by G. K. DeRosa
He whimpered and sat back, tilting the bottle back until there was nothing left. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted like a stubborn child.
“I’m sorry, okay? I wish you could go out, I really do. But you saw what happened last time.”
“What did happen? I thought Hunter and Vander were trying to figure out who’s coming after us. Have they gotten anywhere?”
“No,” I muttered. The truth was that we had no idea if those wolves were after me or Braxton. And if it was Braxton, how did they know about him? Sure, he’d made a scene at Howl at The Moon the other night, but with Terra’s cloak in place, no one should’ve been able to pin him as a Mystic.
Then there was Tyrien. He’d been surprisingly quiet lately. Hunter put it off to issues with the vampire queen across the border, but I wondered if he was laying low while he plotted against us. He hadn’t even threatened to disown Hunter when he’d told him about our bond. Maybe that was why he’d sent those wolves…
The Royal warlock, Aras, was our only hope of getting any real answers or proof that Tyrien was behind all of this, and he still dozed away in that damned mystical coma.
“So I’m stuck here listening to you and your mate screw like rabbits for the foreseeable future?”
Heat burned my cheeks, and I barked out a nasty curse. “Look, I already said I was sorry. I’m just trying to protect you.”
“Then maybe you should’ve chosen me as your mate, instead of him. We could’ve been a legit pack by now. I don’t want to hide anymore. I’m tired of it.” He snapped his fingers, and emerald flames danced along the tips. My eyes widened, my mouth forming a capital O. “Yeah, it looks like my special powers are coming in.”
“That’s great…”
“I told Cass, and she said she’d help me get a handle on them.”
“That was very kind of her. And your wolf?”
He shrugged. “He seems fine. A little antsy, but I’m not feeling any murderous urges like Hunter warned me about.”
“I’ll talk to him today, I promise.” With everything going on, Braxton’s needs had slipped by. He was right. I couldn’t keep him cooped up in here any longer, and more importantly, he needed to start training his wolf. “The next summer session at Moon Valley U. starts the following week. I’ll make sure you’re enrolled. With the trials over and beneath the protection of the cloak, you should be safe.”
“Then why can’t I just go out now?”
“Because there’s too much at stake with the trials. Once they’re over, I’ll be able to focus on you.”
He let out a grunt and stalked toward the kitchen. Rummaging through the fridge, he reappeared with another beer in hand.
“How many of those have you had?”
“Not enough.” He pointed a finger at me, narrowing his eyes. “Were you ever going to tell me about the other Mystics?”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “What other Mystics?”
“Oh, so golden boy hasn’t told you?”
“What are you talking about?” I hissed.
“I overheard him and Vander talking the other night. Apparently, Vander’s got a lead on some kid around our age that could be one of us.” He paused, and a wicked grin split his lips. “I wonder why Hunter wouldn’t have told you.”
I stormed out of the living room and darted into my room, slamming the door behind me. What the hell? Why hadn’t Hunter told me?
Chapter Thirty-One
I sat at the table outside of the university café, my knee bouncing up and down faster than the mad flap of a hornet’s wings. I’d asked Hunter to meet me here so we could talk in private. Which reminded me I needed to tell my mate to be more careful around the snooping Braxton. I was beyond pissed he hadn’t told me about Vander’s lead on the Mystics, but I’d decided to give him the benefit of the doubt until I heard the whole story.
The hair at the back of my neck prickled, and my gaze lifted to meet a pair of molten gold orbs. Hunter sauntered toward me, wolves parting as he walked. The girls stared shamelessly, and the guys lowered their gazes to the great supreme beta. All the moisture evaporated from my mouth as he neared, the bond greedily pounding between us. The tether around my heart tightened as he grew closer, and it was all I could do to force myself from jumping up to greet him. It had only been a few hours since I saw him, and my fingers already ached to touch him.
Damn, this mate bond was nuts.
You’re mad, Sierra, remember? After my internal pep talk, I clasped my hands together and firmly planted my butt in the seat.
Hunter slid into the bench beside me and grazed my cheek with his lips. My traitorous body leaned into the kiss, despite my best efforts. “What’s going on?” he asked, his brows knitted. He must have felt the streak of annoyance surge through the bond.
“How could you not tell me about Vander’s discovery? About my pack?”
His eyes narrowed, and he huffed out a breath. “It’s nothing solid,” he finally said. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up for no reason.”
“Look, after all the crap I’ve been through in the past few days, I would’ve gladly had some good news even if it wasn’t concrete.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, running his nose over the shell of my ear.
I squirmed as goose bumps rippled over my flesh. “Don’t you dare try to distract me,” I growled. “Tell me everything.”
“There’s not much to tell, I swear. He’s got pictures of Zade, one of your father’s betas who was killed, and his family, but he can’t find any trace of them. Zade’s wife and son, their bodies were never found.”
“But Zade’s was?”
He nodded. “Vander was thinking that you could scry for them using the photos he found. I wanted to wait until you were up for it.”
“I’m up for it. Totally up for it.” A whisper of excitement kicked up in my core.
“Are you sure? What if it’s another dead end? You just said that you’ve been through so much…”
“I know but this is different. I have to do this.” Because the guilt of not following my father’s last wishes and mating with Braxton was starting to eat away at me.
“Okay. I’ll have Vander come over later and tell you everything he knows.”
“Good.” I rifled through my bag and pinched the picture I’d found in the mausoleum between my fingers. “Because I need to give him this.”
Hunter eyed the photograph, and his brows scrunched together. “Isn’t this the photo we saw back at one of the houses your grandma was hiding out in?”
“Yup.”
“How’d you get it?”
“I found it in the family tomb just before the Lune Sacré showed up. It just appeared out of nowhere.” I brushed my finger over the image of my mom in her teens. “It was kind of weird. I don’t know how it got from that house back to Grams. Unless she had multiple copies.”
“Did you figure out who the other girl is?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s Grams’ daughter.”
“The one you mentioned before she—” His words fell away.
I nodded quickly before images of the gruesome scene could eclipse my vision. “Somehow all of this goes back to her. I know it. I have to find out what happened, and maybe then we can all get the closure we need.”
“Of course,” he murmured, squeezing my hand. “If anyone can find out the truth, it’s Vander. He’s become quite the relentless detective lately.”
“I know. We really need to thank him. Sometimes I wonder how he has time for his SIA duties when we keep him so busy.”
He chuckled. “Me too.” Then his expression grew serious. “Vander’s still making up for his past mistakes. I don’t know if he’ll ever forgive himself.”
“Well, he should. Whatever he did, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Right.” Hunter gave me a tight smile. Someday I’d drag the truth from them one way or another. For now, my own drama was enough to deal with. “Want a coffee?” He ro
se, and the eyes of the pack of girls sitting at the next table traced his movements.
My wolf stirred, a growl reverberating in my gut. “Sure, but you better be back soon or I’m going to assume one of those she-wolves is mauling you.”
He rolled his eyes at me, stealing my patent move. “When you’re up for it, we’ll have the official mating ceremony, so the other females back off.”
“Can’t wait.” I would’ve gone through with it already if I didn’t hate the idea of Tyrien presiding over the ceremony so much. I had a terrible feeling he’d mess it up somehow. Plus, we were still in the middle of the trials. I vowed to make it official as soon as I was the new high alpha.
I huffed out a breath as I waited for Hunter to return. With everything in the current state of turmoil, I couldn’t think of adding the trials back into the mix. But in a few short days we’d be back in the arena. I hated to say it, but becoming high alpha was last on my long list of priorities.
My wolf nudged my ribcage with her big furry head. She didn’t agree. She was the one with alpha blood coursing through her veins. Mine was more of a mish-mosh. Worse, I wanted it for the wrong reasons. I just wanted my vengeance on Tyrien, not to become a leader to these wolves. Not like Hunter, who actually wanted to make a difference in Moon Valley.
“Fancy meeting you here, Violet.”
I was so wrapped up in my musings I’d completely missed the arrival of my old frie—enemy? Frenemy? What were Ransom and I anyway? After our last icy encounter, I had no idea. My eyes lifted to meet his amused ones, and I finally noticed the female clinging to his arm.
“Hey…” I muttered.
“I’m glad you’re here.” He ticked his head at the leggy blonde. “I want you to meet my soon-to-be mate, Destiny.”
Destiny? Was that her stripper name?
I forced my lips to spread into a smile, but it probably looked more like a sneer because a wave of revulsion rocked my insides. “Congratulations,” I managed.
The girl shot me a fake smile, rivaling my own. Her dark eyes trailed over me before she flashed me some fang.
“So where’d you guys meet?” I finally said when the silence was becoming awkward.
“I’ve known Ransom since we were children,” she answered. “My father is one of Lucien’s top betas.”
Of course he was. Figured he’d take a Royal wolf as his mate to strengthen the creepy vamp-werewolf bloodline. “Well, good for you guys.”
“The mating ceremony will be the day before the final round of the trials,” said Ransom. “I’d be honored if you came.”
My brows nearly hit my hairline. We weren’t exactly in the best place right now, and he was inviting me to his wolfy wedding?
“Hunter too, of course,” he added, eyeing the entrance to the café.
My mate strode out with a coffee in each hand, his narrowed gaze locked on the Royal. His beta power boomed in our direction, a wall of overpowering maleness pummeling forward. My girl shrugged it off like it was nothing, but Destiny was practically cowering behind her mate-to-be. Ransom’s face slipped into his cool mask, but I didn’t miss the tendon twerking in his jaw.
“Ransom’s got a new mate,” I blurted.
Hunter dropped the cups on the table and loomed over the pair. “Congratulations,” he bit out.
“I was hoping we could put the past nastiness behind us, Aristaeus.” The Royal beta extended his hand. “I’d prefer to go into the last round as friends rather than enemies.”
“I suppose that depends on you, doesn’t it?” Hunter growled.
“I’ve already made my apologies to Sierra both in word and action.” He paused and turned to me. “And I believe she’s accepted them. I hope you’ll do the same.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“That’s all I ask.” Mischief sparked in the deep obsidian. “I know Sierra could use a friend, unless you prefer her to spend all her free time with that new wolf Braxton. There’s something special about him, isn’t there?”
The hair on the back of my neck rose.
Easy. Hunter’s voice zipped through the bond. He’s testing us.
“I’m a mated girl now, Ransom,” I quipped. “I can’t spend all my time with any of you males anymore.”
“Perhaps Destiny then?”
I’d rather gouge my eyes out. “Maybe.” I threw him a sweet smile.
“Sierra’s going to be very busy once she assumes the role as high alpha.” Hunter wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and his lips curled into a smug grin.
“Very confident, aren’t you?”
“I am.” Hunter’s lips brushed my forehead, and Ransom tensed.
“I must say I’m shocked at your selflessness, Aristaeus. How does your father feel about you throwing the trials for your mate?”
“I’m not throwing anything. Sierra will win because she deserves it, and besides, I have my eye on a bigger prize.”
Ransom’s dark brow quirked, curiosity lighting up the profound midnight depths. He clucked his teeth. “Good for you. I only hope Tyrien doesn’t see you coming for his throne.”
“Don’t go starting rumors, Royal.”
He smirked and flashed his fangs. “Never.”
With all the testosterone clouding the air, I was having a hard time drawing in a full breath. It was time to put an end to this macho display. I nudged Hunter in the side and ticked my head toward Lupine Hill. “We need to get going. Vander should be coming over soon.”
“That’s right.”
I turned to Ransom and Destiny, bleh, and gave them my cheesiest smile. “Congrats on the mating thing. I wish you guys the best.”
“So you’ll come to the ceremony then?” he asked as Destiny twisted a golden curl around her finger.
My gaze darted up to meet Hunter’s, but he gave me no indication as to a response. “Sure, we’ll be there,” I finally answered.
“Wonderful. See you on Sunday.” Ransom waggled his fingers at me as we turned toward the hill. Destiny barely spared us a smile.
Ugh. I did not like that girl already.
He knows something. Hunter’s voice streaked through my thoughts.
You think he knows Braxton is a Mystic?
Not for sure, but he suspects.
So what do we do? I glanced up the knoll at the dens dotting the verdant hillside.
I don’t know but we have to make a decision soon. Keeping him hidden won’t be an option much longer.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hunter
* * *
I hated being summoned by my father. Despite the completed mate bond between Sierra and me strengthening my wolf, there were some calls even I couldn’t fight. And some that simply weren’t worth it. Curiosity surged through my veins as I marched up to Tyrien’s chamber.
I hadn’t seen him in the past few days, which had been a pleasant change. The queen of the vampires in Nocturnis had called a meeting, and my father had been forced to attend. He detested Carmen Rosa almost as much as he hated the Mystics. That alone made me like the woman. I hadn’t had much interaction with her over the years, but I planned on changing that soon. As my father’s number one adversary, I thought it wise to make her my new ally.
But that was a battle to undertake after the trials. Once Sierra was confirmed as high alpha, I’d make my move.
Grayson stood, his hackles raised as I approached the entrance to my father’s chamber. My wolf surged to the surface, and a growl slid through my clenched jaw. The wolf guard sat back on his haunches, and his yellow eyes dropped to the floor.
“Tell Tyrien I’m here,” I barked.
He dipped his head and let out a whine.
While I waited, I eyed my father’s trusted sentinel. Vander’s SIA friend had been trailing the wolf since Sierra’s mother’s death, but he’d never discovered a thing. Either my father had given up—unlikely—or he’d released Grayson from his extracurricular duties.
We still had no leads on the rogue wolves that had a
ttacked Sierra and Braxton, nor the reason for the assault. Had it been my mate or the new Mystic they were after? Not knowing ratcheted up my anxiety. I tried to convince myself Sierra was stronger now that we’d been bonded, but still… Father had murdered an entire pack of Mystics. If he wanted, he’d find a way to get to her despite pack law.
But now that we were mated, he had to be more careful. By our laws, if he were found guilty of killing my mate, he’d lose everything. Sierra had been right; in some ways she was safer as my mate. But not in all.
Tyrien’s door finally creaked open, but the figure in the threshold was not that of my sire. Lucien’s fanged grin filled the entrance. “Aristaeus, so nice of you to join us.”
My hackles rose, the Royal’s presence puckering my skin and drawing my wolf out. “What an unexpected surprise,” I grated.
He held the door open, and I marched into the foyer. Tyrien sat by the fireplace in his customary chair. “Hello, Aristaeus.”
“Father.” I dipped my head, more out of custom than necessity. My wolf longed to exert his dominance over our sire. “Everything go well with Carmen Rosa?”
His lips thinned, and irritation zipped through the pack link. “Not really, no, which is why I’ve asked you here today.” He motioned at the leather couch across from him. “Sit.”
I folded onto the sofa, perching on the end, in case I needed to make a quick getaway.
“I’d like you to go to Nocturnis with Lucien tomorrow. The queen has insisted an envoy of each shifter pack of Marlwood be in attendance for a special assembly. There have been too many skirmishes along the borders, especially along feline territory. The vampires are moving into our lands, and it’s time they were stopped.”
My head whipped back and forth. I needed these last days before the trials recommenced to see the high warlock, Garrix. It would be the last chance I had. “Can’t someone else go?” I asked. “I have important matters to attend to before the trials.”
“No, it must be you.”
“But Father—"
“I said no,” he barked, his incisors lengthening as he leapt up and wings ripped through his shirt. The black leathery appendages blotted out the light, sucking every shred into the rippling obsidian.