Steady yourself, Mason. I inwardly chuckled, amused over my sudden jumpiness. Chances were it was Darcy, determined to use other means to talk with me other than our mental connection. It helped us to be like regular couples, she said. She hadn’t been impressed when I snorted in return, jokingly saying that there was nothing normal about us.
Ready to answer with my sexiest voice, all thoughts of my gorgeous wife disappeared once I saw the solitary name displayed on the illuminated screen.
Daniel.
“Where are you?” I demanded, speaking first.
“Tsk, tsk, brother. Is that anyway to greet your best friend?” The voice might have belonged to Daniel, but it lacked all the warmth and humor that I cherished. Just the sound of the altered tone sent chills through me.
“By all means, tell me where you are and I’ll come and give you a proper greeting.”
That made him laugh. “I’m sure you would. However, that’s not why I’m calling. It seems you’ve forgotten your manners, Mason, and require another lesson.”
“The only thing I’m interested in is removing you from my best friend’s body, you bastard.” I growled, my temper flaring. “You screwed with the wrong person when you took him.”
Nothing in his tone changed. Not even a flicker of aggression. “There you go, again, letting your emotions get the better of you. Do you know how disgusting it is to watch someone with your kind of influence and power squander it away by being a sentimental fool? How disgusting it is to see the disgrace you bring to being an Alpha because you wear your bleeding heart on your sleeve? I’d hoped my demonstrations had cured you of that, but it looks like you refuse to acknowledge how truly weak you are.”
I didn’t care how much he attacked the choices I made or how I chose to govern my Pack. Whatever mind games he was playing made no difference. I was who I was. I knew my strengths. “Oh, the irony,” I said, chuckling lightly. “I’m not the one who had to possess another. I’m not the one hiding like a coward inside someone else’s body. To me, that’s the very definition of weakness.”
The call went quiet and I knew I’d hit my mark. For all the bluster the Master displayed, he couldn’t deny the simple fact that he hadn’t come, guns a-blazing, in his own form.
“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” I continued.
“There’s something you’re about to realize, Mason O’Connor. What will you do when the blood of others coats your hands red and stains your soul the vilest black? For all the goodness people attribute to you, do they even understand that you are truly the villain in this story . . . that the greater crime falls squarely at your feet?”
“Quit talking in riddles. Tell me what you want; or better yet, come tell me in person.” I challenged, eager to end the call and put this pissing contest to rest.
It was as if I hadn’t spoken. “Ready to acknowledge your failings?”
“Ready to be sent back to Hell?” I countered.
“Yes, a lesson in humility and true power is exactly what you need. As always, it has been a pleasure. I look forward to the way this next lesson breaks you.”
Dead air filled my ear, his final words echoing in my mind. There was a moment where everything stilled—in the surrounding area where I now stood and within my body—just a fraction of a moment before a sense of overwhelming dread slammed at my Pack connection, hard.
I ran. Following that feeling, tracing it to its source. I sprinted further along the perimeter path I’d been walking. There was no telling what I would find—only an indication of overwhelming agony and disbelief that now crowded out everything else.
A guttural scream erupted from my lips as I spotted a dark mass on the ground, the scent of blood and fear heavily tainting each breath I took. Horror gripped my heart the closer I got—shock as I recognized that whoever it was . . . their abdomen had been savagely ripped open and their innards scattered around them.
“Hold on!” I yelled, adrenaline taking over as I dropped to my knees, my hands desperately trying to cinch the bleeding. “I got you. I got you.”
This was a wolf, one of my wolves, and bile rose up my throat when I recognized the Master’s latest victim. Carefully, I cradled his head on my lap as I yelled for whoever could hear me.
Ross’ wounds were fatal. His ability to heal wouldn’t be enough. Something whispered even vampire blood wouldn’t stave off his impending death. He was beyond saving, and the Master had known that when he’d sliced Ross open, spilling out his guts in a sea of crimson.
“Mason,” he croaked, his breathing shallow as pain tightly etched around his mouth. “I need . . .”
“Ssh.” I smiled bravely, although I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. “Conserve your energy. Help is on its way.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that by the time it arrived, it would be too late. No one survived this kind of extensive damage.
“No.” With his failing strength, the young wolf, grabbed my hand, his fingers slick with his own blood. “You need to listen. I was wrong. So wrong.” Each word came out through gritted teeth. “I believed his lies. He made me think what I was doing was for my Pack.”
He was talking about his participation in my torture. “That doesn’t matter, anymore. I’ve claimed you. You’re mine.”
Panic flooded his eyes. “No, there’s more. He told me to pretend . . . to make you trust me . . . to spy for him.” When I went to respond it had been my suspicion, he shook his head. “But I couldn’t . . . not after you forgave me.”
A series of spasms wracked his body, red spittle coating his lips as he coughed violently. It wouldn’t be much longer.
“Yes, I did,” I soothed, needing him to understand that I didn’t hold any grudges. I’d meant it in that basement. I believed in second chances.
“Please.”
His one worded plea silenced me. He had something to say and I wouldn’t deny him his dying wish.
“I told him I changed my mind . . . that I didn’t want to betray you . . . that I would tell you everything . . . all his secrets.” Each syllable grew harder and harder to pronounce.
Footsteps came from behind me, the guard I’d talked to earlier, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away from Ross’ face, the color already draining from his skin, and leaving behind a white, death-like pallor.
“Tell me, then,” I whispered, desperately hoping that God would grant him enough time to free his conscience.
He inhaled, his lips parting, but nothing came out. As his heart failed to make that next beat, Ross’ spirit slipped away. He was gone; and with him, whatever secrets he’d been ready to share.
My body shook as grief took hold, my arms wrapping tighter around my young charge. This wasn’t the way things should be. It wasn’t the kind of life I wanted for my Pack—for anyone. Everything I did, it was so outcomes like this could be avoided. I willingly faced danger so others wouldn’t have to.
It was my job, as Alpha, to protect Ross . . . and I had failed him.
There was no containing the sorrow that bubbled up from inside me. Ignoring the guard, I threw my head back, eyes closed, and howled.
****
Darcy met me outside as I slowly climbed the stairs, Ross’ lifeless body in my arms. Her mouth formed a shocked o; her gaze bouncing between the blood that covered me and what I could only imagine was my expression.
Anger brewed in my heart.
Vengeance screamed in my mind.
Yet, a startling clarity filled me.
The Master had boldly declared this ‘lesson’ would crush me. I would gladly show him how wrong he was. If anything, it had finally given me the push I needed—the strength to go that extra step.
He said I wore my heart on my sleeve. He accused me of letting my emotions soften me. I would hunt him down. And with his life in my hands, I would show him exactly what that ‘weakness’ looked like.
“Mason,” Darcy exclaimed, flying down the stairs to meet me.
“Help me get him inside,” I responded, a newly forged s
teel in my tone.
“What happened?” she asked, but her question was lost as Devlin appeared.
“You need to get her out of here,” I ordered, not caring whether I’d just hurt my mate’s feelings. I didn’t look to see how she reacted. There was too much blood. As much as I loved her, Ross came first.
Not waiting to see whether he obeyed, I strode deeper into the mansion, kicking the door to the War Council room open with my foot, startling Wade in the process.
“What the hell happened?” Clearing off the table, he helped me lay our fallen Pack brother gently down. Just the sight of his still body felt blasphemous.
“Go call the others. Zane, Moses, Asher. If Vlad is here, have him sit with Darcy so Devlin can join us. In fact, also find Vivien. Her magic will be needed.”
Gratefully, Wade didn’t question my excluding my mate from the meeting. “Be back in a moment.”
I nodded, my attention divided between what I intended to do and the walls being erected around my heart. It wasn’t time to feel or second-guess myself. This last act of brutality had fulfilled its intended goal.
From this moment forth, any strike against me or mine would be answered with the full weight and power I possessed.
“Mason?” Moses asked, entering the room with Asher behind him. “Shit,” he exclaimed, his hand going to his mouth in shock.
“Do we know who’s responsible for this?” Asher’s nose twitched as the blood hit his senses. For a split second, hunger flashed in his eyes, his fangs protruding from behind his top lip. There one moment, and then gone, as he reined in his reaction.
“The Master.”
“Have the guards alerted,” Zane ordered as he joined the conversation. Sympathy covered his expression. “I am so sorry for your loss, Mason.”
Nodding, I was impatient for the rest to arrive so we could get down to business. “I received a call shortly before discovering Ross’ body. The Master claimed he needed to ‘teach me a lesson’; and in the short few minutes left before he died, Ross confirmed that his original intentions were to spy for his new leader.”
“His original intentions?” Moses stepped forward and gently laid his hand over the dead wolf’s arm.
Glancing down at the table, fresh pain surfaced. “Yes. He told me he had a change of heart and was about to tell me where the Master is hiding, but he died before he could.”
Zane cursed beneath his breath. “So his death was in vain.”
Suddenly the walls seemed too confining, the air in the room too stifling. “He died knowing his Alpha loved him, and with a clear conscience,” I growled.
“I meant no offense, Mason. Please accept my apology for my foolish words.”
He was sincere, and I tilted my head in acknowledgement. “If anything, it has strengthened my resolve. You once asked me if I would kill the Master, even if he still lived within Daniel.”
“And?”
“As much as I love my brother, this will be the last Pack member I lose at the hands of a madman.” There was no confusing my meaning. If I had to kill Daniel to stop the senseless slaughter, I would bear that burden.
“What do you need from us?” Vivien’s gentle voice filtered from behind Zane. As he stood aside to make room for her, Devlin and Wade arrived. Everyone was here.
“I’m tired of always being on the defensive. No matter what we do, I feel like we’re always one step behind. Every tip has fallen through. Every possible site has turned up empty. The Master has proven elusive, but that stops, tonight.”
Moving to the rear of the meeting room, I ignored the way my clothes crinkled from the dried blood, red flakes flittering to the floor. I could sense Darcy in my mind, her emotions revealing she was more worried about me than hurt over being sent away. The beauty of her spirit brushed over mine and I allowed myself to touch it, savoring the connection.
It was because of her that I was even willing to pursue this next idea.
If I didn’t at least try, it could be her lying on the table, her lids closed to cover her lifeless green eyes next.
“What’s on your mind, Mason?” Devlin asked, everyone’s gaze resting on me.
“When a wolf is part of a Pack, the Alpha forges a link with them—a common thread to communicate through. It’s how I’m able to demand submission, reel in rebellious members, and, if needed, find those under my authority. That Pack bond is a vital tool for any Alpha, one that he carefully maintains and protects.”
Moses was the first to understand where my statement was leading. “I’m assuming that you’ve tried locating Daniel through it.”
“To the point of exhaustion,” I answered, not bothering to hide my frustration. “It was one of the very first things I attempted, and I’ve continued each day since. While I can feel him at the other end, something is blocking me . . . like there’s an invisible boundary I can’t break through.”
“Helena,” Vivien murmured.
“Helena.” I confirmed. “I don’t know what she’s done, but her magic has made it near impossible to pinpoint any location. I was hoping I could avoid messing with that magic, that we’d get lucky and discover him on our own—but the time for waiting and hoping is over.”
“Surely?” Moses gasped, his eyes widening in surprise.
“What other choice do we have?”
“The risk factor alone . . .” he continued.
“Can someone explain to us non-Alphas, please?” Devlin asked.
Taking a deep breath, I answered, staring straight at Vivien. “I’m going to allow something I’ve never done before, something so completely intimate, that the only person who ever comes close will be Darcy.” I broke eye contact long enough to drop my gaze to Ross. This couldn’t happen again. “I want you to link with that part of me . . . my Alpha center, if you would . . . and help me push past Helena’s interference.”
Wade was the next to gasp. He knew exactly what this entailed. “Mason, I mean . . . I support whatever you decide, but . . .”
“But yeah, if something goes wrong, Vivien’s magic can break that thread, rendering the Pack vulnerable.”
“There’s something you’re not saying,” Zane interrupted. There was no escaping his scrutiny. “Your members are safely tucked away within this house. Should the bond break, you can simply forge it, again.”
“That would be true,” I answered, my chest tightening. “But there is also a strong chance that having a foreign power within my own source could weaken it enough that I’d lose that authority entirely.”
“You would cease to be Alpha?” The horrified look on Vivien’s face said it all.
“Most likely.”
“Then, no. While I understand your motives, and my heart breaks for the loss of this young wolf, that’s not a risk I’m willing to take. I won’t be responsible for destroying you.” Tears filled Vivien’s eyes.
Devlin spoke up next. “Have you stopped to consider that maybe this is why the Master killed Ross? Because he knew it would push you over the edge where you’d feel you had no other choice?”
“Of course, I have! With each step I took carrying him back into the mansion, I weighed the pros and cons. Despite the cost to me, this war needs to stop.” I needed them to understand.
“Is that why you’ve kept me from the meeting?” Darcy’s voice rang out over the room, silencing the disbelieving chatter. “Or do I not have a say in how my mate chooses to respond?”
Closing my eyes, I couldn’t bear to see her indignant glare. I’d let others think it was because of the blood and her inability to control her thirst but the truth was I knew she’d fight me against this.
“Darcy,” I replied.
“Don’t Darcy me. Tell me . . . when were you going to mention your plan to me? Before, or after, or if the spell backfired?” She stood tall, completely oblivious to the temptation that surrounded her—every inch the strong wolf.
“I can’t sit here and do nothing while everyone around me dies. Someone needs to stop him.�
��
Walking through the group, Darcy joined me, compassion now filling her voice. “And I respect that. Do you think so little of me that you think I wouldn’t support you? That I’m not strong enough to help in those decisions that affect our Pack?”
Her questions humbled me. “I need to do this.”
Cupping my jaw, her anger softened. “Then we do it together. Always and forever.”
“That’s assuming you can convince me to participate,” Vivien piped up.
“I trust you, Vivien. That’s a crucial element to the spell. If the Alpha has complete faith in the witch, it makes the process easier to perform. And all I need is a few minutes. Enough time to dip into Daniel’s mind and determine where he is.”
“And you think this will work?” Zane asked. He was a leader, just like me. He knew this might be the only chance we had to stop the Master.
“I’m positive it will. I wouldn’t risk my mate or my Pack, unless I was absolutely certain.” And I was. It rivaled my conviction that the Master would die by my hands.
The tension in the room peaked, as it seemed like no one breathed, anxious to see what would happen next. Darcy’s fingers wrapped around mine and she squeezed them, supportively.
One by one, everyone’s gaze switched from me to Vivien. It was her call. Unless she was willing to work the magic, there was no one else.
Vivien slowly relented, her lips thinning into a straight line. “Okay then, what do I need to do?”
C hapter Fifteen
Mason
It didn’t surprise me that Zane had a room specifically set up for Vivien, including a pentagram carved into the wood floor. While it didn’t match the coziness of her personal study, there was no mistaking the occasional touches that reflected her style.
“I’m going to need you to relax, Mason,” she whispered, a slight tremble in her voice. It was odd seeing the older witch so nervous after all the magic I’d seen her perform—many spells beyond the ability of even the most experienced witches. Vivien was, by far, the most powerful I’d ever met; and it was for that reason, alone, I was willing to even attempt this.
Last Wolf Standing (#7, The Mystic Wolves) Page 14
