by Jami Gray
Unable to deal with Warrick, she turned her attention to Ryuu. “How many others were upset with the mating bond?”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “There were some grumblings from some of the lesser wolves.”
“Why?” Raine was trying to run interference.
But Xander knew the answer. “Because they think my refusal to accept the bond makes Warrick appear weak.” Her burst of frustrated fury left her head pounding. The sick sense of failure rose in its place. Once again, her lack of action was going to get someone killed.
“No,” Ryuu cut in. “No matter what he thought about your relationship, Seb would never go after Zeke. They were friends. He would never betray the pack.”
“Then explain his scent on the body,” Xander demanded, wrestling her sense of failure back to focus on the here and now. “Explain why he’s not here.” She didn’t look at Warrick, couldn’t look at him. “His position is beside you and Warrick, but he’s not here. Don’t tell me you haven’t tried to reach him all night.”
Color swept over Ryuu’s face and his lips tightened but he didn’t deny her accusation.
“A scent is not absolute proof.” Warrick’s voice was cold as he stood beside Ryuu.
His position wasn’t lost on her. More than physical distance now stood between them. “No, scent is not absolute, but his absence is a bit damning.”
“I am not condemning my Third based on circumstantial evidence.” The angrier Warrick got, the more reasonable his voice became. “He has never given me a reason to question his loyalty.” His unspoken condemnation shattered more than her heart.
She sucked in a breath. “And you think I have?”
He deliberately looked over her shoulder to Gavin, Raine, and Cheveyo then returned his gaze to her. His non-answer hard to miss.
Her bitter laugh cut through the uncomfortable silence. “I see.”
She ignored Raine’s outstretched hand and glided up to Warrick until she stood inches away. She studied him and felt her heart shred under his unemotional mask. By going to Cheveyo without his permission she had bet against the odds and lost. She would crumble under the pain later, after she confronted Sebastian, got Zeke back, and eliminated the threat to her alpha. Until then, she would do her job.
“You are entitled to your opinion, alpha.” There was no trace of affection in her use of his title. “However, I demand an answer from your Third.”
Something rose behind those eyes, too fast for her to read. “Ryuu will talk to Sebastian. You will stay the hell out of it.”
Her smile was all teeth. “I don’t think so.”
He leaned close until his face blocked out everything else. “I haven’t officially claimed you as my mate, so you have nothing to support your demand.”
His softly spoken words streaked like silver bullets, leaving devastation in their wake. He could tear her apart, but she wouldn’t break, not from this, not yet. “I’m not asking as your mate, Alpha Vidis. I am insisting as your Tracker.”
“Vidis,” Cheveyo interrupted their staring contest. “Considering the complex spells being used against you and yours, the threat may be bigger than what we can see.”
Warrick watched her for another uncomfortable minute before turning his attention to Cheveyo. “Spells? There’s more than one spell involved against the pack ties?”
Unable to stay near Warrick, Xander moved toward the fireplace. She put as much distance as she could, without actually leaving, and listened to the conversation.
“No,” Raine answered. “There’s another spell behind your sudden influx of out of control shifters. Based on what I found tonight and when you dragged me to the Gardens, someone is out there messing around with the magic that controls how your wolves change.”
“Oh, for gods’ sake,” Ryuu cut in. “You’re telling me there’s a spell that influences a wolf’s change? No.” He made a sharp movement with his hand. “If that was the case, it would have been used years ago.”
“Maybe it’s a recent discovery.” Cheveyo watched Warrick. “It’s obvious from what Raine and Xander have shared that whoever is behind this is still perfecting the spell.”
Ryuu looked from Cheveyo to Xander. “And you think Sebastian is mixed up in this?”
She could read his need for her denial and it hurt to nod her head. She watched her answer sow the seeds of doubt as Ryuu began to wonder.
“I don’t think you all have time to wait around,” Gavin said. “You need to track down Sebastian and find out what he knows about Zeke’s disappearance. According to Raine, you’re running out of time.”
“I need to make a few calls and see if I can get some more information about the origination of these spells,” Cheveyo said.
“We can do it from my place,” Raine offered. “It’s closer.” She turned to Gavin. “You, Xander, and Ryuu should head over to Sebastian’s.”
He nodded.
“No.” Warrick’s voice stopped everyone’s movements. “Xander and I will head to Sebastian’s. Ryuu, take Gavin back to Taliesin. I need you to unearth whatever information Zeke found.”
“I’ll drive,” Ryuu muttered and headed for the door, Gavin following close behind.
“Ryuu,” Warrick stopped his Second. “This time, stay in touch.” He looked at Cheveyo. “You as well.” His gaze slid to Xander standing still by the fireplace. “No more surprises.” He turned to the door, leaving everyone to follow.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The last place Xander wanted to be was locked in the plush interior of Warrick’s luxury sedan with him, but obviously, he wasn’t taking requests. Under her skin, her wolf clawed her bloody. Too much had happened tonight and her control was shot to hell. Her vision kept flickering to her wolf’s gray-scale version and her muscles were coiled so tight her bones ached. Even the tinted glass couldn’t mute the siren call of the moon. She didn’t dare reach out to turn on the radio in an attempt to break the screaming silence because she was scared if she moved, she’d shift.
They’d been in the car about ten minutes, with another fifteen to go since Sebastian’s place was located over on the west side. The loss of her connection to Warrick, the verbal wounds he inflicted, and her own demons managed to drive her wolf into a near feral state. Her whispered promises that they’d be all right fell on deaf ears and the pressure to change edged into dangerous territory.
She stared out the window, blind to the scenery, all her focus centered on the prowling monster housed inside her skin and bones. When she felt the sting of her nails lengthening, she curled her hands into the seat and tried to breathe the ache in her body away.
She shuddered, fighting her body and her wolf. Her jaw was clenched tight, trapping the howls rumbling in her chest. The wildness living and breathing inside of her, smashed with relentless force against the barriers of her control. Desperate to escape the emotional storm, her wolf wanted out. Low growls filled her ears and her control cracked.
She clawed at the seatbelt, the thick material shredding under her nails. The sounds of a trapped animal began to replace the growls then the scent of cinnamon and cloves wrapped around her. The unexpectedness of it halted her frantic movements.
“Xander, stop.” The command acted like a brake, holding her and her wolf on the edge of her impending change.
She blinked and Warrick’s face was in front of her. Vaguely, she realized he’d pulled off to the side of the road. Her door was open and he was crouched in front of her. His hands were cupped around her face, forcing her to look only at him. The feel of his touch seared through the madness, giving her a chance to claw a deeper hold on her crumbling control.
“Let me go.” It was hard to get those words out.
“No.” His denial shattered her fragile hold.
She knew he was saying something else but she couldn’t hear it over the howls of her wolf. Her bones and muscles contorted, stealing her breath and her mind. A howl of triumph sounded as Xander faltered under the dual impact of her w
olf’s demands and the pull of the moon.
Then, like a switch being thrown, her wolf went quiet, leaving her gasping for breath. The suddenness was a brutal relief. The sound of air being dragged into her lungs was overly loud. It took her a second to realize her face was pressed against warm skin, her arms wrapped around Warrick’s neck. His scent seeped into her lungs and acted like a tranquilizer, slowing her pulse and bringing her rioting body back to normal.
She didn’t dare move, for the first time in a long time worried she might not be able to control her wolf if she did. The repeated brush of his hand against her spine made her throat tighten. As her mind cleared, knowledge filtered in.
This sense of calm, of protection, of safety was an alpha’s gift. One he could share with his wolves. The ability to bring a wolf back from the cusp of change could be painful or, as in this case, not. That decision belonged to the alpha and the situation. She had watched Warrick use it on the younger wolves who were adjusting to the change, and rarely had she seen him use it as a punishment to prove his dominance.
Minutes passed, neither of them moving. It was the sound of a car whizzing by that finally had her dropping her arms and pulling back. He let her go, his hands sliding until they rested on her knees. But she refused to meet his gaze, needing what protection she could get from him. Her emotions were too raw and she needed time to deal with them.
“Better?” His question was quiet, and the concern she heard puzzled her but she refused to look at him, dipping her head in a short nod.
“Xander,” he began.
She held up a hand, flicked a quick glance at him, and let it skip away. “Don’t. I can’t right now. Let’s just get to Sebastian’s.” She could feel the weight of his stare and ignored his silent demand. “Please,” she whispered, barely able to get the plea past her tight throat.
His fingers curled into her knees before he sighed and let her go. He got to his feet, shut her door, and made his way back to the driver’s seat. This time when they pulled out onto the road, she kept her attention focused out the window, working not to think. The silence that wrapped around them once more was strangely mournful.
Warrick flexed his fingers against the steering wheel, dividing his attention between the deliberate movement and the road. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but everything was such a damn mess. From the corner of his eye, he could see the back of Xander’s head as she pretended to be enthralled with the passing scenery. A sharp pain shot up his jaw and he forced his teeth to unclench.
He knew he’d hurt her. He didn’t need their bond to figure that one out. Not that it was working. He slid her another glance. He doubted she knew just how tight she had shut down the bond between them. His fingers tightened until his knuckles pressed against his skin. After relying on their connection for the last few weeks, to not feel even a whisper of her left him feeling hollow.
He wasn’t apologizing this time. Not after she had deliberately gone behind his back and sought out Cheveyo. She was his mate, dammit. Her loyalty belonged solely to him. Instead of sharing her suspicions with him, she had blindsided him. She had gone to another male for help. Not him. Then she had the audacity to challenge him in front of outsiders. What had she expected him to do?
Listen.
Screw that, she hadn’t listened when he had specifically explained why he hadn’t wanted Cheveyo in his business.
But she was right.
He snarled at that insidious voice. Maybe this time. But next time? She made a big deal about communication and trust, but it seemed to be a one-way street. How was that supposed to work? If she didn’t respect his decisions, why should he bother explaining himself? He’d taken the time to share his reasoning, and she still went ahead and did what she damn well pleased.
If you wanted a submissive bitch…
He never said that.
Then why are you so angry?
His internal, schizophrenic conversation ground to a halt as he considered the question, turning it over and over. From the start, Xander had drawn both halves—man and wolf—to her. She kept him off balance. He hadn’t known what to expect from one moment to the next. She didn’t react like the majority of females, bending the minute he pushed. Instead, she held her own with him. Intelligent, stubborn, opinionated, quirky as hell, and lethal, she was an intriguing puzzle he knew he’d never fully solve.
Her decision to go to Cheveyo was a given. He knew that. She had listened to him and tried to discuss it, but he shot her down because the thought of her going to another male drove his wolf crazy. And her going after Zeke? She was a dominant wolf, who just happened to be a tracker. Protecting her pack would always come first, before him, before her own safety.
And there it was. The real bitch. Underneath the thin veneer of a modern man, lay the soul of his wolf. He needed to protect his mate, to shelter her, and keep her safe from everything. But that wasn’t who she was.
“If I am your mate, those who threaten you will have to answer to me.” This time the voice in his head was Xander’s, an echo of the promise she had given him the night before.
He sighed softly. His mate was a protector, through and through. She would stand beside him against any threat and, if tonight was any indication, stand in front of him when she thought he was too blind to see the full picture.
No matter the cost.
Xander wasn’t some newly changed wolf at the mercy of her emotions. The fact that she nearly changed in the car worried him and his wolf. Not to mention how far she was shut down.
Considering the upheaval resulting from tonight’s debacle, he began to consider just how big of a price Xander might have paid for her decisions to protect him. Earlier, when she reassured him she was okay, she had hid behind her wolf. He’d bet good money she had just discovered Sebastian’s scent on her attacker. She wasn’t one to make accusations without solid proof, and to get that proof she’d used whatever sources she could. Including the one he had warned her not to use. To find Zeke, to protect the one she considered hers, to protect her pack, Warrick had no doubt Xander would do whatever it took to find the answers she needed.
Which meant the only person he needed to protect her from was herself.
Nestled in a small bedroom community, Sebastian’s house was one of many tucked back off the quiet roads. By the time Warrick brought the car to a stop in Sebastian’s driveway, Xander had managed to shove all the messy emotional crap to the back of her mind, thanks to Warrick’s Prozac routine. There would be time enough to lick her wounds privately later.
She pushed her door open, not waiting for Warrick, and got out. Closing the door behind her, she rounded the hood. Warrick made his way to the front door and she followed, keeping a deliberate distance between them. The less he touched her, on any level, the better off she and her wolf would be.
A cement walkway wound its way behind a wall of small trees and bushes, standing guard between the carefully tended front yard and the off-white siding of the older home. The neighborhood was quiet and dark. Not surprising, considering it was past midnight and streetlights seemed to have been skipped in this particular section. Somewhere, a couple of dogs were discussing their day in short canine exchanges. A combination of wood smoke and the burnt remains of someone’s dinner laced the air. Some of the surrounding homes had left their porch lights on, creating little pools of welcome in the night.
Warrick stepped up to the door and knocked. Light peeked from the edge of the drawn curtains covering the large front window, but nothing moved inside.
Xander retraced her steps and found the walkway curling around to the back of the house. A little peeking around revealed no sign of Sebastian’s truck. A weathered wooden fence surrounded the small backyard. The gray boards ended just above Xander’s head, so she reached over to flip open the latch on the gate. A light shove and it swung open, the hinges quiet. Stepping through, she kept a hand on the rough wood and eased the gate shut behind her.
The back of the house was dark,
but there was enough ambient light between the moon and the neighbor’s house to make out a couple of old oaks, watching over the patchy collection of grass. A metal shed huddled in the far corner. In moments, she was up the cinderblock steps to the slab of concrete masquerading as a patio. The glass sliding door didn’t provide much of a challenge and, with a few deft maneuvers, she slid it slowly open, careful not to set the vinyl strips of the blinds clattering like plastic bones.
She held still, waiting for any signs of life, but other than the hush of the heater, it was quiet. Gathering the panels of the blinds in one hand, she dragged them aside and stepped in. She paused, listening for the hum of one of those home alarm systems. Getting in was too easy, but then again, if you could sprout fangs and claws, a standard alarm system became redundant.
Satisfied nothing was going to come screeching to life, she slid the door shut and let the blinds go. The light from the front room bled through a square walkthrough to the kitchen, stopping just short of the round wooden dining table. To her right, shadows played along floor-to-ceiling shelves, sharing wall space with the typical-guy, big-screen TV. A blanket-covered couch and a couple of recliners gathered around a coffee table.
Warrick’s sharp knock got her feet moving, but the feel of something crumbling underfoot was followed by the soft cracks and pops of glass breaking. Looking down, she lifted her foot off the pile of whatever lay broken on the floor. Skirting around it, she crossed to the front door.
She undid the deadbolt and pulled open the door, catching Warrick in mid-knock. The porch light left his face in a mask of shadows but she caught the flare of amber before it was snuffed out. Not saying a word, she turned away to finish searching the house and left him to follow. At the end of the hallway, she and Warrick split. She took the right and he the left.
The first room doubled as a home gym and a storage closet from what she could tell. Skis were propped in one corner while a bike hung from one of the walls. A stereo sat on top of some boxes stacked against another wall, and taking center stage was a freestanding punching bag.
