by Shelby Lynn
Things hadn't progressed as smoothly as he thought it should have to his way of thinking from that point on. The Pack should have fallen into line instead of looking on in mistrust and even hate at times. The older Alpha he had killed had been well loved by his Pack.
The transition wasn't looking any better with the beatings to Ethan to rectify that situation. It had backfired though when the ‘freak” had cursed him with these feelings. What kind of justice was this! His own father believed in punishment for behavioral change. Hell—he had enough scars to prove it!
Alexander picked up the phone with determination. He had heard stories of Magnesia Tigress—even in Canada. Most of it was whispered for fear of retaliation. For it was said even the use of her name attracted her dark magic in search of those who dared to use it. In his desperation, he was willing to risk anything. It rang and rang—just when he thought there wasn't going to be an answer. He heard her say…
“Answer only if you are willing to risk it all, young wolf.”
“I need your help. Yes— I am willing to take the risk,” Alexander replied.
“Once you have begun this journey there will be no going back, Alexander Varity,” she told him.
Alexander didn’t even want to know how she had known his last name.
“I am positive. I need this curse gone!” growled Alexander.
“Then so it shall be. I will gather my things and arrive shortly.” She cackled as she hung up the phone. The stupid wolf was so clueless to his own desires, but she wouldn’t let this opportunity pass her by. The first wolf who had come to her for power had met with a very untimely death because of his own stupidity. This time she would watch from afar as the plan took shape. Now all she needed was her demon friends’ help to see this through.
****
Ethan had traveled the first one hundred miles away from the Pack. Only then did his initial uneasiness start to ease. His thoughts drifted to his future, or lack of one. He couldn’t help but wonder what he was going to do with the rest of his life now. He had spent most of the last ten years helping take care of Grammy Jess. There was no hardship in taking care of the person who raised and loved you unconditionally. He would do it all over again without a second thought. He was really going to miss her—never had he met a kinder person than his Grammy. She kept his spirits up during the worst of times.
Ethan watched the changing landscape as he drove closer to his destination. He decided for the moment he wouldn’t worry over his future. All he wanted was to make it to the Inn and meet his contact tonight. Then he would worry about the rest of his life after he was somewhere safe. His Grammy was sure this was his only way out of the mess with the Alpha. He would do everything within his power to make her final request a reality. All she wanted was his safety and happiness in the end.
It was with a relieved sigh when Ethan pulled into the parking lot of the Shady Oak Inn later that night. The man on the phone had told him there was already a room reserved. He got out of the car and quickly went into the quiet Inn. He noticed only one lone man immediately as he walked through the door. Ethan walked over to the counter.
“Good evening, sir, how may I be of service?” the man behind the counter said.
“I’m supposed to have a room already reserved. It is room thirty-six,” Ethan told him, waiting to see what the man would say. If it really was a safe place as he had been told.
“Now if that is your room, sir, I’ll need to know the password to that room,” Stan, the man behind the counter, said to Ethan. Stan could tell he was indeed a shifter, but that was all.
“Tiny Timmy,” Ethan responded.
“Room thirty-six is yours then,” he told the hurt man before him.
Ethan took the key from the man. Everything was going as planned. Remembering then a man named Wolfe Masterson was coming to get him; Ethan asked the man, “There is a man coming to see me tonight. His name is Wolfe Masterson. Do you know him?”
“Yes, you are in good hands with him. I’ll keep a lookout for anyone suspicious until he gets here. Do you have anything you need to get out of your car, before I go stash it away?” Stan asked.
“No—all I have is this bag,” Ethan said, and then handed over his keys to the man. He was leery of giving away his only means of escape. Honestly though, he didn’t see a way out of it at this point. So he handed them over and took the room key instead. He would just have to put his life in these people’s hands and hope for the best.
“Your ride should be here anytime. There is food and drinks in the refrigerator in the room. Please help yourself to any of it. The room is on the bottom floor here at the end of the hallway,” Stan told the young man before him. He could tell how leery he was. He was constantly looking around for any kind of danger lurking.
“Thank you,” he wouldn’t lose his manners even in a bad situation.
“You’re welcome,” Stan told him and watched him walk away.
Ethan looked around one last time, and then headed down the hallway toward the room. It was located just were the man had told him. He quickly opened the door, and looked around at the room. It was nice enough, but nothing overly fancy about it. He quickly laid his bag on the bed, and headed to the refrigerator. He was thirsty and he hadn’t wanted to stop except for gas the last time. He was pleasantly surprised by the well-stocked refrigerator before him. It had about every kind of drink he could have wanted. All he really wanted was a cool drink of water after the last part of the drive. He pulled out a Dasani and downed half of it in one drink.
Ethan couldn’t help seeing out of the corner of his eye his own reflection in the big mirror across the room. Wow—he looked like shit! he thought. At least with the last change it had taken care of the worst of his injuries. Just what had happened to him? Honestly, this was the first time he’d had time to think beyond getting the hell out of Canada. He was still in shock over turning into something other than a wolf. He decided he would keep it to himself for now. All he needed was for these people who were going to help—to turn him away.
****
Teddy was still in awe of the man beside him. The power his mate carried like a second skin was intoxicating in its own way. His hands itched to touch his muscular frame. Hell—he sounded like one of the characters from his own books, who was unable to control his desire for the man sitting so close, yet too far away. His mind was working overtime, he thought. Thank goodness, Wolfe couldn’t hear his thoughts. He sounded like some lovesick idiot.
“We are almost to the Inn. Do you want to go inside with me?” Wolfe asked his mate. He couldn’t help wondering what was going through his mate’s mind. How had he ever gotten so lucky? he thought as he waited for his mate’s answer.
“Yes—I want to help.” Teddy did want to be a part of his mate’s life. It looked like this would just be the first of many such situations. Teddy didn’t mind being on the road, but he did like having a home to come back to. It was something they would have to figure out together. His place was no more than a stopping place between tours.
“Sounds good—our contact is the owner of the Inn. His name is Stan Wilson, and he is a shifter as well. He and his wife have been here for years. He was more than willing to help the Sanctuary when Alpha Haven contacted him a couple of months ago. It is far enough away from the Dream Weaver Sanctuary. We are hoping it will be a safe stop on the trip, and Stan has a huge garage we can stash cars in until they can be dealt with,” Wolfe informed Teddy.
“I can’t wait to hear more about the Sanctuary. I know I’ve just met Alpha Haven, but even a lone wolf like me has heard of his reputation of helping anyone in trouble. I am honored to be able to help in any way possible. Unfortunately, abuse seems to be happening more and more these days. No one should have to stay in a situation where he or she has to deal with abuse. I’ll never forgive myself for not watching over Mandy close enough. She was in a situation she had to run away from. I made her father, my best friend, a promise. I would make sure she was tak
en care of. Only I royally screwed that one up,” Teddy said.
“Teddy, you can’t blame yourself, my mate. You couldn’t have known everything that was happening in her life. You were on the outside looking in, right?” His mate was beating himself up over something he couldn’t have prevented anyway.
“I know—but I still feel responsible.” He had given his word. To him that was a lifetime commitment.
“That just shows how much you care for Mandy. She is in good hands now. Her mate will make her the happiest of women,” Wolfe promised his mate with a smile.
“I know—he is a good man. I’ve seen that over the last couple of months. Sorry, I was just letting this situation get to me I guess,” Teddy told him.
“I know exactly what you mean. It’s hard not to tear yourself up over these situations. Unfortunately, I’ve had to distance myself from my job in many ways. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to handle some of the situations I’ve found myself in,” Wolfe told his mate honestly.
“How do you handle the abuse on a daily basis?” Teddy asked. If this was going to be a huge part of their future, then he needed to learn how to as well.
“I just get them out as quickly as possible. It helps to know the person will never be put through anything like that again. The hardest ones for me—are the children. I just wanted to kill the abusers on the spot. It takes all the control in me to let the Council rule in those cases, Teddy. Cases like those cause me to have nightmares at times,” Wolfe told his mate.
“Can I ask you something really personal, Wolfe?” asked Teddy.
“Of course,” replied Wolfe.
“Have you had dreams lately?” asked Teddy.
“Yes, I should’ve realized they weren’t “normal” dreams, but they have been really confusing,” Wolfe said. The he went on to tell Teddy about them. “The moment I wake up it’s as if the dream is hazy, and I can’t quite remember what happened. All I can really remember is flying overhead and I’m searching for something really important,” Wolfe said.
“Damn, that is my dream as well. I wondered after I met you today if it was the Spirits way of letting me know you were close,” Teddy said in wonder.
“I wouldn’t be surprised in the least, my mate. I know I’ve never experienced anything like it myself,” said Wolfe.
“We’d better head inside before Stan comes out after us,” Wolfe told his mate. He would much rather have stayed here getting to know this handsome man. However, duty called and he wasn’t one to shuck duty.
He followed Teddy into the Inn, neither knowing their lives was about to change once again.
Chapter Six
Magnesia Tigress looked into her magical cauldron. It was the center point of her magical awareness of the world around her, her spying mirror into not only this world but many others as well. It was also the way she called upon the Demons to further her plans. It had started months ago with the power-hungry Alpha. He was just a stepping-stone to the power they promised her in exchange for a magical way into this world. A deal she struck with the Demon King.
The King was pissed at the representatives he’d sent there before Fury. They had both disappeared within the human realm. They had run off with their blood-slaves, and betrayed the Demon Realm. They were now on the hunt-to-kill list, which were orders straight from the King. NO ONE betrayed him.
Now all she needed was a little more information from this Alpha. He would be the perfect pawn in her game. She couldn’t help the anticipation of the death magic she would ultimately use on the fool. The pleasure of the kill—there was nothing like it in this world. Magnesia gathered the things she would need for the trip. Then glancing one last time into the cauldron for any information she might find useful, only to find it unsettlingly quiet. With the twirl of her hand and an incantation, Magnesia opened up a vortex to the place she wanted to go. It was time to see if the Alpha was up to the challenge.
****
Well, well, it looked like the witch was up to something. His superior hadn’t trusted the old-bat from the start. The King wasn’t to be bothered with this meaningless little task. Fury had no doubt he planned to kill this witch in the end. He wouldn’t share in the power he was seeking, even if he had promised it in exchange for passage into this realm. Now that he had obtained it through the witch. Fury was sure, when she was no longer needed, she would be the first to die.
His superior hadn’t given him details yet on how the Dream Weaver Wolves played into the picture. Well—other than using their unique gifts for themselves. By controlling them as blood-slaves, the Demons could tap into their powers as well. Fury wasn’t stupid, and he figured there was a much bigger piece to the puzzle the King wasn’t sharing with them. King Damon was as greedy as they came. He wouldn’t want anyone else trying to steal away his prize—whatever that ultimately was.
Fury had a secret—one he wasn’t ready to share with anyone. He still didn’t understand the feelings coursing through his body. Until he figured out what was going on between him and Chad, it was safer to keep him under his control with the blood-bond. The bond allowed him to control Chad’s perception of reality. Well, for him at least—it was one of his own unique powers. Chad was no longer obsessed with Johnny, but the moment he released Chad, it would be an even stronger obsession from his interference. He couldn’t allow that to happen. His superior had plans for the very special Dream Weaver Healer. Fury knew if these plans failed once again, the King would have his superiors head and then his own.
First though, he needed to follow the witch and see what she was up to? With his cloaking ability, she didn’t even know he was in the room with her. So much for her “magic,” he thought, with an inward chuckle. When she called forth the vortex, he simply walked through it right along with her. Fury was able to transport over great distances so he wasn’t worried about where he would end up. Now all he had to do was see what the witch was doing here in the first place.
****
Magnesia took in the Pack grounds around her. She could feel the life force of all the Pack. It made her hungry in a way no food could ever quench. Right away, she picked up the Alpha’s strong essence, and followed it until she came to a large Pack house. Without even knocking, she walked right in. She made it as far as the entryway when two men came at her—practically growling in human form. With a flick of her hand, they were whimpering on the floor instantly.
That was when she felt the Alpha’s presence enter into the room.
“So, I take it you’re Magnesia Tigress?” Alexander asked the older woman. She may be human, but she wore her magic like a powerful cloak.
“You would be correct, young wolf.” Not once calling him by his alpha title. She could tell it pissed him off—hell, she was not there to inflate his ego. She was there for power.
“Those low-lifes on the floor are my Betas. They are nothing but worthless pieces of shit. They couldn’t even track one lone “freak” of nature. Do as you will with them,” he told her. Alexander no longer cared about the worthless wolves.
She needed a boost, so with a few quickly spoken words, her death magic quickly took their power and essence, leaving only their dead bodies on the floor. Her body quivered for a moment in pleasure as it drank in all the wolves had to offer her of their essences. It was with a sigh of pleasure she looked straight into the eyes of the Alpha before her. There wasn’t a single look of remorse on his face for delivering his Pack mates into her hands.
Alexander watched the pleasure cross the face of the old woman before him. There was no going back now. She had just killed his Betas without blinking an eye. If he survived this, at least he knew the curse would be gone. He would no longer lust for another man. Even now, Ethan was all he could think about. Watching Ethan turn into another species all together hadn’t turned off his desire for him. There was no way this was normal behavior—he was cursed. There just wasn’t any other answer.
The witch stood there watching him. Not once did she take her eyes off
him before she spoke.
“You think he cursed you?” She could easily read the mind of the Alpha in front of her. Well, well, it seemed the Alpha hadn’t told her everything over the phone. She couldn’t help the burst of excitement that filled her at the thought of what this information would get her. The Demon King would pay handsomely for another Dream Weaver. This one was perfect—he wasn’t a part of a mated pair. He was weak still for a Dream Weaver.
“Yes—there is no other explanation. He cursed me, and I want him dead! I’ll do whatever it takes to break this hold. Ethan is a freak! He turned into some freakish eagle—it was huge. Nothing but magic could bring about a change like that.” Alexander was practically shouting at the woman. He had lost his ever-loving mind.
Neither of them knew they were being watched.
Fury listened to the conversation with a growing realization. He had just stumbled onto another Dream Weaver, and an unmated one at that. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was one of the rarest forms yet. For their kind had been extinct on their own home realm for many years. This was something his superior needed to know immediately. He would return to find out just what the witch was up to as quickly as possible. With one last glance around, he transported out of the room.
Magnesia thought of how she had to play along with this wolf. Otherwise, she might lose the chance of finding the Dream Weaver. That would not happen!
“Yes—I do believe you have been cursed. It is the strongest one I’ve ever seen. It will not be easily broken. I’ll need the blood of the one who invoked the curse. There is no other way to break the curse. It will take blood, and my dark magic, to undo what he has done to you.” She watched the Alpha’s reaction to her words. The Alpha’s desperation was apparent for all to see by the crazed look in his eyes.
