by G. K. DeRosa
“You will never know love, dog,” she hissed.
“Don’t you talk to him like that, Grams! Hunter saved my life. If he hadn’t completed the bond, I would’ve died.”
“Better dead than tied to the Silverstalkers for your whole life.”
Her words stung more than a slap in the face. “How could you say that?”
“Don’t you see? His father is evil, pure evil and Aristaeus is cursed to suffer for his father’s sins for eternity. And now you will too.”
“Because of you!” I cried out. “You can end this all now. Let me be happy, let us both be happy.”
“I can’t,” she snarled. “I made a promise to someone long ago, and I will not go back on my word.”
Our interrupted conversation came flying back to the forefront of my mind. “Your daughter?”
Her expression shuttered. She squeezed her eyes closed and lowered her gaze to the snow between her fingertips. “You will never understand, and I will never change my mind.” She lifted her hand, and something clenched in her fist caught my eye.
Everything slowed.
She jerked her arm up and the jagged piece of wood took shape as she yanked it free of the snow. Her hand moved up and up, until it reached her throat.
A scream tore free from my lips as she plunged the makeshift stake into her neck. Her jaw dropped, her eyes like two full moons before she slumped on the newly fallen snow. A gush of blood poured from the wound, the chunk of wood still protruding from her flesh.
I lunged forward, but Hunter’s arms were like iron clamps around my middle. I screamed again and again, until he forced my face into his chest so I couldn’t see her anymore. “It’s too late, Sierra. She’s gone…” Her body slumped in the snow, bathed in a pool of blood, the deep crimson a harsh contrast to the pure alabaster ground. It was all I could see as I buried my nose in Hunter’s shirt and sobbed.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hunter
* * *
I couldn’t bear to see Sierra like this again. Her pain lurched through me, claws tearing my insides to shreds, and it was only an echo of what she was feeling. How could Hyacinth be so selfish? I understood her wanting to hurt me, to hurt my father, but Sierra? She’d done nothing to deserve this misery.
I watched her from the crack in the bedroom door, buried under the covers with only her nose out to breathe. I’d held her in my arms all night, but even the mate bond had provided little comfort. A growl wrenched up my throat, my wolf frustrated and unable to help his mate. I jabbed my fingers through my hair, tugging at the ends.
How could I fix this?
It was my fault she was so dead set on breaking the curse. It was what had driven her grandmother to suicide. She knew Sierra would never give up, would hunt her down to the ends of the earth until I was free. Again, my mate was broken because of me.
My fingers curled into tight fists, my claws lengthening until they sliced into my palms. I shoved my wolf down, hard. I needed a clear head. Now was not the time to let my emotions rule. I had to be there for Sierra, in every way she needed.
The creak of the front door spun my attention to the living room. I slowly closed Sierra’s bedroom door, raked my hands over my face, and turned to meet our visitors. One I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about seeing, but I schooled my expression into alpha mode and gave Braxton a tight smile. Vander and Cass had gone to retrieve him from Bea’s house now that he’d recovered from his wounds.
I’d hoped he’d stay hidden in Maginaria longer, but Terra couldn’t remain with him forever and Sierra insisted he stay close so she could keep an eye on him. After the debacle he caused the other day, I wanted him out of here. I had yet to hear from Viceroy or Ransom, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before they began sniffing around with questions about this new wolf. Especially after they’d been attacked. Despite my best efforts at explaining it away by blaming Sierra’s Mystic status for the incident, those two males were cunning and it wouldn’t be long before they began piecing the truth together.
“How are you doing, Braxton?” I forced out, reminding myself he was still one of my wolves, despite my personal feelings.
“All healed up.” He tugged down on his shirt collar to reveal mended skin. Only a tiny scar remained at the base of his neck. “How’s Sierra?” His genuine concern leached through the pack link only irritating me further.
“She’ll be fine, she just needs some time to process her grandmother’s death.”
“She doesn’t feel fine to me.” He jerked his thumb at the center of his ribcage. “I can feel her in here. It’s like I have a four-ton elephant strapped to my chest.”
My eyes narrowed, and my wolf surged to the surface. He was more pissed than I was about their newly forged connection.
“She’ll be okay, just like she always is,” said Cass, moving between us. Sierra’s best friend and I hadn’t exactly started off on the right foot, but I’d grown to like the girl, even more so now. “I’m going to go check on her.”
I nodded. “She says she doesn’t want to see anyone, but maybe you’ll have better luck.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t give her an option.” She shot me a wink and disappeared toward the bedroom.
Vander’s eyes caught mine as soon as Cass left. “Braxton, I need to speak to Hunter in private, can you give us a minute?”
He grunted, but he put his bag down in the corner and marched toward the bathroom. “Guess I’ll take a shower. I definitely sweat a lot more as a wolf.”
His stupid comment actually made my lips twitch, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, so I schooled my mouth back into a thin line. The truth was that if Braxton hadn’t been tied to my Sierra, I might have liked the guy. I respected what he was doing, trying to follow his father’s last wishes and save the Mystics, but none of that mattered when it involved my mate.
“So what did you find?”
Vander ticked his head toward the couch which was a few yards further from the bathroom in case Braxton got nosey. “A couple of things.”
My friend had been looking into the history of Sierra’s father’s betas and their families. We’d hoped Braxton wasn’t the only Mystic child sent off to spend their lives hidden somewhere. Vander had found a few leads, but I hadn’t shared them with Sierra yet because I refused to get her hopes up.
“So?” I finally asked when he didn’t continue.
“What do you want to hear about first: the Mystics or the curse?”
My brows jumped up, nearly hitting my hairline. “What about the curse?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them.
“Azara and Talon send their regards by the way. They had to get back to the Underworld, but Azara had an idea.”
“About my curse?”
He nodded. “I didn’t go into details, though I’m sure Talon must have filled her in. You know Azara’s paternal grandfather is Lucifer, but were you aware that her maternal one is Garrix, the high warlock?”
“Garrix, who sits on the Etrian Assembly as head of Maginaria?”
“Yup, that’s the one.”
“No, I wasn’t aware.”
“He’s likely the most powerful magic wielder in all of Azar. Well, except for maybe his daughters.” Vander laughed. “Anyway, Azara said she thinks he could help you, and she’d be happy to arrange a meeting.”
“But everyone we’ve spoken to has said it would be impossible to break without the witch who cast it.”
“Without the witch’s blood,” he murmured.
My thoughts swirled back to the icy mountain, to the pool of blood under Hyacinth’s body.
“When I went to get her body,” Vander continued, “I collected some of it. It had congealed in the snow, and I put it in a freezer just in case.”
My head spun as the gruesome scene flashed across my mind’s eye. “Could that actually work?”
“I don’t know, but Azara thinks if anyone could pull it off, it would be Garrix.”
I hiss
ed out a breath, gripping my knees. “Vander, you have to keep this between us for now. I don’t want Sierra getting her hopes up for no reason, okay?”
He nodded quickly. “I won’t say a word.”
“Cass either,” I added.
“Right.”
A glimpse of hope lit up my chest, tumbling through my insides. Could there still be a way to end this? To finally become the mate Sierra deserved?
“There’s more,” he said, tearing me from my internal musings. I lifted my gaze to his, and excitement sparkled through the warm hazel. “Remember Richter and Zade? The other two wolves on Sierra’s father’s council along with Braxton’s father?”
My head jerked up and down as Vander’s story about Alaric Wildstone and his betas came rushing back.
“I’ve got a solid lead on Zade’s family. The beta’s body was recovered with the rest of the Mystic pack when their lands were assaulted, but his wife and son were never found.”
“You think they got away?”
“It’s possible. I’ve searched the SIA, FBI, CIA and all the other alphabet soup of human agencies for her name but have come up empty. Which makes sense because who would go into hiding using their real name?”
“True. So now what?”
“I thought maybe Sierra could help. As Alpha, she may be able to sense them somehow. I’ve got a buddy of mine scouring for photos, and he’ll send them over as soon as he can. I wanted to tell you first, given Sierra’s fragile state. Do you think she can handle it?”
I blew out a breath and cracked my knuckles. “I wish I knew.” I needed to do something to help her, and maybe this was it. But what if it didn’t pan out, destroying another shred of hope? “I just don’t know.” I buried my face in my hands and growled. I hated having no control, nothing infuriated me more. As alpha heir, I needed to be decisive, to make the difficult decisions, but when it came to Sierra, I was lost.
“Why don’t you think about it for a day or two and see how Sierra’s doing? Either way, this secret’s been buried for nearly twenty years. Nothing will change in another few days.”
I reached for my friend’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks, brother. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Cass’s soft footsteps drew my attention to the hallway. She poked her head around the corner and signaled for me. I practically leapt out of my seat.
“She needs me?”
Her face fell, her pouty pink lips turning. “I don’t know what she needs, Hunter, but there’s got to be something you can do. I’ve never seen her like this. Not even when her mom died. I think Hyacinth’s death is dredging up all the feelings she buried about Montana. It’s just too much for her.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and I was suddenly thankful that Sierra had such a good friend.
“I’ll do something; I’ll fix this, I promise.”
She nodded, sweeping a tear from her cheek, then continued down the hall into the living room.
My heart grew heavier with each step I took toward the bedroom. Her pain radiated through the bond, only intensifying with our proximity. I had to do something. Marching into Sierra’s room, I sat down beside her.
“Go away,” she muttered from beneath the mound of pillows.
“I can’t.”
She scooted to the far side of the bed and covered her head. “I just want to be alone.”
“Then you can be alone with me.” I tugged back a corner of the comforter and slid into bed.
“Hunter, please…”
“No, I’m not leaving you. You know what this bond is like, you can’t ask me to leave when you know I can feel every crack racing across your heart, all the pain ransacking your insides.” I inched closer, so I could feel her warmth without touching her.
A sob rent the air, and my own chest heaved from the pain. The tremor shook my shoulders, burying into the depths of my core. I closed the distance between us, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her body into mine. She trembled at the touch.
“Oh gods, Sierra, I’m so sorry, so sorry.”
Her tense shoulders finally relaxed as she leaned into me, tears coating her cheeks. I tried my best to brush them away, stroking her soft skin, hoping to numb the heartache. Skin on skin contact typically worked best for mates, but I didn’t dare suggest it right now. Instead, I just held her tight against me to allow the pain and anguish to pour out.
I nuzzled the back of her neck, whispering soothing words, but the one thing I wanted to say more than anything, I couldn’t. Not without lying. I searched my heart for the sliver of emotion that occasionally made an appearance, an echo of Sierra’s deep love for me. If I focused hard enough I could feel it, a tiny, frail strand no more substantial than the delicate threads of a spider’s web.
“You’re everything to me, Sierra,” I murmured against her ear. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be with you. We’re bound together forever, and nothing will change that. You are my family, and I am yours.”
She sobbed again, but the throbbing pain ravaging the bond lessened. Slightly, but it was something. We remained entangled in each other’s arms for hours, or maybe even days. I lost track of time as my mate’s pain consumed me, but each day it became more manageable.
One morning, Sierra turned to me, the violet in her eyes less subdued. She stroked my cheek, and a hint of desire zipped through our link. “Make love to me,” she whispered.
I nearly choked, all the words stuck in my throat. As I struggled to complete a sentence, her hands began to roam over my body.
“Please,” she continued. “I—I think I need you inside me.” Crimson tinged her cheeks, and my empty heart swelled for an instant.
I dipped my head and claimed her lips before she said another word. Her body melded to mine, and it was like nothing had ever been between us. Burying myself deep inside her, everything else fell away.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sierra
* * *
“Are you sure you should be going by yourself?” Cass watched me from the foot of the bed as I rifled through my closet in search of an outfit that would make me look less like I’d been run over by a herd of wild unipegs.
“It’s just something I need to do alone.” I was still numb, my head too fuzzy to make a simple decision on my attire. So I grabbed a black shirt and my favorite sweatpants and stepped out of the closet to meet my best friend’s worried gaze.
It had been three days since Grams’ suicide, since she’d decided that her thirst for vengeance on Tyrien and Hunter’s continued torture were worth giving her life for. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. How could she do it? After the first two days of wallowing in bed, I’d spent the last one trying to understand. Still in bed, but at least I was trying to form intelligent thoughts.
Then there were her last words. They echoed in my mind on repeat, plaguing my waking hours and haunting my nights. Because twenty years ago, I had two daughters. She’d never given me a chance to ask for an explanation. Grams had a daughter no one knew of? My mom had a sister?
Now, Grams was gone and not only would Hunter be cursed for the remainder of his life, but I’d never get answers about a mysterious aunt I didn’t know existed. My thoughts flew back to the Lune Sacré witches I’d met—would they know something? Or maybe Aunt Hilda?
I shuddered at the idea of returning to that underwater hideout to speak to the great Emperor and Empress of the coven. Assuming they hadn’t chosen a new secret lair by now.
“How are you getting to Maginaria?” Cass’s question jerked me from my inner contemplations.
For a moment, I’d completely forgotten she was still in the room. Was mourning brain a thing? Because it should’ve been. I felt like a dense fog surrounded my head, pressing in on my brain. “Portal train,” I answered.
“Why don’t you wait for Hunter?”
I shook my head slowly. I needed my mate by my side for nearly everything but not for this. “Because despite what Hunter pretends, he must despis
e my grandmother. Why shouldn’t he? She destroyed his life. But today, when it’s time to say goodbye to her forever, I don’t want that sort of energy around her.” I shrugged, realizing how stupid that sounded. She was dead. She’d have no idea who stood at her grave. And it wasn’t like I was feeling overly lovey toward her either, but still, she was my Grams. In spite of the terrible things she’d done and the secrets she’d kept, she’d done what she could to protect me. It was wrong and misguided, but I had to believe she was acting in good faith. Or I wouldn’t survive.
“I get it,” she muttered. “But he’s going to be pissed when he gets back from Tyrien’s little council meeting and finds you gone.”
“I know. I left him a note, so I hope he understands and doesn’t try to follow me.”
“Good luck with that.” She scoffed. “I’d offer to keep him distracted, but we all know I wouldn’t be able to stop him from getting to you.”
I couldn’t help the hint of a smile that pulled at the corners of my lips. “I know, and I don’t expect you to put yourself in harm’s way.”
“Well, if you’re absolutely sure you don’t want me to come…”
“I am. Plus I need someone to stay with Braxton.” I ticked my head at my bedroom door. It was ajar, and I could just make out my surly wolf underling strewn across the couch. Now that he’d recovered from his wound, he was back to moping around the place. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep him in hiding. Worse, I hadn’t heard from Ransom or Viceroy yet, and I was sure their questions about my new friend were coming.
“Okay, okay, I’ll babysit the young wolf. Again.”
“Thanks, Cass. I really owe you.” I threw my arms around my friend and gave her a tight squeeze. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come to Moon Valley.”
“It’s a good thing we’ll never have to know.” She released me and threw me her best mom look. “Text me when you get there and when you’re on your way back so I know you’re safe.”