fine.
The shadows of the glen crept toward me, and I choked on a laugh as I
lunged toward the basalt pillar, which was just twenty feet ahead.
The whispers flooded my ears, taunting and warning me not to touch the
stone: You will die. Cursed for taking our heart. Ours, ours, OURS.
But I was a bitch with one goal: get the bloodstone.
The shadows were on my heels, so I didn’t slow when I reached the
pillar, and my body all but collided into it.
“Now would be a good time for claws!” I shouted to my wolf.
My fingers erupted into talons. Ignoring the pain, I began clambering my
way up. The stone was too hard to sink my claws into, but they were perfect
for latching onto thin cracks. I heaved myself up, arm over arm, and finally
drew a breath of relief when I saw the stone sitting unencumbered at the top.
Encased in a gold setting, it was the size of my fist and as red as blood. I
reached forward and scooped it up. The instant my fingers touched the warm
gemstone, a screeching hiss reverberated around me, and I moaned as my
eardrums throbbed in pain.
Gritting my teeth and clinging to the pillar, I clutched the bloodstone to
my body. Seconds that felt like minutes passed, and then the screeching
stopped.
I steadied my heaving chest and looked around. The shadows and
darkness of the glen had faded away, and though the place was still dim, it
was a little less dark and creepy.
I leapt down from the pillar and landed hard on the jungle floor. “Okay,
nice job. Let’s find Jaxson.”
You still owe me a bacon cheeseburger, remember, my wolf said.
I had full confidence in Jaxson’s ability to take care of himself—I’d seen
him fight many times. Still, I couldn’t shake the worry and unease that had
settled in my bones. Lately, the more time I spent away from Jaxson, the
more I’d felt unsettled. It was strange and disturbing, and I didn’t like it one
bit.
I jammed the stone in my almost-too-small pocket, and hurried back in
the direction I’d come, careful to watch my footfalls so that I didn’t twist an
ankle or get my foot stuck again.
When I finally stepped out of the glen, I recoiled as my senses were
overwhelmed by the commotion ahead. Grunts and screeches cut through the
jungle, and the iron tang of blood burned my nostrils.
Jaxson.
Fear wrapped around my heart, and I shot forward, following the sounds
and smells. I broke through the trees but pulled myself back as Jaxson and
one of those monsters nearly collided into me.
Jaxson’s shirt was torn, and so was the flesh of his bicep, but he still
managed to tackle the beast and pin it to the ground. It was missing an arm
and looked worse for wear, and its shrieks cut out as Jaxson squeezed its
throat. The thing struggled under his grip, trying to slice at Jaxson’s back
with its hooked claw.
Without thinking, I leapt forward and grabbed the claw. “I could use a
little wolf power, now!”
My muscles surged, and I rammed the beast’s arm into the dirt. It writhed
as I pinned back the claw, while Jaxson kept squeezing. With each second
that passed, its movements slowed, and then its body slumped, lifeless at last.
Jaxson released his grip and stood, turning to me with a deadly expression
on his face. Blood caked his skin, and the wound on his arm began to slowly
knit together. I dragged my eyes up his body, lingering on the patches of his
sculpted chest visible beneath his torn shirt.
“Did you get it?” His voice was animalistic, and I had to fight off a wild
urge to run to him and take him right here in the middle of this bloodbath.
What. The. Fuck?
My wolf was incorrigible.
All you, she quipped.
I squeezed my eyes shut, silently cursing as my cheeks blazed.
“What’s wrong?” Jaxson stepped toward me, concern making his voice
even more ragged.
“Nothing. I’ve got the bloodstone,” I blurted, taking a step back because I
didn’t trust my traitorous body being so close to him.
He narrowed his eyes and watched me closely. Too closely.
“Are you…okay?” I asked, glancing down at the lifeless monster at his
feet before meeting his eyes.
A slow, devilish smile spread across Jaxson’s face. “Worried about me?”
“Of course. Those things were horrifying. Did you get them all?” I
scanned the jungle and shivered.
“Yes, I got them all.” Jaxson grunted and scooped up his phone from the
ground. I couldn’t help but admire how fine his ass looked in those jeans.
When he looked back at me, I knew from the glint in his eyes that he was
reading my thoughts. “This way. We better get back to Cavra.”
I nodded, and Jaxson led the way through the jungle. He seemed to know
exactly where he was going, which was a mercy, as I had no freaking clue if
we were heading in the right direction.
38
Jaxson
I sensed the maenad before she stepped out of the trees.
“You made it,” Cavra whispered with a mixture of shock and disbelief,
her gaze locked on the bloodstone. “What a delightful surprise . ”
She observed Savannah, and a dangerous light flickered in her eyes. The
maenad couldn’t be trusted. Her sweet voice hid a wicked cunning and lust
for power, which made my skin itch.
I stepped between them, claws extended, blocking Cavra’s view. “How
does this play out now?”
It took every bit of strength to maintain my calm. My protective instincts
were still in overdrive after what had unfolded in the jungle, and I was certain
that Cavra was far more dangerous than anything we’d encountered there.
The maenad examined me with a deadpan expression, and then her lips
twitched up in a faint smile. “Don’t worry. I’m true to my word, wolf man.
Give me the bloodstone, and I’ll fulfill my end of the bargain…with your
help, of course.”
“What do you mean, with our help?” I growled.
“The spell you’ve asked of me is not a simple one. I’ll need you to
contribute a bit of your magic to bring it to fruition.”
“What’re you suggesting?” Savannah asked, suspicion ringing in her
voice.
“I’m a maenad. I draw my power from passion and pleasure, so I’ll need
you two to join me and my family in our revel. Come.” Cavra turned and
motioned for us to follow with the flick of her wrist.
Savannah shrugged and stepped past me, but I caught her hand. She had
no fucking clue how bad it was.
“No,” I growled. “We will not be participating in your debauched
rituals.”
A maenad’s revel involved wine, drugs, and sex. Cavra was dangerous,
and I didn’t want to risk losing focus. Moreover, I didn’t want to risk losing
control around Savannah—her scent alone, rich with sweat and desire, was
enough to drive me wild with lust.
If passion took her, how would I hold myself back?
Cavra gave me a knowing smile that slowly took on a sinister twist.
“Don’t worry, Jaxson. All you two need to do is have a good time. I’ll do all
&nbs
p; the rest. But don’t delude yourself that your participation is negotiable. It’s
not.”
Savannah pulled her arm from my grasp. “We’ve come this far. We’re
not backing out now.”
She had no idea what she was dealing with.
“Delightful! I knew that you would see reason.” Cavra held her hand out.
“The bloodstone, please.”
Before I could object, Savannah stepped forward and delivered it. My
breath caught. The maenad cradled the stone like an egg, her gaze wild. After
a few moments, she shifted her bright eyes up to us. “Thank you. Now, are
you ready?”
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Savannah muttered as Cavra stepped up
to the base of a massive, twisted banyan tree.
Cavra chuckled. “The show is just getting started, child. Watch out—you
might even enjoy yourselves.”
A wall of silvery moss hung from the lowest branch like a curtain, and
with a wink, Cavra slowly parted it.
Closing my eyes, I begged the moon mother for strength. No matter what
happened inside, Savannah and I could not fuck. If I could just hold that
line…
Savannah stepped through, but I paused before the maenad. “If this turns
out badly, I won’t hesitate to rip your throat out.”
“Oh, I like you. By all means, wolf man, go wild and don’t hold back.
After all, a revel wouldn’t be complete without a little blood spilled. Desire is
what makes us alive.” She snickered and lowered her voice, her glance
flicking toward Savannah. “Something tells me, though, that your desires
have nothing to do with killing.”
“Watch yourself, maenad,” I growled, ducking under the curtain. But then
I froze, my senses bombarded from an explosion of sounds, smells, and
sights.
Scantily clad males and females danced and scampered through a garden
wholly different than the jungle we’d just left. Faerie lights floated above a
circular podium in the center that was ringed by white marble columns
draped in vines and crimson flowers. Music drifted through the air, and the
heady smell of jasmine and honey was intoxicating.
“What is this place?” Savannah asked, wonder glinting in her eyes.
“A trap,” I muttered, and I fought against the haze creeping in around the
corners of my mind.
“My home.” Cavra motioned with outstretched arms. “You’re safe here to
explore your deepest desires. Drink and eat. Dance. Fight or fuck. As I was
telling your mate, just don’t hold back.”
I stiffened as Savannah laughed weakly. “My mate? Oh, no, we’re not
together.”
“Hmm,” the maenad mused, and gave me a wink. “What an interesting
way to play it.”
A male approached holding a tray of goblets. He had the legs and hooves
of a goat but the upper body of a man with a bestial face. Savannah’s jaw
dropped as she took in his form, her gaze lingering on his upright ears and
horns.
“What are you?” she blurted.
Cavra snorted as she scooped up two goblets from his tray and handed
them to us. “This is Elias. He’s a satyr and a great companion, but something
tells me that you won’t be requiring his services.”
She eyed me playfully and took a sip from her cup. The silver goblet I
was holding dented within my fist.
Mercifully, Savannah was taken by the satyr and missed the insinuation.
She raised the goblet to her lips.
“Don’t drink that.” My arm shot out, and I gripped her wrist. As if
waking from a spell, Savannah shook her head and frowned.
“Actually, you must drink that for this to work. Consider it part of your
contribution,” Cavra said. “I promise it’s not poisoned, and no harm will
befall you.”
“Why do I doubt that promise?” I growled.
Cavra drummed her fingers on her goblet as her signature rose, vibrating
the air around us and pressing in like the depths of the ocean. “Because I
don’t need to trick you or impair you to harm you. You are in my dream
now.”
The pressure released, and Savannah gasped.
“But you’re my guests,” Cavra said, in a cheerful voice. “So eat, drink,
and be merry, and enjoy the safety of my protection.”
Savannah narrowed her eyes at the maenad. “When will you cast the
blocking spell on the grimoire?”
“I’ve already begun. I only need the power of the revel to complete it, so
drink up. Just one word of advice—don’t fall asleep.”
“I’ve heard that before, but why?” Savannah asked.
“There’s no telling where you might wake up.” Cavra turned and lifted
her arms above her head, moving seductively toward the columned podium.
The music amplified, and revelers flocked around her, drinking, dancing, and
gyrating their bodies together.
“Fucking hell,” I muttered.
Savannah turned to me, eyes wide. “Don’t let me fall asleep, Jaxson.”
“That’s the least of our worries,” I ground out, my voice rough. Heat
coursed through me, and I knew full well that as soon as we drank that wine,
we’d be doing everything but sleeping.
Worry wrapped around Savannah, and her lips pressed together. “We’re
not participating in an orgy, if that’s what you were implying.”
I raised the goblet to my lips and released my alpha presence, hoping it
might help Savannah keep her head on straight. “Whatever happens,
whatever you think you want, don’t let me fuck you.”
She swallowed hard and nodded.
39
Savannah
The wine was fruity and tart and better than anything I’d ever had.
Impossible flavors curled around my tongue—it tasted like tart cherries and
the summer wind. It smelled of sunlight and filled me with a sensation like
the world waking in spring.
Licking my lips, I moaned softly as the alcohol warmed my stomach. A
man with a chiseled physique pirouetted across the grass, shaking an
instrument with bells.
I laughed and took another sip of wine, then frowned when I noticed that
my cup was empty. Looking up, I met Jaxson’s intense gaze. He was
watching me closely, and though his body was as stoic as a statue, his eyes
were awash in emotions—desire, longing, and lust.
Warmth spread through me like the sun breaking through clouds, and it
felt like my insides were alive with sparkling bubbles. An immense joy
buffeted my spirits, and I raised my hands toward the sky and twirled.
Somehow it was dark now, and thousands of stars twinkled from the heavens
above like the lights hung around the garden, casting a warm glow over us.
“Let’s dance, Jaxson!” I dropped my cup and took his hand, trying to tow
him into the crowd of revelers, but he was as immobile as a rock.
I frowned and was about to remark on his sour mood when a woman with
flowers in her hair took my wrist, and suddenly, she and I were bounding into
the frenzy of laughing people.
The thrum of the drums reverberated through my body, and I closed my
eyes, letting my hips move with the tempo of the music. I felt free and alive,
not a care in my m
ind.
Hours or seconds or minutes passed as I spun around the garden until an
invisible force slowed me to a stumbling halt. I opened my eyes, and my gaze
locked onto Jaxson’s.
He stood at the edge of the crowd, his attention entirely focused on me,
like a predator stalking its prey. His stare was so intense that I felt it vibrate
the air between us.
Shivers inched down my spine, and a tightness spread through my chest,
narrowing to a point above my heart. And then, like a thread wrapped around
me, it tugged me toward the man with the honey-gold eyes. Jaxson Laurent.
My alpha.
I moved nearer until our bodies were inches apart. Tilting my head, I
looked up into his steely eyes. He wore a tortured expression, and now that I
was close enough to touch him, I saw that every one of his muscles was
tensed.
“Do you want to dance with me?” I asked.
“I don’t dance.” His voice was gruff and grouchy, and I couldn’t help but
laugh. I had a hard time imagining it, to be fair.
But we were in the most beautiful place. It was such a tragedy. How
could this man be in such a foul mood?
How do I make a wolf come out of its den?
But I already knew.
I let the thread draw me to within an inch of him—so close I could almost
feel his heartbeat. I gave him a demure look. “Chase me, Jaxson.”
I took three steps back, not letting my eyes break from his. Then I turned
and bolted across the garden, heading for the line of trees ahead that were
completely different than the trees of the jungle outside. As I slipped into the
forest, I glanced over my shoulder, catching the livid expression on Jaxson’s
face as he raced after me.
Though I wound deeper into the strange woods, those beautiful lights still
floated in the branches, casting a warm glow over the space.
Movement behind me caught my attention, and stifling a giggle, I slipped
behind a large tree, pressing my back to it. Jaxson was close. His woodsy
pine signature permeated the area, and the pulse of his alpha magic pressed
into me, searching.
Exhilaration coursing through me, I steadied my breath and carefully
peered around the trunk. Where was he?
“Found you.” His silvery voice skated over my spine, and I shrieked.
Clutching my heart, I spun and met his amused gaze. Thank goodness, his
Untamed Fate (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 2) Page 27
