Broken Wolf

by Stacy Claflin

  Wanda, one of Tap’s sisters, came into the room. “We’re just about ready for the bride.” She looked me over. “Beautiful, just beautiful.”

  “Any word on Fen?” I asked.

  “Not that I’ve heard. Don’t worry about him. It’s your day.” Wanda grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway to the stairs leading up to the transformed bar. I’d only seen part of the magic before being banished to the downstairs in fear of Toby seeing me. Everyone had gone out of their way to keep us apart all morning. He and some of the guys had left to pick up the tuxes before I was allowed out of my room for breakfast.

  The music grew louder with each step I took. Other stringed instruments had joined the harps. It was a lovely, magical melody. Wanda and I stopped at the bottom of the old staircase. Each step was faded and worn in the middle from so much use.

  “Give it just a minute.” Wanda winked at me.

  The song grew softer, until silence echoed all around. Nervous excitement ran through every inch of my body. A new lyric began.

  Wanda ushered me up the dark, creaky stairs. Music echoed around us. Chairs and feet shuffled on the floor above. Whispers of muffled conversation sounded. The scents of over a dozen supernatural creatures danced around us, some tickling my nose.

  We reached the top of the stairs and Wanda opened the door. Bright light assaulted my eyes, but they quickly adjusted. The aromas of several dozen flower types filled the air. Tap stepped forward, dressed in a gray tuxedo. He handed me my bouquet of white and red roses.

  “Thank you.” My voice came out barely above a whisper.

  He gave a slight bow and looped his arm through mine. With my father dead, he stood in his place to give me in marriage to the love of my life. We turned and headed down the new aisle. The music grew louder and I took in all the people looking at me—some I’d never met before. There were so many guests! Flowers covered the walls—it was quite the sight. I couldn’t even see the Faeble underneath it all.

  My heart raced, but then I looked at the platform and saw Toby. As our gazes met, he broke into a wide grin. Instantly, I relaxed and my steps became lighter.

  Finally, we stopped walking in front of the platform. Soleil stepped next to Toby and made eye contact with Tap. “Who gives this bride?”

  “Her mother.” The small but mighty troll extended an arm to Laura, who sat in the front row. She rose and nodded.

  “Come on up.” Soleil held out her hand to me, and helped me onto the platform, though I could’ve gotten up myself—I probably could’ve soared up with all the excitement racing through me.

  Toby took my hands in his, and Soleil started talking, but I couldn’t focus. All I could pay attention to was Toby standing in front of me, so handsome in his tuxedo. He had always been the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen, but now standing in front of me minutes from becoming my husband, he was even better looking than ever before. I knew I should listen to Soleil’s words of wisdom, but despite all the people around us, the world only consisted of Toby and me.

  A clatter sounded from the back of the Faeble.

  I pulled my gaze from him and turned toward the noise. Gasps sounded from the back of the audience and they moved forward. I couldn’t see what caused the commotion. Guests jumped from their seats and pressed themselves against the walls, stumbling over each other and crying out.

  I turned to Toby, worry seizing me.

  He squeezed my hands and turned to Soleil. “Declare us husband and wife!”

  She was focused on something behind us.

  “Stop the wedding!”

  Fen.

  We’d successfully lured him. Disappointment ran through me. I’d been hoping he wouldn’t fall for the bait so that Toby and I could marry and then come back and deal with him. But that was selfish considering how many lives he’d taken in such a short period of time. All because of me. I reached for the stone and rubbed it.

  From the corner of my eye, I watched Gessilyn and her family. They held hands and their mouths moved, yet despite the heavy silence in the room, I couldn’t hear their voices. They disappeared, using the rune of a handheld mirror to get outside and work more powerful magic.

  Fen glanced around the room, his gaze landing on us. I pleaded with my eyes for him to end his reign of terror. He marched down the aisle. Guests cried out. A couple fell to the ground. Fen glared at Toby. “Hand over the bride and nobody gets hurt.”

  Toby pulled me close. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

  “No!” I pulled against him and turned to Fen. “Don’t hurt anyone. I’ll go.”

  “Don’t!” Toby grabbed my arm.

  I turned to him and asked a question I already knew the answer to. “You’d rather everyone die?”

  “Of course not.”

  I stared deep into his eyes. “Then let me go.”

  His face fell, but he nodded.

  Fen jumped onto the platform. “I said hand her over and nobody gets hurt.”

  Toby gave me a quick kiss and stepped away from me. I held onto his gaze as long as I could before turning to Fen. Nervousness pulsated through me, despite how much we’d prepared for this.

  “Come on,” he ordered.

  I pulled up the skirt of the dress and stepped off the platform. Without a word, I walked down the aisle an unmarried woman, away from the man I loved more than life itself. Fen and I made our way to the main entrance and went outside.

  “Why did you stop my wedding?” I demanded.

  His brows came together. “There are nearly twenty men on my list in there. I don’t want to harm you. Run from here to safety.”

  “But my friends are in there.” I clenched my fists.

  “They’re with people on my list. They have to die.”

  “You think I’ll stand for that?” I exclaimed.

  “No need to shout.”

  “You want to kill the people I love!”

  “But I will always spare you because you freed me from my prison.” He eyed the wolf essence stone.

  Instinctively, I covered it with my hand.

  “Run far away.”

  “Let me take my pack.”

  Fen shook his head.

  “Why not?” I demanded.

  “Some of them are on my list.”

  Blood drained from my body. “You can’t be serious.”

  “With a mixed pack like that, I don’t see how you can be surprised.”

  My mind raced. “What if you take me instead?”

  He flinched. “What?”

  “Your list is insanely long, right?”

  Fen nodded.

  “And you’ve already taken too many lives. Take me in place of everyone left on your list.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t want any more deaths.”

  “I’m not killing you.”

  “And I can’t let you harm anyone else.”

  His face scrunched. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “I’m fine with that.”

  Fen threw his arms into the air and paced, kicking up mud. I stepped back, not wanting to get my dress dirty. He stopped pacing and glared at me. “If I go inside, you can’t stop me. You do realize that?”

  “I’ll throw myself between you and everyone inside.”

  “I’m sure you will,” he muttered and went back to pacing.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere and talk?”

  “What good will talking do?”

  “We could come to an agreement.”

  “That’ll never happen. I need to cross every name off my list, and you want them all to live. There’s no room for compromise.”

  I took a deep breath. “Humor me. Let’s go for a walk.”

  He looked at the Faeble and back to me. “You don’t seem to understand. I can cross off over twenty names from my list, and you want me to walk away—probably so they can all make an escape.”

  “No.” Actually, I needed to take him to a nearby clearing where the coven waited.
>
  “Really?”

  “I swear. We won’t leave the woods, and we won’t go far.”

  “You won’t convince me to drop my list. My enemies need to pay.”

  “Understood, but will you hear me out?”

  He grumbled. “Fine. I’ll listen to you right here. I’m not leaving this bar.”

  We stared each other down. What was I supposed to do? I needed to get him to the clearing—and soon. Inside, scuffling of chairs sounded alongside muffled, harried conversation.

  “Well?” He leaned against the wall.

  “Nobody’s going anywhere. They came for a wedding, but they only got half.”

  His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “You’re up to something.”

  “Saving lives!”

  “And I’ll never do that.”

  “No?” I stepped closer.

  Fen shook his head. His mouth formed a straight line so tight his lips turned white. “What are you up to?” he growled.

  I stepped closer, holding my fists so tightly that my nails dug into skin. My skin grew hot. Did he know we were planning to trap him?

  Chapter 28

  Victoria

  I had to do something risky. Something to lure him away from everyone inside—if he knew some of them had gone after him, he would kill them all. We continued staring each other down. My pulse raced through me like an out-of-control locomotive. I took one step away, and he flinched.

  Good. I burst into a run, heading toward the open field. I’d moved his attention from the guests on his list to me. He would follow me—I was certain of it. Sure enough, his footsteps sounded from behind. I picked up my speed, as hard as it was in heels, listening for him. He was catching up. I darted through less-used paths, not wanting to accidentally run into someone who might be on his list.

  We were about halfway to the clearing. He was gaining on me. I didn’t care, as long as he was still trailing me. My mind still raced, but that wouldn’t stop until the witches worked their magic. The bottom of my dress kept catching on fallen branches, thorns, and twigs. It was probably also picking up plenty of dirt—not that I had time to worry about that.

  Three fingers touched my shoulder. I gasped and picked up my speed. Fen held onto me tighter, causing me to stumble.

  I skidded to a stop and spun around. “What are you doing?”

  “Why did you run away from me?”

  “To get you away from the wedding.”

  “You’re impossible. I never should’ve granted you immunity.”

  “Why? Am I on your list?”

  He glowered at me. “As a matter of fact, you should be. Your pack’s family line is filled with loathsome wolves.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. Although killing me would only make them happy—they already tried and failed.” I arched a brow.

  “Is that a challenge?” Fen stood taller.

  As much as I wanted to try and kill him for having come to kill my loved ones, I couldn’t. Not when that could potentially kill us all. But I also couldn’t let him continue his spree. “What if it is?”

  He threw his head back and laughed maniacally. “You, a she-wolf, want to take me on? Have you not heard that I’ve taken out entire packs on my own?”

  My heart thundered against my chest. I didn’t want to die this close to marrying Toby. Then I’d be sent to the other side, where I’d have to face both my old pack and Toby’s old pack—both would have even more reason to hate me than before. I needed to get Fen to the clearing.

  It was time for another risk. I punched him across the face. Seeing his shocked expression was more than worth it. Hopefully, I wouldn’t pay for it with my life.

  Before he recovered, I kicked off my shoes and ran again. Twigs digging into the souls of my feet was much easier to deal with than the squeezing of the tight heels that hadn’t been broken in. Fen’s footsteps sounded again. I gasped for breath and focused on the witches. They weren’t far away, and they were ready with an ancient spell—the only thing that could safely trap the original werewolf.

  His steps grew closer and his breathing was only just behind me. I ran faster, but so did he. Fen yanked on my hair, forcing my head back. I skidded to a stop and crashed into him. We were still so far from the witches. He grasped my hair, holding a fistful next to my head and pinned me against him.

  “You’re going to regret that.” His breath smelled of blood and guts.

  I struggled to get away, but his grip only tightened. Blue glowed from somewhere. Red joined the blue.

  The stone. It grew warm against my skin and a bolt of strength flashed through me. I jumped from his hold and spun around. His eyes were wide and his mouth gaping.

  “What the…? How’d you get out of my grip? Not even the strongest alphas have been able to escape my hold.” He stared at the necklace. “So, that’s how you did it.”

  “Yeah. You want to keep chasing me now, pretty boy?”

  His brows came together, and his face reddened. “Just for that…”

  I readied myself for him to attack. The stone was giving me more strength than I’d ever had before.

  But he didn’t lunge for me. He turned around and headed for the Faeble.

  Dread washed through me. I dashed after him, my entire body shaking. He had to be stopped before he killed everyone I loved. I gained on him quicker than expected. With energy pulsating through my veins, I jumped for him, slamming into his back. He stumbled but didn’t fall. I wrapped my arms around him, kneeing and kicking him.

  Fen spun around in circles, elbowing me. I refused to let go. He slammed me into a tree, knocking some air from my lungs. I let go and collapsed to the ground, struggling to capture a full breath.

  The stone glowed brighter, and air filled my lungs. I scrambled to my feet, my energy replenishing. He glowered at me, his back hunched forward. “You really think you can stand up against me?”

  I held the stone. “I think it wants you back.”

  “Don’t taunt me, little girl.”

  Rage ran through me. That was what others had called me—strong wolves that were now dead. A primal scream clawed its way out of my throat. I ran at him, eager to take him down. When I crashed into him, I’d built up enough force to knock him over. We both flew down and rolled on the rocky path. My bare arms skidded over jagged stones, but I didn’t care.

  While he was still on the ground recovering, I clawed at his face, tearing a beautifully manicured nail. Four lines, all spilling blood, ran down both sides of his face. He sat up and felt his cheeks. Blood dripped onto his hands.

  “How dare you?” he yelled. “No one has even been able to touch me. The power of the stone runs deep in me!”

  “Maybe it wants you back!”

  “No. I was stupid to let you have it. I’m taking back what’s mine.” He reached for the stone and lunged for me.

  It heated more, nearly burning my skin. I had to let go. Fen reached for it, but a loud shock struck him. He flew back. I cried out, surprised I hadn’t been hurt by it. He crashed into a tree and shook his head.

  I pushed myself up to standing. I shook, the sound of the shock still ringing in my ears. My inner wolf clawed to get out, begging for her chance to fight Fen. Several of my ribs popped, telling me I could shift if I wanted. But I didn’t. I ordered my wolf down and fought to regain control. This was between me and Fen—and there was no way I was going to risk losing the stone during a shift.

  “You’re going to pay,” he muttered.

  “Newsflash. It was the stone, not me.”

  He released a low growl and thundered toward me.

  “Bring it.” I met him halfway, punching and kicking. He blocked each move. Growing rage tore at me. I fought with all my increasing might. Fen continued blocking each hit. I pretended to go in for a left jab, but just before he stopped me, I hit him with a right hook in the nose. His head snapped back and blood gushed from his nose onto my hand. I wiped hair from my face, smearing his blood across my cheek and forehead. />
  “I’m impressed.” He wiped his nose and thrust a punch against my chin. I barely felt the hit, though it swelled immediately. I kneed him in the groin. His eyes widened, and he shoved me. I flew back and hit my head on a tree trunk. My vision went double. Two fists came at me. I shook my head and ducked. Fen punched the tree. He grunted and shook his bloody fist.

  While he was distracted, I darted away. After only a few steps, I stumbled and started to fall back. He’d stepped on my dress, holding me in place. I twisted around and spit in his face, missing his eyes but getting some of his bloody scrapes. I grabbed a handful of fabric and yanked. The train tore, the ripping sound cutting me more.

  I lunged for him, fists swinging. He was ruining my wedding dress, and I would make him pay. Fen’s fist crashed into my nose with the most horrific crunching sound. It echoed through my head as blood gushed out, dripping down over my lips, chin, and to my chest. It trailed down and soaked into my beautiful white gown. I reached for my nose, and surprisingly, it didn’t feel broken.

  Blind fury exploded within me. I jumped onto him, clawing and hitting, not even paying attention to my own actions. Some primal part of me had taken over. It was as though I were watching the fight as a spectator from a distance. My head flew back, but I felt nothing. My knuckles cracked as my fist collided with his jaw. I flew backward, yanking to a halt because he remained on my dress.

  My arms flew out, desperate to reach something. They found only air. I landed on the hard ground with a loud thud. I hit a large rock barely an inch from my right eye. A flash of light shone as I hit. Or was it the stone?

  Pressure released from the dress as Fen lifted his feet from the train. I ran toward the clearing. It was still a ways away, but fighting him wasn’t going to accomplish anything. I couldn’t risk killing him, though I wanted to.

  I released a scream as loud as I could, a warning to the witches that we were close. Maybe they would prepare the final touches on their spell or if they could, run my way. Fen’s footsteps grew close again. My body ached. I needed to get to the witches—then I could finally get the rest I needed.