by Bryce Evans
Digging into her pocket, she called her grandmother, Me-Len. Screaming into the phone, she told them what road she was on and what car she was in.
Me-Len told her they were on the way, and Sage dropped the phone into her lap. She didn’t have time to talk and drive. She had to get Carina to safety. As she came around the curve, her vehicle was rammed from behind. She fishtailed on the roadway, but thankfully regained control. Still, they were on both sides of her now and both cars had men hanging out the windows with guns. She slammed on her brakes as the bullets slammed into the other cars. Then she sped up again. She couldn’t let them get ahead of her and block her. The car was meant for speed, but it wasn’t bulletproof. When one of Claudia’s guards got too close, she rammed into the side of his vehicle. She cringed at the sound of metal scraping against her car. If she went down, she was going down fighting. They were not getting their hands on Carina again.
Gasping, the guards crashed into the side of her again. She couldn’t take much more of this. The vehicle couldn’t take much more damage before the ramming would break off a major part of the vehicle. With a worrying crunch of metal, they hit the side of her again. “Please Me-Len, hurry.”
It happened so quickly she almost missed it. Something flew over the vehicle. It sounded like a plane, but not as loud. She sped up again, getting ahead of her pursuers. She looked in her rearview mirror to see one of the vehicles blow up. She gasped as the other one exploded, too. Her phone started ringing.
“Hello, Me-Len.”
“We’re coming, but the bears sent you some help. Have you seen them yet?”
“Yes. Well, I guess so. The two vehicles following me just…just blew up.”
“Good, now keep driving and I will meet you at the city limits when you get into Alpha City. How are Carina and Jessica?”
“Me-Len.” Sage caught herself before she broke down and cried. “I didn’t have enough time to get my mother out, Me-Len. I…I will have to go back and get her.”
“Just get here, Sage. We will get your mother.” Sage hung up the phone and continued on toward the city limits.
She kept glancing back at Carina. Glass had shattered all over her, but it appeared that she still hadn’t moved. She was still rolled up in a ball. Sage’s cell phone rang again, and thinking it was Me-Len, she answered. “Me-Len, I think I’m close.”
“You’ll regret this, Sage Wingate. That girl belongs to me and you’ll turn around and bring her back.” Sage’s heart dropped as she listened to Claudia Blackwood’s evil voice. “Your mother says hello, by the way.”
“If you hurt my mother, I’m going to ki—”
Claudia laughed. “You’re not in any place to give me orders, little witch. I will exchange your mother for the girl. Turn around now and we will make the swap. Deal?”
Sage wiped the tears from her eyes. It didn’t matter if she turned Carina over to Claudia. Sage knew that the witch would kill her mother and then her.
“Do we have a deal?” Claudia yelled impatient.
“No.”
She heard her mother screaming as the phone hung up.
“Forgive me mom.” Sage cried out.
Chapter Two
From the moment she got to the city limits and saw Me-Len jump out of a car, everything became a blur. She was now trying to figure out how her life had become so crazy. As soon as she got the car stopped, they’d had to pry the back door open, and Carina was lifted out and put on some blankets. The atmosphere became frenzied when they saw how bad Claudia and Jamal had tortured Carina. The growling was what got her attention. She stepped back and held on to Me-Len’s hand as they watched them assess Carina’s injuries.
“What did they do to you, little one?” Kayden Lynn, the Alpha of the panthers whispered, trying to pull Carina’s hair away from her face.
“I couldn’t leave her there. They would have killed her. She didn’t open the book, Me-Len. She didn’t open the book for her,” Sage said her voice grim.
Getting up, Sage turned around and watched as a woman leaned over Carina. She cut into her wrist, pouring her blood onto Carina’s wounds, and placed her hands on top of the wounds. “That is Maggie, she’s a Healer.”
“I’ve never seen anyone do that,” Sage said. Me-Len put her arm around her and walked her over to Carina.
“Maggie’s healing is different, but very powerful. When she’s done, Carina won’t have a mark on her.”
“She’s a tough little girl. Never said a word to them except when she had a vision.”
Me-Len pulled back to look her in the eyes. “What did she say, Sage?”
“She said that the elves were coming, and that Thoth was coming.” It became quiet as everyone listened to what Sage had to say.
Me-Len rubbed the back of her neck. “She was right when she said the elves were coming; I feel Bast’s presence and he’s angry.”
“Bast, King of the Elves?” As if he heard his name being called, Bast Finn appeared at the edge of the woods, along with his guards.
“Carina is his mate,” Me-Len whispered.
He made his way over to where Carina lay on top of some blankets. Maggie was still leaning over her, healing her body. The white light faded, and then disappeared altogether as Maggie pulled away.
He kneeled down beside her and wiped her hair away from her face. “Thank you, Maggie.”
Maggie bowed toward the elf and backed away.
During one of their conversations with Me-Len she had explained that Bast was Carina’s mate, or at least that was what he told them. She guessed that they would have to wait until she grew up.
A vehicle pulled up and a dark-skinned woman and young man got out and ran toward them yelling, “Carina!” That’s when Sage saw the driver get out of the vehicle. Goodness, the man was huge. Not just tall, but built like a bear. Finally, his face came into view and all she could think was, wow, what a beautiful man. His brown hair curled over his ears in a way that made her want to reach out and roll her finger around it. He was sporting a beard trimmed close to his face, and he was simply gorgeous.
“Is she okay?” the woman yelled out, bringing her attention back to them. The woman rubbed her face against her hand. “Carina, it’s Rose. You’re safe, sweetie.”
Carina still didn’t open her eyes until Bast leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She watched as he chanted some type of magic that only the elves would know. She could actually see the magic as it left his mouth and disappeared in the air next to her ear.
As if on cue, Carina opened her eyes and stared back at the elven king. “Are you in pain?” Bast asked.
Carina didn’t smile or show any emotion; she just shook her head no. Bast turned around and looked at her sister and brother. “I think it would be best if Carina stayed with me in Valceria until this is over. They won’t stop coming for her.”
At first, Rose shook her head, but her brother spoke up, “Rose, she will be safe. They won’t be able to get to her there.”
Rose looked over to another man, who just stared back. Then she looked to Kayden. “Alpha?”
“I think right now, until we can get everything under control, it’s not a bad idea,” Kayden answered.
Rose looked back at Bast. “Only until this is over.” The king of the elves nodded, then bowed his head to Rose. “I will protect her with my life.”
Sage watched as Rose and a young man spoke into Carina’s ear, then hugged and kissed her. Kayden and Zoey did as well. She recognized Zoey from the pictures she had seen. They were Carina’s Alphas and it showed how deeply they cared for her. Carina got up and glanced around at everyone, including a young woman who stood off to the side. When Carina saw her, she nodded her head and smiled, as did the woman. Then she glanced around until her eyes fell on Sage.
At first Sage thought that Carina was staring at Me-Len, but as she walked closer to her she knew that Carina was staring at her. She stopped in front of her, then motioned for her to kneel down. When she d
id, Carina jumped into her arms and hugged her.
“Check your pocket,” Carina whispered in her ear. Sage turned her head as the little girl walked away and took the hand of Bast. They walked to the tree line and disappeared. Elven magic was the most powerful of all, and even though she had seen them all disappear with her own eyes, she could hardly believe it herself.
Then everything became chaotic after that. It happened so fast. She watched as the gorgeous giant of a man stood up and inhaled deeply. He looked around the area like he was looking for something or someone. She didn’t dare move when his brown eyes turned a golden color and focused on her. Holy shit, the man was walking toward her. She had to turn around to check to make sure it wasn’t someone else behind her that had the man’s attention. But no such luck, she seemed to be his target. Instead of doing anything, Sage froze.
“I think we need to leave and meet back at location two,” Ryder announced. “Me-Len, can you bring Sage?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Me-Len answered. “Let’s go. The men will take care of your vehicle,” Me-Len said.
“It’s not my vehicle. I stole it from Claudia. It was hers,” Sage looked away from the man who was still staring at her with golden eyes, and informed Me-Len with a smile. They both stopped and looked the vehicle over. Smoke was still coming out from underneath the hood, and the sides of the car were mashed up.
“They will take care of it, then. Let’s get out of here.” When Sage turned around, the man was standing in front of her. His chest was rising and falling like he had been running a race and was out of breath. Ordinarily she’d be scared, but for some reason the big guy only made her wet between the legs. She couldn’t help but take a good look at him, from his face all the way down. And yes, he had a big one; he was apparently very attracted to her too, because it was growing and pushing against his blue jeans. That was a first for her.
She knew her face had turned red when she looked away. “Brody, this is my granddaughter, Sage Wingate.” Thank goodness her grandmother hadn’t noticed what she was looking at.
Again nothing came from the man as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Are you okay, Alpha?” Me-Len said to him when his eyes opened. This time, she saw a bear peeking through beneath his skin. His eyes were those of a bear, and they were set on her.
“Ah, Me-Len? I don’t think I’m safe right here.” Sage backed up, still watching the man. Everything had appeared okay until the bear started coming out.
“Brody?” Me-Len’s voice was high-pitched, making everyone around them stop to see what was going on. Sage continued to step back, but the big man named Brody stepped forward until another big man stepped in front of him.
“Brody? Dude, you’re scaring them. What the hell is wrong?” The man asked.
“Get out of my way, Judd. She’s mine.” That was all the man said, and it was enough to scare the shit out of her.
Sage released Me-Len’s hand and took off running. She had no clue where the hell she was running to, but damn it, the man said she was his and with his bear coming out that meant one thing to her: the bear wanted to hurt her. She heard people screaming for her to stop, but all she saw when she turned around was the man named Brody shifting into a bear and coming after her. A big fucking bear, too. She hit the tree line and finally realized that she wasn’t going to outrun a bear. She heard trees crashing behind her and then she felt herself propelling through the air before hitting the ground hard. Now she was pissed. She had saved that girl for these people, and now her payback was being chased by a freaking grizzly bear who was now standing over her, ready to eat her. Then it dawned on her—she was a witch. A good one at that.
Before she could spit out a spell, the bear leaned down and licked her across the face. Then licked her again, and again, and again.
“Stop that.” And just like she ordered, the bear stopped and lay down beside her. Sage wiped the side of her face off with her hand. Surely not, she thought. “Are you smiling at me?” The snort of wind blew across her face as the bear nodded.
She could hear people running in the woods toward them, but she was afraid to move. The ground was cold, and her body was still in the ‘run for your life’ stage when she started shivering. The bear just moved closer; it seemed to be trying to protect her from the chilly night air or maybe just getting ready to eat her.
“Sage? Sage, are you okay?” Me-Len called out.
“Yes, but the bear won’t let me get up.” Sage watched as the bear shifted, and in its place was the man who even now made her so wet between the legs she couldn’t control the moan she made as she looked up at him when he got up. To make matters worse, his big thing was growing in size as she gazed at it, and this time it wasn’t constrained by clothing.
One minute she was lying on the ground, the next she was being lifted in Brody’s arms. The man was hard across the chest but his skin was as smooth as a baby’s bottom, and so warm. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you home,” Brody answered.
“I’m not going home with you,” Sage snapped, angered. If this man thought he was just going to take her home and have his way with her, he had no idea who she was. “Who do you think you are?”
“Your mate,” Brody answered, like it was something she was just going to have to accept. Her whole body tensed up. Did he just say I was his mate? No, no, no, she thought. Sage didn’t even pause to think. As soon as she saw Me-Len, she hit Brody hard in the nose and rolled out of his arms. Then she clasped her hands over her head as the magic sparkled above her.
“Why did you hit me?” Brody yelled out holding his nose.
“Don’t move, Brody. You’ve angered her and she’s scared.” Me-Len held out her hand toward him, but Brody moved forward. That’s when Sage casted out her magic, slamming him backward against the trees. Everyone in the woods froze as Sage waited to see if he was going to come at her again.
“Sage, please don’t do that again. I know you don’t understand what’s going on, but—”
With her attention on Me-Len, Brody grabbed her from the side. He didn’t hurt her, but this time her hands were caged in one of his above her head as his other arm circled her waist.
“Listen, my little witch, I’m not trying to hurt you, but you’re my mate and I know you feel it, too. Tell me you don’t feel it.”
Sage’s heart was beating so hard it was hard to catch her breath. She couldn’t lie to him for some reason. What the hell? “It doesn’t matter what I feel. My mother is most likely being tortured right now, and all you can think about is getting your dick in me. That’s all I can think of—getting her out of there.”
She couldn’t stop it when the first tear fell; then the dam broke and the snotty sobs came. She didn’t think he was going to let her go, but he released her arms and picked her up, carrying her out of the woods without another word. Me-Len and the others all followed as Brody opened a car door and sat down inside with her. Stroking her hair, he held her tighter as Me-Len got in beside them. She picked up her hand as Brody petted her like a child.
“Home, Lex,” Brody said to the driver. Her body was so tired from all the stress and running for her life that she moved closer as the heat that came off of him. It felt so good that she didn’t remember falling asleep.
* * *
The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Brody’s arms. Now she was awake, wondering where she was and how she got here. Looking around, Sage realized she was in a bedroom under some of the softest covers she’d ever touched. A nearby clock showed that she had only been asleep for an hour. She heard talking in another room but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Turning her head she could see a bathroom, and reluctantly she got up from the warm bed. She needed to get her head on straight. Her mom was her only concern and with everything that happened, what did she do? She fell asleep in the arms of a shifter. Guilt was a normal fixture with her like every emotion she had, but this time she’d left her mother in that evil place to die. She had al
ready seen what Claudia and Jamal did to those that betrayed her. No, she would not think of that. Her mother was still alive.
Sage washed her face and picked up the brush laying on the vanity and tried to make her hair look presentable. Deciding that it looked better than before, she walked out of the bedroom following the sound of people talking. Me-Len and Brody and it seemed like all the Alphas and their mates were sitting in the kitchen talking. She knew what the Alphas and their mates looked like, having seen several pictures that Claudia had. She kicked herself, realizing that she should have recognized Brody as well, but somehow her brain had become unglued when she saw him in person for the first time. She stayed in the hallway and just listened.
“She’s terrified about her mother, and frankly, I am too.” Brody said. “What do you think Claudia will do?”
Sage could see her grandmother lower her head and cry. “Kill her.” She sobbed louder.
It broke her heart hearing those words. Shaking her head, she remembered what her mother had said. It was foggy, but the words came back to her and Sage realized that her mom had put a spell on her. Jessica had known she wouldn’t be able to get them both out, and that Sage would kill herself trying.
“Me-Len, don’t say that. We have to stay positive. Now that we know where she is, we need to hit her. Now!” London demanded.
“She’ll be gone by the time you get there.” They all looked at the door where Sage stood. They needed to know the truth. She wanted to stay hopeful, but she was a realist and she knew Claudia. “She has several houses in secret locations, and she never told us where they were. She has already left, I’m positive.”
“And your mother?” London asked.
