olivia. He couldn’t stop the change, but he could smell the blood. Her blood. As his body continued to stretch and burn, Blue tried to move his head so that he could get a glimpse of her, but his vision blurred.

  Olivia’s heart raced watching Blue change. Lightness filled her chest, and her pulse quickened as each breath became harder to pull in. Her vision narrowed, focusing on the way his limbs submitted to the change. The bullets hadn’t delayed his reaction, if anything he grew, each muscle more defined than the next, until his wolf stood in front of her. The men in the SUV were advancing, the weird girl motioned for her.

  “We better hop on.”

  Olivia’s mouth opened, but another bullet flew past, this one, right by her ear. Oh, hell no! Her muscles relaxed, and a sense of calm overtook Olivia as her arms vibrated. She knew the feeling. The Arrow. It wanted out. It hungered for a target. Her palm itched, and the veins beneath her skin pulsated with life, as the first arrow rested in her palm.

  “Oh, shit. Don’t do it, Liv. Get on Blue’s back. Come on,” the girl pleaded.

  “No.”

  Pulling her elbow back, Olivia threw the arrow and watched it sail end over end in the air until the man holding the gun dropped with a thud. In front of her, Blue moved, his eyes boring into hers. His wolf was taller than the SUV. His hackles raised, his howl startled the other two men.

  “Get on, hurry up. You want to make it out of this alive, don’t you?”

  She did, but her limbs stiffened, rooting her to the spot. The girl cursed, and Blue bent his head in a gesture she knew meant that she should climb on. Olivia mounted the wolf, as did the other female. Blue took off at a dead run, straight for the SUV blocking their path to freedom. He didn’t stop, he picked up speed, and at the last minute when it was between them or the car, he leapt, clearing the vehicle. The woman sitting behind her mumbled words Olivia didn’t understand.

  “We’re invisible. Humans can’t see us now.”

  “I can see us, I’m human.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, if you only knew. Francesca by the way, but you can call me Frankie.” The wolf turned a corner and continued moving. It hopped a cab turning down the road toward an area of brownstones before veering off to the left. Blue wasn’t slowing down. He carried them a few blocks away from traffic, and away from people, then took them into a tunnel.

  “Don’t slow down, Blue, we’re not out of the woods yet,” Francesca said.

  Olivia gripped the scruff of Blue’s neck, her thighs squeezing his sides. A black H3 sped toward them, and Francesca gasped. “Shit, that’s Oscar. Blue, that’s them.” The wolf said nothing, but his speed increased. “Hold on, Olivia. This is going to hurt him worse than us. Whatever you do, don’t let go, and don’t look back.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Trust me, okay. Just do as I say
. I know what I’m talking about.”

  Blue continued at a dead run, and as the Hummer sped toward them, Blue charged forward. He acted as if he wouldn’t stop. There was nowhere for them to go. The SUV’s speed increased, getting closer and closer. A game of chicken. Only Olivia didn’t think Blue would veer off the path. He had every intention of colliding with the vehicle. Head bent, Blue snarled as the vehicle approached. One of them has to give, Olivia thought.

  At the last moment, Francesca yelled, “DUCK!” Olivia did, just as Blue’s head lowered and he used his head to crush the grill of the Hummer. The impact jarred everyone, including the occupants of the car. A vehicle that no longer moved. Blue had stopped a Hummer with a headbutt. Ay, Dios mio! The passengers in the car, two Hunters, must not have been wearing their seatbelts because they flew through the front windshield and sailed past Olivia and Francesca.

  “Badass,” Francesca hollered.

  There was nothing bad about it. Blue wasn’t moving.

  “Get off him, now,” Olivia yelled. Francesca did as she’d asked, but not before saying, “He’ll be all right. Let’s get him into the car.”

  “He’s not going to fit.”

  “He will.” Francesca said more undecipherable words, and Blue morphed back into his human form.

  The Hummer didn’t look like it would run, but what did Olivia know. Maybe the witch could jumpstart the car with magic or some shit. Getting Blue into the vehicle proved a hassle, but they managed. Olivia sat in the back with Blue, his head in her lap. The car started. Dear Virgin Mary, if I get out of this alive, I promise to show up for mass every Sunday. Francesca put the car in reverse and backed out, maneuvering a three-point turn, but not before Olivia saw the two men coming to. One of them looked familiar.

  As the car sped off into the night, the man stood, dusted off his suit, and winked. It can’t fucking be. She’d seen his picture a million times in her grandmother’s home. Her father. Her father was either a fucking Hunter or working with Roman. Why? Olivia shook her head. It couldn’t be. It had to be the stress of everything that was happening because her father was dead. He’d died long before she was born. And her mother, well, her mother was a junkie.

  “I told you not to look.”

  “You knew?”

  Francesca gazed at her in the rearview.

  “I know a lot of things, darling.”

  “What do you know?” Olivia asked.

  “I know who and what you are. I know that the man you saw is, in fact, your father. He’s not a Hunter, though. Although, he might as well be. He’s a blood-thirsty motherfucker, and a mean drunk.”

  “How do you know all this? Because you’re a witch?”

  “That, and I’m your half-sister. That sinister man we share DNA with is Antonio Vega. He’s also the Incan God, Inti, re-incarnated. Together, those two are a deadly combination. Welcome to the war, sister-mine.”

  17

  Blue’s head hurt like hell. Ramming your skull into a Hummer will do that. Olivia and Francesca were arguing. He cracked an eyelid and tried to focus on both women. Francesca had her hands on her hips, and Olivia’s arms were crossed over her chest. Anger and confusion seeped from her pores.

  “Why is my mate upset?” Blue growled.

  Both women looked in his direction.

  Olivia rushed to his side, placing a hand lightly on his temple. “You were out like a light, big guy.”

  “For how long?”

  “A few hours. You rammed your head into a Hummer. Blue, you scared the shit out of me.”

  “Where are we?”

  He didn’t recognize where they were, but it smelled horrible. A myriad of scents assaulted his nose. The most prevalent was Olivia’s. The mixture of her sweet-smelling skin and her erratic emotions. He didn’t like that she was upset.

  “Jersey,” Francesca answered. “Bödvar, I gotta say, you’re a lot nicer than my sister.”

  Blue sat up on the sofa he lay on. What the fuck did Francesca mean, sister?

  “Your sister?” he said slowly. They looked nothing alike. Olivia’s hair was a chestnut brown spun with gold and red. Frankie’s hair held no shine and was the color of wheat. Light to Olivia’s dark. Even her eyes were light, a shade of pale blue that gave her an odd look. Olivia’s hazel eyes were dark and exotic. The striation variation revealed her moods. If she were happy, they were more gold than green. If she was mad, they turned a pale amber, and when she moaned sweetly for him, they were melted chocolate. The women were opposites.

  “Yeah, born on the same day by two different women. Same asshole father, but different mothers. But sissy doesn’t want to believe me.”

  “Why should she, you’re a witch.”

  Francesca rolled her eyes. “As if that small detail matters.”

  “Witches are tricksters.”

  “Says the Berserker who betrayed his entire race.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, I know all about you. How you killed your mate, my dear sister. I was there on the battlefield. I remember it so well. Tell him, Olivia, tell him how you pleaded for your life before he severed your head from your body.”

  “You lie,” Blue roared. It was only a dream. He would never harm his mate.

  “Blue, it doesn’t matter what she says. I don’t believe her.” Good.

  Blue looked over at Olivia and growled. “We’re leaving.”

  “Gladly.” She stood with Blue, taking his hand. He liked that she had no problem reaching for him.

  “You two can’t leave. Remember our deal? You said I could go with you.”

  “You did. You came with us. Now, we’re leaving.”

  “No.” Francesca shook her head. “I have to come with you, and we need to get to the Bow. Vega knows where it is. That’s why he wants Olivia. He promised her to Roman in exchange for his blood. Do you have any idea what will happen if he drinks Roman’s blood and has control of the Bow and the Arrow?”

  “Nope, and I don’t care. Olivia, we’re leaving.” She took a step toward the door, and Francesca held up her hand, blocking their path. “Witch, if you use your magic on me, I promise you, I’ll kill you myself. I said, we’re leaving.”

  “You can’t leave. Not without me.”

  “Why should I trust you?” Blue growled.

  “Why wouldn’t you? I could have let Red have her way with you. I could have let Oscar get to my sister. But I didn’t.”

  “Wolves and witches don’t mix well together.”

  Francesca snorted.

  “Says the wolf mated to a witch.”

  “Olivia is not a witch.”

  “Oh, she’s definitely a witch. Tell him, sissy. Tell him about your abuela.”

  Olivia looked up at Blue, and he didn’t need to ask. He could see it in her eyes. She knew something.

  “I never believed the stories,” Olivia whispered.

  “What stories?”

  “That my grandmother was a witch. Sure, she was weird and eccentric, people came to her for blessings, but I never thought anything of it. I mean, a witch? Who knew they truly existed. I sure as hell didn’t. I never paid attention, never wanted any part of her teachings. She tried.”

  “Francesca, you have some explaining to do. If I remember correctly, you promised to tell me everything,” Blue reminded her. Guess the witch is coming with us, after all. He didn’t want her to come, but it seemed they had little choice.

  “I will, but first, we have to leave. They know about this spot. We need to go somewhere we can’t be found.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “Back to the mountain. Back to Alaska.”

  “How do I know it’s not a trap?”

  Francesca smiled. “You don’t, you just have to trust me.”

  “I don’t,” Blue growled.

  “Neither do I,” Olivia echoed.

  “Well, you’ll both eventually understand. Olivia, I know we don’t know each other, but you must underst
and. Vega will stop at nothing. Roman will get what he wants, and people will die. There isn’t anything we can do but be prepared. We can’t stop it, but we can be ready when they come.”

  “When are they coming?” Blue asked, not prepared for the blast of light that blinded him. He reached out, trying to grab Olivia’s hand, but was greeted by air. Francesca was yelling for him to follow her voice.

  “Don’t try and save her, Blue, you can’t. Not now. Follow my voice.”

  “Where is she?” he roared, searching the room. Her scent was gone. She’d been standing right next to him, their hands clasped together. “Olivia!” Blue called out, but she didn’t respond. “Olivia!” he tried again.

  “She’s not here, Blue. He’s taken her. I told her not to look back,” Francesca said. Sadness clogged her voice.

  “Where is she? Where have they taken her?”

  “Vega’s taken her to your council. They are going to give him the Silver Bow of Artemis. Roman will use it, and he’ll bring down the mountain from the inside out. We have to hurry.”

  “How? That’s more than a five-hour flight.”

  “Not if we take the witch express.”

  “Francesca, where are you?”

  “Right here.”

  Francesca stood in front of him and reached out her hand. Her eyes turned an eerie black as she whispered words he’d never heard before. The walls in the apartment faded away, and the ground beneath them moved. The sound of wind roared loudly in his ears, and then he was greeted with complete silence.

  She doesn’t look like you, boss. Frankie looks more like you.”

  “They have different mothers.”

  “She’s pretty, though.”

  “She is that. Just like Rosa. You are not to touch her. You do, and I’ll kill you myself.”

  Olivia listened to the men talk. She lay in a bed, in a room bathed in candlelight. The corners of the wall were cracked, and the smell of mold clogged her nose. The man talking was the one from the pictures. Tall with broad shoulders. The arrogance around him was thick as he told the other man how he’d kill him. Black, oily hair was slicked back away from his face. A little grey on the sides. He had one of those villain-like goatees, pointed at the end, and thick brows high on a pronounced forehead. She looked nothing like the man who stood in front of her. His fingernails were longer than any man’s should be. A strong-cut jaw twitched as he spoke.