Awareness came in flashes, like a beacon calling him. Mayhem craned his head, eyes blurry, his wounds healing slowly, still seeping blood. His pack was alive—he felt them, their voices in his head. Calming. Slowly.
What they had done. Consuming a beast. Mayhem had risen. I am king now.
He sent that thought out to the pack. They blasted back their loyalty, their love.
He pushed himself up, pain ripping through him. The ground was littered with gore, blood, body parts, the dead yellow eyes of the king of beasts.
“I am king now.” The chant grew in his head, base instinct making him roar his triumph. “I am king now!”
And when he saw his pack, bowed before him, on bended knee, he roared again. “Mine.” They each stood, came one after another, bared their throats, and took his bite again.
Ownership. Possession. Control.
“We go through the portal.” He ordered using the mental link. The hive mind. “We take what’s ours.”
“Mayhem,” Dy said, his eyes flashing a warning. “Take heed. Remember.”
Mayhem pushed past them, moving quickly to the portal that enticed him and the thread of the one he wanted above all others. Mine. His mate. She needed claiming.
The portal shimmered, clear of any other beasts. He could hear the rumbling of his pack behind him. Dy’s voice in his head. Pleading…for what? Calm? Balance. He was the king of beasts. He would take what was his.
The thread connecting him to Hannah pulsed with terror. My mate.
He charged the portal, diving through to find a beast at Hannah’s throat.
And all he felt was rage.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The beast’s fangs actually touched her skin, scrapping along her jugular then suddenly just disappeared. She blinked away her fear, to see more beasts. Massive ones. Ones she knew.
“Mayhem!” Hannah screamed.
He was covered in gore, a huge gash down his side where fur had been ripped out, but he was alive. Alive and pissed. The beast who attacked her was no match. Mayhem had him by the throat, shaking him like he was nothing more than a scarecrow. Holding the beast out with one hand, Mayhem clawed it down the middle, opening the beast up so its guts dropped out. Hannah would have to finish it off. She felt for her blade on her waist, fingers curled over the hilt when Mayhem nailed her with his wild eyes.
“Mine,” he growled before tossing the broken body of the beast behind him, into the portal where it disappeared in a flash. He came toward her, fangs bared.
She backed up, hit the tree then closed her eyes. Mayhem’s ferocity licked at her awareness. She wanted to take hold of it, ease it down, and calm him.
“No, Hannah. Not this time,” Mayhem roared inside her head.
She opened her eyes, yanking the blade at her waist in the same moment and angled it at Mayhem’s throat just as he came at her.
“Not going to happen, May,” she hissed, her eyes locked on his. There was conflict there. Animal need for possession, anger at being denied. Calculating, always calculating. She pressed the knife against his flesh then focused on those colors. Reds, yellows, angry colors. Passionate colors, ready to explode. He was riding high on aggression, wanting to take power over what belonged to him.
But she belonged to no one. Whatever she did, she did because she wanted to.
She was a Huntress.
“No, Mayhem,” she whispered as she pushed back on those emotions, letting her own anger fuel her power as she reached into the calm she knew was there—the blue that was so faint, white, even black, deleting the red, blanking it out, stoking what needed to be stoked—all the while staring into Mayhem’s eyes.
They were frozen, locked in, warring, but her powers were stronger like this, when she could take what was around her. The calm forest, the sway of the trees produced their own energy, and she pulled from that as well, took it to build her wave against Mayhem.
“Come back to me, Mayhem.” She pushed her magic out, covered Mayhem with it, a blanketing calm, dosing the flame of his passion, giving his mind a chance to reclaim control.
His grip on her arms lessened, his eyes became less frenzied. He huffed out short breaths. She slowly let her knife drop from his neck, holding it tightly in her hand as she shifted her arm to the side. Mayhem blinked, then stepped back from her.
“Hands off, Mayhem!” Aubrey came up from behind, jumping on Mayhem’s back with her knife at his throat, threatening to reignite the flame.
“No, Bree!” Hannah shouted, her panic rising as she flicked her gaze to Mayhem’s.
He was frozen, teeth bared in a snarl, his eyes warring as his body vibrated, anger rising once again.
“He’s back, Bree. Stand down.” Hannah tried to keep her voice steady.
Aubrey pulled her knife away. “Aww, shit, sorry, May.” She jumped off his back. “Where’s Jay?”
“Better you stay over here for now.” Mayhem nodded behind him. “They need some of Hannah’s magic.”
Hannah nodded, shifted her power out, let it roll like water cascading through an empty streambed, filling the nooks and crannies, touching everything as it flowed. Jay was at the foot of the portal, on hands and knees. Dy had his head locked between massive forearm and biceps, keeping him down. All of them were crazed to varying degrees. All of them battling their own demons, the need to go feral, to give in to their beasts completely. But Jay was having the worst time with it. Hannah could feel his battle as she covered them with her magic. Both shuddered as her powers touched them, easing away the tension with each heartbeat.
Someone screamed. Hannah whipped her head around to see Raven looming over Summer, his glare set on Darcy. Hannah didn’t need her powers to feel the possession in that stare. He wanted his mate and he’d end up ripping her apart.
“Darcy.” Mayhem bolted toward the women, both she and Greer locked in the trance of their spell as they tried to close the portal.
Raven knocked Summer down. She hit the ground. A growl came from Dy, who jumped off Jay and raced toward them. Hannah saw a bloodbath in the making. She refocused on her spell, pulling from whatever was around, borrowing anything that she could to douse the anger, the animalistic urges. She pushed it out, directing it at the boys, pummeling them with everything she had.
Raven and Mayhem went flying back, landing with a thud against the ground. Raven was up again fast, jumping to his feet, intent on getting to his mate. Hannah needed to get in front of him. She raced to them, jumping over Dy, getting herself between Raven and Darcy.
Raven was a towering monster above, fangs bared, claws up, ready to strike.
“Get out of my way,” he roared.
“No!” Hannah lifted her hands and swooped them together like she was collecting an armful of air. The colors she’d pulled, the ones that were layered around her, came at her calling, circling like a mini twister as she pushed out and around, creating a bubble of protection. Raven swiped down with his deadly claws, but couldn’t penetrate.
“Darcy, Greer, if you can hear me, close the damn portal now!” Hannah screamed.
She snapped her eyes to Raven’s thigh, where Summer suddenly appeared, blade in hand. She sank it in deep. Raven howled, swiping down to knock Summer back just as Dy took him down, pinning him to the ground. Raven, hitting dirt, sent out a plump of dust. Summer scrambled to his side, etching something on Raven quickly and then he seemed to…
Fall asleep.
She smirked up at Hannah. “Something Morgan taught me. He’ll be out for a bit.”
The woods echoed wolfie howls, screams, angry ones, coming from the others battling out there. More beasts poured out of the portal, shaking off the death, awareness of where they were dawning slowly. Dozens of them. Their footfalls on the earth making Hannah shudder.
Outnumbered, overwhelmed. Not even her powers would stop the war.
Dy jumped up. Jay came with Aubrey, his clawed hand in her hair, like he was trying to caress her.
Hannah helped Summer rise, standing shoulder to shoulder, weapons raised. Protect Greer and Darcy, keep the spell going. The only way to stem the flow of beasts was if the portal closed for good.
Mayhem gave her a crooked beastly smile. “You stay alive.”
“You too,” she said before lifting her bow.
Mayhem, Jay, and Dy raced off with Aubrey at their side, bellowing her own war cry as she threw herself into the fray. The forest was so dense that Hannah could only hear the sound of battle, glimpses of beast—friend or foe, she couldn’t tell. They were somewhat hidden from the portal, the foliage offering cover so she could take aim of the beasts who lingered there.
“Don’t draw their attention to us,” Summer whispered.
Hannah understood. Defensive only. Her job was to protect.
She felt a zap of magic rise behind her, craned her head to see Darcy and Greer, hands clasped, lips moving together as they chanted.
“I think it’s working,” Hannah said, shifting so she could better see the portal. “I think it’s getting smaller.”
Summer nodded, then pointed to the forest. “Which is good because I think the battle is moving closer to us.”
Hannah whipped her head around again and listened. “Is that…firecrackers?”
“I think it’s guns.” Summer frowned as another round of pop pop pop sounded in the distance.
“Who the hell is using guns?”
The power surged behind them, Greer and Darcy rising to their feet, hands lifting, the air snapped with electrical pulses. The portal was closing, like a seam sealing, being zipped up.
“Look, Summer. It’s working!” Hannah yelled with a building feeling of triumph.
There was another few pops, something whizzed by her face, burning her cheek. She lifted her hand, pulled her fingers away to see blood there. There was a thud behind her, Greer on the ground.
“What the fuck?” Summer hurried to her side.
Darcy’s snapped her eyes open. “What happened?” She looked at Hannah for an answer, her body unsteady as she swayed, then dropped to the ground.
Hannah tried to catch her, only managing to lessen the impact and ease her down as she slumped into unconsciousness.
“She’s been hit,” Summer said as she pulled bloody fingers from Greer. She lifted up her tank top to find a wound gushing blood. “Holy shit, we need Aubrey.”
Hannah nodded, jumping up. “I’ll find her.”
Summer pressed down on the wound, blood pouring through her fingers. “Quickly, Hannah. She’s going to bleed out.”
Hannah dropped her bow and pulled her knife, then took off into the woods, keeping her head low as she moved swiftly. There were battles raging everywhere and some maniac with a gun shooting up the forest. She moved through the brush, steady, eyes alert, opening herself to the emotions around her.
With battle came fury. She needed to find Aubrey’s brand of anger, though. That had to be part of her skill set. She’d tasted it before, knew Aubrey’s flavor of rage. Hannah sent out a wave, opening herself up to whatever came back at her, letting her guard down completely, and bracing for whatever hit her.
Mayhem was there, not in sight but she could feel him. I need Aubrey, she thought, speaking to her powers. As silly as it sounded, she needed to direct her magic. I need the healer. It was tempting to close her eyes, but she knew it could mean death if she did. Give me Aubrey.
A spark flashed, a rope appeared, a swirling mass of purple, blue, red, orange, pulsing as it wound around the trees, leading into the distance. It felt like Aubrey. Hannah took off, keeping her eye on the rope, trusting it would take her to the source.
She jumped over roots, ducked under branches, her exposed skin getting whipped and slashed as she ran. The rope pulsed stronger, the sound of battle intensifying. Aubrey was there, fighting a beast, Ariana and Lance standing with her, using their skill to take the monster down.
“Bree!” Hannah yelled.
Aubrey turned to look at her, one hand on her sword, in the process of yanking it from the beast’s chest. “Hannah, what are you doing here?”
“Someone is shooting,” Hannah said. “With a gun.”
“The Hunters,” Lance swore. “Some of them don’t understand the danger in that.”
“Greer’s been hit.”
“What? Where is she?” Ariana’s eyes were wild. “Still at the portal?”
“She needs a healer,” Hannah said. “Aubrey, you need to help her. She’s bleeding out.”
“We’ll both go,” Ariana said. “Lance, go take out the shooter. For fuck’s sakes, lock this shit down before someone else gets hit.”
Lance nodded, then took off into the woods.
“Let’s go,” Ariana said, leading with her sword at a fast pace.
Summer was doing chest compressions when they arrived, blood all over her neck and face. She didn’t stop, didn’t even look up. “She’s dying.”
Ariana skidded next to Greer, Aubrey moved to the other side. It didn’t look good. Hannah closed her eyes and looked for Greer’s light. It was so dim, barely pulsing. “She’s still alive. She hasn’t faded completely yet.” She opened her eyes to see Ariana slip her fingers into Greer’s bullet hole.
“Quicker this way,” Ariana muttered. “Nothing we can do about the blood loss right now.”
“Leave that to me,” Aubrey said as she closed her eyes. “Hannah, do us a favor and keep us alive.”
Hannah nodded. “You got it.”
* * * * *
An hour passed. Then two.
The battle calmed. The pack returned, followed by the Hunters, Huntresses, ones Hannah had never met. The ones from up North, the Order Hunters.
“Will she die?” Hannah asked Kelly when she came to her side.
Kelly looked sad, staring down at the group, watching as Ariana and Aubrey worked silently. “I can’t see anything for her.”
“Oh god,” Hannah said.
“That doesn’t mean she’ll die, though. She’s a powerful Huntress, an old warrior. What I know of her, what I’ve seen of her, she won’t give up the fight easily,” Kelly said. “What do your powers say?”
“She’s not aware yet, it’s so dim.” Hannah sighed. “But she’s not gone.”
“We should move her somewhere clean,” Harper said as she crouched down to touch Ariana’s shoulder, rousing her from her trance. “Let me take her back to Mayhem’s mansion. Let Lance take over here for a bit.”
Ariana blinked away her confusion and let out a long breath. “The wounds are bad. That fucking bullet pierced a bunch of organs, shredded parts of her.”
“The Hunter responsible is new, he didn’t know,” Lance said as she came to Ariana’s side, helping her up. “The Order is dealing with it.”
“The portal has been closed. No more threat of beasts returning. We should get the hell out of here,” Mayhem said.
“Not exactly.” Darcy pushed herself up, giving her head a shake. Raven sat behind her, his hand on her arm. When she looked up and saw him there, tears flowed. “Raven? That you?”
The beast grunted. “Yeah, it’s me.”
Darcy sobbed, throwing her arms around the giant beast’s neck.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” Raven’s voice was guttural, rough. Hannah felt the power of his emotions rise in Darcy’s arms.
Sorrow. Fear. Love.
She closed her eyes. Sucked in a deep breath, feeling the pulse of everyone around her. Chaos. She tamped it down and looked up at them.
“My house is open,” Mayhem said. “This place give
s me the creeps. Let’s get the fuck out of here, set Greer up in a bed, with access to clean water and better supplies.”
Lance nodded. “Thanks. I think that’s the best plan for now. Greer wouldn’t want to go to the Order. And we’re closer to hospitals at your place if we need them.”
“I don’t know if she’ll survive the trip.” Ariana and Lance shared a look, clearly unsure what they’d need to do for Greer.
Hannah focused on the fallen woman. Hoping there was something she could do. She tugged on the thread, the tiny bit of color that made Greer who she was.
“It’s not time yet, Huntress,” Hannah whispered. She stoked the courage that was there, fanning it with her own essence, pumping her a jolt of fear, urgency. “Wake up, Greer. Give your tribe some hope.”
Hannah let it flow until her legs shook, until she thought she would pass out. She pulled energy from those around her, the concern, the sadness, twisting it until all of the power flowed to Greer.
“You can’t die on us, Greer.” Hannah pushed harder, taking everything she could. She slid to her knees, felt Mayhem brace her from behind. Giving her strength but not trying to stop her.
“You’ve got this baby.” His guttural voice bolstered her.
I’ve got this. She gave all that she had. Magic pulsing in bursts. Wake. The. Fuck. Up. Greer.
“Fuuuuuck,” Greer moaned as she cracked her eyes open. “I feel like shit.”
“Holy shit, it worked,” Hannah breathed out the rush of words just before everything went black.
Chapter Thirty
Mayhem was getting used to the chaos. He knew his reality of being just a plain ol’ rock star was long gone. The mansion wasn’t headquarters but it sure as shit felt like it sometimes. With visits from the Order, meetings with the scholars, learning about one another, filling in the blanks, it was a solid beginning to an alliance that everyone needed but maybe didn’t wholly accept. Not yet anyway.
The Amazons were an interesting bunch as well. He’d yet to meet the Queen but knew that was going to happen sooner or later. She seemed more reluctant about embracing the Order, unlike Ariana who was spearheading plan unity. He’d come to know Aubrey’s sister and her mate, and had even enjoyed a few rounds of poker with Lance and Cal. Hunters in his house didn’t make his hackles rise quite as bad as he thought it would.
Beast Rising: The Order of the Wolf, Book 7 Page 23
