Dying Covenant: The Complete Series

by Amanda M. Lee

  “You love to win, though,” I pointed out. “How can you not miss the competition?”

  “Because I already won the big prize when you fell in love with me,” Aric answered, his expression earnest. “I won everything that day. Every other competition pales in comparison.”

  “That was a really good answer.”

  “I know,” Aric said, grabbing my chin and smacking a loud kiss against my lips. “Are you done having a deep discussion with me? Can we do what I set out to do in the first place?”

  “I have just one more thing to say,” I said, earning a groan from Aric. “I want you to be happy, and if that means spending time with Tate – or whoever, for that matter – then you need to do it. I don’t want to cut you off from people you care about.”

  “You happen to be the person I care about most,” Aric said. “Well, you and the kid, I mean. I wouldn’t mind maybe meeting Tate to go fishing occasionally or something, but my life is not lacking. My life is full of love … and laughter … and lust.” He licked the ridge of my ear and sent shudders down my spine. “Now, if you play your cards right, I promise to give you all three of those things right now. How does that sound?’

  I couldn’t help but giggle. “What if someone sees us?”

  “You could always put a dome over us,” Aric suggested. “It’s kind of cheating … and yet it’s all sorts of fun. It has a certain kinky quality that allows us to be out in the open while being completely covered.”

  That hadn’t even occurred to me. “Are you sure? What about Sami?”

  “Sami would kill herself before joining us, and that’s way too kinky for me.”

  I made a disgusted face. “You’re so gross.”

  “I’ll be a lot grosser if you put up the dome and take off your clothes.”

  I gave in. There was never really a question of me fighting off his efforts, because now that he mentioned the scenario I couldn’t help but be intrigued. “Okay,” I said, reaching for the hem of my shirt. “If we get caught, though, I’m totally blaming you.”

  “I can live with that.”

  “DID YOU hear that?”

  I tugged my shirt down thirty minutes later and rolled so I was practically sitting on Aric’s lap as I strained my ears.

  “I didn’t hear anything,” Aric said, giving me an odd look. “Were you distracted the entire time, or is this a new thing I’m just noticing?”

  “I wasn’t distracted.”

  “It doesn’t feel that way to me.”

  “Yes, but you’re a worrier,” I said, cocking my head to the side. “I wasn’t distracted. I had fun. I just … do you hear that?”

  I tilted my head to the side as the sound of snapping branches assailed my ears, and this time Aric stiffened as he tightened his grip around my waist. He clearly heard it, too.

  “I don’t think they’re out here.”

  “Oh, they’re out here.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I was watching them and this is the way they disappeared when they thought no one was looking.”

  I recognized the voices relatively quickly. Aric clearly did as well because he rolled his eyes and leaned back on the ground to get comfortable.

  “They can’t hear us, can they?” he asked, keeping his voice low. “The dome is still up, right?”

  “They can’t hear us,” I replied. Even though I knew the dome was soundproof, my voice was barely a whisper. “We’re safe.”

  “We’re safe regardless,” Aric said. “I just want to see what they’re doing.”

  “Do you think they’re looking for us?”

  “Who else?”

  He had a point. Still … . “Do you think they’re trying to catch a glimpse of us … doing it? I mean, that’s rude. For them just to assume that we were out here rolling around in the underbrush together is tacky.”

  Aric snorted. “That’s exactly what we were doing.”

  “Yes, but they don’t know that.”

  “Women make absolutely no sense sometimes,” Aric complained, shaking his head. “Now be quiet. I want to hear what they say.”

  Aric and I got comfortable – er, at least as comfortable as we could on the hard ground – and we were rewarded for our patience when Debbie and Claudette barreled through a clump of bushes to our right. They were only about ten feet from the dome, but they clearly didn’t see us because they barely glanced in our direction when they hit the clearing.

  “Do you smell that?” Claudette asked, lifting her nose. “They came through here.”

  “Yes, I smell it,” Debbie said. “But they’re not here now.”

  “Where did they go?” Claudette asked, prowling about with her hands clenched at her sides. “I don’t understand where they disappeared to. I mean … what are they doing out here in the first place?”

  “Given the way Aric was looking at her, I think they’re doing each other.”

  “What?”

  “You know … it,” Debbie said, making an exaggerated face. “He can’t keep his hands off her. He was never that way with you.”

  “That’s because it’s annoying,” Claudette said, her tone haughty. “I think it’s terrible that grown adults would do anything like that. It makes me … .”

  “Jealous?” Debbie asked.

  “Sick to my stomach,” Claudette clarified, her nostrils flaring.

  I patted Aric’s hand as it rested on my thigh. “I don’t find it tacky,” I told him. “I find it adorable.”

  Aric grinned. “Thanks, but I don’t really need a pep talk,” he said. “I recognize what this is, and it makes me queasy.”

  “Me, too,” I intoned. “She’s like your stalker. It’s like Fatal Attraction. Er, wait. The dude in that has an affair first, doesn’t he? Scratch that. You would never cheat on me.”

  “Nope.” Aric bobbed his head in agreement.

  “Especially with her,” I added.

  “Especially with anybody,” Aric said. “I mean … who else can erect a dome that lets us work and play at the same time? I can’t cheat on you. I’d lose out on too many of the fringe benefits.”

  “Ha, ha.” Despite his lame attempt at turning the statement into a joke, I knew he meant it, and rested my head on his shoulder as we continued to spy on the two women.

  “I don’t see why we’re out here,” Debbie complained, tilting her head as she stared into a group of trees.

  “We’re out here because I want to see what they’re doing,” Claudette said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m convinced she cast a spell on him and that’s making him act out of sorts,” Claudette replied. “I mean … why else would he fall in love with her? She’s not special. She can’t do anything of note. She’s not strong, and she’s never given him a son. She’s a complete waste of space.”

  Anger coursed through me, and when I risked a glance at Aric I found his gaze intense as he glared at Claudette.

  “I don’t think she put a spell on him,” Debbie said. “I think he just really likes her.”

  “She’s never given him a son.”

  “I don’t think they care about that,” Debbie said. “Someone said that James explained to one of the council members that they agreed to have only one child – whether it was a boy or a girl – because they were worried about keeping it safe. They had a girl, so that was it.”

  “That makes no sense,” Claudette countered. “There’s nothing special about that kid – well, other than she looks like Aric – so why would anyone want her? She’s completely useless.”

  My temper was about to make an ugly showing. No one attacks my kid. You can say whatever you want about me, but Sami is off limits.

  Instead of agreeing with Claudette, Debbie snorted. “Completely useless? Did you see her shoot that arrow and then explode the target? I don’t think that’s useless.”

  “It was some sort of trick.”

  “I don’t see how,” Debbie said, seemingly oblivious to Claude
tte’s mood. “Sure, she might’ve set the target on fire with magic, but she didn’t use magic to fire the arrow. That was all skill, or at least natural ability.

  “Did you see Aric’s face when she did it, by the way?” she continued. “He seemed surprised. His wife looked impressed and a little happy, but then she seemed worried.”

  “I try not to look at his wife,” Claudette said. “She’s clearly a witch. She’s going to put a spell on me if I’m not careful. I’ll keep one step ahead of her so that doesn’t happen.”

  “I think you’re being ridiculous, but whatever,” Debbie said. “I honestly don’t understand why we’re out here searching for them in the woods. It seems like a waste of time.”

  “It’s not a waste of time,” Claudette argued. “If I can catch that … woman … bewitching him, I might have a chance of convincing Aric that she’s been using him all of this time. Once he knows he’s under a spell, he’ll be able to shake it and leave her and return to the pack.”

  “I see you’ve given this a lot of thought,” Debbie said dryly.

  I shifted my eyes to Aric and found his jaw clenched. “I never put a spell on you.”

  “You put a spell on me the moment we met,” Aric said. “It’s just not the sort of spell they’re talking about. I … I’m sorry, Zoe. You shouldn’t have to put up with this. Drop the dome and let me have a talk with them.”

  That seemed like a really bad idea. “You don’t have to do that. I’m fully capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Yeah? Well, you’re my wife,” Aric said. “I love you. I’m not going to sit and listen to those … bitches … talk bad about you.”

  I pursed my lips. “I don’t need you to protect me. If I drop the dome, I’m going to be the one going after them.”

  “That sounds fun, too,” Aric said, his lips twitching. “I always love a good chick fight. Once you beat them up, you can make another dome and we can play another fun game of our own.”

  “You’re kind of sick.” I giggled despite the tense situation.

  “I can live with that.” Aric kissed the corner of my mouth before turning back to Claudette. Thankfully, she’d pretty much given up her quest to find us.

  “I don’t understand where they went,” Claudette complained. “Their scent is all over this area and then it just disappears. How can that happen? It’s not as if they can fly.”

  “Maybe they can,” Debbie said. “They say that she’s extremely powerful. For all we know, she has the ability to fly.”

  “If I could fly I would totally walk around in a cape all of the time,” I said.

  “You should get the cape anyway,” Aric suggested. “We can use it to embarrass Sami when she has her friends over.”

  “I’ll see what I can find while we’re Halloween shopping this year.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  “I honestly don’t understand this,” Claudette gritted out, stomping her feet. “Where did they go?”

  Debbie never got a chance to answer, because at that moment a shrill scream split the night air.

  “Mom!”

  I recognized the voice right away and I was on my feet, Aric right behind me.

  “Sami,” we whispered in unison.

  I dropped the dome without even thinking, ignoring Debbie and Claudette’s dumbfounded expressions as we blew past them and tore back in the direction of the campground.

  “What the … ?” Claudette sputtered.

  I ignored her, fear squeezing my heart as my mind brushed against Sami’s confusion. She was terrified.

  “Mom! Help me!”

  Eighteen

  “What in the hell just happened?”

  I ignored Claudette’s righteous indignation as she followed us toward the campground. Aric’s legs were longer and he was ahead of me, so it was a struggle to keep up. I thought Sami was with her grandparents, so I was understandably confused when he veered back into the woods instead of racing toward the bonfire circle.

  “Where are you going?”

  “She’s this way,” Aric growled, pushing through some underbrush. He pulled up short when he entered the small clearing. I couldn’t see what was waiting for us until I was at his side. I was dumbfounded when I saw Sami pressed against a tree, her hands glowing red as four wolves closed in on her.

  “Daddy!” Sami was so relieved when she saw Aric I thought she would fall down, but she remained standing.

  The wolves – all in animal form – glanced over their shoulders, teeth bared, when they scented us.

  “What’s going on?” Aric bellowed, squaring his shoulders and extending his arms. He was preparing to shift. He would fight to the death to protect Sami. I had no doubt about that.

  I had another plan of attack. I barreled past them, my hands burning a fierce red, and unloaded on the wolf closest to Sami without uttering a word. The wolf slammed sideways, hitting a tree and yelping as the magical barrage I whipped in its direction crushed its spine. I heard bones snapping from thirty feet away, which is exactly what I wanted.

  “Holy crap!” Claudette and Debbie were still behind us – neither bothering to hide their gasps – but I ignored them.

  The three remaining wolves glanced at each other, something unspoken passing between them. They turned in unison and faced me, snarling and snapping as they advanced. Unfortunately for them, I was in no mood to play games.

  “I have no trouble ending you,” I warned, darkness coursing through me as I flexed my fingers. “I’ll enjoy it.”

  “Zoe, wait,” Aric ordered, his voice low.

  “I’m not waiting,” I snapped. “That’s our child.”

  “And if they move on her, kill them,” Aric said. “I’m not asking you to wait to save them. I’m asking you to wait so we can question them.”

  “We only need one of them for that.”

  “Good point,” Aric said, moving away from me so he could give the wolves a wide berth as he made his way to Sami. “Kill the two black ones. Leave the white one to question.”

  His order was enough to startle the wolves, and the black beasts shrank back as the white one continued forward. I did exactly as he asked, lashing out with my mind and burning the black wolves where they stood. Their coats went up in flames as they howled piteously. The noise didn’t last long, because my fire burned hot enough to end them within seconds.

  Only the white wolf remained, and he didn’t seem nearly as keen to rip out my throat as before. Aric cut off the wolf’s avenue of attack should he turn on Sami again, although he didn’t touch our daughter, given the fact that her hands remained bright red and she could kill him without realizing what she was doing. He merely positioned himself should the wolf be stupid enough to make a run at her.

  “Do you recognize him?” Aric asked.

  It took me a moment to realize he was talking to Claudette and not me.

  Claudette shook her head. “He’s not of this pack.”

  “I thought this was a gathering for your pack,” I said. “Why would another wolf be here?”

  “It shouldn’t be here,” Aric said, casting his eyes toward the first wolf I killed, which had taken on human form. “I don’t recognize this one either.”

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked.

  “Kill it,” Claudette prodded. “Burn him up like you did the others.” She clearly didn’t like me, but she had a bloodthirsty nature and was keen to see more of my magic.

  “Don’t kill him,” Aric barked. “Maim him or something. Blow off a paw.”

  That was an interesting suggestion. “I’ve never done that.”

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t do it,” Aric said, his voice calm as he sent a reassuring smile in Sami’s direction. “We’re here, sweetie. It’s okay.”

  “I want to go home,” Sami whimpered, reaching for him.

  “Sami, no!” I shook my head to stop her before she could touch Aric. “Look at your hands. Put out the flame.”

  “Oh.” Sami
stared at her hands, her eyes filling with tears as she shook them. It took three times for the flames to extinguish, and when they did she looked so relieved I thought my heart might break.

  Aric instantly reached for her, pulling her to him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and sobbed. He held her, rocking back and forth as he murmured something I couldn’t hear. He was trying to soothe her, but I wasn’t sure that was possible given the circumstances. I left Aric to handle Sami while I focused on the wolf.

  “It’s been a long night,” I said. “I’m tired. I have no energy to play games with you. You need to shift and tell us who you are or … I’ll blow your nuts off.”

  The wolf shrank back at the threat as Aric widened his eyes.

  “I said to blow off his paw,” Aric countered.

  “I think he’s more attached to his nuts. He is a wolf, after all.”

  “You have a sick mind, Zoe, but do what you want,” Aric said. “If you blow off his nuts he’ll probably welcome death rather than answer questions, though.”

  That was an interesting observation. “Would you rather live without your hand or your nuts?”

  “I would prefer keeping both,” Aric replied. “Stop messing around. Blow off his paw.”

  I shrugged and lifted my hands, terror flitting through the wolf’s eyes as he tore in the direction of the underbrush to hide. I didn’t get a chance to release the magic, because I saw a blur of movement out of the corner of my eye as Claudette screamed.

  “Look out!”

  I turned as quickly, but it wasn’t fast enough to avoid the blow entirely. A fifth wolf barreled out of the darkness, yellow eyes boring into me as it snapped its jaws and went for my throat. I slapped out with my arm, which turned out to be a mistake because the wolf sank its teeth into the tender flesh of my shoulder, causing me to cry out.

  “Zoe!” Aric moved in my direction, Sami still clinging to him, but my patience was already at its limit before he could reach us.

  I grabbed the sides of the wolf’s head and poured as much of my anger into the animal as possible, grim satisfaction washing over me as it cried out and turned black before collapsing under the weight of its own body. Not even bones remained when I was done, the wolf’s body dissolving into a pile of ash as I fell to the ground to catch my breath.