Finally, the wolf is at the door. There’s no running away this time. I take a shaky breath in. Well, here we go. It’s showtime.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
“Forrest, come out, come out, wherever you are. Forrest, come out to play, your mate is here for you,” Daniel shouts. I roll my eyes. What a dickhead.
Aragon growls in my head, not impressed at all with Daniel’s mate comment. I take my time and slip on my combat boots. I grab my big warm coat, stuffed full of sleep potions. I open the door, take a deep breath, and make my way to the front of the house.
I crunch across the stone driveway and appraise my unwelcome visitors, who stand on the other side of the garden wall. I stand with my back to the house, holding my tea in both hands. The sun has risen. I look up at the sky with a relaxed smile, pleased to see that it isn’t raining. The weatherman did promise it would be mild.
“Ah, there she is. Hello, little wolf. Nice to see that you’re not dead. Are you surprised to see me?” Daniel smiles, showing his teeth, and a familiar greedy hunger fills his gaze as he looks me up and down. He is wearing his custom black suit and a crisp white shirt. The men scattered on the lane around him are wearing black fatigues. Daniel slowly claps his hands. “I do have to say, bravo on your fake suicide; it was extremely realistic. You had me fooled. Was it your dead mummy’s suicide that gave you the idea? I know you failed to kill yourself the first time around.” Daniel smiles brightly; he makes a show of miming putting something in his mouth and then dropping it. I lock the rage I feel inside. I don’t respond; it takes everything I have to look back at him blankly. He frowns at my lack of response and then chuckles. “I’ve come to bring you back to England, where you belong. Have you forgotten that you’re mine? Now come quietly, or these gentlemen will make you.” Daniel waves his arm around, indicating his men.
Within the group of ten men stand Jason and a struggling Harry. It looks like Daniel has been very busy collecting my stepbrothers—God, we just need John now for the full set. I’m glad to see that my hellhound brother isn’t among them.
I pull my attention back to Daniel and make eye contact. I tilt my head slightly to the side as I study his face. I can’t help the smug smile that I give him. I’m amused to see a flash of anger as I continue to stare at him—his ruined face. Daniel is missing his left eye. Thick white scars crisscross the whole left side of his face in a mass of scar tissue. By stark contrast, the right side of his face is still perfectly handsome. I take a sip of tea, showing him I’m completely unaffected and unconcerned by his presence.
If it was anyone other than Daniel, I’d never in a million years say what I am about to: “Daniel, have you got something on your face? It’s just there?” I point out helpfully, making a circular motion with my finger and pointing at the left side of my face.
As predicted, Daniel goes nuts. He roars, runs at me, and bounces off my bad-guy impenetrable and invisible ward. It’s my turn to chuckle. I shake my head. “Oops, are you okay? That must have hurt. I hope you guys are getting a lot of money to work with this idiot, ” I say condescendingly to the men at his back.
“I want that ward down now, get that fucking ward down now!” Daniel screams. “You think it’s going to stop me? You stupid bitch. You won’t be laughing or making smart comments when I’ve got hold of you. I’ve got such plans. Your life is going to be a living hell.” Daniel slams his palm against the ward. Aah, now there he is, the real Daniel.
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. The passenger door of the leading vehicle opens. A foot encased in a blue high heel and the hem of a blue dress appears. I am stunned to see who steps out of the car.
Like the proverbial bad penny: Liz Richardson.
I huff and my eyes go wide: a heavily pregnant Liz. Wow, Harry has been busy.
Wearing a tight blue dress that emphasises her tummy, Liz waddles towards Daniel and takes hold of his elbow and tugs at it. “I don’t know what we’re doing here. We should be at home with our two boys. I can’t believe that I’ve been forced to follow you. Just kill her so we can go home, darling, I just want to go home,” Liz whines. I scan them both, and I raise my eyebrows.
I take another sip of tea to hide my confusion. I puff out my cheeks. Wow, Harry hasn’t been busy at all. I blink at the pair of them. I guess Harry has had a lucky escape? My perusal of Liz makes me shudder—that could have easily been my alternative fate. I can’t help worrying. I hope that their relationship is consensual—if Liz chose Daniel, that is karma at its finest. She must be an absolute pain in his ass. But Liz ending up with a monster like Daniel? I really couldn’t have predicted this outcome: with all her manipulations, she ended up with a bigger monster than herself.
“Wow, Liz, you —”
“I’m not fat; I’m pregnant, you stupid cow. Why hasn’t somebody killed her already!” Liz snarls.
“Wow, okay. I was going to say, ‘scraped the bottom of the barrel’ in regard to being with Daniel, not that...” My voice drifts away as I pull a face and indicate her tummy with a floppy hand.
“Why didn’t you stay dead? Daniel, mate, kill the bitch so we can go home,” Liz whines. Daniel attempts to pull his arm from Liz’s grasp, but she hangs on. Her nails dig into his suit-clad arm.
“I’m a little confused. Didn’t you say that I’m still your mate?” I point at my chest, widening my eyes. “I didn’t know that you could have two mates at the same time…that is a little greedy, Daniel. Hey, I don’t mind stepping aside,” I say with a wave and smile. A few of the shifters shuffle. I bet they don’t like Daniel claiming two females either.
“Dog, what are you talking about? I am his mate he’s just coming here for justice. Who would want to be your mate?” Liz sneers, looking me up and down with disgust, as if I am covered head-to-toe in dog poop.
Daniel shakes Liz off his arm and shoves her none-too-gently back towards the vehicle. She stumbles. “Get back in the car. This has nothing to do with you. We’re not mates; there’s no bond between us, you stupid cow. I’ve come here for my real mate, my true mate. Who was made for me! She is going to give me daughters. Three children, three useless boys...you are incompetent. Get in the car.” My mouth pops open in shock. I can’t believe he just came out with it like that. The mother of his children, and calling his kids useless.
What. A. Dick.
Liz turns her attention back to me and screeches her rage. “This is all your fault.” I can’t help rolling my eyes. She thrusts her arm out, and a sharp nail points at me. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. We’re happy. Why do you always want to take what’s mine?”
“I don’t want Daniel. Please keep him.” I shrug—my bad. I can understand where she is coming from, I guess, but that has never been my intention. I only tried to stop her from hurting Harry. I never set out to hurt Liz. Even after she kicked me and continually encouraged others to kill me and she stabbed me with fucking silver. Yet I’m the problem? She’s such a psycho.
“Don’t blame my true mate. It was never about you—you approached me, remember? Do yourself a favour and shut the fuck up,” Daniel snarls. “Once that kid drops, I’m selling you to a hyena shifter. He knows just how to deal with women like you. He will have you trained. I might have your tongue cut out. It would be so much better if you couldn’t speak. I quite like that in my women.” Daniel grabs Liz roughly by her shoulders and shakes her. I watch him with growing horror. The men around him don’t bat an eye.
“Hey, dickhead let her go!” I shout. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Harry going nuts. Usually I wouldn't be bothered, but if she is that pregnant that she waddles, Liz must be almost ready to pop.
“You were always only going to be the second choice—hell, you’ll always be the last choice. I wouldn’t have touched you if I wasn’t grieving. I always planned to sell you. I’m not crazy enough to want you around forever. Put her in the car.”
Liz screams. She tries to scratch Daniel’s remaining eye with her nails.
He grabs hold of her wrists to stop her. Two of Daniel’s men rush forward and force a growling, spitting Liz back into the front of the vehicle. One man stands guard against the car door.
I wonder if that’s the same dead hyena shifter, Barry, that lost his head in the woods? If it isn’t, I will be hunting him down.
“Now the ward. I wanted that ward removed ten minutes ago!”
A guy moves into Daniel’s view; he shifts from foot-to-foot anxiously. “Sir, the, urm…the ward is Fae magic, sir, I won’t be able to remove it,” he says, wringing his hands, his body visibly shaking.
“You’re all useless,” Daniel mutters. “Well, Forrest, I’m glad I brought your beloved brother with me. Liz told me about how much you care for and love dear Harry. I wanted to give you a pack reunion.” Daniel waves his hand to indicate my old pack. Jason steps forward, pushing Harry. At least that explains the mystery of why Harry’s here. Nice one, Liz.
I turn my full attention to my two stepbrothers. Jason looks at me with pure hatred. It’s rare for the puppet to show emotion. I give him a small wave. Yeah, that makes two of us, buddy—you’re a dead man walking, and you don’t even know it. I frown at Harry. He is bleeding, bruised, and his left arm hangs at his side, broken. I can’t do anything for him yet, but I will.
“So you have a choice, little wolf. Come out from behind your ward and come with me, or I’m going to kill Harry here.” Daniel grabs hold of Harry by his hair, and one of his men hands him a silver blade.
“Hey, little sister.” I want to roll my eyes at the term, but now isn’t the time. “Don’t you be going anywhere with these bastards—stay where you are. Better yet, go into the house, lock the door, and call for help—” Daniel wallops Harry in the face with the handle of the knife, cutting off his words. Harry groans. I cringe.
Jason continues to stare at me with dead eyes full of hatred, not sparing one glance at his younger brother. “You always were a selfish bitch. Nothing is going to happen to Harry unless you don’t leave with Daniel,” Jason says in a high, nasal voice. The normally stoic shifter is usually not one for talking—no wonder; his voice is worse than mine. “Do as you’re told for once in your life—save Harry. Sacrifice yourself. God, it won’t cost you anything apart from opening your legs, and that’s all you are good for anyway.” I think this is the most words the quiet, creepy shifter has ever said; it’s like Vincent is speaking through him. I can’t help my shiver. “I’ve seen you on the news playing the warrior—the Fae token shifter. You’re no hero. You’re a coward. Still the same feral dirty wolf that we had to lock up in a cage for years.”
I ignore Jason’s rant. I yawn; I couldn’t care less what he thinks. Why everybody thinks that I'm responsible for everyone else's actions is beyond me. Yet it’s always my fault.
I’m done giving a shit.
“What did you mean when you said I was made for you?” I ask Daniel instead.
Daniel smiles. The softness that floods his blue eye is disconcerting. He enjoys my attention. “Little wolf, you were made for me, my true mate. Everything was designed by magic to be perfect.” Daniel waves his silver knife in the air. “For me. For my needs. You are my fated mate.
“I wanted the best. Faster, stronger, smarter, and look at you…forged in fire. Made of steel.” Daniel pushes Harry’s face against the ward and traces my outline along its surface with the tip of the blade. A strange, manic smile plasters his face; the creepy smile is slightly lopsided due to the scars on his face. “Little wolf, haven't you worked it out yet? I paid that demon to take you when you were a child.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
I wobble on my feet. I feel a little shell-shocked as I stare at Daniel’s now-delighted, smug smile.
Daniel put my pack on that demon’s radar. He caused the events of that day to unfold; it was him.
Bloody hell.
Shit, I can’t believe I hadn’t put it all together.
I rub my temple, and a hazy memory comes back to me: the demon in the car saying something about a council member buying me. What was it? I take a mental peek inside that box:
“Unfortunately I am the middleman for this transaction—you have been sold to a council member for an extortionate price. When you’re more mature, once your body changes, you will drive him wild. Now that I have seen you…well, I have such a desire to keep you for myself.” The demon bops me on the nose. I blink at him. “I would have thoroughly enjoyed parading you in front of all the shifters. So exciting that a council member has bought you. Who knows your fate? I have a feeling you will be in my care for some time. Then your owner will come in on a proverbial white horse and rescue you—that’s why all this is just so much fun.” He taps his fingers on the seat between us.
“I made a bargain to collect you. Your owner said nothing about keeping our bargain a secret.” The demon chuckles; he winks at me. “I might not be able to keep you, but I can sure mess things up a little bit. I do so hate happy ever-afters. So you will remember, young Forrest, that everything from now on is your owner’s fault and nothing to do with me. Don’t be taken in by his handsome face, that’s a good girl.”
Fucking hell.
Daniel starts to rant. “The demon took everything too far. He made a deal with your stepfather, greedy Dave, behind my back. His instructions were simple: to take you. One missing little shifter girl, I could have covered up. Not the death of a whole fucking pack. Your mother should have handed you over. I paid a hell of a lot of money to get hold of you. After a while, I realised if I wanted the job done correctly, I would have to do it myself.” He stops talking and gives me that crazy, bright smile again.
“Oh, and the reason you were stuck in wolf form? Jason here kept slipping you rare, untraceable magic that stopped you from shifting back.” Daniel chuckles and keeps on smiling, his silver blade tap-tapping on the ward. “I wanted you to gain access to your innate magic quicker. But to do that you had to suffer. You had to struggle. The more you struggled, the stronger your magic would eventually become. I also wanted you pliable and grateful.” Daniel shakes his head, and his lips twitch into a snarl. “I was days away from rescuing you. I had everything in place. I had Jason reduce the dosage to almost nothing. Then, little wolf, you just had to go and try help this idiot.” Daniel smacks Harry’s head on the ward. “You saved yourself. Thanks to that stupid bitch ruining my plans.” He glances at Liz in the car with another snarl. “Little wolf, you will always be mine. I made you. I made you the only female hellhound in existence. Your fire magic, your ability to partial-shift? That is all down to me. I paid for you. Now I've come to collect.” My eyes flick to Jason; his dead eyes don’t show any emotion. But his lips curl up in a smug, satisfied smile. I take that as confirmation.
I blink back at Daniel.
What the hell? This is getting to be a little bit too much. I expected a hint of “muahaha,” but not this!
Instead of rage or horror, the relief I feel is peculiar.
I knew I was different. Hell, stuck in my wolf form, I blamed myself. The partial shifts, my fire magic, the warrior markings. I was so worried, frightened about being a freak. But now it all makes a strange type of sense. For the first time, I know deep down that I'm going to be okay. It wasn’t me, and I was never broken. It was Daniel all along.
It’s all been the fault of the delusional wanker standing in front of me.
I give myself a little mental shake. I have to get back on track and wrap up Daniel’s weird villain speech.
“Don't look so worried, little wolf, you're one-hundred-percent perfect. The magic inside you was left to build and is now giving you the most potent traits. You are unique. Our daughters will be incredible,” Daniel continues smugly. “I’m days away from taking over the assembly—your time in Ireland is coming to an end anyway. So whether I take you today or next week, it’s still going to happen.” Daniel pokes his blade at Harry’s neck. “The only difference is, Harry will be alive today, but he will be in the ground next wee
k. Choose wisely, little wolf.”
I tap my fingers on my cup as if I am thinking. Then I nod and say with a smile, “I think I’m going to choose option B.” The chatter in my head lets me know we’re a go on my signal.
“Option B…what the fuck are you going on about?” Daniel asks. He doesn’t like my smile or my answer.
Aragon appears behind me. I hand him my cup and he kindly takes it out of my hand. “Thank you,” I say with a small smile.
“What the fuck—” Daniel says.
“Now,” I say out loud, and all hell breaks loose.
I hear the thud thud thud of falling bodies as the surrounding bad guys are taken out with my sleep potions. Three down, seven to go. At the same time, Owen, who is in wolf form, pops out of thin air and bites Daniel’s calf.
God, I love magic.
Daniel drops his hold on Harry, and he tries to slash Owen with the knife that’s still in his hand. Owen grabs hold of that arm and bites, effectively stopping his strike. Daniel shifts into a brown wolf. His clothing flutters to the floor, and they start fighting.
I call my flaming sword, and I leave the ward by vaulting over the gate.
I pull Harry to his feet and stand in front of him, then shuffle us both backwards. I back Harry up towards the wall and the safety of the ward. I twirl my sword, protecting us from anybody that’s trying to get close.
“Forrest…where the hell did the fancy sword come from? You need to get to safety, Forrest…” Harry mumbles. Aragon unceremoniously grabs Harry by the back of the neck and plucks him over the wall.
“Get down on the ground,” I shout. The anxious man who was supposed to deal with the ward drops to his knees and puts his hands behind his head, Six. I flick a potion at him.
“Where the fuck is our backup?” Jason screams, mashing his phone with his fingers.
Cursed Wolf: Urban Fantasy Shifter Stand-Alone (Creatures of the otherworld Book 1) Page 26
