“Good idea,” she agreed.
“Why don’t I grab the cooler from the car while you two start the fire, and you two search for blankets?” Owen suggested, nodding at us in pairs. That’d leave the wolf and the dragon to sort out the fire situation, and me and Ariana with some alone time.
I smirked. “Sounds good to me.”
Maximus narrowed his eyes but didn’t disagree. “Alright… just be careful.”
I held two of my fingers to my forehead in a mock salute. “Yes, sir!”
Maximus snorted and shook his head while I led Ariana towards the foyer once more.
“Be back in a few!” Owen called as he walked back outside before racing down the driveway. The crush of his boots on stone met my ears as I steered Ariana towards the stairs.
“What do you think, linen closet upstairs?” I suggested, nodding at the old staircase made of smooth dark wood.
Ariana tilted her head in thought. “Probably.”
I lowered my arm from my mate’s shoulders, letting her lead the way up the twisting staircase to the second floor. Even from here I could hear the murmur of Maximus and Cash talking while they searched for wood, along with the slam of the trunk as Owen dealt with the food situation.
We reached the second floor only to be greeted by darkness. “Have you ever shifted only your eyes?” I asked. Calling forth my panther, I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the familiar feel of my panther take over. When I opened my eyes again, the entire floor was bright as if it were day, if only a little off color.
Ariana’s eyes widened in surprise. She took a step closer, her fingertips brushing my cheekbone. I stilled under her gaze, while my panther urged me to move, to take, to grab my mate and push her up against the wall and—
“I didn’t know we could do that,” she admitted, her voice soft, surprised.
I swallowed my inner desire despite the push of my panther. “I always forget you didn’t grow up with shifters.”
She frowned. “Well, not in the same sense as you and your family.”
She lowered her hand, but I caught it in mine. “You’re my family now.” My heart squeezed at the same time my mind screamed—that was probably the lamest thing I’d ever said, but not a single part of me wanted to take it back. Especially not when Ariana’s smile returned, as well as the heat in her eyes.
Apparently I could say the right thing sometimes.
“Then you have a lot to teach me,” she said. I didn’t miss the subtext, or the subtle bite of her lip.
A sly smile worked its way onto my face as my body heated under her fiery gaze. I took my mate’s other hand, clasping them both in mine as I backed her down the hallway, giving us some much-needed distance between those downstairs. “You’re right there, Quick Silver. I do have a lot to teach you.”
Her jasmine scent flowered around me, stronger than usual. My instincts sent my blood pumping and my fingers tightened on hers. From the corner of my eye I spotted an open door. I grinned internally, victory ringing in my ears as I bent and picked up Ariana. She gave a squeaked of surprise as I held her against my hips, squeezing her ass playfully as I ducked us into the open room.
The furniture was once again covered in sheets, a layer of dust on top of that. I spotted picture frames on the wall, and ancient, torn rosy curtains closed in front of a large window.
Ariana’s hands trailed up my chest and behind my neck, stealing the little attention I paid to our surroundings. A growl rumbled in my chest as I settled her back against the wall. She ran her fingers through my hair, tugging gently as she pulled my lips to hers. My panther growled his excitement and I kissed my mate back hungrily in agreement. It had been awhile since we’d been alone. Though I wasn’t above threesomes, foursomes, or even fivesomes, there was something exciting about getting my mate alone, feeling the soft skin of her flesh beneath my hands as I slid my fingers up her back.
She nipped my lower lip and I smiled as I pressed against her, groping her ass, and kneading her flesh just how she liked, earning myself a soft gasp. I took my opportunity to slip my tongue inside her mouth, teasing hers before capturing it between my teeth. She groaned her pleasure and rolled her hips, grinding her crotch right over my growing erection.
I moaned into her mouth as she did it again and sucked on her lip before running my hand over her curves once more. I knew I didn’t have much time before the others realized what we were up to, but I didn’t want to rush this either. I wanted to take my time with her, tease her and have her screaming my name as she came against my—
A thump overhead made me pause. Ariana froze too, the silence of the bedroom only broken by our panting breath. After a moment of silence, another thump sounded. My grip on Ariana tightened, and I let loose her lip.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m not sure,” I said. Though heat still thumped in my veins, logic was winning out. We’d all thought this house abandoned, but maybe that wasn’t quite right. Whatever it was, Ariana needed my full attention if I was going to protect her.
“Should we check it out?” Ariana asked as I lowered her to the floor. I made sure she was steady on her feet before releasing her.
I nodded. “Yeah. It might just be a trapped squirrel or something.”
Neither of us guessed what else it might be. It could really be anything at this point. The supernatural world opened a lot of doors, and this close to All Hallows Eve, anything was possible. Or so, Nana always used to say. The old bat might be a little crazy, but she’d been around a hundred years and saw a lot of unexplained things.
“Right, a squirrel.” Ariana’s lips thinned as she glanced between the ceiling and the door.
I led the way back to the door and stopped to peek into the hallway. Nothing. Soft fingers brushed mine. I slipped mine through Ariana’s and squeezed her hand.
I smirked. “No need to be scared, Quick Silver.”
She pursed her lips, indignant. “I’m not scared.”
My grin grew. “Of course not.”
Ariana narrowed her eyes. She knew when I was being sarcastic these days. Oh, what fun I’d had when she was bright eyed and new to the world of my humor.
Pulling my mate playfully into the hall, she squeaked before righting herself with a scowl. I chuckled and squeezed her fingers before looking around for the stairs to the attic. Finally, I found the drawstring and urged Ariana to step back. I yanked, and the shaft in the ceiling opened up, allowing a collapsible ladder to stretch out until its feet hit the floor.
“Cat eyes on, Quick Silver.” I tapped my cheekbone next to my eye, and Ariana gave a quick nod. She closed her eyes, and a moment later when her pretty black lashes fluttered open, I stared into the golden eyes of a cat. “You learn quickly.”
She winked before slipping around me to mount the ladder first. “They don’t call me Quick Silver for nothing.”
I chuckled. She knew very well I’d been the one to give her that nickname, and it wasn’t because she was faster than any other shifter. Shaking my head, I followed her cute ass up the ladder and into the dingy attic. Spiderwebs lurked in every corner, and the shutters banged against the boarded window with every gust of wind.
“What the fuck…” Ariana trailed off, and I finished the climb.
I froze. In the center of the attic was a short, child height table with matching iron chairs surrounding it. The once colorful cushions were moth-ridden and smelled like death, while the stuffed dolls sitting atop them were straight out of Annabelle. I grabbed Ariana’s hand without thinking and yanked her a step back until she was pressed against my chest.
By the window was a small bed with the same ironwork frame and dusty sheets, while a shoulder-high dresser sat near the curve of the roof, a plethora of small toys, jewelry, and picture frames atop it. The style of furniture had to be from the sixties, or maybe earlier. Just how long had this home been abandoned?
“This is possibly the creepiest t
hing I’ve ever seen,” Ariana said breathily. “And I’ve killed half-vampire monsters.”
Her small joke only forced my hold to tighten around her. Something was off. Even my panther echoed my unease. If felt like he was prowling back and forth in my mind, echoing the anxiety racing through me, and chilling my skin. “Let’s get out of here.”
Ariana nodded, and we turned to leave, only to stop as heavy thumps like footsteps sounded below. We froze, and I carefully shifted in front of Ariana, my nails hardening and lengthening into claws. Whatever it was, if they dare come after my mate, they’d feel my panther’s wrath.
The ladder creaked and groaned like it had when we climbed up here—as if someone were climbing up after us. “Which one of you assholes followed us up here?” I growled. The rest of the New York alphas were in this house—I had to remember that. One of them could be playing a prank.
Then why don’t I smell any of them?
The creak and groans stopped, and I held my breath as I leaned forward to peer down the shaft to the second floor.
Nothing.
My heart dropped and I took a deep, relieved breath. “It’s all clear,” I said.
Ariana peeked around me. I could feel her skin pebble beneath my hand. She was scared. “I don’t think we’re alone in this house, Jett.”
I glanced back at my mate. I wish I could say she was wrong, that it was just an old house playing tricks on us. But with the sudden scent of tea leaves filling the room, and the clink of teacups echoing in my ears, I grabbed Ariana and shoved her towards the ladder. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Ariana
We raced down the stairs and into the den, my heart pounding with every step I took. Maximus and Owen jumped up the second Jett and I flew inside. We stopped to catch our breaths, and my mates all exchanged confused glances.
“What has you two spooked?” Owen said, his lips quirking like he was making a joke.
Only it wasn’t a joke anymore. Something weird was going on here. “There’s something—”
“Where is Cash?” Jett cut me off, and my heart dropped.
“Cash?” I spun around in search of him. Though the fire roared and furniture had been cleaned off, the coffee table loaded with snacks, my dragon mate was nowhere to be seen. “Where is he?”
Maximus stepped forward, concern lighting his eyes. He took my shoulders in hand and scanned me from head to toe before he met my gaze again. “You’re shaking.”
I clenched my fists and bit my lip. I had to get a hold of myself. Something strange was going on in this house and my mate was missing. I had to stay calm, think rationally. But my beasties didn’t agree. Every one of them howled, hissed, growled, and spat their irritation. They were as riled up as I was.
“I’m fine,” I said, grateful when my voice didn’t quake. “Where is Cash?”
Maximus rubbed my shoulders gently. “He went looking for you two.”
I looked at Jett. If he’d gone upstairs, we should have heard, seen, or smelled him. “We didn’t see him,” I said.
“I’m sure he just turned into the wrong room,” Owen said. Though his voice was light, there was a tick in his cheek. He was worried too.
I took a step back from Maximus and walked back into the foyer. Not daring to go upstairs again, I put a hand on the railing and took a deep breath. “Cash?” I called upstairs. I paused, listening.
Wind battered the house, howling passed the broken glass and warped boards covering the windows. Though the house groaned as if the wind might threaten its structural integrity, I heard nothing of my dragon mate.
Cursing under my breath I tried louder this time. “Cash?”
Again, nothing.
I turned back to my mates, only to see my own worry reflected in their eyes. “We have to find him. Right now.”
Owen nodded, the first to join me in the foyer. “Alright, let’s check upstairs first. He couldn’t have gotten far.”
I smiled despite my rolling stomach. The only part of me that wanted to go back up those steps was the part of me that needed Cash back. The rest of me was firmly in the “hell no” department. But as soon as Maximus and Jett joined us, my shoulders relaxed. If I could face down a vampire queen, army of monsters, and unite the New York shifter clans, I could deal with some malevolent dolls and creepy noises.
The four of us climbed the steps back to the second floor. I breathed in deeply, searching for Cash’s bonfire scent. It was there, but faint like wisps of smoke. He hadn’t passed through here in at least twenty minutes, maybe longer.
I opened the first door we came to, just in case. The room was large with two beds on either side and a window between them. The furniture wasn’t covered, just like the furniture in the attic. The carpet was rumpled and partially folded, revealing claw marks gauging the wood. My eyebrows furrowed as I caught the faint scent of wolves.
“Shifters?” Maximus squeezed my shoulder before kneeling next to the marks. He traced the grooves with his fingers before his eye must have caught on something. He turned towards the door and motioned for Owen to close it behind them. On the back of the door were three locks and a dozen scratch marks. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they had a dog they liked to keep locked in the room. But as soon as my gaze slid back up to the locks on the inside, I knew something else was at work here.
“Hey look at this.” Jett held a photo frame in hand, the silver dingy and in need of a polish, but the glass was intact, as was most of the black and white photo of two identical boys.
“Twins,” I said. “Wolf shifters?”
Maximus nodded grimly. “It seems so.”
I shook my head. “What were they doing here? And why lock themselves in?”
“I don’t know,” Maximus admitted. His gaze looked far off, like he was trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together.
“Let’s move on,” I said. “Cash clearly isn’t here.”
We spent the next half an hour searching every room on the second floor. A story slowly began to form, one of a strict single father, his twin boys and two daughters living in this house together. There were more scratch marks—signs that maybe the youngest daughter had been a wolf as well, but there was nothing on the eldest, or on the missing mother. I found a journal from the youngest, but water damage had worn away most of the writing besides one entry about the scratching in the walls at night, and the running of a sowing machine her mother used to use. She assumed it was her sister up at night but could never be sure as they weren’t allowed to leave their rooms at night if they didn’t want to risk the belt.
My nostrils flared at the last part and I swiftly shut the journal. Any man who would dare lay a hand on his own children, let alone something as cruel as a belt, didn’t deserve a family. Heat tore up my throat at the indignation, only lighting my fear over Cash’s absence.
“I guess that leaves the attic,” Owen said.
We stood in the hall, next to the lowered ladder. Jett and I exchanged a glance. I really didn’t want to go up there again. If Cash hadn’t heard us calling him by now, I didn’t think he’d be up there. But that little voice in my head asked what if? What if Cash had tripped and fell, knocked himself out cold, or worse?
I shook my head. I shouldn’t be thinking like that. For all we knew Cash got himself lost or went outside to grab something from the car. But he still wasn’t back. I bit my lip. That little voice in my head was getting awfully annoying.
“Ok, let’s go,” I said, steeling myself.
Jett’s jaw hardened. He knew I didn’t want to go up there, but his swift nod told me he’d follow me anywhere and my heartbeat slowed just a little knowing I had nothing to be afraid of as long as my mates were by my side.
Owen climbed the ladder first, followed by Maximus and then me. Jett was the last to join us.
“Well that’s creepy,” Owen said. His eyebrows rose as he took in the tea party scene.
“You can say that again,” Maximus grumbled his agreeme
nt.
I picked my way through the attic in search of any clues to Cash’s whereabouts, but all I could find were more portraits of the family that once resided here.
“That must be the mother,” Maximus said.
I jumped. I hadn’t realized he was so close, craning over my shoulder to see the picture. “Y-Yeah,” I said, setting it back down on the dust covered dresser. I picked up a second picture and recognized the eldest daughter in a flowing white dress, a medallion on a long chain dangling from her neck. She didn’t smile, in fact, the lines of her face were grim, and there was anger in her dark eyes.
“She doesn’t look very happy,” Maximus said.
I swiped my thumb across the glass to remove a layer of dust. She looked angry, but she also looked somehow sad. How old was this young woman, and what happened to her? It was almost as if the house was a tomb for this family. Though there were no bodies, their life, their memories—they were all here. Had anyone left this house alive? Had they all moved on? If so, why did they leave all of their family photos and belongings?
I shook my head, frustrated. Whatever their story was, it was over now. Storm or not, all I wanted was to find Cash and get myself and my mates out of this place.
The shattering of china slashed through the quiet, and my heart stopped as I jumped. I slapped a hand over my heart and held onto Maximus’ arm with the other. “What the fuck, Owen?” I snapped. He was the closest to the small table, though he didn’t appear to be touching anything.
Owen held up his hands, eyebrows raised in surprise. “It wasn’t me.”
“Come on, big guy. You’re the only one near that shit,” Jett said. Though it almost sounded like a joke, his voice was too strained for it to hit right.
I swallowed thickly. If Owen didn’t knock it over then—smash. Another cup shattered on the floor. My blood ran cold, and goosebumps raced across my skin like a thousand tiny bugs. “Let’s go back downstairs,” I said hurriedly.
“Good idea,” they rushed to agree.
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