The Burning Claw

by Quinn Loftis

  Costin reached the bridge that lead to the entrance of the In Between a few hours after sunrise. His wolf was not excited about going back into that hell hole, but he knew the rules of the In Between. If you went there willingly, seeking sanctuary, the experience wasn’t nearly as bad as when you were placed there for punishment.

  He phased back into his human form and put on the shorts he’d carried in his mouth that the Great Luna had provided him. He pulled the three gold pieces out of the pocket. He’d found them lying beside him when he’d woken up. His Creator had provided exactly what he needed in order to gain entrance. The gift was confirmation that the In Between would be able to keep his wolf from going beyond the point of no return.

  He started across the bridge and, as he expected, the troll stepped up in front of him, coming from somewhere beneath it.

  “No payment, no pass,” he barked.

  Costin held out the gold pieces. “I have payment.”

  The troll stepped forward and examined the gold. After several long moments, the beast decided that the offering was sufficient. He took the gold and stepped aside so that Costin could cross over.

  “Have a nice stay,” the troll cackled.

  Costin pushed his wolf down, fighting the urge to kill the stupid creature. Since he’d never fought a troll before, he wasn’t sure how he would fare against the monster. He continued forward, his face set and his pace determined. As he entered into the other realm, he immediately felt the temperature drop several degrees. He was in a corridor, which he followed as it grew darker and darker. After about ten minutes of walking, he began to feel something growing inside of him. Those fears that lived inside of him began to surface, but they were different from the last time he was here. This time they were about himself. What if he never found her? What if he found her and she had been tortured? How would his wolf handle it? At that point, the fear that stood out the most was his fear of going feral and never seeing Sally again. He forced his wolf down as he leaned back against the wall and let the images come. It wasn’t nearly as bad as when the pixies had put him there, but it wasn’t a swim in the creek either.

  He saw himself ripping into innocent humans and tried to close his eyes to the carnage, but the In Between isn’t that kind. He had to watch it and anything else that it grabbed from the deepest recesses of his mind.

  Time was a blur. He had no idea how long he’d been there. He didn’t know day from night. All he knew was his wolf was contained, but the human was beginning to go mad.

  Vasile came to a halt about fifty feet from the bridge. “He went in there.” The Alpha pointed to the entrance to the In Between. The three had risen early that morning before dawn and finally picked up Costin’s scent after searching and sniffing for about an hour. Now they were less than an hour behind him, judging by the strength of the scent.

  “Why would he go in there?” Decebel asked.

  Vasile pondered what Costin could possibly be thinking. Why would Costin go into the In Between unless he wanted to make certain that he was contained—that he couldn’t hurt anyone else if his wolf went feral. If the Beta was able to think that rationally, then he probably wasn’t fully gone.

  “Maybe he knew it would protect everyone else,” Fane spoke up, almost as if he’d read Vasile’s mind.

  “That’s what I was thinking,” the Romanian Alpha told them.

  “But what about the man we found?” Decebel asked. “Why would he have killed that man if his wolf wasn’t already feral?”

  Vasile shrugged. “Maybe there is more to that story than we know.”

  “What are we going to do now?” Fane asked.

  “I don’t think we should go barreling in after him. We know what kind of torture awaits in that place. I, for one, am not in a hurry to experience it again. Costin has made his choice. We have to trust him now—trust in the good man that we know him to be. We will camp out here for a few days. If Costin doesn’t emerge we will head home and set a watch on the bridge to ensure that he doesn’t leave,” Vasile explained as he found a comfortable spot to sit.

  He laid his head back against the tree behind him and closed his eyes. “Mina,” he called to his mate.

  “Vasile,” she answered in that calm, impersonal way. She was upset he knew. She was upset because she thought they were going to have to kill Costin. His mate, mother to all, couldn’t stand the idea of one of theirs— especially Sally’s mate—being put to death.

  “Temper your anger, love. He isn’t dead and we aren’t going to execute him.” He felt her relief as if it was his own.

  “Where is he?”

  “He went into the In Between.”

  “What?” Alina gasped.

  “Costin is clever. He knows that he can hurt no one in there. This suggests to me that he is not completely feral. He killed a man. That much we know. Perhaps, that snapped him back to his human side for a bit,” Vasile explained. “We’re going to stay here for a few days and make sure he doesn’t leave. Then I’m going to have Peri bring us back a few times a week to check with the troll to see if he’s left. Hopefully, we’ll hear good news about Sally sooner than later.”

  “Be safe, Alpha. I love you.”

  He smiled to himself. “I always am, Mina. I miss you. Kiss my grandson for me.” Vasile let himself drift into a shallow sleep after speaking with his mate. Their hunt had taken an unexpected turn, but he was thankful for it. Now if they could just get Sally to remember something—anything that would allow Costin to return to her.

  Cyn watched as the man she loved paced restlessly in a cottage on the outermost part of the kingdom. They were waiting on a few of his supporters—those who would remain loyal to him—to meet them there. His father hadn’t wasted any time in taking back the castle and he had the nerve to bring vampires with him. The elves defending the castle hadn’t stood a chance against Ludcarab. Thalion and Cyn had fought tooth and nail but were soon overwhelmed and driven into the wilderness.

  “He’s delusional if he thinks I will hand my people over to him and those parasites,” Thalion growled.

  Cyn had only seen him that upset a few times before, and always when she had been in danger. She’d tried to soothe his rage, but he was too upset—and rightfully so.

  “Do you have the loyalty of the blacksmiths?” she asked him. Cyn was already thinking tactically. She knew that they wouldn’t be able to take back the kingdom without help. That help, whether it be fae, wolves, warlocks, pixies, or humans, would need weapons, and the elven blacksmiths made the very best. By the same token, should those resources fall into the hands of the vampires…Cyn shuddered to think about it.

  “I don’t see why I wouldn’t. I can’t imagine there are many, if any, of my people who will bow to a king that stands beside vampires.”

  “Thalion,” she said his name softly, which always caught his attention and this time was no exception. He stopped in front of her and his countenance softened. “Yes?”

  “Why did you never take the title of king? If your father had died, why did people continue to call you prince?”

  “Because, though I took over his rule at his supposed death, there is a certain age an elf must reach before he can take the title of king. I am not there yet.”

  Cyn nodded as though she understood. She didn’t, but then, every species, including her own, had its own strange customs and laws. This made her think of another question. “Will I be queen when we mate?”

  His lips turned up and he stepped closer to where she sat on the edge of the dining room table. He pushed her legs apart and stepped in between them. Thalion’s hand cupped her face as he looked down at her. His eyes held complete adoration in them. “You will be my queen. But my people will only recognize you as my consort. You are not an elf and, therefore, cannot hold the title of queen.” His voice held sadness in it.

  “That doesn’t bother me,” she told him. “I am not offended by it…if you’re worried about that.”

  His lips turned up in
a wisp of a smile. “And that is one of the many reasons why I love you. You, my love, are incredibly selfless.”

  She grinned at him. “That’s not how you felt when I was serving my own people and not mating with you.”

  He chuckled. “Can you blame me? I wanted you for my own. I’ve wanted you for decades and you have spurned my advances. There has never been another, Cyn. I never touched another woman after I met you. I couldn’t. Every other woman pales in comparison to you. The few kisses you let me steal over the decades were the only physical contact I have had with the opposite sex.”

  “There were some that were more than kisses, Prince,” she teased. “You act as if I left you wanting every time we saw each other.”

  His hand slipped around her neck as he grasped her hair and pulled her head back, tilting it and holding her still. “You still leave me wanting. I can never get enough of you. You’ve accepted my claim, but you do not wear my ring on your hand, nor do you sleep in our bed. I will be wanting until I hold you every night, until I kiss you every morning, until I see your body rounded with my child growing inside of you. I will be in wanting of you until I have the right to touch you whenever I choose, until you’ve claimed every inch of me as your own, until you ache for me as much as I do for you.” He didn’t give her time to respond. His lips were against hers as she sucked in a breath at his passionate words. He pressed closer to her and tightened his hold on her hair.

  Cyn wrapped her arms around him, her hands clutching onto his shirt as if at any moment she could be ripped from his grasp. Thalion released her hair only to grasp her on either side of her waist and pick her up. Her legs wrapped around him and he turned, walking until her back was pressed up against a wall. Thalion’s large hands squeezed her thighs and she moaned at his touch. They needed to stop. There would be people there at any moment, but she could tell he needed her. He needed to be reassured that she was his and she wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Love,” she gasped in between kisses. “We need to stop.”

  Thalion gave her a growl worthy of an Alpha wolf. “They will knock before they come in. Right now…” He paused to run his tongue up her neck. “I need you,” he finished. He scraped his teeth across her flesh and Cyn made the most wanton sound she’d ever heard.

  “By all that is majestic, Cyn, if you make that sound again the meeting will be postponed and you will be in my bed.”

  He was serious, she could hear it in the sound of his voice. He’d been waiting so long to make her his. She’d always felt completely safe with him, but in that moment, she was so lost to him—his kiss and his touch—that she would have gone with him to his bed most joyfully.

  Thalion jerked his face from her neck where he’d been diligently sucking when he heard a knock on the door. She nearly laughed when she saw the anger and frustration on his face.

  She took his chin in her hand and turned it back to her. “We will continue this later.”

  “First, we will see our holy man,” he declared, his voice gruff with desire. “Tonight I make you my bride. Then, you are correct, my beautiful female, we will continue this but it will be in our bed and with considerably less clothing.”

  She knew she looked surprised, which put a satisfied smirk on his face as he stepped back allowing her to slide slowly down his body. He did it deliberately, but she couldn’t complain. He straightened her clothes and touched his lips one more times to hers.

  He grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the living area and front door. “Let’s find out how many allies we have and formulate a plan. I don’t want this to take all day.”

  “Eager?” she teased.

  “You have no idea,” he purred as he stepped up to the door. He pulled it open and the first of many, many elves stepped inside.

  Cyn watched as more and more began to arrive. Perhaps, they did have a chance at keeping his father from making the elves his slaves to the cause of the Order of the Burning Claw.

  Zara wandered the halls of the Romania pack mansion. Her little charge was currently playing with Thia under the watchful eye of Alina and Lilly. Slate was there as well, but he was a tad too young to play just yet. She had been thankful that Alina offered to take him for a little while. Zara had been feeling restless and needed to be alone to think.

  Her footsteps were quiet as she ran her fingers along the wall beside her. She was in a part of the mansion she’d never been in before, not that that was surprising—the place was massive. She was glad she’d finally ventured out of her own suite, but she still felt very lost. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do with the rest of her life. Would she have a true mate like Bethany? She couldn’t imagine any guy ever wanting her. He’d take one look at her body, with all the scars from the teeth of the leeches who’d fed from her, and be disgusted. And those bites weren’t even the worst part.

  Her stomach clenched and her heart hurt at the thought of never knowing the love of another. She’d seen the way the males of the Canis lupus treated their mates. Who wouldn’t want that? They were so gentle, even when frustrated with the females. They rarely stopped touching their mates and the way they looked…well, that was enough to make any one needy with desire. She’d never have that, and that was almost worse than having been tortured by the vampires.

  As she rounded a corner, Zara ran head first into someone who was in an incredible hurry. She bounced off a firm chest and caught herself on the wall before she could fall onto her butt. She stepped back, her skin suddenly flushed and her heart pounding hard in her chest. She was afraid to look up. Something inside of her was warning her—telling her that if she did look up, her entire life was going to change, again.

  Wadim was breathless as he looked down at the woman in front of him. She was young, no doubt, but she was definitely a woman. His woman. He’d felt her as he was coming up the stairs from the archive room. Her thoughts had filled his mind and his legs were moving before he realized it. His wolf was desperate to get to her and suddenly there she was. Wadim could already smell her scent; it clung to him from where she ran into his chest. She smelled like caramel mixed with toffee and his mouth watered. He wanted to laugh that his mate smelled like two of his favorite flavors. She was perfect. But she wouldn’t look up at him. Why?

  “Zara?”

  Her breathing hitched. She’d heard her name, but he hadn’t said it out loud. She still didn’t look up.

  “I…you…” he began aloud now. “We must talk. You and I are…has anyone explained to you yet… about the mate bond?” he asked her gently.

  “Yes, but I can’t have a mate,” she finally spoke.

  Her head rose slowly and her eyes met his. She was beautiful, with dark chocolate hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were large and a beautiful shade of light green. She had a cute nose that he immediately wanted to kiss. Her skin was pale, but her lips were a rich red color and looked delicious. His eyes wandered down her form. He probably shouldn’t have been checking his mate out in that particular moment, but he and his wolf were desperate for her. Her frame was petite. He would be able to wrap one arm all the way around her tiny waist. Regardless of the fact that she was a little too thin, owing to her recent captivity, it was obvious that she was plenty curvy. Her hips flared out from her waist and her legs were shapely in the skinny jeans she wore. He was trying to be a gentleman and not notice how ample her chest was, especially for one so small, but he was failing miserably. With an incredible amount of self-control, he forced his eyes back up to her lovely face. The frown on her face reminded him of the words she’d just said. I can’t have a mate.

  Wadim wasn’t a submissive wolf, but he wasn’t terribly dominant either. The claws would come out when necessary, but as the pack historian, he was more at home in his archives than on the battlefield. That being said, he and his wolf were still incredibly possessive. All wolves were when it came to their mates, not just the super dominant ones.

  “You can and you do. And his name is Wadim,” he said, attempti
ng to keep his wolf from making an appearance. She stood, staring at him, feeling very unsure of herself. He was trying not to seem imposing, but his six foot, three-inch frame towered over her. He was too close than was considered appropriate for people who’d just met, but his wolf wouldn’t let him move back.

  “Are you sure?” she asked. She was serious and that baffled him.

  “Do you hear me?” he asked through the bond.

  Her breath caught as she nodded.

  “Do you feel me?” Wadim pictured himself running his fingers through her long tresses and he watched in utter fascination as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back as though he was physically touching her.

  “How did you do that?” Zara asked him as her eyes popped open.

  “That would be the true mate bond. We have a powerful mental link. If I imagine I’m touching you, you will feel it as if I really were. It’s one of the ways we find our true mates.”

  “And the other ways?”

  Wadim rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced around them. The corridor was empty, but it still felt like too public a place to have that conversation. “Would you, um, maybe like to come down to the archive room and talk with me?” He didn’t want to freak her out, but he didn’t want her to leave either.