by JJ King
Daphne’s mind released its choke hold on her body a little more with each stroke of Keme’s fingers against her hand. She knew what he was doing and she wanted to kiss him for doing it. Distraction of any kind was very much appreciated. She lifted her gaze to him, “I remember thinking we were going to die out there on the ice.”
It had been one of the roughest flights of her entire life. The plane, even smaller than this one, had experienced some engine difficulties en route to Iqaluit, the territory’s capital. She’d braced her entire body for the inevitable and, when it didn’t happen, she’d been left with stiff muscles and the embarrassment of her reaction for the entire trip.
“I think our memories of that trip are very different.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on her knuckles, sending shivers instantly down her spine and straight to her toes. Daphne’s blood heated and her mind turned to more carnal thoughts. Oh, he’s good, she thought.
Then his words registered, “What do you mean?”
“When the plane started shaking, you reached out and grabbed my hand as if it were the last parachute and you were determined to live. You didn’t let go until we landed and, even then, you stuck by my side until we were off the plane and on land.”
Daphne frowned, trying hard to remember, but she could recall nothing but the intense fear she’d felt as the plane lurched about in the sky with black smoke pouring from its engine. She narrowed her eyes at her mate, “Are you sure? I don’t remember that.”
Keme laughed and leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “I’m sure. I doubt I’d forget the moment I realized how much I wanted to fuck you.”
Hot blood rushed to Daphne’s face and other, more southern, parts of her body. That trip had been almost two years ago, long before they’d first kissed, even before the summit at Wild River where he and Katherine had discovered a mutual attraction for one another. It was so strange to think of their little liaison now. Katherine was happily married to her soul mate and their love had resulted in Eve, the most precious little wolf Daphne had ever seen. Then she and Keme had been forced together to protect their friend and destiny had thrown them for a loop, connecting them in the most intimate, soul-deep way possible for two wolves.
She moved her mouth to Keme’s ear and murmured, “I wanted to fuck you long before that.”
The low growl that came from Keme’s throat made her laugh even as her body responded to her mate’s sexual arousal. Daphne knew she should be embarrassed, everyone in the small plane would be able to scent their reactions, but she couldn’t make herself really care. She was with her mate and they were headed into what could be the most dangerous situation of her entire life. There was no time for embarrassment.
Still, they were in a small plane surrounded by wolves. She patted Keme’s cheek, grinned, and sat back in her seat, completely relaxed. Daphne turned to look back out the window and glimpsed green. She leaned forward, anxious for a peek of their destination, and called out, “I see land.”
Katherine landed the tiny plane on the runway with barely a bump, though Daphne still felt as if they were seconds from death the entire time. By the time the plane pulled to a stop in front of the terminal, she was more than ready to stand on firm land and never take to the skies again. When she said as much to Keme, he just chuckled and said, “Maybe you’ll get lucky and there’ll be a cruise leaving Europe for the eastern seaboard when we finish up here.”
Daphne smiled wryly and punched Keme in the shoulder, but inwardly, she wondered if that were even a possibility. The ocean was a living, breathing, part of her. She’d take it over the skies any day.
They each grabbed a bag from the small airplane and made their way through the Belmullet Aerodrome airport, stopping briefly at a car rental kiosk to pick out a dark blue van from the nineties that was big enough for all six of them.
Quinn drove north, taking directions from Google maps as Rose had only been free to roam the countryside once in her entire life and she’d been fleeing Raphael’s goons, her brothers, at the time.
No one spoke more than was necessary, as if they all felt the weight of their mission as heavily as she did. Daphne rubbed absently at the center of her chest, wishing away the tension that sat there. She glanced at Katherine, whose shoulders had creeped up with each moment they’d been on Irish soil. She couldn’t imagine what her friend was feeling. The last time Katherine had seen Raphael, he’d been trying to kill her and Quinn, and the time before that…
Daphne glanced back at Rose, the odd woman out in the group of close friends and family. Like Katherine, her body was tense and drawn, but unlike Katherine, she looked ready to run straight into the wild, regardless of the fact they’d most likely come face to face with the wolf that had kept her captive her entire life. She was a brave one or she was a really good liar. Either way, they’d find out pretty soon.
Daphne considered herself a good judge of character, it was one of the reasons Jacob had taken a chance on her and considered her indispensable, and right now, her instincts were saying Rose was telling the truth, to the best of her knowledge. But that was the crux of it, as she saw it; the best of Rose’s knowledge might just be a clever trap planned and executed by a sadistic madman.
“Classiebawn is just about two hours from here,” Rose addressed the group but looked directly at Katherine as she spoke. “It’ll be almost impossible to approach without being seen.”
“And you really think your brother will sneak us in?” Katherine asked, looking doubtful about the plan they’d discussed on the flight across the Atlantic.
“Gabriel’s different,” Rose replied vehemently. “He’s never been like the others. He helped me escape.”
“What if he refuses?” Daphne asked softly, not wanting to upset Rose but needing to know the answer to the question that was probably on everyone’s mind. Their entire plan hinged completely on the help of one boy and Rose’s assurances. She didn’t like going into situations without backup plans.
“Then we figure out some other way,” Rose’s voice hitched for a second and, for a brief moment, Daphne saw the fear in her eyes. Her heart ached for the young woman even as her mind strained to remain impartial. That was her job and if she failed, people could die.
“Ok,” Daphne looked from Rose to Katherine and back again, “then let’s go over this one more time.” She took a deep breath as Rose began to speak and sent a prayer to the Old Ones for their protection. They’d need it.
♀♀♀
Katherine shifted in the oversized chair and tried to convince her body to relax. Her shoulders had crawled steadily closer to her ears as they'd approached Ireland and, now that they were on the ground and closer to the madman that had tortured her last year, they were practically seizing up.
He should be locked up, she thought furiously. He had been locked up, imprisoned in their most secure location with round the clock guards to ensure his sentence. But, they'd underestimated him. They had failed to understand the depth of his depravity and preparedness. Not one of them could have ever foreseen the long game Raphael had planned for, especially considering how insane he’d been acting. They'd trusted their guards and he'd taken advantage of time to gain the leverage he needed to escape.
How could they catch a wolf who was always ten or more steps ahead of them? How could they think like an insane mastermind?
Keme cleared his throat and leaned forward on the table where they sat waiting for their way into Classiebawn to show up. "Guys, I know we're all stressed out, but this silence is starting to make my wolf nervous. Can we turn on the TV or something?"
The sound of Daphne's hand slapping Keme's thigh drew a chuckle from Quinn, who shot Keme a quick grin and a sympathetic shrug.
From her seat in the small apartment’s living room, Katherine watched the silent exchange between Daphne and Keme. His innocent expression tickled something deep inside her.
A giggle bubbled up in Katherine’s throat and burst from her lips, startling
everyone in the room. They all stared at her with mixed expressions, mostly made up of surprise. This was neither the place nor the time for laughter, which made it all the harder to hold back the next giggle.
Katherine fought hard, but the more she tried, the more cracks appeared in the veneer of her emotional armor. Finally, it was too much. She covered her mouth with her hand and dissolved into a fit of manic giggles.
Quinn glanced at her with raised eyebrows, which made her laugh even more. He watched her for a moment, then his worried facade broke and one corner of his beautiful lips turned up in a grin.
Katherine laughed until tears poured down her face, spilling onto her chest. She covered her face with her hands, muffling the sound, and her shoulders shook from the uncontained mirth.
Soon, they were all laughing. Various tones of chuckles, giggles, and belly laughs echoed throughout the small space, until there was barely enough air left in the room to draw breath.
Katherine looked around the table and saw her mate and friends red in the face from laughing. Ronan offered her a weak smile that tugged painfully at her heart, but then she shifted her gaze to Rose and, abruptly, the laughter stopped dead in her chest.
Rose sat, stiff like a soldier, near the window with an expression void of amusement. Her eyes peered back at Katherine with an inky depth that was startling, reminding her of what was at stake. Her family, their family, was left unprotected from Raphael. There was no way to know what lengths he would go through to punish Rose for leaving.
“Sorry,” Katherine mumbled, feeling embarrassed now, “inappropriate laughter. It happens sometimes.”
Quinn wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and glanced over at her, offering a reassuring smile and a shrug. “Don’t be sorry, love. It kind of helped.”
Echoes of agreement came from behind her, all except from Rose, who turned to look out the window at the road below with a vacant expression. Katherine wished she knew what to say to her half-sister to give her hope. She wondered if there was any hope to give.
Chapter Five
Rose breathed in the warm countryside air wafting in through the open window and held back a sigh. It was so familiar, so much a part of her, that it felt like coming home, but to a home that had always been a prison. The clash of feelings seemed to grow until a tight fist of anxiety and fear grew in her chest, overtaking her lungs so it was hard to draw a deep breath.
The urge to rub the painful knot tugged at her but she refused, unwilling to show any weakness to these people. They weren’t like her, they’d never known the kind of life she’d know since birth, they’d never seen their loved ones murdered in front of their eyes. There was still laughter in them.
They seemed like good people, she thought, and so they’d probably move past the loss of Pierre while she foundered under the weight of her memories. It was ok, though. If she could save her sisters, all the pain would have been worth it.
Movement down the street caught her attention, making everything else fade into the background. She stayed out of sight, peering carefully into the lit street at the faded green truck that had pulled up outside the local supermarket and watched as a handsome young man who looked just like his sister Skyla, climbed out of the cab. Rose watched as Gabriel gestured to the man inside the truck and called out something she couldn’t hear. The truck pulled away from the curb and drove off as Gabriel disappeared into the store.
“He’s here,” Rose whispered, even though they were well out of hearing distance. Behind her, the group stilled, and Keme climbed to his feet.
“Ok, where do I go?” He looked to her for guidance while hugging Daphne close to his side. Rose noted the look of pride, mixed with worry on Daphne’s face.
“There’s only two of them tonight, which is good, but I didn’t see who was driving, which is bad. There aren’t many nice ones in the pack.” Rose took a deep breath and nodded her head, ready to put the plan into action. The only part that galled was the fact that she had to stay out of the action until they arrived at Classiebawn. “Gabriel just went into the supermarket. I’m not sure how long he’ll be here, but they usually bring back enough supplies for the week, so we should have plenty of time, depending on what the other guy is doing.” She went over Gabriel’s description and the secret words they’d agreed upon before she’d fled. The words that would ensure he’d help them.
Keme turned to Daphne before he left and pulled her into his arms for a long, drawn-out, kiss that made Rose’s stomach flutter. She blinked and lowered her head after a moment, realizing that she’d openly stared at them with her mouth agape, looking like a complete fool, she supposed. Cautiously, she glanced around to see if anyone was looking at her funny, but they were each concerned with their own business. Then Keme slipped out the door and Daphne raced to the window to keep watch over her mate.
A few moments later Keme appeared on the street and crossed the road, never breaking stride or showing the least indication that he was out of place. Rose breathed a sigh of relief, he’d been the right choice.
They’d decided based on which of them would be the least likely on Raphael’s radar. Her first choice had been Daphne, actually, but Keme had refused that suggestion outright, even after Daphne had pulled him aside for a heated discussion.
So, he went, and as he disappeared into the grocery store, Rose began to count in her mind. One, two, three – he’s just in the door now. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three – he sees Gabriel. Ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six – he moves up behind Gabriel and casually says, “I’ve heard Yeats found fairies in these parts.”
The knot in Rose’s chest felt like an anvil by the time she reached three hundred. She stared at the door to the supermarket, unblinking, praying, then a man, too tall to be Gabriel, strode out.
“Keme,” Daphne breathed on a relieved sigh as her mate crossed the road and reentered the building they were all in, again, never looking behind him once. Footsteps so quiet they belied his size announced Keme’s arrival on their floor, then he was in the apartment and Daphne was in his arms.
“He’s got the phone.” Keme nodded towards her and followed Daphne to the large couch. His part of the plan was over, for now.
The moment he sank into the deep cushions, the phone began to ring, so loudly it sounded like the entire town would hear it. Rose stared at it for a second before hitting Answer and lifting the phone to her ear.
“Yeats was a dick.” The deep voice intoned on the other end of the line.
Rose felt the smile from the tips of her toes. If she’d been the type to cry, she’d have teared up. “Yeats was a literary genius,” she argued back, finishing their much repeated argument. Yeats had brought them together so many years ago and, now, it was what would free them all. There was a sweet irony to that; a collection of Yeats’ poetry had been one of the only fifty or so books available for them to read in the whole of Classiebawn. She’d read his collection cover to cover so many times she’d lost count, and Rose had never failed to be enthralled by his ability to take her out of reality and into a world far away from her own.
“Agree to disagree,” Gabriel spoke with an Irish accent that she nor the other women in the house had ever acquired since they’d never been allowed to leave the confines of the castle. The boys, though, had been visiting the local towns all their lives; running errands for Raphael or simply living their lives. It was astounding to think, sometimes, about the townspeople, living their lives in the shadow of a madman. What the world didn’t know.
Rose struggled to find the words to tell Gabriel how relieved she was to hear his voice while maintaining her strength before the group. She decided her feelings weren’t a priority right now, they never had been, and simply said, “It’s time Gabriel. I’ve brought help.”
A long pause followed, then Gabriel murmured, “Sean came with me. He’s off to the pharmacy now, but he’ll be back soon.” He paused then said in a worried tone, “But Rose, Faolin is on duty tonight.”<
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Rose’s heart sank. Of all their brothers, Faolin was the worst. He was a replicate of Raphael and maybe even a bit worse. He took pleasure in the pain of others, in inciting fear and mayhem, and in following out Raphael’s dictates. She’d spent weeks of her life healing from wounds inflicted for his sadistic pleasure, the only kind of relief he could find in a prison where sexual abuse wasn’t tolerated. The prophecy was everything, just like this moment was everything to her. “It doesn’t matter,” she said, her tone steely, “this has to happen tonight.”
Silence answered her and for a long moment Rose considered the likelihood that Gabriel would turn her away. He’d never betray her, she was sure of that, but helping her escape and helping her take down their father and brothers were two very different things.
Gabriel’s voice was rough when he finally answered. “Give me an hour.” The call ended.
Rose sagged against the wall next to the window and let her body slump to the floor. She didn’t care that Katherine and the others were looking at her now with wide eyes, seeing her relief. Everything hinged on Gabriel. Let them see.
