by Amy Sumida
She shook her head, “I don’t know. My cat feels restless. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing. My cat gets that way sometimes when its cooped up for too long. We haven’t been outside much recently. She probably just needs a good run,” Ronan assured her.
It made sense. Her panther did get restless when she didn’t shift for long periods of time. It was one of the reasons why she had chosen this location for her home. The dense forest at the base of the mountain appealed to her cat on every level. But this didn’t feel like she wanted to go on a hunt. This was more of a nervous tension. Like she was waiting for something to happen. An air of repressed violence had hung like a sinister cloud ever since receiving the photos. And she had a feeling it wasn’t going to stay repressed for much longer. A sudden loud bang had her jumping like a startled rabbit.
“Easy. It’s just Vaughn. He doesn’t know how to close doors quietly like a normal human being,” Ronan joked.
Sure enough, Vaughn stomped his way into the room, “Hey, what’s up?” he asked, picking up on her obvious tension.
Ronan rubbed her shoulders in comfort and answered; “Ivory’s panther is feeling a bit jumpy. Needs to get out.”
“It’s not that,” she declared, shrugging away from him, “Something’s wrong. Where’s Seth?” she asked suddenly.
“He’s fine. He was going to pick up your work mail and grab a few supplies, remember? He’ll be back soon,” Vaughn assured her.
“That only takes a few minutes – it’s not far. How long since you last saw him?” That nervous feeling was now turning into anxiety. Before any of them could answer, Ivory’s phone beeped with an incoming text. She eyed the phone as if it were a snake about to strike – it was bad news. She could feel it. With trembling hands, she picked it up – and promptly felt her stomach drop when she saw Seth’s number; ‘I have one of your rent boys. The woods. Ten minutes. Come alone or more of this ...’ Less than a second later her phone vibrated and pinged once again – only this time a photo immediately popped up on the screen.
Her breath rushed from her lungs, her muscles going lax as the phone dropped from her hands and clattered to the floor.
“Ivory! Ivory, what is it?” Ronan’s voice sounded tinny in her ears as she sucked in air, trying to get a hold of herself. Now was not the time to fall apart. She needed her anger – not her fear.
A spine-chilling roar echoed around the room, forcing Ivory’s eyes up and past a concerned-looking Ronan who was kneeling in front of her. Vaughn had picked up her phone and had seen what she had seen; Seth bruised and bloody and pinned to a tree, his left hand impaled with a knife into the trunk behind him. His eyes were closed – he must have been passed out. At least Ivory hoped he was only passed out. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about. Besides, her stalker – whoever it was – was obviously using Seth as leverage. He wouldn’t kill him. He needed him.
Brushing aside Ronan’s hand, she stood firming her jaw, “I have to go.”
Vaughn met her eyes as Ronan snatched the phone from his hands, a low whine sounding from his chest. Vaughn’s eyes were glowing with his inner animal – a pure predator ready to hunt and destroy the adversary who had dared to touch his mate. Ivory knew hers were the same and as she looked towards Ronan, his claws were already out and flexing as if he were already envisioning her stalker’s death;
“Let’s go,” he growled.
Ivory felt her heart stutter. She was not jeopardising anyone else she loved – wait, loved? Did she love them? She wondered one second and then realised that yes, she did – so very much, in the next second. She loved them – all three of them. They were hers and she was theirs and there was no way she was allowing any of them to get hurt more because of her. She raised her chin, “He said to come alone. I’m going alone.”
The tension in the room seemed to cause the walls to expand and the air to thin. Both Ronan and Vaughn had stilled at her words. Ivory had one second to gulp before they both stalked forward, reaching her in two strides. They backed her into the wall behind her – dominant alphas enforcing their will over their woman. Ivory shivered, feeling her body respond to the display in the way her nipples tightened and her sex clenched hungrily. It was completely inappropriate and they didn’t have time for this but she simply couldn’t help it. Her breath quickened and she licked her lips, two sets of green eyes following the movement as if entranced.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Vaughn’s voice was so gravelly, she could barely make out the words. Eyeing his mouth, she figured that was probably due to the fact that his canines had extended and were pressing against his bottom lip. A quick glance to her left showed that Ronan was in a similar state, his chest expanding under the force of his breathing and his height towering over her as his animal exerted its dominance.
She had to stop this before things got too out of control – they were acting on their instincts right now. Their animals were in charge, in fear for their mate, and although she understood it – felt it – she needed the men to be in charge. Besides, she wasn’t willing to be a submissive mate, obeying her male partners’ every command just because she was the only female in the shadow. She had been taking care of herself since she was eighteen. She was a strong, independent woman and a powerful witch on top of all of that. She really wished her powers would work on them so she could flatten them to a wall until they calmed down. But after a few days experimenting with them, she had accepted the fact that they had been telling the truth – her telekinesis and her spells had no effect on any of them. That only left her words as a weapon.
“I need you to listen to me …” she began.
Twin growls met her ears, causing goose bumps to erupt over her skin, “No, Ivory. We’re done listening and you’re done talking. We’ve done things your way and done nothing but talk and listen for days. It’s our turn now,” Vaughn informed her.
She tried to open her mouth again only to find it crushed by his mouth. His plundering was swift but thorough and she was left breathless when he pulled back, tugging on her hair to keep her attention; “We are going to shift and follow you into the forest. End of discussion.”
His arrogant tone, made her hackles rise, “He said to come alone. Are you willing to risk Seth’s life for mine?”
“Yes. You are our woman, our female. Seth would expect nothing less,” Ronan pinned her to spot with his words, “No-one will see us and no-one will be expecting two panthers to be there anyway,” Ronan pointed out.
Ivory felt her reactive fear decrease a little when she heard that logic. He was right. Although she could hardly believe they would be willing to risk losing their long-term lover just to keep her safe, she couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a giddy beat upon hearing the words. They loved her too. They must. Without further ado, the two men she loved beyond comprehension shred their clothes as they morphed into huge, sleek, black panthers in her living room.
Her pulse picked up when she thought about that ‘L’ word again. She had only met them two weeks ago. She knew it was fast but she wasn’t going to diminish the moment by qualifying it in any way. Regardless of the exceptional, highly emotional circumstances they had met under, she realised that none of that mattered. She loved them and she was going to revel in the discovery.
Just as soon as they got the fourth member of their quartet back.
Chapter Twenty-Four
She made her way quickly down the familiar path, keeping a sharp ear out for any noise to alert her where Seth was being held. Her stomach was in knots but she was also resolved; this would end today. She knew Ronan and Vaughn were somewhere close in the dense trees because she could feel them. But she couldn’t see them or hear them. They were truly predators stalking their prey. A small fork to the left caught her attention because of Seth’s strong scent and she hastened down it, her need to get to Seth rising more with each passing second. A few minutes later, she reached a small clearing and gasped, clutchin
g her hands ineffectually.
Seth was still pinned to the massive tree with a knife all the way to the hilt through his hand and the thick trunk. He had a makeshift gag over his mouth and blood ran from a terrible head wound. He must have heard or sensed her because he opened his eyes, immediately shaking his head in agitation. She tried to tell him with her eyes that everything was going to be okay, that they had a plan. He had to know that Vaughn and Ronan would never have allowed her to come on her own – despite the danger to themselves. They were hiding in the trees, watching and waiting for their chance to pounce.
Just then, Seth’s beautiful green eyes, now blurry with pain, widened and he tried to talk around the gag. She felt movement behind her and knew her stalker must be there. Plucking up her courage, she squared her shoulders and spun around slowly. She thought she had been prepared to confront the person who had been terrorising her for the past few months. She was a strong, independent woman – blah, blah, blah. But the person standing in front of her was the last person she expected to see and she found herself blinking in confusion;
“Libby?” her employee, her confidant, her best friend, simply stood in the middle of the clearing, not saying anything. Her face was a blank, emotionless mask and her lively blue eyes looked dead, “No,” Ivory shook her head. This wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be Libby, “How could you do this?” she cried.
“She didn’t. Well, not alone anyway.”
The voice came from behind her and startled her so much, she fell backward onto her butt. She recognised that voice. What the hell was going on here? How could she have misjudged these people so gravely? “Lee?”
“Got it in one, babe,” he walked to her slowly, bending down to touch her cheek. She flinched under the light touch, her stomach revolting, and he gave her a sharp slap, “Bad Ivory,” he reprimanded, just as he had in the notes and the phone calls.
She was in such a state of shock that she barely felt the sting from his hand. Her men must have taken exception to the treatment, however, because they exploded from the trees, leaping with claws outstretched, ready to take off Lee’s head … only to be brought up short by an invisible force that seemed to lift them up and fling them away as if they weighed nothing. They landed with sickening force on the hard ground, yelping. But that didn’t stop them, only seemed to enrage them further and they were back on their feet in seconds.
Lee sighed, weaving an intricate but invisible sign in the air and she watched the two panthers writhe in agony, “Stop! Stop it!” she screamed, launching herself at her tormenter. But before she could make contact, a leg swept out and knocked her back down.
“Stay down,” Libby’s voice was cold and flat.
Ronan’s and Vaughn’s furious growls abruptly cut off and she turned her head quickly to find them both panting on the ground. At least they were still breathing. She turned back to Lee only to find his face was twisted into an evil sneer and his blue eyes dancing with sadistic pleasure.
“You’re a witch?” she knew her voice sounded incredulous – it was exactly how she felt.
“Give the lady a gold star,” he applauded, “Oh, come now. Don’t look so surprised. After all, you’re a witch too,” he pointed out.
She cursed internally. She was a witch. She had magic. Why was she just sitting here acting helpless while her lovers were being hurt? Lee must have seen the intent in her eyes, for he slapped her again – harder this time. It was enough to cause her to lose her concentration and before she could recover, he had Seth by the hair with a knife to his throat.
“Let’s not try anything silly, sweetheart. I’d love to feel lover boy’s hot blood pumping out over my boots.”
She swallowed hard, looking into Seth’s eyes and seeing no fear there. He would support her whatever she chose to do. But in the end, she did the only thing she could. She held up her hands in surrender, “I won’t try anything. I promise.”
Lee tilted his head, considering her for a moment, “I’m going to take you at your word, Ivory. Don’t disappoint me, okay?” he slashed the knife in a downward motion quickly, causing Seth to flinch. The cut was shallow but the warning was clear. Lee looked over to Vaughn and Ronan, “Shift now.”
They seemed to struggle to heed his command and Ivory realised they were still being held down by the spell Lee had performed. The moment they were human again, they were flung backward onto their own trees, and once again imprisoned by invisible bonds.
“Good familiars. Stay,” he laughed crazily at his own joke, finally releasing Seth’s hair from his punishing grip. He walked over to her; “You know, I can’t believe you managed to stumble across your familiars. Fate certainly has a wicked sense of humour. I believe you’ve already met my familiar …?” he gestured to Libby.
Libby was Lee’s familiar? Ivory had been hoping Libby was somehow a victim just as much as she was. That Lee was holding something over her to make her do these terrible things. But she was wrong. Libby was Lee’s familiar and must have been in on it the entire time. No wonder they could never piece together a proper timeline. Libby and Lee had always been able to provide alibis for each other. What’s more, Libby had access to her apartment. Ivory had given her best friend a key. She felt the blade of betrayal slice right down to her core.
“As for further introductions, my name isn’t really Lee – it’s Matthew. I’m a marshal, sent here to determine if you are a rogue witch,” he explained, “Years ago, the conclave got word of a witch flying solo – no coven, no familiar. Can’t have a witch running around on her own, performing magic and putting the witching community at risk, now can we? That didn’t turn out so well in Salem,” he laughed at that, as if the slaughter of their fellow witches was amusing to him, “You weren’t as careful in Arland as you thought,” he tsked, naming the city Ivory had lived in before here, “I was tasked with finding the mysterious lone witch, determining if she was misusing her powers or harming people. It didn’t take long to find you five years ago. You were using a pathetically weak glamour to mask your powers. By rights, I should have placed you into custody and taken you back to the conclave immediately after finding you.”
“Then why didn’t you?” she spat. If he wanted to reveal his whole evil plan, then she was happy to enable him. Anything to buy her some more time to come up with a way to escape and save her familiars. Besides, she was genuinely curious about the conclave sending a marshal after her. It sounded like they had no idea who or what she was. That they sent Lee – no, Matthew – after her only because she was a witch on her own. Could the boys be right when they said she didn’t need to be afraid of the conclave?
Matthew had strolled over to her, offering her a hand up. She wanted to tell him to shove his hand up his arse, but she forced herself to take it. He pulled her up, answering her previous question; “Because I could see straight through that glamour of yours. That hair, those eyes … you’re a beautiful woman, Ivory. I wanted you,” he stated simply, as if it made all the sense in the world, “Before I could even approach you, you fled. And this time, the glamour you used was a powerful one – I’ll give you that. It was a bit trickier finding you, but eventually the conclave got a whiff of another lone witch. I volunteered, hoping it was you.”
He picked up her hair, rubbing it over his cheek, “Five years is a long time to wait, Ivory,” he pointed out, “You sure looked different than you had in Arland but I’m a marshal. We’re impervious to those type of spells – so those pesky criminals can’t pull one over on us,” he winked and Ivory fought the urge to slap his handsome face. He was acting as if this was all some kind of game. As if he hadn’t spent months befriending her, only to betray her with lies and fear.
“I’m not a criminal,” she stated.
“No, my cohort here determined that before I even set foot in Arland all those years ago,” he indicated to Libby who had been standing so quietly behind him that Ivory had almost forgotten she was there, “I sent Libby ahead of me to check things out. It only took her
two days to figure out you weren’t some magical menace.”
It must have been Libby’s presence she had felt five years ago, Ivory realised. No wonder she hadn’t felt threatened. At the time, Libby wouldn’t have had any malicious intent. But clearly times had changed. Ivory felt her anger rising and she clenched her fists, fighting the urge to use her powers.
“Uh, uh, uh, Ivory. Don’t even think about it,” Matthew wagged a finger at her, “I know you’re an object mover – don’t be getting any ideas now. I can crush their lungs with the snap of my fingers,” he assured her, crooking a finger in Ronan’s direction and causing him to cry out in pain as his body spasmed against the tree. Vaughn and Seth snarled at seeing their lover writhing in agony, helpless against their own bonds, and gaining the attention of Matthew once again;
“You kitties want some more too?” he asked, grinning evilly, raising a hand in Vaughn’s direction.
“Stop!” Ivory cried out, “Please, Le – Matthew. Stop,” she wasn’t above begging if it kept her family safe. Because her hands were her source of power, she held them out to the sides of her body, “I won’t try anything, I promise.”
“Damn right you won’t,” Matthew grunted, letting his hand fall to his side. She watched as Ronan’s head fell forward, his breathing rapid and blood streaming from his nose.
“Now, where were we?” he asked, stroking her face now, as if he couldn’t resist touching her, “I saw you Ivory, through that pathetically plain mask you put on for the world. And I just knew you had to be mine. I tried to be nice about it; I asked you out on a date, remember? But you said no, as if you were too good for the likes of me. ME!” he yelled abruptly, startling her back a step and eliciting growls from her men.
“Me – a powerful witch, a trusted marshal, respected by the conclave. Do you know what my record for retrieving rogue witches is? One hundred percent,” he answered his own question, “I am a warrior, Ivory. More than fit for a clueless witch like yourself. But you turned me down. Still, I gave you the benefit of the doubt,” he continued, pacing in front of her now as if he were a teacher giving a lecture, rather than a psycho holding them all captive with magic and pain, “I sent you flowers and chocolate and gifts – what woman doesn’t like chocolate?” he asked, conversationally.
