by C. D. Gorri
“I’ve got it.” She glanced at Noah, and his eyes brightened. Before she could get sucked into their depths, she trained her gaze on the floor and hurried through the door to the storage room.
Chapter Three
Noah’s chest tightened the moment he looked into Amber’s crystal blue eyes, all the feelings he had for her—which he’d tried to wad up and shove deep down inside him over the past month—bubbling to the surface and making his heart ache.
He didn’t realize how much he’d missed her until now, and when she turned on her heel, hurrying to the back without even acknowledging him, all the effort he’d made to squelch his emotions dissolved like a sugar cube in a cup of hot coffee. Ouch.
“Great to have you back, man.” Chase nodded from behind the bar, and Noah glimpsed a new tattoo near his collarbone. The letters R and A in a cursive script disappeared behind his shirt, most likely his mate’s name: Rain. What else had Noah missed in his absence?
He followed Luke through a side door and down the brick-lined hallway into the alpha’s office. His stomach soured as he sank into the green vinyl chair. The last time he set foot in the pack headquarters, he was put on a three-week-long probation—a light sentence for his transgression. He was essentially under house arrest, not allowed to communicate with anyone in the pack, aside from his immediate family, and only allowed to leave his home for work. Even then, he’d had to stay by Luke’s side like a puppy on a leash at the jobsites.
Noah worked for Luke’s construction company, so lucky him, he got to be babysat by the alpha himself. To say it was humiliating was an understatement.
The police still hadn’t found the killer, not that they would. The murder had supernatural written all over it. It was a good thing both the alpha’s mate and her brother-in-law were on the human police force. They were able to pull some strings and get Noah released with no charges filed.
Now, he’d served his punishment for breaking pack law, and he could have his life back. Lesson learned.
Luke sat in a black office chair behind the desk, and it squeaked as it absorbed his weight. He opened his laptop, punching a few keys before peering at Noah over the screen. “Your probation is officially lifted. Thanks for complying. You made my job a little easier.”
“Yeah, of course.” What else could he do but comply? If he’d gotten a wild hair and tried to leave his house, he’d have been thrown in the pit—the werewolf prison. Stephen, the alpha’s cousin, spent three months in the pit before his exile, and he nearly went insane from the isolation. Noah shuddered to think about it. “I swear I won’t patrol alone anymore. That was a stupid decision.”
The alpha grunted. “I shouldn’t let you patrol at all. The congress would have my head if they knew a non-shifter had taken on watch duties.”
Noah’s heart sank. He’d worked his ass off proving he was worthy of his spot on the demon-hunting team. “I’ll be careful. I won’t hunt without a shifter, and if I’m out alone and see something, I’ll call it in.”
Luke pressed his lips into a thin line, narrowing his eyes before he nodded. “Screw the congress. Times are changing, and your ability is like no other. There’s been another murder. We need all the help we can get.” He closed his laptop. “Welcome back.”
A flush of relief loosened the tension in his chest, his shoulders relaxing as the weight of yet another possible humiliation lifted. “Thank you. I won’t let you down again.”
The alpha stood and gestured to the door, so Noah bowed his head and strode into the hallway. Luke followed him toward the bar, but as they passed the storage room, Noah paused. Amber stood on the third rung of a ladder, sliding a case of beer onto a shelf.
“Hey, Luke,” she said. “Mom came by and said to tell you ‘hi.’”
He chuckled. “How did that go?”
She gave him the stink eye. “Same as before. It would’ve been nice if you’d been there to help me out.”
“Maybe next time.” He winked and strode into the bar, but Noah hesitated in the doorway. Amber stepped off the ladder and picked up another case.
“Let me help you with that.” Noah sauntered into the room and gripped the box. As his hand brushed hers, her magic vibrated across his skin, sending a jolt straight to his heart. All supernatural beings had a magical signature, and Amber’s felt so warm and inviting, he couldn’t help but imagine his hands gliding across her bare skin.
She jerked the case away and climbed the ladder. “I don’t need help.” She shoved the box onto the shelf and turned to pick up the next one, but Noah already had it in his hands.
“I’ve got nothing better to do.” He smiled, which earned him a scowl. “Is everything okay?” He set the box on the shelf, using his power to slide it into place.
Amber huffed and stepped off the ladder. “Oh, so we’re pretending like nothing happened?”
“Did something happen?” He’d been on probation for three weeks, so whatever it was, he’d missed it.
“Seriously?” she scoffed. “You stood me up on the last full moon and then ghosted me. You think you can come back nearly a month later and act like it never happened? What? Did your new girlfriend dump you?”
“Whoa. Amber, that’s not what happened. I didn’t ghost you for a woman.” He stepped toward her, gently gripping her arm.
Her breath caught as she cast her gaze to where he touched her, but she didn’t pull away. “Where were you then?” Her stiff posture relaxed slightly, and she angled her body to face him.
“I ran into trouble patrolling alone, and I got arrested on my way to the bar that night. I’ve been on probation ever since.” He cocked his head. “Wait. You haven’t heard from me in three weeks, and you didn’t ask anyone what might have happened?”
Her mouth opened and closed before she swallowed hard. “I didn’t want to know.”
Wow. Okay. He gave her arm a squeeze and released his grip. “I could have been dead.”
“Then we would’ve had a funeral.” She shook her head. “I assumed you met someone and were done with me. After Nylah left without saying a word, and then you… I was hurt.” She lowered her gaze.
“Hey.” He hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her head. “I would never abandon you. Okay?”
“Okay.” She looked into his eyes, and something sparked in her gaze.
He couldn’t recall her ever looking at him like this before, and it was all he could do to stop himself from leaning in and taking her mouth with his. Judging from the way her body drifted toward him, she might have let him do it.
He cleared his throat, breaking the trance he’d succumbed to. “You really had no idea what happened to me?”
She blinked, stepping back as if trying to shake off the electricity that had just charged between them. “If it was something bad, I would have known. That’s kinda my thing.”
“True.” Amber’s gut feelings weren’t always about the future. Sometimes, she just knew things.
“And with all the summer festivals going on, there have been too many tourists in the bar for the guys to talk openly. Luke and Chase have been hush-hush about pack dealings lately, so I never heard them mention you.”
Yet you still didn’t bother to ask… That hurt more than he cared to admit.
“I’m sorry to put you through that. Whenever I do meet someone, you’ll be the first to know.” He winked, attempting to lighten the mood, but the thought of being with anyone but Amber sat heavy in his stomach like his grandmother’s meatloaf.
She flashed a tight-lipped smile. “Good to know. I…” Her gaze blanked, and she swayed slightly for a moment before she cocked her head at him. “Have you heard from Nylah at all?”
“Not since the day before she left.” He clamped his mouth shut. That was a lie. His sister did leave without saying goodbye in person, but he’d found a note on his nightstand the morning she went rogue. Nylah had written that she couldn’t tell him where she was going or why, but she promised to return with an answer to his p
rayers.
The only prayer he’d had was to activate his dormant wolf gene…something Nylah was determined to make happen. Since then, he’d received several cryptic texts from untraceable numbers that could only have been his sister. I think I know how to find it; it won’t be long now, and got it were just a few of the messages she’d sent.
“I have a weird feeling about her.” Amber pulled the band from her hair, slipping it onto her wrist before scratching her head. “I think she might be in trouble. No…she’s about to be in trouble.”
His pulse raced. “Details? Is she close?”
“I don’t…” She squeezed her eyes shut, her face pinching as if she were trying to force the empathic magic to expand. “Maybe?”
“Both of you. In my office.” Luke stood in the doorway and jerked his thumb toward the hall, making Noah tense. The alpha did not sound happy.
*.*.*.*
Amber followed Noah and Luke into the office and sank into a chair. She felt like an idiot for assuming Noah had met someone and tormenting herself for weeks. If she’d asked her brother about him when he didn’t reply to her texts, she could have saved herself a world of hurt. That was what she got for acting fickle, and from this point forward, she would behave like the strong, independent woman she was. And she’d start by telling Noah how she felt.
As soon as she worked up the courage.
“Tell me what you’re feeling about Nylah.” Luke leaned on the edge of his desk. “Do you have any details at all?”
“Not yet. The feeling is still building.” She closed her eyes, focusing on the impending doom wriggling in her mind, but it was no use. Her ability never could be forced, and the more she tried to will the feeling to expand, the more mixed signals she’d receive.
Luke nodded, cutting his gaze between her and Noah. “I’m going to let you two in on a secret, but this information is not to leave this room. Understood?”
“Yeah, of course,” Noah said, and Amber nodded.
“Nylah didn’t go rogue. She’s working for the congress.”
Amber blinked, and Noah let out a long, slow breath. “Come again?” she said.
“The congress approached all the alphas, asking each pack to nominate a shifter to go undercover. She’s been traveling the globe, gleaning magical information and helping stop mayhem before it begins.”
She looked at Noah. “Did you know about this?”
He shook his head. “She never said a word.”
“She wasn’t allowed to.” Luke strode around his desk and sank into his chair. “She was instructed to leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone, making it appear like she went rogue. Until now, I was the only person who knew.”
A mix of emotions swirled through her chest, taking her from happy to relieved to anxious, all in a matter of seconds. Her lips tugged upward before pulling down into a frown, and her brow furrowed, lifting and lowering. She didn’t know what she felt at the moment, but she was positive her old friend was about to find herself in a heap of trouble.
“Do you know where she is?” she asked. “Someone needs to warn her.”
“I don’t,” Luke said. “She isn’t allowed to communicate with anyone from the pack, including me.”
When Noah shifted in his seat, Luke squared his gaze on him. “You two were always close. Have you been in contact with her?”
“I’m in just as much shock as Amber. I have no idea where she is.”
“I’ll put a call in to the congress. Amber, if you get any more details, let me know.” He dismissed them, and Amber followed Noah into the hallway.
“Do you really not know anything?” she whispered.
A strange look gathered in his eyes like sadness mixed with uncertainty. “She abandoned us both.”
“Apparently, she didn’t. I don’t know what to feel about this news, but I’m glad to know she left without saying goodbye for a reason.”
Noah raked a hand through his hair, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something.
Before he could utter a word, sharp pain flashed in Amber’s chest, the sensation like claws dragging down into her stomach. This was not good. So not good. She blinked up at Noah. “Whatever’s going on with her, it’s about to go downhill fast.”
Chapter Four
Alrick crouched on the sidewalk next to a shop entrance and ground his teeth as he observed the people in their strange clothing walking about, drinking colorful liquid from peculiar vessels, shouting, and laughing in a most obscene way. He’d never witnessed such debauchery in his entire existence.
He’d also never witnessed so many magical beings residing in one location. His demon side longed to destroy them all. It was what he was built for, but he was still too weak to perform his duties.
Duties he’d shirked for a traitorous witch…
It had been almost a month since he’d last ventured out. The heart he’d consumed then wasn’t nearly enough sustenance, and he’d needed time to mend and adjust to life. Consuming another heart would help replenish his strength, but he required the Thropynite stone to restore all his powers. A piece of it was close. He could feel it in his bones.
He closed his eyes, opening his senses as he rubbed the tiny sliver embedded in his chest. The Thropynite—a magical crystal from his homeland of Europe—was the source of his power, the only thing that kept him from turning to stone, but the shard he was gifted long ago wasn’t enough to give him life. Another piece had found its way to this continent…to this very city now…awakening him from his slumber.
He would find it.
As he opened his eyes, he took in blue trousers and strange red shoes. Lifting his gaze, he discovered a man smiling at him.
“Nice gargoyle costume, dude. Can I get a picture?”
Alrick growled, swiping a hand at the insolent male. He didn’t venture out of his pocket dimension for revelry. He was here for sustenance and information.
The man lifted his fists, bouncing on his toes as he laughed. “Uh-oh, someone wants to fight.”
Alrick’s lip curled. He didn’t sense magic running through the imbecile’s veins, but the man reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. That was reason enough to eliminate his existence.
Alrick’s bones creaked as he rose to his full six-and-a-half-foot height. It was time he gained the knowledge of the years he’d lost.
“Wow. That costume really is amazing.” The man took a step back, but Alrick clutched his shirt.
“What century is this?” His voice grated against his throat like gravel, coming out as more of a croak than words.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” The man grabbed his hand, trying to pry his talon-like fingers apart, but even in his weakened state, Alrick’s demon soul gave him the strength of fifty men.
“I asked you a question,” he rasped before clutching the man by the shoulders and dragging him into the alley next to the building. As he slammed him against the wall, the man’s head knocked on the brick before lolling to the side.
“What century is this?” He gripped the sides of the human’s face, straightening him, and his eyes fluttered before opening into slits.
“It’s the 2000s, man,” he muttered.
Alrick grunted. It had been nearly three hundred years since his duplicitous witch left him, taking the Thropynite with her and forcing Alrick and his brothers into slumber. “You will show me all you know.”
He tightened his grip, digging his claws into the man’s scalp, puncturing first skin and then bone. As the life force oozed from the man’s head, Alrick absorbed his memories.
Four decades of life flashed through his mind, the human’s knowledge of history filling in the gaps and bringing Alrick up to speed with the current times. How things had changed during his slumber… It was all he could do to not go berserk on these fools and murder them all. They had no inclination of the devilish magic that moved among them.
Releasing his grip from the man’s head, Alrick plunged his claws into his
chest, ripping out his barely beating heart. As he consumed the organ, his spine straightened, the cracks in his stone-like skin beginning to mend before splitting again, causing him to hunch over in pain.
It was time he returned to his pocket dimension to process the new information he received and formulate his plan to find the stone that had awakened him upon its arrival to this land.
In a flash of magic, he transported himself to the woods on the outskirts of the city, the place he and his brothers had been banished to long ago for their grotesque appearance. He sighed as he gazed at the shimmering film over the entrance to his home and then let out a dry chuckle. It was more of a prison than a home.
As he lifted his hand to swipe aside the magic, he felt it. His back straightened again, and his frigid blood hummed in his veins. The stone was closer than it had ever been before.
A growl rumbled from behind him, and he spun around to find a copper-colored wolf snarling at him. Her muzzle peeled back, revealing sharp fangs, and her intelligent eyes sparkled with magic. This was no normal wolf.
She lunged, latching on to his shoulder with her maw, her teeth piercing his rigid flesh. Alrick spun, grabbing her at her haunches and yanking her from his shoulder.
Whirling in a circle, he slammed her against a tree, snapping her spine before dropping her in the grass. His demon rose to the surface, and drool dripped from his fangs. His sole purpose for the past four centuries had been to rid the world of magic, and he yearned to tear her limb from limb. But as this she-wolf shifted into her human form, a blood-red stone attached to a chain glinted on her chest.
He had found the Thropynite.
Chapter Five
Amber looked up from her computer as Luke peeked his head into her office. She knew that look. Closing the laptop, she raised her brows, urging him to spill whatever news he had.
He straightened and strolled into the room, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You look nice today.” Did she detect relief in his voice?
Sure, she occasionally worked a closing shift at the bar and blew off showering to open the place at five a.m. the next day, but she used dry shampoo and applied an extra layer of deodorant when she did. Shifters had sensitive noses, and she knew better than to offend the pack…or attract the wrong kind of attention…with her bodily odors. Luke would be leaving soon for work, so what did he care how she looked?