by Sarah Makela
With the way the call ended, she was pretty sure his boss was okay with him only working half a day at the office. She wished he didn’t have to go in. Having him beside her felt so right, but she knew they couldn’t be together constantly. Besides, she’d be fine here. She wasn’t defenseless.
Kira and she had faced down a pissed off female werewolf on their own. They’d also managed to come out on top of the druid before. Then again, maybe the mating bond with Connor was giving her renewed optimism. She should be more hesitant and cautious, but the happiness within her reigned supreme.
“I’m hate doing this, Angel. I don’t want to lose my job. Usually, John is fine with this kind of thing, but there’s a lot riding on nailing the upcoming meeting with the clients.” He sighed, hanging his head. “I have to go in, but I promise you I won’t be gone long.”
“No worries. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Stay inside and—”
“Really? We’ve had this conversation before.” Waves of anger and concern crashed against her. He wasn’t happy with going in, but they had to do what they had to do. If he refused to go in, he could lose his job. They both knew that. “Just go. I’ll keep the doors locked. Besides, if I stay inside, I’ll be fine. Mahon has just watched me so far.”
From the pained look he gave her, she knew she should’ve stopped talking at locking the doors. “Tell that to Ravenna. Somehow I think he’s done watching, but I hope I’m wrong. I’ll call Dave and ask him to come by.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? He’s probably out looking for Ravenna. You’re not going to be gone for very long.” She pressed a kiss to his lips. “Maybe we’re worrying too much.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He held her close. “Just stay safe.”
Chapter Sixteen
Mahon had watched the werewolf leave. The man looked pissed, and he’d scanned the neighborhood around Angelique’s home thoroughly before hopping into his fancy sports car and driving off. No other cars were in the driveway, not even hers. Yet she’d waved and closed the door behind him.
This has to be a trap. A way to get the raven girl back.
Most of the windows were shut, so he couldn’t tell if more people were inside. However, he crouched in the shadows for over forty-five minutes. There was zero activity.
He closed his eyes, focusing his power on the house. Aside from the girl, he didn’t feel any other magical presence. However, something had changed about the girl. He couldn’t be sure what though. She felt different from before.
The raven cawed at the brief touch. Its claws clenched on Mahon’s back, and he balled his hands into fists, internalizing the pain.
Last night had been agonizing, but the raven slowly subdued in his skin. Yet the more Mahon grew used to the bird, the more restless he felt. He wanted more. He’d thought about leaving now that the raven was under his control, but his thirst for power and revenge silenced the voices in his head. Now that he’d successfully completed the ritual once, he’d do so again.
Since he doubted this was a trap, he didn’t think she’d walk outside and into his arms. Time was of the essence. There was no telling when the werewolf or one of his friends would come around. If he didn’t strike soon, he might miss his opportunity.
He pulled his car into her back alley, parking a few houses away. That way he could break in and easily carry her to the car without having too many witnesses.
Stepping out of the car, the trees acknowledged his magic, their branches softly humming in the wind. Tension lifted from his shoulders as he drew in a breath of air. The raven flapped its wings, not happy with their task, but its struggles grew weaker the longer he possessed it.
Mahon sprinted through the backyard, keeping low to remain unseen. As he closed in on the house, he saw her rummaging through the closet in her bedroom. Her back faced him, but she stood up straighter, her body stiffening.
He threw himself behind a large bush seconds before Angelique whirled around to face the window. The plant reached for him, cloaking him against her sight. His breath hissed between his teeth. That had been too close. However, he was good at hiding in nature.
She narrowed her eyes and stayed there watching the yard a moment. Almost as if she expected something to happen. Smart girl.
Soon she’d be like her friend. He couldn’t wait to have her pinned beneath his blade as he took from her what he’d longed for. What she owed him, especially after having him fight that damn werewolf.
Scars still scored his torso from the encounter. His magic hadn’t helped much to speed up the healing. Probably because it had been inundated with trauma.
But he wasn’t content until he could take her and her werewolf. Thoughts of revenge sweetened his day. Losing her would hurt the wolf. However, he wouldn’t stop there. As the wolf had impudence to permanently scar him, he’d return the favor. Having a pelt to change him into a wolf would be nice to have every once in a while.
Why always be in bear form? Besides, he liked wolves. Their swift speed and deadly arsenal of teeth almost made him jealous.
While he savored the idea, he shifted his focus back to Angelique. Now wasn’t the time to get sucked up into bloody daydreams. He’d only achieve his desires after he worked for them.
Through the window, she shook her head and turned back to the closet.
Now. This is my chance.
Mahon raced to the back door, just out of view. He placed his hand on it, relieved to find it was wooden. Although, after their meeting at the hotel, he would’ve thought she might wise up. Instead, she gave him an advantage.
He forced his magic into the door, draining away the wood’s life, decaying it until it buckled under its own weight. While he could kick it down for effect, he’d already done that, and he knew she wasn’t behind the door quivering with fear. He needed to surprise her, or she could try to run like the raven girl. Running hadn’t helped her, but Angelique knew this area better than him. He refused to take chances.
Mahon caught the doorknob before it hit the ground. He inched in her direction, careful not to make much noise. While he had what he needed with the other girl, he wanted the black panther from Angelique, and he knew how to do it too. The thought brought a smile to his lips. This time she’d cooperate with him.
The only thing he didn’t like was how the raven girl had ended up. Instead of dying, she cried constantly like a child and just rocked herself. She wasn’t an immediate threat, just too fragile. Once he finished with Angelique, he’d probably kill them, and not because he wanted to. If left in that weakened state, they’d end up dying in a worse way than what he’d planned.
Besides, he could figure out some spell he needed to do. Having two girls to satisfy any sacrificial requirements, he’d be set. Always clean up after your mess.
He turned to step into her hallway, but the sound of her voice approaching his position held him in place.
“Kira, relax. If you claw me one more time, I’ll make you take a nap.” She sighed. “If you want to be helpful, I wouldn’t mind help finding my phone charger.” She walked by with an armful of clothes, not noticing him.
Her scent brought back the bitter memory of failure, but he fought it down. This time there was no room for mistakes. He already had proof that his powers were more than capable of capturing and taming one of the magical tattoos. If he didn’t strike now, he’d lose his advantage.
The black leopard snarled, closing off with a loud hiss. She spun to face him, but he smashed his fist into her face, knocking her to the floor. The clothes lay scattered on the floor around her. Her breath came out in harsh pants, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “I knew I felt something was wrong. You bastard.” She scuttled away from him on her hands and feet.
Good, still alive. “Make it easy on yourself. I’m sure you remember the words. Say ‘I freely give you my power.’ If you do, I’ll walk out that door and never bother you again.”
Halting her retreat, she stared at him as i
f carefully considering his words. With her, he could never be sure if she was trying to trick him whereas the raven girl had been almost naïve.
Seconds ticked by, but she didn’t reply.
Mahon launched himself at her, taking the girl by surprise. Once again, he punched her in the face, knocking her out this time. He hefted her over his shoulder then hurried back to his car. Finally, he’d claim his true prize. He would succeed where he’d been previously denied.
After dumping her into the trunk, he drove back to his motel. The roads had little traffic, and Angelique didn’t make much noise. His hands shook with adrenaline. If he didn’t calm down, he’d never keep it together long enough to complete the ritual.
Taking a few deep breaths at a red light, he focused on the woman’s energy. Her magic pulsed steadily, proving she was still alive and well.
Back at the motel, he waited around until the few people that were around either went to their rooms or left the parking lot. Trying to sneak around in broad daylight was bloody harder to camouflage nighttime or a thick, lush green environment.
All he needed to do was focus on the prize. This was almost over. It would be worth the trouble.
When he opened the door, the raven girl was no longer on the bed. He cursed, dropping her to the bed. His gaze caught her on the floor in the corner away from the bed rocking herself and whimpering.
The raven girl was still captured in her own broken world without any signs of recovery. If they were strong enough to carry the pets, they should easily be able to deal with the loss of them. Instead, they were left broken, like weaklings.
He sighed, not liking that one bit. While he wanted to think about what to do with her, he would have to wait until he was done. Right now, he was too close to fail. He needed to make sure he wasn’t interrupted like last time.
* * *
Fear and pain stirred within him. Connor ran up Angelique’s sidewalk, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. The front door was shut. There weren’t signs of tire tread marks. However, the feelings stirring within him had him running out the office at the first hint of trouble.
While he enjoyed his job, he loved her. She came first. He unlocked the front door, not bothering to knock. She wasn’t here. He couldn’t sense her presence. Blood drops stained the living room floor, and he raced through the house to see the backdoor a rotted mess.
Please, no. She couldn’t have been taken. Not from where he should’ve been to protect her. His blood boiled with anger. Yet again, he’d screwed up.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Dave first, but Dave didn’t answer. There was only one other person he’d be able to ask for help, and that person was the one he didn’t want to ask more than anything. Damn it.
He punched in Lowell’s number. What would his Alpha say about him screwing up his one opportunity for having his chosen mate? However, this was his only choice.
Lowell answered on the first ring. “Connor. What’s wrong?”
His throat tightened around the words. He was reliving his worst nightmare. The words cracked his voice. “She’s…gone. He broke into the house and took her.”
“Your mate? Shit. Any idea where she was taken?” Lowell sounded frustrated with him. That alone was odd enough to snap him out of the intensity of his feelings. Perhaps his Alpha actually tolerated the mate he’d chose.
“No, I have no idea where she could be. There’s a few drops of her blood trailing from the house.” He sighed. “I don’t want to lose her. Not when I’ve finally set my claim on her.”
Lowell cleared his throat. “We’ll find her. You’ve gotten this close. She’s an unofficial part of the Pack now. I won’t hold you back from getting your mate back. You’ve always been good to the Pack. I won’t let that history be overlooked.” Through the line he heard movement and low voices in the background. “I’ll have some of the Pack’s best trackers there soon. They’ve vastly narrowed down the list of hotels in the area. No luck yet, but they could find some new scents there to help them. Keep me informed if anything new happens. Got it?”
“Got it.” He shoved his phone back in his pocket. Thankfully, the conversation had gone a lot better than he’d anticipated. He didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened. And he wouldn’t have to, if everything worked out.
He sat on the porch steps, uncaring of the dirt he might get on his suit. When the trackers came, he wanted to be right there. He wanted her back. The alternative would be dangerous for everyone.
He sucked in a deep breath and steeled his spine. He’d be strong for her because he couldn’t allow himself this weakness. Not in front of the Pack, not when he was a dominant.
Never mind the fact they shared a magical bond that shared their emotions. If he could feel her distress, then she could sense his too. That wasn’t okay. She was going through enough without him adding to it.
Once he calmed down, he tried focusing in on their bond. The only things he picked up were the sound of a large, loud engine in the distance and Kira’s feral edge.
The werewolf trackers pulled into Angelique’s driveway less than ten minutes later.
“Hey, Connor, I’m sorry to hear about this happening to your mate. We’ll make sure she’s found.” One of them, a petite female smiled at him. “We’ve been following our noses and chasing every lead. We’re close. I feel it.” She glanced around at their surroundings before kneeling on her hands and knees. She held her nose just above the ground, sniffing as she crawled up the sidewalk. He only hoped the neighbors weren’t looking because this was beginning to look quite suspicious.
The other tracker, Ted, was a tall male who looked like a bouncer. “Don’t worry, Connor. It’ll be all right.”
“I know.” He nodded. “I’d like to go with you guys. I have to see this through.”
Ted opened his mouth to protest, his eyes narrowed, but the female smiled up at them. “You can tag along. Besides, if we do find her and if this guy’s as tough as you said he is, we’ll need all the help we can get.”
“Fine. Jo’s right. We might need you, and it’s your girl.” Ted cringed and shook his head. “Just try not to trash the motel room as badly this time.”
Connor blinked at him, stunned by the absurdity of the comment. Out of the three, he outranked Jo and Ted who watched him closely. He threw his head back, laughing. Needing any humor he could get.
However, he knew Ted wasn’t thrilled with having someone else along for the ride. Hell, he could relate. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t be tagging along with them to find the love of his life. He’d be the one to find Angelique and Ravenna.
But it wasn’t up to him. He followed Jo and Ted while Jo sniffed out the scene, taking her time in the house and then in the backyard. He didn’t have to be on his hands and knees to smell the druid’s scent. The man exuded power like a bad aftershave.
Something about his magical scent was different. Something he couldn’t quite place.
“Any luck?” he asked as Jo climbed to her feet.
“I know what happened here, but I can’t say it gave me much in terms of trying to find her. There could be more of a nature tone to his scent.” Jo rolled her neck, then she kneaded the muscles there. “We know for sure he’s not in a heavily populated area. That leaves us a few potential options.”
“Rules out downtown,” Ted added. “But then we’d had our doubts about that one. He wouldn’t go to somewhere that urban, not with his M.O. He’s more of an outdoorsy type, right?”
Outdoorsy was a vast understatement.
“If you’re trying to say he’s in a cabin in the middle of the woods, I don’t think so.” Connor warred with whether to tell what he’d experienced through the mating bond. “He’s still in the city, but he’s in the outskirts for sure.”
Jo and Ted frowned at each other, then Jo narrowed her eyes at him. “So you were holding back information from us? I thought you wanted to find your mate.”
He shook his head. “I’m not
holding back. I just had no idea if my thought was relevant until now. While I was waiting, I sensed through the mating bond an engine’s roar. At first, I shoved it aside, not thinking it could help. Maybe it was the sound of a passing car, but I know that sound now.” He jogged toward the blue sedan they’d arrived in, only stopping when he realized they weren’t following. “She’s somewhere in the vicinity of the airport.”
Ted gently punched Jo in the shoulder. “What did I say? I told you that’s the first place we should check, but you just haven’t learned to listen to my wisdom yet.”
She rolled her eyes. “Wisdom? Right. I’ll try to remember when you’re trying to find the ketchup sitting on the shelf in front of your face. Men.”
“Let’s get going. There’s only about a dozen hotels in that area.” Ted unlocked the car using the remote. “Perhaps you could use your bond to further hone in on her location.”
He sank into the passenger seat. “I’ll try my damnedest.”
Chapter Seventeen
Heart wrenching sobs woke Angelique out of a deep sleep. These weren’t normal tears. They were as if someone’s life had been shattered, and they weren’t whole anymore. The crying didn’t follow a pace of any kind. It had erratic pauses and breaks, until continuing suddenly with renewed vigor.
She hoped she was reading into it because she didn’t want to have her suspicions confirmed. She didn’t want to know that Mahon had done something to poor Ravenna. But then again if he had, she’d be dead right?
Maybe things weren’t as bad as she thought. Maybe Ravenna sobbed because she was in a lot of pain, not broken. That could definitely be it. Yet part of her felt like she was fooling herself. The thought of handing Kira over was interrupted by a deep, resounding denial. Kira was part of her, and their relationship together, while not perfect, was like family.
Rough hands gripped Angelique, and she nearly screamed. Ropes encircled her wrists, and she thrashed against the restraints. She didn’t want Mahon to get what he hadn’t gotten last time. This time, she doubted he’d be as nice. He’d watch her more carefully and be less likely to give her any chances.
