“See, that’s what bothers me.” Ryder stalked around Timber, pulling back his shoulders in a way that was meant to intimidate. “I know she just left. I can still smell her scent on you.”
The tension coiling inside Timber unraveled with a crack. “Fucking prick.” Timber grabbed Ryder by the throat and rammed him against the wall. Cabinets shook, shelves rattled. “You don’t know when to quit, do you? You could’ve had everything in the main pack, Ryder. You were only a few positions below the Alpha. You could’ve had control over the young pack mates, teaching and training them to be better wolves. But no.” As the words tumbled out of his mouth, unfiltered and teeming with rage, Timber’s arms twitched. He banged Ryder’s head against the stone wall to relieve more pressure. “You have to be a greedy son of a bitch and go after everything. You really think our Alpha is going to give you property in Were Mountain just for turning over the Mer stone?”
Ryder just smiled, his lips pulling back into a devilish grin. “I think our Alpha is so desperate to keep peace, that she’ll do anything to return the stone to the mermaids.”
No refuting Timber’s words. No denying his mission. Ryder really was going to steal the Mer stone and use it for his own foolish gain.
“What the hell are you thinking, dragging the rogue pack into this mess?” Timber sensed something, or someone, right outside the wood-slatted door—the one that led back to the edge of Were Mountain. He was too distracted by fury to know if it was Marian or Sapphric. He spoke quickly. “There are some decent Weres in the rogue pack who don’t deserve—”
“Decent Weres like my brother?” Ryder spat.
Timber’s gut twisted. “There was more going on with your brother than you knew.”
“Don’t talk like you knew him better.” With a hard-hitting swing of his arms, Ryder jerked himself free from Timber’s grasp. “You don’t know shit about my brother or what he deserved.”
“If you think your brother would want you to steal the Mer stone and use it to get the upper hand against wolves in the main pack, then yes, I did know him better.” Timber shuffled his feet so that the moment Ryder struck, Timber could knee him where he was most vulnerable. “The only reason Rison was in the rogue pack was to keep an eye on you, to make sure you didn’t do anything royally stupid.”
“Release your grip, Timber, or lose your hand.”
“I’d like to see you try that,” Timber gritted through clenched teeth. “Someone’s got to get through to you before you make a bigger mess of things. Rison defected from the main pack to make sure you wouldn’t get yourself killed. But he stayed with you, on the southern edge of the isle, because he fell in love with a mermaid.”
“Lies!”
With a flash of movement Timber barely registered, Ryder drew back, then snapped his neck forward. The hard ridge of his forehead clashed into Timber’s own, causing stars to dance before his eyes. Reacting without sight, Timber crouched and rained drumming blows against Ryder’s sides. If his Delta couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t fight.
Instead of hitting back, Ryder shook, trembled, his sides expanding against Timber’s fists. Muscles exploded from his torso and charcoal-tinted fur blanketed his body. His wolf form was huge, all snarling gums, razor-sharp canines and a daunting frame. Timber backed away, feeling his own skin tremble, anticipating the coming shift.
Timber roared as the pressure building inside him released into a wave of bursting muscle and sinew. His jaw expanded, his teeth stretched and his nose elongated. Tendons widened and strength surged through him. Snarling, Timber fell to all fours and let the last effects of the shift soar through him. Keeping a keen eye on Ryder, Timber shook his inky-colored coat, feeling like he was stretching out his legs after being cramped for too long.
If this was what Ryder wanted—a fight with one of his own wolves—then so be it.
He couldn’t stand idly by and watch Ryder steal the Merfolk’s most valuable possession.
Ryder attacked, fangs bared, aiming to take a chunk out of Timber’s neck. But Timber saw the attack coming as if it were in slow motion. Bowing his head, Timber ducked out of the way and reached out, clawing his talon-like nails along Ryder’s side. Ryder landed with a howl, his side bleeding through five deceptively deep scratches.
You’ll pay for that, Ryder said, projecting his thoughts. The process of speaking through their minds was the way that the pack communicated while in wolf form. In Ryder’s case, it was the way he degraded them.
How would you like me to pay? Timber lifted his paw, and watched in morbid indulgence as Ryder’s blood dripped from the tips of his claws. Do you take cash, credit...or blood?
Gums pulled back into a sneer, Ryder paced around Timber in a circle, back hunched, paws hitting the floor like anvils. Timber matched Ryder move for move, inch for inch. When Ryder snapped, Timber reacted, dodging, then swiping his paw against Ryder’s muzzle.
Timber could sense anger mounting in Ryder, could feel his unchecked fury begin to whip through him.
You think you’ve got the upper hand, loverboy? You think you’ve got me on my hind legs because you’re faster, or can sense a strike coming? Even Ryder’s thoughts had the tone of a snarl. Bet you don’t know that your precious mermaid swam back to her colony to report we’re going to steal their stone. Bet you didn’t know she’s going to rat you out the way she did two years ago.
Couldn’t be. Yet Ryder’s thoughts had a ring of truth to them. Where was Marian? Why couldn’t Timber sense her anywhere? Now that he was in wolf form, he could sense the unmistakable odor of an aging male outside the door. Not a woman. Definitely not Marian.
Liar. Timber let the floodgates holding back his thoughts swing wide open. If you knew she was going back to her colony, you wouldn’t be here asking me where to find her.
Ryder’s gums pulled back into what looked like a twisted smile. Before I killed the old man, he told me about you and the mermaid. He told me that she left you cold and alone this morning to run back to her Emperor.
Sapphric, Timber thought. What did you do?
But then I thought, if that crazy healer knew Marian’s plan and let her leave, anyway, how could I trust him? Ryder lunged, leaped, snapping for Timber’s side. He missed, but continued to pace around Timber like a caged animal. I had to cover all my bases, had to know if you were hiding her from me. You’re dumb as a rock, you know that? You let a mermaid seduce you into bed, let her get all kinds of valuable information from you, then let her walk out while you slept!
Timber couldn’t get his thoughts to connect. They raced all over the place, from Marian in bed, curled up in his arms, to the empty spot he’d skimmed his hand over this morning. His mind tracked back to his talk with Sapphric, how Marian had been there all along, unconscious in bed. She must not have been unconscious after all. His thoughts were laced with concern for the old man and tangled in a web of anger over Marian and her betrayal.
This time, he couldn’t misinterpret the situation.
Marian had gotten everything she needed, slept with him, then took off back to her Emperor.
Son of a bitch. How could he have been so stupid?
As a member of my pack, you’re with me, guts or glory, Ryder interjected into Timber’s thoughts as he stopped pacing and towered over him.
Damn the debt he owed Ryder! Rison’s death wasn’t Timber’s fault, but it wasn’t like Ryder was going to listen to reason. He never had. The fact that Rison was sleeping with a mermaid and fooling around near the cliffs didn’t change the fact that Timber should’ve been paying closer attention. He should’ve never let Rison get that close to the edge. He should’ve...
You should’ve done everything in your power to bring my brother back in one piece. Ryder raised his furry chin higher, giving off an air of dominance that reeked, burning Timber’s nostrils. You know the cost, Timber. Until you repay the life that was lost, you are a pack mate of the rogue pack, and as such, you will take the fall—or the glory—with us. Unless we ge
t to the stone before your mermaid does or stop her before she can squeal, all will be lost. I could use your expertise as lookout while I dive down to their trove. I’ve found a handful of chips from the blasting—just enough to share them and dive down and back. So...what do you say?
Timber sucked in a deep breath. Warm air reverberated through his muscles and down to his toes.
Marian had betrayed him. The thought tore through his stomach and wrenched on his heart. But he couldn’t deny what he felt when he was with her, when she was wrapped up in his arms.
He loved her.
Whether he was going to forgive Marian’s betrayal or not—hell if he could think about that when Ryder was posturing in front of him—Timber had to stop Ryder from getting the stone. He couldn’t let the main pack suffer because of one rogue wolf’s greed and stupidity.
Readying himself for the coming fight, Timber stretched tall. His gums lifted, exposing his tingling fangs. A debt is a debt, Ryder, and I swear to you that I’ll be a part of this pack until you release me. But I won’t let you steal the Mer stone without a fight.
As Ryder growled, Timber lurched forward and attacked, biting into Ryder’s neck. He thrashed, trying to dislodge Timber’s fangs. He shook his massive body, flailing muscle and limb. They careened into the wall. Slammed into one another. When Ryder shook free from Timber’s hold, he took a single swipe of his claw to Timber’s nose, then bolted out the opening behind them that led to the edge of the mountain. Timber trailed, but as he burst out of the opening, he tripped.
Sapphric was curled up on the ground, bleeding through a gash in his neck. He was breathing, barely holding on to the thread of life.
Timber howled, a deafening war cry meant for Ryder to hear as he bounded away.
Shifting back to human form, Timber instinctively knew why Ryder bolted out the entrance and into the cloak of night: if they’d continued their fight, Ryder might’ve lost, but there was no way Timber would turn his back on Sapphric, who was weak and dying at his feet.
For now, he had to let Ryder go.
“It’s all right, Sapphric, I’ve got you now.” Timber carried the healer into his den and set him on a wobbly table in the corner. He sifted through cabinets, unsure what the devil he was looking for, and came out with a roll of gauze and an unopened bottle of water. “I’m gonna fix you right up.”
Sapphric groaned as Timber wet the gauze and dabbed it against the gaping wound. Making an irritated grunt, Sapphric swiped Timber’s hand away and pointed to the shelf on the far wall. His arm drooped off the table, revealing a large pool of blood on his chest.
The old man was losing too much blood and wouldn’t last long. But there had to be something here, some sort of magic concoction that could stop the bleeding, heal the wound and save him.
Moving quickly, Timber sifted through the bottles on the shelf. “There are too many. Which one do you need?”
“Black for me,” Sapphric groaned. “Silver for you.”
Thinking of nothing but saving Sapphric, Timber snatched the lone black vial on the shelf. Popping the top, Timber brought it to Sapphric’s mouth, and let the yellowish liquid gather on his lips before it finally seeped in. How long would he have to wait, watching over Sapphric while he healed, before he could leave and warn Marian that Ryder was coming for her and the stone?
“How long?” Timber asked, leaning over Sapphric, watching his skin pale. “How long until the serum heals you?”
“Won’t heal me.” Sapphric sputtered the words, and seemed to choke on his tongue. “Will...end suffering.”
Timber gasped, ripping the vile away from the old man’s lips. “Sapphric, no!”
“You and she,” he whispered, his voice fading in and out. “You take the silver vial...use it to go down and breathe. I’ve been working on it for years...in secret. You...” He gasped for air. “...need it now. Bring her back. You and she come back. Live...here.” As the final word left his lips, Sapphric’s body went limp. His lips parted, the hint of the serum still lingering upon them. He expended his final breath, leaving Timber reeling.
If he hadn’t come here seeking Sapphric’s help, none of this would have happened. He couldn’t even fathom taking Sapphric up on his offer to bring Marian back here and live together. Not now, not when thoughts of Marian’s betrayal tainted every other thought in his head.
The silence of the antechamber was heavy and stifling—a noose tightening around Timber’s neck. But he had a job to do. A new mission: he’d have to stop Ryder from stealing the Mer stone. He couldn’t turn his back on Marian and her Mer colony. And no matter what happened beneath the waves, he couldn’t fail.
Chapter Nine
She’d been traipsing along the perilous edge of Were Mountain for over an hour, judging by the way the sun had skid across the sky. She should’ve been to her territory by now. But every time she thought she would turn a corner and spot the majestic waterfalls surrounding Mermaid Bay, she spotted more ridges of bleak, gray rock.
To make matters worse, Marian could sense someone behind her—a wolf, from the smell of him. He was closing in with each passing step. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, stop to figure out if it was Timber. She couldn’t afford a slipup when she was this close to her territory. What if she was wrong and someone else had caught scent of her trail?
She’d lead the wolf into the heart of their territory and reveal all their secrets.
As the moss-covered trail ended, fading from dirt to rock, Marian breathed deep. Using her hands to steady herself, Marian stepped over the stone, her bare feet cold against its unforgiving surface. Climbing to a higher point, she peeked over a large boulder and froze, tears stinging her eyes.
Home.
Mermaid Bay was huge, a few hundred yards long with matching width, surrounded by chunky rock that rose up out of the sea. It was impossibly deep, giving credence to Mer legend that eons ago, a meteor had crashed into Feralon, carving a massive hole out of this side of the isle. The seawater was turquoise, rippling with golden specks of sunshine, making Marian long to slice through it and feel the silky warm waves on her skin. As if the sight of her homeland couldn’t be more breathtaking, magnificent waterfalls covered three-quarters of the rock ring that circled the bay, leaving one rock wall on the far western edge that blocked the view of a grainy, pebbled beach.
It was paradise.
She’d only been gone a few days, but it’d felt like so much longer. She’d missed this place so much.
A branch cracked somewhere over the ridge behind her. Maneuvering across the rock, so that nothing but her toes teetered over the edge, Marian craned her neck around and searched behind her. An ashy-gray wolf slinked over the stone, crouching his massive body so that he was nearly flat. The wolf had caught up to her and he definitely wasn’t Timber. Something inside Marian—a sixth sense she’d never felt before—warned that the wolf was Ryder.
As their gazes collided, Marian knew he was about to attack. Another second, a reactionary leap, and he’d be on her. Sucking in a sharp breath, Marian sprang off the ledge.
The wind cut through her hair and rushed across her skin, meshing with the sea spray that kicked off the waterfall. She spread her arms wide, chin lifted high, her back arching to form a perfect swan dive. Marian’s heart thumped wildly as she anticipated the glorious feel of the water enveloping her body.
She was close. So close. Another twenty feet...ten.
Mist from the waterfall coated her skin, soaking her through and through as the bay closed in. Seconds before she hit the water, she thrust her arms over her head, kept her chin down, and rippled her feet in a swift kicking motion. From the hip down, her skin flattened to scales as blue as the sky. Her pants ripped down the middle as her legs meshed together and her tail fin unfurled.
She hit the water like a rocket and seamlessly soared below the waves as the shirt covering the upper half of her body tore away. The water was as tepid as she expected; she sighed as it blanketed her body in welcoming w
armth.
Marian continued to dive, and when she approached twenty meters, her tail fin kicking hard, propelling her onward, she came to the Curtain. Layers of water waved and shook like an iridescent flag, preventing anyone from seeing the enchanted world that lay beyond it. Acting like a mirror, the Curtain reflected the upper part of the sea in all its brilliance—including its wavering colors of violet, azure and emerald.
Beyond the Curtain lay sanctuary for the Mer people.
If she waved her hands in front of her, Marian would watch the Curtain part. If she swam through, a tiny antechamber would seal her in and the sea would drain out. She would be able to shift back to Mer form and walk into the Emperor’s temple. They lived in an enchanted bubble with a sheer, undulating surface and deep chasms around its sides. With water above them and all around the sides of their world, they were completely protected from the dragons and werewolves on the isle. Twenty meters below the surface, there was air. There was talking and walking and normalcy that other shifters didn’t expect. Though her people were Mer, it didn’t mean they had to live as mermaids one hundred percent of the time. It simply meant they could shift if they wanted or needed to.
She should’ve passed through the Curtain and gone straight to her Emperor to report what Ryder and his rogue pack planned to do. It was the sole reason she’d rushed back home.
Why, then was she hesitating? Why were her thoughts dwelling on Timber and the sincerity of his words?
He’d take the fall with Ryder and the rogue pack.
She’d never see him again.
Guilt wrenched Marian’s stomach, twisting and tightening until she felt ill. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t betray him. There had to be another option—a way to protect the stone and have Ryder take the fall for the plot, while keeping Timber out of it.
Acting on impulse, Marian changed course and veered right along the uneven edge of Were Mountain, swimming parallel to the Curtain without passing through it. Marian swam as fast as she could, cutting through the water with fluid ease. When she reached the far edge of the bay, she dived straight down, shadowing the rock wall. The chasm ran deep, leading her down, down, down, into the dark. It was a good thing the bubble they lived in—though she’d hardly call a massive colony housing hundreds of mermaids a bubble—had opaque sides. The chasm was deep and private, allowing Marian to swim into its depths without being seen.
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