Aries

by Kim Faulks

  She stepped closer. The tips of my fingers touched warmth. I flattened my palm against her swollen stomach, she was so warm…so real. Ghosts weren’t warm, they didn’t feel like this.

  “It’s me,” she murmured. “It’s really me.”

  Her fingers touched mine, pressing my hand hard against her body. A throb echoed, deep inside. Something pushed against my palm though her skin…something alive and wanting. Something filled with fire, something filled with my soul.

  “He’s alive, Zadoc. I’m alive.”

  I lifted my head and stared into her eyes. This ghost wasn’t like the others, dressed in pale pants and a shirt. She shuddered and that tremble raced through my hand. Ghosts don’t feel the cold. Ghosts don't feel at all.

  “Joslyn?” My words were nothing more than a croak. “Joslyn.”

  “It’s me.” She moved closer.

  I wrapped my arms around her body, drawing her close. The smell of blood was suffocating, smothering. I shoved down my hunger…and that feral need to hunt. I killed that part of me that made me animal—that made me dangerous.

  I pressed my face into the swell of her stomach. Cloth slid over my fingers. I needed more…sweet Goddess I needed more. My lips scraped her skin. My breath bounced back, warming my face. I kissed her skin and ran my hands down her legs.

  She shuddered, was it from the cold this time, or fear?

  “How?” I murmured into her body. “How are you here?”

  She grabbed my arms. I swallowed the hiss of pain. I’d take it all…feel it all, swallow every touch she’d give me and more.

  “They sent us back, said some Senator could deal with us. I don’t know…I just—”

  “She needs to sit, Guardian. And you need to make sure she’s not stressed…from now on.”

  I turned my head at the voice. An outline was all I saw.

  “This is X.” Joslyn followed my focus. “She saved me, Zadoc. She saved me and the baby.”

  I dragged in the wolf’s scent and a bitter tang filled me. There was a sickness about her, something more than skin deep…something soul deep. “Where did they take you from?”

  “The Awenasa Mountain range,” she whispered. Her voice was icy, as though the words would numb the pain inside. “They killed my family…murdered my entire pack.”

  I gripped Joslyn tighter. “Except for you.”

  The shadow lifted its head. Silver eyes found me in the dark, long white canines shone as she answered. “Except for me.”

  I swallowed, acknowledging the fighter and the disease that festered in her soul. She was a wolf on a path, one that would leave her either broken, or avenged…either way, she was dangerous. Too dangerous to be around Joslyn.

  The Wretched clawed to the surface. Keep her away from Joslyn, he warned. She’s sick…she’s dangerous. I closed my eyes and nodded. But the wolf protected my mate. She kept Joslyn safe, and for that alone, I’d pledge my loyalty.

  I dropped my hand from Joslyn’s warmth and turned to the bars.

  Pain ravaged my shattered leg and bruised arms, reminding me that flesh and bone was no match for the raw power of a savage wolf and cold, hard steel.

  I gripped the steel and dragged myself to stand. “Thank you. Thank you for keeping my mate protected. You are always welcome to shelter at my home, and food at my table. What I have, I give freely.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “I accept.”

  With a nod, I turned to her. “They knew what I’d become, and they shoved you into the same damn cell?”

  Her hard gaze found mine. “They expected you to kill me, that’s why. They knew it’d kill us both that way. Me, by your hand and you…well, they figured you'd find a way to end your own immortal life.”

  Hate rose, spreading out through my weakened muscles, bringing new life to my soul. I lifted my hand and touched her cheek. “They did that to you?”

  There was a hardness in her now, a sharpened edge that’d been honed by horrors I could never imagine. She wasn’t the same woman I’d fallen in love with, but I loved her with a hunger I never knew existed.

  “You need to rest, you need to sleep.”

  Her teeth chattered in the dark. Joslyn might’ve changed, but some things always stay the same. I dropped to the ground, laying my legs flat on the stones. I had no clothes to give this time, I had no blankets to ease her cold—all I had was my flesh and blood and that I would hand to her on a platter.

  I opened my arms. “Come, let me warm you. I need to touch you, just for a while. Just to know you’re here.”

  She gripped her lower back and tried to bend. The sight made my heart sing. “I’ll catch you,” I whispered. “If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

  She dropped her weight and hit my hands. My damn heart pounded, as though this were the first time we touched, as though this was the very first time we… I curled my arms, drawing her in close. Her weight settled against my stomach, resting on my thighs. There was more of her to hold, a lot more to love.

  Something inside my chest sighed with relief as she settled. Skin to skin, still it wasn’t enough. I pulled her closer, cradling her body against mine and breathed deep.

  There was still a question unasked, one I dreaded the answer—but one I had to ask. I had to know what she suffered…so I knew who I had to kill. “I smell blood on you, Joslyn. Can you tell me what happened?”

  My mind was filled with images, things they told me she endured—things that could break a man—things that could break a Dragon. “Did they…did they hurt you?”

  She lifted her head and my heart slammed against my chest. I would’ve given anything to have kept her safe. I would’ve sold, traded…I would’ve killed anyone…I would’ve become the very thing I despised…for her.

  “No, thanks to X…” She turned her head to stare through the bars. “We…did our best to keep each other safe. We looked out for each other. I would’ve…I would’ve died in that place without her.”

  “Then I’m glad you found her…or she found you.” I tightened my hold, no matter how grateful I was, the wolf smelled of danger and reeked of death.

  I’d be watchful around her. Joslyn wouldn’t leave my side…not if I could help it. Her hair brushed my jaw. Her belly pushed into me, hard jabs of my son hit my stomach, pushing to get close.

  Silence filled the cavern, lingering in the edges of my mind. Joslyn’s breaths slowed and deepened. Her hand slipped on my chest to fall to my stomach. I held her as gently as I could. The feel of her was intoxicating, lulling me.

  The wolf, X, watched me from the far side of Joslyn’s old cell. She dropped her head back against the bars, but I could tell she wasn’t sleep. She had a predatory way about her…ingrained with cruelty and honed by hate.

  I knew of the mountain range she came from. They were peaceful people, good people. Natives of this land and fierce warriors. The thought of them gone made my chest ache.

  “You’ve got nothing to fear from me, Dragon,” she whispered.

  I wrenched my head up, finding her silver eyes in the dark. “What will you do?”

  She eased her head against the bars. “I don’t know…but my people aren’t the forgiving kind.”

  A shudder raced through my body. Joslyn shifted against me, low murmurs slipped from her lips. I breathed in the scent of her blood and growled. “Neither am I.”

  Silver eyes glinted like steel. She nodded. “That’s good to know, Dragon.”

  A sigh echoed from her cell, followed by a scuff against the ground as she searched for comfort.

  She’d find none…none in this place. Not with the unknown hanging over our heads.

  Said some Senator could deal with us. I closed my eyes with those words reverberating in my mind. First, we found the Echo pack selling women, and then the demons, circling with the military, and in the center of this cyclone stood two people…the blonde bitch and this Senator.

  The old Shaman came alive in my mind as sleep crept closer.

  �
��How did you know to come?” The eldest of our line, Marcus had asked her when she came to us that first night.

  She’d straightened and swung those all-seeing eyes to look at us. “I’ve known for months now. But I’d hoped—”

  Known for months…and as sleep opened its arms and took me in, one thought took hold.

  What exactly did the old woman know?

  And what did it have to do with the woman in my arms?

  “Get your hands of me…stop. Stop. Zadoc! Zadoc!”

  I jerked awake with the nightmare haunting me. To see Joslyn thrash against the wolf’s hold. Her screams lingered, drawing me to that place where agony waited. No, they gave her back to me. The memory of her came back with a roar. They gave her back to me…Joslyn was here…Joslyn…

  Boots scuffed. A hard whack followed by a…

  “Fucking bitch.”

  The darkness blurred. Shapes moved just out of reach. I shoved against the ground, scrambling, lunging after them as the lock turned.

  “Relax, Dragon,” a familiar voice sniggered.

  One I knew only too well—one that I made sure to remember.

  The bastard who impregnated, Joslyn.

  A flame flared, bathing his face in an orange hue.

  “You…you fucking sonofabitch, Nick. Let me go…I said, let me go,” Joslyn wrenched her arm from his grip, but there was nowhere to go.

  Another wolf stood in the way, lighting the torches. An older wolf, someone I’d never seen before. The silver steak of hair shone gold against the black as he turned his head keeping an eye on Joslyn and the piece of shit that got her pregnant. But it was the demon at his back that made my stomach clench with fear.

  “You’re fiesty,” Nick said as she thrashed. “When did that happen?”

  “When I started hanging around with a real man…and not a boy,” she spat, her eyes sparkling with hate.”

  He dropped his gaze to her belly. “I see you're still carrying my runt.”

  Heat rippled out of my chest. I shoved up from the ground and hobbled to the bars. Mine, roared the Wretched. Nick lifted his hand toward her belly.

  “Touch her and I’ll end you,” I growled, pushing my body against the bars.

  My Dragon shifted under my skin, knitting bones with renewed hate.

  His sickening snigger broke out. “Relax, Dragon. I don’t want the bitch.” He moved fast grabbing hold of her face and lowered his lips to hers.

  She fought, jerking her face side to side. His fingers dug into her cheeks, until she whimpered.

  Kill him…kill him now!

  The wolf wrenched his mouth from her. His eyes sparkled with defiance as he turned his head to stare at me. I stared at his red lips, wet from her mouth.

  Her movement was a blur, clenching her tiny fist and swinging. The smug bastard never saw it coming. Her blow hit at the height of the arc, smashing into his mouth.

  His head snapped back, red lips split under the blow. My heart wanted to soar, but somewhere in the pit of my stomach harbored fear.

  “Touch me again and I’ll be the one peeling your skin from your bones,” Joslyn warned and jerked her arm free. She backed up, never taking her eyes off Nick as he reached for his face.

  He swiped a thumb across his mouth. Blood glistened on the tip. The spark of smugness dulled. He didn’t know her…didn’t know a damn thing about this woman—not like I did.

  She was no normal mortal. She was strong, powerful, housing an immortal within her human body. She had a fire inside her soul, one that ignited when she became mine—I saw all of this and more.

  Joslyn backed into her cell and swung the door.

  “Looks like the human’s too powerful for you,” the silver haired wolf growled with a smirk. He cut me a look that was filled with venom. “And the Dragon’s not as broken as you thought. Lock the door. I’m out of here. We’ve got a new shipment to deal with, and I don't want to miss another minute dealing with this.”

  Nick moved fast, lunging for Joslyn. She stumbled backwards, her eyes wide, breath fast. Her heart thundered inside my ears. I moved to the corner as he shoved the door open and strode into the cell.

  Joslyn stumbled toward me. I gripped the bars and wrenched as he cornered her. “Get your fucking hands off her.”

  He wrenched her hard against him and closed a hand over her breast. “There’s a bit more there than what I remembered.”

  She struggled, jerking her arm before she swung her other fist.

  But this time he was ready, catching her fist. “Not this time.”

  “I said get your filthy fucking hands off her!” I screamed as he closed his hand around her breast.

  Her skin paled in the orange hue. Pain ravaged her beautiful face, twisting and distorting.

  “Touch her again and I’ll fucking kill you!”

  The sound of tearing cloth ripped something inside me. Joslyn’s eyes widened, she looked to me to save her…needing me as Nick gave her a push. “Zadoc! Zadoc!”

  She stumbled, windmilling her arms as her footing slipped. She hit the ground with a thud, her eyes wide, hands reaching for her stomach.

  “Hurt me, you fuck!” I screamed. “You rancid piece of shit!”

  The demon closed in, raising one hand toward me. One look at Nick and the wolf slunk out of the cell.

  I stumbled backwards and lunged, slamming against the bars. The steel squealed under my grip. I drove my feet against the stony ground, until my muscles howled and the bars bowed.

  Spittle flew as I slammed my arm through the gaps, fingers slashing the air. I tried to reach them. “I’m gonna kill you. I’m gonna fucking kill you!”

  The steel door swung and a boom thundered. The demon never turned. But the slow, sickening chuckle said enough as the demon slid a key into the lock and twisted as Joslyn crawled on hands and knees toward me.

  “Zadoc.”

  “I’m here,” I snarled as a cold, icy feeling ran along my spine.

  Ghostlike fingers trailed across my skin as I gripped her hand. I wrenched my head over my shoulder, watching Nick and the demon melt into the shadows as they left the cavern. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you. The baby?”

  Her hand rested on her bump. A kick underneath jolted her fingers. “He’s okay.”

  My breath left in a rush. I bowed my head. “Thank you, God. Thank you. We…we have to be more careful, Joslyn. We have to…”

  “Fuck them. We’re dead anyway.”

  The sound of that cold, hard voice broke something inside me. “Don’t say that. I’m getting you out of here. I’m getting you out, Joslyn.”

  “Just don’t leave me, okay? Promise… Promise you won’t leave me.”

  My fingers tightened around her hand. “I promise you. I’ll never leave.”

  That icy feeling came once more, this time harder, pressing into my flesh, drawing my gaze to the spot right next to me.

  Zadoc…Zadoc. Can you hear me? Please tell me you can hear me.

  There was no one…no one at my back. I closed my eyes and inhaled the frigid air and the image of a wolf filled my mind. Long blonde hair, amber eyes that cut you right to the core…the strange one, the Seer…Odessa.

  “Zadoc,” Joslyn whispered. “What is it?”

  Don’t lose it…not now. Not when I have her back. “Nothing… I just thought I felt… Nothing. It’s nothing. Talk to me. Tell me about your brother again. Tell me about the time you went fishing.”

  I rubbed her arm, her face, anywhere I could get as she started. I’d heard the story so many times I knew the words by heart, and each time, the story started the same.

  “We used to go to this place. I can’t quiet remember, but it was some cabin in the woods. An old woman lived there. Anyway, one day Finn and I…”

  That icy touch along my skin never left and while Joslyn talked I focused on that sensation…that familiar voice.

  “And what happened then? I love this part…it’s my favorite.”

  “If the bitch mi
scarries, you’ll be the one explaining it to the Huntress, not me.”

  I turned my head at the voice. The silver haired wolf strode toward us with the demon at his back.

  He lifted his hand, and combed back the straight silver band through his inky hair. The red jewel from his ring sparkled. A guttural growl came from under the black hood of the beast beside him.

  “They can stay here until she says otherwise,” the silver haired wolf snapped and then stopped moving. He turned his head, drawing the icy cavern air deep before cocking his head. “It seems we have a visitor.”

  A hiss tore from the demon. The sickening sound bordered on a scream. It whipped its gaze around the room. “How?”

  “I don’t know,” the wolf answered and stalked around the space outside the cells. “But I’d sense her anywhere.”

  He stepped closer to Joslyn’s cell and then turned. “Have you come back to me, little wolf? I knew you would… I knew you’d find me, and now… I’ve found you.”

  The demon flailed, its black cloak whipping back and forth as it raced from one end of the cavern to the next, seeking the origin of that icy touch.

  “Now, that’s interesting,” murmured the wolf as he turned that sinister gaze on me and commanded. “Send for the Huntress, it seems we might have some answers after all.”

  14

  Joslyn

  “Seize him!”

  The Huntress strode through the cavern, flanked by the towering demons and their giant hounds of Hell.

  She motioned to the lock and the wolf at her side moved. "Now, Dragon. You will tell me what I want to know, one way or another.”

  Zadoc’s hand slipped from my body. He rose in one fluid movement facing our captor.

  There was no end, no peace. Not for a damn second.

  “Stop it!” Rage spilled out as I pulled myself to stand. “He doesn’t know what you want. Neither of us knows.”

  She was like one of those Hellhounds beside her, caught on a damn scent. “Oh, I think you do,” she snapped, never taking her eyes from Zadoc. “I think you have all the answers I need. Don’t you, Dragon?”