by Lia Davis
Some of my tension slipped from me. “But I’m the one whose been locked in a mental hospital for the past two years.”
I tried to make it a joke, but I didn’t find it that funny once the words tumbled from my lips.
My first tattoo.
Dimitri’s blue eyes darkened. “You’re not insane.” He paused, and we stood there in the middle of the living room with our gazes locked. “Is it strange that I feel as if I’ve known you forever? Even though we just met?”
“It’s the demon marks. They link us together. Psychically and magically.” I whispered. He may feel the connection, but he didn’t fully trust me. I was okay with that because I had my own trust issues.
I wouldn’t put it past my father to mark someone loyal to the Council just to get close to me so he could kill me.
On the heels of that thought, Dimitri dipped his head and captured my lips. A surge of desire and magic raced through my veins. My body felt alive and on fire.
His mouth moved over mine, and his tongue pushed its way inside. I groaned and wrapped my arms around him, tugging him close. It was like the kiss I’d shared with Zane earlier, yet different. Zane’s had been demanding. Dimitri’s was soft and sensual.
Footsteps entering the room broke us apart. I glanced at the doorway and met Zane’s stare. His brows were drawn together, but the rest of his features were unreadable. He glanced at Dimitri and then back to me before introducing the tattoo…woman. “This is Tory.”
I nodded. “Hello.”
Oddly, I was envious of the female. Had she done the guys’ tats? Touched them? Especially since Zane’s was just under the waistband of his hip-hugging jeans. I didn’t know where Dimitri’s mark was.
The woman, who happened to be a wolf-shifter, advanced toward me, her hand held out. “Nice to meet you. I’m Zane’s cousin.”
Oh. My cheeks heated. Of course, she could smell my emotions. “Where do you want to do this?”
“Where is your mark?”
I lifted the hem of my nightgown, revealing the golf ball-sized mark on my right hip. Tory nodded and pointed to the couch. “You can lay on your side on the sofa. I’ll set up right here.”
Zane left the room and came back a few moments later pulling a small tool cart behind him. He set it beside Tory and then turned toward the dining room.
Dimitri turned on the stereo. Alternative rock flowed into the room in surround sound. I started to relax a little as I lay on my left side on the sofa. It was a good thing I wasn’t tall. My five-foot-three inches fit comfortably.
A moment later, a pillow appeared over me. Meeting Dimitri’s gaze, I smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He sat on the floor by my head.
I smiled. It was strange how comforting having him so close was. Although I wasn’t surprised by it. From the little research I’d done and what Mom had told me, the demon mark was a bridge between Salrus, me, and anyone else with the mark. Mom had described it like a bond within a Pack of wolves. We’d feel loyal to each other as long as the demon didn’t try to poison each of our minds to turn on one another.
Tory laughed and settled in the chair Zane brought to her. “D, the more you’re around Zane, the more wolf-like you are.”
A chuckle escaped Dimitri. “I tell Zane that he is becoming more like a witch every day.”
“I can see that, too.” Tory smiled and winked at me as if teasing Zane was one of her favorite pastimes.
Zane came back in with a small folding table and set it up beside Tory. “You two are not funny. Besides, D and I have been friends since the third grade.”
Watching a smile light up Zane’s features, I guessed that the last statement was meant for my benefit. That was a long time to be friends.
Tory pulled items out of her tool cart and arranged them on the table. She handed Zane an extension cord. “Plug me up.” She said with a wide smile that turned into a laugh when he rolled his eyes.
“I’ve never had a tat before.”
“You’ll be fine.” Tory reached out and touched my demon mark. I flinched at her touch. “Is it sensitive?”
“No, not really.” It was hard to explain. It felt like a zap of low-current energy similar to static in the wintertime when you slid your stocking-clad feet across the floor and touched someone.
“Hmm.” Tory leaned back in her chair and glanced at Dimitri. “I’m wondering if we should all sit inside a circle?”
Zane spoke before anyone else. “Considering the demon is her father, that might be wise.”
“Because he will know you’re trying to block him,” I added. I hated that Salrus kept tabs on me. The demon would go bat shit when I cut him off again. I felt him through the wards around the property of the house. He’d shown up a moment ago and was trying to coax me out. I ignored him.
“He’s nearby,” Dimitri said as if reading my thoughts.
Zane growled. “He won’t stop until she’s dead.”
I sat up and met Tory’s stare. Her eyes were mismatched. One green and the other blue. Then one side of her mouth lifted. “Reese is your queen bee, and she is the only one able to kill the demon. Plus, she is very powerful. The Council probably won’t allow her to live either.”
My eyes widened, and hope bloomed in my chest. She knew. “My mom was on the Council, and they did nothing when she tried to protect me from Salrus.”
A tear rolled down my cheek, and my chest tightened. Dimitri rose to sit next to me and drew me into a warm hug. “What do you mean she’s our queen bee?”
Tory crossed her arms. “She can either destroy you—all four of you—or she can lead you.” When the guys said nothing and continued to stare at her, she rolled her eyes. “While researching a way to remove your marks, I ran across something interesting. I really didn’t think too much about it at the time, but now, seeing Reese and your attraction to her—both of you… There was mention of a group, more like a family. One female and five men. Each one was marked for death by the Council for breaking their ridiculous laws.”
“What does that have to do with us?” Zane asked.
“It’s rumored they’ve escaped the Council’s scrutiny and now live hidden among the humans. The six of them together.” I could see the wheels turning in the other woman’s head. “And by together, I mean as a group. The men all love her, and she loves them. It’s like an expanded triad.”
She beamed and turned her grin to Zane. He glanced from her to me, then at Dimitri. Confusion crinkled his forehead. “Wolves aren’t good with sharing.”
With a dramatic sigh, Tory shook her head. “There are some cases of wolf triads, but it has to be mutual between all of you. You’ll have to work that out. Since Reese is the one who can kill the demon, she may be the one to remove the marks. And she’ll need the connection with each of you to help her defeat Salrus.”
“How?” Dimitri asked.
Tory shrugged. “Not real sure, but maybe by using the marks that link you together somehow. You know magic better than I do. I’m just going on what I’ve read.”
“Which could be the Council trying to get us all together to wipe us out in one blow.” My words were flat, but I was entertaining the idea. Well, at least the idea of banding together and using our strengths to defeat the demon. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be attached to them for the rest of my life. “You said four, and Wade said his brother and another were also marked. Where are they?”
The guys shared a look before Dimitri said, “They refuse to talk to us or about what happened.”
Wade took that moment to appear behind Tory. I fixed my attention on him. He pointed at me and said, “Wyatt is hurting. The demon has been haunting his and Trevor’s dreams.”
My heart ached for them. They shouldn’t be out there facing this alone. “We need to find them. Wade said Salrus is making them miserable. That could be part of the reason they don’t want anything to do with you. Plus, I can’t imagine how Wyatt is coping after his twin’s death.”
While his features were unreadable, I heard the slight growl in his tone. Narrowing my gaze on him, I asked, “Why me?”
“Because you’re the one he is supposed to be hunting for. Plus, the mark will make it impossible for him not to follow you.” Zane held my stare while pushing his Alpha power out to me.
I rolled my eyes and stepped closer to him, making him stiffen. When I got right up to him, I poked him in the chest. “You can’t intimidate me. My father is a demon.”
Zane closed the gap between us and snaked an arm around my waist. “Convince them.”
“They won’t come.”
Dimitri spoke from behind me. “You could seduce them.”
Chapter 6
Seduce Wyatt and Trevor? How was I supposed to seduce two men I’d never met before?
“That’s not going to work.” I stood and moved around Tory so I could pace the living room. There was a lot to factor in. One, I needed to go and collect the cash I’d hidden before I checked into the psycho hotel. Two, I needed to shop for clothes. Then, I needed to get the other two guys to agree to help fight the demon.
“Not if you’re dead.” Zane crossed his arms. “Get back on the sofa so Tory can ink you.”
I glanced at the she-wolf and tilted my head. Her earlier words floated through my thoughts. Salrus was my father, and I was the only one who could kill him. But I’d need to be stronger and braver to do it. “The marks link us together. Salrus is following me through the mark. Wade said the demon couldn’t find me if I was around you.” I pointed at the guys. Then I turned to Tory. “I’m sorry, but I think I want to hold off on the tat.”
A slow smile lifted her lips as if she understood where I was going. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll use any excuse to hang out with Zane.”
Even though she laughed, I still sensed the sadness in her statement. It made me wonder if they’d been close growing up.
“We can’t be with you 24/7.” Dimitri jumped to his feet.
“I know. That’s why we’re going to make a charm for me to wear. That way, when we are ready to trap the demon, I can lead him to it.” Easy. Well, the charm would be easy. My biggest challenge was still ahead of me.
“No,” Zane commanded and stalked toward me. If he was trying to intimidate me, then he needed to try harder.
Holding up a finger between us to stop his forward progress, I met the fire in his eyes. It was like going up against an Alpha or the head of the Council. I stood my ground. “We need to stop Salrus and find out how involved the Council is in all of this.” I jammed a finger into Zane’s chest. “I lost things, too. That bastard killed my mother. Damn near killed me in the process.”
Zane stared into my eyes for several long moments. I felt Dimitri’s anxiety behind me, and Tory’s concern. Although I couldn’t tell if she was concerned for Zane or me.
Seconds ticked by before Tory stepped up beside us and placed a hand on each of our shoulders. “You must learn to trust one another. I sense it’s the only way. Open your minds and hearts.”
I was the first one to break the eye contact and step away, giving Zane my back. “Dimitri, can you get me a sheet of parchment paper?”
He nodded and left the room. Lifting my gaze to Tory, I explained my plan. “I’ll need you to draw the design you planned to tattoo me with on the parchment. Dimitri and I will create the charm from it. I’ve been up against the demon before. I know how deadly he is.” I looked to Zane over my shoulder. “I’m not stupid, nor do I have a death wish.”
When I moved to leave the room, searing pain came from the mark on my hip. I pressed a hand to it and doubled over. Salrus was trying to call me from outside the wards. Which meant he couldn’t get through them and was pissed as hell.
Zane must have sensed the demon because he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. The pain eased until it was gone.
Wade flew into the room. “He’s gone. I think he thinks you jumped realms.”
I nodded. “He knows where I am now. He’ll be back. I need you to be my eyes and ears.”
“Who are you talking to?” Zane’s warm breath brushed against my neck as he held me to his chest.
“Wade. I can ask him to show himself to you, but I’m not sure you are ready to see him.”
Zane slid his hands to my upper arms and turned me to face him. “What do you mean?”
“I can feel your pain, your anger, and your mistrust. Like Tory said, the marks link us together. And if your wolf is trying to claim me, the others will feel it, too.” There, I’d said it. I wasn’t sure I agreed with Tory’s idea to form a harem, but I did agree that all five of us—six counting Wade—needed to work together to kill the demon.
Tory spoke next. “If the others fall in love with her, you’ll have to share her or lose her.”
Zane didn’t acknowledge Tory’s words. At least, he didn’t let anyone know that he did.
Dimitri came back with the parchment, and I pointed to Tory. Tapping Zane on the arm, I said, “You can let me go.”
Reluctantly, he released me. When I moved to watch Tory scratch out the design, Zane said in a cool, unreadable voice. “I want to see him.”
I froze for a moment and then lifted my gaze to Dimitri. He wasn’t ready. But I asked anyway. “I can have Wade show himself so you can see and hear him. He’s as he was when he died at seventeen.”
Dimitri glanced from me to Zane. I released a sigh and held out my hand. He took it, and I tugged him close. “Are you sure?” He nodded and squeezed my hand, so I called out to the ghost. “Wade, show yourself to them.”
Slowly, the ghost came into view, no longer the transparent figure hovering a few inches off the floor. The young man didn’t look at anyone but me. Sadness oozed from him, and I had to fight back tears.
Beside me, Dimitri squeezed my hand as he let out a soft gasp. “Wade.”
“We were at the school, waiting for the three of you to show. We figured Trevor was running late as usual.” Zane sank down in the armchair to my right, shaking his head. His eyes shone with tears, yet his hands were fisted on top of the arms of the chair. “Wyatt called D, but I couldn’t hear the words. I felt his pain and Wade’s death through the mark. It was like losing a Packmate.”
I wanted to go and comfort him, but Dimitri clung to me, shaking. Closing my eyes, I waited to see if anyone else would speak. Finally, Wade spoke. “Trevor has tried to convince Wyatt to come here. He believes what you do now. That banding together will put an end to the demon.”
“Wyatt is a stubborn SOB who will hide behind his pain.” Zane ran a hand through his light blond hair.
Sensing Wade growing antsy, I brought the conversation back to the plan. “So, Wade said that Salrus wouldn’t cross the wards I put up. That could mean he couldn’t or chose not to. Either way, he knows I’m here.”
Dimitri nodded and released my hand. “Then we need to move on our plan. Wyatt and Trevor live in Carson City.”
That was roughly thirty minutes away. “Do you have their address?”
Zane shook his head. “They refuse to talk to us. I do have the address of the advertising agency they own, though.”
“Then that’s where we need to start.” I glanced at Tory as she handed me the drawing. “Thank you.” I met Dimitri’s stare and smiled. “Ready?”
He gave a short nod and led me to the ritual room on the third floor. Suddenly, I felt a wall go up. I sighed as I followed. I had to get them to open up and trust me, but we didn’t have a lot of time.
That meant I had to open my mind to them—one at a time—and show them that I was on their side. I hoped it would be enough.
Chapter 7
“Feel free to use anything you need,” Dimitri said as he led me into the ritual room. His head was down, and he shifted nervously from foot to foot. What had him so nervous about the room?
“Thank you,” I replied and moved toward th
e bookshelf with a small cabinet next to it.
“You’re welcome.” He turned to leave. My heart hammered. I needed his help.
“I don’t believe it was any of you that summoned the demon.” My words made him pause and glance at me over his shoulder. So I continued. “I felt your trepidation in our connection while setting the wards.”
He nodded but reminded silent. Shrugging one shoulder, I offered a little more about myself to him. Another piece of my motive to stop the evil. “Salrus raped my mother. I’m the result. Why she didn’t terminate the pregnancy, I’m not sure. But she believed she had vanquished the demon and that she and I would be protected by the Council. She was wrong.”
Facing the cabinet, I opened it. I didn’t really want Dimitri to see the pain, anger, and darkness that lurked deep within me. I was trying to befriend him, become an ally so we could convince the others to join the fight.
“What happened?”
“As I got older, my powers intensified. Mom tried to hide them and me as much as possible. However, it was hard for her since she was on the Council. She made the mistake of trusting another member she thought was a friend. That person told the rest, and they went behind my mom’s back and summoned my father.” I’d relived the events in my mind so many times over the last ten years. Each step. Each conversation with Mom. It all came back around to the Council not wanting me to live because I was a threat to their perfect witch communities.
“The Council has been sending scouts out to search for witches with dark powers. Rogues, they call them.” Dimitri’s words took a deeper, darker tone. “They banished me for using what they called dark magic. I often wondered why they didn’t just kill me because I was linked to the demon. Instead, Salrus came and destroyed my coven and everyone in it. Yet he left Zane and me alive.”
I wrapped my arms around my middle. A cold sense of dread filled me. “Because they planned to use you to draw me out.”
