by Lola Taylor
Onyx held up the blood-drenched blade, his eyes wild. He closed his eyes, whispering fervently, “I trust you, Mistress.” Grabbing the hilt of the blade with both hands, he plunged the dagger into his heart.
Danica’s mouth dropped open in shock as Onyx’s eyes widened and he fell to the floor on his knees, staring at her. She was unable to look away as black ooze dripped from his eyes and down his face, and from the wound in his chest. The inky liquid spread all over his body, consuming him until he was completely covered. He writhed, moaning as his body grew in size and transformed into a familiar shape - a wolf, the biggest she had ever seen. This one was more like the werewolves of old Hollywood legends, with long legs and the height of a grizzly. Onyx laughed in a deep voice as he rose to his full height. The dagger shimmered with red light, becoming a pulsing crest along his bulky chest.
Danica trembled as Onyx’s gold eyes landed on her and he bared his fangs.
“Do you fear me, girl?” he said in a low voice, taking a step toward her.
“What have you done?” she whispered as his muzzle loomed near her face, taking a sniff. She cringed, biting her lip to keep from yelping.
“I have evolved,” Onyx said, rising again with a wicked flash of his great fangs. “I am what no wolf has been before - I am darkness! I am death!”
He’s crazy.
Danica wriggled in an attempt to break free, but she might as well have been cemented to the chair, as tightly as Onyx had secured the binds.
“This feels incredible,” Onyx said, flexing his massive paws, which were tipped in black claws the size of dinner knives. “I should have let my mistress imbue me with darkness months ago.”
Danica looked up sharply. “Mistress Black?”
Onyx wheeled about, gripping her hands with his paws and growling in her face. The dark magic moved along his body like ink, shifting and writhing with a life of its own. Every fine hair along her body pricked at the proximity of the darkness cloaking what was once Onyx. “How do you know of my mistress?” Onyx demanded.
Danica swallowed hard, mind racing. “Gage put out the word for any information leading to your whereabouts. That name crept up.”
“From whom?”
Danica’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
“You’re lying. I have ways of making you talk.” A big black claw raked across her throat. She could feel it cutting her skin, and panic started to creep in.
***
Gage’s heart started pounding harder as Jason, Nik, and he neared the secluded warehouse on the other side of the county. As promised, Verika’s Trailing spell had led them right to Onyx’s vehicle. Gage now owed that woman more than ever for this favor, and he had every intention of repaying her loyalty.
That is, if they survived.
Slamming on the brake, the car squealed, the tires spinning on the gravel before the Dodge Charger ground to a halt. Wolves were fast, but their speed couldn’t compete with a four-hundred-and-seventy horsepower V8. The trio got out and heading toward the building.
Jason looked ready to vomit but no less determined for it. “What’s the plan?”
“Not get killed?” Nik said with a grin, shoving the pup.
“I’ll enter first,” Gage said in a more serious tone, “and you and Nik will flank me. If we can get the element of surprise, we’ll take it. We just need to find a door-”
Gunfire erupted from in front of them, and the group split apart to narrowly avoid being hit. They dove behind the car as the other side was pummeled by bullets. One rolled by Nik’s foot and he stomped on it. “Silver,” he hissed, holding it up. “Looks like our friend invited a few other guests to the party.”
Gage loaded a clip into his handgun, as did his packmates. “Just makes things more interesting. On three, we run. One, two-”
Nik rolled along the ground and came up firing, a gun in both hands. That bloodthirsty grin that sometimes made Gage shiver was plastered over his brother’s face. There never was a better shot than Nik.
“Impatient show-off,” Gage muttered, then motioned to Jason. The two wolves rose, following Nik as he ran toward the back end of the building, the three covering each other’s backs. The guards who’d been charging them tried shifting, realizing too late they’d be faster in wolf form, but Nik made quick work of them. Silver wasn’t deadly to humans as it was wolves, but bullets sure as hell would finish off anything.
Within minutes the first wave of guards lay on the ground, dead, in varying stages of shifting. “Amateurs,” Nik muttered, reloading both cartridges.
Gage’s chest tightened as he stared at the carnage. It jarred memories of the bloodbaths his pack had endured while under Malachite’s reign.
Did this make him no better than his adversary, all this killing?
“Heads up,” Jason said, wiping sweat off his brow with his forearm. “We’ve got more company.”
***
Gunfire outside diverted Onyx’s attention from her. She took in a shaky breath as the humongous were stalked to the front of the warehouse.
“What’s going on?” Onyx bellowed to the guards who now poured from the side rooms.
“Security footage picked up on a Charger parking out front. It’s Gage Johnson, sir.”
“Good,” Onyx purred. “Let them come.”
The guard hesitated. “Do you not want us to fight them off?”
“Of course, you idiot! If you get a killshot, take it!”
“Sir!”
Killshot.
Danica’s blood ran cold. Focusing through her terror, she thought of Gage’s face. Gage! she shouted telepathically. It’s a trap! Onyx is using me as bait! Don’t come in!
Danica! came Gage’s reply. Are you all right? Has he hurt you?
I’m fine. He performed some kind of ritual. He’s huge.
What do you mean?
I mean, he’s a bigass freaking werewolf! Were-zilla!
Stay calm. We’re coming for you.
No, Gage—
An explosion rattled the front of the building, blowing chunks of metal siding everywhere. Guards shouted as bullets sailed out of the billowing smoke, killing them, and Gage, Nik, and a teenage boy stepped into the room.
Nik spit out the grenade stub. “Evening, bitches.” He stepped over the bodies of the fallen guards, his eyes landing on Danica. “Gage, she’s over there!”
Her heart filled with hope as her mate stepped out of the smoke and his gaze found hers. He looked haunted, like a man who thought he’d lost everything and was seeing hope again for the first time in ages.
He took a step forward when a black shape charged out of the smoke, pinning Gage to the wall.
Nik’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Holy shit-”
“It’s Onyx!” Danica screamed. “He cast some sort of spell using that jewel on his chest!”
Gage’s feet dangled in the air as the oversized were choked him out. “You should have let me just killed your mate. Now you all know too much, and my master won’t tolerate that. The Order cannot let you live.”
Order? She remembered Gage telling her about the witching mafias of the Order of the Sun. He was right – Onyx was working for them.
Gunfire lit up the back of Onyx’s hide, bouncing off him as if he were made of steel. Irritated, he growled and lunged at Nik, dropping Gage in the process.
“Jason,” Gage sputtered from the floor as he stumbled to get back up, “get. Danica.”
“Right!” The kid shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts, and bolted for her. “Hi,” he said as he began untying her. “I’m Jason.”
She could barely mange to speak, she was so shaken by all that had happened. “Danica.”
“Hang on. I’m gonna get you out.” Her wrists were free; now he was going for her legs. “There. Can you stand?”
“Yeah.” She winced as blood rushed back into her extremities, and she rolled her ankles and wrists to work out the kinks. “I’m fine.” She was
lying through her teeth. She was anything but fine. “Scared out of her mind,” maybe, but she couldn’t focus on that now. She had to push through her fear and find a way to help Gage and the others.
Snarls erupted from in front of them. Gage and Nik were both in wolf form and were tackling Onyx to the floor. The larger wolf might have had size and strength on its side, but it didn’t possess the ruthlessness and brutality of the two smaller wolves. They clung to Onyx like leeches, snapping and clawing and biting. Black ooze spilled from the open wounds in Onyx’s hide, making him more desperate as he began bucking and running into the walls in an attempt to knock the other wolves off.
Jason reloaded his gun and started forward. “I need to help.”
“Wait.” Danica clapped a hand on his arm, staring at the wolf and the flashes of red she caught when the gem hit the light. “That’s it. Shoot the gemstone.”
“What?”
“Look.” She grabbed him by both arms, forcing him to face her. “I don’t know anything about Black Magic or whatever he used to get this way. But I’m guessing since that gem is still there, he’s drawing his power from it. It’s worth a try.”
Jason deliberated, shifting his weight.
“It might be our only chance.”
Otherwise, we might all die.
She couldn’t say that last part aloud, though it was a very real possibility.
Jason finally set his jaw and nodded. “Okay.” Holding up the gun, he aimed and waited. The moment the gem came into view, he fired - and missed.
Onyx’s eyes snapped onto him, and he growled, stalking toward him.
Jason’s eyes went wide, and Danica screeched, “Shoot again!”
Jason fired another round, but Onyx was prepared. He moved at the last second so the bullet went toward his chest, bouncing off of it.
Jason swore and Onyx lunged, forcing him and Danica to dive to either side. Danica landed hard on her elbows, hearing them crack. She cried out and the next instant, Nik had changed back to a man and was beside her. “You all right, love?”
“I’m fine,” she gritted out. “The gem. We have to destroy it.”
Jason was now in wolf form and was fighting for his life. The big white wolf she knew to be Gage had taken a few knocks. His beautiful coat was marred by bloody patches, which smeared across the floor as Onyx tried fighting them off.
Nik grabbed the gun without question and checked the clip. “Three rounds. Better make this count. Hey, shitface!”
Onyx turned around just as his jaws were about to close around wolf-Jason’s neck.
Nik grinned and held up the gun. “You sure you’re a wolf or a pussy? To be as big as you are, we’re sure holding our own.”
Onyx barked, a deep sound that reverberated around the warehouse, and ran toward Nik.
Nik fired once. The bullet skimmed the stone. The second round hit the floor as Onyx leapt out of the way, and Nik swore. Onyx was air-bound now, paws outstretched toward Nik, jaws opening wide to literally bite his head off.
Nik shoved Danica out of the way of the wolf and ran forward, sliding along the floor below Onyx. He aimed straight at the gem, which was directly above his head now, and fired. The bullet sailed true, embedding in the gemstone. It cracked and Onyx groaned in agony before the gem exploded. Onyx screamed as shadows swirled around him, leaking out of him as he fell to the floor and rapidly shrank in size. Within a few seconds, he lay on his back, naked and covered in blood from the many bullet holes, lacerations, and bite marks all over his body.
Gage immediately shifted back and stumbled over to Danica. She rose and went to him, hugging him fiercely.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he breathed into her hair.
“It’s going to be harder than that to get rid of me,” she said with a shaky grin.
He smiled, kissing her forehead and holding her close.
“What’s up with all the wounds?” she asked, gesturing to Onyx. “I thought he was practically Superman.”
“Must be a loophole of the spell. As long as he remains in wolf form, the shadows protect him, absorbing the pain. But the moment he turns back, he takes on all the injuries as if he’d fully received them.”
“Ouch.”
Nik knelt beside Onyx and placed the barrel of his gun to his head. Though Danica and Nik knew the gun was empty, Onyx did not. “I’d start talking,” Nik said.
Onyx chuckled, spitting up blood. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
“Why don’t you inform us?” Gage said in a steely tone.
Onyx shook his head, his eyes wild with pain. “I am but a pawn for the greater good. My master will bring forth a whole new world for us, one where we don’t have to hide or be persecuted for being different.”
Nik looked at Gage. “He’s gone mad.”
“You’re all fools!” Onyx sang. “When the never-ending night falls, anyone who stands against her will die!”
“Who?” Nik shook him. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Onyx started chuckling again. “Mis-”
There was a cracking sound, and black foam spilled from Onyx’s mouth.
Gage grabbed Nik, yanking him up as the liquid spewed from the were’s mouth like a geyser. “Someone just detonated a killing spell. Don’t touch it.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured that,” Nik said dryly, shrugging out of his brother’s grasp.
Onyx slowly stilled, his eyes finding them once more. “The end… has… only… begun…”
Silence filled the warehouse as Onyx’s last breath was spent delivering the cryptic message.
“What do you think he meant?” Nik asked.
Gage sighed and pulled Danica closer, who couldn’t take her eyes off the dead man. “I don’t know. But something tells me this isn’t over yet.”
Chapter 16
As per paranormal law, the D.P.I. was called shortly thereafter. The Department of Paranormal Investigation, made entirely of paranormals, crawled the area, asking the Moonstruck wolves questions, which Danica backed up. After about an hour and a half of questioning, they were free to go. No one spoke on the drive back from the warehouse, though Danica knew what was on everyone’s minds.
What kind of revolution had Onyx been talking about? Was there some sort of civil war about to break out in the Underworld?
She waited until they were back at the manor and in their bedroom to ask Gage about it. “What do you think Onyx was talking about?”
“Probably the ramblings of a cult,” he said, rinsing off his face. They were in the bathroom, with Danica leaned up against the door with her arms crossed. “I have a contact in the D.P.I. who’s supposed to let me know if they find anything.”
“And you trust this person?”
“With my life. She’s actually an ex of Nik’s.”
“Wow. It’s nice to have friends in high places, I guess.”
“As a royal were, that’s crucial.” He toweled off and came to her, holding her shoulders. “I know you’ve endured so much, and if this were any other time, I wouldn’t press it. But the Blood Moon rises three nights from now.”
“So we need to be mated, or forever hold our bachelor-hood, er, bachelorette-hood. You know what I mean.”
“Yes. Danica, I don’t want to push you into anything you don’t-”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “I already made up my mind back in the cave, when I saw what you were willing to do to protect me.”
Gage held perfectly still. It didn’t even look like he was breathing. “And your answer is…?”
She smiled brightly. “Yes, Gage. I’ll be your mate.”
Guilt overshadowed the brief flickering of happiness she saw in his eyes. “I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything.”
She placed a finger to his lips. “I’ve lived in the same house my entire life, but it never felt like home. This town never felt like home. Then I met you.”
His gaze softened. “Danica-”
“And,” she went on before he could interrupt again, “I want you to know I’m not doing this out of some need to repay you or because I’m some desperate, lonely woman.” She pressed his hand to her chest, right over her heart. “I’m doing it because I feel a connection between us I feel is worth exploring. You make me feel safe. For the first time in my life, I feel wanted. Needed, even.” She took a shaky breath. “And I want you to know I need you, too.”
For a moment, he looked stunned. Then he smiled and swung her up into the air, twirling her. She giggled as he nuzzled her neck. “Danica, you have no idea how happy you’ve just made me. I swear to you I’ll always be loyal and true, and I’ll protect you with my life.”
“As I shall do for you,” she said softly as he set her down and she stared up into his eyes.
Gage bent down and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, that familiar feeling of “home” wrapping around her.
***
The next three days were a blur of grief and anticipation for the upcoming mating ceremony. The weather had been forecast for the funerals, the air heavy with sadness. Danica hated funerals. She generally disliked anything that made her really sad. Though she hadn’t known the young wolves who were killed, she felt their loss all the same. Gage had said it was because of her were bond to them. She wondered what other changes she would face. Gage had told her since they’d mate on the next full moon, her first Change wouldn’t officially happen until the next month. She didn’t know whether to be excited or disappointed. On one hand, she was relieved she didn’t have to face it now. On the other hand, that meant she had another whole month to get worked up about it. But it was hard to focus on being nervous about the Change when her stomach was alight with butterflies over the mating ceremony.
The third night sneaked up on her. It was beautiful out. It wasn’t even that cold, being only fifty degrees. They stood out on the lawn under the light of the blood-red, full moon, surrounded by Gage’s pack. Gage swore to them he bore them no ill will for not aiding in the retrieval of his mate, but Danica could see the hurt in his eyes. It pained him his comrades hadn’t come to his aid when he needed them most. From what he told her, Malachite’s rule had been bloody and full of sorrow. Gage said it would take a long time to heal those wounds when he was sheltering so many traumatized wolves.
