by Tara West
“Annie!” Raine screamed, going rigid when he was answered by a distant, unholy howl.
“What was that?” he asked Tor.
“It almost sounds like a wolf.”
Van scented the air. “It smells unnatural. I bet it’s that chupacabra.”
“Annie!” Raine called again, his heart beating double-time. Shifting into protector form, he tore through the truck’s wreckage for clues, dismayed when he found a human lying immobile on his back. He quickly shifted back into his human form. “Are you okay?” The man blinked at him, eyes wide with shock.
“He’s a demon,” someone nearby said.
Raine raced toward the sound of the voice, disheartened to find Roy lying on his back, covered in blood and breathing laboriously.
“What happened? Where’s Annie?” he asked.
Lifting a shaky finger, Roy pointed at his mangled truck. “D-don’t let the demon touch humans.”
Raine narrowed his eyes at the disabled man as Tor and Van pulled him and his wheelchair from the wreckage. “Just humans?”
“Y-yes. He can’t steal Amaroki bodies.” Roy coughed a prodigious amount of blood.
“Where’s Annie?” Raine asked again.
“Vidar took her.”
Raine thought only one thing. I’ll kill the bastard.
“Magnus is chasing them.”
Raine patted Roy’s shoulder, worried he wouldn’t survive much longer. “Thank you. No more talking. Save your strength.” Knowing Magnus had gone after them brought Raine a small measure of comfort. He only hoped his brother would reach them in time and he wouldn’t fuck it up.
“B-but,” Roy stuttered. “Don’t kill him.” Again he pointed at the wrecked truck. “He’s in my dad’s body.”
“I understand,” Raine said, fearing there wasn’t much hope for the disabled human.
Jumping up, he strode over to the others. He scowled down at the human, who Tor had put in his wheelchair. “My father took Annie. Magnus has gone after them. Roy needs to get to a hospital immediately.”
Tor nodded. “Van and I will take him and Jax. You and Frey go after Annie.”
“But him,” Raine said, glowering at the pathetic demon in his human skin. “Inside is the demon who’s been stealing human bodies. This one belongs to Roy’s father. We need to figure out how to get the demon out, and for the love of the Ancients, keep him away from other humans.”
A wicked grin split Tor’s face in two. “Don’t worry.” He shared a dark look with his brother. “We’ll handle it.”
Raine was tempted to kick the old man when he whimpered, but he decided to save his aggression for Vidar. He was going to kill the bastard if Magnus didn’t kill him first.
VIDAR JOSTLED ANNIE so much, she vomited down his back. She hoped he would release her, but he only grunted and jostled her more. He ran so fast, the terrain passed in a blur, but the scent was familiar. They were heading to the canyon. Annie probed his mind, throwing up again when she saw images of him throwing her off the cliff and laughing as she fell to her death. What a sick fuck. The wolf inside her howled in anger.
Wait a minute! Her wolf was back? All that bouncing around must have dislodged the amethyst. With a roar, she shifted, ripping through her jeans and digging her claws into his back. She clamped her jaws down hard on his neck, shaking with all her might, then scrambled off his shoulders when he released her with an ear-splitting yowl.
She landed hard, yelping and coughing up dirt. Ignoring the lancing pain in her shoulder, she took off at a run, howling for help. Vidar chased after her. A cyclone spun in her head after being jostled by Vidar, making her disoriented. She had no idea where she was going. She just ran, praying she could outpace Vidar.
She ran until her legs nearly buckled, and the thunderous thudding of Vidar’s heavy feet grew ever more distant. Her chest heaved so badly, she thought she’d pass out. She was beyond thirsty, her tongue so swollen and heavy, she could barely pant. She had to find water before she collapsed.
Recognizing the edge of the canyon, she tumbled down the incline, landing on her ass with a thud. The pain in her shoulder returning with a vengeance, she forced herself to her paws and hobbled toward the pool. Not much farther, and she’d be at the waterfall.
MAGNUS BARELY HAD THE energy to stand, much less walk. His feet were so badly worn that he left a trail of blood as he dragged himself across the desert. But he wouldn’t give up. He would keep pushing himself to save his Annie.
He jerked when he saw his father standing at the edge of the canyon, his eyes downcast.
He let out a roar, crying to the heavens, “Please, Ancients, don’t let me be too late!”
His father spun around growling, the golden glow in his eyes dulled to a soft yellow. His furry chest was coated in blood, and he had a big, oozing gash on his neck. It was clear Vidar was dying.
Magnus charged his father like a bull, stopping short when Vidar refused to put up a fight. “Where is she?” he demanded.
Vidar shrugged. “Down there.”
“Did you kill her?”
“No, but she is injured. Let’s hope the chupacabra finishes her.”
“No!” Magnus hollered, crashing hard into Vidar.
His father was amazingly fast for a drunk. He gripped Magnus in a headlock, squeezing his skull until Magnus thought it would be crushed. When Magnus throat-punched him, the old man released him, hunching over and clutching his neck while coughing and sputtering. Then he straightened, eyes blazing like twin suns, and charged.
He sidestepped Vidar, wincing when the old man ploughed into a cactus. He jumped on Vidar, pummeling him with his fist. He had to end this fight soon and get to Annie before the chupacabra found her.
Vidar threw Magnus off. He landed on his ass precariously close to a drop that had to be at least two hundred feet. He rolled away when Father flew at him and scrambled to his knees.
Vidar spit out a mouthful of dirt, turning to Magnus with the vehemence of a thousand dust storms swirling in his eyes. “You let them kill her!”
“I was not responsible for my mother’s death, and you know it.” A renewed sense of determination pushed him forward. He couldn’t lose this battle. Annie needed him.
When Vidar raised claws curved like talons, he didn’t waste any time. He ran over Vidar like a steamroller, watching with a feeling of detachment as his father screamed and tumbled over the edge, flailing through the air like a ragdoll and hitting the earth with a soft thud.
His heart sank. What an anticlimactic ending to a man who’d made his life a living hell. There were so many things he’d wanted to tell his father, but it wouldn’t have done any good. Vidar’s lack of compassion would’ve only caused Magnus more heartache.
He’d grieve later for what could have been, but now he had to find Annie.
LACKING THE ENERGY to go any farther, Annie tumbled into the pond, greedily lapping up water, then gently paddling to shore. Collapsing on the pebbled beach, she continued to drink, listening to the sounds around her. If Vidar tried to sneak up on her, she’d hear it. At least she hoped she would, but what if she didn’t? She was too weak to fight, and he could easily rip her in two. She could find a place to hide, but he’d just follow her scent.
Fathers, she cried. What do I do?
A shard of moonlight struck her cheek, then cast a glow across the pond to the waterfall.
Go there.
Thank you, Fathers.
Annie climbed back into the pond and swam to the waterfall. Once she reached it, another shard of moonlight pointed the way to a tunnel behind the curtain. Holding her breath, she fought the current in an effort to get behind the curtain of water and yelped when she was dragged under. Too tired to fight, she gave up.
Just when she thought she might drown, she bobbed to the surface on the back side of the waterfall, spitting water and gulping air. A shallow set of stairs led to a cave. Careful not to slip on the moss, she managed to drag herself up the stairs and into the
cave one slow step at a time. The thunderous sound of falling water drowned out her grunts as she collapsed to the ground. She had finally found sanctuary.
Resting her head on her paws, she shut her eyes, going boneless against the cool stones.
A loud clacking sound resonated from deep within the cave. Her eyes flew open.
One glowing, gold eye gazed at her from atop a mountain of human skulls.
Chapter Seventeen
WHEN THE CHUPACABRA jumped off his mountain of bones, Annie let out a low whimper and strained to stand. So much for him only killing five humans. There must have been hundreds of skulls there. She retreated when it advanced, her paws slipping on the slick, mossy cave floor.
The creature was odd looking, like a mutant wolf with a wide ribcage, a missing eye, and a scraggly tail. Too tired and terrified to fight, her legs wobbled when the chupacabra approached and sniffed her neck. Surprisingly, it backed away with a whimper. Grabbing a skull from the pile with its long, pointy maw, it dropped it at her feet.
Well, shit. He was trying to share his dinner? Did this mean it had accepted her as part of its pack? She certainly hoped not. No way was she eating people. When it limped back to the pile of bones, she noticed the blood it left behind and wondered if the accident and gunshots had proven fatal.
When she heard a roar beyond the waterfall, the chupacabra turned, snarling. A one-handed protector burst through the wall of water. Pounding his chest, he growled at the injured animal. Annie’s tail thumped in relief. Limping over to Magnus, she nuzzled his leg.
The chupacabra looked at Magnus, whined, fell over, and shifted into the form of a man. Annie’s heart caught in her throat when she recognized Magnus’s gamma father, Sami.
MAGNUS SHIFTED INTO his mortal form and took Annie in his arms. She shifted, too, revealing a dislocated shoulder. Seeing her covered in cuts and bruises made Magnus hate himself even more. How could he have let this happen?
He kissed her forehead. “I’m so sorry, Annie.”
She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck. “Don’t be. None of this is your fault.”
Emotion weighed on his chest like he was being crushed by a bull. “But I left you alone.”
She trembled in his arms. “I should’ve told you about the demon.”
Magnus froze, sick to his stomach as horrible thoughts of Annie being tortured or raped ran through his mind. He traced that large gash on her forehead. “Did the demon hurt you?”
“She tried to.” She pulled back. “She was going to possess me and destroy our race.”
He cupped her cheek, relieved when he saw no internal pain reflecting in her eyes. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
“Magnus, it’s not your responsibility to watch me every second of every day. I survived the demon and Vidar.” She pushed his hand away and entwined her fingers with his. “I’m not helpless.”
“No, you’re not.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re a perfect mate.”
They heard a groan. Annie scooted off Magnus’s lap and nudged him toward Sami. Magnus didn’t know how to process what he was seeing. Sami was the chupacabra their tribe had been talking about? There had been sightings for years but only recently had it come to light that the chupacabra was killing humans. He was shocked at the sight of all those human skulls. He’d likely been killing humans for quite a while.
He crawled over to his dying father.
“Magnus.” Sami lifted a shaking hand.
Magnus took Sami in his arms, trying to make sense of how and why Sami had become the chupacabra. “Why?” he asked.
Sami cupped Magnus’s cheek. “Her death was not your fault. I’m sorry we weren’t good fathers to you.” His eyelid drooped. His other eye socket was an empty hole, filled in by angry scar tissue.
Magnus fought to speak around the lump in his throat. “But why?”
Sami exhaled slowly, sounding like a deflating balloon. “Vidar had discovered black magic.”
As if that explained anything. It only left him with more questions. “How?”
“That’s not important now.” Sami sighed. “We tried to bring your mother back to life. Tyr warned us not to experiment with dark magic, but we were desperate.” He winced and held his side. Blood seeped through his fingers. “We failed, and as a result, the black magic tainted us, me worse than Vidar. It made him an angry drunk, but look at what it did to me.”
“How did I not know this?”
“Vidar helped me conceal it. I’ve been turning into this thing almost every night.”
Magnus thought about how Vidar had always treated Sami like a second-class brother, forcing him to sleep in the shed behind the barn. No wonder. Becoming the chupacabra had given him a means of escape.
“When I’m the chupacabra,” Sami continued, “I can’t control myself. I go on a rampage, killing innocents.”
All moisture evaporated from Magnus’s mouth. “And Vidar knew this?”
Sami hung his head. “Yes. I’ve lived a miserable existence, waking up each morning to discover I’ve killed another human. Vidar celebrated their deaths. He said it was a gift from the gods.”
As much as Magnus wanted to hate Vidar for his part in it, he couldn’t. He vaguely remembered his father had once been kind, but his mate’s death had changed him. Now he knew why. Dark magic had blackened his soul.
“I’m dying.” Sami emitted a weak smile. “No more innocents will be slaughtered, and I can finally go to your mother. I should’ve ended my life years ago, but every time I worked up the nerve to pull the trigger, Vidar stopped me.”
“Please tell Mother and Father I miss and love them,” Magnus said, rocking Sami in his arms.
When Sami’s eye fell shut, Magnus hunched over his lifeless body, releasing a pitiful howl.
“Magnus,” Annie whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Releasing Sami, he turned to her, burying his head against her uninjured shoulder, unable to stop the flow of tears. For once he didn’t feel like less of a man for showing his emotions. She rocked and soothed him, encouraging him to cry. It felt good to rely on her strength.
MAGNUS SHIFTED INTO protector form and carried Annie back under the waterfall. Now that she was safe, his main priority was getting her to a hospital. He wasn’t surprised to find Raine and Frey circling the pond as wolves, frantically sniffing the ground.
As soon as he saw them, Raine shifted into human form, jumped into the pond, and swam toward them. “Annie, thank the Ancients you’re okay.” He spoke with a nasally pitch, his broken nose looking even more swollen than before.
Without even acknowledging Magnus, he took her from him and turned toward shore.
“I am.” Draping an arm around Raine, she looked over his shoulder, smiling at him. “Thanks to Magnus.” She cupped his face, frowning. “What happened to your nose?”
“Never mind me.” Raine shrugged. “Look at your shoulder.” Raine waded through the water with a stiff back, then gently deposited her on shore. Frey, also in human form, sat behind her, reaching for her injured shoulder.
She jerked back with a hiss. “Don’t touch it.”
Frey’s lips turned down. “Sorry.”
Magnus hesitated, waist-deep in the pond, not wanting to intrude on Raine’s time with her. Then he thought better of it. To hell with Raine. He was tired of feeling worthless and undeserving. Annie didn’t blame him, and that’s all that mattered. He walked over to them and sat beside her, not caring if Raine had a problem with it.
“Who did this?” Raine demanded, gesturing at Annie’s shoulder.
“Vidar,” she answered. “Who do you think?”
Magnus growled, thinking how close Vidar had come to killing his mate.
Raine eyed him for a long moment. “We found him at the bottom of the canyon.”
Magnus swallowed. Knowing that Vidar had been cursed, he felt guilty for pushing him, but he’d do it again to keep him from harming Annie. “Did he surv
ive the fall?”
“No.” Raine’s face was a mask of stone. “Did you push him?”
Magnus locked eyes with his brother’s. “I had no choice.”
“Thank you.” Raine clasped Magnus’s shoulder in a surprising gesture, his features softening.
Raine’s praise took him off guard, and it took all his willpower not to tear up.
Frey clasped his other shoulder. “I know that wasn’t easy. You did what was right.”
Magnus nodded, then looked away, unable to speak as emotion clogged his throat.
Raine motioned toward the pond. “Where were you?”
Magnus pointed at the waterfall. “There’s a cave behind it.” He was concerned about Jax’s safety. Last he’d seen him, he’d had burns all over his back. “Is Jax okay?”
“Tor took him to the hospital, along with Roy,” Raine answered.
Annie shot up. “How hurt is he?”
Raine grimaced. “Bad. I think Vidar broke his ribs.”
She let out a strangled cry. “And the demon?”
Raine flashed a fanged grin. “Tor said he’d take care of it.”
She nodded.
Magnus leaned into her, wiping her tears with his knuckles, wishing he had two hands but still grateful for the one. He gazed at his brothers stonily. “Sami is dead.”
“Wh-what?” Frey cried, his eyes filling with tears.
“He was the chupacabra.”
Frey jumped to his feet. “How can that be?”
“Vidar and Sami used dark magic to try to bring our mother back. It tainted their souls.” Sami hadn’t been much of a parent to any of them, but he was still Frey’s birth father.
“He wanted to die,” he told Frey, leaving out the part about how he was killed and the mountain of human skulls. “He wanted to be free of the monster and go to our mother.”
Raine’s jaw dropped. “Where did they get this magic?”
“Sami didn’t tell me.” He’d sure like to know, so he could make sure it never happened to another wolf. He hoped Tyr, their last living father, could tell them.
