by M H Soars
I swallow hard as I picture that type of horror. “Were they…”
“They were in bear form, which makes it that much worse. What kind of creature would be able to take down three of my best shifters in one fell swoop like that?”
“A demon?”
Xander rubs his face before turning to me. “Yes, I considered that possibility, which is why I came down here. My pack is strong, but when it comes to those filthy beings, we’re no match.”
Damn it. None of the shifters can go against a demon without assistance from the witches or druids. Angels, the most natural guardians against evil, can’t be counted on.
“You must be here about the hunters who were in your territory, right? I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your mother’s message, but now you know why.”
Shaking my head, I reply. “Yes, I came here to warn the sheriff about the hunters, but also because the Shadow Creek pack is about to declare war against us. They also kidnapped my mate.”
Xander stares at me without blinking. “It seems hell is about to descend on Crimson Hollow again.”
The bear doesn’t need to say more for me to get his meaning. Are we about to have a reprise of the Thirteen Days of Chaos? Fuck, the town barely survived then, and we had the magical supes all working together. But with Mayor Montgomery in charge of the witches, we definitely can’t count on them.
Chapter 9
Red
After the announcement that I have officially been inducted into a pack I have no intention of belonging to, Valerius shifts back and leaves the area. His wolves don’t move until he’s gone. Even then, only a handful shift back to their human forms.
The state they are in shocks me. In their wolf form, I couldn’t see how badly injured some of them were. There isn’t one without some kind of wound on their bodies. If I had any doubt Valerius is a despicable alpha, here is the proof.
Scar hasn’t moved from his spot since he collapsed. I don’t know if he’s still in pain or if he simply got rendered incapable. When he cornered Rochelle and Billy in the woods, he was being controlled by Martin, one of the hunters with the raven tattoos on their necks. Is it possible the controlling device implanted in his brain is also capable of inflicting pain? But why was I affected as well?
Shit, do I have an implant in me? I was out for a few hours, and I did wake up tied to a hospital bed. The urge to shift back and check the back of my head for an incision scar is overpowering, but at the same time, I don’t trust changing back into my vulnerable human form while in front of those strange wolves.
A tawny brown wolf approaches Scar. For a split second, I think he’s going to check on his companion, but I’m taken by surprise when the wolf bites Scar’s hind. The fallen wolf whines loudly in pain, but he doesn’t fight back. He doesn’t resemble the vicious animal set on killing me in the forest not too long ago. When other wolves close in on him, I sense they’re about to gang up against Scar as well.
What’s wrong with them? Where’s the sense of fucking comradery?
Without thinking, I push the brown wolf off Scar, snapping my jaw at him in warning. My action makes the others pause. Not knowing if I can communicate with them, I push my question telepathically anyway.
“Why are you going after him? He’s hurt.”
I don’t hear a reply for several beats, until one voice finally sounds in my head.
“They can’t hear you. Valerius tampered with their telepathic channels so only he can speak mind to mind to his wolves.”
When I turn to my right, Nadine is there in her human form. It was her voice I heard. “How are you able to hear me then? You’re not even shifted.”
“I’m not like them.”
No shit, Sherlock. I figured that out already. I don’t tell her Scar was able to hear me. Well, at least I think he did. “Why are they going after him? I thought he was the beta or something.”
“This pack has no beta.”
While I’m focused on the telepathic convo with Nadine, the brown wolf tries to sneak up behind me, but I sense his approach, pivoting out of the way to snap viciously near his face, grazing his ear in the process.
With a whine, he retreats, lowering his nose in a submissive gesture. I take one step in his direction, snarling a warning. A woman with stringy salt-and-pepper hair gets between us, her hand outstretched in supplication.
“Please don’t hurt him. He’s young and trying to prove himself to the others.”
I wish I could tell her that I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I won’t tolerate bullying in front of me. Since I can’t communicate with her in my current state, I bark instead, hoping everyone will take it as a sign to leave.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Nadine signaling fast with her hands. The woman who spoke nods once before motioning for the others to follow her. I have no idea where they’re going, not seeing any other buildings in the area besides the one I escaped from.
Nadine comes closer, but maintains a certain distance from me. She doesn’t appear as fearful as before, but her eyes still carry a haunted shadow.
“What now?” I ask.
“Valerius sent me to take you to your new quarters.”
“What about him?” I glance at Scar.
“You can’t help him, and you shouldn’t try. Victor will only be free of his paralysis when Valerius wants.”
His name is Victor? Scar suits him better. “Why is Valerius punishing him?”
Nadine’s eyes connect with mine. “Because he can.”
“That’s not a good enough answer.”
My rebuff seems to make the girl smaller. It wasn’t my intention to scare her. She’s already living in a nightmare from the looks of it.
“Victor is Valerius’s older brother, and was the former alpha’s beta. When Valerius killed the alpha, he gave Victor that scar.”
Oh my God. The more I learn about Valerius, the worse the picture gets. “He’s punishing his own brother? What kind of monster is he?”
Nadine surveys Victor. The wolf, despite his precarious condition, seems to move slightly to see the teen as well. After a moment, Nadine turns toward a path that disappears into the woods.
“We should go. Valerius will be displeased if I don’t return to my duties in the kitchen soon.”
Without waiting for my reply, the girl moves away. I’m torn between assisting Victor and following her. The wolf seems to guess my dilemma. He howls, as if he’s telling me to leave.
“I’ll find a way to help you. I promise.” I send the thought out, not knowing if it was received on the other end.
When I catch up with Nadine, I notice how she seems closed off again. I can’t miss this opportunity to ask her about the Shadow Creek pack. I don’t know when I’ll see her alone and while I’m in wolf form again.
“When did Valerius become the new alpha?”
“Six months ago.”
“Was the former alpha as ruthless to his members as Valerius is?”
I somehow doubt it, although my mates had nothing nice to say about the Shadow Creek pack. It seemed to me their animosity ran for way longer than six months.
Nadine shakes her head. “No, he wasn’t that bad. The pack was loyal to him. Valerius’s leadership isn’t natural.”
“How can he be the alpha then?”
“No one will dare challenge him, not after what he did to the former alpha’s inner circle.”
I’m so caught up in my questions it takes me a minute to notice we’ve arrived at a small square. In its center stands the charred remains of a gazebo, a black skeleton of what had perhaps been a beautiful construction.
“What happened here?”
“That’s where Valerius killed the alpha. Instead of slashing his throat and killing him mercifully when the alpha yielded, he dragged him there, tied him to the structure, and set fire to it.”
Nadine shudders, squeezing her eyes shut. “I can still hear his screams as he was burned alive.”
Bile rises up my thro
at when I remember I was crazy enough to taunt the alpha earlier. This is the shifter who is set on destroying my pack. I need to warn my mates about Valerius somehow. They don’t know who they’re dealing with.
“Your new place is over there.” Nadine points at a dilapidated shack that has seen much better days. It should be condemned. Without waiting for my comment, she heads that way.
“Is this place even livable?”
“You’re lucky to have a roof over your head. I sleep in the forest.”
Breathing deeply, I try to control the sudden anger that spreads through my veins. I may not know much about the supernatural community, but I don’t understand how Valerius has been allowed to get away with so many atrocities and for so long?
“If you wanted to run away, could you?”
It’s a dangerous question to ask. Nadine is under Valerius’s thumb; she fears him. Who’s to say she won’t feed all this information to him?
Ignoring my question, she pushes the rotten wooden door open. The stench of mold reaches my nose almost immediately. Moving into the darkened house, she begins to open the windows. When the light illuminates the decayed room, it doesn’t make things better. Now I can see the horror that is my new home. The scarce furniture is on the verge of collapsing, seeming more like it should be in a trash heap. A thick layer of dust covers every single surface. Horrified, I realize I’ll be sharing the space with several spider families. If I were in human form, I might cry.
“This place has been shut since Valerius rose to power. I can help you clean up once I’m done with my daily duties.”
Even though I like the idea of Nadine’s companionship, I don’t want her to work more than she needs to. “If you can get me some cleaning supplies, I’ll manage.”
“I can bring them later. I’m not sure if the stove works, but I know for sure the fridge is busted.”
“Great.”
“You won’t have access to food supplies anyway. We all must eat together in the barn per Valerius’s rules.”
Feeling more defeated with each minute I spend in this place, I survey my surroundings. The kitchen opens to the small living room. There are only two doors down the hallway. If I had to guess, I’d say they lead to a bedroom and bathroom. God, I’m afraid to know what disgusting condition the bathroom must be in.
Nadine catches me staring. “I would relieve myself in the forest as a wolf if I were you. There’s a creek nearby most of us use to get clean.”
“I don’t have any clothes.”
The realization just hit me. I completely ruined the ones I had on when I shifted.
“I put some in your room. They’re new.”
The fact she pointed that out makes me suspect not everyone here has access to new clothes—or even basic livable conditions for that matter. Valerius is terrorizing the pack into submission by debasing them to the lowest levels.
“I have to go. Dinner will be served in two hours. Sometimes Valerius will ask one of us to bang the gong to signal the start of the meals. Sometimes he won’t. Wolves who fail to attend or arrive late are severely punished.”
“Where is the barn exactly?”
“On the other side of the gazebo. It’s impossible to miss.”
Shit, I don’t have a watch and I’m terrible at telling the time using the sun’s descent on the horizon. Guessing where my thoughts are, Nadine continues. “Don’t worry. I’ll come get you.”
“Thank you.”
She heads toward the door, but stops, glancing over her shoulder. “In answer to your earlier question, I could run away, but I choose not to.”
“Why not? This place is hell on Earth.”
“True. But someone has to bring Valerius down.”
Before I can ask her how she plans on doing that, she slips away.
So either Nadine is another trap set up by Valerius to test me or she’s speaking the truth. I don’t know which alternative is more dangerous.
Chapter 10
Samuel
As much as I hate to admit I just made a terrible deal, I couldn’t say no to Nina’s price. The fox is the best at what she does. Even if she’s one of the sneakiest supernaturals in Crimson Hollow, I’d rather pay her than any other shady creature. I’ve known her my entire life. Sure, she plays tough, but I know she won’t betray me.
When I left Hell’s Hole, I didn’t go back to the compound right away. Instead, I went to my place in town. I haven’t been there in a while. Actually, I haven’t been there since Red came into my life. It’s hard for me to wait and do nothing, so I must keep myself busy.
Unlike Tristan who keeps a studio apartment above Wolfe Corp’s office, I own a townhome in one of the nicest areas in Crimson Hollow. It’s absolutely suburbia, and my friends thought I was crazy for picking a house in such a family oriented neighborhood. This is the place where Stepford wives are made. It’s in a gated community and shit. The main reason I bought it was to piss off the proper and trim humans and also Mayor Montgomery, who owns the biggest house in the entire neighborhood.
At first, my new neighbors all complained about having a bad boy rocker move into their pristine haven. The husbands were the most worried ones. To be fair, I flirted with all their wives, but I never slept with any of them. While the husbands were busy looking in my direction, their wives were entertaining other company.
The two cars parked in front of my house tells me my bandmates are here. I soundproofed the basement so we can practice there. They must think I’m the worst for bailing on them a week ago without even bothering to let them know I was still alive.
I’m sure they know about my father by now, so no one is going to grill me. However, their pity would be just as bad. What I need from them is help. Sure, I hired Nina to find me a way into the enemy’s territory, but we’ll need muscle to face Valerius. Besides Leo, who is a fox shifter, there’s Jared, a druid who knows everyone and has a wicked arsenal of spells, and Armand, a hybrid half vampire, half who-the-fuck-knows.
Pushing the front door open, I find my bandmates sprawled on the couches in the living room, eating all my food and making a fucking mess.
Armand, who had his feet over the coffee table, pulls his legs back as he sits up straighter on the couch. “Sam, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Clearly.” I make my way to the kitchen, in dire need of a beer.
Leo joins me. In his true form, he doesn’t say a word, just shoves his hands in his pockets and watches me closely.
“What?” I snap.
“I didn’t expect to see you. Isn’t today your fa—”
“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay. We’re here for whatever you need, man.”
Twisting the cap off the beer bottle off, I maintain eye contact with Leo. “Good to know because I have a problem. The pack has a problem.”
Jared jumps from the couch, all wired up and ready for action. “Is this related to your father’s death?”
Narrowing my eyes, I curl my fingers tighter around the cold bottle. “In part. What have you heard?”
“What everyone in the supe community has. That you and your brothers challenged your father to protect the new girl.”
Throwing my head back, I take a large sip of my beer. I should have expected as much. Such tragedy wouldn’t be contained to the compound for too long. Some of our wolves are worse than churchgoing ladies when it comes to gossip.
“Something was done to my father at the alpha meeting in Vancouver. He wasn’t the same when he came back. He attacked Red for no reason. We had no choice but to stop him.”
“What do you mean something was done to him?” Jared leans forward, intent. “A hex?”
I take a couple of more sips of the beer to buy time. My bandmates are my most trusted friends, yet I’m hesitant to reveal my father had a controlling chip in his brain. Considering the first device we found had a demonic energy embedded in it, a hex is not too far from the truth.
“Someth
ing like that.”
“The new Shadow Creek alpha was in the meeting, wasn’t he?” Leo crosses his arms.
“Yes, and he’s our prime suspect.”
“His antecessor was an asshole, but there’s been rumors he was tame compared to Valerius. Something really nasty is going on in that pack.” Jared’s stare is hard and full of anger.
His comment makes my stomach clench painfully. Red has been in Shadow Creek for too long already. Every hour that passes gives that deranged male more time to harm her. My wolf is bouncing inside of me, begging to be set free to go after his mate.
“Valerius took Red, and I need your help getting her back.”
My statement is met with surprise by all my friends.
“Why would Valerius kidnap Wendy’s granddaughter?” Armand asks.
“Because she was infected by a Shadow Creek wolf.”
“Ah fuck, man,” Jared places his hands on his hips, giving me a stern regard. “He’s totally in the right as much as I hate to say.”
“That would be true if Red wasn’t my mate.”
There, I said it. The plan was to have only Tristan admit he was bonded to Red, but fuck it, I won’t lie to my friends.
“Fuuuuck…” Armand says, his French accent becoming even more pronounced.
Jared swings around, his green eyes as round as saucers. “You imprinted on a Shadow Creek wolf? That’s brutal, man.”
My nostrils flare as I throw the druid a glower. He’s just stating a fact, but his comment rubs me the wrong way.
“What’s brutal is that piece of garbage took my mate, and he thinks he has all the rights to do it. We’re about to go to war with Shadow Creek and I’ll need your help.”
“You can count on me, mon amie. It’s been a while since I fought, but it’s like riding a bicycle, no?” Armand rolls his shoulders back as if warming up already for combat.
“Shit. Of course I’ll help you,” Jared says. “Even if you had zero fucking rights to pick a fight with Valerius, I’d be game. That dude is bad news, and no one in the supe community will be sad to see him go.”
