Trust.
In the end, that’s what it always boils down to. Or was it love? Even in my short life, I’d learned that power comes from having the kind of soul connection that makes anything possible—a relationship that robs you of both breath and the ability to think, that feeling that makes everything worth it—the good, the bad, and the very, very stupid.
Praise for Savage Possession
Book 5 in the Mystic Wolves series.
"Savage Possession was totally unexpected. The twists and turns had me on my toes not wanting to put it down. Some parts showed another darker and sinister side to the mind of Belinda Boring. I highly recommend this installment of The Mystic Wolves!!"
~ Lisa Markson, I Pimp My Authors.
"Wow! Just WOW! Savage Possession had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. This jaw-dropping, eye-popping latest installment in the Mystic Wolves series is simply epic."
~ Raquel Auriemma, Roc n' Read.
Holy shizzzzz! This plot is so twisted; I did not see that coming!!! Fans of The Mystic Wolves are really going to love this one. Trust me . . . you will be begging for more!”
~ Cindy Mucha Barton, Amazon Reader.
“I love Belinda's books and this one is no different. This book will keep you on your toes from the get go. You will not be able to put it down.”
~ Amy Chris, Weet Weet’s Bookshelf.
“I couldn't put it down. It shows what people will endure for true love.”
~ Samantha Blackwelder, Amazon Reader.
“Epic. Belinda Boring knows how to suck you right into her world. Savage Possession was just as the title said it would be. Spectacular to the very last word!!”
~ Carrie Fort, Indy Book Fairy Blog.
"Savage Possession has all the swoon-worthy, weak-in-the-knees moments that we've come to expect from Belinda Boring, but it is also loaded with shocking plot twists and turns that will take your breath away.”
~ Christina Silcox, Literary Redemption.
"OMG! I don't even know where to begin. Belinda's books are amazing, but she outdid herself this time!”
~ Jeanine Palinkas, Amazon Reader.
"This book was a hella ferocious roller coaster ride, the kind that sends you flying off the tracks at the end!"
~ Heather Alexander, Young Adult and Teen Readers.
“I have laughed and cried through out this book. I can't get enough of the Mystic Wolves!!!”
~ Laura McGee, Amazon Reader.
"Belinda Boring is a true writing genius! I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I couldn't put it down. So many unexpected twists with an ending to stop my heart!”
~ Julia Wood, Amazon Reader.
“Spine tingling, suspense filled, brilliant, full of surprises! Belinda Boring has stuck gold with Savage Possession! Best of the Mystic Wolves series!”
~ Michael Auriemma, Amazon Reader.
“Once again Belinda has made us fall in love with her characters! Absolutely blew my mind!”
~ Ashley Blackwell, Amazon Reader.
“You will love Savage Possession, at times it will break your heart, and it will mend your heart. There is so much raw emotion in this book coming from Mason, Darcy, and Devlin that you can’t help but feel exactly what they are feeling; down to the heart-wrenching pain and the sky-soaring happiness.”
~ Julie Engle, Amazon Reader.
“Talk about one hell of a roller coaster ride!”
~ Holly Cooper, Amazon Reader.
Savage Possession
Copyright 2014 Belinda Boring
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Published by Blushing Heart Press
Edited by Kim Swain, Red Line Editing & Writing
Cover Design by Regina Wamba, MaeIDesign & Photography
KINDLE Edition
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
To Dr. Patrick Connolly
Thank you for giving me my life back.
Acknowledgements
“For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice - no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service.” ~ John Burroughs
I’ve known for over year the direction this series would take, impatient to tell it. When it finally came time to write Savage Possession, there were many obstacles that stole my focus, often preventing me from getting the job done. Thankfully, those challenges have been overcome and it’s all smooth sailing from now on.
I learned many things during this process—the value of persistence and determination even when tired, of patience and gratitude for those moments of clarity. Most of all, I’ve been reminded how amazing the people around me are by their constant love and support.
A huge thank you goes to my beta readers: Julia Wood, Lisa Markson, Caren Davis, Laura Griffel, Cindy Barton, Christina Silcox, Susan McCray, and Raquel Auriemma. Your help has been invaluable!
More thanks to my wonderful street team who are always there to share and help promote my work. It means so much to have people in my corner who are willing to shout from the rooftops . . . or Facebook and Twitter!
Thank you to Regina Wamba from MaeIDesign for yet another beautiful cover.
Thank you to Kim Swain from Redline Editing for making sure this story shined like it should.
To my friends and family, your encouragement and advice kept me going, helping me dig a little deeper when I hurt and felt discouraged. I appreciate all the late night brainstorming sessions and check-ins.
To my personal assistant and dearest friend, Lisa Markson, you kept me sane—plain and simple, which is a feat in itself because I know how crazy life can be. I love you!
I’m blessed with a remarkable husband who has been my steady rock through everything. He’s my greatest cheerleader and taskmaster when it comes to writing, helping me not to … oh look, SQUIRREL! Lots of swoony kisses to you, my darling.
Finally, I wanted to say a big thank you to all the readers who’ve read the Mystic Wolves and fallen in love with Mason, Darcy, Daniel, and Devlin like I have. Your messages and comments make me smile! I appreciate each and every one of you!
Thanks for being part of the journey!
Live. Laugh. Swoon.
Bels
Prologue
Darcy
Trust. In the end, that’s what it always boils down to. Or was it love? Even in my short life, I’d learned that power comes from having the kind of soul connection that makes anything possible—a relationship that robs you of both breath and the ability to think, that feeling that makes everything worth it—the good, the bad, and the very, very stupid.
The decision to become vampire had seemed like a good idea at the time. Despite the risk, and the slight chance I’d go completely insane, the thought of saying goodbye to my Mason, my family, and my friends . . . it was what I’d like to call a “no-brainer”.
I stared into the eyes of my mother; just her presence in the room had surprised me. This wasn’t something I ever imagined us sharing together—a moment of bonding that went beyond late night gossip and defiant teenage tantrums. In my very hour of need, consumed by debilitating fear, she’d come. Not because I’d asked, but because there was nowhere else she’d rather be. Call it what you will—intuition or motherly protectiveness—she refused to leave me to weather the upcoming storm a
lone.
Mason was locked in the Pack’s silver barred cage. While my heart yearned for him, my spirit aching to have him hold me and whisper ‘be still’, there was no way anyone would survive what Devlin was preparing to do if Mason were free. I knew the nature of the wolf too well. I knew him too well.
He’d have killed Devlin where he stood, the second his razor sharp teeth slid into my skin, even before a drop of blood touched my uncle’s tongue. Mason wouldn’t have been able to bear watching the conversion process.
So, even though it pained me, even though the soothing sensation from my mother’s gentle hand brushing over my hair helped quiet my anxiety, I chose to be brave.
I chose to ignore the insecurity that flared within me.
I chose to embrace the hope I saw shining in Devlin’s eyes.
He wouldn’t let me fall. He held faith that this would work and that by turning me into a vampire, it would fill the void inside me—the void that was killing me. It wasn’t fair that I’d only just learned I was part witch, in addition to my being part werewolf. The excitement I’d felt at the discovery was quickly overshadowed by the instant knowledge that it placed me in great danger.
All my life, my true heritage, who I really was, had been kept a secret. A blood oath to his sister prevented Devlin from exposing the hidden truth that I was his niece, while he masqueraded as merely my friend. I didn’t begrudge him; he’d been a constant in my life, someone I’d learned I could always rely on.
Not only had he withheld certain aspects of our relationship, he’d also worked together with Vivien, the local witch coven leader and family friend, to bind my powers. His intention had been honorable, his way of keeping me safe from a dangerous foe from his past.
But in the end, it hadn’t mattered. On my wedding night, as my connection with Mason solidified, the binding broke and it sent out a beacon of power to Julian Blackwell—the villain behind all the lies of omission.
Julian had come. We’d fought. And as a result, my witch nature was destroyed at the moment of his death. It left a gaping hole in my psyche that nothing would heal—nothing short of the gamble that replacing it with vampirism would make me whole, again.
It was a long shot; but for the sake of my beloved Mason, and my refusal to let him go, I didn’t flinch as Devlin sunk his teeth into my flesh.
Hope, bravery, love, trust . . . it all burned as I felt my body being consumed. All intentions of graciously accepting the gift I was offered fell away.
I was in hell.
I was in torment.
And then I died.
Chapter One
Mason
I couldn't feel her.
One minute she was there and the next she was gone.
I'd expected it—the sharp sting as our connection severed, but nothing could've prepared me for the pain that ricocheted through my body at that exact moment.
It was savage—brutal.
It triggered every aggressive nerve and protective instinct I held.
Something, someone, had seized Darcy from my mind.
Figuratively, someone had just ripped my beating heart from my chest; the anguish drove me to my knees and was nowhere near bearable.
A heartbreaking howl erupted from my mouth, filling the air with the guttural sounds of a man who had nothing left. Unable to sense her, to feel her own spirit communing with mine through our mental link, I caught a glimpse of what Hell was.
Life wouldn’t be worth living unless she took that important next breath. I needed her to return to me, needed to feel some semblance of her warmth.
Darkness.
Damn. Blackness and pain inducing emptiness answered.
She was gone. And in that moment, my grief vowed vengeance.
"Let. Me. Out. Now." I glared at my captives, wondering whether they would continue to have the audacity to ignore my orders. I was Alpha and my word law. If I wanted the door to my prison opened, it would bode well for them not to refuse me.
"Mason . . .” Daniel begged, a pained expression covering his face.
"Either open this cage or so help me," I snarled, not caring that the guy on the other side of the bars was my best friend and second-in-command. A vague memory threatened to remind me that I'd ordered him not to release me until we were certain everything with Darcy was successful. But as far as I could feel, her heart still wasn't beating.
She was dead.
My wife.
My mate.
Completely and utterly beyond my reach.
"Give Devlin more time," he pleaded. His tone was low and non-threatening, his body language submissive enough to be non-challenging. It was a smart move on his part—a technique learned from watching others talk down a werewolf bordering on out-of-control.
There were times I'd mimicked the same gestures, but that was before. This was now. Friend or not, I'd rip his throat out if he didn't move out of my way. The only thing that would placate the fierce, wild beast inside me was Darcy herself. Only her voice, her touch, would extinguish the increasing madness.
So this is what it feels like to lose a soul mate, I wondered bitterly, rising to my feet. With fists clenched at my sides, I straddled a dangerous line. With each second that passed, I lost the chance to be reasoned with. Growling from deep within my throat, time was running out.
"She's dead. I need to go to her."
"If that's so, then it’s even more reason to keep you locked up." The second voice belonged to my cousin, Alex. He'd come over from Ireland, bringing wedding blessings from my family. Seems he'd also be going to a funeral before returning home.
That is if I didn't kill him, as well.
"Excuse me?" I thundered.
“I know what you think you want right now, but you need to trust us. It isn’t safe for you, the Pack . . . hell, even Darcy, for you to leave that cage right now. Think about it logically, Cousin. Quit reacting with your heart and try to see the sense.”
“Don’t talk to me about logic, about seeing things reasonably. My mate’s heart has just stopped and you expect me to act without emotion? I don’t care about anything else but her.” Anger dripped from my tone. As I glanced back and forth between them, their calm facade spiked the fury already stirring in my blood. “How can you stand there? Did you not love her, as well?” My voice cracked, disbelief making it difficult to get my words out. I glared accusingly at Daniel. “I know you thought of her as a sister. Let me out. Together we can go to her.”
“Give her more time, Mason. Please. Trust that Devlin knows what he’s doing. He’d never have agreed to the conversion if he thought for a second he couldn’t bring her safely through it.”
I slammed my palms against the bars, getting a sick kind of pleasure from the way the silver laced through the metal and burned my skin. It was the only real thing I could rely on at the moment. My heart felt like it was disconnected from the rest of my body, my mind already succumbing to the grief riddled fog that stood between me and impending madness. Nothing about this made sense—especially the way my best friend and cousin were betraying me.
“I was wrong to believe him. What good has ever come from taking the word of a bloodsucker? We welcomed him into our home, our Pack, and offered him friendship. He swore he acted in Darcy’s best interest, but look where that’s led? I swear, as God is my witness, I will plant a sharpened stake into his heart, myself, for this.”
“Mason!” Daniel’s face revealed the astonishment he felt by my promise. “Calm yourself.”
“Speak again and you’ll join him in death. As your Alpha, I’m ordering you to open this cage. Now.”
We were talking in circles—each sentence exchanged became more and more surreal.
“No.” Shaking his head, Daniel stepped away from my confinement; sorrow causing his shoulders to stoop. He joined Alex by the wall, both their arms crossed over their chests as though they had no trouble waiting this nightmare out. I’d seen that stubbornness before. I wasn’t reaching him. Something told
me nothing I could say would earn me my freedom.
“You’re committing treason,” I growled. A numbing detachment replaced the all-consuming rage from before. “Think about what you’re doing.”
“You don’t think I realize that? You don’t think it kills me to stand here and deny your wish, knowing that there’s nothing more I want than to rush upstairs and see for myself? I love her, too, Mason. I love you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Screw the fact you’re my Alpha. You’re my family.”
“Then why the hell won’t you do what I ask?”
“Because sometimes loving someone means saying no. It means going against that person’s wishes because it’s ultimately the right thing to do, no matter how hard it is. You taught me that.” Daniel’s eyes never left mine. “Stop for a second and search your conscience. Honestly, what would you have me do?” His agony matched my own.
“I’d—“
“Bullshit. Search deeper.”
I tilted back my head and released a frustrated howl as the truth surfaced. I would expect him to honor my original order. I would want him to honor my need to safeguard those I’d been entrusted to serve and protect. No matter the cost. No matter the price.
“I feel like my heart stopped beating the second hers did.” My admission came out as a strangled whisper.
“Don’t give up. She showed incredible courage in accepting this, in agreeing to do whatever it took to be with you. Don’t turn your back on her now. She’s going to need you to be strong for her when she comes through this.”
“But what if—“
It was Alex who interrupted me this time. “No doubts.”
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