Dirt Road Redemption (Dirt Road Series Book 2)

by Chelsea Handcock

  “Atticus, I won’t deny parts of you are incredibly selfish, but you have shown other qualities to me, redeeming qualities. Your love and friendship with Sage, for example. Tell me, would you lay your life down for hers? Would you take pain and even death on her behalf?”

  Atticus didn’t answer, but the expression on his face changed as if puzzled by what she was saying. Dani had seen his loyalty to his friend, time and time again.

  “What about me? Would you make yourself vulnerable to a werewolf, allowing him to carry you for days? Without a guarantee what he would do to you just to get to me and make sure I was safe?”

  “That was necessary,” Atticus scoffed. “I brought the covens attention to you. I won’t allow them or anyone else to hurt you.”

  “But why, Atticus, because I am your possession, your treasure, or because I am more?

  “You are my mate, Danica. Don’t confuse anything that has happened with anything else. I will keep my promise to you, I’ll let you go if that is what you choose, but I will always keep you safe. Do you understand?”

  “I do,” Dani said, looking away from him and at the water again. “But what I want to know is, why? Is it an obligation? Do you only care for me because of what destiny and the fates have decided? If those things, the mating bond wasn’t in place, would you still choose me Atticus?”

  “Mates protect each other, no matter what, Danica. Surely you know this?”

  This time Dani didn’t stop him from getting up and moving away from her.

  “Yes, they do,” she said, her back to him, “and yet you won’t allow me to protect you. But that doesn’t answer my question. Would you choose me? If there was no hope of my magic severing the bond you have with your master, would you still want me? No matter what the cost?”

  Atticus roughly turned her around to face him, breathing heavily, red rimming his golden eyes due to his anger, but Dani didn’t fear him. His words, however, cut her to her core.

  “I believe the bigger question is would you choose me, little wolf? Isn’t that what we’re all waiting for? For you to choose if I am worthy of your love and light? Am I—the son of a deranged Alpha, Omega of the pack, changed by an equally demented Vampire Master into a beast—redeemable in your eyes? Can you forgive me for all the sins I have committed?”

  Atticus quickly released her and started walking away. She should have said something, and in her mind, she was screaming YES, but she wouldn’t let the words leave her lips. It wasn’t her who needed to forgive Atticus—he needed to forgive himself first before they could go any further. He needed to find himself worthy of what she had to offer him. She stayed at the stream for a long while, quietly contemplating what the future held before finding her way back to the cave.

  Stepping into the dark cave, she checked on Sage and was surprised to find the woman awake.

  “He loves you, Dani, I can see it so clearly. Can you not see it yourself?”

  Dani sat down next to Sage. The woman was quickly becoming a close friend even with all her brashness.

  “As I grow to love him, Sage, but it’s not that simple, can you understand that?”

  “Not really, I’ve never loved someone that way, and I don’t think my hardened, black heart will ever allow such a thing to happen. The most I can compare what I see between the two of you is the care I have for Atticus and Killian. They are like brothers to me.”

  “What about the feelings you are developing for Matt?”

  “There are only feelings of hate, longing to draw his blood, or pull his mangy tail,” Sage scoffed. “Nothing else. Dani, don’t confuse what you’re seeing or try to compare the two of us with you and Atticus, it’s not the same.”

  “Ah, yes,” Dani laughed. “I can’t say that I have ever hated Matt, but I can agree he does bring out the other feelings you have mentioned in people. But you’re fooling yourself, just as you have accused me, if you keep denying the pull you have toward him.”

  “Well played, little sister, but you see, I have only ever cared for two people—Atticus and Killian. And at times, I have left both of them to fend for themselves, knowing they would be hurt or worse. That’s not love, that’s something else altogether.”

  “Hmm? I wonder if they would feel the same about you? If Matt would?”

  “Enough, Dani, this conversation isn’t about me. Your heat is coming fast, I can sense it which means both Matt and Atticus can as well. We won’t be near your home when you reach the pinnacle of the heat. I want you to know I will protect you from both of them if that is what you wish.”

  “Thank you for saying that, but it’s not necessary. I fear you will have to protect Atticus from me, not the other way around. The heat consumes me, and I will do anything while in its thrall to dampen the fire that burns within me—even seduce a man, binding him to me.”

  “You want him to have a choice to? I don’t think that’s an issue, Dani, he has already chosen.”

  “Has he really?”

  “Oh, Dani, are you so blind you can’t see the way he looks at you?”

  “Yes, like I am his last option, not that he wants me or loves me.”

  “No, Dani,” Sage laughed hard, “that’s not the look he’s giving you.”

  Chapter 15

  Atticus was fuming. He wanted to be worthy of Danica for her to make the decision that would save him, but he knew he wasn’t, he never would be. It would kill him, but he would let her go. That was the only option he could foresee happening. Somehow, he would find the strength within him to make it happen even if he had to lay himself on his own sword. He knew Lucas and Kaylee would keep her safe. Even Matt, for all his childish antics, would fight to the death for Dani. That’s what she needed, not him. For all his bluster, the last few days had shown that if nothing else.

  The coven drew closer every day. The tricks he and Matt had employed weren’t working as well anymore, and Bane’s call was getting louder, more demanding. Kaylee had appeared to him twice more while on patrol, and he had begged she continue to protect Sage. She had agreed but advised it was only a temporary fix, she didn’t know how long she would be able to hold off the call. He didn’t dare ask if the bond he and Dani had allowed Bane any power over her—that was what he feared most.

  Matt came out from behind a tree, his eye swollen almost shut, blood was dripping from his arm and chest.

  “They’re getting smarter, the false trails are no longer working.”

  “Witches or wolves?” Atticus asked.

  “Wolves this time, lesser ones but stronger than before.”

  “It will be witches next then. We must prepare and be ready to move as soon as the moon rises. Sage is getting stronger and will be able to flash with Dani for longer tonight. You and I need to stay back defend them until they are once again safe.”

  “Agreed. What of your power, Atticus, is it coming back as well?”

  “Not as fast as I would like, but it’s coming back the farther away we move from the house. Now that I’m not ingesting the potion, it dissipates from my body faster, but only time will tell.”

  “I might have a solution for that, but you must remain open to the suggestion and not freak out.”

  Atticus was confused—what the hell could Matt do to help dispel the black magic from his body? He was a shifter but held no real magic of his own. It was then Atticus felt a presence, one he knew well—Micah! Atticus charged without thought. This was the Warlock who had turned on him, and he was going to make him pay! Matt stepped into his path, the two of them colliding like bulls.

  “Move out of my way, wolf!”

  “No! Listen to me, Atticus, he can help.”

  “He has already helped enough. You don’t know what you’re playing with here, Matthias. Get the fuck out of my way.” Atticus was looking at the Warlock, hatred seeping from him.

  “No, listen to me, Atticus,” Matt yelled, but Atticus wasn’t hearing any of it. This Warlock in front of him needed to pay.

  “You d
on’t know what that piece of shit has done! You blame me for the black taint on Dani, but it is he who conjured it. It is he who contracted with my enemy to put me down. To make it, so I was unable to protect her!”

  This time Atticus barreled right though Matt and got to his query. He wasn’t at a hundred percent, but he was still strong, pummeling his fist into the other man several times. The Warlock took the abuse, but just as the first drop of blood dripped from his mouth, a shield Atticus was unable to break surrounded him.

  Micah spat the blood and saliva from his mouth, stood to his full height and glared.

  “I allowed you that small token as payment for the grievous error you think I am responsible for, but no more, hybrid. Our contract was complete. The other spells were not of my making, but I can reverse the effects.” Micah pulled a vial from the pocket of his coat, holding it out to Atticus. The liquid it contained was black as coal.

  “Like I would trust you enough to ever drink anything made by your hands again.”

  “You will if you want to get your mate to safety. Even I, a lowly Warlock, can sense her heat coming on. Do you think the coven won’t? Even dear Sage can’t get her far enough away.”

  “Then I will kill them all.”

  “Not without your beast. I can give him back to you.”

  “At what cost, Micah? I trusted you once and look what happened!”

  “It wasn’t your trust in me that failed you, Atticus. Think clearly for once, remove all the emotion and think about what has happened from the day you decided on this path.” Micah raised his hand in the air, and suddenly Atticus was watching the actions of the past like a movie in front of his eyes. He saw his initial discussions with Micah, saw him setting up the wards around his home. Even watched as he tested them himself. He saw the vials in the box, all a crystal-clear color. That puzzled him. When he took the concoctions, they were of a different color. Why hadn’t he questioned it then? That was when he saw something else or rather someone else lurking around, dodging his steps. Killian had been at every meeting and seen to everything when Atticus left to go in search of Lucas and Kaylee. Killian who had been gone from his home when he returned. Killian who hadn’t answered either Sage or his calls. Damn it! Shaking his head, Atticus pushed off Micah’s spell.

  “Is he okay?”

  “At the moment, no, but he will be, I will make sure of it.”

  “See that you do and all transgressions against me are null and void. I won’t hold you responsible for any of it, our slate will be wiped clean. Although I do believe what you just showed me, I know your hand was also in this mix.”

  “Don’t hold this against him, he didn’t have a choice, he isn’t as strong as you or even Sage.” Micah dropped the shield and held the vial out to Atticus again. “Take it. It will help to restore order.”

  “No,” Atticus said, shaking his head. “I think I would rather take my chances with my Master than put my trust in you again, Warlock. The only reason I’m trusting you to see to Kilian’s welfare is I feel the two of you hold a connection. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be doing that much.”

  “Understood.” Micah handed the vial to Matt. “For when he changes his mind. The potion will work almost instantly, and Atticus, whether you trust me or not, you are going to need it.” Micah clapped his hands together and was gone as fast as he had appeared.

  Matt turned to him. “You know he’s right, Atticus, we can’t fight the coven, their numbers grow every day.”

  Atticus sat down on a stump, thinking, then looked at Matt.

  “I can draw them away, have them follow my trail while you and Sage get Dani to your home.”

  “It won’t work! They aren’t after you anymore, Atticus, they’re after Dani.”

  “What have you learned, wolf?” Atticus demanded.

  “Nothing you don’t already know, mongrel. Jesus, Atticus, think! Dani is a prize for your Master, both for her power and for the power she has to destroy you or at the very least, keep you compliant. I don’t think it matters to him either way.

  “Take it or don’t,” Matt said, shoving the vial at him. “I don’t care either way, but within the next two days, you need to be at your best. The Warlock wasn’t wrong about Dani’s heat, it’s coming and will be like a beacon to the coven. How are you going to fight both her and the coven when the time comes? The real question here is will you be a man and do what needs to be done, or will you continue to deny yourself and her?”

  “No, that isn’t the question, Matt. I would do anything for Danica even keep her safe from me and the bonds we would create by coming together. As for the coven, I will figure a way out to deal with them without fucking magic!”

  “Good luck because you are going to need it!”

  Atticus watched as Matt once again stomped away. Shit! Shit! Shit! Atticus sat in the same spot for what felt like hours until the moon was rising in the sky just as quickly as the sun faded. He knew another would be coming soon to put her own two cents into this fucking mess, so he waited. It didn’t take long for Sage to take a seat right next to them.

  “I’m upset with you, Atti.”

  “Join the club, Sage,” Atticus laughed. “I think everyone on the damn planet is upset with me at the moment. Why should you be any different?”

  “You know I would follow you into the bowels of hell if you needed it, but you are fucking this up to the point, I can’t even justify your actions anymore.”

  “You don’t say? Which part specifically because I have a feeling it is pretty much all of it?”

  “Where is the man I have known for most of my life? The one who makes a decision and sticks with it, says screw you to the world. Where exactly did he go, Atti?”

  “That man decided to push the envelope, relied on magic, and got screwed. That’s where he went, Sage.”

  “Did you really get screwed, Atti?” Sage asked, standing and looking at him. “Because from where I’m standing, you still have a chance at all of it. You just have to forgive yourself and realize, even though it’s only a small part, you are still human and capable of making mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Accept you are not infallible. Dani loves you.”

  Atticus’ head popped up at that statement. He wanted to demand Sage tell him how she knew, if Danica had said the words to her, but he didn’t.

  “I see that shocks you, but it’s true, your mate is growing to love you more and more every day. She doesn’t see the monster you see, she sees the same man I have grown to care for as my brother, my family. The one who would put his life on the line for the people he loves. The one who would stand in front of the coven by himself, weakened and waned, just to give her another second of peace. That man, not the indecisive douchebag you have been for the last couple of days. Be a fucking man and accept your fate, Atti, because if you don’t, I fear you will miss out on something so good and pure, you will never recover from the loss.”

  “Douchebag, huh?”

  They both laughed at that.

  “Yeah, I call it as I see it, and you are being a douchebag.”

  “You keep me grounded, Sage, but there is more at play here besides Danica and me mating.”

  “Hmm, let me see, the power struggle with Bane, the coven at our backs, your rivalry with her family… am I missing something?”

  He didn’t want to tell her about Killian right now, it would destroy a part of Sage, and he didn’t want to see that.

  “No, I think you pretty much have it all.”

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong. The only things that matter at the moment are you and Dani. You need to grow and learn together. You need to stop treating her like a small girl and realize she is a badass woman. Did you know, when we were running before you and Matt caught up, she’s the reason we made it safely, not me, not my sword or Vampire speed? No, it was all her, calling on her powers and the animals of the forest to divert the coven. They would have had us otherwise, Atti. They were so close, I could feel them breathing on my
neck, and she saved us. She’s a warrior, Atti and worthy of being your mate.”

  “But am I worthy of being hers?”

  Sage put her hand on his cheek bending down to look him in the eye.

  “Only you can answer that, but if you want my opinion, the answer is yes.”

  Chapter 16

  Tensions between the four of them were at an all-time high, and Dani knew she was to blame. Her heat was coming fast. Atticus and Matt stayed on the outskirts of wherever she was, not getting too close, in fear of being tempted. Dani had never hated the Were part of her more. She knew very soon, she would be the one begging them to sate her needs—on her knees if necessary. The bigger problem was it wouldn’t matter which one, not to her wolf. The human part of her wanted a damn choice. The wolf was a baser creature.

  She had never wanted this, but the pull of the moon was too hard to resist. Already her feminine folds were slick and swollen, her breasts heavy, her nipples pebbled like stones. The fabric of the flimsy nightgown was irritating yet arousing. Atticus’ musky scent was a siren’s call she couldn’t shake or block out. She and Atticus hadn’t cleared anything up. He didn’t come to her so they could talk so she could tell him she found him worthy or had forgiven him. No, the stubborn Alpha stayed away, snubbed her—at least that’s what it felt like.

  She wasn’t stupid, she had overheard part of his conversation with Sage. He questioned his worth to her, but in her mind, he was also questioning her worth to him which didn’t sit well with Dani. Within the Valentin pack, she was low in rank, but that was her choice. Dani stayed on the bottom tiers because that was where it was safer for her to be and live as freely as Marcus would allow. Dani didn’t consider that weak, she considered it smart. Marcus had beat anyone down he felt could best him. He’d also coveted power like the greedy man he was, and Dani had no interest in sharing hers with him.

  That left yet another question. Why was she so willing to share herself with Atticus, the man who had kidnapped her, held her prisoner, and vowed he would take her without her consent? In her mind and heart, he had proven himself. He never brutally touched her. He spoke of awful things but was gentle with her, kind. Even now, he was keeping his distance, instead of taking what she would willingly offer. Men sucked, and she was sick and tired of trying to figure this one out.