With every step she took away from Eleanor, her mind became clearer. Horror washed over her. The vampire was going to kill her and force Daniel into her bed. She was going to destroy the world as it was, and with her powers, everybody would follow her willingly to their own doom.
By the time she found the others, the nausea of breaking free of Eleanor's enthrallment was in full-force again. She had to stop twice to vomit, and when she came into the clearing where Zack, Martin, Adam and Daniel were, she cried out in relief. Daniel sat on his haunches as a bear, growling and shaking his head. Zack, in his human form, leaned with his hands on his knees, pale and chest heaving. Only Martin and Adam were still standing upright.
"Mandy." Martin swept her into a bone-crushing hug. "I was just going back for you. We heard the whole thing. She's going to kill you to resurrect her generals."
Mandy patted his back, getting him to release her, and stumbled over to Daniel. She collapsed against him, and his growls stopped. Their making out came back to her, and she subtly felt her hip where the tear in her dress/skirt was. Her underwear was still there–she hadn't been sure if he took them off of her. A wave of disappointment hit her, but she tried to shove it aside. They needed to get out of here, not stick around having sexy thoughts.
"We have to go," Adam said, heaving Daniel's massive bear body to his feet. "If the vampire catches up we don't have a chance in hell of escaping again."
Daniel glanced at Mandy. She understood without words and climbed onto his back. Zack held up his hands.
"We should split up," he said, eyes carefully not looking at her. "She'll expect us to go together. If we all split up, she'll waste resources trying to find her."
"As much as I hate it, he's right," Martin said. "And that way if one of us gets caught, at least the others can get away and warn the other towns."
Zack nodded. "I should take Mandy, she'll be expecting her to go with Daniel."
"We can split up, but I'm not going anywhere alone with you," Mandy said. "I'm going with Daniel."
"She'll—"
"She'll think it's the most obvious thing, and so of course we wouldn't do that," she argued. "Look, we can fight about this later, we just need to go now!"
Zack's eyes narrowed, but with a growl, he nodded. They all started running, although Martin with his two legs struggled to keep up with the four-legged ones. Mandy clung to Daniel's fur as they jolted through the forest. A few times they heard wolves howling, and a couple other times what sounded like human shouts, but nothing more.
After several hours, they stopped to rest and formulate a plan. It was decided that they would all split up and go different directions, to warn as many people as they could. Since Eleanor was starting a war among the shifters, it meant that her hold over her thralls wasn't infinite, and she might even be pushing what hold she had already. Zack gave Daniel the evil eye when Mandy declared she was going to stay with him, but they all split up and went their own way after that.
Daniel continued to carry her through the forest, her hands digging into his brown fur.
Hours later, they stopped to rest. Mandy groaned as she slid off of Daniel's back. Her legs and arms were stiff, her back hurt and her hands felt greasy. She wiped them on her skirt and sank to the ground.
"How are you holding up?" she asked as Daniel shifted.
She tried not to notice his nakedness but when he stretched out on his back, she couldn't help but take a good, long look. Her cheeks went red as heat swirled in her core. She clenched her thighs together and looked away. Wow. She hadn't been expecting that.
What is wrong with me? She shook her head in disgust.
The world as they knew it might be coming to an end. Her mother, and probably her aunt, were under Eleanor's sway. Who knew what the vampire would do to her family to punish her for leaving?
Tears burned her eyes, the remnants of arousal fading away. Her arms wrapped around herself and she fought not to start sobbing.
"Hey, it's okay." Daniel's arms wrapped around her. "It's going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."
"It's not just me," Mandy whispered. "My mother… my coven. She has everybody I know and love. What can we do to stop her? Adam's claws did nothing to her, and Martin shot a bolt of lightning at her and all it did was stun her. If we try to bury her again… will that even work? Or will she just burst out, angrier than ever?"
Daniel's arms tightened. He kissed the back of her neck, causing a shiver to run down her spine. "I know this is scary. But you and I… we are going to make it through this. Eleanor won't win."
She remembered the vampire's plans for him and shuddered again. She couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling right now. She snuggled deeper into his arms, but right at that moment, a wolf howled in the distance. Daniel growled and pulled away.
"I know a place where we'll be safe," he said. "We can rest there."
Mandy nodded. Daniel shifted again, and she climbed back on his back, groaning with her protesting muscles. They started through the pine and cedar trees again. It was well past dark before Daniel stopped again. The stars were bright above them as he took her hand and led her into a cave. The air tasted like minerals, and it was cold but dry. Daniel grunted, and there was the noise of stone grinding on stone. Mandy stayed where she was, shivering.
Moments later, a flashlight flickered on. Mandy blinked in the brightness. Daniel tied the light to a rope coming from the ceiling. The rope wasn't the only thing up there. A folding cot hung from rafters that had been fitted into the cave's ceiling.
"My family used to come camping here, and my mother got tired of having to lug everything in every year," he explained as he opened the cot. It was just big enough that he would have room to lie down on it. There were some holes in it, but otherwise, it looked like it had held up to the elements. "If it rained, Dad would roll the boulder in front of the entrance and we'd pretend we were pirates hiding from the king's men."
Mandy sat down on the cot, smiling. "That sounds nice"
"It was. He always made sure to take time for us as a family."
"It must have been nice to have a father like that."
Daniel sat beside her and put his arm around her. "You don't have to tell me. But why is your father in jail?"
Mandy sighed. She ran her hand through her hair but stopped when the knots left her fingers greasier than they already were. "Drugs. He was pushing drugs into the coven. My mom turned him in. I always thought it must have taken a lot of courage. She loved him. Despite…"
Daniel squeezed her gently, lips brushing her cheek.
"He isn’t a good man. Growing up with him as my dad was a battle for self-esteem. Everything that I was good at wasn't good enough for him. Every guy I liked was terrible, and he would do everything he could to drive them off. When I wanted to start studying magic away from home, he told me I'd never succeed and I should just stay home and work for him." Mandy sighed as the bitterness infused her voice. "Zack was like that, too. It took me a long time to realize that I shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to get a little affection."
He kissed her again, then suddenly drew back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"Shh." She pressed her finger to his lips. "If I didn't want you kissing me, I'd tell you. I'm much more assertive than I used to be."
Daniel hesitated, then sighed. His shoulders slumped. "I've been told I'm too pushy. That I don't have the patience to be a proper mate. Or that I neglect them for working in the fields, or taking care of the clan." He offered a hesitant smile. "I never know what to do with a woman."
"Well, we're all different but I can tell you that you're doing just fine with me." Her gaze dipped to his mouth. Her lips tingled, and she chewed her bottom one. Was it wrong to be feeling this way when everything was going to hell around them? Or should she take advantage of this moment, because there was no telling if they'd be dead by tomorrow?
The alpha leaned forward, his breath washing over her face. "Eleanor's
enthrallment. It has a strong sexual component. Like she's drugging us with our own hormones."
"I noticed."
"We might still be under the effects."
"I don't care."
Mandy raised herself to his mouth, pressing herself against him. Her arms circled his neck, and zings of pleasure filled her as his hands eagerly wrapped around her and pulled her closer. The chill of the cave stole down her back, but his warmth enveloping her was more than what she needed. His touch was urgent, desperate almost, and she answered with her own fever, kissing him hungrily. His mouth moved to her neck, sending sparks through her blood, while his huge hands cupped her ass.
His nakedness pressed against her, and Mandy ground herself against him. The effects were immediate and she giggled, loving the way he pressed against her lacy panties. His fingers looped into them and for a moment she wished he'd tear them off. The fact that she had nothing else to wear changed her mind about that, and she pulled away.
Daniel growled, sending vibrations through her body to puddle in her core. She gave him a smile as she pulled her underwear off and tossed them to the floor. The belt was next, and finally the skirt. Her breasts swayed as she straddled him again, this time keeping herself as high as she could to put her chest at eye level. Daniel's eyes heated.
"You like it when guys play with them?" he asked.
One hand wrapped around her waist, the other groped her left breast while his tongue flicked over her right. Mandy nodded, threading her fingers through his hair.
He didn't need any more encouragement and sucked her nipple into his mouth. It hardened at once. His teeth scraped over her sensitive skin while the hand holding her waist moved down through her legs. He zeroed in on his target, and Mandy's body jerked. She cried out, surprised at her own reaction. Daniel moved to her second breast. He laid her down and draped his body over hers, hand between her thighs, mouth on her breasts.
Mandy buckled under his attention, her fingers tightening in his hair. She could smell her own arousal in the air, and it made her want to taste him. She let out a pleading moan, but Daniel didn't stop his ministrations. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
With a strangled grunt, he pulled back. Mandy opened her mouth to tell him it was his turn, but her words got caught in her throat. He was already huge and erect, ready for her. For the first time, a tingle of doubt ran down her spine. Zack always complained that she was too small, that it took much effort to get himself inside. Daniel was even bigger. What if…
Her fears were unfounded. He positioned himself and entered in one smooth motion. Mandy's back arched as he filled her. It was almost painful, but oh, so very good. Waves of pleasure washed over her. As he started a steady rhythm, she could hardly breathe. Daniel braced himself on the cot around her. She locked her ankles around his hips and held his arms, trying desperately not to be flung off the cot with the force of his movements.
Within moments, everything came undone. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. White splotches splashed over her vision. All her muscles uncoiled, and sweeps of pleasure left her gasping for breath. She wasn't aware of Daniel finishing until he all but collapsed over her. His weight pressed against her chest, but he turned them both until she lay over him. The cold air caressed her naked body, and all she could do was pant for breath for a long time.
Eventually, she could speak again. "I thought you hadn't had any girlfriends, but you must have had lots to be that good."
Daniel chuckled. "Why did you think that?"
"Just the way you talked… it sounded like the girls in the bear clan wouldn't give you the time of day.
He kissed her. "Not many. Most of that I learned from, uh, other sources."
Mandy hid her face in his chest, giggling. She understood exactly what he meant. His huge chest rumbled as he laughed with her. His hands threaded through her hair and she relaxed against him. The exhaustion of the last few days crashed down on her, and she was asleep within moments.
Chapter Ten
Daniel
The next morning broke clear and cool. Daniel left Mandy at the cave while he hunted. Both their stomachs were growling, and though there was water not far from the cave, they couldn’t keep going on without food. He had woken with a headache and his limbs felt weak. He'd never gone so long without food before.
As he hunted, he considered the situation. After they had eaten, he needed to find a safe place. Somewhere Mandy could stay while he went back to destroy the vampire. The cave would work, except if she was sealed in and he died, then she would be stuck until she starved.
But if there was one thing he had realized as they made their way through the forest, it was that running was doing no good. They could run, and they'd only end up running forever. There was only one way to end this, and that was to kill Eleanor. He was an alpha, and he had to do whatever was necessary to protect those weaker than he was.
Being with Mandy the previous night had made it all so clear. He was holding onto the need to protect her, the possibility of having a future with her. Well, as it stood their future was running and hiding, and that was no future at all. Better she have a future without him than no future at all.
The only question was how he was going to convince her that this was the right thing to do.
He managed to catch two rabbits before heading back to the cave. By the time he got there, Mandy had built a small fire and had even claimed a pot from inside the cave and had cooked up a stew of roots and leaves. It simmered with a slightly unpleasant smell, but Daniel was too hungry to care what it taste like.
"You made stew."
"All gathered within ten feet of the cave," she assured him at the look on his face.
Daniel nodded and sat down. He cleaned up the rabbits and set them roasting while Mandy took the stew off the fire. She added some cold water to cool it, and then they started eating straight from the pot.
Daniel stared at the cave entrance. It was a good location, especially since she knew how to forage. "Mandy, can you use your magic to move the boulder? Or at least hide the entrance to the cave?"
She frowned and glanced over her shoulder. "I think so, yes. Why?"
Daniel nodded. "Because you will be safe here, then. You have water, food that you can forage, and protection from the elements and Eleanor's thralls. You'll stay here while I go back to kill her."
Mandy almost choked. She dropped a root back into the pot and stared at him, her face turning ashen. "You can't do that!"
"I have to."
She shook her head, her fists clenching. "No. You can't go back by yourself. Even if you manage to keep from being enthralled again, how are you going to survive once you attack? You already said she's stronger than you, and she'll have all her thralls to protect her."
"I was taken by surprise the first time she attacked me," he insisted stubbornly. Her worry touched him, making him almost doubt his resolve, but her safety and the safety of the world came first. "This time she'll be the one taken by surprise. You saw how Adam and Martin were able to stun her. She might be strong, but I'll still be able to take her head off. My teeth are sharp and I am strong."
Mandy shuddered. "But—"
"You have to stay safe." He reached over to her and grasped both of her hands. "She wants to kill you to raise the undead. I can't let that happen. Either of those things."
Tears glimmered in her eyes. "But she wants to use you to have her evil hellspawn children. You can't tell me that that doesn’t make you sick."
"It does." He brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek. His stomach churned as he thought about it. "But in the end, I'm an alpha first. I have to protect you, and my clan. Running isn't doing anything, and it's not in my blood. The people we care about keep getting put under her thrall, and more and more people will be her slaves or die unless she's ended. If she kills me, then she kills me. If she kills you, then everything is gone. I need you to stay here."
Her tears increased, but he knew he'd won
by the way her shoulders slumped. After a moment of staring into the fire, the scent of roasting rabbit rising between them, she nodded. Her lip trembled and he wanted to wrap her in his arms but kept his distance. The situation was dire, yes, and he wanted to hold her, but that was exactly the problem. If he pulled her into his arms, his resolve would dissipate and he would abandon everything to stay with her.
He had to remain strong, and so he didn't touch her.
"You'll eat before you leave right?" she asked him. "And maybe I should gather a few days' worth of supplies, so I don't have to keep venturing out of the cave."
Daniel nodded, relieved. "Yes. You should also practice moving the boulder. It will be more secure if you are sealed in, but I don't want you to get stuck. There are various small ducts in the walls, though, so you won't suffocate."
"Okay." She wiped her face and stood. "You eat. I'm going to gather some more of these roots and stuff so we're–you're–ready to go as soon as possible."
Daniel's heart lurched at her determination. A well of gratitude rose in him. He ate from the plant stew as Mandy walked around the entrance of the cave, using her magic to unearth various roots, gathering leaves, berries, and nuts. She worked quickly, putting her bounty into a second pan, and it was soon full. After that, she stood in the cave while he rolled the boulder to block it. She was able to grow vines through the floor to roll it back. By that time the rabbit was finished cooking, and they sat down to eat again.
Not two seconds after they had done so when a figure stumbled from the woods. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air.
Daniel jumped to his feet, ready to leap over the fire and attack the intruder. The figure rose his head, and Mandy gasped. It took a moment for Daniel to recognize the man. His face was a mass of bruises, skin stained red with blood, fresh cuts bleeding still. His golden eyes were nearly hidden by two massive bruises. Daniel's own eyes narrowed. Zack had clearly been on the receiving end of a bad beating.
"What are you doing here?" he snapped. "We were supposed to—"
The Alpha Bear's Magician Page 6