by Tia Louise
“Mercy…” I gasp. Reaching forward, I hold the railing, trying to catch my breath and find my footing. WHAM! I’m hit again, and I fall all the way to my chest. It feels like a bolt of lightning struck me, but without the burn. I’m paralyzed.
“Koa?” I hear her voice calling louder now, and I struggle to answer.
Strong hands jerk me under each arm. Guards I never saw coming drag me from the staircase and down the large room. I try to fight, try to kick, but my arms and legs are useless.
The last thing I see is Hayden smirking in front of the fireplace. He looks up quickly, and just before the door slams shut, I see her.
In the blink of an eye, my beautiful Mercy appears at his side in a flowing, champagne gown with her dark hair rippling around her shoulders. She’s so gorgeous, and instantly she disappears behind the closed door.
She never even saw me.
* * *
Mercy
I’m not going crazy. I’m sure Koa was here. Running down the stairs, I’m back with Hayden where we left each other earlier. Looking all around, I see nothing but him standing there, rubbing one shoulder. The rug is disturbed, and I see signs of a struggle. Anger burns in his eyes, and it quickly turns to lust as he watches me standing in the same stupid gown. I might as well be naked.
“It’s time, Mercy,” he strides toward me, and I fall back, clamoring for the stairs.
“NO!” I shout, but his hands are on me, pulling at the thin fabric of the dress. I struggle and kick against him, but his grip is like iron. I’m off the ground and in his arms in a sweep.
“Let me go!” I scream, trying to fight, but I can’t escape.
We’re not going to my bedroom. He turns the opposite direction and storms through another door leading to a different chamber with blue panels on the walls and great glass windows. They’re wide open, and from this direction, I see a mountain in the distance. Black birds — either bats or crows circle it in a menacing cloud.
“Lie down.” He throws me on my back on the bed, and one strap of the thin dress rips.
I do my best to catch the front, but the result pushes my breasts up, spilling them over my arm. His eyes burn hot, and he unties the belt on his long coat. As it falls to the floor, his clothing transforms before my eyes. It’s now a long black robe, loose and open in the front. He’s naked underneath, and I see his erection through the split in the fabric.
“Don’t do this, Hayden.”
“You’re mine. It’s time you acted like it.”
Crawling back on the bed, I try to put as much space between us as I can, but he grabs my ankle in a black-clawed hand. I scream as he drags me roughly to the edge of the bed. My gown is gone in a rip of tissue-fabric.
“Yes, my Mercy.” His eyes rove my naked body as he jerks my thighs apart. “So beautiful.”
“If you do this, you’ll ruin everything.” My voice shakes with tears. “I will hate you. You will never earn my love.”
“Never is a very long time.” A finger traces the slit between my thighs, and I scream. Hunger burns in his eyes. His lips part over white teeth as he slips the finger in his mouth. “Delicious.”
His erection touches me, and I scream again, kicking and twisting away from him. “I love KOA!” I scream. “I will ONLY ever love Koa!”
My voice is hoarse, and I’m shaking, fighting. None of it matters. He’s over me, pinning me with his weight, both my hands clasped above my head in his iron grip.
Ducking his head, he bites my breast. His erection touches me right at my core, lining up to plunge inside.
Squeezing my eyes tightly shut, I scream as I flex every muscle, bracing against his onslaught. Suddenly, a sharp voice cuts through the darkness.
“STOP THIS! LET HER GO!” It’s a voice I don’t recognize, but it’s filled with authority.
Hayden pauses long enough to look over his shoulder, and his grip on my wrists loosens. I take the opportunity to jerk my hands free and push my body away from him.
“Who the FUCK are you?” Hayden stands, his interest in me momentarily distracted.
“By the High Court’s decree, you have no right to this shifter.” The man is slender and not quite as tall as Hayden, still he seems to wield some power. “I’m Slayde Bennett, and I have this writ from the council. You’ve been issued a restraining order while they examine new evidence on the supposed murder of your immortal mate.”
He strides across the room as I’m pulling the scraps of my dress over my nakedness. I want to shift and cover myself, but I need to hear this.
“What is this bullshit?” Hayden pulls the fabric closed over his waist, tying it with a belt. “No one tells me what to do here.”
“That might be so,” Slayde continues, stepping to where I’m trying to cover myself on the bed. “However, the council has reason to believe the pact you made with the Quinlan family is invalid.”
He scoops up the red coat Hayden discarded and hands it to me, graciously averting his eyes from my body. I take it and quickly push my arms in the sleeves, tying the belt and moving behind my strange defender.
Hayden’s eyes flash with the fury I saw earlier. He wads the papers in his fist and throws them across the room at the same time his other hand sweeps up from his side as if throwing a ball underhanded at us.
Just as fast, Slayde whips out what looks like a silver badge. It’s in the palm of his hand, and as the purple pulse of energy nearly hits us, it explodes in a circular rainbow of light above our heads. I shriek at the same time Slayde lets out a low grunt. I’m behind him, holding his waist, and I feel the flex in all his muscles as he pushes back against Hayden’s power.
We’re walking backwards. Slayde is pushing me with every step toward the door. Hayden is furious as he reaches over his shoulder in a motion like he’s pulling a bow from a sheath. It’s another pulse of energy, this time red, and he slams it toward us with all the strength of a fast pitch.
Both of Slayde’s hands go up in front of us, and I see the light reflect off two small shields he’s holding. I duck my head behind his back as his entire body goes rigid. The noise is like a bomb drop, and I feel the heat of the conflicting energy burning in the air around us. It’s the first time I’ve felt heat since I’ve entered this castle.
At last we’re at the door. Slayde pushes me through it and grabs the handle, slamming it behind us before breaking into a run. My hand is firm in his grip, and he’s headed for the stairs.
“Where are we going?” I gasp, as we round the corner and head down the enormous staircase.
“STOP!” Hayden orders from his room.
Slayde pushes me against the bannister so hard it bangs my shoulder. I cry out in pain, just as the wood above our heads explodes with the force of Hayden’s blast.
We’re up again, and he’s dragging me through the downstairs room, past the chairs to a long narrow hallway leading to the exit. My shoulder is throbbing, but I’m running so fast, I don’t even care.
“This way!” We’re out of the castle, running through the gloom. Our footfalls are a shushing sound through the little white flowers, and Slayde leads me straight into the forest.
“Where are we going?” I manage through panting breaths. I’m barefoot wearing only Hayden’s coat, doing my best to keep it closed around me.
“The rift between the worlds is at the end of this forest.” Slayde stops and lets me catch my breath. He slips the two shields back in his pockets.
“What are those things?”
“Negative energy repellants.” He wipes his hand across his forehead as his breath returns to normal. “They emit a small wave of magnetic energy, but when Hayden’s negative pulse hits them, they consume and deflect it in an arc.”
I don’t understand a word of what he just said, but I nod anyway.
“You ready to run? We’ve got to get out of here now.”
I’m just about to say yes when I hear a sound I know too well. The terrifying howl of a dog, followed by the snarling a
nd snapping of teeth.
“Cerberus!” I scream. “RUN!”
The words are just out of my mouth when Slayde’s ice blue eyes widen. I don’t have to look behind me to know what’s coming. I’m ahead of him, running before he has the chance to grab my hand. Soon, we’re side-by-side, ducking under limbs and leaping over fallen logs. He jerks my hand, and we veer to the left. I see a stream of water up ahead, but the monstrous dog is getting closer.
His roars and terrifying barks are just at our heels. I push my thighs until they burn with pain, but I don’t see anywhere for us to go. I don’t see a cave or a hill or a door. Nothing is ahead of us, and my heart almost gives out.
One of Cerberus’s horrible heads snaps at my elbow, and I scream in pain. He bit me, and the wound burns like fire. He’s too close, and I brace for him to take off my arm when the world around us flips.
We hit the ground with such force, the breath is knocked from my lungs. I’m gasping and holding my chest, rolling onto my side as blood pours from my bleeding elbow. Still, through all the pain, I look up and see the sun is shining. Grey has been replaced with golden light.
We’re lying in a forest of brilliant reds, yellows and greens. The horrible dog is gone, and Slayde is beside me on the ground panting heavily.
“We made it!” My throat tightens and I start to cry. “Oh my god, we’re out! We made it out!”
Sobs rip through my chest, and I’m barely able to breathe. Still I can weep for joy and relief. I’m back in my world.
Judgment
Koa
When I wake, I’m startled to find the small room where they left me is smashed. The furniture is overturned, and the fabric is ripped from the bed.
Thinking back, I remember hearing her voice. She was crying and screaming. She was shouting my name and screaming she loved me. I fought my way to try and find her. At first it was like I was in the forest again, but the branches turned into arms, holding me back. It was the guards. Their arms were like tree limbs because they were skeletal. Nothing is alive in this place besides Mercy, Hayden, and me.
Looking around, I think hard. Mercy, I’m here! I’m in the castle! You have to find me. Mercy! Our bond is still intact, and I’m sure at this close range, she has to be able to hear me. Still I get nothing. Silence is all that meets my ears.
Grabbing the bars on the door, I growl in frustration, shaking them as hard as I can. “MERCY!” I shout. “Let me OUT!”
Life behind bars is something I remember, but in this case, I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m here for trying to rescue the woman I love who was unjustly taken from me.
Turning, I grab the frame of the wooden bed I overturned in the night and throw it at the bars with all my might. It smashes into three pieces and falls heavily on the floor. I grab one of the pieces and beat it against the lock. I will get out of here. I’m not staying a moment longer.
Through the pounding of the wood against metal, I sense I’m no longer alone. It causes me to hesitate, and I look up, seeing him standing across the way from me, silently watching.
“Let me out of here, Hayden. You have no right to hold me.”
He’s wearing some kind of leather body armor, form-fitted to his slim frame. His hair is longer now, down his back, and I can’t miss the black claws on the tips of his fingers. His face is a stone, but he crosses to the door and opens it.
“It appears we’ve been summoned.” Stepping back, he looks at me, but his expression reveals nothing.
“What’s going on?” I ask, fear tingling in the back of my neck. “Has something happened to Mercy?”
“Come with me,” is all he says, turning to exit the small space, taking the narrow stairway down the twisting tower. He’s moving fast, and I don’t have time to question. I follow him down, flight after flight, until we’re at the bottom.
Reaching forward, he turns the circle of metal to open the door. We’re back in the landing at the entrance of his labyrinthine castle. He doesn’t stop there. He goes to the door and pushes it open, walking out into the gloom. It could be day or night. I’d never know.
Walking ten paces away from the entrance, he turns and faces me. One of his hands grips my shoulder. “Close your eyes.”
I do as instructed, and as if I blink, I open them again to find I’m standing in front of Mercy’s house — or Hayden’s — in our world. The sun is low in the sky, just beginning to set. Hayden’s clothes are transformed into a black tailored suit, but I’m still in my jeans, tee, and leather jacket. He walks straight to the mansion, up the stairs and through the front door. Looking back over my shoulder, all I see is the familiar expanse of green lawn. No rift or door or anything.
Turning to the house, I jog up the stairs after him. I’ve got to get Mercy back, and he’s the only one who can help me do it. I’m through the doorway looking around when I see the one thing that almost knocks me down.
* * *
Mercy
“Koa!” I can’t help a shriek. The moment he appears in the doorway, I’m on my feet running in his direction. With a leap, I’m in his arms, holding him, burying my face in his neck. He smells so good, woods and water and delicious man-panther.
“Mercy?” His voice breaks, and his large hands are on my face, smoothing my hair back. His green eyes glow with wonder, and I pull him to me, our mouths meeting for the first time in so long.
His kiss is mesmerizing, lips crashing together, parting, tongues curling against each other. I press my body strong against his warmth, and his arms engulf me in the tightest embrace. It’s a feeling I dreamed about every horrible minute I was in that dismal castle, and now we’re together again in the most luxurious heaven.
“Sorry to break up the reunion.” I recognize that voice and turn my chin with a smile. Koa’s lips move to my temple, and he inhales deeply at the line of my hair.
“You smell so good,” he sighs. My eyes close, and I only want to hold him.
“We have to get this over with.” Slayde is still talking, and I step back to smile at him. Pain flares in my elbow, and I let out a little yelp.
“What’s this?” Koa’s voice is warm, full of concern, and I look up at him again, warmth flooding my chest at the sight of his beautiful eyes, his mocha skin, and his beard!
“Your beard’s grown.”
“I guess I was gone a while trying to find you.”
“You were?” Wonder fills my voice, but his brow lines.
“What happened to your arm?”
Looking at the white bandage covering my elbow, I shrug. “Hounds of hell.”
Koa’s jaw sets, and I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s taking a little longer to heal, but I’m going to be okay. And you’re here now.”
Slayde is more insistent this time. “We need both of you in the study.”
“Okay! Okay,” I grin, taking my man’s big arm, and resting my head on his bicep. He steps forward and shakes his friend’s hand.
“What’s this all about?” Koa asks.
“You’ll see,” Slayde’s voice is a loud whisper as he leads us through the door into the room that once served as my older sister’s office.
Dylan is standing at the window, and when she sees us, she actually smiles. Penny is in a corner near a tall rubber plant as if she might hide behind it should things turn nasty.
Hayden is sitting in one of the armchairs next to the sofa, legs crossed, and behind the desk is a big man I’ve only just met as Derek Alexander, Slayde’s boss. He’s very handsome, the size of Koa and equally fierce. His blue eyes are steely, and he’s looking down at a file open in front of him. My eyes fix momentarily on the heavy brass insignia ring on the middle finger of his right hand.
“Based on the autopsy images we’ve examined from the death of Lord Hayden’s alleged immortal mate, we’ve discovered the victim was in fact, a shifter.”
My mouth drops open, and my eyes flash to Hayden. His lips press together in a thin line.
The man behind the des
k meets his gaze. “I’m here on the authority of the High Council to dissolve the pact between you and the Quinlan family immediately. Hunter Strong did not cause the death of your immortal mate. The female Quinlan killed was a black bear shifter as indicated by the clan mark on her neck seen here.”
He holds out a grainy photo, and when it’s my turn to look, I see a small bear paw tattoo high on the victim’s scalp. It’s exactly where my clan mark is located.
“Had Hunter Quinlan in fact killed your immortal mate, he would be bound to provide you with companionship throughout eternity.” Derek Alexander’s voice is low and full of power. “As it stands, he only deprived you of the life of a shifter mate, which has been repaid in full. Twice.”
This time when I look at Hayden, fierce rage burns in my chest. “You lied to us!”
Hayden props his elbows on the arms of the chair, steepling his fingers in front of his mouth. “He still murdered my mate.”
“It was further ruled an accidental death by the council.”
“Perhaps,” is all Hayden says.
Derek stands, closing the file and taking back the photo. “I have to catch my plane, but the council’s decision stands. Mercy is released from your claim, as is the rest of her family. The council expresses its deep disappointment in your actions as Lord of the Underworld, and their apologies go to the entire Quinlan-Strong pack.”
Hayden rolls his eyes and stands. I cross the room before I can even think and slap him hard across the face.
A sharp SMACK! echoes in the room, and for a half-second it’s silent. Just as fast everyone braces, preparing for a battle. Hayden only glares at me a moment before exhaling a breath and daring to chuckle.
“You’ve always had such fire, Mercy. If you had given me one more week…”
“Get out,” I growl through gritted teeth. “I hope I never see you again.”
He smirks in that infuriating way and shrugs. Just before he leaves, I stop him. “Why did you do it, Hayden?”
