Blissful Agony

by Rivers, Brandy L

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  He shrugged. “Wanted as much information as possible when you finally came to me with questions. It was a matter of time, but Anthony and Jules never move fast, and always in waves.”

  Preston shook his head. “You were on their trail. Why did you stop searching?”

  Tremaine pushed the cart over. “That’s a long story. They disappeared for a time. I thought I’d killed Jules. Anthony vanished. You know the Council—they assume it’s over and reassign enforcers instead of making sure all the loose ends are tied off.”

  “They reassigned you?”

  “To investigate Sinclair McCallister, and you know how that ended. Afterward, I didn’t want to wander too far for a case. I needed to keep an eye on Liz.”

  Robert nodded, looking at the stack of books. “So what’s with all this?”

  “Everything I could dig up on them over the last eight hundred years. They’ve been around for ages, and caused a ton of shit. They resurfaced about fifty years ago. I put in a few reports, but the Council didn’t want to believe the shit I uncovered because they don’t like to be wrong. Leadership won’t even admit Jules and Anthony, whom they praise as esteemed supporters of the Silver Council, are involved.”

  “Think we can get them to admit who they are now? Or will it still be an uphill battle?”

  Robert shrugged, a smirk on his lips. “Does it matter what they think? I’m in charge of this investigation, and the one collecting information. No one has argued with my efforts or results. Though, I haven’t mentioned the tie to Anthony and Jules. Yet.”

  “Don’t bother until we can prove it.” Tremaine leaned back against a shelf. “Until then, call them HARP’s founders. The Council wants HARP to end, but they don’t want to believe the founders are the not-so-pure mages they respected.”

  “One day, they’ll have to accept we aren’t all full mage. Look at you, at me.” Preston drew a deep breath. “They don’t know the truth about either of us.”

  Robert shook his head. “They don’t need to know. I’ve seen movements where mixed mages attempted to gain some trust. It backfired. For now, keep the secret. The less they know the better off they’ll be.”

  Preston picked up one of the books and flipped through some of the pages. “You going to give us a history lesson? I assume you have a clue where we need to start searching.”

  “I do. Bear with me. We have a lot of ground to cover, but I’m hoping we can put the pieces together and stop them permanently.”

  * * * *

  Clint kept peeking in on Emily, who had decided to paint the living room while they installed the kitchen appliances. Mark had turned on the stereo to an alternative rock station. Emily finished one wall while dancing.

  “You should relax. We’ll know if anyone shows up,” Mark told him.

  “Who says I don’t just want to watch her shake that tight little ass of hers?”

  Mark chuckled. “That may be part of it, but you can’t tell me you aren’t worried about everything that’s going on.”

  Clint sighed and quietly said, “Of course I’m worried. What do you want me to say? She killed a man last night, utterly destroyed him from the inside out. After healing my stupid ass when I got shot. The day ended with her drinking enough to wind up with her first hangover.”

  “She’s fine. Look at that smile. Drop it for now, and let it lay. She’s happy, and you should be too.”

  “I am. Can you blame me for worrying?”

  “Nah. But how are you holding up?”

  Clint tossed him a glare. “We covered that, numbskull.”

  Mark chuckled. “No, I mean about Gina, your old pack coming for you. Ava escaping. How are you coping with your past resurfacing?”

  He looked back at Emily. “I’m good. If it weren’t for her, I’m sure I’d be a raging mess. I can’t believe Ava is gone. I don’t trust that bitch for a second.”

  “Slater seems to think Axel’s going to punish her. We may not be seeing her again.”

  Clint shook his head. Too many times he’d witnessed Axel take his anger at Ava out on another wolf. The sick fuck wanted her, but was convinced he should never touch her. When he found a way to punish her, she’d turn the situation around, making him look like a fool.

  “We will,” he told Mark. “She’s not gone. Axel will never kill her. He may harm her, but she’s going to turn the tables on him. In fact, I’m willing to bet she’ll wind up taking power. What I don’t know is, once she has it, what will she do?”

  “How would she take the pack from him?”

  Clint shrugged. “She’ll wrap him around her little finger, then fuck him over for all the hell he put her through.”

  “I don’t know. How many years did he deny her the bond? Plus, she does seem to feel some guilt.”

  “Don’t believe that for a second. She doesn’t regret a damned thing besides maybe not fucking Axel sooner. She’ll make him pay for that oversight though.”

  Emily sauntered up and leaned against one of the counters. “You two hungry?”

  “Very,” Mark answered. “What sounds tasty?”

  “Food. Anything. I need to eat something after all this work, and I’m nowhere near done.”

  Clint pulled her into his arms. “Oh, Sunshine, you don’t have to do all the painting. As soon as you’re bored or tired, you can stop. I didn’t expect you to take over the whole project.”

  “I want to. This gives me something to do while you manage the hard labor. Besides, I’m enjoying myself, believe it or not.”

  Mark glanced at his watch. “Let’s take a break and head to town for lunch. You can pick where, Emily. Maybe we can talk about how Gina’s doing on the way.”

  She laughed. “You’ve seen her more recently than I. Weren’t you there this morning?”

  He shrugged. “Thought maybe you had an update. You’ve been in touch with the other healers.”

  “She’s good. In fact, she’s been asking about you.”

  Mark looked away with a soft smile.

  “Hey,” Clint said, “if she’s the one, and you take it at her pace, I have nothing against you and Gina together.”

  Emily smiled. “You can take notes from Clint’s approach. Be patient, give her what she needs. I’m sure you’ll be fine. For now, she needs time to adjust before you two hook up.”

  Mark set aside his tools and slipped his hands into his back pockets. “I’m in no rush. She’s a sweet girl, and doesn’t seem to understand much about what she is. I’ve talked to Trevor about taking Gina and me with them when they hunt this coming full moon. Figured a smaller group would be less overwhelming than our pack. And the Seattle wolves are more laid back.”

  Clint nodded. “That’s a great plan.”

  Chapter 25

  Ava lay in bed watching Axel as he went through logs he’d kept over the years. He received a message that Baylen was on his way and planned to review the books as well as the corpse.

  “What do you know of Baylen?” Ava asked.

  “He’s part fae, and a werewolf. Apparently he’ll follow my lead. Other than that, I can’t tell you much.”

  “Part fae?” She sat up, her brow arched. “Happen to know what kind?” Her long body stretched, breasts jutting as her legs spread further, displaying her glistening core. He’d spent the night either fucking her, or sleeping.

  Never once had she relinquished control, demanding strenuous attention, while taunting him. Twice he got off. The rest of the time, he was too focused on bringing her pleasure in the hope he could gain her trust back.

  Guilt slapped him across the face. He’d jumped to the worst conclusion and punished her for attempting to protect him. Axel had vowed to prove his loyalty, his love, his need for Ava. No more hiding the truth. He needed her, and yesterday he’d realized that had always been the case.

  She climbed to her feet, and moved to the pile of her clothes on his dresser. He’d considered moving all of her things in,
but their living situation was changing.

  He watched hungrily as she covered her curves, shimmying into form-fitting clothes that did nothing to ease his erection.

  Axel sighed. “I’m not sure what he is, Ava. Anthony wasn’t very forthcoming.”

  “We’ll learn when he gets here. Though I’m not sure it’s wise to trust him.”

  “He holds the piggy bank. With Jones and Mena gone, they need us.”

  Ava frowned as she pulled on a pair of boots. “That’s ominous. Since when do you trust HARP to do what they say?”

  “Let me show you how Toby came back to us. Maybe then you’ll understand how grave the situation has become.” He stood and led her to the front doors.

  * * * *

  Ava stepped outside and the stench hit her like a freight train. Toby’s truck was crunched into the building, a flock of crows picked at a rotting puddle of goo. Scraps of clothing and melted bone lay in some semblance of a body.

  Her eyes widened as she turned to Axel. “What did that?”

  “That’s why I called HARP. We’re out of our league.”

  “And running hasn’t occurred to you?” she asked incredulously. If one of them could do that what are the rest capable of?

  “Where would we go?”

  “Far the fuck away from here. Someone cast a nasty ass curse on him. Edenton has a ton of casters, and shifters. They have the Silver Council behind them. Yet you want to wait and see if we can come out on top? There is something seriously wrong with that thinking.”

  He shook his head slowly, advancing on her with fury in his eyes. “We aren’t running. I don’t run. We take our wolves back and break that shithead Slater once and for all.”

  Ava smiled, pushing down the instant rage. “What if Baylen suggests we run?”

  “Then I kill the fucker and we figure this shit out on our own. You’re still with me, aren’t you?”

  She nodded. Now that their bond was in place, he was finally starting to trust her with more than his orders. “Can I see the logs before Baylen gets here?”

  “Of course. Though we don’t have much time. Less than an hour.”

  “That’s all I should need.”

  * * * *

  Slater sat with Elias in the living room. The kid was curled up in a chair, staring out the window. There were countless things he wanted to ask, but preferred the boy come to him without prompting. The silence was killing him.

  “Elias, do you like it here?”

  He nodded, his deep brown eyes shifting to Slater. Elias stared at him, his lip trembling. “You’re not thinking of sending me back are you? I’ve been good, haven’t I?”

  “No, son. We’ll never send you back to them. That’s not why I’m asking. I want to make sure you’re happy. That you have what you need. Confirm we’re treating you well, that you aren’t afraid of us.”

  He shook his head. “It’s been a long time since anybody cared. I don’t always know what to say or do to show I’m thankful. I don’t want to go nowhere though. I want to stay. Please, let me stay.”

  “Hey,” Slater murmured, “you’re welcome as long as you want to be here. Though I’ll warn you now, if you choose to leave, you might crush Jess’ heart.”

  Elias gave a tiny smile. “Don’t want her upset. She’s better than my mama was. Mama didn’t want to hear me, didn’t want to take care of me. I took care of her most of the time. Then she left me with him.”

  “Jess will always take care of you, if you’ll let her.”

  He nodded.

  “And your father?”

  “He beat me if I asked for anything, if he found me eating his food, if he was drinking. After Mama left, he was bad. I ran away, thinking I could find someplace better. I was wrong.”

  “This place is better, right?”

  “Yeah, but I would never have made it here if they hadn’t pushed me out of the car.”

  “If Jess hadn’t come out, what would you have done?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know. Looked for Clint, I suppose, but I didn’t know what information I was looking for. They’d probably have scooped me up again and beaten me some more.”

  “Fucking assholes.” Slater slammed his fist on the table. “They are going to pay. For what they did to you, to Clint, to every one of the wolves they mistreated. They need to make amends for the bullshit they put all of you through.”

  “I don’t understand why Axel wants Clint so bad.”

  Slater shook his head. “My guess? Fear of losing control. The way he treats his wolves isn’t like that of a competent leader. It’s the way a coward might rule. One afraid of losing power.”

  “He keeps most of us in cages. If we break the rules, he starves us. If someone argues too much, he lets the other wolves eat them. Beating isn’t the worst of the punishments.” Elias closed his eyes and Slater’s heart broke for the kid. “When you’re so hungry you can’t think, you don’t realize what you’re doing. Desperate for food, no matter the source.”

  “Shit.” Slater stood and paced away, rubbing at his face. He needed to find a way to end Axel and anyone he trusted. The pack couldn’t keep on like that. Some of his wolves were likely broken, mindless shells.

  Not to mention, wolves with a taste for cannibalism often started to crave it. Elias didn’t seem to have that problem. Or at least, he seriously hoped not. Jess would likely know already, and she would have warned him.

  “How often do they move bases?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. Time bled together. Seemed we’d be in a spot for a couple moons before he would move us again. Said the Silver Council was searching for us.”

  Slater sighed. “Unfortunately, not all of the Silver Council cares about rogue wolves unless they are making themselves known to the public.”

  “Do you trust the Council?” Elias asked.

  Slater nodded. “Some. Can’t claim to rely on all of them. The new stateside magister is a close friend. His lieutenant may be a smartass, but I trust him. I’ve met the enforcers they work with, and his crew is full of upstanding individuals. However, like any governing force, there’s bound to be some corruption.”

  “In your pack too?” Elias asked with wide eyes.

  “Not at present. We’ve had problems in the past, but things are solid right now.”

  “A lot of the wolves in my pack are not ones you’d want in yours.”

  “You’re part of our pack now. We’ll make it official on the next full moon, but Axel won’t touch you again.”

  Elias nodded. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”

  * * * *

  Axel waited outside the power plant for Baylen while Ava studied the logs. She did a lot of frowning and scowling as she flipped through the pages.

  He didn’t ask her thoughts, and she didn’t offer them. Instead he’d focused on ensuring his wolves were fed, and clean, thanks to a nearby river.

  His enforcers were all present, making sure the rest of the pack fell in line. A Jeep pulled up and a wispy-looking man hopped out. Less than five feet tall, he looked more like a child than an adult. Pale ringlets framed his feminine face.

  Despite his small stature, Baylen oozed power. “Baylen?” Axel asked.

  The man nodded, a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips. “I am. You’re Axel?”

  “That’s me. What do you make of that?” He nodded to the rotting mess.

  Baylen moved to the black stain. Crows had picked apart most of what was left. “Looks like your wolf pissed off a powerful healer. They corrupted tissue, blood, and it spread, similar to what happens when a corpse decomposes, only accelerated.”

  “A healer did this?”

  He nodded. “A powerful one.”

  Axel frowned. “There are healers in Edenton, but I’ve never heard of any of them doing something like this.”

  Baylen chuckled, amusement dancing through his eyes. “This wolf you’re after, why is he so important?”

  “If the other wolves lear
n he escaped, he could upset our balance. They’d want the same freedom, but are weak and would put all of us in danger. We can’t let that happen.”

  “That’s why you sell so many of your young wolves to HARP?” Baylen asked with a light in his eyes.

  “They won’t follow orders. Better to let them be hunted in the name of a good cause.”

  “What do you believe our cause is?”

  “To break down the barriers between humans and Others. Rip away control from the Silver Council, and make all Others equal.”

  Baylen nodded, rubbing his pointed chin as he took another look at Toby’s remains. “You don’t have to worry about the curse. Though devastating, it’s not contagious. Nothing can counter the decay once it begins. It appears this particular healer is far more powerful than most. Do you know if your werewolf has a healer connection?”

  “He does. One we’ve learned put him through physical therapy instead of healing him completely.”

  “Ah, yes, because of the Komodo dragon shifter poison. I understand it has strange effects on shifters. Prevents proper healing.”

  “There’s such a thing as a Komodo dragon shifter?” Axel asked with a frown.

  “There was, the product of experimentation. No others survived, and we haven’t been able to replicate the procedure since.” Baylen shrugged. “She was an interesting specimen, though I can’t say I miss her. She was beyond temperamental because she couldn’t shift fully back to human.”

  “I see.”

  “Are you ready to show me your logs so I can formulate a plan? I’m hoping you have some perspective on what you’ve been dealing with.”

  He nodded. “I’ve kept logs since taking control of this pack.” Axel led him into the power plant where the wolves were eating a community meal. He opened the door to the office and nodded inside. “Don’t mind them.”

  “I will need to talk to them sooner or later.” Baylen moved past him, then smiled at Ava, who had cleaned the office and made it presentable.