by Emma Dean
“We have a witch library in Crescent City,” Caleb protested. He did not like the energy most of them gave off and they weren’t from his territory.
Piper mumbled under her breath, something unpleasant no doubt since she made sure it was in a language he didn’t understand. “This pentagram has to be done in a specific order, could you be quiet?”
Caleb gritted his teeth. He wanted to smack her ass and kiss her at the same time. It was a confusing confliction. He went and grabbed the box of books, noticing a few romance novels in there among the demon lore and shifter history – there were a few other books about the Hellenic Period as well.
He would never be bored with Piper around.
“You two finish up the spell and we’ll leave in about an hour,” Caleb told Niko as his beta passed with witchy looking objects in his arms and Cat Solo on his heels.
“No problem boss. It’ll be nice to be back in our own territory again.”
Caleb couldn’t agree more. Having to request permission for every single little thing grated on his nerves and made him irritable – well more than normal. Fuck, Piper had changed that too. He could feel the difference as he left the apartment.
He no longer felt the urge to rip anything and everything apart at a moment’s notice.
“Are they still doing witch stuff?” Xavier asked as Caleb approached his truck.
His Second rested his arms on the truck bed and glared back at the apartment. His dislike for all things witchy was a bit amusing when it didn’t annoy Caleb. “Yeah, they should be done within the hour though.”
He tossed the box of books into the bed of his truck and started securing all their stuff.
“Hey! We don’t throw demon books. You and Piper man, testing fucking fate around here at every turn.” Xavier rearranged the disheveled books and then tucked the box gently into the corner.
The whole thing made Caleb laugh and Xavier looked up in surprise. He understood why. It had been years since he could laugh about anything really.
“She’s been good for you,” Xavier said, pulling the tailgate down and hopping up. “I’ve never seen you so not-cranky.” He patted the space next to him and Caleb hesitated. “Come on, I won’t bite unless you ask.”
Caleb rolled his eyes at that and then sat next to the man who’d been his lifelong rival. Both of them had always been incredibly competitive, and Xavier was dominant enough to be Alpha if Caleb hadn’t been born an Alpha to the then current Alpha of the pride.
It still surprised him he’d never challenged him. “Can I ask you something?”
Xavier glanced sideways at him but nodded.
“Why didn’t you ever try to take the pride from me?”
His Second shrugged and watched a car park. “You’ve always done a good job. I couldn’t even protect my mom. How was I going to protect an entire pride?”
Caleb hesitated and then he slung an arm around Xavier’s shoulders. “You were just a kid, X. I trust you to protect the pride. It’s why you’re my Second, not just because you’re the most dominant out of the others. I trust you to protect our mate.”
The tension between them from a lifetime of rivalry and dominance games eased even further when Xavier glanced at him and nodded. Caleb said nothing about the wet sheen in his eyes and Xavier said nothing about the arm around his shoulders.
“She’s going to be a handful,” Xavier said, changing the subject.
He smiled at that. “I can’t wait, to be honest. What do you think she’s going to do first when we get home?”
“Probably spend all day in the estate’s library. Then she’ll probably ask to shift.”
Caleb nodded at that. “We need to help her through that first shift before the end of the week. I want to train her in her leopard form as much as we can before shit goes down.”
“Sounds good to me.” Xavier laid back and cushioned his head with his hands as they waited.
Xavier wouldn’t go back into the apartment until the witch stuff was done, and Caleb decided he would keep him company until then. The sun was nice and warm after all and it relaxed the tightness in his muscles. He closed his eyes and breathed in deep, tasting and scenting everything he could on the air.
Claiming Piper had been a fucking dream, and if he didn’t still taste her blood on his tongue he almost wouldn’t believe it had happened. Caleb leaned back too and laced his fingers over his stomach. Soon they would be on their way home and he could show his mate everything about his life.
Fuck, he’d even agreed to compete in the tango for her. Well, practicing would certainly be fun. Caleb had always enjoyed his dance lessons, but with Piper? He’d use any excuse to put his hands on her.
“You two taking a fucking catnap?” Niko demanded, tossing a bag onto Xavier’s stomach so the other male had the air knocked out of him.
“Don’t be jealous,” Caleb mumbled. “You can nap on the way back if you want.”
“Fine, I get the backseat with Piper.”
Xavier grumbled but got up and took the rest of the bags from Niko. “You guys got everything?”
Caleb sat up and saw Piper with Cat Solo in his carrier. She clutched it to her chest. His mate was nervous and smelled like magic. Caleb wrinkled his nose and pulled her to him. “Everything will be okay,” he told her.
Piper nodded and kissed his cheek before she climbed into the back of the cab. Cat Solo went in the middle and he could hear Niko grumble about the carrier. Caleb smiled and knocked X off the tailgate. “Let’s go back home.”
They all piled into the truck and he felt a huge weight lift from his chest as they pulled out of her apartment complex. There would be more room at the estate and they would have their protections both magic and non to help keep Piper safe.
Her father would be by in a few days to come take a look at some houses and talk to the chief of police. Caleb would be glad when everything was settled.
Only half a week more though and the demon contract would force Eisheth to deliver her. Well, Caleb would be interested in seeing if the demon could get through their perimeter. And if he could…that was a problem for another day.
The drive was quiet as they headed north. It would be about four hours until he was back in his territory, but about five or six before they pulled up to the pride’s house. Caleb glanced in the rearview mirror and watched Piper snuggle up with Niko. Cat Solo was moved to the floor so she could stretch out.
A nap would do her some good after the claiming.
He ran through his mental checklist. Moving her to Crescent City would be a bit of work. Then Caleb had to talk to the Mayor and Chief of Police about available positions as a police officer so they were prepared for Piper’s dad, and then get in touch with his realtor – a sweet little bobcat who always came to him with new properties before they hit the market. She wasn’t officially in his pride, but he watched out for her while she decided where she wanted to live.
Caleb drove for hours in amiable silence with the others. The second he hit the freeway Piper had fallen asleep. He took the I-5 to the 299 and then to the 101 freeway. It was inconvenient to get home from Sacramento, but Caleb was just glad to be headed home. His Third was familiar with running the basic pride requirements, but he never enjoyed it.
The Mad River was one of the natural borders of his territory and Caleb felt anxious to cross. Arcata was just south of what was his and the second he crossed into McKinleyville they would be in Klamath territory.
Caleb signaled to get over so he could get onto the 101. There weren’t very many people on the road thankfully since it was in the middle of a weekday, but still he made sure to drive the speed limit. Cops had nothing better to do and his mate was in the car.
Then he slammed into something that felt like a cement wall.
Time slowed as the truck crumbled against an invisible force. Piper screamed and Caleb felt his heart thunder in his chest as he tried to assess the situation while every millisecond mattered. But he was still stuc
k in his confusion. What the actual fuck had he even hit?
Then the car tried to flip and Cat Solo yowled, but it was like there was a wall in front of him and they weren’t going anywhere. Other cars honked and screeched around him as Caleb forced open the driver’s side door with his supernatural strength.
Piper – he had to make sure she was alive. Thank fucking god she had shifter healing now, but still. Caleb ripped open her door and blood was all he smelled. “Piper!”
The entire cab was crumbled to the point that he was fucking shocked no one was dead. There were four heartbeats including the cat’s. Xavier shoved open his door and tumbled out of the front seat and onto the asphalt. His Second would secure the area even if he was just as desperate as Caleb to touch her, make sure she was alive.
Niko had his arm around her, probably the only thing that kept her from flying through the windshield and that arm looked broken, but he was unconscious at the moment which was a small mercy.
Piper blinked at him in confusion until she realized what had happened. She struggled to get out while Caleb ran his hands over her, checking for broken bones.
“I’m stuck, Caleb. My legs.”
It was all he could do to keep from roaring as he ripped the front seats out of the cab.
Piper was murmuring something he couldn’t understand, but all he could focus on was her. “Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked. “Where are you bleeding?”
Glass was everywhere and he and Xavier had borne the brunt of it, but he could smell her blood.
“I don’t know,” she mumbled. The smell of her fear was strong and it made him violent. His mate was hurt.
Finally he had the leverage to pull her out as he ripped out the last piece of the front bench. Caleb scooped her up and cradled her to his chest. She held on to him, burying her face in his neck as he pulled her out. It fucking broke his heart. He looked up and saw Niko was still unconscious.
“X! Get Niko out of the cab. I need to make sure nothing’s broken.” Caleb set Piper down on the ground so she could lean against the front wheel and then ran his hands over her again, checking for anything that wasn’t as it should be, any cuts, or bruising. As long as there was nothing internal they should be okay.
“Caleb there’s nothing there,” Piper said, pointing. She stared at the truck and the way it looked like it was smashed up against something. But she was right, there was nothing fucking there.
That didn’t bode well.
Satisfied she was okay – just bruised with a few cuts – Caleb set her against the tire and put Cat Solo and his carrier in her arms. The cat was yowling up a storm and clearly fine thanks to his carrier. “Stay here,” he said. “I’m going to take a look.”
He jogged over and there was physically nothing he could see. He reached out and felt the crackle of magic when his hand hit something solid. Following it he realized it went along his territory line. Someone had fucking blocked off his territory and it only affected him and probably the other two. Cars were driving through just fine.
A few people had stopped to watch, take videos, or call someone – he didn’t know and he didn’t care. He just needed to figure out what the hell was going on now that he knew everyone was okay.
There was a slight ‘pop’ sound and the hair on the back of his neck rose in warning.
Caleb whirled around just in time to see someone appear out of thin air, rip the talisman off Piper’s neck, and grab her hand. He ran straight for her, shouting at Xavier, but he was too slow. His fingers just barely brushed the fabric of the demon’s suit and then passed through nothing but air as he leapt. Caleb landed hard on the asphalt.
“What the hell?” Xavier demanded, Niko’s arm over his shoulder. Then his Second realized Piper was gone.
“Who the fuck was that?” Caleb snarled. He grabbed the talisman from the ground and roared. He was furious. His leopard was so close to the surface he wanted to rip his clothes off and shift right there.
He’d known this could happen. Caleb had known that he may not be enough to keep her safe.
“Calm down, kitty cat.”
Caleb whirled around and reached for the demon, but Eisheth popped out of existence and then reappeared farther away. The demon looked at the magic field in distaste and then at the cars slowing down to see what was going on.
Sirens in the distance told him someone had finally called 911, but he didn’t fucking care. “Take me to her now. You were supposed to be the one to deliver her,” Caleb accused. “How could you let this happen?”
He wanted to shift and chase down his mate until he could tear every single croc to pieces, starting with that fucking demon. Caleb desperately wanted to track her, but there was no trail to follow. She’d been transported through a different plane.
Without Eisheth he would never find her.
“What do you want?” Xavier asked. “Whatever it is I’ll give it to you.”
Eisheth slipped one hand into his pocket and inspected the nails of the other. “Seems the crocs got impatient and made a deal with Forneus, the fucking bastard. But don’t worry, your little queen already made a deal with me, leopard. She bargained for the protection of her blood so it could never be used to curse you or the pride. I believe a simple transportation for backup would fall under this bargain, but first.” He snapped his fingers and every cut, bruise, and ache from the crash was gone from all three of their bodies. “You don’t owe me anything for this.”
Niko breathed a sigh of relief when his arm was back to normal, and then he snarled, reaching for the demon.
But Eisheth just teleported and appeared next to the cat carrier. He held out one hand and they all watched in shock as drops of blood flew through the air from the cab and the asphalt until it was a tiny liquid ball and then…ash. The blood became nothing but ash.
The whole thing scared the shit out of Caleb. She’d gone and made a deal with a demon for him and the pride.
Eisheth grabbed Cat Solo. “I’ll get him to your house, and then I’ll be back to take you to her. Call a witch team for this and call Jess. We have shit to do.”
Caleb was too angry to say anything. Of course she’d slipped out at some point, or summoned Eisheth while they were asleep. Of course she fucking bargained for the pride and not her life. Oh, he would spank the shit out of her when they got her back.
There was no ‘if.’ He would get her back if it was the last thing he did.
Chapter Twenty
Piper
By this point she knew what it felt like to be yanked through time and space, but Piper hadn’t had it last so long before. When she could breathe again she was gasping and fell to her knees the moment the unfamiliar demon released her.
Well, the unbinding spell obviously hadn’t worked especially since this demon wasn’t Eisheth.
She reached for the talisman, but it wasn’t there. Somehow he’d known where it was. Who could possibly have told him? Thankfully he’d left her Egyptian necklace, but Piper had no idea if that would actually be able to help her or not.
It wasn’t her only protection. If she could figure out how to shift…she had just been claimed, but had no idea how to turn leopard. Christ on a cracker, she was supposed to have at least three more days to learn how to shift.
“Piper Leigh Kostopoulos,” the demon said in a silky smooth voice. “You have been delivered.”
Then someone grabbed her and shoved her into someone else’s arms.
Piper was still just trying to get air in her lungs, but the hands on her sent chills down her spine. Her senses were heightened after the claiming, and she smelled…what was that? Fish, and what she would imagine a pond would smell like, or maybe a swamp?
Shit, she was in trouble.
Trying to escape whoever held her was fruitless. Their grip was immovable and hurt more when she struggled. Finally Piper went limp. It would make more sense to figure out how many of them there were, where she was…she hoped to god Eisheth had shown up to the car accid
ent. She’d texted him rather desperately and then she had disappeared, but her phone was still back at the truck, or what was left of the vehicle.
Someone had put a barrier around the Klamath Pride territory that much was clear.
Piper peered through her hair at the crocs surrounding her, talking to the demon who’d delivered her. A woman stood off to the side, sketching something onto the concrete floor. She couldn’t get a good look at her, but it must be the dark witch Piper had heard so much about.
The demon snapped his fingers and Piper instantly felt all her aches and pains disappear. When she looked down all her cuts were healed and she saw she was wearing a red dress with a black corset over it. The demon smiled at her, but it wasn’t pleasant. “Might as well make her look pretty for the sacrifice,” he said. “The paltry amount of blood from those cuts wouldn’t be enough for anything anyway.”
“Thanks Forneus, you can have your pick of souls,” one of the crocs said.
Forneus…that was the demon Eisheth had mentioned.
Piper looked around, trying to figure out where she was – if there was any way to escape. There were four men she didn’t recognize who all had a certain look about them, plus the one holding her. Then there was the witch. It looked like they were in some kind of basement, or…a parking garage? Were they really in a parking garage? How tacky.
The air felt muggy and hot. She was already sweating and Piper assumed they weren’t in California anymore. If she had to take a guess they were somewhere in Florida, but she’d never been so she couldn’t say for sure.
“I think I’ll take your soul,” Forneus said with that sharp grin.
“I’m the Alpha,” the croc snapped. “The contract states you can’t take my soul.”
“Hm…then maybe I’ll take your son’s. I just want the soul of an Alpha.”
At that the shifter paled and no matter how much Piper hated the crocs for doing this to her she gasped in horror. This demon wasn’t like Eisheth at all.
