What he hadn’t expected was to feel not only the strength of Rafe but the entire pack behind him. Gus was one of the most powerful wolves ever to be born to Black Paw; his gifts were as unique as he was. Now that he had a direct connection to Rafe, he easily sensed that Rafe’s Alpha was ten times stronger than his own—and Rafe had yet to unlock his full potential or abilities.
Gus’ wolf felt enhanced, almost as if the connection had enriched his very essence. His Berserker edged closer to the forefront, pushing any rational thoughts out of Gus’ mind. The Berserker would do whatever it took to rescue Beth, no matter the cost, but for the moment Gus needed to keep a clear head. What he was about to do required his Berserker to stay locked away for the time being.
Gus watched as Ivar studied each of the wolves surrounding him, trying to determine who the biggest threat was. Which wolf would make the first move? Little did Ivar know that Gus wouldn’t have to move a muscle to free his Beth.
“Rafe, with your permission, I want to force this cocksucker to drop the gun. I can smell the silver bullets from here and would prefer none leave the barrel.”
“You have my full permission to do what’s necessary to save your mate, and to make sure that he never harms another member of Black Paw—or anyone else, for that matter.”
Though Ivar didn’t belong to Black Paw, Gus could still use the power of his Alpha to command the wolf. Not knowing the strength Ivar possessed was the only uncertainty in Gus’ scenario.
Focusing on saving his mate, Gus steered his majik directly to Ivar. He envisioned it swirling around him, cocooning him in a sphere of power. The Alpha in him gave Ivar the command to drop the gun.
Ivar struggled with the order, fighting with all his might to deny the Alpha’s will.
Gus pressed Ivar harder, sending another swell of power to the sphere and repeating the command, “Drop the gun.”
This time Ivar had no choice but to obey.
“Beth, Grace, I want you to shift back to human form. Grace, I’ll hold Ivar in place and you grab the gun.”
“Okay.” Their responses filled his ears.
Beth shifted back to her human form and moved to stand directly behind Gus while Grace shifted and grabbed the gun at Ivar’s feet. Once she was out of the way, Gus released his hold on Ivar.
“What the fuck was that? How did you do that?” Ivar yelled.
Rafe was the first to shift back to human form. “The wolves at Black Paw are stronger than you can possibly imagine, with special gifts from the gods.”
“Who the fuck are you? I demand to talk to the Alpha of the pack. Tell him to shift.”
“I am the Alpha of Black Paw.”
Ivar looked stunned at the revelation. “Then who the hell is he?” Ivar pointed to Gus.
“He’s the leader of the Wolf Council, and my uncle. Also Beth’s mate. I have a few questions for you, and if I were you, I’d tread very carefully. You’re on dangerous ground right now, as the Council has ordered all of Griffin’s descendants to be turned over to them, or killed on sight.”
“I don’t have to answer shit.”
“You’re right, you don’t have to answer. But you will.”
Rafe slammed a small tendril of majik into Ivar, instantly dropping Ivar to his knees.
“Why are you here?” Rafe asked.
“Fuck you.” Ivar tried in vain to stand up, but Rafe’s majik was too strong.
“Mom, take Beth and the girl to Lucas. He’s waiting with a car just around the corner.”
Grace nodded and ran to collect the girl. Beth, on the other hand, decided to be stubborn.
“I’m staying right where I am, by my mate’s side.”
Rafe shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Rafe sent a stronger surge of power.
Ivar screamed as the Alpha’s majik rushed over him.
“Last chance. My next trick is separating your wolf from your body. Think about forever losing the ability to shift.”
Gus did a double take, unsure whether he’d heard Rafe correctly. Having the ability to separate a wolf from the human body was not often heard of.
Ivar struggled to speak through the pain. “You can’t possibly do that.”
“I can, I have, and I will. The spirit of your wolf will be cast into the heavens to be reborn.”
“All right. I’ll tell you what you want. Just make it stop,” Ivar pleaded.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Why are you here?” Rafe repeated his original question.
Ivar remained on the ground. “To avenge our father’s death and to get back what’s rightfully ours.”
“‘We’? How many of you are there?”
“Myself and my brother.”
Lucas sprinted to Rafe’s side, looking disheveled.
“Rafe, I can’t reach Erin. Not by phone, text, or our mating connection. It’s like she vanished or some shit. I called Brenna, and she told me Erin insisted on walking home by herself from the clinic. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Fuck. Do you know anything about this?” Rafe turned his attention back to his captive.
“Your resident witch?” Ivar snorted. “If Christoph had his way, he’s between her legs right now, making her his new mate. He planned on taking her by any means necessary.”
That one little fucked-up comment was all it took for Lucas to lose his shit. His Berserker flew to the forefront, snatching control in a flash. The beast didn’t ask. He acted on a vicious impulse to inflict damage on the one who threatened his mate.
One second, Lucas was standing next to Rafe; the very next, he found himself in his wolf form, covered in Ivar’s blood. The man’s dismembered head rested at his feet, his limp, lifeless body a few feet away.
The thought of anyone touching his mate had sent him hurtling over the very precarious edge he’d found himself on lately when it came to all things Erin.
He should have approached the situation calmly, instead of tearing the head off of the only person who might know where his mate was being held.
“Lucas.” Rafe approached him slowly and with caution. “I need you to shift back to human.”
It took every ounce of energy Lucas had to obey Rafe’s command. He welcomed the slowness of his shift and the pain associated with it. He deserved whatever punishment Odin saw fit to dole out. Because of his actions, Erin’s life was on the line, and that was unacceptable—to him, to his wolf, and to his Berserker.
They wanted her back.
If only he had pulled his head out of his ass sooner, he would have realized there wasn’t a single part of him that could live without her. He should never have left her alone at the clinic. It was a piss-poor decision, and one that he wished like hell he could get a do-over on. There were so many things he needed a holy-shit-I-really-fucked-things-up-please-forgive-me button for when it came to Erin and the massive blunders he’d committed.
“Dear Freyja, what have I done?” Lucas dropped to his knees.
Rafe placed a hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “You did what any one of us would have done. You killed the bastard.”
Slowly Gus, Tanner, and Calder shifted to human form.
“What can I do to get her back? I don’t even know where she is, and I just killed the only person who might know. What if I’m already too late?”
“There has to be something we can do,” Calder said as he came out of his shift.
“Maybe Brenna knows some way to track her. Maybe there’s a spell or something,” Rafe suggested.
“Good idea. I’ll call Brenna and have her meet us at Erin’s apartment. Maybe we can find a lead or pick up Christoph’s scent.” Lucas quickly dialed Brenna’s number as he followed Rafe to the vehicle.
“We’re going to Erin’s to see if we can find a trace of her or Christoph. Are you going to be okay?” Gus asked Beth.
“Yes, we’re all fine. You go and help them. We’re heading back to the house now.” Beth stretched up on her tiptoes and gave
Gus a soft kiss.
“Be safe, my dear.”
“You too.”
***
Brenna stood outside Erin’s apartment, waiting for Lucas and the others to arrive. A large leather tote bag, containing all the supplies she needed for her spell, hung from her shoulder. Feelings of trepidation circled her body. She should have insisted on driving Erin home from the clinic.
Under normal circumstances, Erin should have been quite capable of taking care of herself and fending off whatever came her way, but Brenna knew her daughter had nearly drained her majik saving the young mother and her child. It was an occupational hazard they both faced on a regular basis.
She’d never been so happy to see her daughter’s grumpy mate. Little did Lucas know, he’d be the key to finding Erin. She hoped he’d gotten over his aversion to majik and spells because she was about to bust out a doozy.
Lucas sprang from the car even before it came to a complete stop. “Brenna, I have to find her. This is all my fault. I should have—”
“Yes, you should have, but you didn’t, and quite frankly I don’t have time to listen to whatever excuses you’ve concocted to try to absolve yourself from the guilt that should be eating you alive,” Brenna interrupted. “You’ve got one shot left as my daughter’s mate to make this right, and I’ll be damned if we are going to sit around playing the blame game. Let’s go.”
Brenna left a stunned Lucas with his mouth hanging open.
Halfway across the lawn to Erin’s apartment, Brenna turned, motioning for the men to join her. “We don’t have all day, boys.”
Lucas quickly took the lead, his nose working overtime scanning the area for foreign scents.
“My spell will be much more efficient than your nose is, pup. Trust me on this one, or is that still a problem for you?”
“Brenna, you have to understand why I’ve had such a problem with witches and their majik. My entire family was slaughtered by witches. That’s not something I can easily forgive or forget.”
Brenna entered her daughter’s apartment and carefully placed her tote bag on the kitchen table. “Oh, I get that, but here’s the thing: Not all witches are bad. The ones that attacked Black Paw and decimated this pack are the worst of the worst, and I have the most unfortunate privilege of calling their murderous leader my sister.”
She watched as both Rafe’s and Lucas’ jaws dropped. Holding up one hand before either of the two could speak, she continued, “I am not proud of what my sister has done, nor do I condone it. Her very essence has been dipped in evil—and I do mean pure evil. I’ve witnessed it on countless occasions, as you all have. My mate and I learned the hard way just how much prejudice Mariska held for wolves when Reider claimed me as his mate. She ordered both of us to be burned at the stake. Thankfully, we were able to escape with our lives. When she found out where we were, she came looking for us. By then we were already established here at Black Paw, with very few who knew our secret. We fought with the pack against my sister and her coven, and will do so again when she returns.”
“Do you really think she’ll come back?” Lucas asked.
“I don’t think, I know. It’s only a matter of time, and I fear we have less each day. She’s my twin. I can feel her power and resolve growing.”
“Why would she want to come back here?”
“Because as long as there is life in my body or Erin’s, we have a legitimate claim to the throne. She’s afraid that one day we may overthrow her. Much like Rafe is Black Paw’s Alpha by bloodline and birthright, Mariska is the high priestess of the coven. Her position can only be challenged by myself or Erin, but enough about all that. It’s a conversation for another day. Right now, we need to find my daughter.”
“What do you need us to do?” Rafe asked.
“Nothing.” Brenna pulled a dagger, a chalice, four candles, a grimoire, crystals, and a canister of salt from her bag and placed them on the table. “I will, however, need some of Lucas’ blood.”
“Say what?” Calder looked on in fear.
Lucas held up his wrist to his mouth as his canines lengthened, intent on opening his vein.
“Chill. It’s a common spell and I just need a little bit of blood, puppy dog. I don’t need you to bleed out on the floor. I want everyone but Lucas to stand against the wall over there.” Brenna pointed to the far wall in the living room.
“Lucas, I’m going to create a circle of salt, which you and I will stand in while I do the spell.”
“Okay.”
Brenna opened the canister of salt and made a wide circle that encompassed both her and Lucas as well as the kitchen table. When the circle was complete, she lit four candles and placed them in each of the cardinal directions.
Picking up the dagger, Brenna ordered, “Give me your hand.”
Lucas was quick to comply and held his hand out. Brenna pressed the dagger against his hand, slicing a small section open.
“Place a few drops of your blood in the chalice, and be very careful not to let any blood hit the ground.”
Lucas nodded and did as she requested.
Brenna opened the old grimoire and began to chant an ancient written spell. Suddenly, an image of Erin chained to a bed, sleeping rose from the middle of the circle.
“Is she okay?” Lucas shouted.
“Her majik is almost completely gone, but she’s alive. For now.”
“Can you zoom out to see where she is?” Rafe stepped away from the wall.
“Don’t move another inch or I’ll lose the image.”
Rafe quickly backed up.
Brenna used all the energy she had to focus on the exterior of the building. Her chants became louder and faster as the images slowly changed to reveal the worn siding of a dilapidated motel and a door with the number five on it. The image shifted again, and came to a stop on a glowing neon sign: The Cherrygrove Motel.
“Don’t move until I’ve completed the spell.” Brenna finished her chant and the image disappeared. She blew out each of the candles and swept the circle open with her hand. Throwing the crystals and dagger into her tote, she headed for the door.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
“You should probably wait here,” Lucas suggested. “It could get ugly.”
Brenna stopped dead in her tracks, her eyebrows raised. “Are you fucking kidding me? This is my daughter we’re talking about. Besides, who among you is going to be able to heal her?”
“I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again,” Lucas said, pointing out the fact that he’d already saved Erin’s life once.
“You’ll be able to heal her wolf, but not her witch. I’m the only one who can do that. Unless the reason you don’t want me to go is because you want her witch to die?”
“Yesterday my answer would have been yes, but not today. Her witch is an important part of who she is and I accept that. I can’t and won’t change who she is. It was wrong of me to think otherwise.”
“Well then, let’s go.” Brenna motioned for the men to follow her.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Erin’s head pounded. Her tongue felt like sandpaper, and her neck, wrists, and ankles burned like a motherfucker. She opened her eyes and tried to focus, but the bright sunlight seeping into the room made her head throb even worse.
“Are you ready to wake up yet, my sleeping beauty?”
Oh Gods—that voice. A rush of memories flooded her mind, from the very first time she’d met that handsome, smooth-talking man her wolf had warned her about, to the moment he’d wrapped a silver chain around her neck. Son of a bitch.
Erin called for her wolf, then for her witch, but was met with complete silence from both. She tried to move, but couldn’t. The smallest motion on her part sent a fiery pain through her limbs, warning her not to test the silver.
“Why are you doing this?” Erin’s voice was scratchy and hoarse when she spoke.
“I told you. The day we first met, I knew you were meant to be mine. I’ve watched
the turmoil unfold between you and your mate, and again with your pack. It’s only a matter of time before the Council steps in and destroys you. I won’t allow that to happen. Your powers will serve a great purpose in the future. As soon as my brother returns, we’ll leave this place for good. I know you can’t see it right now, but someday you’ll thank me for saving you.”
Sweet Freyja, this guy’s mind is warped. Without her majik, Erin needed to remain calm. She had no way of reaching Lucas until her wolf checked in, and even then she wasn’t certain Lucas would bother to try to rescue her. He had no idea where she was, and even if he did, there was still that whole witch thing standing between them and their happily-ever-after. There would be plenty of opportunities for her to escape once her majik was restored. For now she needed to concentrate on getting her captor to trust her.
“Can we ditch the silver? I’m not going to run. Even if I did, where would I go?” Tears slid down her face with far more ease than she would have imagined. “My true mate has made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with me, and so has my pack.”
“How do I know this isn’t some sort of trick to overpower me as soon as I free your hands? I witnessed your power firsthand this morning outside the diner. Although I think you were holding back, you were still quite impressive.”
“What’s your name?”
“Christoph.”
“Let me be frank with you, Christoph. I am a very powerful witch and equally powerful wolf. However, at this moment both my witch and my wolf are on the verge of dying. And they will die more quickly, I fear, if this silver remains wrapped around me. If I had any of my majik right now, this silver could do nothing to contain me. You’re about to make me lose the very powers you hope to use me for, and if you don’t believe me, feel free to have your wolf verify what I’ve said.”
Erin watched as Christoph thought about what she’d said and appeared to have a silent conversation with his wolf.
“What’s it going to take to get your majik back?”
Fur Ever Witched (Black Paw Pack Book 2) Page 13
