by AJ Renee
“Drink up, babycakes. You have work to do.”
Chapter 29
Working under pressure sucked. Having two large good-looking men stare her down in a non-sexy sort of way also sucked. Knowing your failure means your baby’s daddy will die? Epic sucking factor.
The skin between her shoulder blades was damp from sweat. She guessed her shirt also exhibited the dark stain. One long hour later and she’d only budged whatever the hell this Aja witch had done.
“This isn’t working!” she snapped as the door opened and Xander returned.
He pulled his hand from behind his back, and her eyes widened. Brandy jumped to her feet and crossed the room. “Oh my God, I think I love you.”
Peter chuckled as Xander shifted uncomfortably. “A simple thank-you works for me.”
Brandy sucked the thick gooey mixture up the straw and groaned when the flavor burst on her tongue. “Thnk ouu,” she managed to mumble. It was a real chocolate milkshake, not one of Peter’s chalky-tasting ones he used to grow those bricks he called muscles.
“You’re welcome,” Xander told her and turned toward Peter. “Nothing then?”
Peter rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “Chipping away, but nothing of value so far.”
Xander’s brows furrowed in thought. “Can you walk me through what you do?”
Brandy nodded as she sucked in another mouthful of chocolate. Once she swallowed the savory bite, she explained her connection to Ryan as well as Serena’s suggestion after the boomerang shot earlier in the day.
Xander flipped a chair around and rested his arms over the back. “Mind if I offer some advice?” he asked, more toward Peter than Brandy. She bit back her witty reply, knowing Xander was being respectful to his alpha.
Peter nodded, and Xander looked between them. “From what we can tell, you’re unlike any other witch we’ve come across, right? I mean, your powers aren’t fully developed, and you could probably take Serena down with a simple look.”
Peter narrowed his eyes and she took another sip, unsure where Xander was going and uncomfortable with the truth of her still-developing powers.
“I mean, you’re your own kind of witch with the way you’ve not only received but have taken a hold of your powers. I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. What you’re doing may have worked for a witch like Serena, but you’re nothing like her. Maybe center yourself and go with your gut. It’s led you this far, hasn’t it?”
“He’s right, babycakes. It takes some witches years to master one of the powers you have, and you’ve gotten it down in weeks for some and hours for others. Obviously, what you’re doing isn’t working, except that it’s draining you. Try something else.”
Brandy lowered the Styrofoam cup and bit her lip. “I don’t know where to start… What if it doesn’t work?”
“You wouldn’t be any worse than you are now. The pack is searching for him, and that shimmering trail disappears soon after he steps away from the last camera shot,” Xander said.
She nodded and drank the rest of the milkshake as she considered different avenues of magic. Brandy tried to recall any knowledge she’d picked up from the grimoire or Ryan.
Taking a seat, she closed her eyes and breathed. She let images of Ryan’s face—and the emotions he invoked—flow through her. Mentally facing the wall placed between them, she tried to brute-force her way through. The wall shook but remained.
She focused on the faint buzz of the connection between them. This witch kept him from her, she reminded herself. Anger wrapped around her, and she focused on the sliver of camera footage identifying the woman.
Brandy imagined the ring heating, the metal weakening and bending under her attack. The wall began to vibrate, and she knew she was onto something. With a smirk and another cleansing breath, Brandy curled her fingers into her palms and shot white-hot heat into the metal.
“What do you think you’re doing!” Aja screamed.
She refused to play games with the woman. Brandy’s body shook, and in the distance, she heard Peter calling to her, but she was too close to stop. Xander had told her to follow her gut. She could not back down now. That bitch had Ryan, and God only knew what she had already done to him. They still were not even sure if she was working alone.
Using the connection the witch had left open, Brandy sent a flame through and imagined the ring shattering. The wall crumbled a second later, and the comforting hum of Ryan’s thoughts tore through.
“Rye?” she whispered in exhaustion.
“Bran? Is that really you?” Ryan asked, sounding as worn as she felt.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Tell Peter it’s Aja and she’s working with Volark,” he said in a rush.
Tendrils of something dark seeped into their connection, and Ryan’s hum weakened. Panic clawed up her throat, and her stomach clenched with fear.
“Rye? Rye? What’s going on?” she called, hearing the fear lacing her words. Silence greeted her before her anger returned. Not fucking happening! Sucking in another breath, she centered herself. Ryan was hers, and no one would take him from her.
Release what fate has deemed as mine, or burn from within as you watch your loved ones die. This bond between him and me is sacred above all and no longer available to others. May the goddess strengthen our bond on this call. The words flowed from her mind easily and without doubt. Ryan’s hum returned, and a strange light flashed. “Ack!” Brandy cried and found herself in Peter’s arms.
“What happened? Did you talk to him? Why the fuck didn’t you come out when I told you?”
“Ease up, man. Give her a second,” Xander told Peter.
Peter set her in his chair and paced the office. His hair stuck up as if he had run his fingers through it a bunch of times.
“Here, drink some water.” Xander raised a bottle in her direction. At the sight, her bladder cringed, remembering it had been a while.
She shook her head. “Why were you holding me?” she asked Peter.
After a momentary stare-off between her and Peter, Xander said, “You were shaking really bad. We tried getting you to leave the bond, but you wouldn’t.”
She nodded in understanding and shut her eyes, ignoring both Peter and her bladder.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Peter growled, frustration coming off him in waves.
“Rye?” she whispered. The wall between them was gone, and the hum had returned to normal. Searching the bond, she found a strange but peaceful protection around them.
“I don’t know what you did, but she’s pissed she can’t get back in. Don’t come looking for me. It’s too dangerous. There are too many here, and I want you, the baby, and the pack to stay out of it. It’s a trap. I love you!” Ryan said quickly before she felt him pull away.
“If you think Peter or I are leaving you there, you’ve got another thing coming. I love you. Don’t die, you big jerk!” She yelled the latter for good measure.
Her brows raised when she caught the sight before her. Peter stood an arm’s distance away. His feet were planted firmly, shoulder’s width apart, and his arms sat crossed over his chest. The scowl on his face was almost comical.
“If you were mine, I’d give you the spanking of a lifetime for all the risks you’ve taken,” he told her, his voice low and on the verge of one of his growls.
“But she’s Ryan’s, and you’d never hurt her, let alone a pregnant woman,” Xander said cheerfully from the side. She glanced at him as he bit into a piece of jerky and winked at her.
“I’m starting to like you,” she told Xander and smiled. At least, she tried to smile, but she expected it looked more like a grimace. “I need the bathroom and then I’ll tell you what he said.” She was seconds from bursting. Peter pointed at a door in the corner of the office but did not break his glare.
After using the facilities, she splashed cold water on her face and sighed. The gambit of emotions in addition to the use of her powers had left her fe
eling drained. Straightening, she looked around the small room, impressed with the light fragrance in the air. She had been blinded by her need and missed all the details in the office bathroom when she first came in. The toilet was clean, almost sparkly clean. The mirror was encased in a beautiful frame. In the corner was a cabinet with supplies and a pretty bouquet of fake flowers. The details seemed more feminine than masculine, which made her wonder whose office it belonged to.
With one last glance, she let herself out, and the aroma of food hit her. Xander and Peter removed containers from enough plastic bags that left her wondering who all would be eating with them.
“Feeding the pack?” she asked.
A blush crept along Xander’s cheeks. “I didn’t know what you liked to eat, so I had one of the pups grab a variety and figured we’d eat whatever you didn’t want.”
She raised an eyebrow in surprise and a dash of amusement as she looked between the men. “Smells amazing.” Her stomach growled, and the men’s chuckles reminded her of their impeccable hearing.
Brandy settled on a container of chicken alfredo before taking her seat. “Thanks again,” she said, digging her fork into the pasta.
“So what’s the deal, babycakes? You’re not a mess, so he can’t be all that bad, can he?” Peter asked. Tension rolled through his muscles, telling her his words were meant to keep her calm.
“It’s bad, and he’s a jerkface.”
A pop sounded from Xander, and she watched him spit out pieces of his fork. He tossed the broken plastic in the trash and grabbed another without a word. She wondered if breaking plastic utensils in their mouths was common.
“Well, we already knew that,” Peter said and shook his head. “What did he say?”
She tore the chicken in her mouth, letting her frustration loose on the delicious meat. “Well,” she said and swallowed. “He said it’s a trap and we should all stay out of it—me, you, the baby, and the pack.”
Peter guffawed. “We already knew it was a trap. They want you, and he’s bait. It’s exactly what I would do.”
Her brows knit together. She had barely seen the angry side to this man. Werewolf, she reminded herself. He had been playful with her in his form, but there was no doubt in her mind he would be ruthless if someone threatened his pack.
“Anything else? He didn’t happen to mention where they were holding him?”
She shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t tell me. All he said was there were ‘too many there.’”
A knock sounded on the door before anyone could say more on the matter. Xander stood and blocked them from view, but she heard a woman speak.
“The witch bitch and some guy are demanding to see Peter,” she said.
Peter chuckled. “Send them back and make sure she doesn’t hear you call her that.”
Xander stepped back, and Brandy made out the gorgeous, dark-haired beauty. Her nearly black eyes were hard, and her lips were drawn tightly in distaste. “I call them how I see them,” she said clearly, and her eyes clashed with Brandy’s. “I can’t even call you a bunch of pussy-whipped fools. It’s not like you can get it up.”
Heat rose up Brandy’s neck at her words. Peter shot to his feet and Xander burst into his wolf form, his clothes exploding into tatters of fabric. The woman’s body shimmered as she fought her own change. Xander’s jaw snapped at her, and Peter towered over her. She tipped her head to the side, exposing her neck to them.
“I’m going to remind you of this one time, so listen up,” Peter growled. “It wasn’t that long ago we saved you from an abusive mate. Disrespect this pack or those protected by it and you’ll find yourself on your ass.”
The woman whimpered deep within her throat and dropped to a knee as Xander backed off. His own low growl filled the air.
“Send our guests back and wipe down the gym. You will learn your place in my pack, or you will find another.”
The woman gave a small nod and took a step the way she had come. Xander barked, and she turned. Her eyes met theirs and then Brandy’s. She pushed back her shoulders and stated, “I apologize for my rudeness.”
Brandy licked her dry lips, her mind reeling from the entire scene. Xander’s body shimmered, and he returned to his human form. She stared at his nakedness, a prominent dip at the muscles of his butt drawing her in.
“She’ll come around,” Xander told Peter as he rubbed the back of his neck.
The men turned toward the room and paused at Brandy’s presence, their eyes crinkling with amusement.
“I better—”
“Yeah, go get dressed before you give this one a heart attack.” Peter chuckled. “Babycakes, his eyes are up here!”
Her face flushed as she covered her eyes. “S-sorry!”
Peter moved around the room. “How’s the food? Is it helping?”
Brandy spread her fingers, her gaze darting around for the slab of man candy she had just seen. “Are all of you so—”
Peter barked out a laugh.
“Tsk tsk, Peter, trying to poach on your friend’s woman—pregnant woman,” Serena’s singsong voice called.
“Hey, Bran!” Ethan called with excitement. In a few strides, he reached her and kissed her temple. “What’s going on?”
“Sounds like we came in for a game of Show and Tell.”
Ethan raised a brow and looked from Brandy to Peter. “Did I miss something?”
“You did not. It’s good to see you, E.”
Xander returned, pulling a shirt over his head. “Serena.”
The witch took him in, appreciating the good-looking man before taking in the rest of them. “Was a pup not playing nice?”
“You could say that,” Xander said and grabbed his forgotten food from earlier. “There’s plenty if you’re hungry.”
They shook their heads, and Brandy noted the way Ethan gravitated to Serena’s side. “We learned who the witch putting up the block is,” she stated and watched Serena.
Her face did not give anything away. “You did? Who is it?”
Peter leaned back in his chair. “Your old friend… Aja.”
“Really?”
“Isn’t she part of your coven?” Xander asked.
Serena shook her head. “No, not for a long time. She believed herself to be stronger than me and started turning some of the witches against me.”
“Don’t you normally kill a witch for that sort of treason?” Peter asked.
Serena’s eyes dropped to the ground, and Brandy noted the sadness in the woman. “That’s customary, but… Aja is—I mean, was—like my sister. I couldn’t bear the thought. If she’s behind this, then it’s my fault. I will bear the responsibility for her committing these crimes.”
“She’s not working alone, Serena,” Peter whispered, his voice filled with compassion.
Her brows raised. “She’s not?”
“Volark’s been after Brandy since her powers became unbound, and I’d smelled a witch working with his demons. Ryan’s being held and says there are too many. He doesn’t want us coming after him.”
Serena’s face blanched. “How could she?”
Ethan broke the silence. “I think I know where Ryan’s being held.”
“You do?” Brandy yelped. “Where, E? Where is he?”
Ethan looked from her to the others. “It’s a property James and Andrea flipped a few years back, on the other end of town. There’d been squatters, and it was a real mess, but I remember they kept this iron piece because of its intricate design. I’ve been working on my gift, and I saw Ryan there. That iron piece is a one of a kind. It’s gotta be where he’s being held.”
Brandy shot to her feet. “Then let’s go get him!”
Peter stepped in front of her and cupped her shoulders. “Whoa, hold on a minute, babycakes. We can’t go in there all willy-nilly. We need some sort of plan.”
“He’s right,” Xander said, meeting her eyes.
The kindness she found made her eyes prickle. Peering up at Peter, she sighed.
“I need him back.”
He drew her into an embrace. “I know you do, and he needs you too. Everything will work out.”
Chapter 30
Life sucked.
Ryan had managed to avoid a real relationship his whole damn life. Then, when he’d least expected it, there she was. Not only that but now she carried their child, a child he would not meet nor have a hand in raising.
What a bitch life was, giving him what he had told himself he did not want, only to take it away.
A shuffle drew his attention from the right, and he stilled. The smell of rotten flesh permeated his nostrils as a demon passed. He’d lost track of how many supernatural beings were in this place.
The most shocking of it all was Aja. He could not believe the witch had turned sides, and for what? Power she would never have? No, she believed she would but was too naïve to see things for what they were.
They were both pawns in Volark’s scheme to get to Brandy. The only way he would achieve it was over Ryan’s dead body, which was a very real possibility if Ryan did not find a way out of there.
At least he could feel Brandy again. Whatever she did to finally knock down Aja’s spell had not only sent the witch off in a tizzy but calmed him. The urge to talk to Brandy was killing him, but he couldn’t. Or more like he shouldn’t.
The chances of getting out of this alive were slim. It would be easier on her if he pulled back. Ryan found comfort knowing she had not only her brothers but Peter to keep them safe.
His hair fluttered with a breeze, and the walls around him began to shake as the air moved faster. Ryan steeled himself for what was coming, willing himself to stay strong and not use his connection to Brandy.
The only time Volark wasted his time on Ryan was with Aja’s spell in place. It was a blessing in disguise, as the demon was determined to get his hands on Brandy by any means necessary.
If Volark was coming around, it meant only one thing. He planned on riding their connection to get to her. After all, having a witch as powerful as his mate would tip the scales to the other side. She was a one-of-a-kind prize.
