“Ten million.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed. “Don't tell me you're considering it?”
Bash scoffed. “Of course not, but the amount tells us a lot. You aren't safe, Mackenzie.”
“When am I ever,” I snorted. “I’m used to being a target, I think I'll freak out when I'm not.”
Bobby laughed.
“How do we know you won't turn her in?” Bash asked the warlock.
Bobby smirked. “You'll just have to trust me.”
My stomach coiled. I wanted to trust the bastard, because I needed him—and he knew it—but this was a dangerous game.
“Alright kiddos,” Bobby chimed. “As proof that I won't have the witches here awaiting your return, I have made some lockets. They are to protect you from Fae magic and their influences.” He handed the gold necklace to Bash and then to me. I didn't take it.
“I can’t,” I grimaced as my hand unconsciously went to my hip. “I—”
“I know,” Bobby nodded. “It's okay, it will work. Remember, I dabble in dark magic,” he winked. I didn't know how he knew, but I took the necklace anyway. Slipping it over my head, we followed him to face a blank wall.
The warlock stretched out his hands to the empty wall, swirling them counterclockwise and chanted, “Magica hominibus ad portas aperire, magica hominibus ad portas aperire.” A stream of neon purple light shot out of his fingertips as the swirl began to expand from a small circle to a larger portal.
“Set your timer,” Bobby yelled against the loud winds of the portal. “When you're ready to return, think of the location you wish to go and say portas aperire and it will open wherever you are. You have 60 minutes our time, until the portal closes. Use it wisely.”
Sebastian calibrated the timer on his wristwatch and grabbed my hand. Electricity sizzled as his calloused hands gripped mine. A surge of confidence went through me, knowing that he would have my back no matter what. With a slight nod, we stepped into the portal.
We fell. Hard. And loud.
When I said storage closet, I didn't think Bobby would deposit us in an actual janitor’s room. I landed inside a mop bucket—thankfully sans the water and soap—with a slew of mops and brooms on top of me. Sebastian on the other hand, landed in the hamper. Soft, but dirty linens that were waiting to be washed, but soft nonetheless.
“I always get the shitty end of the stick,” I grumbled as I tried to get up. “Why would the Fae even need this?”
With ease, Bash hopped out of the hamper and gave me a lending hand.
On the ceiling was the purple portal that grew smaller and smaller.
“We have 58 minutes.”
“Okay,” I nodded. “I don't know where they're keeping him, but I would assume the dungeons.”
Bash shook his head. “I know Drusilla, she'll have him in her bedroom.”
I wanted to throw up.
Sebastian cracked open the door to the outside and peered out. When the coast was clear, we ran out, sniffing the air to catch Jonah’s scent. It was faint, but I would recognize it anywhere.
We ran down the glass corridor, peering around corners before sprinting in his direction. I lost count of how many stairs we took to get to the top of the tower.
“Why am I not surprised this is where she sleeps,” I snorted.
“Shhh,” Bash put a finger to his lips like a kindergarten teacher.
“Okay, okay,” I whispered.
So far it'd been easy. Too easy.
We'd made it to the room where Jonah’s scent was the strongest. Stretching our hearing, we waited to hear any sounds from inside. Nothing.
“It can't be this simple,” I murmured. “Not a single Fae in sight.”
“It's most likely a trap,” he said. “They knew you wouldn't be able to leave him.”
Fuck it. If falling into enemy hands meant I'd have a chance at getting Jonah out of here, I'd do it. He didn't deserve this.
“Promise me that if we’re overpowered, you’ll get Jonah out. Don’t wait for me.”
Sebastian blue eyes hardened. “No,” was all he said before turning away.
We opened the door. Where the castle was bright, the room was dim. Candles flickered all around, and in the center was a massive bed—with Jonah smack in the middle. His wrists and ankles were tied, with a white bed sheet covering his nether region.
Jonah blinked a few times, his face in disbelief as he watched us come inside.
“Wh-What—are you real?” he mumbled.
Not thinking, I ran to him, but didn't make it. Something gripped my ankle, and catapulted me in the air. I hung upside down as Fae soldiers jumped onto Bash. It was a trap. I reached for my knife and cut the rope, rolling onto the ground and stopping at a crouch.
Sebastian half-shifted, letting out a roar as he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with three Fae. One jumped out of the floral wallpaper, like a chameleon, and went straight for me.
I ducked, missing his strikes. My claws and canines slid, a little less painful than other times, and I slashed my way out as another jumped in the fray. When the chameleon exposed his neck, I bit into his throat and ripped it out. Fae blood spilled down my chin and chest. I beamed. A grin overtook my features as I hunted my next kill.
“Come out, come out, little Fae,” I taunted as I waited for more.
In sync, half a dozen came out of the walls. I sheathed my knife in my boot once again. I didn't need it. I was the weapon.
A few of the Fae started to chant, but the magic bounced off me like a trampoline. Bobby had been right, the necklace did work. An arrow struck my shoulder and I howled in pain, dropping to a knee. Bash was too busy to come to my aid, and Jonah was a bit tied up. I hunched over in surrender, waiting for them to come to me. I hid my smirk as two of them stopped before me, and when they reached for me, I clawed at their Achilles tendons and they dropped like flies. My hands dug into their chests and I threw their hearts like baseballs at the other Fae hurdling my way. I laughed as one hit him in the face. They growled at my audacity.
I glanced over at Bash, and he was dealing with one more Fae, while I had two coming my way. I ripped the arrow out of my shoulder, the adrenaline doing its magic because I didn't feel a thing. I stabbed the arrow into one of the Fae's eye, giving me a reprieve from fighting two. The other one clocked me in the jaw and grabbed my pony tail, flinging me across the room.
“Be careful, Tinkerbell,” I smirked. “You don't want to kill me.” He stopped for a moment as if remembering, but continued toward me.
“Doesn't mean I can't rough you up,” he snarled.
I sighed. “Your call.”
When he was two feet away, I jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and snapping his neck. We both fell to the ground. I hovered over his body, waiting for the one eyed Fae to make his move. Bash had been prowling around him, waiting for him to strike.
“Be our little errand boy, why don't ya,” I taunted. “Tell Drusilla if war is what she wants, then war is what she'll get.”
23
We landed on our asses in the middle of the squad room of the SIU. It was the stupidest thing to do, but we needed the witches to heal our injuries—even if they wanted to kill me. I pulled Jonah into my arms, the same white bed sheet wrapped around his shivering, naked body.
“Get me Amara!” I barked at a stunned squad room. “Now!”
Briggs and Alexander ran out of the conference room, Ranulf and Cas trailing behind.
“You opened a portal in my squad room?” Briggs barked, but I ignored him.
“Son of a bitch,” Cassidy breathed as he took us in. “You're insane, Kenz.”
I nodded in agreement. “I couldn't wait,” I muttered. “Jonah?”
He was in and out of consciousness.
“Help me carry him,” Sebastian demanded. Cas only did as he was told and they brought him into the conference room. They rested his body on top of the conference table, and I found the rest of the team huddled inside with Ophelia.
/>
“Oh child, what have ye done?” the old woman whispered.
I didn't tear my eyes away from Jonah. “I started a war.”
We waited outside of the conference room. The blinds were snapped shut and the squad room had been emptied. Sebastian and I paced as we waited for the witches to come out with any news on Jonah.
“Where is he?” Jackson exclaimed as he burst into the squad room. “Where’s my brother?”
Sebastian stood before him, his hands clutching Jacksons shoulders. “Relax. The witches are working on him now.”
Jackson nodded, but I could see the distress written all over his face. He glared at me, but didn’t say a word.
“Ye should have waited, Mackenzie,” Alexander chided. “A war with the Fae could be disastrous. She might get what she wants.”
“You think we'll lose?” My eyes widened. “Because my money is on us.”
“Yer rebellion was nothing compared to what havoc Drusilla can concoct,” Ranulf scoffed. “Ye fought against the Lycans, she has a whole world as an army.”
“Not all of the Fae follow her,” I said. Malakai had helped me twice.
“None of them can be trusted,” Ranulf growled.
“I don't believe that!” I yelled. My whole perspective had shifted. “We can't discriminate against a whole species because of Drusilla, because that's what we've been doing. I'm guilty of it too, but it’s time we stopped.”
“Yer so naive,” Ranulf snarled.
I shrugged. “Maybe I am, but I will do what’s right.”
At that moment Amara came out of the conference room and everyone stood up. She was pale, and her skin clammy with fatigue. She waved us off to relax and I took a calming breath.
“He'll be fine. He was on some heavy drugs, and dehydrated. Overall, he'll recover within a few days, sooner if he shifts.”
The anxious vibe in the room decimated as we welcomed the good news. Jackson ran into the conference room before anyone else.
“Mackenzie, may I speak to you for a moment?” Amara asked.
My body tightened and I reached for Sebastian to come with me. If it was about Jonah, as his Alpha, he needed to hear too.
Leading us into Briggs’ office, she waved a hand, engulfing the room in a bubble of privacy from any prying ears.
“Is Jonah okay?” I demanded.
She nodded. “Physically, he is, but mentally, I'm not too sure.”
“What do you mean?” Sebastian asked.
Amara swallowed a few times before saying what I had feared. “I found severe chaffing in his lower region. I believe he's endured sexual trauma. I understand the ways of the Lycan, because of that, I thought it was important to tell you. He might not ever admit it, but it shouldn't be ignored.”
I held on to Bash, a steady rock against the storm. I thought about those days I'd been held captive by the Chicago Pack, and what would have happened to me had Bash and Jonah not gotten to me in time. We didn't make it in time for Jonah—we hadn't even known he'd been taken.
“We'll take care of it,” Bash said, dismissing Amara.
Once she was out of the room, the privacy screen still enclosing us, we stood in silence, absorbing what she'd disclosed.
“It's all my fault,” I whispered.
“You don't control what others do.”
Of course not, but being the self-loathing individual I was, I'd bear this cross for a while.
“What do we do now?”
Sebastian's blue eyes blazed as he stared me down. “We be there for him. He's going to need us now more than ever.”
I couldn't stop myself. I wrapped my arms around his middle and held on like he were a life raft. He held me for a while until we were ready to see Jonah.
The witches moved Jonah to the SIU infirmary. Sebastian and I sat on either side of the hospital bed, with Jackson pacing at the foot of the bed, and waited for Jonah to wake up. Amara worked on our injuries in the meantime. Other than that, no one bothered us.
He began to stir and we waited with baited breath as Jonah opened his eyes.
“You're a bunch of idiots,” were the Beta’s first words and I choked on a laugh. “That could have gone wrong in so many ways.”
“We know,” Bash grunted.
“A thank you would have sufficed, Jonah.”
He smirked. “And have you hold that over my head for all eternity? No thanks.”
“Well aren't you full of appreciation,” I chuckled. “We're glad to see you're okay.”
“Hey bro,” Jackson murmured. “How you feeling?”
“I could be better. It’s nice to see you, Jack,” he tried to smile, but even that bit of motion looked like it hurt.
“You leave New York and look what happens,” Jackson smirked. “I think it’s a sign.”
Jonah attempted a laugh but began to cough.
“Are you okay? Do you need anything?”
Jonah licked his lips. “I could go for a burger—or two.” We laughed.
“I’ll be back,” Jackson said and left the infirmary.
It felt awkward sitting there with the two of them. Things didn't end well in Scotland. Jonah found out I'd slept with Bash and decided to stay with the King’s Council instead of going back to the Brooklyn Pack. We'd hurt him so much, he needed the Atlantic Ocean to separate us. All of it for nothing because I pushed Bash away. We were a mess.
I fidgeted with the sleeve of my shirt when Jonah’s hand fell on mine.
“I’m okay,” he smiled and that one dimple poked out. “We're okay.”
I wasn't sure if he was trying to assure me or himself.
“Jo…are you sure?” I muttered. “When you were with Drus—”
“I said I’m okay, Kenzie,” Jonah gave me a tight lipped smile.
Sebastian cleared his throat. “We spoke to the witch…we know something happened.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he shook his head. “Drusilla and I have slept together in the past,” he flinched and looked away from me.
“If you said no, then it does matter!” My outburst was valid no matter what they said. “I don’t care how many times you’ve bed her, the minute you didn’t give consent it becomes rape and that bitch is gonna pay for what she’s done.”
“Mackenzie,” Bash chided. “What she’s trying to say, Jo, is that we’re here for you. Judgement free. I don’t care how your father will react. We treat this just like we would had it been one of our Lunas.”
Jonahs eyes glistened, but he didn’t shed a single tear. He ran a hand through his chestnut hair and let out a long breath, but nodded in agreement. That’s all we needed. If he wasn’t ready to talk about it, we’d give him space. As long as he knew I would burn her whole kingdom to ground—she crossed the line and I would get justice. No matter if it killed me in the process.
The tension in the room simmered, but it didn’t stop the awkward silence. I didn’t want to ignore what happened to him, but if he refused to talk about it, then I had to give him time.
“How have you been, brother?” I relaxed. Sebastian and Jonah weren't biologically related, but they grew up together, they were best friends. Key word being, “were.”
“It’s good to see you, Jo,” Bash said, without responding to his question. Things weren't good with the Brooklyn Pack. With no Lunas, they were unbalanced.
Jonah’s chocolate eyes narrowed, but he didn't pry. He wasn't stupid, he knew something was amiss.
“Right,” he said. “How about the two of you—”
“I’ll go get you some water,” Bash offered and left the infirmary as if his pants were on fire. There was a full pitcher on the nightstand.
“That isn't promising,” Jonah murmured. “I’m guessing things aren't good between the two of you.”
I shook my head. “We're not together if that's what you're wondering.” I couldn't look him in the eyes. I destroyed their friendship.
“What happened?”
I swallowed a few times before I found m
y voice. “After the rebellion, we lost so much. How can you be happy with someone after that? As if nothing happened.”
He held my hand and squeezed, making me look at him. His eyes were filled with so much compassion and love, the kind of love I was unable to give him.
“I understand, Kenz, but it's been a year. Do you plan on being unhappy forever?”
I snorted. “You're one to talk. Mr. Can’t-Pick-Up-A-Phone.”
His smile fell. “I guess I need to practice what I preach.”
“Ditto.”
We sat in a comfortable silence. I didn't know about him, but I was reminiscing of simpler times.
Sebastian returned after a while with another pitcher of water and a Styrofoam cup. His blue eyes trailed over to our hands, still holding on to one another, but there was no jealousy in Bash’s gaze—it was sad, as if he missed the both of us.
“Perfect timing for a shift. Are we heading up to the estate for the full moon next weekend?” Jonah asked.
Sebastian nodded and they turned to me.
“Uh...there's something I need to tell both of you,” I started and their gazes narrowed. “I’m moon-bound again. Surprise…”
“For Christ's sake, Mackenzie,” Bash sighed. “Do you love punishing yourself?”
“You take three steps forward and then two steps back,” Jonah added.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t come at me all at once. I get it was stupid, but what’s done is done. Now I need to fix it before Alexander finds out.”
“You could massacre a whole clan and I still don’t think he would care,” Jonah shrugged.
Did he think that? Not that I was planning on butchering a whole bunch of people, but still. I doubted Alexander had that much faith in me.
“When was the last time you shifted?” Bash asked.
“A few days ago. I’ve been shifting with Cas.”
Sebastian growled.
“Oh get your panties out of a twist, Bash. You assume the worst, but you know nothing.”
He scoffed. “I’m not stupid, Mackenzie—”
“You are if you think I’m sleeping with my new partner at the SIU!”
Crickets. Not a damn word. Sebastian glowered at me as if he wasn’t sure whether to believe me or not—as if I’d jeopardize my job over a guy. Jonah relaxed on his cot watching us like a tennis match.
OMEGA: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Mackenzie Grey Book 4) Page 16
