Coveted

by Stacey Brutger

  Aiden’s frown became an outright scowl. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Not if I’m quick.” She gave a small smile to cover her nerves.

  “Why do you need the objects?”

  “They help me connect to the person. When a person touches an object, they leave behind energy like an imprint. If I concentrate hard enough, I can follow that signature, and I’ll eventually stumble across them. Heading in the wrong direction is like scaling a mountain, each step growing more difficult.”

  “I don’t like this.” Muscles bunched as if Aiden were holding himself back, his words a mere rumble, his wolf lurking in his eyes.

  “We both know I have to do this.” Shayla forced herself to step away, but not before stealing one last touch to give her courage. She brushed the back of her hand against Aiden’s forearm, marveling the way her pulse jumped at the innocent touch. A faint growl of pleasure vibrated under her fingers, a sound reserved only for her.

  Hugging those feelings close, Shayla plucked the empty vial from the table. She rolled the glass cylinder between her palms. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. Sounds faded, became muffled, as she cracked open the door to the Frost World. Her skin prickled painfully when the temperature dropped, all the lovely warmth in the room syphoned away as fast as she could pull it into her, consumed by her gift.

  Shayla concentrated on the vial. Different signatures wrapped around her, dragging in every direction until vertigo threatened to knock her flat. She shook her head and set the tube aside with trembling fingers. “Multiple people have touched the vial. It doesn’t belong to one person. I can’t get a clear read on anyone.”

  Shayla curled and uncurled her hands, her fingers stiff from cold. Heat stung her skin, the sensation both painful and welcome as she slowly thawed. The further she was sucked into the Frost World, the worse it would get.

  Two more items on the table failed just as quickly. One item was just too new, the other stretched on forever, the distance too great to span. Shayla dropped the hat she held, her fingers so numb she couldn’t maintain her grip. She scanned the remaining five items on the table. Her head throbbed, feeling twice the normal size, and the edges of her vision distorted as she fought off the effects of a migraine. She needed something more before her gift gave out and burned her up from the inside out.

  Aiden stared at her with an intensity that made her suspect he saw nothing in the room but her. Shayla stiffened her spine to conceal her exhaustion. If he suspected she was pushing herself too far, he’d call a halt. She couldn’t allow that. Not yet.

  “Try this.” Lassie held out a shirt he’d been clutching.

  Shayla recoiled. Blood stained the collar. If the person was dead, it wouldn’t be long before she joined him. Blood was the best connection that could be forged…and the most dangerous.

  Aiden held out his arm to block her, and Shayla was absurdly grateful for the reprieve. He hovered even closer, his heat seeping into her frost-coated skin, allowing her to breathe a little easier.

  “We can stop.” His voice was low, his eyes so very earnest that her chest hurt for a whole new reason.

  “I can do this.” For him.

  Aiden studied her a minute longer before he reluctantly stepped back.

  Heart still beating a bit too fast, Shayla stalled, rubbing her hands to get feeling back before facing Lassie. “Who is he?”

  The intensity in Lassie’s eyes was uncomfortable to witness. His throat moved as he swallowed the emotions trying to escape. “My brother Shawn. They had no reason to take him. He wasn’t infected.”

  “You thought he would be safe if he went with the others.”

  Lassie only nodded.

  That they had taken children only made Shayla more determined to end this now. She reached out for the shirt when she saw Aiden move toward her.

  “Don’t.” He mustn’t touch her when she was using her gift.

  But it was already too late.

  Flakes of dry blood adhered to her skin, and her gift burst into life. Fire immediately flared in her chest, burning along the underside of her ribs like an inferno, scorching everything in its wake. Every breath seared her throat. Her lungs crackled, the reaction so violent it took her precious seconds to take control of her gift.

  The world around her shifted, became lifeless and dull. She blinked, surprised to find the shadow of Aiden’s wolf sitting next to her.

  Guarding her.

  “Aiden?”

  The wolf gave a devilish grin before turning to scan the new world around them. Aiden’s hold on her wrist tightened, her whole arm tingling at the contact. Warmth poured out of him, flooding her system, boosting her powers as it greedily consumed everything he offered. “Where are we?”

  That’s when she realized Aiden had used his wolf to enter the Frost World with her. Terror seized her, and she tried to break his hold and shove him out, but the bastard was as stubborn as usual. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

  The big brute ignored her, scanning the open door to the inn. “I wouldn’t be a very good protector if I let you do this alone.”

  Shayla rolled her eyes but relented. A small, logical portion of her that wasn’t trembling in fear wanted Aiden to see how she straddled both worlds, and finally banish the last of the secrets between them. “As soon as you let go of me, you’ll drop back into your world. If something goes wrong or you feel sick, let go. Promise me.”

  Aiden grunted as if insulted, giving her an amused look as he ran his fingers along the sensitive underside of her arm. “I’d follow you anywhere.”

  Shayla’s heart lurched, and she shook her head, trying not to foolishly read something into his words.

  “Where is my brother?” Lassie’s voice sounded far away.

  The people around them looked grey, like corpses, the brightness of their life force dimmed. She was doing that to them. Stealing more and more of their life. The longer they remained in close proximity to her, the worse it would get. She’d suspected that if she took everything they had to offer, they would die in the real world.

  Shayla shut down her gift as hard as she could, starving it, taking the brunt of the burden so it consumed her instead. She stepped outside, Aiden by her side, following a faint tug. “He’s alive, somewhere near, but there is something blocking the connection.”

  “But you know he’s alive.” Lassie watched her intently, searching for the lie, his once-animated eyes beginning to turn milky as he closed the distance between them.

  “Yes, his ghost would’ve appeared otherwise.”

  The grass began to turn brown under her feet, withered as her gift sought an alternative energy source. The desiccated circle around her swelled, consuming plants and buildings. She had to keep moving, couldn’t remain still or she’d kill everything around her.

  Her gift led them to the edge of town. The buildings appeared dilapidated, creaking and groaning like a light breeze could knock them down. The few trees were like skeletons clawing at the sky, dried leaves crackling as they swayed in the wind.

  “What the hell is that?”

  A man stumbled toward them, the glow of life conspicuously missing. Darkness clung to him, seeping up from the gates of hell, waiting to suck him down in its pits. Shayla quickly shushed Aiden. “A wraith. Don’t draw its attention.”

  But it was already too late.

  They’d been spotted.

  “It’s Hugh, the man from the cave." Aiden bulked up, his expression turning murderous.

  The man didn’t appear to notice the threat, stumbling toward them, casting furtive glances over his shoulders. Tufts of hair stuck up around his head, the rest matted flat by some goop she had no desire to examine further. The once large guy was so gaunt that she barely recognized him.

  He appeared harmless.

  It was a lie.

  “Whatever you do, do not allow him to touch you.” Shayla tried to tug Aiden away, but the blasted man wouldn’t budge.

  “Thank Go
d. You have to help me.” He reached out to them.

  Shayla scrambled forward, shoved her way in front of Aiden at the last second, and Hugh latched onto her forearm instead. She couldn’t shake him off.

  “Release me.” Sometimes, if she pushed enough command into her voice, they obeyed.

  Not this man.

  He turned toward her at the sound of her voice, then squinted in recognition. “I know you. You’re that girl.” His grip tightened further until her fingers tingled. “What did you do to me?”

  “You died.” Some of the warmth of her gift seeped out from the contact between them. Shadows faded from under his eyes, the hollows of his cheeks filled out, color gradually returning to his face, and the darkness around him retreated. The man inhaled, and his body inflated until he almost appeared human again.

  “Let go.” Nausea seized her in its grip. Unable to bear his touch, Shayla yanked her arm again, finally breaking free. When Hugh lunged after her, Aiden stepped between them. A quick shove sent Hugh tumbling on his ass, and he skidded a few feet.

  But now that the man had gotten a taste of life again, he wouldn’t give it up willingly. Hugh popped to his feet. When he charged her again, Aiden’s wolf jumped between them. A menacing snarl vibrated beneath her feet. The wraith gazed at her over the beast’s head as if contemplating if he could get to her before being ripped to shreds.

  As if the wolf called them, a howl echoed in the distance. Whatever color Hugh had gained, he lost pretty quickly. “You can’t leave me here. Those demon dogs will kill me the first chance they get.”

  Shayla sure hoped so. She had little sympathy for the man who had tried to kill Aiden and would’ve killed her if he’d gotten the chance. One thing changed her mind. She didn’t want this jerk waiting for her every time she crossed over. “This is your purgatory. You have to face your demons if you want to be free.”

  Hugh cringed.

  The howling drew closer. Fear got the better of him, and he scurried away, disappearing into a building down the street. Shayla rubbed the spot where his hand had gripped her, noticing bruises already darkening her skin.

  A soft touch, gentle as a breeze, ran across the back of her injured hand, the wolf licking away the hurt. She scowled at the wolf, secretly charmed despite herself. “Enough of that.”

  In reply, he gave a crooked grin and took off down the trail. They travelled a few miles, everyone following like a relentless zombie horde. A light mist clung to her. Her skin had long since grown numb, moving from pale to a sickly gray as frost collected on her arms.

  Shayla gritted her teeth, grateful for the silence, since every time she opened her mouth to speak, her teeth chattered. Fog thickened the air to a murky soup, chilling her until the strands of her hair clicked together like icy branches. Her eyelashes stuck together as they slowly froze. Walking became difficult, her body getting clumsier with each passing minute as the cold insidiously invaded her soul.

  She covered her awkwardness as best she could, hiding the debilitating effects of her gift, but even Lassie wouldn’t stop watching her.

  “You’re dying, aren’t you?”

  “We’re close.” But the warmth her gift used as fuel was dangerously low. She refused to steal from those around her. When she tripped over her feet for the third time, Aiden blocked her way.

  “Stop.”

  A howl reverberated in the distance, and Aiden turned. His beast had found something. Shayla opened her mouth to tell the others, but ended up coughing instead, a wet, hacking sound that ripped up her chest. She quickly wiped away the telltale sign of blood from her hand before anyone could notice.

  Instead of speaking, James produced a hankie. “He’s right. You’re brought them close enough. You can’t risk your blood getting any warmer. You’re slowly cooking yourself.”

  They both knew seizures were next.

  Then the traitor turned toward Aiden. “If she goes any further, she will die.”

  Aiden swung her around, drawing her toward him until she was wrapped in his arms. There was no sign that her gift had any effect on him at all. He didn’t speak, but dipped his head and kissed her senseless. The taste of him exploded through her, heating her faster than any fire. Every nerve ending flared to life. He parted her lips, stealing her breath, and the forgotten shirt dropped from her hand.

  By the time he pulled away, Shayla was toasty warm. A few of the men lingered a discreet distance away, not even bothering to cover their grins.

  “Kind of smug, aren’t you?”

  Aiden didn’t smile at her teasing. “I figured if you feel even a fraction of what I do, I could pull you back. I ground you, just as you do me.”

  Her breath hiccupped in her chest at his confession. She must have looked as stunned as she felt, for Aiden smiled and prodded her forward.

  “If you keep looking at me like that I won’t stop at kissing you. Now get moving, woman.”

  Shayla followed the others, so completely undone by Aiden’s flirtation she almost missed the cottage. It looked innocent enough, cozy even, a lazy curl of smoke floating up into the night sky. Blue flowers were scattered around the property willy-nilly. “The same flowers I found around your dungeon.”

  Aiden looked grim. “Wolfsbane. It kills our sense of smell and weakens our wolf. Everyone spread out and search.”

  People scattered. Shayla followed Aiden, Mac and Lassie into the cottage. The small room consisted of a table and chairs, the place littered with odd knickknacks. It almost looked homey, except things were slightly off. Dust coated the place. Wood chips for the fire littered the floor. A small military cot stood against one wall, the rough green covers tossed back as if the person had gotten up in a hurry.

  The smell of charred food lingered in the air. Underneath that was the distinct smell of rot. Pots were stacked precariously along the cupboards like small leaning towers, mold spores twisted up the sides.

  “There’re not here.”

  Shayla heard no accusation in Aiden’s voice, but flinched under the lash of it anyway. “They have to be. We’re just not looking hard enough.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  “There had been a church here centuries ago. When it fell into ruin, a series of tunnels were discovered. Years later smugglers had used them to store things until they could be unloaded.”

  The three men fell silent, looking around the room with renewed hope. Lassie rushed to the wall and started knocking on the wood. The rest quickly followed suit. Shayla moved out of their way. When she stepped on the rug, a current of freezing air reached up from beyond the grave and grabbed her ankle in its tight fist. She scrambled backward, nearly falling over her feet to get away.

  And immediately felt better.

  “Guys.” She bent and tossed back the rug.

  Aiden reached her first. He scooted around her, brushing against her side in a way that made her want to run her hands all over him.

  When he bent to grasp the handle, her eyes unashamedly dropped to his ass, unable to keep from admiring the view. Aiden caught her in in the act, appearing startled at first, but then he shot her a roguish grin.

  The smile quickly dropped. “Stay behind me. If there is any sign of trouble, I want you to run. Understand?”

  Shayla wanted to refuse, but suspected if she said anything else, she’d be trussed up and returned to the castle. She gritted her teeth. “Fine.”

  When the door cracked open, atrocious smells invaded the small space. She coughed, covering her nose and mouth when her stomach threatened to toss up its contents. Feces, urine and rot were blended into a toxic mess. If it was that bad for her, she couldn’t imagine how the guys could handle it with their more sensitive noses.

  There was something in the darkness, something oily and evil that seeped up the steps, and Shayla retreated as if it would reach out and drag her down there. Dread built in her bones, and her skin crawled with the need to run.

  Aiden descended into hell on silent feet, his face grim, and
she had to struggle not to yank him back. He glanced back at her, and her resolved hardened. She would not let him face what was down there alone. They’d taken him once. She would not allow it to happen again. That didn’t mean she wasn’t scared shitless. She ended up following him so closely she bumped into him twice.

  Without looking at her, he reached back and threaded their fingers together. Her heart tumbled at the gesture, and she tightened her grip.

  If possible, the smell became worse, like she had fallen into a cesspit. Emergency lights were strewn down the long hallway, their feeble light never fully banishing the darkness, each huddling in its small circle as if afraid of what lurked beyond.

  The deeper they went underground, the more her anxiety increased. Her breathing sped up until it didn’t feel like she was able to get enough air. She was psyching herself out. She concentrated on her surroundings until the vise around her chest slowly loosened.

  Water dribbled down the walls. They were close to the ocean, maybe even in a connecting tunnel where she’d first located Aiden. She couldn’t see squat, so shouldn’t have been surprised when she slammed into Aiden when he halted. The impact knocked her off her feet.

  Aiden whirled with his normal incredible speed, but fumbled when he pulled her up against him. Her guts pitched with foreboding to see him so affected by such a small dose of wolfsbane. She clutched his arms as he set her back on her feet, reassuring herself that he was going to be okay.

  Then she saw what lay beyond him.

  Her lungs, her heart…everything seemed to stop working as she tried to process the sight. The scene was like out of a concentration camp. Wolves in human and animal forms lined the walls. They didn’t have cages; the thick chains around their necks were enough of a deterrent.

  The metal irritated the skin until there was nothing left but raw flesh. Infection was rampant, the wounds leaking a green puss that made her stomach revolt. They sat in their own excrement. Bones littered the floor around them, tooth marks prominent on all of them, most were cracked and the marrow sucked out.