Make Him Mine

by Lia Bevans

  “Watch out!” He jumped in front of her to take the blow. The cane looked sturdy on the outside, but it was hollow inside and stung his back with the strength of ten thousand bees. A roar more guttural and raw than a human should express tore from his throat.

  “Blaez!” Chantal cried into his chest. Her voice shattered the fog of pain that had settled on his shoulders. He tightened his hold on her arms and pushed her back, using the momentum to spin on his heels and face the shopkeeper.

  His fangs shot out, hissing against gums that had become used to the protrusion. His wolf was angry. Not because he’d been hurt, but because Chantal could have been the one to shoulder that lashing.

  “Stay back!” The shopkeeper pressed a button on his cane and a sharp knife protruded from the end of it. “The tip of this knife is dipped in wolfs bane. Come any closer and I’ll show you pain you’ve never experienced in your life.”

  Blaez swiped his hands out and felt the agony of his claws tearing through his skin. “You hurt her...” he growled. “You pay.”

  He moved fast as lightning, yanking the cane from the old man and breaking it over his knee. His wolf barked, urging him forward.

  Protect what’s mine... it said.

  Blaez had no intentions of disobeying. He sprinted toward the shopkeeper and leapt into the air, arms poised to tear his throat. All he could feel was the blood rushing through his body. The adrenaline tearing up his nerves. All he could smell was the blood that needed to be spilled.

  Then a voice spiked through his rage. “STOP!”

  Blaez dropped like a rock, spinning around to look at Chantal. She floated closer and placed a hand on his chest. “We didn’t come here to kill anyone.”

  He shook his head, anger still making his heart pound and his chest heave. “He could have...”

  “I’m fine.” She smoothed her hands over his chest, moving in tiny circles. His wolf growled in contentment, falling to pieces at her gentle touch and her sweet chocolate eyes. “You good?”

  Blaez blew out a breath, back in control. “Yeah.”

  Chantal turned to the shopkeeper. “As you can see, I saved your life. Don’t make me regret my decision.” She knelt and picked up his broken cane, smoothing her slender fingers over the wooden case. “Now... where can we find the man we’re looking for?”

  CHANTAL WALKED OUTSIDE the herb shop and took a deep dreg of the cool night air. Her heart had threatened to jump straight out of her throat back there. She’d been struggling with her wolf since Blaez pinned her down the night they found Connor so she was used to battling the creature inside.

  It was a completely different case to see someone else do the same.

  No wonder Blaez had gotten angry with her when she’d given the impression she was only concerned for him because of her lust. When wolves were involved, it was hard to pick the person apart from their hidden influences.

  Back in the shop, Chantal saw Blaez reddening with anger and losing control. She’d known it wasn’t totally Blaez. But it was his face. His body. His eyes. Everything was confusing, but what she’d needed to do in that moment was perfectly clear. Thank goodness she’d gotten through to him.

  They’d left the shopkeeper shaken but alive. If she’d been a second too late in stopping him, Blaez would have killed the man. Whether his motivation was to defend her or not, Hazel and the Council wouldn’t be able to let murder slide.

  She heard footsteps crunching behind her and saw Blaez rounding the corner of the building. His long-legged stride brought him to her side in less than three seconds. “It’s done.”

  “What did you do?”

  He put his hand to the small of her back and prodded her forward. “I cut his phone lines so he can’t call Lucien to warn him that we’re coming.”

  She gasped as he helped her into the car. “You think he’d do that?”

  Blaez slammed the door and jogged to the other side. His footsteps pounded the concrete. He slid in and started the car, pausing long enough to look at her and say, “I know he will.” He pressed on the gas and stared straight ahead. “It’s only a matter of time before he finds another way to get a message to him.”

  She glanced at the muscles working in his jaw. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m worried about my brother. I’ve got this sinking feeling that we’re too late.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Caldon’s been through a lot. He’s not a bad kid. He deserves a chance. Same as any other child. If I lose him...”

  “Don’t think like that.” She placed her hand on top of his. “Just drive.”

  He nodded and flattened the gas pedal. She tightened her hold on the seatbelt and thought of what she’d do to Lucien when she saw him. For so long, he was the boogeyman that invaded her dreams at night. For so long, she was the scared little girl, frozen, helpless.

  What if she froze when he stood before her? What if she ended up just like her parents?

  “We’re here,” Blaez said, drawing her out of those morbid thoughts.

  She snapped her seatbelt free and glanced out the window at a farmhouse that reminded Chantal of her own. It stood alone amidst a sprawling acreage of land. The moon hid behind a cloud, shrouding the house in darkness.

  Chantal glanced at her phone to ensure her message to Hazel had been received and then hopped out of the car. Blaez met her in front of the hood. His eyes were stormy brown and his lips tilted down at the corners. She wanted to smooth the worry from his expression, but she had no comforting words to offer.

  Blaez stopped and lifted his chin. “Do you smell that?”

  Chantal stiffened. “Blood.”

  They rushed the house, stopping at the front door. Blaez roared and punched a hole through the wood, sliding his hand inside to turn the knob. They were making a noisy entrance, but if Lucien had regained some of his wolf’s abilities, he would have heard them arrive anyway.

  The door swung open and the golden porch light tiptoed over the threshold, dancing on the tips of five unmoving fingers. Chantal peered deeper, following Blaez inside. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and what she saw made her want to gag.

  Bodies lay sprawled on the floor, faces staring unseeing at the ceiling. Corpses. Everywhere. It was something from a horror movie. She trembled, her nose flaring as they tiptoed past the young shifters. Her heart burst, expanding and aching for the lives cut far too short.

  “It looks like they were pitted against each other again.” Blaez stooped in front of a body and pointed to the arms. “This guy has the same scars that Timmy does.”

  “Do you...” She had to stop as a putrid scent wafted over her, “do you see your brother?”

  “No.” Blaez fisted his hands and paused. “Lucien is gone.”

  She closed her eyes and listened. “There aren’t any heartbeats.”

  “He took Caldon with him.” She heard the desperation in Blaez’s voice even though he was doing his best to hide his emotions. “No one in this house is alive. So Caldon has to be with him. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  Chantal wanted to run from the gruesome sight of blood and carcasses everywhere, but she knew Blaez needed to confront the truth. If his brother was indeed gone, it was better to acknowledge it than live in denial.

  “Let’s keep looking. Maybe there’s someone in here that can still be helped.”

  “He’s not here,” Blaez mumbled. “My brother isn’t here.”

  She placed a hand on his arm. “I’ll go search downstairs.”

  Chantal wasn’t sure that he heard her. Turning away, she headed through a door that led to the basement. The only thing that kept her moving forward when every nerve in her body screamed for her to leave this haunted house far behind was Blaez’s sorrow.

  She couldn’t run when he needed her. Not now. Not ever.

  Chantal used the flashlight app on her phone and flew down the stairs, determined to peek around and then head back up. She spotted a light switch and flipped it on. Immediately, golden light flooded
the space. She saw the boy and, at the same time, heard the slight flutter of a heartbeat.

  It was feeble. Close to gone. But he was still alive.

  “Kid!” She raced to the cot where he was strapped, a tube tied to his arms. Heavy medical equipment towered over him, gazing down like foreboding fathers.

  “It’s him!” Blaez’s voice prompted her to spin. He darted over and held the boy’s head in his lap. “It’s Caldon!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  BLAEZ STARED AT CALDON’S thick black eyelashes. Counted each one. He rested his chin on top of Chantal’s head where she’d fallen asleep on his chest and breathed a sigh of utter contentment. After the horrors he’d seen in Lucien’s house tonight, he’d been prepared for the worst. But Caldon was alive.

  His little brother was about to pass away when Chantal stumbled on his body down in the basement. Blaez didn’t know a thing about medicine and Caldon probably would have died if Hazel hadn’t arrived with a cavalry of werewolves and medical help.

  They transported Caldon to the hospital where the doctors conducted blood transfusions to replenish his severely low blood count. Now his brother rested peacefully. And so did Chantal. She’d stayed with him through it all and Blaez wasn’t strong enough to question which part of her wanted to be there.

  He wound his hands more firmly around her soft body. Her hair splayed over his hand, releasing the fragrance of coconut shampoo. She snorted in sleep and wiggled closer to him. He smiled. Kissed her temple. Kissed her cheeks. She didn’t even flinch. He grinned harder, glad she was alive.

  That they were all alive.

  Including Lucien.

  Lucien’s existence was the only shadow on an otherwise happy ending. The psycho was still out there. Blaez was already pissed with the man for mauling Chantal’s parents, but now he had a personal stake in this fight.

  “Ehem.” He heard a knock on the door and glanced up to find Hazel leaning against it. She crossed her long legs and folded her hands over her chest. Her blonde hair was pulled away from her face so he could see every spark of disapproval in her expression.

  Blaez tightened his hold on Chantal. He’d lost nearly everything precious to him tonight. There wasn’t a chance that he’d be letting any of them go just because Hazel was giving him the stink eye.

  “Did you find Lucien?”

  “I did not.” Hazel walked deeper into the private hospital room. The ward was reserved for ‘special’ creatures and lived a floor below the clinic used by humans.

  “Did Terry give you the description we got from Timmy? Lucien’s not the same man that you remembered from before.”

  “She did.” Hazel mashed her lips together, staring pointedly at the way Blaez held her sister. When he continued to act the fool, she pointed. “Is there a reason you’re touching Chantal, Mr. Dramoth? Or did I not make myself clear about the boundaries you should keep?”

  “I’m holding her because the chairs are uncomfortable.”

  Hazel arched an eyebrow. “And you thought your lap would be more convenient?”

  “I don’t hear Chantal complaining.”

  Hazel scrunched her nose and stepped closer. “Is she really asleep?”

  “She’s out like a light.” He jiggled Chantal’s head. She swatted him away and nuzzled even closer to his chest. “If the past is any indication, she won’t wake until morning. I’ve already called Ralph. He’s on his way to pick her up so she can sleep in her own bed.”

  “I’m glad she’s resting. What I’m not so happy about is hearing you’ve been around her while she slept. We had a deal, Blaez. You keep your distance from Chantal. She’s not like other girls. She’s been through enough.”

  “I agree.” He stared lovingly at her face and then arched an eyebrow at Hazel. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about our deal. Things have changed. Our agreement needs to be altered.”

  “Excuse me?” Hazel’s fingers dug into her brown trench coat.

  “There’s plenty of time to adjust the details later. You wanted to speak to me about something?”

  She gritted her teeth, but let the conflict pass for now. “Our guys confirmed that the kids at Lucien’s farmhouse belong to Timmy’s missing crew. They’ve still got tests to run so they can confirm, but their hypothesis is that Lucien fed the crew additional dritoquilin. He wanted them to fight each other.”

  “The scumbag,” Blaez mumbled. “I guessed as much.”

  “I think... the reason Caldon’s alive is because he won.”

  His eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “We found a score board in Lucien’s lab. He wasn’t doing this for entertainment. He wanted the strongest young werewolf, the brightest nikile.”

  “You’re saying my brother...” Blaez swallowed and found his throat was dry. “You’re telling me he killed the most people?”

  “It’s just a theory for now.”

  Blaez struggled to breathe. “No.”

  “Look, even if it’s true, the Council won’t hold anything against him. We understand that Caldon was under the influence of the herb and—”

  “Do you think I give a damn what your Council labels my brother? This isn’t about you. This is about Caldon. What he must have gone through. Killing people for some twisted purpose. I can’t even imagine what he has to live with. He’s only fifteen.”

  “We won’t know for sure until he wakes up,” Hazel said, her head bowed. “I’m really sorry, Blaez. I am.”

  Hazel walked out. Waves of distress pounded through him with every click of her heels. He’d seen the marks on the kids. Thought that maybe they’d all gone after each other to let out the rest of the drug from their system. He never imagined Lucien would propose a careful, methodological killing spree.

  In the quiet of the room, Blaez let a tear fall from his eye. “Caldon,” he sobbed, “what did he do to you? What did he do...?”

  Blaez broke down. His body shook with wracks of pain, sorrow and guilt. Lots of guilt. If only he’d been a better brother instead of focusing on his business. If only he’d stopped Caldon from hanging out with Skillet and his friends from the start. If only...

  He felt a hand close over his fist and looked up through his tears. Chantal blinked at him, her eyes glossy. Blaez knew he should be embarrassed that she’d caught him crying but before he could wipe his face, Chantal sat up, pulled his head to the crook of her neck and patted his back.

  “Go ahead and cry,” she said. “It’s okay.”

  Blaez fought it, but in the end, he gave in and let her see the broken, failure of a man he was without his mask on. Amazingly, Chantal didn’t run away. She stayed right there and held him as if she, too, would never let go.

  CHANTAL WOKE UP IN her bedroom the next morning, cuddling a huge panda bear. She didn’t remember walking up the stairs or taking off her shoes. Her last memory before things went black was hugging Blaez while he cried. Her arms still tingled from touching him.

  When had she come home? And where had the stuffed bear come from?

  She headed downstairs and found Evie in the kitchen. Surprise colored her expression when she said, “You’re back.”

  “Hello to you too.” Evie’s bright brown eyes and brown skin was a welcome sight. Things had been awkward in the house since she’d left. There wasn’t anybody living there that could calm them down the way Evie could.

  “When did you get in?”

  “Ralph picked me up from the station around the same time that we picked you up from the hospital. Even in sleep you didn’t want to leave Blaez’s arms. We had to pry you from him and substitute him for a teddy bear we bought at the hospital gift shop. If Blaez didn’t look like death warmed over, it would have been quite funny.”

  “Blaez...” Her heart thudded. “I should get ready and visit him.”

  “Eat first. I heard you’ve had a long night.”

  “Morning.” Mae Ling waddled into the kitchen and Evie set a bowl of cereal in front of her. “Thank you, Ev
ie. When did you get in?”

  The women exchanged pleasantries. Chantal waited until they were done to speak. “Evie, it’s really great to have you back, but I can’t eat a thing. Not until I see Blaez and Caldon. Make sure they’re alright.”

  Mae Ling arched a thin eyebrow. “Is that you talking or your wolf?”

  “Me,” she said. Her wolf barked. “Maybe...”

  “Is it still confusing,” Ralph asked, rambling into the room, “to decide which one of you feels more for Blaez? Cecil is determined to win him back if you’re only fawning over Blaez because of your wolf-lust. If it’s you who has feelings now, she’s going to give him up.”

  “I have something that can help you determine that.” Evie walked over to her purse slung over the edge of a barstool and fished a small glass bottle from the depths. She handed it to Chantal and explained, “That’s Stevenson Serum.”

  “What’s that?” Chantal held the bottle to the sunlight. The liquid sloshed around.

  “The name is based off the writer of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In essence, this serum will separate you from your wolf for a day.”

  “Really?” Mae Ling’s eyes brightened with curiosity and she snatched the medicine from Chantal’s hands. “Because I’ve been trying my best to use the herbs I know of, but Chantal says there haven’t been any results.”

  “Nothing worked?” Ralph asked.

  “Nope.” Chantal shook her head.

  Evie grunted. “Those herbs were discovered by humans for humans. This problem is with Chantal’s wolf, not her human half. That’s why I went all the way up north to meet with a friend who knows everything there is to know about shifters.”

  “Who is he?” Ralph grumbled.

  “None of your business.” Evie narrowed her eyes at him before returning her attention to Chantal. “This serum was created by shifters for shifters.”

  “Are you sure it will work?” Chantal asked, intrigued.