“Like I said, they are everywhere and nowhere.” Karim’s mouth turned up into a mysterious smile. “And they follow my orders, whatever they may be. Anyway, thank you my friend.” He reached a hand out toward Duncan, his palm open.
Duncan took the hand, but instead of just clasping it, he pulled him in for a hug and said something in a low tone that Julianna couldn’t hear. A second later, they broke apart. “Safe travels, Karim.”
“I wish you luck.” Though he was saying it to Duncan, he was grinning at Julianna. With a nod of his head, he spun on his heel and marched toward the car. One of the guards opened the door and Karim went inside.
“What did you tell him?” she asked when the SUV had disappeared into the distance.
“I said that I considered him a brother too.”
There was a sadness in his voice, and Julianna longed to comfort him. “Hey, he’s not going away forever. You can see him again, right?”
“Maybe. But soon he’ll be king.”
“Oh.” Over the last months, she’d seen a couple of news stories about the death of the King of Zhobghadi. She didn’t put it together until now that he would be king soon. Duncan probably realized that once his friend was on the throne, his life would change forever, and they wouldn’t just be able to spend time together as friends. “Surely he won’t just forget about you. I bet you can see him again, if you give him a call.”
“Thank you, Julianna.”
A warm hand squeezed around hers, and she didn’t realize until that moment that she had actually reached out and placed her hand in his. The urge to snatch it back was strong, but she found herself giving him a squeeze back, then gently released his hand.
“So,” he began. “I saw Reed this morning. He seems to have recovered.”
“From the fight or from Elise?” Despite her concern for her mate, it was obvious the hybrid wasn’t happy he had thrown that guy against the wall and started the fight.
“Both,” he chuckled. “Anyway, last night he had mentioned he wanted to see the distillery, and so I offered them a tour today. There’s some work that needs my attention, but we can leave before lunch and have a meal after.”
“Sounds great.” Damn, it was so hard to say no to him, especially when he turned that smile on her.
“I’ll see you here at eleven then.”
She was stepping aside to let him pass, but before she knew what was happening, he reached out to pull her to him. For some reason, she didn’t flinch or even try to get away. Holding her breath, she imagined he would kiss her like he did last night, but his lips landed on her forehead instead. The smell of peat, malt, and pine surrounded her, and her knees turned to jelly.
Without saying another word, he walked away, whistling to himself as she stood there gawking after him. When he disappeared around the corner, she braced herself on the nearest piece of furniture she could reach—a three-legged decorative table—then let out a breath.
And that’s when she realized the third thing about him that made her lose her mind—that vulnerable and sweet side no one else seemed to know about.
Sonofabitch.
“How is he doing?” Julianna asked Elise in a low voice as they sat in the back of the Land Rover. Duncan and Reed sat up front, chatting about whiskey, so she felt confident enough that neither would pay attention to them.
“Much better now.” Elise rubbed her belly as she adjusted the seatbelt. “I thought he was fine, even after we went to see his parents’ graves.” Reed’s mother and father had been buried in the Caelkirk family cemetery, and Elise had told her they went to visit them that first day they arrived. “But I think the upcoming trip to England’s got him all tied up in knots.”
There was a pang in her chest as she realized they were leaving tomorrow. But, wasn’t that what she wanted? She’d secured the alliance with the Caelkirk clan, and now it was time to move on and do her job. “Maybe the fight really was what he needed. To let off some steam.” She herself was dreading the thought of going back to Huntington Park, though surprisingly, not as bad as she thought she would. In fact, it had been a while since she’d started feeling that dark, heaviness weighing her down.
“Are you ladies all right back there?” Reed asked, looking at them through the rearview mirror. There was no sign of the bruises or cuts on his face from last night, thanks to his Lycan healing.
“We’re great,” Elise said. “Are we there yet?”
“Almost,” Duncan answered. “Just beyond that hill there.”
“I’m looking forward to this special drink you mentioned last night,” Reed said.
“Special drink?” Julianna asked.
“He claims he has a special whiskey that could get even Lycans drunk.”
“What?” She raised a brow at Duncan. “Really?”
“Aye, I wouldn’t lie to you, darlin’.”
Did he realize that her bones just melted whenever he turned up that accent of his? Like last night, when he said those filthy things to her and—
She cleared her throat. “And how to do you manage that?”
“We have a very special brewmaster workin’ with us.”
Elise leaned forward. “Special?”
“He’s a—”
Julianna wasn’t sure what happened, but in a split second, the entire world flipped over. She shut her eyes to stop the dizzying feeling from overcoming her, and it was only when she opened them that she realized it was she—or rather, the car—that was turned over. The seatbelt cut into her shoulders and stomach, but it was the only thing preventing her from falling on her head at the moment. Looking over to her side, she saw Elise struggling with her belt.
“Elise! Julianna!” Reed shouted. “Are you all right?”
“I’m … it hurts …”
An inhuman growl rattled from Reed’s chest as he attempted to wrench himself free from the seatbelt.
“Duncan!” Julianna felt panic cut into her as she saw his head hanging limp. “No! Wake—”
Elise let out a scream as the vehicle turned over again, landing on the ground with a loud thud. When her brain stopped rattling in her skull, Julianna managed to unclick her seatbelt. What the hell was going on?
“Open it up!” a voice from the outside said. “And grab them.”
As Elise’s door opened, a hand came in and grabbed her. Julianna tried to go after her, but something grabbed her ankle, and she was dragged out of the vehicle.
Julianna turned to look at her attacker—and the red robe he wore told her everything she needed.
The mages.
There were seven of them, as far as she could tell. One of them held Elise, dragging her across the grass. The mage who had Julianna pushed her forward, toward where Elise was lying on the ground. She could hear the growls coming from inside the vehicle, and a second later, a full-grown Lycan burst out from the passenger side, landing on its giant paws.
“Reed!” Elise cried as one of the mages waved a hand, sending Reed’s wolf flying a few feet away. She raised her arms, sending a streak of electricity to shock the mages, his body convulsing as ten thousand volts of power surged through him.
“Get her!”
Seeing her chance, Julianna forced her body to shift, pushing her wolf to the surface. Her clothes ripped as her limbs lengthened and her muscles doubled in density. Dark brown fur sprouted all over her body, covering her Lycan form head to toe. The wolf’s gigantic paws barely touched the ground before it leapt into action, pouncing on top of the nearest mage it could reach.
The she-wolf opened its mouth, going straight for the mage’s neck. Its massive teeth sank into fabric and skin. The mage let out a scream, but before it could bite down harder, the wolf’s vision was clouded in green smoke.
A potion! Fuck! The mages had been ready.
The wolf’s body went limp, its vision swimming. Fight it, Julianna urged. But it was no use. She could feel her limbs growing weak.
It was a good thing, however, that she had been s
ubjected to potions several times during her training. This particular one was probably meant to knock her out, and although it had been formulated for a Lycan, it wasn’t perfect; no potion was as each recipe had to be tailor-made for the target. Soon, she would burn through it and she would regain use of her body. The best course of action was to remain still and pretend the potion was working, and then surprise them by attacking.
“Transport the bitches and the dog,” a low, raspy voice said. “And kill anyone else left.”
“No!” Elise was obviously still conscious, but somehow, they had managed to restrain her.
Cracking her wolf’s eyes open just a fraction of an inch, Julianna could see that Elise had several lines of rope wrapped around her body. But it didn’t seem like ordinary rope, as it pulsed and glowed as she moved.
“Stop struggling, my dear,” the mage said. “The more you do, the more it tightens. It’s magic, you see?” A few feet from her, the same rope was tied around Reed’s neck as a mage held the other end, a sick smile on his face as he tugged on the rope. The wolf let out a horrific shriek.
“What … do … you want?” Elise gasped.
“I have particular plans for you and your mate, hybrid,” he answered. “As for the other one, I bet her father and Lucas Anderson would give up anything to save her life. Even the dagger of Magus Aurelius.”
“You’ll never have it!” Elise spat.
“Really?” The mage laughed cruelly, and the hood on his robe fell back, revealing his bald, pale head. “We’ll have to see. Maybe we’ll send her back piece by piece until the dagger is ours.”
Julianna wanted to rip his face off. The potion was definitely wearing off as the feeling returned to her legs and arms. They were so busy dealing with Elise and Reed that they didn’t pay attention to her, but if they were smart, they’d realize that the potion they hit her with wouldn’t last very long.
Think, Julianna. You’re outnumbered, seven to three—
Her heart stopped. Where was Duncan?
As if he had heard her, a giant brown blur leapt out of the car and headed straight for the head mage. Duncan’s wolf was huge, with thick brindle brown fur all over its humungous body. Julianna realized it was now or never, and she forced her wolf to get up and run.
A mage stepped in front of the brindle wolf, and they tangled to the ground. Another mage ran toward them, ready to throw a potion at Duncan, so she steered her wolf toward him. Her wolf’s teeth sank into his arm, making him release the potion.
“Damn you! Stop them! The rope!”
No!
Her wolf was seemingly hell-bent on punishing the mage who had dared threaten Duncan that it didn’t listen to her, not even when she begged it to stop and run. Something rough cut into her neck and her wolf’s body was pulled back. Fuck!
Don’t struggle! That supposedly made it worse. She heard a yowl and saw that they had Duncan too. No!
The mage was saying something, but she couldn’t concentrate on his words because she was slowly being choked by the rope. Her wolf was struggling, unable to stay calm which only made the magical restraint tighten. Black spots were appearing in her vision, and she felt the earth move.
What?
She wasn’t hallucinating. The ground was shaking. That stunned her wolf, and seemed to relax it enough that the rope stopped choking her.
“What the hell is happening?” The mage cried. “Who—”
The mages seemed distracted, so Julianna shifted back into her human form, then used her human hands to slip the rope off her neck. She scrambled to her feet, trying to find her bearings, but the ground swayed back and forth. She let out a gasp as the earth opened up around her, and several vines ripped up from the earth.
Vines?
No, they were tree roots! “Holy shit!”
The roots shot out toward the mages, grabbing two of them. They wrapped around their necks and snapped them, their bodies going limp instantly.
“Let’s get out of here!” The mage ordered. “Now!”
The remaining three mages circled around their leader and began to chant. One root darted toward them, but it was too late. It caught only air as the mages shimmered and disappeared.
Julianna dropped to the ground when the quakes stopped. What the hell—
“Here,” said a low, rough voice from behind her. She felt something wrap around her naked form—a coat. “Put this on.” The accent was strange. Definitely not Scottish, but wasn’t quite English.
She slipped her arms into the sleeves of the too-big trench coat and wrapped it around her naked body—after all, all her own clothes were shredded, and she wasn’t about to parade around naked. Getting to her feet, she scrambled after the man, who she realized was hovering over Duncan’s prone human form.
A growl escaped her throat, and she leapt right on top of him. “Get away from him!” The man let out a surprised yelp, but she held on, wrapping her arm around his neck to cut off his airway. He sputtered and waved his hands, but she didn’t let go.
“Julianna! Julianna! Stop!”
She turned her head and saw Duncan get up. “Stop!” He walked over to her. “You’re hurting him.”
She let out a grunt. Well, duh.
“He was the one who helped us!” Duncan knelt beside her. “Stop, please.”
She released the man’s neck, making him choke out a groan and clutch at his throat.
“That’s the last time I’ll try to rescue your sorry ass,” the man spat as he got up. “If you weren’t my boss, MacDougal, I’d have let those damn mages do what they want.”
Duncan chuckled as he helped Julianna get up. “I love you, too, Soren.”
Julianna grit her teeth as her wolf begged to be let out, to make sure Duncan was fine. She twisted to face him and buried her face in his neck to get a whiff of his scent.
“Calm down, darlin’,” Duncan soothed as he rubbed her back. “I’m fine. Soren here got to us on time.”
Her head swung over to the newcomer. He looked like an ordinary human—tall and lean, with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. But there was a power humming underneath the surface, something not even his cold, handsome face could hide. A patch of scar tissue ran up his neck and jaw, marring one cheek, making him look even more dangerous.
Warlock. And a powerful one at that, if he was the one who sent those roots after the mages.
Cold blue eyes bore into her. “What the hell do the mages want with you?”
“If you knew they were mages, then you probably have an idea.”
He didn’t flinch, but instead, cocked his head to the side. “Your friends probably need some help.”
“Elise! Reed!” She had almost forgotten about them. Though she tried to run, Duncan held her tight.
“They’re fine. See?”
Reed was limping toward them, an arm around Elise. “What the bloody hell was that about?”
“There could be more of them around.” Soren shoved his hands into his pockets. “Let’s go back to the distillery where it’s safe.”
Chapter Seven
Despite the fact that they were all safe inside the office of the Three Wolves Distillery, Duncan’s wolf remained agitated. And frankly, he was too angry himself to contain the animal.
Those mages dare come into his territory and try to take his True Mate? The rage burned in him, fueling his need for revenge. To kill every last one of them until they were no longer a threat to his clan, his family, and Julianna.
“Here, this’ll help.”
He took the glass of whiskey offered to him. “Thanks, Soren. Is this batch from your special formula?”
The warlock’s face remained impassive. “A very diluted portion.”
Soren Shadowend was a mystery wrapped up in a puzzle, but the man was a damned good brewmaster, not to mention a powerful warlock. The Welshman had shown up on their doorstep a year ago, claiming to have a special recipe to make their whiskey potent, even to Lycans. They thought he was joking, but th
e warlock quickly proved he was not.
He also proved to be a useful ally. While the mages had been distracted, he quickly called the warlock on his cell for assistance. Though he had witnessed Soren use his powers to control the plants in their research lab, he’d never seen roots and trees used to attack. And frankly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to see more of the warlock’s capabilities.
Soren took his tray of glasses and offered one to Reed who accepted it gratefully, then offered it to everyone in the room, except for Elise. When they had heard about what happened, Callum, Kirsten, Lachlan, and Finlay immediately came to the distillery. His father, Lachlan, and Finlay were standing by the fireplace, while Elise and Reed, and Kirsten and Julianna occupied the two leather couches. Julianna had changed into some extra clothes he had in the Land Rover, and his mother had wrapped her up in one of their clan tartans. He isolated himself in the far corner of the room, as his wolf was still too keyed up.
Duncan watched as Reed took a small sip. A few seconds passed before he blinked and said, “What in the bloody hell is this?”
“Whiskey,” Soren said nonchalantly.
“But … I feel … warm and …” He shook his head. “It’s not wearing off.”
Callum laughed. “That’s Soren’s special formula. Our metabolisms don’t burn it off quite so easily as regular alcohol.”
“But how?” Reed asked.
“You’re a warlock,” Elise stated, her eyes narrowing at Soren. “A blessed warlock.”
While there were many witches and warlocks all over the world who could make potions and cast spells, few had active powers. They were called blessed because of their additional abilities.
“And you’re a hybrid,” Soren stated, his eyes merely flitting on her in a disinterested manner.
“You’re using magic to make alcohol stronger?” Elise’s nose wrinkled.
The warlock ignored her and instead, put the tray down, leaned his hip against a large oak desk, then crossed his arms over his chest.
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