Even more impressive, Markus caved.
“I’m sorry, Julia. Truly, I am. I never wanted you involved in this.” Jackson noted he didn’t apologize for everything done to him, just for Julia getting dragged into it. She noticed as well.
“Not good enough. It’s not just me you screwed with. I’m so damn angry with you right now. I want to hear all of it. No more keeping secrets from me. I'm getting so damn sick of that word!"
He sighed, looked to Keeper who gave a small nod. “There’s nothing illegal in demons giving out their names, in making their presence known more widely to the human world. You stumbled upon a small group of demons working with the werewolf Coterie and his Elite Enforcers.
“The missing persons you found in the database - which, by the way, highly classified - were also part of the investigation. Positive someone within the council had a hand in the disappearances, I didn’t put it together until you mentioned Logan. Digging deeper, I found him in the vicinity with his Elite Enforcers each time a human disappeared.” Shaking his head in disgust, Markus toyed with a flame on his fingertips. He bounced it from tip to tip, a trick taught to the juniors. It consumed excess energy without harming the mage.
How did Markus have any surplus magic after freezing him? That spell alone consumed a huge chunk. Damn mage was a walking battery.
“Mara and Roan ordered me to look into this by myself. I was to tell no one. They didn’t want any leaks.
“We’re still not sure where the blood came from. There’s no samples left to test and demons can move swiftly between continents. It could've come from anywhere in the world. That’s another part I’m still investigating. All of this is why I needed Jackson to back off. I couldn’t explain it to him because they’d already marked him for death. They talked about bringing Revenant in to take care of him.”
Keeper snorted. “Revenant isn’t an assassin for hire. Even for a crazy nut, he has his own brand of justice and he helps the innocent.”
The look that passed between Keeper and Markus confused Jackson. Positive he was missing something, he couldn’t ask any questions. Damn, how long did this spell last? He had a bad itch on his cheek and it was driving him crazy. Also, he wanted to participate in this discussion since it had to do with his life!
“Once I heard the whispers about Revenant, I knew I had to act. I stumbled on the demon summoning by accident and figured it would work in my favour.”
“Wait a minute. You hid what those bastards were doing? Do you know how many people they tortured and killed? Holy shit, this keeps getting worse!” Julia wasn’t able to sit still anymore. She started pacing the room, fists clenched.
“No! I didn’t know about the torture. If I had, they wouldn’t have lived to see trial, Coterie Council or not.” Finally, the calm facade cracked on Markus. Deep anger seeped to the surface and Jackson knew he would have executed the werewolves without hesitation. “I had only seen the summoning and I kept an eye on them afterwards for anymore summonings. I certainly didn’t expect them be slaughtering humans. Damn it, they’re to uphold the Treaty, not piss on it. I didn’t and couldn’t tail them constantly. Draining enough to be in two places, three places wasn’t possible. Would’ve torn me apart. I made a mistake, one I’d dearly love to fix, but I can’t. What’s done is done and I’ll have to live with that.”
“So what now?” Julia stopped her pacing to glare at Markus.
“You and Jackson are not to touch the rest of this investigation. I’ll find out about the vampire blood myself. I’m ordering you both as a senior Enforcer and as your friend.” Julia sniffed her disdain at being his friend. “No matter what you think, I am your friend. I did what I thought was best even if I screwed it up.”
His voice hardened, a superior talking to a subordinate. “And I mean it. You two are to stay the hell away from anything to do with this. There is nothing left to do except hunt down whose blood they used and that’s my investigation. They’ll leave Jackson alone if they believe he’s staying away. We don’t know if any demons are still on the loose. With Jackson’s reputation for hunting down rogues, it’ll either scare them into deeper hiding or they’ll attack, causing me to lose any chance of finding out whose blood they’re using. Also, Jackson’s cleared of any wrongdoing, including any that occurred while he was on the run. His standing is reinstated and he’s cleared for duty.”
“What’s happening to the werewolves?”
“The other wolves ripped apart Logan along with the two Elite Enforcers involved. The wolves want nothing to do with torture. Many of them work with the human populace everyday and some even have family who are human. They will need to vote for another Alpha since we need to have two.
“And speaking of the wolves, Sylvia is still missing. No one has seen her since the night of the art showing. A team of Enforcers, both wolves and mages, are trying to pick up her scent. Victor is heading the Mage Enforcers.” Jackson tried hard to get Markus’ attention, a difficult endeavour when he couldn’t even move his damn eyeballs.
Surprisingly, Markus waved a hand and released him from the spell. He fell to the floor in a heap as he’d been ready to spring at Markus.
“Damn it, that hurt! Next time, just let me punch you.” He stood up, stretched out some kinks and settled back down on the couch. Julia rushed to his side, checking he was alright. A small, male part of him loved the fussing.
“Victor’s friends with Sylvia. He’s a good one to search for her. He’ll look under every rock and won’t rest until he finds her. I want to be part of this.”
“No, you can’t. It might be the same ones who wanted you dead and this will put us back at square one. Victor is a damn good mage and investigator. He’ll find her.”
Jackson choked back the retort. Markus had a point. He hated, absolutely hated, being on the sidelines. Even while hiding, he'd been in the thick of things. Now, they shut him out when a dear friend was in trouble. A bitter pill to swallow.
“I want updates. That’s the condition of me staying out of it. I’m privy to all the information. Nothing is kept from me, no matter how small. I can be a sounding board for Victor. No one will suspect anything when we get together since we’re partners.” In this, Jackson was immovable. He needed to do something to help Sylvia. She wouldn't have been at that damn party if she hadn't been chasing down leads for him.
“Fine. And I’ll give you any information I’m able to share. There will be some that’s too sensitive, but I do value your opinion, yours and Julia’s.” Markus said.
“Really? That’s not how it appears to me. Seems like you prefer to treat me like a child. Or as the saying goes, I had a mushroom childhood. Kept in the dark and fed bullshit.” She snapped at him. Jackson put a calming hand on her arm, hating to see her so hurt by the ones she loved. In time she would forgive them, but for now, she needed space.
“I think maybe it’s time we went home.” He made it sound like a suggestion, but there was no mistaking the command in his voice. Julia needed time to recover from all these shocks and would do better in her own place. No one argued and soon enough they were on their way.
Chapter Thirty-One
MOVING INTO JULIA’S house had been an insane adventure. Her family insisted on helping with everything, from the packing to the moving to the unpacking. Friends constantly dropped by, wanting to verify they were both safe and to hear the stories straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Morning was their only alone time before company descended. They used the two-week mandatory vacation to settle in and catch up on friends and family. Now, they were both getting ready to head to work with their respective partners.
Victor almost hugged Jackson in relief when he’d heard the news. His temporary partner was a smug, overbearing narcissist. Victor stated he’d claimed that role in the partnership long ago and he wasn’t giving it up to someone inferior to him. And even worst, he didn’t appreciate Victor’s sense of humour. Obviously he had to go.
Ja
ckson took a few mouthfuls of pancakes, relishing the combination of vanilla and cinnamon mixed with syrup. A drink of orange juice to wash it down and he was ready to corner the dragon crouching in the room.
“You can’t stay mad at them forever. It’s been almost a month now.” Jackson broached the touchy subject, wishing for a way to help her. It killed him to see her so upset.
“Yes, I can. They lied to me. All my life, they both lied to me. Me almost dying got them to finally tell me the truth.” A quiver of her lower lip the only indication of her inner turmoil.
“Well, in all fairness, you lied to me and I’m not angry at you.”
“That’s different. I couldn’t tell you right after we met, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m magic resistant, please don’t kill me.’ Yeah, that would’ve gone over well.”
“Yeah, and when would you’ve told me? After our first child’s birth? On our 10th wedding anniversary?” He hoped she’d see reason. Throwing away long-standing relationships without attempting to mend them would eat away at her.
“Assuming a lot aren’t you? Children, wedding?” She teased him, trying to shift the emotionally charged atmosphere to something more lighthearted.
“Please. You simply can’t resist my charms. And don’t change the subject. It is the same thing. At first, they couldn’t tell you because they didn’t know how you’d react. After that, the lie became too big. They had no easy way to confess after so many years passed. Once you stop being so angry at them, you’ll understand why. Here’s a secret: it’s because they love you.”
“Damn you, stop making sense. It’s easier to be pissed off at them. I’m not willing to let go of it just yet. Give me another day or so, or better yet, a year or two, and then I’ll think about it. Why aren’t you still mad? He screwed with your life and you lost a year because of it.”
Jackson sighed. “I understand why he did it. Yeah, I’m still a little pissed at him, but I looked at all the angles and he’s right. The other Enforcers wouldn’t have survived as long as I did. And Markus helped me on the sly. He put up roadblocks whenever someone got close to me, giving me enough time to escape. He also buried my trail several times and even helped me with safe passage through Fay a few times. Not sure why Seraphina was there when we went through together, but at least we survived it. Plus if this hadn’t happened, who knows when we would’ve met?”
“Well, it’s Markus’ fault we never met anyway. The bastard.” Jackson could hear the hurt beneath the anger. It would be a long road of emotional healing for her, but she’d get there. In time, she’d understand why they did it and forgive them.
“What?” He asked. “No, I don’t want to know. I’ve had way too many shocks this past while and I’m willing to leave it behind me. No more anger. I’m just grateful I have you in my life and I'm back on active duty.”
He stood up, grabbed hold of Julia and held her tight, his face buried into her hair. He inhaled, savouring the feel and scent of her. They would have trials and tribulations along the way, however, she was worth it. Their life together was worth all the anguish he’d gone through.
Epilogue
“MARKUS, YOU HAVE done well. The werewolves have taken the blame.” A voice came out of the shadows. It was hard to tell if the speaker was male or female.
“The video’s modified back to nearly its original content. It shows the werewolves summoning the demon with the help of the inept mages. All trace of Oonis is gone. No one will know the demon Coterie leader powered the circle and brought the demon into this dimension.” Markus replied. He had spent a lot of time working this case and no one was screwing it up on him.
###
Thank you for reading my book. If you liked it, please take a moment and leave a review at your favourite retailer. I hope you enjoy the first chapter included for the second book of the Enforcers and Coterie series - Sylvia’s Torment.
Thank you,
Veronica Del Rosa.
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List of Books
The Enforcers and Coterie Series
Throwing Away the Good (Novella)
Magic Resistant (Book 1)
And now a sneak peak of the first chapter for Veronica Del Rosa’s Enforcers and Coterie Series - Sylvia’s Torment.
Chapter One
DEREK WOKE UP drenched in sweat. His heart pounded, threatening to burst from his chest. Dread, despair and helplessness crashed through him. He sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his head on his hands with his elbows propped up on his thick thighs. He scrubbed hard at his face, trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep. When his fingers touched a lock of black hair hanging across his forehead, he ruthlessly pushed it back, combing through his short mohawk.
Anger, this time his own emotion and not hers, had him standing, fists now clenched at his side. He prowled over to the en suite bathroom. Muscles rippled as he moved, his massive body naturally graceful. A predator hiding in human skin. His shoulders brushed the edges of the doorway and he had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the door frame. It was sheer habit, no longer conscious thought as he’d lived here for decades.
Flinging back the shower curtain, he turned on the taps and let the water warm up. Settling the curtain back into place, he jumped into the shower and pulled the knob. Water cascaded on him, failing to soothe his temper. He slammed a fist into the tile, wincing as it cracked under the onslaught.
How long can he stand this? How much more until he snapped?
His cell phone rang, a special tone indicating it was his mother. His sensitive hearing picked out the faint noise from the rushing water. He sighed. Ignoring her was not an option. She’d just call back until he eventually picked up. He didn’t have to look far for where he got his own stubborn streak.
Cursing, he turned off the water and grabbed a nearby towel to hastily dry off. Slinging the damp terry cloth around his hips, he stalked over to the nightstand.
Be polite, he reminded himself and forced a calming breath before picking up the cell phone.
“Hello, Mama.” Respect and love seeped into his voice. While he didn’t feel fit for company, he couldn’t deny the peace he felt when speaking to his mother.
“My son, how are you?” Amaka asked, a hint of worry shadowing her words. She must be worried to let it colour her words. Amaka was the Top Alpha for all of Africa, a brutal position where she had iron clad control at all times. Emotions were a weakness.
“I’m fine, Mama. A little tired.” He tried to appease her concerns, but she would have none of it.
“Do not lie to your mother.” She replied sharply. “I can still thrash you. Now, let’s start again. How are you?”
He contained his sigh, knowing she’d hear it over the phone. “I’m upset, Mama. I’m tired, weary of this. I can’t sleep and I want to rage at everything. I fear I’m losing my mind. I feel her beating at me, her hopelessness, and her fear. We haven’t found her and I’m going insane.”
“Oh my dear boy. I didn’t realize you could feel her. You didn’t tell me.” She lightly accused him.
Damn, he hadn’t meant for that part to slip out. It showed just how distraught he was. Normally, he was tight-lipped, especially about anything personal, even with his dear Mama.
“Well, there isn’t much you can do, so I figured no reason to burden you. You have enough to deal with. I heard about the traitor. You’ve taken care of the situation?” He knew better to express any concern over his mother. It’d be viewed as doubt towards her ability. She’d been an Alpha for almost as long as he’s been alive and more th
an capable of handling her pack.
Icy cold steel hardened her words and he was grateful he wasn’t on the receiving end of her displeasure. “Not yet. I’m still searching, but I will find the coward.”
Rustling in the background and a soft, insistent whisper. “Amaka, we must go. Now.”
“Derek, I must leave now. I’ll contact you when I can. You have my number if you need me. Do not worry. I’m sure you will find her soon. I love you, son.” He barely had time to reply when she’d hung up the phone.
Restlessness now, his skin tight and itchy. Long strides took him to the bathroom and he tossed the towel into the hamper. Stalking naked to the nightstand, he tossed his cell on it, worried he’d crush it in a fit of anger.
Silence shrouded him, pure silence in his mind. His own chaotic thoughts to keep him company.
Grasping his skull with his fingers, he threw back his head and screamed in rage and frustration. The scream ended in a mournful howl as his body went through the painful transformation from human to wolf.
It was cowardly to hide in his wolf form, to push aside his humanity. However, even worse than her despair was the silence that followed. The worry that this time she’d slipped away into death. The minutes, hours, until he felt her again were always agony. His nerves shot after close to three months of her pain, encouraging her to hold on.
Sleep was next to impossible with short bursts here and there. He was becoming irrational, short-tempered and a danger to his pack. He should step down as Alpha, but refused to sever the one link holding them together. If he stepped down, it meant he gave up the pack link, the psychic communication he had with his entire pack, including her.
Magic Resistant Page 27
