Mental. It had to be mental. Pterons were immune to mental magic, that’s how she was succeeding.
“Watch out!” Genevieve screamed.
Before I could react, Fielding lunged for me in his wolf form. The element of surprise gave him the upper hand at first, but not for long. He gnashed his teeth at me as I lay on the ground covering my face. His eyes beat into mine, and I knew the moment had come. I twisted with all my strength tossing him over. I transformed and jumped on top of him, using the burst of strength from taking my Dire form to pin him to the ground.
I slashed at his face the same as he had mine so many years ago. It was time to end him. I hesitated, and I felt something sharp pierce through my side, knocking me off my brother.
I turned and saw a large saber tooth tiger staring back at me. The Saber had to be Isaac. Of course he had been working with Fielding. Chet wasn’t the only one who’d betrayed me.
I struggled to stand back up onto my paws. My brother still lay on the ground recovering. I looked at my side as a steady stream of blood dripped to the ground from the spot where I must have been bitten. I slowly walked toward Isaac careful not to expose my weak side. He appeared less confident now without the element of surprise. As I backed him against the wall of the station with no place to run, Fielding lunged for me and went right for my neck. I needed to fight back, but my energy was waning.
I knew it was close to the end as Fielding appeared ready to strike a final blow. Just as he opened his jaws he was shoved off me as Gage attacked him, ripping flesh from his neck.
Gage trapped him beneath him on the ground and ripped away at Fielding’s neck. I heard a final whimpering sound before a sudden silence.
The searing pain in my side seemed to worsen as I lay in a puddle of blood.
“Don’t move, it will only make it worse,” Michelle ordered.
She didn’t need to tell me, the pain was only getting worse. My vision darkened and my eyes started to close as a flurry of black wings descended toward us.
* * *
“Hunter?” A soft voice called from somewhere far away.
I blinked a few times and forced my eyes open. “Hello.” I locked eyes with Mary Anne.
She smiled. “Hello? Is that all I get?”
I felt the hard blacktop beneath me. We were still in the parking lot. “You’re okay. Where’s Vanessa? Isaac? Were those Pterons?” I fired off a round of questions, but immediately regretted it. My side ached. My injuries usually healed quickly, but a saber-tooth bite wasn’t any small thing. I immediately noticed a small bandage over the wound.
“Levi and his men showed up and took Isaac and the witches into Pteron custody. Michelle really did a number on the witches.”
“Gage?” I was tired, but she hadn’t mentioned him yet. He’d risked his life to save me, and by attacking my brother he’d saved Mary Anne. Had he been injured? I knew he was alive. Mary Anne wouldn’t have been so calm otherwise.
“He’s talking to Levi.”
I struggled to sit up, but I couldn’t lie there any longer. Mary Anne or someone had laid a piece of fabric over my lower body. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Failing you.” I looked underneath the bandage on my side. The wound was starting to heal up.
“You didn’t fail me… you kidnapped me, but that’s a different story.”
“I couldn’t save you.”
“I didn’t ask you too.”
“My brother is dead.” It was a statement rather than a question. I’d never felt a connection to him in life, but I felt the absence of him in his death.
“He is.” She looked down. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say I’m sorry for your loss or something like that.”
“He’s been dead to me for years.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“He was about to kill me. To kill you.”
“He was still your brother.”
“He was.” I blinked a few times, and my vision finally returned to normal. “What did I miss? How long was I out?”
“Not too long, but you missed quite a bit. It turns out Fielding has been working with Vanessa’s coven.”
“And the older woman? Was she a witch?”
Mary Anne nodded. “Yes. We first met her the night of the storm.”
“How? Before your accident?” I knew there was more to the story. Now that I knew about Chet, I had to doubt everything he’d ever told me.
“She was with an older man, and we thought they were a nice old couple, but really they contacted Fielding and Chet and set everything up.”
“That still doesn’t make sense. How could they have known you were the girl from my dreams?”
“I wasn’t that girl.”
“We’ve been oven this.”
She put a hand on my shoulder. “We have, but I understand it now. Vanessa didn’t help you. She manipulated you. She made it so you’d think any redhead you met matched the image exactly. That’s why when the witch saw I had red hair she went for it.”
“But why?”
Levi walked over. “Because this was all Chet’s idea. He wanted you to overthrow The Society and take your place as leader. He knew you wouldn’t do that without a push.”
“He also wanted you to take a mate.” Mary Anne shrugged.
“Then how did Fielding get involved?” He wasn’t one to join up with someone else’s plan.
“Chet needed help, and he knew Fielding would be more than happy to participate. Of course Fielding planned to take you out as soon as you took power.”
“Why didn’t Fielding try it himself? I have been expecting him to for years.”
“He had followers, but not enough. You were the true Alpha. The only one who could claim legitimacy and take the crown if you took me out.” Levi’s face darkened.
“What would have happened if they didn’t see me that night?” Mary Anne asked him.
“Nothing until they found one. They were actually eating dinner and realized they got lucky.”
“That’s insane.” I refused to believe Mary Anne wasn’t the girl. It had been her. If it hadn’t, I’d been obsessed with a figment of my imagination for months. “It’s you. You knew my nickname for you. I felt the connection. You did too.”
“There was a connection. There is, I’m not going to sit here and deny it. Maybe it has something to do with what Vanessa did to you, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s just plain old attraction, but that doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together.”
Levi cleared his throat. “I get you two need to talk, but can I talk to Hunter alone for a few minutes?”
“Yes, but are you still willing to—” Mary Anne started.
“Gage doesn’t need me.” I interrupted.
“How did you know that’s what I was going to ask?” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip.
“Because that’s why you’re here.”
“I promised to end the hunt. I didn’t break that promise.”
I smiled. “No you didn’t.”
“But you’re sure he doesn’t?” Her face was a mix of hope and worry.
“He knows it. He’s strong.”
“Did he ever need you to, or was that all a lie?” She watched me carefully.
“It wasn’t a lie. He would have it weren’t for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You mated with him.”
“I did.” She blushed and looked down.
“That completed him. He’s stronger than ever.”
“Oh…” She seemed to consider my words. “I helped him.”
“You helped all of us.”
Levi cleared his throat again.
“I’ll talk to you later.” She hurried off.
I turned to Levi. “Nice timing.” It was the first and only time I was glad that Pterons showed up.
Levi laughed. “Sorry about that.”
“The question is, were you late or were you watching us the whole
time?”
“We showed up as soon as we could.”
“I hope that’s the truth.”
“It is. My wife would kill me if I purposely let that girl get hurt.”
“Gage saved her. He saved me too.” I had to admit it.
“He did.”
“What happens now?”
“We’re still going to have to keep you under observation.”
“I know that.”
“But no need to hide. No more hunt.”
“You can’t promise that.” Nothing was that easy.
“I’m the king, I can promise anything I want.”
“Promote her.” I nodded toward Michelle.
“I had a better idea.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll make you a commander in our newest intelligence force.”
I laughed. “Good one.”
“What better way to show everyone that the hunt is over? Put you on our elite intelligence force.”
“Where does Michelle come in?”
“You are under observation, remember?”
“You want her to babysit me?” I raised an eyebrow.
“No. I want her to work with you.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how to react. A job offer wasn’t exactly the response I was expecting.
“I have to deal with some prisoners.” He looked in the direction of Isaac and the others he captured. “Plus the one back at the prison. I already had them free Marni. She should be on her way up here already.”
“You’re a better man than your father.” His father would have never made this offer.
“So are you.” He held out some clothes. “Why don’t you get dressed?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” He nodded and walked away.
I quickly changed and noticed Mary Anne wrapped in Gage’s arms.
“She’s not yours.” Michelle put a hand on my shoulder. “She’ll never be, and she was never meant to be.”
“Is that supposed to help me?”
She shook her head. “No, but you don’t love her. You care, don’t get me wrong, but you don’t love her.”
I only stared at her, trying to come up with a response. She didn’t give me a chance.
She smiled, squeezed my shoulder and walked off.
Her words angered me, but she was right. Completely right. Mary Anne wasn’t mine. That reality shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it did. Through everything I’d hoped we’d find a way to work things out, but Michelle was right. I didn’t love Mary Anne. I loved the idea of her, and even if for that reason alone I had to let her go. Gage didn’t deserve her. At least not yet. But he would.
“Hunter?” Mary Anne’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts as she walked over.
“How are you holding up?” I tightened the blanket she wore around her shoulders. It couldn’t replace a coat, but we didn’t have an extra one of those lying around.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re more than fine, aren’t you?” I’d never met a girl so deceiving. On the outside she seemed so fragile, almost weak, but on the inside she was the strongest woman I’d ever met.
“I am.” She smiled.
“This Pteron debriefing shouldn’t take much longer. You’ll be able to go soon.”
“You did tell me I’d get to see my family again one day.”
“I always keep my promises.” I regretted my words as soon as I saw her face fall. She’d broken a major promise to me. “I didn’t mean it that way. I wasn’t comparing myself to—”
“I know.” She shrugged. “We all do what we have to do, right? That’s how I’m supposed to excuse what I did.”
“No.” I shook my head. “You don’t have to excuse doing what your heart told you to do. And the hunt is over. You did more than anyone could ever ask of someone.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She smiled again.
“Mary Anne?” Michelle called. “Can we chat for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” Mary Anne turned to me. “Don’t leave before I say goodbye.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” I wanted to say goodbye. I needed to even if it was the kind of goodbye that hurt.
Michelle winked at me as Mary Anne strode over to her. The Pteron was growing on me. She was annoying sometimes, but she had spunk. She had the courage to defy her family. I knew all about that.
“You did the right thing.” Denny held out his flask.
“Letting Gage kill my brother?”
“That too.”
“You mean Mary Anne?”
“Yes.” He took a swig from his flask. “Letting her go.”
“She is mated to him.” Saying it out loud for the second time was easier.
“That wouldn’t stop the Alpha.”
“Not necessarily.” Alphas could do whatever they wanted to do. Right or wrong. “He loves her.”
“Of course he does. And she’s in love with him.”
“On second thought.” I pulled the flask from him and took a swig.
He laughed. “Thought you might need it.”
“Fielding is gone.”
“He is.” Denny pulled the flask from my hand. “It’s not as satisfying as you thought, is it?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Most things in life aren’t.”
“I need you to take your position back.” Denny had abdicated the position to Chet several years before, and I’d never been more upset about that decision.
“We have almost no pack.”
“I still need you.” I met his eyes.
“I know.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Yes.”
“You going to take a chance with her?” He nodded toward Michelle.
“Maybe.”
“Fair answer.”
“What about Mary Anne’s friend?” I’d noticed the protective way he moved around her.
“Genevieve?” He shrugged. “Maybe when she’s older.”
“She’s of legal age, isn’t she?”
“Technically yes, but she’s a kid. A cute, spunky one, but still a kid. Turning eighteen doesn’t magically change that.”
“It doesn’t.” I watched Mary Anne. “But living does.”
“Mary Anne has grown up.”
“She has.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Why didn’t you tell me I was an idiot about the dreams?”
“Because you wouldn’t have listened.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re you.”
“That I am.”
26
Mary Anne
I hugged Hunter one last time. I knew it wasn’t a forever kind of goodbye, but I also knew that things would be different the next time I saw him. He’d be different, and I’d be different. But that was for the best. Maybe then we could get to know each other as real people and not caricatures of the roles we were destined to play. Hunter was no more a ruthless, heartless animal than I was a damsel in need of being saved. Once we pushed those pretenses aside it was obvious we were meant to be one thing. Friends. He’d saved my life and Gage’s, and for that I would be eternally grateful, but that couldn’t hold me back from living my own life.
Hunter had been right about one thing. My appearance in his life would help end the hunt, only it had nothing to do with my being his mate. Once we accepted that, everything else fell into place.
So much had changed in such a short period of time. I’d changed in more ways than I could count, but some things had stayed the same. I caught Gage’s eye from over Hunter’s shoulder. He was tense, but I knew he was trying. He understood I had to say my goodbye.
“Take care of yourself.” Hunter released me from the hug. “And don’t be a stranger.”
“Same to you.”
“Is that your way of inviting me to visit you at Eastern?”
“You can’t stay with Genevieve and me. You’ll have to stay with Gage.” I
smiled thinking about how nice it would be to have Genevieve as a roommate.
“I can get a hotel.”
I smiled again. “Let me know when you’re in town.”
“I will, but it’s going to be awhile. There’s a lot of work to be done before I get to take time off.” He glanced at Michelle where she waited. She smiled back, and if I wasn’t imagining things, there was something hidden in that smile. Hunter was going to be just fine without me.
“I understand.”
He took my hand in his. “I’ll miss you my Firefly.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “I won’t forget you.”
“Of course you won’t.” He kissed me on the cheek, nodded at Gage, and walked away.
I walked over to Gage. “Are you ready?”
“To face our parents?”
“Yeah.”
“I hope they don’t have heart attacks.”
“We need to stick to our cover story, and we’ll be fine.” I blinked back the remaining tears. I needed to stay focused. We were returning to our real lives. I needed to be ready.
“The cover story, yes. We met a crazy cult in the woods after our accident. The leader wanted you and kept us captive.”
“That’s not too far from the truth.” I leaned up on my tippy toes and brushed my lips against his.
“No. Not too far. Well, aside from the fact that I’m not human anymore.”
“That’s a little detail.” I ran my hands through his messy hair.
“We also get to tell them we’re together.”
“I’m sure that won’t be as big of a shock as the rest.”
“My mom will be happy I finally chose a nice girl.”
“Nice girl?” I put a hand on my hip. “After everything we’ve been through do you really think that still describes me?”
“You’re badass, smart as hell, gorgeous, tough as nails, and willing to sacrifice to protect those you care about, but yes on top of all that you are a nice girl.”
“You’re a nice boy.”
“Am I?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. All that bad boy act stuff isn’t going to work on me anymore.”
“Will you still find me impossible to resist?” He wrapped his arms around my waist.
Dawn (The Dire Wolves Chronicles Book 3) Page 19
