Dark Moon Rising (The Revenant Book 2)

by Kali Argent

  “I ran until I thought my lungs would explode, but I was still close enough to hear the gunshots.” Scared, hungry, and cold, she’d shifted, prowling the snowy woods for days before she’d finally collapsed from exhaustion. “Zerrik found me in the forest outside of Trinity Grove, naked and half frozen. He carried me into the city and gave me a place to stay. He cleaned me up, fed me, and got me back on my feet.”

  She had no doubt that she would have died, either from exposure or Ravagers, if Zerrik hadn’t found her. He’d saved her, and he’d never asked her for anything in return.

  “Is he the one who brought you into the Revenant?” Rhys asked. He spoke quietly, without emotion, and his steady cadence soothed her.

  “Not at first. He convinced Deke to take me on as a Coalition guard, even though I had no training or experience.”

  “Then I’d say you’re a quick study.”

  “I had a good teacher.” Zerrik had worked with her every day, pushing her, driving her. He’d beat her until she couldn’t move, then demanded she get up and try again. He never accepted excuses, and he never settled for anything but her best. “He didn’t just teach me to be a soldier. He taught me to be better. Better than I was, better than I thought I could be.”

  “I’m grateful that you had someone like Zerrik looking out for you.” Rhys’ arms tightened around her, holding her closer. “I’m sorry he’s gone, angel. I’m so sorry you had to see him like that.”

  The numbness she’d felt since leaving the café began to fade, opening her to a kind of agony she hadn’t experienced since the night her parents had been murdered. She tried to block it out, to hang onto that detachment, because feeling empty was better than the hurt, but the emotions came anyway, ripping, tearing, burning through her, the pain clawing its way to the surface.

  “It’s my fault,” she gasped, choking on the guilt that consumed her. “It’s my fault he’s dead.” The floodgates opened, the tears streaming down her cheek, her throat too tight, raw with emotion. She had to tell him, though, she had to get it out before it devoured her. “Alpha Chase told me I had to kill you in the Gallows. I should have just said yes. They were just words. All I had to do was say yes.” She sobbed, her chest heaving, her shoulders shaking. “Why didn’t I just say yes?”

  “Shh, baby, breathe. Just breathe.” Adjusting her in his lap, Rhys curled around her, as if he could prevent her from falling apart if he just held her tight enough.

  Fuck, it felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest, and nothing he could say would make the death of her friend and mentor any easier to accept. He’d known Bricksten Chase for a long time, well before he’d become alpha, and he was a sick and twisted son of a bitch. It wouldn’t have mattered what Thea said, whether she’d agreed readily or not.

  Zerrik’s death hadn’t been meant to convince her. It had been about control and manipulation. It had been about breaking her, and the alpha had almost succeeded. Rhys didn’t know that he would have done anything differently if put in her position. The mere idea of something happening to her made his gut clench, but he couldn’t even contemplate being the one to hurt her.

  “Angel, it’s not your fault. There is nothing you could have done, and it didn’t matter whether you agreed or not. It was always going to happen this way.” He petted her hair, coming his fingers through the damp strands. “I do appreciate your unwillingness to murder me, though.”

  Thea made a strange sound, somewhere between a sob and a laugh, but the tension eased out of her back, and she relaxed against him.

  There wasn’t anything left to say, so Rhys sat in the corner of the bathroom, water soaking into his pants, and just held her. For hours, he rubbed her back and caressed her hair, comforting her the only way he knew how. The sun had begun to rise, the pale gray of early morning shining in through the tiny window, when her sobs finally quieted.

  Her head lulled against his shoulder, tear tracks staining her cheeks, her lips swollen, and slightly parted. She breathed evenly, the soft, deep rhythm of sleep, interrupted intermittently by a quiet sniffle. Even disheveled and vulnerable, she completely captivated him, and he knew there was no turning back.

  She was everything to him, and he’d fallen utterly and irrevocably in love with her.

  When she trembled, he stood, careful not to jostle her too much, and carried her into the small room at the back of the cabin. There, he found Deidra and Lynk sitting by the fireplace, deep in conversation. When they saw him, Lynk rose, offering his seat while he pulled another armchair over to create a crescent around the crackling fire.

  “How is she?” he asked, his tone hushed.

  Seated, Rhys took the blanket Deidra offered him and wrapped it around his mate, cradling her like the precious gem she was. “I think she’s going to be okay.”

  Lynk nodded. “She’s tough.”

  “Have either of you slept?” Rhys had a feeling Alpha Chase had something particularly nasty in mind for the coming Gallows.

  “Aye, I had a bit of sleep.” Deidra rubbed the back of her neck and yawned. “I’m thinking I might catch a few more hours of shut-eye, though. You should do the same.”

  “I will.” The cabin didn’t have any beds, and he wasn’t ready to let go of his mate just yet.

  Pushing out of his chair, Lynk stretched his arms over his head, his fingers brushing the low ceiling. “I’m going to find food.” He stared down at the dress slacks that clung to his thighs, the hem at least three inches above his ankles. “Tell me there are real clothes here somewhere.”

  There had been during their last visit to the cabin, but that had been several weeks ago. “Check the closet in the common room. You might get lucky.”

  Deidra stood as well. “I remember. I’ll go see what I can find.”

  After the two left, Rhys stared into the dancing flames and thought about the night to come. He knew the name Diavolos, but he’d never met a member of the family. The things he’d heard about them, however, didn’t inspire confidence. He’d gotten the shortened explanation of Nikolai’s presence in quick, hushed sentences from Thea while they’d danced at the Gathering, and while it all sounded good in theory, he didn’t know the guy, certainly not well enough to trust the vampire with his mate’s life.

  Eventually, he dozed. Instead of the nightmares that usually plagued his sleep, he dreamed of his mother, of the bright, inviting kitchen where she’d lovingly prepared their meals. In his dreams, she was beautiful, radiant, and she held his hand, patting it with motherly affection, and gently demanded he let her go.

  He couldn’t promise what she wanted, but before he could tell her, explain to her that he couldn’t just abandon her when he still blamed himself, he floated out of his dream and into the waking world.

  At first, he didn’t know what had awoken him, where he was, or how he’d come to be there. When a soft hand touched his cheek, fingers stroking over the stubble on his jaw, the memories of the previous night came rushing back, and he leaned into Thea’s touch, nuzzling against her palm.

  “What were you dreaming about?” she asked, her voice still husky from sleep.

  “My mother.”

  “Was it a good dream?”

  “In a way.” It had been good to remember how she’d been before the pack had turned her into a monster. “What about you, angel?” Opening his eyes, he sat up straighter, readjusting on the plump cushion. “How are you feeling?”

  “A little better.” Curling her knees up under her chin, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. “I’m sorry about last night. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but I’m selfish enough to admit I’m glad you were there. I don’t know if I could have gotten through it without you.”

  Rhys had no doubt she would have eventually crawled out of the emotional train wreck that had been delivered upon her, but it had been his honor to hold her through the ordeal. It would be a long time before she fully recovered, before she could think about her friend without feeling the heartache of his lo
ss, but he’d be there whenever she needed him.

  “You don’t have to apologize, and you really don’t have to thank me. I love you, Thea, and I’m here for you. Whenever you need me, for whatever reason, I’m here.”

  Thea’s heart pounded, and for a moment, she couldn’t catch her breath. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t say the words out loud, not until they were free, with St. Louis far in their rearview, but she couldn’t hold back her feelings any longer.

  “I’m glad to hear you say that.” Sitting up in his lap, she turned to straddle his thighs, and leaned in to place a tender kiss on his lips. “I love you, too, Rhys, and I was hoping those feelings weren’t one sided.” He gave her such a skeptical look she couldn’t help but laugh. “What?”

  “How could you not know I love you? You are the most extraordinary being I have ever met, and even with everything going on around us, I’m thankful every morning that I get to wake up beside you.”

  Goddess, he said the sweetest things, and looking into his eyes, she knew he meant every word he spoke. Her insides melted, her stomach fluttered, and tears sprang to her eyes, but she wiped them away roughly. She’d shed enough tears for a lifetime.

  They still had to make it through the night, though, and by now, Alpha Chase would know that she’d never planned on killing her mate. As he liked to remind them, someone was always watching, and she had no doubt, they’d witnessed her meltdown in the shower. She couldn’t do anything about it now except pray that Nikolai came through for them before sunrise.

  “I know what you mean,” she whispered, leaning in to capture Rhys’ lips in a slow, lingering kiss. “So, let’s make sure we have a lot more of those mornings.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Thea came awake, wincing at the throbbing at the base of her skull. The tranquilizers the pack used to incapacitate them packed a hell of a punch, but the gas they’d pumped through the vents of the cabin was far worse.

  Her hooded sweatshirt was stiff with cold, and her fingers burned, the skin around them red and shriveled. They’d found sweaters, sweatpants, and even socks waiting for them in the closet of the common room, all in various sizes, and none that fit properly. After deciding the socks would be pointless once they’d become soaked with freezing water, they’d all given their pairs to Roux. As the smallest and most vulnerable in their group, she’d be the most susceptible to frostbite, but maybe by wearing six pairs at once, it would offer her some protection.

  Someone had reattached Thea’s collar while she’d been unconscious, and the metal stuck to her skin, pulling at the fine hairs on her neck. She couldn’t tell how long she’d been sitting on the frozen ground, but judging by the dampness of her sweatpants and the ache in her lower back, she guessed it had been a while.

  The others had already started to stir, and some, like Rhys and Deke, were on their feet, pacing back and forth in front of a wall of what looked like scrap metal. Once the disorientation wore off and the world had stopped spinning, Thea gingerly climbed to her feet, testing her balance before walking over to join her mate.

  “What’s the verdict?”

  Grinning, Rhys wound his arm around her waist and bent to brush their lips together. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay. Ready. I just want this to be over.” Two hours. They just needed to survive for two hours, and help would come.

  “I know, angel, and it will be soon. The Gallows don’t last forever.”

  He slipped two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up, but he didn’t lean in to kiss her as she’d expected. In fact, he kept adding pressure, pushing on her chin, until she was looking at the upper portion of the twenty-foot wall. Barbed wire spiraled around the top of the structure, and at evenly space intervals, security cameras lined the odd configuration of junk.

  “I see.” They were too close for her to slip up and make a stupid mistake now. “What is this thing anyway?”

  Backing away from him, she sauntered over to run her hand down the collection of trash. Wooden boards, old doors, rusted car hoods, and old scraps of tin had been soldered together to create an impenetrable barrier on both sides of them. The walls created a wide, creepy corridor that stretched down a slope of yellowed grass, connecting to even more walls of rubbish to form a sharp corner.

  “I didn’t go far,” Deke said, striding toward them with Roux at his side. “From what I can tell, though, it looks like a maze.”

  “Fantastic.” Fighting Ravagers and vampires was hard enough in open spaces with room to move. “So, when do we start?”

  Deidra joined them, pointing to a blinking digital clock mounted in the center of the wall a few yards down from them. “I think we already have.”

  The clock didn’t flash the time, but instead a countdown, the seconds ticking down rapidly. “Two hours? Do you think they know?”

  Rhys frowned. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “What else could it be counting down to, then?”

  “I don’t know.” He watched the flashing numbers for a few seconds and shook his head. “I’d rather not be here to find out, though.”

  “Someone had to put us in here.” Arms folded, stretching the fabric of his blue sweater, Lynk tilted his head back to stare up at the moon. “Which means if there’s a way in, then there’s a way out.” He lowered his head to regard them, his gaze flitting to each person in turn. “Let’s find it.”

  Having a goal sounded a hell of a lot better than wandering aimlessly through a giant maze and trying not to get eaten. Their group was much smaller this time around, only seven of them, but every one of them could hold their own in a fight, even Roux and Brody. No one had seen the other human male or his daughters since the Gathering, but Thea’s gut told her the alpha hadn’t killed them or traded them. No, she had the terrible feeling he’d wrought something much worse on the family.

  Pitying them wouldn’t change anything, and it only distracted her from the task at hand, so she shoved those emotions into a dark corner of her heart and focused on the present situation. “What do you want to do?” she asked the group at large. “If we split up, we can search faster, but that also means there’s no backup if one of us runs into a horde of Ravagers.”

  Like the human family, none of them had seen or heard from Nikolai since the Gathering. They had no way of knowing if he’d understood Deidra’s message, if he’d been able to elude the pack to find the cell phone, or if help was even coming. He could have been caught. Maybe the alpha had killed him like he’d killed so many others. There were just too many variables, and she couldn’t rely on a rescue that might never come.

  “We stay together,” Deke answered after a significant pause. “We’re stronger in numbers.”

  Picking a direction at random, they turned left, heading to the corner created by the walls of scrap metal. When they reached the next intersection, Deke stopped and shook his head, a growl rumbling through his chest.

  “This isn’t going to get us anywhere.” Facing them, he held Roux’s wrist in one hand and pointed to Lynk with the other. “Go with Rhys and Thea.” His hand swept toward Deidra, then Brody. “You two come with us. We’ll each take a direction, scout it, and meet back here. Everyone got it?”

  “Got it,” the all answered at once before splitting.

  Thea’s group moved more slowly than she would have liked, tracing their hands over the wall to search for hidden doors, weak spots, anything that might help them. A few minutes later, as they approached the next junction, she stopped, looked down the long stretch of emptiness, then back to the corner.

  “Something isn’t right.” The night was too still, too quiet. “Where are the Ravagers? The vampires?”

  “Normally, I wouldn’t complain about not running into a pack of Ravagers, but I agree.” Threading his fingers through his long, white hair, Lynk stopped walking and stared at the ground. “From what you’ve told me, and considering our location, we should be overrun by now.”

  Worrying about it w
ouldn’t change anything, and it certainly wouldn’t get them out of the maze. Still, the thought lingered in the back of her mind. “Come on, let’s get back to the others. Maybe they found something.”

  They hadn’t.

  Together, the seven of them crept deeper into the maze, splitting up occasionally to search different corridors, only to meet back in the center, everyone filled with frustration and disappointment. Each time Thea turned a corner and didn’t run into a horde of beasts, the tension grew instead of lessening. She estimated they’d been wandering for at least an hour, and by now, they should have had to fend off multiple attacks.

  Rounding the next turn ahead of Rhys and Lynk, Thea stared down a long, empty stretch of darkness, brightened only by the moonlight reflected in the snow. It didn’t make any sense, and she couldn’t begin to guess the alpha’s end game in this. The pack wanted a performance, but she didn’t couldn’t see the fun in watching people roam around in the dark for several hours.

  Frustrated and growing more anxious by the moment, she huffed loudly and started to return to her group, but stopped when a pulsing green haze over the snow caught her attention. Head cocked, she approached cautiously, listening intently for anything lurking in the shadows. She heard nothing except her own heartbeat and the soft hum of the breeze.

  “Guys! I found something.”

  A green light flashed, it’s glow peeking out from a gap at the bottom of a sheet of rusted tin. Wary, she sniffed, trying to detect anything out of the ordinary, but she couldn’t scent anything but metal and earth.

  Sliding her fingers into the gap, she pulled sharply, but the door-sized piece of tin didn’t budge. “Hey, help me with this,” she called when Rhys and Lynk rounded the corner. “There’s something here.”

  Both males bracketed her, gripping the metal at the bottom and on the sides. With a lot of grunting, straining, and numerous lacerations to their hands, they managed to pry the rusted material away from the rest of the wall, jumping aside to let it fall to the ground with a loud clang. What she founded hidden beneath it made her blood run cold.