“I failed you,” he says. “I should have questioned Charlie’s orders. I should have known something was wrong.”
“We trusted him,” she replies. “He betrayed us both. Now you can make it right, for both of us. You must keep the artifact safe, and take it to the dragons.”
He nods. “I will,” he tells her. But that’s not what he’s concerned about. “You…” He reaches out, touches her face. “My cat and I, we should have Claimed you. If we had, we could have saved you.”
The sadness in her eyes deepens. “I was never the one for you. He knew. Your cat always knew.”
She turns her head and kisses his palm.
“I loved you,” he says. “I’ll never forgive myself for failing you.”
She touches his face, gently. “I forgive you.”
A pinpoint of light appears behind her, like a condensed sun. It grows brighter and larger, her form silhouetted inside it. She grows translucent again, like mist, and then disappears like fog in the sunlight.
She’s gone, and he is alone.
Sloan opened his eyes. Like a faint echo, he could hear Kayisha’s voice. Listen… Listen to your heart…
Afghanistan was gone, and he was lying on an immense flat plain, covered in knee-high grass as far as he could see in all directions. A soft wind rippled the grass, making it look like an undulating sea.
Above, the sky was a uniform gray—not like clouds, but as if there was nothing up there. No sun. No stars. No universe.
Nothing.
Where was Caitlyn? How much time had gone by? What was Jared Fucking Donnelly doing to her?
And how the hell was he going to find her?
Listen. Listen to your heart.
He closed his eyes. He thought about Caitlyn, picturing her in front of him, honey hair and round amber eyes and impish smile. The way she made him laugh. They way her skin felt when they made love.
The terror he felt of losing her, of letting her down. The bone-deep fear that it would be the same as it was before—that he wouldn’t make it in time to save her.
Flynn’s voice came back to him. “You don’t have to do this shit alone. Ask for help when you fucking need it.”
But he was alone. His crew wasn’t here.
He could almost hear Kayisha’s voice. They’re in your heart.
He dropped deeper inside himself, to the tiny spark of blue fire that was his bond with the crew. Crazy, paranoid, grumpy Flynn, who fought nightmares in his sleep. Jasmin, who loved fighting almost as much as she loved cooking and Brody. Brody, the ballast who kept the crew on an even keel. Lissa, their cruise director, who was always planning activities and trying to make them a family. Tank, the Protector. And Xander, his best friend, who’d pulled him out of his shell in the dark days after Alexander Grant’s torture cells.
The blue fire spread through every cell in his body, cracking open his heart with a rush of feelings and emotions. For the first time, he admitted to himself how much the bond meant to him, and why he’d been the first to kneel and offer his submission to Flynn.
He’d pretended to do it to help Lissa, who’d bullied Flynn into forming the crew to give them the power to rescue Tank from the evil sorcerer who’d Turned her. But even more than Lissa, Sloan had been desperate for a family. A place where he was not only accepted, but loved.
He drew on the strength of every single one of his crew mates, and of Tristan, their brother in spirit. Then he opened his heart deeper, and sent himself searching for Caitlyn.
He let himself sink even deeper into the emotions—not just how she made him feel, but what she made him into. Here he was, a man who was flawed, who’d failed more than once when it counted. But her strength made him stronger; her laughter made him more joyful; her determination kept him from giving up.
Against all the odds, she’d found him. She’d followed her heart, risking everything, because even before they met, she’d believed he was worth saving.
He had to save her back.
He reached inside him for the bond they’d forged, in pain and uncertainty and hope and love. His true mate, the other half of his soul, the one who made him complete.
He opened his eyes. There, in the air before him, was a misty thread of blue-white fire. It led off into the distance, farther than he could see, but he knew she was at the other end of it.
Taking a deep breath, Sloan began to run.
Chapter 34
“Tell me where the artifact is.”
“I can’t,” Caitlyn said. “And even if I could, I wouldn’t.”
She was bound hand and foot, sitting on a dusty mattress on the floor of a mud-brick hut in a hot, dusty place she was pretty sure was Afghanistan. Somehow, using the bracelet on his wrist, Jared had taken her through an alternate world and ended up here.
The spirit world, she reminded herself. Tristan said it was the spirit world.
Whatever it was, it had totally freaked her out. The landscape kept changing—from snow to forest to fields of grass. Distances expanded and collapsed. She’d thrown up everything in her stomach the minute they exited.
And it had made Jared crazy. Crazier—he was coming completely unraveled. Had his cool, controlled demeanor always concealed someone who was closer to the edge than she’d imagined? Or was it traveling in and out of a place she suspected ordinary shifters had never been meant to go?
Then he’d torn reality open once again to bring her here—the place of Sloan’s nightmares. He believed the artifact was here somewhere, and that she could find it.
“Try again!” Jared was getting angry. “Concentrate. You must be able to do it. Why do you think I kept you around all this time? I knew if you could just discipline your mind, get control over your emotions, I could turn your gift to something useful.”
Right. Something useful to him. That’s all she’d ever been to him—a tool to use for his own ends.
“Sloan will come for me,” she told him.
“Eventually,” he said. “But he has no way of traveling the spirit realm. It will take him half a day to get here—if he’s able to get on a plane. In the meantime, I have you all to myself.” He gave her that slow, terrifying smile. “So I suggest you try harder to please me.”
“He’ll kill you,” she told him, absolute certainty in her voice. “If I don’t do it first.”
He sniffed disdainfully. “He’s an animal,” he said. “A trained animal, but an animal nonetheless. Ruled by his emotions. He’ll make mistakes; they always do. He can’t get the better of me.”
“Seems like he’s done a pretty good job so far,” she said. “He and his ‘animal’ friends. Got out of your torture chamber. Not to mention that he ruined your evil scheme all those years ago, and kept the artifact out of your greedy little hands.”
Jared sneered. “If I’d been in the field, none of that would have happened. It was my operation from the beginning! But your boyfriend let his feelings about the woman get in the way, and he destroyed everything. That’s what happens when you let your hormones rule your decision-making.”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “You honestly think you’re any better? Just because your lust is for power instead of a woman doesn’t make you superior, you little pecker. Look at you now! You lost your mind over something you wanted, and it’s led you to some pretty sketchy decision-making. Which will end with either me or my ‘boyfriend’ clawing your face off.”
Jared laughed, that crazy laugh that chilled her to the bone.
“Your defiance amuses me, but it’s all talk. I’m going to get that artifact, and you’re going to help me. If you want to make it hard on yourself, go right ahead.”
He picked up his handgun from a crude wooden table and slid a bolt in the chamber. “Why don’t we do this. I’ll fire these bullets into you one by one, starting with, oh, say, your shoulder joints—until you cooperate. We’ll see if you can ever fly again after that. I’m going to save one round for your leopard, though—if he ever comes.”
&nbs
p; It seemed like Sloan ran for hours—and then it seemed like only a few minutes. The landscape changed around him with dizzying speed, but he paid no attention. His whole being was focused on the thin blue line that led him to his love, his mate, the other half of his soul.
Finally, he came to what looked like a shimmering wall of fog—something like a force field in a sci-fi movie. The blue cord went straight through it, but when he tried to follow the fog blocked him, giving slightly but refusing to part for him. It felt a little like running into a screen door.
He shoved at it, trying to get through. On the other side he could see vague forms—a tall one standing, and another sitting on the ground, with blondish-brown hair.
The cord led straight to her.
Caitlyn. He’d found her, but he couldn’t get to her.
He focused all his energy on getting through the veil. Slowly, it began to clear, until it was transparent. He could hear their voices, almost understand what they were saying.
They were in some kind of hut. Through the open door behind Donnelly, he could see a glimpse of the outdoors. He recognized that landscape—the land of his nightmares.
He’d taken her to fucking Afghanistan. Why? As bait for Sloan? Or did he think she knew where the artifact was?
Their conversation was growing clearer. Still pushing on the barrier, trying to find a way in, he tuned in to the words.
Donnelly was saying, “Just because I don’t lose my mind with lust doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy women.” He moved in on Caitlyn, towering over her. “And you are my promised mate,” he said softly. “I have the right.”
Sloan’s cat growled, far away. Come out, Sloan begged him. We can’t let Donnelly hurt Caitlyn.
But his cat remained hidden inside, eyes glowing green in the darkness of Sloan’s soul.
“The right?” Caitlyn said. “Oh, you so fucking don’t.”
Go Caitlyn. Go Caitlyn.
She said, “It doesn’t matter what you do. You can rape me, if that gets you off, you sadistic little perv. But you do not have the right. I belong to Sloan. We’re bonded.”
His lip curled. “Really.”
He reached out and ripped her shirt off her shoulders. Sloan wanted to kill him. His cat gave a tiny snarl. Come on! Sloan said.
Donnelly said, “I don’t see a mark.”
Sloan was getting frantic now. His cat was pacing, but it still wouldn’t come out. Sloan moved to his left, trying to find a weak spot in the veil. A tiny tear—anything. The gold bracelet on Donnelly’s wrist taunted him. He knew it could tear open a door for him in a heartbeat.
“He doesn’t have to Claim me,” Caitlyn said steadily. “We’re true mates. He’s all I ever wanted, and he’s more of a man than you will ever be, animal or not.”
Sloan saw the crazy glint in Donnelly’s eyes get worse. “He’s pathetic, you idiot girl,” he said. “Weak. Broken. Him and his crew—they’re just a rag-tag bunch of crazy homicidal misfits.”
Caitlyn laughed. “Look who’s talking, crazy man. At least they love each other. You don’t love anyone. And Sloan loves me. That kind of love is stronger than anything. It’s sure as hell stronger than your fucking ego.”
“Shut up!” Donnelly said. “You’re a woman, and you’re just as broken as he is. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I do,” she said. “Sloan loves me, and I love him. I love his quiet strength. I love his hands, the way they make magic on his guitar strings, and how he makes music you can feel in your soul.”
Sloan suddenly felt the barrier give slightly under his fingers. The cord that represented their bond grew thicker, and blue flames ran along it, weakening the veil between them.
“I love the way he cares for his crew mates. The way he stayed up half the night with his friend Xander when he was out of control, helping him come back instead of giving up on him. I love the way he always worries about me, even when he’s hurting. The way he looks right after he makes me smile, like just doing that makes him happy.”
Donnelly was breathing hard now, his shoulders tensing. The veil was starting to part, but Sloan still couldn’t quite get through.
I need claws! He called to his cat. Come out! Donnelly’s going to blow, and he’ll hurt Caitie!
Caitlyn said, “And I love the way he makes love to me, like he’s giving me everything in his heart and soul.” She looked up at Jared. “You don’t even have a soul. Touching you would make me sick.”
“Shut up!”
Jared backhanded her across the face. Caitlyn’s cheek split open, and blood ran down her face.
With a wild scream, Sloan’s leopard burst out of his skin and ripped through the veil, his claws tearing into Jared’s back. His momentum knocked them across the room, and they smashed through the mud brick wall of the hut.
Jared was knocked free. He rolled to his feet, and Changed. Enormous feathered wings burst from his shoulders, tearing through his thin shirt, and his pants dropped off him. With a furious scream, he dove at Sloan, his talons tearing into his shoulder.
Sloan twisted and swiped at the owl, claws out. He missed, and the owl dove at him again.
This time Sloan ducked in time, and his swipe drew blood. The owl screeched and beat its wings, lifting itself out of range.
Shit. This could go on all day. If Donnelly had any sense, he’d fly away.
Unless he was so enraged all he could think about was killing Sloan.
He dodged another attack, and ended up facing the other direction. He realized where he was, and froze, just missing getting his eye gouged out by Donnelly’s talons.
The hut had been built in the shelter of a clump of giant boulders, at the top of a cliff. The same cliff where Sloan had hidden the artifact.
The place of his nightmares.
He needed to turn back to human. He needed to get Donnelly’s weapon.
Just then, Caitlyn burst out of the ruins of the hut, her white feathers shining in the sun, tatters of duct tape clinging to her legs and wing feathers.
In her talons, she held Donnelly’s gun.
Donnelly twisted mid-air and headed towards her. Caitlyn flew straight at him, and Sloan bounded after them.
At the last minute, she folded her wings and dropped below Donnelly, his talons scraping the top of her head. She swooped toward Sloan and dropped the gun at his feet, just as he Changed back to human.
He scooped up the weapon, turned, and shot Jared out of the sky.
Chapter 35
Caitlyn Changed as she dropped to the ground, her feet hitting the dirt with a thud. She flung herself at Sloan, and he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her in the air.
“I knew you’d come,” she murmured, as he buried his face in her hair. “I knew it.”
She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled back.
“But how did you come? How did you get here in time?”
“Kayisha,” he said simply, standing her on her feet, but refusing to let go of her. She belonged in his arms—nowhere else.
“Kayisha pulled me into the spirit world.” He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “And then I followed our bond, and it led me straight to you.”
A slow smile spread across her face. “It did?”
He nodded. “I heard what you said to Donnelly,” he added quietly. “About me. About us.”
“I meant every word,” she said, her eyes wide and honest. “You’re my forever mate, my true love, the leopard I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
She snuggled into his arms. “And Jared says the bond doesn’t exist. Fucker.”
Sloan sighed. “Speaking of the fucker, we better go get that bracelet he’s wearing. I don’t fucking care what happens to his body, but that thing shouldn’t be loose in the world.”
Caitlyn nodded.
They went back to the ruined hut first and dressed. Sloan wasn’t thrilled about wearing Donnelly’s clothes, but his own had disappeared on the other side of the veil, and it was b
etter than going naked. Marginally.
He wanted her to stay back when he went to get the bracelet, but she refused. “I would have killed him, if I had to,” she said. “I should be able to face what we did.”
He just nodded. He was so proud of her, how strong she was, not afraid of doing the hard things if she thought they were right. They walked over together, and Caitlyn looked down at Donnelly’s still form. Sloan was glad, for her sake, that he was still in owl form, but it still couldn’t be easy for her.
She was quiet for a long moment, and then she simply said, “Goodbye, Jared. I wish you’d chosen to be a better man.”
He reached down and unclasped the bracelet from Jared’s talon. As soon as it was no longer touching him, it grew to human size. Sloan hesitated a moment, then slipped it on his own wrist.
“Is that it?” Caitlyn said. “Can we go home?”
He shook his head. “One more thing.”
He oriented himself, then walked along the edge of the cliff until he found the right spot. Slipping and sliding, he let himself carefully over the edge and made his way down to the cave mouth, Caitlyn beside him. Once inside, it only took him a few moments to find his hiding space.
The bag was still there.
He took it out onto the ledge, in the sunlight, and opened it. Inside was a gold bracelet almost identical to the one he wore. Caitlyn gazed at it. “So many people died for that,” she said quietly.
Sloan nodded. “Kayisha. Charlie. Korchak. Jared.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t seem worth it.”
He put it back in the bag and stuffed it in his pocket. “I don’t want to put them both on until we know what the hell the other one does.”
Caitlyn nodded. “I’m with you on that,” she said. “Now, how do we get home? Find a phone, or spirit world express?”
At that moment, a bullet whined by them. Sloan whirled and looked up, then grabbed Caitlyn and ducked back into the cave mouth. At the top of the cliff were half a dozen men in local dress, all of them armed.
“I guess it’s the spirit world express,” he said. He grabbed her hand and activated the bracelet, and they tumbled through a hole in the universe.
Bad Blood Leopard (Bad Blood Shifters Book 3) Page 17
