by Sennah Tate
Sonya gave him a fierce glare and put her hands on her hips with such attitude he’d never seen from her before. It was feisty, fiery. He loved it.
“Oh yeah?” she taunted with a laugh in her tone. “You wanna get messy? I’ll show you messy!”
She wriggled her fingers and José felt the muddy ground beneath him shift and slide out from under him like a rug, sending him tumbling into wet earth.
“Hey! No fair!” José cried, laughter making it difficult to breathe at this point.
“You turned my sweet little boy against me!” Sonya answered.
“Okay, okay, time out. Come over here and help me up,” José growled with a grin, struggling to gain purchase in the slick mud.
Her laughter faded into a happy sigh and she nodded, “Okay, truce.” She took a few steps over to him and extended an arm.
“Time in!” José said, pulling her down on top of him, making sure to wrap her tight in his muddy arms.
“Hey!” She squirmed against him.
“You couldn’t be the only one going home clean. People would think you didn’t have any fun at all!”
“Hey, what do I do with these?” Manuel asked, still dangling the guts at arm’s length.
José laughed and stole a quick kiss from Sonya, unable to contain himself at that moment. He was falling for this family, falling for the whole idea of a family.
Normally thoughts like that would bother him, but he couldn’t even find it in himself to be bothered now. It felt right. Destined. Perfect.
“We’ll get rid of that,” he said, scrabbling to his feet before holding his hand out to Sonya. “Then we’ll catch a few more and eat them!”
“And then we’ll all take six baths to ever feel clean again,” Sonya snarked.
“Only if you join me,” José laughed and gave her a meaningful look, delighting in the flush it brought to her cheeks. Yep, this was perfect.
Chapter 13
SONYA
Sonya went into work the next day with a permanent grin plastered on her face.
“Oooh,” Emily said as she walked through the door, “someone’s glowing. What happened?”
Sonya couldn’t suppress the wave of giggles that broke through her; she was just plain giddy about how well everything was going. It was one thing for a man to be interested in her and make her feel this way, but seeing him with her son, bonding and teaching him.
Well, it made her insides melt just thinking about it.
She shrugged, “I had a really really good day yesterday.”
“Tell me!” Emily cried, clapping her hands together.
Sonya shook her head, laughing, “Maybe another time. You’re avoiding work and I don’t want to jinx it.”
Emily pouted for only the briefest moment, “Well, shit. If I knew you were going to call me out on my procrastination, maybe I wouldn’t have hired you,” she teased.
“You would’ve hired me even faster,” Sonya sniped back, sticking her tongue out at Emily’s retreating figure.
“Touche!”
By the end of the day, Sonya had the headquarters for Whimsical Witchcraft Designs fit not only for clients, but for the big magazine spread Emily was on pins and needles about. If everything went well with this shoot, Emily might need an assistant and who better than the woman already familiar enough with her to call her out on her procrastination?
“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Sonya said cheerfully as she waved to her boss, hunched over her desk with scraps of inspiration all around her.
“You’re the best. Have a good night, sweetie.”
She got in her car and checked her phone for the first time all day. There was a text from José:
Dinner tonight? The three of us?
She was pretty sure her face was going to break from all the smiling she’d done lately and she typed off a quick response before heading back to The Den to pick up her son.
When she arrived at the daycare, the cheerful pig-tail girl — Dara, she’d learned — waved brightly.
“Hey! What’s up? Did Manny forget something?”
Sonya stopped dead in her tracks and frowned, “What do you mean? I’m here to pick him up.”
Dara’s smile never faded, “Oh, well, his Uncle already picked him up. I thought he told you.”
Terror gripped Sonya’s gut in an instant wringing out a thousand possibilities that she didn’t want to think about.
“H-his Uncle?”
Dara looked like she was losing her patience just a hair, like this was the easiest thing to understand and Sonya just wasn’t getting it, “Yeah! Juan?”
“Oh, right. Thanks,” Sonya said, feeling the panic loosen its hold on her heart as she walked back to the car. They were safe here. She had to remember that. José wouldn’t let anything happen to either of them.
She called him.
“Hey! All ready for our big night?” he asked, his smile clear enough to be heard through the phone.
“Did… Did you send Juan to pick up Manuel?”
José was silent for a moment and Sonya had to check that their phones were still connected. Finally he spoke.
“No, I didn’t.”
Fresh dread blossomed within her, turning her blood to ice and her lungs to lead. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
“Okay,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Hey,” José’s voice softened, “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Yeah,” she answered. Manuel would be safe with Juan. She didn’t know why Juan would pick him up without telling her, thought. None of it made sense.
“Come to the clubhouse, he’s probably here playing a trick on you,” José said, trying to reassure her, but Sonya heard the worry in his own voice.
The thought made her smile for a moment; Manuel would think this was all very funny without realizing the panic she’d be in.
The drive to the clubhouse took only moments, but every second Sonya didn’t know where he son was felt like an eternity.
She bustled in through the front doors, past the cheerful greetings she got from a few familiar faces, down the hallway to Juan’s room.
“Where is he?!” She heard José roar before she broke into a run to find him with his hand around Juan’s throat.
Without thinking, she launched herself at José, freeing a sputtering and bewildered Juan from his crushing grip.
“Stop. What are you doing?”
Juan rubbed his neck ruefully, eyeing José with distrust.
“What’s going on?” Juan asked.
José positively vibrated with angry energy and even Sonya had to be a little afraid of him though none of his anger was directed at her. She looked around the room with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Manuel wasn’t here, either.
“Juan, you didn’t pick Manuel up at daycare?” she asked, still standing guard between the two men.
Juan shook his head, “I haven’t left this building, ask anyone.”
Sonya heard her own breath come in short shallow gasps and she felt lightheaded, overwhelmed and pissed.
Someone had her baby. And she had a good idea of who that someone was.
“He’s missing,” José told Juan, “And the daycare says you picked him up.”
Juan’s face drained of all color, “Shit. What can I do?”
José shook his head, “Just stay here.” He took Sonya’s hand and squeezed it, “Let’s go back and see if Dara remembers anything else. We’ll find him, I promise.”
She swallowed and nodded, trying her damnedest to shove down the bile rising within her.
As José drove them back to the daycare, Sonya ran through all of the horrible scenarios she hadn’t let herself conjure until that moment. That moment when she realized he was really missing.
She followed José in a daze. A buzzing in her ears making it difficult to focus on anything. Visions of Manuel’s happy face, his peaceful form sleeping, his tight warm hugs…
Tears sprang t
o her eyes and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the sinking feeling of despair.
“Are you sure this is the man that picked him up?” José asked, showing Dara a picture on his phone.
Dara frowned and nodded, “Well, yeah… but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t know. He was kind of scary. Like, when he asked to pick up Manuel… I didn’t want to give him over without calling his mother… but he was really insistent. It’s kind of fuzzy.”
José growled, “I am your Alpha, damn it. This is my fucking territory.”
Sonya placed a hand on his arm, “It’s not her fault. The compulsion to obey…”
José sighed and raked a hand through his hair, “Yeah. I know.”
Some Alphas were so strong that they could compel other wolves to do their bidding, even if they wouldn’t normally. Sonya had heard horror stories of Diego’s compulsion before.
I’d rather die than do what he asked of me… and then I did it anyway.
She shuddered at the memory. Manuel had to be okay. He just had to be.
“Diego has him,” she said without question.
José nodded in complete agreement, “But I don’t understand how he tricked my whole pack. How he disguised himself to look like Juan…”
They walked back to the car until they were out of earshot of Dara and Sonya said, “Magic.”
“Esther,” José added. Then, after seeing Sonya’s confused reaction, he elaborated, “The witch that threatened to trade you for his cooperation. She has to be behind this.”
An overwhelming surge of power coursed through her at the mention of another witch. Another threat. Another pair of hands involved in her son’s abduction.
Someone was going to pay.
“Do you have a way to contact her?” Sonya asked, already getting back into the car, unable to stand still while her whole world was falling apart around her.
José nodded, “She gave me a… calling card, but it just reeks of dark magic. I didn’t want to use it. I don’t really want anything to do with her.”
She nodded, “But if she’d involved in this, we don’t have a choice.”
He took them back to his office in the clubhouse. Sonya had never really had a chance to see the big open room, filled with driftwood sculptures and landscape paintings. But she certainly didn’t have time to enjoy the art now.
José pulled the little card from a locked desk drawer and turned it over in his hands a few times, his brow furrowed in concentration.
In the next second, a shimmery apparition appeared between them, an old woman with a poisonous grin.
“Reconsidered my offer, have you? You’re a little late,” she said, her voice ringing in the room with a hollow quality.
“I know you helped Diego kidnap the boy, now you’re going to tell me where he is,” José growled.
Esther just laughed, “I warned you this would happen.”
“And now I’m warning you. I know your Coven doesn’t know what you’re getting into in your spare time.”
Esther’s smile faded, “I don’t have to listen to this,” she said, waving her hand.
When her image didn’t dissipate, José sat back in his chair, his arms crossed with a satisfied sneer curling his lips.
Esther’s soulless eyes burned with white-hot rage as she whirled around to see Sonya there.
“You dare bind me in place?”
Sonya smirked, “You want to play games with my son? Let’s play.”
The older witch looked from Sonya back to José and her sneer returned to her wrinkled face, “You restored her magic, didn’t you?” she accused in a sing-song voice.
“Ho ho ho… Diego won’t be expecting that,” she giggled.
“Enough,” José growled, slamming his fist down on the desk, “You’ve jerked me around long enough and it’s time for some fucking answers. Or do you want your sisters to hear all about your extra curriculars?”
“Hmm,” Esther tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Well played, puppy. Diego has the boy in a trailer in the forest, not far from here.”
She gave them the exact location before José would let Sonya release the witch. As soon as her projection faded, Sonya doubled over, hands on her knees, heaving great shaking breaths as she pushed back the wave of tears threatening to overcome her.
Not knowing where he was was bad enough. Knowing he was with Diego was absolute torture.
José wrapped her in his arms and gave her a reassuring squeeze, “We’re going to bring him home. Safe and sound, I promise.”
She nodded, swiping at tears as he pulled her in for a quick salty kiss.
At least she wasn’t alone. She had José. And she had her magic.
Chapter 14
JOSÉ
José’s vehicle bounced along the rutted muddy roads through the woods on the outskirts of The Den’s territory, his wolf bristling to the surface.
How had everything gone so wrong? He promised Sonya he’d keep them safe and now where were they?
He’d failed them both and that pissed him off more than anything. He promised her.
Putting the vehicle in park, he took Sonya’s hand in his, stopping her from getting out of the car.
“Listen, I don’t know what Diego has planned. Just go in, get Manuel and take him back to The Den where it’s safe. Don’t come back for me, okay? No matter what. Just get Manuel and get to safety.”
Sonya’s jaw dropped and the fire in her eyes made José’s heart swell. No longer was she the timid scared woman he’d met weeks ago. She was a new woman, fierce, protective, and confident. She’d be okay. Even if he wasn’t.
“José, I’m not going to—”
“Yes you are,” he said sternly. “Promise me Sonya. I can’t stand the thought of Diego laying a hand on either of you ever again. I need to know you’re safe.”
With tears in her shimmering eyes once more, Sonya nodded, “Okay, I promise.”
He gave her another quick kiss, desperately hoping it wouldn’t be their last, before they both got out and approached Diego’s trailer.
“I should have known you wouldn’t come alone, Sonya,” a deep gruff voice yelled as the squeaky screen door opened.
In the background, José heard Manuel squeal ‘Mama!’ and the looming figure in the doorway turned back with a harsh snap.
“You keep quiet,” Diego nearly barked, more animal than man as he slammed the door and sauntered down the porch steps toward them.
“You made a mistake taking him from me,” Sonya said, her voice trembling. Diego might think it was fear, but José knew it was pure maternal rage.
Diego’s mouth curled into a snarl; José had never actually met the other Alpha, but he’d heard more than enough stories of the man’s cruelty. It was a plague on all the wolves in the state and now he’d gone too far by bringing Manuel into it.
“Oh yeah? Is that why you brought your guard dog, you filthy whore? You just can’t keep your legs closed for an Alpha, can you, bruja?”
In a flash of white, José shifted and tackled Diego to the ground, his vision completely red. All the wolf wanted was to protect his family and make this dirty bastard pay for what he’d done.
Far off in the distance, he heard Sonya’s yelp of surprise as Diego shifted as well, his great hulking wolf even bigger than José’s. He was mangier, though, dirty and matted, scarred with bald spots from past fights.
Diego planted his back feet and growled, watching Sonya edge toward the trailer. José growled too, daring him to make a move.
As she approached the first wooden step to the door, Diego lunged.
José sprang and they tumbled to the ground together in a flurry of teeth and claws.
Manuel’s excited “Mama!” could be heard over the snapping and yelping of the fighting beasts. José watched Sonya carry her son out of the trailer and she broke into a run toward their vehicle.
They were okay.
Diego exploited his mo
mentary distraction and pinned him, his jaws closing around José’s neck, crushing the air out of him.
He couldn’t see what was happening, but he heard another vehicle. Another voice. Someone leaving with Manuel while Sonya… stayed.
But no. That’s not what was supposed to happen!
He jerked his head to his mate and felt Diego’s teeth sink further into his flesh. Felt the warm gushing blood stick to his fur and pool around him, staining the blanket of pine needles that covered the ground.
When had everything gotten so cold? Freezing. He could hardly think with the cold any more and it took all of his energy to train his gaze on Diego. To spot that cold maniacal glee that meant the very end of him.
But if this was death, it wasn’t so bad. His eyes drifted closed and he warmed from the inside out. A golden light ensnared him, pulling him, dragging him off into the abyss. Away from everything. Away from the pain. Away from the cold.
It sounded so wonderful. So tempting to just let go and leave everything behind.
Not them. You can’t leave them.
The thought occurred to him at the last moment, but it was already too late.
Chapter 15
SONYA
“That’s enough,” Sonya boomed, her voice magically enhanced to reverberate through the woods. Whole flocks of birds took frantic flight at her demand, and Diego himself even stopped mauling José for a moment.
Please please please be alive, she silently prayed, hoping José could hold on just a bit longer.
With a flick of her wrist, Sonya encased Diego in a glowing sphere of light and lifted him off of the ground, hovering feet above them. She rushed over to José and stroked his blood-stained fur.
“It’s going to be alright, I promise,” she whispered, placing a kiss on his forehead. His eyes opened for only the briefest moment and he whined with an exhale.
“Shhh, I got this,” she said, swiping at fresh tears before standing to face Diego again.
The grungy grey wolf wasn’t at all what she remembered. Diego had always taken better care of himself than this, but now he looked a little worse for wear.
All the better for her.
