But in his mind, we were married. I was his mate.
We should already be undressing in his haste to be inside me, his impatience as strong as my own.
Instead, he stood still, his arms barely holding me to him.
Instead, I was enduring the most boring almost-kiss of my life.
Letting my fingers slowly fall down his chest and over his abdomen, I didn’t stop when I hit his belt buckle. The answer to the question burning in my mind was blatantly obvious as my hand finally came to rest over what I’d desperately hoped was hardness. There was no way Mason could stay unaffected unless he knew.
He knew I wasn’t Darcy.
He suspected.
He wasn’t the fool I’d assumed he was.
I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was.
The proof was in the lack of bulge in his pants.
He knew; and this now complicated everything.
I’d slipped up in a moment of stupidity and weakness.
He knew.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I opened my eyes to find him staring at me. There was no desire, love, or eagerness shining back. He was feeling nothing but revulsion—an emotion I was bitterly familiar with.
I saw it and he knew I saw it.
Acting quickly, before he could, I locked gazes with him.
“Sleep!”
Anger filled those blue eyes I once adored and prayed would love me, before awareness faded and Mason crumpled to the ground.
“You stupid, stupid, fool,” I cursed. “Why couldn’t you have just remained clueless?”
There was no time to stay and debate what to do next. Dressing quickly, making sure not to step on his lifeless body as I left the closet, I closed the door behind me. Hopefully no one would discover Mason until it was too late to stop Helena and me. Once everything was completed, we’d return and deal with this slight hiccup.
This changed nothing.
Mason would wake up to his world turned upside down.
Grabbing my phone and keys, I couldn’t keep from smiling. I didn’t know what I was looking forward to more—showing everyone they were wrong to underestimate me, or seeing the devastation on Mason’s face knowing his Darcy was gone forever.
Chapter Three
Mason
“Mason?”
My name came at me like I was hearing it through a distortion tunnel. I recognized the voice, but the sluggishness in my mind made it difficult to answer straight away.
Lying on the carpeted floor of my closet, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to guess what happened. When Darcy had tried to turn on the charm and I didn’t react the way she expected, she’d compelled me. It was the only explanation for why I hadn’t restrained her and why, I suspected, I’d been left alone.
It wasn’t because I hadn’t wanted to respond to her advances. Darcy had always held the ability to captivate me with a smile, a soft look, the way her breath faintly heated my lips before she kissed me. There was nothing I enjoyed more than stealing moments with her where the world fell away and it was just us. Whether it was talking, laughing, or those intimate touches that set my body on fire—I never refused.
That is until just a few minutes ago, when she pressed her mouth against mine and I froze. Something was different about her, something off. If there truly was something affecting my mate, there was no way I’d take advantage of it. No matter how desperately I needed her. Sex could wait.
Uncovering the truth wouldn’t.
“You in here, Mason?” Daniel’s voice repeated. Before I could answer or even stand, the door opened, revealing the surprised faces of my best friend and Devlin. The last time we’d spoken, I was only meant to be gone long enough to bring Darcy back to my office and take her to Vivien’s, where the witch was preparing a way to get to the bottom of whatever was afflicting Darcy—a spell, potion, or whatever.
This was definitely not part of the plan.
“What happened?” Devlin instantly dropped to his knees, concern plastered across his features.
“She compelled me,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my head. It was hard to acknowledge I’d been overpowered. Compulsion was difficult to resist, even when you saw it coming. There were ways, and as Alpha, I’d studied techniques to combat it, if I was ever put in the situation. But whoever thought they’d be controlled by someone they loved?
It was just further proof there was trouble in paradise with my wife.
Regardless of what was happening, she’d never have done it to me. It simply wasn’t who she was.
“I’m assuming you weren’t able to get her to come with you?” Daniel extended his hand, pulling me up onto my feet.
“I didn’t get a chance. She was getting dressed and things got a little distracting.” When they stared back, eyebrows cocked, I quickly clarified. “No, we didn’t; but I think that’s what tipped her off. I just . . . couldn’t. She looks like Darcy, but until we discover why she’s acting so irrationally, it just seemed wrong.”
Devlin squeezed my shoulder supportively. “I would’ve done the same.”
“Damn if it didn’t feel foreign not to respond, though. If I doubted before, I don’t now. There was zero effect when she touched me.” That realization still floored me. Just looking at Darcy was always enough to get things stirring.
They both stepped back, letting me out into the bedroom. Sure enough, she was gone. My chest tightened as I tried thinking of where she was. “She told me she was heading over to visit with Vivien and Helena, but that could’ve easily been a lie.”
If my mate was becoming insane, she was not just a danger to herself, but to those around her. If someone else was influencing Darcy, the possibilities were endless.
“How does this affect what Vivien has planned?” I asked Devlin, reaching for my car keys. If all else failed, I’d be spending the rest of the day driving around Woodside Hollow, searching for Darcy.
“Ideally, having Darcy there increases the odds of discovering what’s wrong, but I’m sure she can use a personal item. Maybe take her hair brush or something similar.”
I didn’t have to be told twice. Retreating into the bathroom long enough to grab it, I was all business when I returned. “Something shattered the mirror.” I didn’t add that the smeared blood had worried me more. “We need to go. My instincts are firing all kinds of warnings. If we don’t find her soon, there’ll be hell to pay.”
With Daniel riding shotgun beside me, we followed behind Devlin as we travelled to Vivien’s residence. My knuckles were white from the death grip I held on the steering wheel, my focus razor sharp.
“She’ll be okay,” Daniel offered quietly.
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but I know you. I know Devlin. And I know me. We won’t stop until we fix this.”
All I could do was nod, not trusting myself to speak. Not because I didn’t agree with him, because there was nothing on this green earth that would prevent me from facing down whatever, or whomever, was behind this and destroying the threat. It was who I was when an unknown menace endangered those I loved.
That wasn’t why I tightened my grasp and clenched my jaw harder.
It was so I couldn’t give voice to the small rising of doubt that whispered maybe I was too late to stop it.
****
“No Darcy?” Vivien asked the moment she opened the door.
“Is Helena here?” I fired back, unable to stop myself. The idea that somehow the visiting witch was involved with all this had been brewing on the drive over and I hadn’t been able to shake the feeling. She’d spent a lot of time with Darcy and I was done ignoring my instincts.
My gut said the two were connected.
The surprise on Vivien’s face told me the answer. “Helena? No, she left about thirty-forty minutes ago. Said she had some business to attend to before she left for Salem.” Confusion quickly overshadowed her features. “Why?”
Standing aside, she gestured for us to enter. The heavy weight
in the pit of my stomach hadn’t lifted and something told me it wouldn’t until I knew exactly what was going on.
“I’m thinking she’s involved somehow with what’s affecting Darcy.”
Vivien was the only one who gasped. “Surely not.” Verbalizing my thoughts had ruffled her demeanor, her hand flying to her throat as she stared wide-eyed at me.
“I don’t have any absolute proof, but I don’t believe in coincidences.” Casting a sidelong glance at Daniel and Devlin, they were also nodding.
“Then we don’t have a moment to waste.” The change in Vivien from unnerved to resolved was instantaneous. That was one thing I appreciated about the friends who surrounded me. They didn’t allow themselves to get distracted from what was important. They felt what they felt. They reacted to whatever was presented, but they didn’t dwell on it. They were always able to keep cool heads and refocus.
She led the way down to her study, a place where I’d spent a lot of time recently. The room was fascinating, with magical paraphernalia and even the air always seemed to thrum with energy. I was used to the way it felt—like a gentle wave cresting over my body, feeding my own inherent power, and boosting it.
Right now, I was grateful for the newly obtained strength bolstering my own.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t bring Darcy,” I added before briefly relaying the turn of events back at the house. “Devlin said it’s harder, but you could probably use something she’d used, like a hair brush.” Handing it over, I prayed that it would be enough.
A frown crinkled Vivien’s brow as she studied the strands. “It should, but I won’t lie. Having Darcy here would’ve made it simpler. Using a few strands will likely still connect us to her, but it’s not as secure. We should be able to find something out, however.”
“I’ll stand out of the way,” Daniel said, briefly touching my arm before retreating to the far corner of the study. There was a comfortable chair there and books to keep him occupied. He knew the drill when it came to practicing magic and performing spells. I was grateful he was here and appreciated his support, but with the delicacy of the magic, the less chance for interruption, the better.
“Do you need me for anything?” Devlin asked.
“I don’t think so. This is something I can do by myself. I’ll need you close, however, Mason. You have the strongest connection with her.”
I nodded. “Whatever you need.” From the corner of my eye, I watched Devlin move to sit near Daniel, picking up one of the thick tomes to read. Returning my concentration to Vivien, I offered her a tight smile. “Thank you for this.”
“Anytime. I was hoping she’d start feeling better; but like I said, you have the strongest bond with her, so if you say something’s wrong, I would never second guess it.” Taking my hand, she led me over to where she’d set some things on her altar. “Okay, what I’m going to do is drop a few hair strands in the goblet and then heat it while speaking my intentions. I’ve already mixed up a potion of certain herbs and added some blessed wine.”
“I won’t be drinking it, will I?” I blurted out.
Her hushed laughter somehow soothed my nerves. “No, Mason. The wine is strictly a conduit to the Goddess. I’ll heat the mixture over a candle strictly set apart for truth seeking; and within a few minutes, the smoke should reveal whether something is amiss.” She must’ve seen my uncertainty because she continued, “I’ve done this before and it’s always worked.”
I let out a stifled breath. “I don’t doubt you, Vivien. I’m just kicking myself for not noticing sooner.”
Vivien placed the hairbrush back onto the altar and turned to face me completely. “You listen to me, Mason O’Connor. Don’t you blame yourself for this. You hoped she would recover, just like the rest of us did. And the moment you realized something didn’t seem right, you acted.”
“I’m her husband, her mate.”
“And you’re doing exactly what you need to be doing.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Okay.”
She nodded before resuming her preparations. Tugging a few long, brown strands from the brush, she carefully dropped them into the goblet, swirling all the ingredients around inside. Then, lighting the candle, Vivien smiled. “Make sure you all keep quiet. It’ll also help if you all focus on Darcy and uncovering the truth. With all our intentions centering on the spell, I’m confident this won’t take long.”
My mind swiftly flooded with images of my beautiful wife—the way she looked as she laughed, the way her eyes twinkled with merriment. I had no trouble obeying Vivien’s request and every part of me filled with the love I had for Darcy. I wanted her well. I wanted her happy. If she was lost, hurt, or in danger, I wanted her returned safely to me.
A solemn hush spread through the room as Vivien began. Unlike other times, she murmured her incantation in low tones, the words indiscernible. I could sense the sudden flare from her magic, but still I remained silent and centered on our purpose.
Come back to me, sweetheart. Show us what you need.
Vivien held the metal cup over the flickering flame and I willed the smoke tendrils to start rising. At first there was nothing. But true to her word, a few tentatively began swirling and dancing in the stilled air. I couldn’t make any sense of it, seeing only patterns in the rising fog; but judging by Vivien’s increased pace in chanting, she did.
The waiting was killing me, stretching my patience thinner and thinner. Just when I thought it would snap, she stopped and leaned forward to blow out the candle. When she straightened up, her expression didn’t inspire hope.
It tightened the invisible noose I felt wrapped around my neck.
“And?”
“I’ve never had that happen before. The smoke showed me something is definitely wrong, something magical. But it wouldn’t clarify what. Usually it’ll reveal what we’re facing, but all I saw was fear,” Vivien answered, perturbed. She picked up the goblet again, staring into the cup. “I did everything right. Used the correct ingredients. It’s her hair so it should’ve worked perfectly.”
“Unless your magic is being blocked by someone else.”
“Helena,” Devlin spoke as he approached the altar. “Is that possible?”
“Anything’s possible. You know that. My only question would be why?” Vivien’s voice betrayed her cool exterior at the thought that someone she trusted, and had brought into our small group, could be responsible for this.
“We won’t know until we find Darcy. Is there anything else we can do?” I interjected.
Her brow furrowed again. “If my magic is being blocked, I’m not sure there’s much I can do. Unless . . .” Her gaze darted toward Devlin.
I looked at him. “What?”
“Sometimes when I’m stumped over a problem or lonely, I talk with my spirit guide. Those who have passed on can often see things that are hidden to us who remain. I’m sure if I contact her, she may be able to shed some light on this.”
“Her? Who?” I was intrigued and confused all at once.
Again, Vivien watched Devlin like she was waiting for him to disagree.
“In the dark here, guys. If your spirit guide can help, I think it’s worth doing,” I coaxed.
“It’s my sister. Vivien’s friend on the other side is my sister, Elynor.” The revelation explained her hesitancy. “I agree with Mason. I think this is definitely a situation that warrants it.”
“Will you be okay?” I knew how much I loved my sister; and even though Devlin had lost his long ago, the pain from that kind of loss never really disappears.
His smile almost convinced me. “Yeah. I miss her and wish she were here. It would be nice to sense her, no matter the distance.” My heart hurt for him.
“So, will she appear?”
“I can summon her, but I don’t think we need to do that straight away. Most times I use an Ouija board and communicate through that.” Vivien looked around us to Daniel. “The board is over by you on the middle shelf. We’ll set it up here on the rug
and sit in a circle together. That is unless . . .”
“I’m fine, I promise. You’re giving me a complex, dear friend.” Devlin chuckled. “I appreciate your concern, though.”
Replying with a brisk nod, she accepted the box Daniel handed her and we all took our positions.
“Now, we each need to lightly touch the pointer, careful not to guide or direct it, so Elynor can speak through it without impediment. I’ll invite her to join us and ask her questions. Ready?”
With everything set up, the moment of truth had arrived. I couldn’t help but admire how stalwart Devlin appeared, proving the depth of his love for Darcy. It was obviously no easy task as the grief of losing someone still had the power to affect you. I recalled the crushing blow of remembering I’d spent my Heart or Death trials with my beloved sister, and how desperately I’d longed for just one last glance at her, a chance to hear her scold me for being an over-protective bear of a brother.
“Blessed Mother, grant my request. Bring my dear sister in heart and magic forward and speak. Allow Elynor to step closer to this world and share her wisdom with us. In all things, my gratitude is full. Blessed be, sweet Mother. Blessed be.”
Again, a subtle shift in the air gave away the presence of power. It felt familiar, yet feminine, and I realized it was the sign that Devlin’s sister had been granted permission to come. He must’ve sensed it too, as he stiffened slightly before relaxing, his face softening with brotherly love.
“Dear heart, I come to you with something of dire importance. I have questions that remain unanswered.”
The pointer jerked to life and I watched in awe as it slowly spelled out I-A-M-H-E-R-E. S-P-E-A-K.
Devlin’s jaw pressed tighter as emotion flooded his face.
“Thank you,” Vivien spoke softly. “Darcy, a daughter of your posterity, is in trouble. We believe she is being affected by magic. Is this true?”
Darkness Unleashed Page 3
