Bellona closed her eyes. The puzzle pieces that had been eluding her fell into place. The wanderlust that had brought her from the New Orleans condo where she’d made herself a home the last three years, the immediate draw to Little Wolf the moment she laid eyes on her. All of it fell like locking pieces into place.
“Yeah, you’ve got it now, don’t you?”
Bellona stared at her. “Why?”
Little Wolf shrugged. “I was bored. It was time to liven this place up. More important, it was time for me to take over the town. That dumbass Jayne Quarles thought she could waltz back home and be queen of the world. I’m the one who’s been here all along. I’ve done all the hard work. I deserve what she’s taken from me, and I’m going to get it back, with your help.”
“I’m not helping you.”
“You already have.” Little Wolf laughed. “You think I did all this because I was out of control? Not even close. I was never out of control. Everything I’ve done was carefully planned. Everything.”
“You’re crazy.”
Again she laughed. “Not at all. I’m ambitious, and I figured out a way to make it all happen and have a little fun in the bargain. By the way, you’re dynamite in bed. Thanks for that. Too bad you’re gonna have to die. I’ll miss you.”
“What about Adam and Eve?”
“Oh, Adam.” She sighed. “That boy is fun. I think I’ll keep him around for a while. Same with Eve. She makes me smile, and she does whatever I ask her to.”
“You’re going to kill me.”
Little Wolf looked surprised. “No. I’d never kill you. Besides, I won’t have to. The Jägers will take care of that.”
Chapter Thirty
Lily threw herself out of the car and raced up the front steps. Inside, she found Kyle on the floor. He was ghostly white and soaking wet. “What happened?”
Ava was near tears. “We did another spell together, and now I can’t bring him out of it. He’s been this way for half an hour. I tried calling you, and you didn’t pick up. I don’t know what to do.”
“Why is he all wet?”
“We were outside and he fell to the ground. I dragged him by the shoulders back into the house.”
Lily took a look Ava and marveled that she was able to move this much-larger man all the way into the house. Of course, she’d seen people who were frightened do things they’d never be able to accomplish under normal circumstances. Love had a way of making the impossible happen.
Kneeling beside Kyle, she took his hand. It was cold, yet at the same time she could feel a buzz beneath his skin. “Explain to me exactly what you did.”
Jayne had taken one look at Kyle and raced out of the room. She returned now with a blanket in hand and spread it over him. “Thanks,” Lily told her. “That was good thinking. Ava?”
Ava’s words were rushed as she told them about the magic circle, the candles, and the spell. “I called on the Old Ones, and it appears they answered.”
“Have you done this before?”
Ava shook her head and frowned. “It was the first time.” Her words were choked. “My mother and grandmother always talked of the power of the Old Ones, and I believed our combined strength would get us to the killer. I think,” she choked out on a sob, “it worked.”
Unfortunately Lily understood too well what Ava was trying to tell her. Though she’d never seen it, she’d heard of it. Her studies with the Jägers included reviewing the books kept throughout the history of the order, which contained the recording of several similar situations. No one had Kyle’s particular brand of necromancy, but enough had similarities to give her an idea of what might have gone sideways.
Once more she was hit with the undeniable sense of time flying by. They had to get to Taria, and soon. First, she had to figure out how to help Kyle. “He’s trapped,” she told them as she stood. “Jayne, do you know of any witches that live in these parts?”
Jayne shook her head. “A few certifiable bitches, but I’ve never heard of witchcraft around here. What does that have to do with Kyle? I thought our problem was a werewolf. Where in the hell does a witch come into this?”
“It would take a powerful witch to trap him, particularly when you consider the combined power he and Ava possessed. Someone is very dangerous, and if we don’t stop them soon, I’m afraid we’re going to lose Kyle.”
“Oh, now that’s just fucking awesome,” Jayne muttered.
Ava’s sob made her look down. “Stay with him,” Lily told her. “Keep physical contact. I don’t know if he’s said anything to you, but it’s clear that he’s in love with you. If anything can throw him a lifeline, it would be love.”
“I won’t leave him.” Ava held his hands and laid her head on his chest.
“Ava,” Lily said. “Have you ever heard about any hereditary witches in this part of the country?”
Ava looked up at her thoughtfully and then shook her head. “No, and I would probably know. My family is one of the oldest in the country. I could call my mother, if you think it would help.”
“I don’t want you to leave Kyle.”
“I won’t.” Ava pulled her phone from her back pocket.
“If you learn anything, tell Jayne.” She turned and sprinted toward the front door. The tick tick tick of an invisible clock was setting her nerves on fire.
“Wait,” Jayne said. “What are you doing? Where are you going?”
“You stay here with Kyle and Ava. I have to stop Taria.”
“No way I’m letting you do this alone.”
Lily was busy taking off her clothes and tossing them on one of the porch chairs. Cold air battered her skin, raising goose bumps on her arms and legs. It didn’t matter if she was cold; it wouldn’t last long. “I have to go.” She tilted her head toward the buttery moon that was starting its ascent and felt its light whisper over her body. She heard its silent invitation and accepted it.
She called the change.
*
Kyle wanted to drop back down on his feet and hide. It was too late. Through the dirty window she’d locked eyes with him, and a wicked smile spread across her face. He came back down flat on his feet and pressed against the side of the barn. With concentration he willed himself out of this place and back to the spot where he and Ava sat holding hands inside the safety of the magic circle. It didn’t work. His back was still pressed against the side of the barn, and from inside he could hear her deep-throated howl. It was the howl of a bloodthirsty predator. For a flash of a second he stood paralyzed, uncertain what to do. Never before had he been trapped, unable to bring himself fully back into his world. It wasn’t working here, and the only thing he could think of to do was run.
He spun on his heel, slipping on the snow-covered earth, and raced toward the protective cover of the trees he and the two women had earlier walked away from. He needed to get back there and to the spot where he’d entered this realm. He had to believe that, in that place, he could find the portal back. This wasn’t like anything he’d experienced before. He and the dead usually stood alone together and talked. They remained in their respective worlds and talked across them. He didn’t enter the domain of the dead, and the dead didn’t really come back to the sphere of the living.
So what the hell was happening here? This wasn’t a case of just speaking with the dead. He was here with both the living and the dead, only it wasn’t really here either. It all looked real enough, but it couldn’t be. It was as if he had jumped ahead in time, and that wasn’t something he could do. The wrongness of everything made him want to scream like a warrior preparing for battle.
Outside the barn it was pitch-black, and far more snow lay on the ground than when he and Ava had returned to Jayne’s house. Everything was out of sync with what he expected to see. Especially her. His heart was still pounding like a kettledrum as he hauled ass across the slippery field. Behind him he could hear her panting, and the sound grew ever closer no matter how hard he ran.
He risked a glance back
over his shoulder and stopped in surprise. She wasn’t there. The massive wolf he’d witnessed her change into was no longer behind him. He didn’t understand how that could be. He’d just heard her.
God, he had to get back to the spot where he’d entered this place. It was, he felt deeply, his only hope of escaping this place and the most unexpected monster. Through the trees he could see a light, and it was there he focused his effort. Though the moon overhead was bright, it wasn’t the moonlight that glowed through the pines. It was Ava, he was sure of it, and she was the one who would bring him back. He started to run again and then stopped abruptly, his feet sliding out from under him. His hands hit the ground hard as he tumbled to the earth.
Standing on all fours at the edge of the trees was the wolf, her teeth bared and her growl filling the night air. Kyle scrambled, trying to get purchase on the wet, slick ground. He managed to right himself and got back up on his feet. She blocked his path to the light, to Ava. Her growl filled the night air.
“No!” he screamed and dodged first right and then left. As she made her lunge to the right, he ran to the left as if his life depended upon it because he feared it did. His feet slid, and he hit cold rocks with the toes of his shoes, sending shards of pain up his legs. His lungs hurt and his quads screamed. He kept pushing, rolling through the barbed-wire fence, feeling the trickle of blood as the barbs tore his shirt and pierced his skin. He didn’t slow and didn’t look back, certain the wolf cleared the fence in a single bound.
When he made it to the tree line the circle of light was so close, he could almost touch it. Only then did he allow a thread of hope to enter his heart. He was going to make it. Ava was going to bring him back. Throwing out a hand to try, he felt the whisper of warmth on his fingers as they touched the light. He could feel her on the other side even in the tips of his fingers. He was there, he was safe.
And then she hit him, her long powerful body colliding with his and forcing him to the ground. His single thought as her powerful jaw closed on his neck was Ava.
Chapter Thirty-one
Jayne wanted to shout. Lily had outwitted her, plain and simple. All Jayne could do was stand in her yard dumbly watching the mighty wolf race away in the night. If she’d ever felt powerless before, it was nothing compared to what she was feeling right at the moment.
Powerless and scared shitless pretty much covered it. She had a horrible feeling that Lily wasn’t coming back from this one. She might be the master Jägers hunter, but all the rules seemed to have been thrown out in this one. Things had a way of doing that when it became personal. She had to think. What could she do to help?
First things first. Spinning, she trotted back into the house. Kyle still lay prone on the floor, with Ava holding his hand. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be chanting something. Her voice was so low, her words were an incomprehensible mumble. Just as she reached her side, Kyle jerked, and Ava’s eyes popped open as she screamed.
Jayne dropped to her knees, hitting the hardwood floor with a thud. In the back of her mind was the thought, That’s gonna hurt like hell in the morning. “Is he coming back?”
Ava’s eyes were filled with tears as she glanced up at Jayne. “He’s close.” Her hands held so tight to his, her knuckles were white.
“Bring him back, Ava.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. As she began to whisper once more, she rocked gently back and forth. For a moment, Jayne stayed on her knees staring down at Kyle, who had stilled again. She felt as useless here as she had standing out in the yard watching Lily race away as a wolf. Then a thought struck her and she pushed up to her feet.
“I have to go,” she said.
Ava didn’t open her eyes or let go of Kyle’s hand. “I have to stay here with him. It’s the only way I can keep from losing him.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Go,” Ava said. “I’ll bring him home.”
Jayne headed down to the basement. At a closed door, she turned the knob and walked inside, flipping on the light switch as she did. The overhead fluorescent fixture bathed the room in light. A lump rose in her throat, and for a second she thought this was going to be too much. She hadn’t been in this room since before her brother’s funeral. This had been his workshop, his place to go when he needed to relax or, after the cancer diagnosis, when he needed to forget.
Everything was exactly as he’d left it the last time he was in here, and despite her best intention not to let it get to her, tears slid down her cheeks. It still pissed her off. Nobody should lose their life so young. Not her brother. Not anyone.
Wiping away the tears, she blew out a breath and stepped up to his workbench. It was a long shot and probably wouldn’t work. It was, however, the best idea she had, and though the chance it might help was slim, it was still a chance. She looked at all the equipment and supplies spread out. Empty shell casings were lined up in a box waiting for the reloading he’d run out of time to complete.
Jayne grabbed two of the shells from the box and set them on the bench in front of her. Next she reached around her neck to release the chain she always wore. The silver links dropped into her hand. With a sigh, she took it in both hands and yanked. The chain snapped in two. She dropped a piece in each of the empty shell casings. From another box she tipped shot into each shell until both were full and she could close them. She glanced at the gun safe set into the wall. It too had been closed tight since the day her brother made a one-way trip to the hospital. She’d not had the heart to spin the dial and open it.
She did so now. She knew exactly what she wanted and walked inside. The shotgun had been a gift from their father and was a beautiful weapon her brother had cherished. She hoped his spirit was with her now as she took it in her hands and returned to the bench, where she picked up the two shotgun shells. When they were loaded, she left the workshop. “Thank you,” she whispered as she turned off the light.
She took the stairs two at a time, wondering how she was going to find Lily, because that was exactly what she needed to do. When she reached the front entry she was relieved to see Kyle sitting up and Ava hugging him. “Are you okay?” He looked pretty damned pale.
He nodded. “I’m going to be fine.” He was rubbing his neck as if it was hurt. “But we’ve got bigger trouble than we thought. I know who the werewolf is.”
Her heart leapt. If he knew who it was, she’d be able to figure out where it was. “Who?”
“Your deputy, Dana Landen.”
*
Bellona felt the power of the moon surge through her as it rose high in the black sky. How she loved these nights, and this one would only be better if Little Wolf hadn’t turned out to be a colossal bitch. She should have known there was a bigger reason for her intense attraction than simple lust.
It was her own fault. She’d wanted to believe it was love, even though deep down she knew there was ever only one for her, and she’d died so long ago. That too was her fault. She’d been young and full of herself. She’d believed she could make it happen the way she wanted it to, and instead she’d ended up destroying the only person she’d ever really loved. She’d had to live with that knowledge, and guilt, for centuries.
Now she had a huge mess to clean up and very little time to do it. Adam and Eve were pacing and rightfully so. The time was here to let them come into their full strength. It was exciting and should be a time filled with joy. If not for Little Wolf’s power play, it would be.
As it stood, she had to take Little Wolf down. Now that she knew what she was up against, she was ready. Little Wolf’s arrogance wouldn’t be enough to defeat her. She might be a witch and a werewolf, but she was still young, which was to her disadvantage. Bellona had come up against every conceivable threat and had come out victorious every time. It wouldn’t be any different tonight.
And as soon as she took out Little Wolf, she would come back for Adam and Eve. They had no choice but to abandon this place, and so they would, together. She would not le
ave them behind.
Outside, she called the change, and her paws hit the ground with a thud. She was off and running, following Little Wolf’s scent. That she could follow her so easily was no surprise. That there was a shaft of light shining like a beacon in the stand of trees to the south of the barn was. Was it Little Wolf calling upon her witchcraft? Or was it something far different?
Even in wolf form she was fully aware that out there somewhere lurked the hunters she’d had to avoid her whole life. They came in all forms and with varying preternatural skills. She intended to approach with a great deal of caution. If it was the Jägers, she would not put herself in jeopardy, nor would she charge in to save Little Wolf. That bitch was on her own from here on out.
As she drew close, a growl rose low in her throat. Little Wolf was in the center of the circle of light, her jaws around the neck of a man. She prepared to charge, to seize the moment while Little Wolf focused on her prey. She started into her run when two things happened at once. The man disappeared, and a third wolf roared into the light.
Bellona skidded to a stop as the third wolf’s scent reached her nose. She knew it as well as she knew her own, even though it had been hundreds of years since she’d smelled it last. It was a winter night and snow had been falling just as it was now. She’d been leaning through the window with her long dark hair flowing around her face. The love she’d felt that night had overwhelmed her, and she’d done the only thing she could think of to give love a chance. She’d pulled Lily from the window and pierced her throat with her canines. She’d wanted to turn her so they could be together forever. Instead, she’d killed her, or so she’d believed until this moment.
Chapter Thirty-two
Lily caught Taria’s scent but she was already in motion, her sights on the wolf with her jaws around Kyle’s throat. She didn’t stop to wonder how he could be here on the forest floor when she’d seen him only minutes before on the hardwood of Jayne’s entryway. It didn’t matter how or why. All that mattered was stopping the wolf who was trying to kill him.
She Wolf Page 23
