Kyrian tensed up and became still in a way that let them know he was listening to what his wolves were telling him. A foreboding chill ran through Tierney as he finally met her eyes.
“They tracked them to that road about a mile away where Marcius hid his car, then they lost the scent. It seems they got into a vehicle of some sort.”
They had gotten rid of Marcius’s vehicle, so it wasn’t that one, and since Soroyan didn’t have a car of his own, that was very bad news.
Chapter Twelve
Not So Easy!
Soroyan detested what he was doing, felt like he was betraying everyone’s trust in him. Although, the only trust he really cared about was his brother’s. It was for that reason alone that he agreed to this meeting. Or so he told himself. The reality was, he’d come to care about what Tierney might think, and he didn’t like that feeling. Forget about her, you need to get Toren back!
The large black SUV that Serena, her driver, and bodyguard picked him up in slowed as it drew near its destination. Soroyan stared out the window and the intuition that he’d relied on for years told him he was making a big mistake.
He already knew he’d likely regret his decision, but what choice did he have? He’d been dangled a slim hope, a chance to get his brother’s only son back from the hands of the enemy. Normally, he’d never consider such a trade, yet the lives of over a thousand Raizarch wolves hung in the balance. Besides, Marcius had given him nothing useful.
He knew the Raizarch wolves, having recently escaped the realm of Galias where they’d been trapped, were on their way here. The Raizarch king’s youngest daughter would need to mate with Toren, the Okami king’s youngest son in order to break the rest of the curse upon them. The one that kept them locked in wolf form.
The Okami were wolf first, and human second. Whereas the Raizarch were human first and wolf second. For the last five hundred years, the Raizarch had been kept in wolf form, other than the six hours a week when they were human. They had a short respite however, brought on by the realm of Tartaria’s super-moon eclipse. Though it wouldn’t last, they still had some time where they were able to stay in human form. Now they were on their way here and he needed to get Toren back right away.
It would have been so much easier if Marcius had given him something to work with.
They parked on a muddy dirt road and after climbing from the vehicle, Soroyan gave an inward sigh. He really hated being in these contraptions! The fresh air, the scent of nature, rabbits, squirrels, and other woodland creatures relaxed him somewhat as he took in his surroundings. There was none of the previous night’s snow left on the ground anymore. He turned back to the truck and yanked a bound and gagged Marcius from the back, not caring how rough he was with the asshole.
Serena had been silent the whole ride, not once looking at her so-called pet. Finally, she turned and raked her gaze haughtily over Marcius. Soroyan thought she seemed pleased at the state Marcius was in and couldn’t help wondering what the guy had done to piss her off.
Then she raised her chin and turned away. “This way,” she said and Soroyan noticed that this time, instead of high heels, she wore hiking boots as she led them down a lightly used, sodden trail. Since he didn’t smell anyone or anything unusual, Soroyan followed her and the two Daywalker males. Not willing to have anyone behind him, he pushed Marcius in front of him as they brought up the rear.
After traipsing through the forest for a good mile, Serena stopped beside a river.
Soroyan sniffed the air again, but still didn’t catch the scent of anyone else near them. “Where is he?” he asked, talking about her father.
Serena shrugged. “He’ll be here, he made me a promise.”
She moved toward the river and then turned back and motioned to her bodyguards. “First we need to take care of something. It’s just a precaution.”
The hairs at the back of his neck prickled and Soroyan frowned. He’d dealt with many evil enemies, but even without meeting him, this Val Jean struck him as extremely devious and perverse. For the first time ever, he had the fleeting thought that he should have told Kyrian where he was going.
Yet Kyrian was enjoying Christmas dinner at the house, something most of them had never experienced. His brother seemed so pleased about their foray into the future that Soroyan didn’t want to take that away from him. In fact, if all went well, he’d be able to bring Kyrian his very first Christmas gift. His son.
Soroyan snorted at his naiveté. Yeah, if all goes well! What are the chances of that happening?
Feeling trapped in a situation with no way out, Soroyan tensed up, every instinct on guard as Serena’s bulkier Daywalker guard pulled a thin, gold-linked collar from his pocket.
The other guard attempted to circle around behind Soroyan and while he knew the collar could be for Marcius, he wasn’t taking any chances. Soroyan backed up, taking Marcius with him. “Who is that for?”
“You want your nephew or not?” Serena asked.
Soroyan stopped moving. “I asked who the collar is for.” Toren was priority, but still, he didn’t like any of this.
Serena shrugged. “You. You need to put it on, unless you’d rather not have this meeting?”
“Why?” he asked as the bulkier bodyguard approached. Soroyan’s instinct was to shift and fight.
Unfortunately, seeing his own opportunity, Marcius chose that moment to act.
Even with his hands tied behind his back, Marcius twisted and elbowed Soroyan in the gut. It was a pathetic attempt to flee and barely fazed him. Soroyan let out a low-warning growl. He was past ready to shred the male limb from limb.
“Just a precaution. Can’t have you hurting my daddy, now can I?” Serena said, but Soroyan didn’t like it. He didn’t trust any of them.
“Find another way,” he snapped, turning to keep an eye on the two guards circling him.
Then something stung his neck, just above the collar.
Soroyan snarled at Serena. Fuck! Up until now, he’d seen her as petty, frivolous. It was a mistake he’d never make again. If he lived long enough.
Soroyan kept one arm locked around Marcius’s neck and with his other hand, reached up and yanked something from his neck. His fingers came away with a smear of blood and when he glanced down, he found what appeared to be a little dart.
“You expect this to hurt me?” As he asked the question, prickling ice slowly crawled through his veins.
Serena, tranq-gun still in hand, watched him, ready to shoot again if necessary. Still using Marcius as a shield, Soroyan felt a wave of dizziness shudder as ice continued to seep through his whole body.
He let out a furious snarl at Serena and her Daywalker guards and yanked Marcius back and away. Normally he wouldn’t have any problem carrying the guy but Marcius dug his heels in, and the drug flooding Soroyan’s system seemed to be dulling his senses, along with his strength.
Loki! He’d need to shift into his more powerful wolf form, but as he called on his beast, for the first time his magic slipped out of his grasp, leaving him in a partial shift. That will have to do, he thought, curling his hands into sharp claws. With only a moment to spare before the first guard was on him, Soroyan punched Marcius, doubling him over. Then he shoved the vile man away with enough force that Marcius landed on the ground with a grunt.
Soroyan spun to face the bodyguard behind him and without waiting for the other man to attack, he launched himself at the Daywalker. Blood began to fly, but the Daywalker was a worthy opponent and with the poison slowly consuming him, Soroyan’s movements became slower, sluggish. How had he let this happen? He was a seasoned warrior for fuck’s sake! Gah, I’m getting too old for this shit, making stupid decisions. Mistakes! It was only another reason to end his miserable existence!
The ice was everywhere, making breathing difficult. He dropped to his knees and continued to fight but it was no use. He could barely move.
Knowing he only had one last chance, he drew in a deep breath and though bruised and blood
y, he pulled on his power with all the strength he had left.
With a promise of violent death in his eyes, Soroyan started to push the drug from his system and began to shift. Furious energy swirled around and through him. His clothing dissolved and midnight-black fur began to cover him. His triumph was short lived however as the other guard moved in a blur of motion and snapped the collar into place around his neck.
Both bodyguards backed away while a strange, metallic-flavored magic flowed over and through Soroyan.
Fighting it, Soroyan summoned more of his power and grasped the collar. He gave it a yank, but nothing happened. Ready to tear the hated thing to shreds, he felt his own magic pulse with another surge as it flooded his system, still trying to repel this strange new magic. Yet the more he fought, the more the collar’s magic grew and consumed his own.
Soroyan went deep inside himself and tried to direct his power, to use it to drive the drug and other magic away until a brutal backlash had his back arching painfully. Then with lightning speed, he shifted from human to wolf and back again. No! More determined than ever, he shifted back into his wolf, but a moment later his power petered off and he found himself in human form. Only this time he was buck-ass naked. Not since he was a wolfling pup, had he shifted and not returned to human form clothed.
Beyond furious, he clawed at the collar to no avail and his rage sent adrenaline through his system. Soroyan struggled to his feet and swayed. He needed to break free from the magic that held his power hostage.
The drug he could do nothing about, other than fight it. He was strong. He should be able to overcome whatever they shot into him.
“It’s useless. Only my daddy has the key to get that off,” Serena drawled as she and the ragged-looking bodyguard watched him.
Still, Soroyan tried until all his power leached out of him, along with his energy and strength. Dropping his hands, he felt himself going down and landed on his knees.
Val Jean appeared a few feet away, right from thin air. Beside him stood the same little boy that Soroyan had seen in Tierney’s home. The one she called Taraven, but there was no sign of his nephew Toren.
“—the fuck is this? We had a deal,” Soroyan managed to rasp through the brutal pain pulsing through him.
Val Jean’s eyes lit up at the sight of Soroyan. “How is he still upright?”
Serena waved the Tranq-gun. “No idea. I gave him the full dose, enough to drop an elephant, right in the neck, and he still had the strength to fight.”
Pursing her lips, she raised her shoulder and let it drop. “No matter, I got what I wanted.” She turned gleefully to Marcius who had attempted to get away, and who was also on his knees with the thinner bodyguard’s hand around his neck.
“You have been a very naughty boy. Are you aware I burned your house down?” Serena told Marcius with a dreamy look on her face as she reminisced. Then she glared at her pet who couldn’t answer due to the duct tape across his mouth.
“You should never have left my bed for anyone else’s, that includes your little girl.” The anger in Serena’s eyes, combined with an insane glint, told Soroyan that Marcius was in for a world of twisted trouble. Good. He had a feeling payback was going to be a bitch for the fucker.
Seeing the same thing that Soroyan had in Serena’s eyes, Marcius tried to scramble away and Val Jean chuckled.
“Pick him up and bring him,” she said to her bulkier guard and waited as the Daywalker yanked Marcius up from the ground.
“Where is he?” Soroyan demanded, asking Val Jean about his nephew. Even though nudity wasn’t an issue with the wolves, the slimy, reptilian feel of Val Jean’s speculative gaze on his skin still repulsed him, making him itch to rip the male’s throat out and eat his heart. On second thought, he’d just shred the heart to pieces since it was likely rancid.
He ignored Val Jean’s hungry gaze as it traveled all over him and instead, stared right back at the Daywalker king. He’d take anything Val Jean dished out and more if it meant getting Toren back to his brother.
Val Jean’s next words were like a punch in the gut and he knew this had all been for naught.
“He didn’t want to leave his handsome friend and I wasn’t about to force him.”
Loki! Soroyan blinked and then sucked in a painful breath. He fought not to choke or show any outward signs of distress, even though it felt like a metal band was wrapped around his chest. The icy poison was cold fire burning through him. Still, he fought the magic of the collar around his throat.
Val Jean watched and then as if he understood the struggle Soroyan was going through, he nodded appreciatively. “I want him as well,” he told Serena, pointing at Soroyan.
Serena arched an eyebrow at her father. “You don’t think he’ll be too much trouble?”
Val Jean smirked. “He’s big and … very sexy. Besides, my men will enjoy beating any insubordination out of him.”
“Yeah, he is hot.” Serena licked her lips as she contemplated him. Soroyan could feel gravity pulling at him, trying to lure him to the ground. His limbs began to shake as he struggled to stay upright. Then he drew once more on his power, only to bite back the gasp at the agony it caused.
“Oh, look at him, he’s trying so hard, Daddy!”
Val Jean smirked. “Bring him in the truck,” he said, staring at Soroyan.
“Yes, Daddy.” Serena looked at the thinner guard. The Guard inclined his head and then turned to Soroyan. When the Daywalker drew close, Soroyan surged to his feet and attacked. Val Jean and Serena watched him fight, then Serena nodded at the larger guard and then turned to her father.
“We will take Marcius to the truck and then he can come back and help,” she said with a smirk and turned to go back down the trail.
Soroyan wasn’t aware of Serena and the other guard leaving until the Daywalker knocked him on his back. Head ringing, Soroyan climbed to his feet, hiding how shaky he’d become with the drug still in his system.
Val Jean smirked at him. “I will see you back at Scarsblood very soon. I believe you may just liven things up there for me. M-hm—fresh meat.” Val Jean motioned to the young boy who stood slightly behind him. “Taraven, take me home.”
The boy had no expression on his face and his eyes were unfathomable as he touched his king’s arm. A moment later, they were gone as if they’d never been.
Alone with only the guard, Soroyan launched himself at the unsuspecting male, knowing the Daywalker thought he’d put Soroyan down for good.
A minute later, he dropped the dead body and tossed the still-beating heart to the ground before stomping on it. The male dissolved into a pile of ash inside his clothing. Huh, had no idea that’s what happens to the bastards.
Then he slumped to the ground himself as his whole body began to shake. Sweat poured off of him, even though he was ice cold. He tugged at the collar once again, then tried to find the hasp, but nothing he did would work and his heart sank. Serena had spoken the truth.
Not ready to give up, he drew on his power and directed it at the collar, but that only succeeded in sending more painful bolts of lightning zinging through his entire body. Finally, with no one to hear him, he let out a groan, then a sharp howl as his body tried once again to shift.
Sudden convulsions ripped through his whole being as he zipped from human to wolf and back to human, over and over. He was panting by the time it let up, and standing up, he staggered into the darkness of the forest. Every few seconds the convulsions took over, making it difficult to move more than a few feet at a time.
Knowing he didn’t have much time before the guard came back, he finally sent his brother a telepathic message, only for it to bounce back to him. What the fuck?
He tried again, but still got nothing. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep, even breaths to calm down and analyze his situation. Pain continued to wrack him, and he dropped to his knees. One hand, human once more, went to the worst wound across his chest and came away sticky with blood. He wasn’t worried, he heale
d super-fast.
As he dragged himself along the ground, he quickly realized that he wasn’t healing. Instead, he was leaving a blood trail to track him by. Great! His snarl was cut off as another convulsion left him gasping.
Soroyan yanked on the collar again even knowing it was useless. The hated piece of jewelry was prohibiting his magic from working properly. The magic that was a vital part of him and helped speed healing, along with enabling him to shift.
He managed to drag himself under the bough of a fir tree before sinking to the ground. Pain continued to stab and pulse through him, and finally, even though he couldn’t shift, his wolf took over.
Red eyes stared out. He was on guard and ready to attack any who came near, or die trying. His only regret was that he failed to bring his nephew home.
Chapter Thirteen
Taraven
Tierney took in the worried faces in her dad’s office. They were trying to come up with a plan of action when a commotion in the great room ceased all talk.
Then they hurried out of the office and into the great room only to pull up sharply. A familiar young blond boy stood warily watching everyone around him.
A few of Kyrian’s wolves were bristling at the ten-year-old while everyone else gaped, stunned. Tierney knew Taraven had likely just teleported right into the room in front of everyone.
“Who are you?” Lilly asked in awe.
Taraven gazed at the girl curiously then moved close to Tierney.
“Taraven, what are you doing here?” Tierney asked.
“That big black wolf, you care about him?” he asked.
Tierney sucked in a deep breath. “Soroyan. Yes. Do you know where he is?”
Everyone started to talk at once.
Kyrian moved closer. “Where is he?”
Shaking his head, Taraven held his hand out and not sure what he wanted, Tierney put her hand in his.
The instant they touched, she heard everyone shout her name. Then her surroundings shimmered and disappeared. A wave of dizziness swamped her and left her reeling until new surroundings solidified in front of her.
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