by V L Moon
“NO!” Sage's mind screamed for her to stop. But, it was too late. Her wolf was wide awake and bounding toward the surface. She wanted a better look at those glowing green eyes. When her thighs bumped against the table, Sage gripped it hard and battled with her wolf to gain some self-control.
“God, help me what the hell is wrong with me?” The slight touch of a hand brushed against her own. Sage found herself trembling under the soft pulse of magic running through her arm. The instant recognition flared in her eyes as Sage's gaze lowered to meet Khad's blue stare.
"You're safe here, Sage.” Khad's voice held all of the surety of a given promise, but he was young. Sage had already born witness to what an alpha could accomplish if his demands weren’t met.
“He’s not naive or stupid. Khad's seen his fair share of bad times. He might be young, but what he’s said is truth. We have to keep you out of harm’s way until Damian can make his move and take down our alpha. But, you are safe.” Alexa's voice held the conviction of her words. Sage could tell the red headed female loved the males seated with her. Sage's wolf stretched inside her. It wanted out to rub its coat along Alexa's blaze of red fur. The wolf whined in confusion, torn between the red wolf and the black one.
Alexa smiled up at her showing a row of perfectly white teeth. Sage’s knees went weak. She lowered her head to hide the fire building in her cheeks. She'd never felt a connection like that to anyone. It confused her. Her emotional state was already in tatters, but there was no denying the draw to either Alexa or the brooding male who sat opposite of her. He remained silent, his hands fisted in his lap and refused to look at her.
“I'm not sure I should stay here at all. Maybe, there's another island out there where I could hide out. You have all been too kind already, and you have enough on your plate as it is with your alpha. If I stay here, I'm afraid it will only get worse.” Sage's voice lowered significantly as if even the barest whisper of her words would be enough to give her away. When a deep voice rumbled its opinion, Sage took two or three tentative steps back in fear.
“It couldn't get any worse than it is now. Our pack is starved of everything it needs to make it strong. The power of our pack is as good as dead. All we can do is watch as our own people starve under the rule of a bastard dictator that siphons off the pack's magic for his own worthless cause.”
Sage stumbled slightly and reached out to steady herself as the force of Damian's pain bore through to her soul. His eyes were alight, shining with the ferocity of his wolf's determination to take a stand against the alpha weakening his pack. A soft whine escaped Sage's slightly parted lips. Her wolf shifted inside her, itching for release to ease the black wolf's pain. Fear cast aside, Sage drew in a long steady breath and let her wolf reach forth with extreme caution.
Sage's hair blew gently around her face to caress her cheeks with the lick of her Omega's call. The flow of power reached out in the form of her hand. She stroked the long black strands of Damian's hair. Her breathing came in fast panic-stricken rasps when the powerhouse of muscle rose to his feet before her. An unrelenting need to pacify the male gave Sage the confidence to stand before him and hold the male’s face within the cupped palms of her hands.
The instant their skin touched the power lying dormant in the room flared to life. She could hear the gasps of the others as their own magic came to life around them, adding to the pulsing waves of light and color. Khad laughed, and Sage knew the young wolf held the secret of pack magic. They all watched as their spirit wolves danced around them in rays of red, black, brown and whites. Sage's eyes flickered to the young wolf that sat so passively and held out her hand to draw him into the circle.
“Shaver?”
His eyes flicked to her as his mind registered she'd called his name. Wariness filled the tawny male’s eyes, but he stood up, defiance evident in his glare. He took Sage’s hand, reluctantly. The instant Shaver's fingers connected with Sage’s palm, the power in the room became more condensed. It drew in around them, cocooning them within a wash of explosive power and light that ebbed and flowed around each form.
“What’s going on? What is this?”
Sage smiled knowingly at a very confused Shaver. “This is what you are, what makes up each wolf residing inside us. It's your magic; it's your pack.”
Shaver mouthed a ‘wow’ and watched wide eyed at the flowing colors surrounding them. “But, I don't hold any pack magic. I don't hold any sort of magic; I think I'd know if I did.” The young male broke away from Sage and the pulse of power flared back out in an arc of glowing light.
“Oh, Shaver. You’re a null.” Sage's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. She'd never imagined finding Khad or a pack holding such a wide array of ancient magic. But, as she stood there within the cusp of the four pack mates, Sage knew there was no other place she'd rather be. Before Sage could speak, Alexa threw her arms around Sage and hugged her as though her very life depended it.
“I always knew Damian and I held the strength and genes to pull this pack together, but with Khad's magic and your gift in the mix and our Shaver to contain the flow, nothing can crack the strength of this pack. Nothing. Oh God, Sage, thank you. Thank you for showing us just how strong we really can be.” Another hug squeezed the last ounce of breath from Sage's lungs. She could feel the twist inside her gut tearing her apart. And, as the room began to spin and the color drained from her face, Sage sensed Copi’s presence as she began to fall.
Damian's voice boomed above her, quick precise orders. Sage shook her head weakly from side to side. “No. Please, no doctors. No males please.” Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes, and then rolled down her ashen face.
“Shhh, it's ok, Sage. We won't leave you. I'll be right by your side; I promise. But, you have to be checked. Something's seriously wrong. I can feel it. Please let us help.” Sage squeezed her eyes shut as Alexa stroked the tears from her face. With a weary nod, Sage agreed to let them call in their doctor.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Forty-One
~*~*~*~
Rome, Italy
Rhys lifted his head and breathed in the night air. Amid the stench of human sweat and rat feces, her scent floated to him, dark and spiced with the sweet elixir of blood and pain. She’d run from Malachi’s enclave straight to the slums. In the Roma dominated Salone camp, his hunt had finally come to fruition.
He prowled through the trash strewn, graffiti decorated alleys following the scent to its evil source. Gypsies shied away from him, mouthing wards of protection. Rhys ignored them all, unconcerned with their ineffective human magic. He paused before a squat building with boarded up windows and no lights showing in the multiple cracks and holes.
His nose told him she was inside, and that she wasn’t alone. Two Nephilim crouched on the roof; two more lurked inside. Not nearly enough to deter him from his goal. With a challenging roar, he ripped the door off of the dilapidated dwelling.
The rush of wings filled his ears. Crimson colored his vision. Rage fueled his taste for blood. In that moment, he was not Dr. DeRhys, not the newly appointed Elder of Malachi’s council, he wasn’t close to anything resembling human or celestial. He was pure evil on Earth come to exact punishment.
The soldiers attacking from above disintegrated in twin bursts of Hell’s fire. Ashes rained down around him. “Come out here, bitch, and face your executioner.”
A hail of bullets ripped through the thin walls of the domicile. Silver missiles bit into Rhys’ flesh. He threw back his head and laughed. “You dare insult me with such pitiful defenses.” Rhys grasped the doorframe and ripped the metal apart, exposing the squalid inside. He bared his teeth at the two Nephilim crouched in front of an over turned table with semi-automatics aimed at his chest.
“You have two seconds to make a decision. Sanctuary or sod, cause this bitch is going back to Hell and this time there won’t be any fuckfests and titty parties with daddy dearest. I have a cell with her name on it and headstones with no bodies to stand guard over. Y
ou want to fill those graves?”
Rhys snapped his fingers. Sparks flew and the guns melted into puddles. “She’s seriously not worth it.” The Nephilim exchanged terrified glances and leaped into the air. Wings appeared and beat against the night. They disappeared from sight in seconds.
“Come on out, Oni. Time to pay for what you did to Arial.” He laughed, sharp and harsh. “You think I missed that little tidbit? You cursed him; you stole his wings. Because he loved me.” Rhys dropped both hands on the table. It disintegrated beneath his touch. “You should have come after me, you fucking bitch.”
Onoskelis surged up to her full height. Her hand snapped out. He allowed the slap. “He was my son. I had plans for him and you ruined him.”
“I ruined him?” Rhys growled and grabbed her by the throat. “You think I ruined him? I didn’t make him fallen. I didn’t curse him to drinking demon souls. I would never have taken his wings. I love him.”
“A demon’s love,” she sneered. “You were never good enough for him and you never will be. I was going to make him a king. He was going to rule the Nephilim and conquer the vampires. You fucked that up. You stole his destiny because of your lust.”
Rhys fingers tightened. Onoskelis choked and bucked in his grasp, fighting for air. “You think he would have ever agreed to your little plan? You don’t fucking know him at all. Now, you’ll die with the knowledge that I’ve found him again and he will be mine.”
With a thought, Rhys transported them both to Hell. Onoskelis continued to struggle in his grasp. “Please, don’t.”
“Fuck you and your pleas,” Rhys snarled. “You’ve tortured the male I love, and I am going to return that favor tenfold.”
“You’re going to release her.”
“Fuck you, too, father.” Rhys twisted around to face Lucifer. “I will have my vengeance.”
“Maybe you will, but not tonight. She’s under my protection.”
Rhys tried to port away and slammed into a wall of Lucifer’s will. His large muscles locked. Lucifer strolled over and pried his fingers open, releasing Onoskelis. The female stumbled free sucking in air. She rubbed at the raw spots on her throat.
“I’ll kill him,” she screeched and rounded on Rhys.
“Careful, Onoskelis. I don’t give a fuck what you do with your son, but Rhys is mine. If he’s punished, I’ll be the one doling out his castigation.” His blue eyes changed to flame. “You won’t ever touch him and live to tell about it.”
He grasped the female’s wrist and yanked her to his side. The devilish countenance disappeared. The celestial beauty that had been his downfall manifested. “Until next time, son of mine.”
Rhys collapsed when Lucifer’s hold on him vanished. Frustrated, he smashed a fist against the ground. He’d been so damn close to exacting retribution for Arial. The bitch had escaped him, but she wouldn’t again. A distant ringing pierced the haze of his temper. He cursed. The good doctor had to make an appearance.
~*~*~*~
A soft flow of warmth over her skin made Sage moan in appreciation. She burrowed into it, drawing up her knees. She felt so relaxed, so safe. The pain ravaging her insides lingered, but the severity of its bite no longer robbed her of the ability to breathe. A soft chemise throw covered her. When she opened her eyes, five pairs of worried eyes stared down at her.
Sage smiled slightly when Alexa lowered herself slowly onto the bed and tentatively stroked her thumb over the knuckles of Sage’s hand. “I can't stay here, Alexa. I really do have to leave.” Alexa just shook her head and hushed her. Sage sat up in the bed and sighed in relief when the room didn't spin. Drawing troubled gazes from all of them, she faced them and readied herself for their reaction to her news.
She reeled off most of the story of her escape from the rogue alpha pack, leaving out the worst of their abuse. By the time Sage reached the part of her journey where she made her appearance in Thunder Bay, Khad had taken the opposite side of the bed. He stroked Sage’s hand in gentle soothing circles.
“You escaped from your captors and made your way across the country based on the knowledge your father told you as a child. You succeeded in breaking through their restraints, and now you’re free. We keep telling you; you're safe here, Sage. All we have to do is keep you under Trenton’s radar until Damian takes the fucker down. Then, you'll be free to be part of this pack. If that's what you want.”
Sage heard the pleading in Khad's voice. It pulled at her heartstrings. He'd grown up never knowing just how much he was loved and missed. Sage wanted to say yes and be a part of the pack he'd found. But, the constant fear of being found was more than Sage could bear.
“I'm sorry, Khad. Truly, I am. I'd love to stay with you guys and make my home here, but it’s not as simple as it seems. It was my mate who whored me out to his own pack in the hope of producing more omegas, more wolves holding the magic of the pack. So many men, Khad. So many strangers. They were vile and wicked and hurt me more with every cycle I failed to conceive their young.”
“The torture was nothing compared to the things he allowed me to go through. But, there's one thing I do know. And, it’s the very reason I can't stay here. I wish you all the luck in the world taking down your alpha. I just wish I owned all of your strengths for the day Khurn finds me and reclaims as his true mated wife according to pack law.”
Tears streamed down Sage's face. Alexa moved forward and took her into her arms while Sage sobbed. She reached out to take Khad's hand, but the space where he'd been was empty. With a glance around the room, Sage zeroed in on the wall of anxiety flowing from Khad. His face bore no color, just a mask of ashen fear. His whole body seemed to be trembling under the stress of whatever plagued his beautiful mind.
"Khad? What is it? What's wrong?” The voices of his pack mates rose to fill the room, but Khad just stood there frozen to the floor.
Alexa took charge. “Ok guys enough for tonight. Sage needs her rest. Dr. DeRhys won't be able to make it until later so let’s give her some room.” Alexa tucked a strand of loose hair behind Sage's ear, and then stood to lead the males from the room. They followed, one by one, all except Copi. The hybrid stayed behind to watch over Sage.
Mumbling, whispered voices ensued as Shaver wrapped his arm around Khad and ushered him slowly out of the room. Sage didn't hear anything else. Her eyes were so heavy from crying; it felt better to close them. And, that’s just what she did. It didn't take long before her breathing deepened and she slipped into a fitful and restless sleep.
~*~*~*~
Shaver’s head spun. Emotions raced like a tornado through him. Anger, fear, desolation, confusion, all swirled in a maddening vortex. Questions hammered him. Damian taking on Trenton? Pack magic? Him a null? What the fuck did that mean? How was he going to stay here and watch Khad with the diminutive white wolf? He couldn’t, but could he desert his pack?
A sudden rush of cold fear as familiar as his own face in the mirror washed over him. His blue eyes snapped immediately to Khad. His best friend had backed away from the others; his face as white as the new snow blanketing the ground outside. He’d missed what Sage had said, but whatever it was affected Khad strongly.
“Khad?” Other voices echoed his own. Shaver ignored them, his focus fully on Khad. Swiftly, he crossed the room to the one his wolf had chosen as its mate. Primal instincts had the small hairs on the back of his neck rising to stand at attention. Had he been wolf, his ruff would have been standing straight out a visible threat to all others to back the fuck off. His eyes locked with Khad’s shock widened blue orbs. He reached out with his mind.
“Khadlyn. I’m here.” Shaver shut out the conversation still going on around him. He tilted his head, drawing Khad’s eyes and making sure the other wolf focused on him. “I’m right here. You’re safe, Khad.” Shaver tamped down the fear that threatened to overpower him when Khad’s gaze remained unfocused and lost. Shaver remembered that shattered look all too well.
When Khad had first started sneaking into
his window, it was a nightly visitor after only a few hours of restless sleep. Many nights, Shaver had lain awake talking to the other male as he shook locked in his own terror. If Shaver dozed off, Khad’s arms tightened to the point of pain, waking Shaver so that he resumed talking. Gradually, the nightmares lessened. It had been almost two years since the last one. What had the she wolf said to trigger a waking regression into Khad’s nightmares?
Slowly, Shaver slid an arm around Khad’s waist and pulled the other wolf against his side. “Come on, Khad,” he murmured low. Like a lost child, Khad allowed himself to be led from the room. Shaver paid no mind to the others, his only concern was Khadlyn. His shoulders remained tense until the bedroom door closed behind them. If anyone followed them, Shaver wasn’t sure he would have been able to remain civil. His wolf snarled at the thought of another near Khad while he was so vulnerable. Always, it had been just the two of them dealing with Khadlyn’s nightmares. Although Alexa and Damian were aware of them, they never intruded.
Enclosed in the pack bedroom, Shaver tried to lead Khadlyn to the bed. However, Khad had other ideas. His blond head rose swiftly and spun back toward the door.
“Where is she? Where’s Sage?” He broke free of Shaver’s hold. His eyes scanned the room.
Shaver’s heart stuttered, and then slammed hard against his ribs. An awful chill speared his chest and spread menacingly as Khad’s gaze frantically searched the corners. Painfully, he drew a shallow breath. His blue eyes went flat. His worst fears slammed back into him with brutal force. Khadlyn didn’t want him. He wanted Sage and the safety of his family’s pack.
