by M. L. Briers
“I take it the ghost’s in there?” Elizabeth started to sidestep Jake’s reach, but he quickly moved to block her… “Jake…” He tossed a look over his shoulder at her and she shook her head. With a deep growl of annoyance he dropped his arms and nodded.
Elizabeth didn’t need any more than that to set one foot in front of the other, and with Jake right at her side, she drew her magic close and let it build within her. She was determined to end this one way or the other.
When she got to the open door, Jake’s arm came around her and held her in place, and she sighed inwardly.
“Stay behind me.” He growled on a scowl that practically shielded his eyes from her gaze.
“That’s not how this works, remember? You stay behind me.” Elizabeth knew just how well her words sat within him.
He was an alpha, used to taking charge, used to be being the first to rush into a fight, but this wasn’t a fight that he could win – hell, it wasn’t even a fight that he could participate in. That must have ruffled his fur.
“Elizabeth…” He bit down on her name and another growl that rumbled through him.
“My full name, you must be miffed.” She teased, brushing his arm away and taking that first step inside the darkened barn to the sound of another growl as he stepped in time with her – both of them trying to squeeze through the doorway together…
“A little room wouldn’t go a miss in case I zap you by mistake.” She bit out and heard him groan a growl this time.
“You’re not going to make this easy for me are you?” Jake’s words were low and deep and she tried to ignore the way that they rolled over her body.
“Why would I do that?” She chuckled, stepping faster to get ahead of him, and feeling his fingertips brush her wrist as he tried to reach for her – she took a sideways step and put a little distance between them…
Raising her arms, she held her palms upwards, drawing her magic and being rewarded with two glowing orbs of light that floated just above her skin. He heard her breath out a word, but was unable to understand it before his attention was swept upwards with the path of those orbs… sparks flew out in all directions and the glow illuminated the darkness.
There it was… a dark mist that hovered in the air, swirled like a twister, and formed the manifestation of the old alpha… It seemed clearer now, more defined, and he had to wonder if that was due to that veil between realms getting thinner as she had described.
Jake growled. He went to take a step towards it out of instinct, and then hesitated, knowing that physically he could do nothing to mitigate the danger that she was in.
This was her world. This was magic and he was just a bystander now.
“You wanted an audience and here I am.” Elizabeth said, taking one step forward and planting her feet against the floor. Jake growled low and deep and held in place as his beast clawed and roared out within him…
The spectre didn’t so much as take a step towards her, more glided, bringing that dark mist with him. His jet black eyes were locked onto the witch, paying little mind to the alpha, and he looked as if he was sizing her up, getting a feel for the magic within her…
“Nothing to say for yourself?” Elizabeth urged.
Within the space of a heartbeat it swept forward towards her. Jake felt the hard rush of panic within his body, but he found that his feet wouldn’t move, physically locked into place where he stood, and he tried to struggle against it, growling and snarling against the unseen forces that held him, but he was powerless to act…
“What’s happening?” Ed’s voice was full of his beast and Jake found some hope within it, but it was Belle that drew his attention – standing stock still with her arms held out towards him – her magic keeping him locked in place…
“Ed, stop your mate…” Jake growled out, and the beta went to move, but her hand swept towards Ed and locked him right into place too…
“Sorry, it’s got to be this way.” Belle bit out as her eyes stayed locked on her sister as the dark mist started to swirl around her, through her, claiming her body within the depths of its darkness…
“No!” Jake growled, struggling to be set free, but finding no purchase against the hold of Belle’s magic…
Elizabeth tossed her head back on her shoulders and roared with the depth of a Lycan alpha, and that sound made Jake freeze; his heart was pounding in his ears as his beast reacted to that roar, and then he tried to come to terms with the fact that she wasn’t herself anymore.
“Elizabeth…” Jake almost whispered her name, but when her eyes came to his they looked blank, a dead stare that came from the very depths of her soul – he felt it in his bones, fear, panic…
“Not – right – now.” Her tone sounded deeper, mixed with the alpha that possessed her body, and she moved strangely, as if she was trying on her skin for size and fit.
“Let her go…” Jake growled out the warning, but he knew that even if he was free of Belle’s magic there wasn’t a damn thing that he could do about any of this. If he attacked the ghost that inhabited her then he attacked Elizabeth too.
“Ease your stance pup.” The insult gnawed within his beast, but not as much as the thought of losing his mate…
“What do you want?” Jake demanded and Elizabeth’s whole body turned towards him.
“I came to help you – lose the damned attitude.”
“Then let her go.”
“Help with what?” Belle asked.
She knew the perils of her sister being in the grasp of the entity. This needed to be quick and clean, in and out, and over as fast as possible before the ghost got a true foothold.
“Someone’s thinking straight.” The alpha growled back, accusing eyes resting on Jake.
“So answer the question.” Belle prompted him. “Because you can feel Elizabeth in there with you, and soon, she’ll get the urge to force you out.”
“I’m dead, not stupid, witch.” He growled back, flexing the fingers on his hands as if the fit just didn’t suit.
“What is it that you want?” Jake demanded again.
Belle’s word were echoing within his mind – if Elizabeth could force the entity out of her then did he have much to worry about?
“The pack is bleeding money, but there’s money on this land. Find my body and you find the money…” He growled – Elizabeth’s body twisted in place and bent forward as if she was in pain…
“Lizzy?” Belle bit down on the annoyance within her – she wanted to reach out with her magic, try to feel what was happening inside of her sister, and yet, so much dark magic, from Elizabeth, from the entity; could swallow her own magic whole.
“Belle…?” Jake didn’t take his eyes from his mate. Something was wrong…
“She’s a fighter…” The alpha growled. “But I’m stronger now that I have her magic.”
“No…” Belle hissed – releasing her hold on Ed and Jake and centring her magic solely on her sister. She forced her magic forward – hitting the barrier of her sister’s shields, and they held in place…
Jake moved quickly, but Elizabeth’s arm came up and she thrust her palm towards him…
For one long moment he felt his body lock into place…
For one long moment he felt the tight grip of an unseen hand against his throat… tightening… and then he felt his air being cut off – his lungs burning with the need for oxygen, and things started to get very hazy in his world.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
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“Jake…” Ed growled – unsure what the hell he was supposed to do. His instinct was to attack Elizabeth, but he knew deep within the very heart of him that wasn’t right – she was his brother’s mate and his mate’s sister…
Belle pushed harder, deeper, finally breaking through Elizabeth’s shields as white magic met dark… and with another unworldly roar, Elizabeth turned on her heels and took flight out of the barn…
Jake dropped to his knees on the floor and greedily drank up the oxygen tha
t his body sorely needed… He didn’t wait a moment longer, forcing his body back upwards as he started after her…
“Belle, I need you…” He growled out over his shoulder, not even looking back to see if she was following him or not…
“I’ve got your back, alpha.” Belle informed him – Ed right next to her as they hit the outside running, and Jake followed his mate’s scent off into the woods.
“What’s happening? Why isn’t Elizabeth forcing him out?” Jake called back over his shoulder.
“I don’t know.” She admitted. “Maybe he’s too strong, maybe he really does have control over her magic…” Belle bit out between pants as she forced her body to keep up with Jake’s pace. “Maybe she was about too, maybe that’s why he took off?”
“There’s still hope – tell me there’s damn hope.” Jake bit out.
“Where magic’s involved, there’s always hope.” Belle shot back.
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Melody grabbed a handful of Richie’s hair and yanked his head upwards on his neck. His eyes looked glazed – his growl rumbled through his chest, and he looked hungry for her…
“There’s trouble…” Melody bit out, and it took him a moment for his big brain to hear her words over the noise and need of his little brain, but he managed to snap himself out of it…
“Trouble?” He echoed.
Melody squirmed up in the bed, but she couldn’t escape him completely…
“You need to move… Elizabeth’s in trouble…” He still looked a little dazed and confused. “Now!” She practically growled out the word, and Richie finally snapped his whole body to attention, pushing up and back on his hands and allowing her to skirt out from beneath him…
‘Jake, what’s going on?’ He reached for his jeans, following her lead as she wrenched her clothes back on…
They hadn’t mated yet, but somehow the urgency within her had knocked his beast’s insistence for him to claim her into the long grass… The pack was in trouble and his wolf was pack through and through.
‘The spectre is inside Elizabeth and we’re hunting her through the woods…’ Jake growled back.
Richie could hear a strange sense of fear within his brother’s tone that he’d never once heard before in his life. He didn’t like the sound of it.
‘We’re on our way.’
“It’s the ghost – it’s gotten inside Elizabeth.” Richie informed her, but she only nodded her understanding as she grabbed her shoes and started for the door…
“Let’s go.” She snapped out over her shoulder and Richie jumped to it.
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“Where the hell is he taking her?” Ed growled out. Those words just didn’t sound right to his ears; it was still Elizabeth’s body that they were chasing.
“I don’t have a damn clue.” Jake growled back.
“We only have a small window of time in which to get her back – force the ghost out…” Belle was breathing hard, harder than either man, and she felt as if she were slowing them down. It wasn’t hard to see that they would be going so much faster if she wasn’t with them.
“Why the hell did he – she – they – take off like that?” Ed growled.
“Because of me. Because I forced through her shields and got to the heart of her – it didn’t want to take the risk that my magic mixing with Elizabeth’s could force it out.” Belle was guessing, but she’d wager good money on it.
“Richie’s bringing Melody…” Jake said. “Can the two of you get that thing out of Elizabeth together?”
Jake’s beast was clawing inside of him. He needed more than what he had. He needed answers, and he needed to know that his mate could get through this, and as fear and frustration mixed within him – he needed Belle to tell him that this wasn’t where he had to end his mate.
“I hope so…” Belle bit out, low and breathless, as Jake suddenly stopped in front of her and she almost collided with him.
“Now’s not the time to lose your sense of smell…” Belle warned him, and Jake scowled hard, sniffing at the air as if he was looking for his breakfast…
“I’ve… lost her.” Jake growled…
“The hell you say…” Belle pushed by him. Drawing her magic into a tight ball of energy deep within her; she forced it outwards, trying to ping it off the magic of Elizabeth’s shields…
Belle could sense Melody drawing closer, but that was behind her and she dismissed it… but the moment that she felt Melody’s magic mixing with her own and cast her net wider, she felt Elizabeth… but her sister was no longer above ground…
“Cavern’s – cave’s – tunnels…?” Belle demanded answers as she looked at Jake..
“What?” He was more than confused.
“She’s below ground…” Belle snapped out and she saw the recognition on the alpha’s face…
“No…” he shook his head. “The old tunnels aren’t safe…” he turned on his heels and ran fast. Ed was hard on his heels and Belle was following, determined to keep up…
“Belle, you need to stay here.” Ed shot over his shoulder and heard her snort her contempt for his words.
“The hell I do.”
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“What the hell is going on?” Mitchell appeared suddenly at Richie’s side and almost caused the beta to thrust Melody away from them…
“Damn it!” Richie growled out. His beast wanting nothing more than to burst from within him and eat the damn vampire whole.
“Questions need answers.” Mitchell bit out.
“Vampire’s need slaying, but there’s never a Buffy when you need one.” Richie growled back. “The spectre’s inside Elizabeth and she’s gone walkabout.”
“Interesting.” Mitchell said, keeping time with the man when he could have so easily been a mile away.
“What’s that I scent coming from you?” Mitchell saw Richie’s eyes snap towards him and then over to where he had a hold of his mate, bringing her along with him as he ran on.
“Drop it.” Richie growled, but Mitchell sniffed at the air some more. “Drop – it.”
“We’re you two doing the dirty?” Mitchell grinned, but the beta’s angry growl made him put just a little distance between them. “Now that’s inconvenient timing if ever I heard it.”
“You will die, vampire.” Richie warned him and heard Mitchell’s chuckle fill the air as it grated over his nerves.
“One day, but not under your claws.” Mitchell chuckled long and hard as he raced off ahead of them, eager to see for himself what a possessed witch looked like.
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“What are you doing?” Ed bit out as Belle used her magic to light the way inside the dark and damp tunnels. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and decaying wooden beams that had been put in place many moons ago to hold some of the walls in place…
“I don’t have your wolf’s gift of seeing in the damn dark.” She bit out, not willing to be led or stumble about in the darkness.
“I can scent her again…” Jake hated to sniff in the air, but he liked the scent of his mate that was mixed with it. It showed that they were on the right trail.
“She’s not far ahead. I can feel her magic getting stronger.” Belle assured him…
“What can I do?” Mitchell asked, coming up behind them and startling Belle…
“Fine something pointy and throw yourself on it.” She bit out.
“Ouch.” Mitchell offered. “Harsh.”
“Not yet, but soon.” She warned him – as the sound of rotting wood creaking gave her even more of an uneasy feeling than having the vampire there with them caused.
“Elizabeth?” Jake pulled up short of the opening to the cavern in front of them. Tunnels branched off in two directions, and before he could say or do anything else, she ducked and took off down the one on the left…
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
/> ~
“Guess we’re playing follow the leader.” Mitchell offered and got a grunt from the alpha in reply as Jake set off after her.
“Melody’s inside the tunnels. I can feel her magic.” Belle offered the alpha hope and he grasped it to his heart.
“Jake – if you push on much further those are the tunnels that risk collapse the most.” Mitchell offered, but Jake’s step didn’t falter.
“Well it’s not like you have anything to lose, right vampire?” Belle offered on a small sneer.
“I can still be buried for all eternity.” He shot back.
“So, there’s a bright side to this then.” She shot him a look over her shoulder.
“I’ll be sure to eat you first.” He offered and heard the rumble of Ed’s growl. The gentle rush of small stones running down the walls and hitting the floor drew their attention, and Jake didn’t falter in his stride, but he did turn to look back over his shoulder.
“Maybe you should all leave…” he offered.
“Not in this lifetime, alpha.” Belle shot back.
“What she said.” Ed nodded in agreement.
“Maybe if Ed stopped growling…” Mitchell smirked.
“Maybe if you shut the hell up.” Ed tossed back.
“She’s close.” Belle said, increasing her speed, but Jake pushed by her, taking the lead.
“I can see her…” Jake held onto the growl that wanted to rumble through his chest.
He had a mate to save, but he was also responsible for those who had followed him down there. He couldn’t risk a cave in.
Elizabeth stood stock still in the middle of the tunnel. Jake noted the way that the roof had given way and cut off what lay ahead. Her head was down and she was focused on something on the ground in the midst of the stones, rubble, and earth that had fallen…
“Elizabeth.” Jake stopped short of her and the others followed suit. With the width of the tunnel it was barely possible to get two people alongside each other, and both brothers together would never have fitted…
