by K. Rea
“The resistance your grandfather started with the Court of Light. You may have rebuffed my rescue, but they are coming to save the Wolfriks and their Alphas. You’re with us or against us, Evelyn,” Mason said as the door at the end of the hall blew off the hinges. “It’s time you choose.”
“With you, always,” I said as a group of people hurried down the hall toward us. It was hard to tell if they were friend or foe in the flickering light.
“Mason!” a woman hissed into the darkness. “Where the hell are you?”
“Tanisha, down here,” Mason echoed back, a smile on his face. The woman emerged from the darkness, a gun in one hand and a dented flashlight in the other. “My beta.”
“Your beta is a woman?” Orion asked, slightly surprised.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Best not to challenge her Orion. She wipes the floor with most men. She’d make a strict alpha,” Mason joked. The wolf in my heart growled at another woman being an alpha. Mason swung his head around to look at me curiously. “Interesting.”
“Stop mooning over the damned princess. We need to go now,” Tanisha said. She gestured a skinny blonde man forward. His hands glowed over the lock of the door. The smell of molten silver and smoke filled the air. The lock melted into a puddle on the floor, and he pulled the door open. “Follow me, the others are waiting, and vampires are close behind.”
Tanisha was almost to the stairs when a vampire appeared. They busted the door behind us open in a gust of unnatural wind. Our small group was trapped between vampires and druids. The group behind us parted, allowing Gaius to walk through. The smell of smoke and blood on his clothes filled the space. The look on his face was one of excitement. The Blood King was enjoying himself even as his palace was being ransacked and overrun.
“I don’t believe I have given you permission to leave yet, especially not with the princess. Her blood debts have yet to be fulfilled. She is mine,” the king said. Mason and Orion flanked me even though Orion still held Jane in his arms.
“My debt is to Prince Aiden. I do as he wishes,” I argued.
“Wrong, girl. In that ceremony I bound you to my house, my blood. If I must compel you, I will. It will only be that much worse for you,” King Gaius said as he stepped toward me. His intent to grab me and attempt to compel me clear. The vampires pressed in on all sides, forcing Orion and Mason back. The vampires divided us. I stood alone as the king approached.
“You can’t compel her, but she is a part of my house,” a voice echoed down the hall. Vampires nervously shifted as the king turned with fury on his face. Aiden stood there, leaning against a doorway. A bloody sword in one hand, causal as if this was a normal situation for him.
“What are you going on about?” Gaius hissed.
“She’s of age. With the power coursing through her veins, she could be a queen in her own right. I’ve ensured no vampire or wolf can compel her, but for one little exception,” Aiden said smoothly with a wicked smirk. A black prince toying with power. “Thanks to you, she’s my wife.”
“She agreed to obey me in that ceremony,” Aiden said as he pushed up from the wall and walked through the druids and vampires until he was at the king’s side. “So, if you’re inclined to test me—try to compel her, but she is mine until I’m done with her.”
The king glowered at Aiden before turning those cold green eyes back to me. Aiden’s eyes flickered, those stormy blue eyes unreadable. His skin was still pale. The smell of blood and smoke clung to the air around him. The bond was silent.
“Look at me!” The king ordered. I kept my gaze on Aiden.
Go with Mason, Aiden said. You’re not safe here, little wolf. He can get you out, keep you free.
“Do it,” Aiden said calmly, and I looked back at the king. The king’s eyes swirled black like a pool of oil. Aiden stalked closer to us. He reached a hand out and softly trailed his fingers along the silver collar at my throat. The token I didn’t want to wear. This was the moment he feared. This was the moment he planned for.
A reminder, his promise of safety.
“Submit, kneel before your king,” the king ordered; I felt nothing. Aiden chuckled.
“Kneel!” Gaius bellowed; spittle flew off his lips. Gaius lunged at me; I stepped away and slashed at him with the torch. The smell of burned fabric brightened the air.
“See, you can’t compel her,” Aiden said. “She is not yours to command.”
“Then you bring the bitch to heel, or I’ll have you slaughter the rest of her bloodline,” the king ordered. A pained look crossed Aiden’s face before he looked back at our motley crew.
Trust me, Aiden said along the bond.
“Evelyn, give me the torch. I warned you wolves belong in the woods, not at Court,” Aiden ordered. Even though I gripped the handle and fought against the hot compulsion coursing through the bond, I handed the torch over.
One moment I was handing the torch over, the next, Aiden’s sword was on fire. He slashed it and the torch across the stone between us before he brought the sword up to the king’s neck. Two walls of fire separated the king and prince from everyone else.
“You’ll regret this boy, put down the sword. The wolf is in your head,” the king ordered.
“Go now! Run!” Aiden ordered. Mason and his people quickly dispatched the vampires around us and ran up the stairs. The compulsion urged me to run, but I didn’t move. I watched. The king put distance between himself and the blade. Aiden fended off attackers as they pushed him closer to the flames. He drifted. His speed was not comparable to what he had shown during the fire dance. He was still wounded; he was losing. Aiden slipped, and I rushed forward to help him when hands grabbed me from behind.
“If you stay, you’ll only distract him. Come on! He made his choice!” Mason pulled me away from the flames. He dragged me up the stairs, away from the fight. “We need to get to the woods. The fae are waiting.”
The compulsion immediately fell away as we ran. Mason’s warm, rough hand felt wrong in mine. Down the halls, we followed the scent of the others. We saw no one as we ran, only bodies. Tanisha waited for us up ahead, holding a door open. We took it and ran for the tree line. We saw shapes among the trees. People in groups glowed for a moment before disappearing. Fae woodsmen were helping us.
“Evelyn!” I heard a cloaked shape yell as we entered the wood. I approached warily, their clothing helping to disguise them. Jude’s faced came into view in the shadows.
“Where’s Aiden?” Jude asked. It surprised me to see him working with the same people that had recently attacked his town.
“He threatened the king with a sword,” I said. Jude’s face blanched for a moment, then recovered.
“He’ll be fine. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s let a woman get him in trouble,” Jude mumbled. “Your brother and his wife have already been taken to Faolmen’s pack. I’ll take you there,” Jude said, holding his hand out to me. I looked back at Mason and the way we came.
“Go, I’ll wait for the others,” Mason said. I wondered if he’d wait for a vampire that threatened him more than once. I took Jude’s hand.
Pain struck me in the chest so hard that I looked down to see if there was a weapon sticking out of me. I gasped, struggling to breathe through the pain. It brought me to my knees. My heart ached as my hand slipped from Jude’s grasp.
“Aiden, you and your secrets, you bastard,” Jude whispered, looking back toward the palace as if Aiden could hear him before turning to Mason.
“Alpha!” Jude yelled; Mason turned around. “Help me get her to the tree. We need to get her out of here.”
“What’s wrong with her? There’s no blood,” Mason said.
“There’s no time to explain. There’s nothing we can do here but get her away. Now help me carry her to the tree,” Jude ordered. Mason picked me up and carried me to an old haggard tree. Jude put his hand o
n it and took mine as Mason set me down. Light surrounded us; the tree pulled us through as dark pain wrapped around my heart pulled me under.
TWENTY - EIGHT
After the third trip through Jude’s tree network, we stopped at a safe house that belonged to the Faolmen pack. I saw Jude collapse next to me before members of Mason’s pack found us and brought us inside. Orion, Mason, and his beta Tanisha’s voices were recognizable and barely muffled by the wall separating the room I rested in from the living area. They argued with Mason’s councilors about what to do—for me, with me, about me. The pain in my chest and down my limbs a painful reminder I was alive. Jude sat in a chair next to my bed, head in his hands, snoring softly.
From the little I could hear through the wall, it seemed some wanted to imprison me, others wanted to coerce me into a bond with another. My brother wanted to hide me away where no one from the Court of Shadows would touch me. He popped his head through the door; he looked at Jude, then back to me.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?” Orion asked, concern in his eyes.
“Sore and disoriented. How is Jane?” I asked. A dull phantom pain echoed in my chest that didn’t belong to me. Silence filled the room next door when they realized I was awake. Orion walked up to my bedside, careful not to disturb Jude.
“She’s well. She’s recovering from the excitement of it all. Turns out I’m going to be a father,” Orion said with a tired smile.
“Congratulations,” I breathed with relief.
“She wants to talk to you once you’re ready. She said it was important,” Orion said, taking my hand softly. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I’m sorry for getting you both involved in this,” I admitted. Orion shook his head.
“We were destined to be involved in this feud since before we were born. Perhaps, we’ll be able to finish it,” Orion said. “I’m going to go check on Jane and let her know you’re awake. The others are next door if you need anything. When you’re ready, get up and talk to them before they get any crazier ideas.”
Orion left quietly, without so much as a second glance at Jude or the others. Jude shifted and glanced at me. The rakish fae looked exhausted and old.
“I didn’t realize the two of you bonded so deeply already. If he wasn’t a vampire, I’d almost think you were true mates. It must be a side effect of the blood exchange. The bond affects couples differently. Do you feel him in the bond?” Jude asked.
“Not really,” I whispered, not wanting to be overheard by the busybodies next door.
“Good. If he was dead, you’d feel you misplaced something or an acute emptiness. He’s likely fine. Even vampire kings rarely kill their heirs at Gaius’ age. If something happens to Aiden, I can still make you a Lady of the Wood if you choose. The others are discussing options, but I will not be a part of that circus in there,” Jude scoffed. “I’m going home.”
“Jolie and Romulus send their love; I need to head back to them. Try to stay out of trouble. If you need me, there’s a Jezebel tree at the edge of the forest, or let the Alpha know; he can get word to me,” Jude said, rising from his seat.
“Thank you, Jude, for coming for me,” I said, standing slowly from the bed.
“Always, lass. Aiden wouldn’t have it any other way. May the woods shelter you, and the Goddess protect you,” Jude prayed before giving me a quick hug and shuffled away.
I still wore the same clothes Ruby had me throw on in Aiden’s quarters. The smell of evergreen trees, smoke, and blood clung to my skin. Someone had removed my shoes. Aiden’s backpack rested on the foot of the bed. I reached out to open it when Mason poked his head through the open door. His injuries almost healed. Mason had washed and changed into clean jeans and a cream button-up shirt since I last saw him.
“Evie, I’m glad to see you awake. How do you feel about a shower?” Mason asked, keeping his distance.
“I packed light. I have nothing to change into,” I said, gesturing to the clothes. Mason stepped out of the room a little.
“Tanisha, do we have a kit that would fit Evelyn?” Mason yelled across the hall. Her muffled response suggested they did. “We got something you can wear, follow me.”
I followed Mason out of the room slowly. The more I walked, the better I felt. The safe house was calm and inviting. A welcome change from the black marble of the palace. My footsteps a whisper on the carpet, the walls a soothing blue. Music played softly in one room along the hall. Warm yellow light lit the hall in the soft morning light. Mason stopped at a wooden door that led to a bathroom.
“There’s a couple packs of clothes and toiletries in the closet next to the towel. They’re color coordinated a gray pack should fit you,” Mason said as he turned to leave.
“Mason,” I said; he turned back. “Thank you for coming for my family and me.”
“I made you a promise on that riverbank years ago,” he smiled softly. “I’ll always come for you, even if you are crazy enough to turn the Court of Shadows on its head.”
The bathroom door clicked behind him. The sound of his footsteps walking away grew quieter with each step. I grabbed the only gray pack out of the cabinet, along with two towels. The bench along the wall was as good a place to sit as any other as I inspected the pack contents.
In the pack, the toothbrush, toothpaste, and body wash were a welcome sight. I set them, along with the clothes, next to the sink and turned the shower on. As the water heated, I stripped out of my clothes. I reached underneath my hair to unclasp the silver necklace. The metal was warm against my fingertips, but the clasp to remove the necklace was gone. The braided band was one solid, seamless piece encircling my neck. The bond was silent, a dark shadow in my mind and heart. A cold cloud at the fringes of my soul.
“Fuck it,” I whispered to myself in the mirror, stripped out of the rest of my clothing, and stepped into the steaming shower. I scrubbed the evidence of the last few days off in layers. Once clean, I turned the shower off, toweled the water from my skin, and got dressed in the basic clothing from the kit. After brushing and braiding my hair, I cleaned up and headed back to the room I woke up in.
Mason was waiting for me, a cup of coffee in his hand as he leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Another steaming mug sat on the side-table next to him. He looked tired. Based on the aroma of the coffee, he had added whiskey to his mug.
“Do you still like cream in your coffee?” he asked huskily. I walked over to the bed to set my gray pack next to the canvas one. I sat on the bed across from him, our knees almost touched.
“Yes, thank you,” I answered, reaching out for the steaming mug. The warmth of the mug seeped into my fingers.
“Evelyn, the pack council is divided on what to do with you. They want to know whose side you’re on, what you’re willing to do, and what you know about the Kensley family,” Mason said. He paused to take another sip of his coffee. “I need to know where we stand, why you didn’t come to me after your parents died.”
I rubbed my thumb along the ceramic handle of the coffee. It was growing cool in my hands. There was no question I supported the wolves, but did I support the Court of Light? Was I against the vampires? The echo of the whip in my mind and the flare of heat across my back simplified the matter.
“I support the wolves and Court of Light’s attempts to overthrow King Gaius and any that support him. I want to be involved in the rebellion,” I answered honestly. Mason sighed in relief.
“I didn’t join your pack after my parents died because I needed time. I needed to avenge them. It clearly didn’t work out as I planned,” I said, gesturing to my necklace.
“I can accept that for now. We’ll do something about the necklace and the bond one way or another.” Mason promised.
“Come with me; you need to meet with the pack council, they have some questions,” Mason said, rising from the chair. He leaned in and gave me a
kiss on the cheek. “Glad to have you back with us.”
We walked across the hall into a den of waiting predators, seven in all. Tanisha stood next to a beautiful red-haired woman. Two men stood next to the window, conversing. One man was old with a scar across his face; the scar barely missing his eye. The other was young, about Mason’s age. His long hair was tied back, his skin dark from the sun.
Orion stood next to a tall blonde woman; power hung in the air around her. It announced her strength; her skin fairly glowed with it. She smiled at me in silent approval, her dress a deep amethyst color with a silver sun embroidered around her collar and edges of her sleeves. A woman from the Court of Light. Next to her stood another familiar face. I didn’t see him during the rescue but Royce stood there now looking back at me, a grim expression on his face. He nodded at me; his arms crossed. His friendly neighbor demeanor gone.
“This is Lady Evelyn Wolfrik, Orion’s younger sister. I recovered her from the Kensley family with the others,” Mason introduced me.
“Rumor has it you tried to kill the princes and almost got away with it,” the red-haired woman said.
“Tried, failed,” I responded.
“That is Calla Neem, Tanisha’s second and her mate,” Mason said.
“Failed then ended up married to one. Must not have tried that hard,” the young man sneered; Orion growled.
“Nick, that is unnecessary,” Mason suggested.
“No, it’s okay. Prince Aiden threatened my family if I didn’t cooperate. The Court decided I owed a blood debt; I could be a wife or concubine. I chose wife,” I explained, stepping up close to Nick. The smell of wolf permeated the air around him. One of Mason’s moon shadows.
Nick’s hazel eyes flashed at me; his posture changed. The wolf within raised her hackles; he was a breath away from challenging me. I could feel it. I could tell I was the stronger wolf. I wasn’t sure if the necklace would let me complete a change, but I damn well was going to try if he wolfed out on me. Orion stepped up behind him; a low growl escaped his chest.